Solid Physics

[Fender16]

I did a brief (approx 10 second) search for this matter but saw nothing. If it's been said, my apologies.

One thing I found rather annoying was the lack of "solid physics". I am probably calling it the wrong thing since computer programming is millions of miles away from my area of expertise. Neither is physics but I am hoping someone can make sense of my thought.

Example: When colliding with another plane and or object, the parts involved in the collision simply just fall off, no abrupt movement of mass being slowed or stopped quickly. I would assume if "plane A" were to be flying level while "plane B" proceeds to rear end it due to being faster, plane A should lurch forward while plane b should slow to roughly the same speed as plane A due to coming into contact with it, not cut through it like some kind of light saber. Obviously the parts of the planes involved in the collision would be badly damaged and both planes would likely crash.

Example: If a plane were to fly and smash it's wing against a solid object i.e. a tree, that wing would fly off and the plane would violently turn in the direction where it's path of movement was blocked.

This brings up another thing I wish would be added into the game. Plane remaining relatively intact when hitting the ground. As of now if you crash, your entire plane is vaporized. Not a single piece of metal to show your existence. Perhaps when your plane crashes, it doesn't just "vaporize" but hit the ground, explode, tumble with the direction of movement and be a smoldering wreck of charred, twisted airplane. Maybe leave a debris trail along the way if parts of the plane made contact with trees, buildings, sheep, what ever, and not just simply fall through the ground.

Granted, I know AH focuses on game play and does a fantastic job of that, this is just simple "eye candy" and would just be nice.
I know the lag issues in MA would make my first example a problem to implement and I am not even sure the coding that this game runs on even supports such things I have listed.

Thoughts?

[Rhah]

meh, there have been talks of having plane corpses lying around the map, but the amount of lag you would end up getting would be insane. Would the debris at some point disappear? if not, imagine being at a base that has a furball going on near it, those parts would pile up fast

I give a +1 to the physics but a -1 to the debris

[grizz441]

It would be cool to have scattered plane parts around the map.

I guess my take on that would be let plane wreckage be on the ground for a certain period of time, depending on how many aircrafts are currently in that sector.  For example if there is 30 aircraft, maybe it only sits on the ground for 10 seconds before fading away.  If there are only 5 aircraft, the wreckage sits there for 5 minutes or so.  It would be cool for sure, but the downside is of course, the additional resources and subsequent lag.  Depending on how much lag it would cause, is it really worth it?

[moot]

You do see planes recoil in yaw when colliding at lower speeds.   Maybe the physics only happen up to the point where a part takes enough damage to be removed. Without that small interval during which material failure happens, you might not have enough force transfered for significant spin/recoil.

[Fender16]

You do see planes recoil in yaw when colliding at lower speeds.   Maybe the physics only happen up to the point where a part takes enough damage to be removed. Without that small interval during which material failure happens, you might not have enough force transfered for significant spin/recoil.

Just from what I've seen (2 years ago since I last played) it seems more like when the plane loses a wing it just acts as if were magically taken away with no kinetic force that actually removed it. At lower speeds, I remember just hearing the clanking of metal for a few seconds longer before a piece finally fell off. No abrupt movements that I recall.

[moot]

Yep that's what I'm saying on absence of disintegration physics.

Lower speeds - try it again (offline, no lag, leaves the physics bare to appreciate), e.g. take a slow forgiving lightweight like a zero or hurricane, and practice dragging your wingtips.  Then try minimum speed collisions with objects.. Rearm sheds, CV deck structures, etc.  The physics are there so long as the parts stay attached.  It's like the parts involved instantly disappear once they're past the damage threshold. 

Minor indirectly related point, the weight of parts lost is IIRC not accounted for.  You still have the weight of wingtips or landing gear after you lose them.  I don't know if that's been changed, or if there's some damage config that I missed. E.G. losing everything aft of the cockpit ought to mean something for the consequent aerodynamics (not that it changes the fact the plane is done for), so you ought to not still be carrying the tail's mass after it's gone.

I once asked HT or Pyro if there ought to be recoil from explosions or direct hits on light vehicles like M3s, from large caliber tank rounds, and he said he'd have to crunch the numbers and see.  Didn't hear about it since, so either it's negligible or it's somewhere on their todo list.

[EagleDNY]

It would be nice, but I can't see it happening.  I think there are just too many calculations and too much data needed to make this happen in the real time environment of a game.  I don't think the damage model is detailed enough to tell me whose wing spar gets sheared off (and where it occurs) based on the angle, speed, and design of the wings that collide.  After that, then I'd have to figure the drag and lift on the portion of the wing remaining, or the wind effects of having a big hole in one wing. 

I would like to have wrecks remain for a period of time, and have the ability to alter terrain.  With a collision model that makes tanks unable to drive over a hedge, it doesn't look too likely though.

[JOACH1M]

Just imagine DA lake

[ACE]

  da lake