Orbital zero G combat simulation module in DCS

I am curious if ED or 3rd party dev ever considered developing a zero G low Earth orbit combat simulation module. In space, aside that no one will hear you scream, aerodynamics are irrelevant. Orbital mechanics, and Newtonian Laws Of Motion rule. The HOTAS input,stick/throttle deflection, rudder, buttons, sliders all act on Reaction Control System. Granted there is no platform , aside from Space Shuttle, and Apollo Lunar Lander Module, that is operational, to simulate.

If the orbital vehicle is designed only for orbital zero G flight, with no re-entry, the size and layout of the vehicle is , with few exceptions, irrelevant. What matters is vehicle mass (not weight), and layout of RCS vents

Aside from SVTONY's observation what are we going to use for well propulsion? :D

@SVTONY man... if this post was yesterday, you'd won the best of 2018 award by far :D

Orbital Zero G COMBAT Simulator?

Orbital Zero Use Simulator... :doh:

Dude how did you know? I's was at a party and did inhale, but I did not swallow, the same stuff. Then I had a moment cosmic clarity and made the above post.

Orbital Vehicle Zero G simulation.

Hydrozine thruster, just like our forefathers did from 1946 On.

Mhh I see performance issues, from up there you would have to render a whole continent of buggy LOD models, just imagine the mess :D ( joking )

Well, there is merit to a spaceflight simulator of course, but... DCS doesn't feature a model of the entire Earth, making it a rather odd choice for that idea. There are other platforms that do a decent job at simulating spaceflight.

Also, on a side note: if I'm not mistaken neither the Space Shuttle nor the Apollo Lunar Lander are in any capacity operational.

I meant to say 'were' instead 'are'. A desktop lunar lander simulation module. Thats like, Wile'E'Coyote Super Genius idea of mod. Its like Trump smart.

Have you taken a look at Orbiter? Not much for combat, but still might scratch that itch some what.

There's a few games knocking around that stick to newtonian physics in space dogfighting...and they're not fun. Elite 2 is a high profile example, and combat is a chore.

Real 0G combat in space will just result in the ships making slashing attacks at each other at speeds far surpassing human reflexes, really requiring computers to do the actual attacks.

Indeed, if real sape combat ever happens it is unlikely that it will ressemble anything like star wars. It will be nipping other vessels at thousands of km using laser or missile like weapons. Fight will be dictated by the power of the ship sensors and the accuracy of the weapons

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jesus christ the absolute state of the dcs community entering the year 2019

There was Rogue System, but it hasn't had an update in quite a long time. Over a year, iirc. It was/is supposed to become a full space combat game with Newtonian physics.

Google Earth.

I think it's a different market + platform. There are news of satellite interception missiles but much of it would need to be highly fictional.

A space shuttle simulator would have a warm welcome, though. There are a couple of GPL projects but the task is daunting for an amateur developer - and even so they are backed by quite a bunch of strong supporters.

David Weber does a decent job of describing fictional hypothetical space combat in his Honor Harrington series*. Weber himself is great at writing thrilling "death ride" combat scenes, but he also makes it clear that real Newtonian combat maneuvering, even with his sci-fi "impeller drive" sublight acceleration (far beyond our current capabilities, we're talking roughly 2,000 years in the future) it still takes HOURS to maneuver into position, and a lot of calculations regarding turnover, since you have to accelerate up to a certain point, and then turn around and decelerate if you want to reach a specific target (like a planet or space station) at any reasonable velocity. Oh, and if you're trying to fly past a moving target like an enemy ship or fleet, you only get one shot, since it'll be several more hours before you can even get turned back in its direction. Now, if you're going to try to maneuver to draw up alongside enemy ships to match their direction and velocity for an extended engagement, you're gonna need a lot more math and geometry.

Now, in a sci-fi novel, it's easy enough for a character to say "we've sighted the enemy fleet, we expect to draw within firing range in four hours" and then just jump ahead to when the alert to go to battlestations actually happens. It's not quite so easy to do that in a simulator, especially if you're expecting to be seated at the controls the whole time. There are plenty of missions in DCS that involve an hour of flying round trip for a few minutes of combat, but this would be far far worse.

There are also good reasons why most sci-fi authors treat future space conflicts in naval terms, since it is more likely to be similar to modern submarine or possible battleship combat rather than like modern combat aviation, so I'm not even sure that this would be the best format.

*It's worth reading if you like action, the writing is kinda meh, but it's basically the literary equivalent of one of those Michael Bay or Jerry Bruckheimer summer action flicks. Since it's based on an older naval book series (Horatio Hornblower), it's probably of greater interest to sailors than pilots

A space shuttle simulator would have a warm welcome, though. There are a couple of GPL projects but the task is daunting for an amateur developer - and even so they are backed by quite a bunch of strong supporters.

For STS simulation. There are only handful of phases in a mission that involve flight control, thus adaptable to sim market.

Approach and dock with ISS

Disconnect from ISS, maneuver away.

Reentry and landing

-orient orbiter as needed for re-entry.

-Dead stick land orbiter, keeping it along reentry trajectory and glide slope for landing.

Satellite deployment and service

-Fly orbiter to designated satellite release point in orbit. Orient Orbiter, as needed, and deploy satellite.

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For STS simulation. There are only handful of phases in a mission that involve flight control, thus adaptable to sim market.

 

Approach and dock with ISS

Disconnect from ISS, maneuver away.

 

Reentry and landing

-orient orbiter as needed for re-entry.

-Dead stick land orbiter, keeping it along reentry trajectory and glide slope for landing.

 

Satellite deployment and service

-Fly orbiter to designated satellite release point in orbit. Orient Orbiter, as needed, and deploy satellite.

-

I agree! None STS sims out there are perfect, but I find them terribly fun because of the variety of missions and procedures. Even a nominal, STS-1 like mission is extremely challenging.

Kerbal space program to learn orbital mechanics then....

https://store.steampowered.com/app/476530/Children_of_a_Dead_Earth/

There have actually been a number of games over the decades that implemented more or less (often less) Newtonian mechanics and were quite fun to play. Elite is reported as fun for combat by a few players. The one slash between hours of maneuver thing can be a real issue if the game doesn't make concessions. I find faster-than-light drives being a very decent compromise but I bet Wags is spilling his coffee at the mention of them... we're probably still a few years off from before ED can complete the Nevada module as full fidelity :lol:

Indeed, if real sape combat ever happens it is unlikely that it will ressemble anything like star wars. It will be nipping other vessels at thousands of km using laser or missile like weapons. Fight will be dictated by the power of the ship sensors and the accuracy of the weapons

Exactly! Nobody wants a game where you spend more time learning the ship systems and acquiring targets with sensors than what the actual flying and shooting part takes. Electronic targeting systems, radar or weapons that just fly to the target on their own are very boring... let us fight with our mark I eyeballs, shooting rockets between the eyes of each other and deciding the fight by who pulls the stick the most!

Now you're looking for a Space Flight Simulator! They're available else where...;)