27 replies to this topic

[Sadist Cain]

Lord Scarlett Johan, on 02 September 2015 - 01:07 PM, said:

I guess since I've used maps all my life, I was in for a shock when I joined the Army and realized how many of my fellow soldiers have no idea how to read a map.

I guess since I'm so used to using a paper map in the real world I hate digital maps in video games that orient with the player and not to the terrain. The "top" of the minimap should always be grid north.

A little check box for this would be simply marvellous.

[lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol]

Aren't there other things to consider such as planetary core composition, what "true north" and "magnetic north" is, and do mechs compass readings rely on magnetic or true readings?

[Vlad Ward]

Mister Blastman, on 02 September 2015 - 08:13 AM, said:

Uranus north is still north along the axis of spin. The day is due to orbit, not axial spin. North and south are bound to axis of spin. A day on Uranus is 40 years. A day on Forest Colony is one hour. Forest Colony is rotating on axis of spin--otherwise it would be so close to a star the surface would be nothing but blasted rock, dust and molten slag.

Er.

Everything rotates around an axis of spin. That's what an axis of spin is - the axis things spin/rotate around.

But axial tilt and axial rotation wouldn't matter unless Mechs are using some form of GPS that happens to be set up that way (hint: they're probably not). It's far more likely they just have onboard magnetometers that point in the direction of the magnetic north pole, which doesn't always align with the rotational axis of a planet.

Edited by Vlad Ward, 02 September 2015 - 02:58 PM.

[Mister Blastman]

Vlad Ward, on 02 September 2015 - 02:57 PM, said:

Er.

Everything rotates around an axis of spin. That's what an axis of spin is - the axis things spin/rotate around.

But axial tilt and axial rotation wouldn't matter unless Mechs are using some form of GPS that happens to be set up that way (hint: they're probably not). It's far more likely they just have onboard magnetometers that point in the direction of the magnetic north pole, which doesn't always align with the rotational axis of a planet.

Correct, it does not. But what we see here is the sun rising in the North... which is 90 degrees off axis--a bit extreme.

[Mister Blastman]

DarthRevis, on 02 September 2015 - 11:24 AM, said:

Actually with modern data its more rare for a star to be singular then a binary system...so two or more stars would make some sense.

Yes, very true. Chances are you'd see the other star either in the daytime or the nighttime unless it is obscured by the closest star or your rotational period is very long.

[Vlad Ward]

Mister Blastman, on 02 September 2015 - 03:05 PM, said:

Correct, it does not. But what we see here is the sun rising in the North... which is 90 degrees off axis--a bit extreme.

Extreme for Earth, maybe.

Even detecting the presence of magnetic fields on planets outside our solar system is only a recent breakthrough (though we've generally assumed they existed). We don't know what the core composition of these worlds is, or what other factors might influence a magnetometer-based guidance system.

Plus Mechs are lostech, so the engineers servicing them probably don't know how magnets work either. It's very possible the whole darn thing's been calibrated wrong for years and no one's noticed. Sci-fi!

Edit: I'm more annoyed about the fact that Heat Sinks seem to function on HPG Manifold and Vitric Forge, where there's minimal and no atmosphere respectively.

HPG is even a "Cold" map!

Edited by Vlad Ward, 02 September 2015 - 03:18 PM.

[Troutmonkey]

Dino Might, on 02 September 2015 - 06:28 AM, said:

Maybe I'm an idiot, but I can't tell what you're talking about. Compass bearing is based on the direction your are facing out of your cockpit. What is wrong in all those videos? I was trying to get a reference point and compass heading - you moving around made it a bit more difficult, but on Mordor, I noticed that East was where the lava flow was on the side of that hill. When you turned back at the end, you were looking East and still looking at roughly the same heading. I can't see the problem.

Seems everyone completely missed the point:

Quote

The compass markers for conquest and assault often get messed up, getting stuck while turning or otherwise showing up in the wrong direction.

The little icons that point towards your base / cap points get stuck on the compass track. The first video shows both my base and the enemy's base being in the same direction.

[Mister Blastman]

Vlad Ward, on 02 September 2015 - 03:16 PM, said:

Extreme for Earth, maybe.

Even detecting the presence of magnetic fields on planets outside our solar system is only a recent breakthrough (though we've generally assumed they existed). We don't know what the core composition of these worlds is, or what other factors might influence a magnetometer-based guidance system.

Plus Mechs are lostech, so the engineers servicing them probably don't know how magnets work either. It's very possible the whole darn thing's been calibrated wrong for years and no one's noticed. Sci-fi!

Edit: I'm more annoyed about the fact that Heat Sinks seem to function on HPG Manifold and Vitric Forge, where there's minimal and no atmosphere respectively.

HPG is even a "Cold" map!

Hehe. Infrared radiation--if they were attuned as such, which they are not. Heat build up (and cooling) in a vacuum is a very real problem. They could also use thermoelectrics to convert it into microwave radiation... but they don't.

Ah well. It would be really neat if HPG modeled all that. Our 'mechs would explode. I don't know enough about Battletech but I'm pretty sure they don't come with equipment designed to balance heat in a vacuum.