5 replies to this topic

[Andilar]

I would like to suggest that when a mech is in the air, whether because of jump-jets or going over a drop, that the lateral speed not change. I've noticed in a fast commando that on maps that aren't flat, as soon as the mech is airborne, it starts decelerating, and more quickly the more efficiencies are unlocked. I also recently started using a spider with jump jets, and the same thing happens.

I'd like to be able to run over an obstacle and not stall out mid-air and drop to the ground needing to accelerate again.

[Durant Carlyle]

Jump jets do not provide much forward acceleration. They are meant to power a 'Mech up more than forward. Therefore, you slow down while jumping.

An airborne 'Mech immediately begins decelerating once its feet leave the ground, just as it should.

Also remember that any landing requires both legs to flex to help absorb the impact. Just like a jumping person cannot resume maximum speed immediately upon putting their feet back on the ground.

Working as intended.

[Andilar]

I get that jump jets are supposed to work against gravity, but I think the game would be better if it incorporated some conservation of linear momentum.

For example, let's say a Commando is running on a flat or down a hill, and goes over a slight lip that takes it airborne. What I would expect to happen is for the mech to continue moving in the speed and direction it was moving, modified by the downward acceleration of gravity. What I see happening in the game is that the mech's speed immediately drops toward zero as fast as it can, so faster with the Hard Brake efficiency than without and even faster with the 2x bonus from having all the elite efficiencies unlocked. When the mech lands - even though it was in free fall through whatever atmosphere exists on a given map - it may have zero ground speed.

I think there should be no change in ground speed for airborne mechs unless there is a reason for the change.

It is probably not noticeable in slower mechs, but in fast light mechs the effect detracts from the game, at least for me.

[Skyfaller]

I think he means the deceleration you experience when your mech touches the ground.

If you're in a light running at 120kph and a crater that is only 2 meters deep comes up..and your mech runs inside it...


your 120kph is suddenly stopped to like 50kph upon landing and the mech accelerates back up to top speed from that.

That is just silly.

[Zerberus]

Skyfaller, on 29 January 2014 - 06:57 PM, said:

I think he means the deceleration you experience when your mech touches the ground.

If you're in a light running at 120kph and a crater that is only 2 meters deep comes up..and your mech runs inside it...


your 120kph is suddenly stopped to like 50kph upon landing and the mech accelerates back up to top speed from that.

That is just silly.

No, he means the way the speed bar drops from max to stop slowly but surely after about 1,5 seconds of JJ use. Things on the ground do not generally concern airborne objects from a mobility standpoint.

However, the end result is in fact very similar to your crater example, for ex. you`re runnuing 150< when you jump, and when you land 2-3 seconds later (or 4, or 5, whio cares?) you have to re-accelerate from a lower speed, the range of which down to and including a full stop.

That`s why more experienced pilots always shoot where the spider will LAND and thereby generally hurt them significantly.

Edited by Zerberus, 29 January 2014 - 08:08 PM.

[Durant Carlyle]

It's not really the slowdown during flight that's the problem -- it's the impact-absorption at the end of the flight that really wrecks momentum. Even if the fall was "only two meters" the impact must be absorbed before acceleration can begin again.

Unfortunately, we do not have exact control of the legs of our 'Mechs, so we cannot launch off the lip of a crater and set our legs up to absorb the impact while keeping most of our momentum. This is true in the lore as well -- you cannot be running immediately at the end of a jump.

I run Jenners. I do know what I'm talking about when jump jets and speed and acceleration are concerned.

it really is working as intended.