Three dimensional ship direction names

[Error]

Having the ig ore-orbits-but-allow-3D-movement doesn't strike me as that difficult. That said, I played HW2, and Tribes, and BSGO, where 3D thinking is a MUST.

So really, a semi-realistic (newotnian physics) space combat game (Nexus: Jupiter Incident?) would be fun.

[҉]

Controls, too, though. It's hard to select a point in 3D space on a 2D computer display. SoaSE would be very difficult to play if it wasn't planar.

[Iv121]

I didn't like Nexus: The Jupiter Incident that much because the battles there felt pre-decided depending on your loadout in the very beginning of the game. There is only one way to play the match optimally and get the most firepower out of it but that is just technically memorizing of the gameplay, you never really make tactical choices. As for the HW way of doing it the main plane helped a lot with navigation however no matter how hard you try, working with a 3D space in a 2D environment will always be hard and confusing, you simply cannot see depth nor do you have points of reference like with normal 3D games. Maybe oculus rift will help I dunno but until then we'll keep getting confused with 3D environments.

[҉]

I'm waiting for a game I control by reaching into and manipulating a hologram. Once we can do that, we'll have our 3D games.

[cats]

I'm waiting for a game I control by reaching into and manipulating a hologram. Once we can do that, we'll have our 3D games.

VR systems like the Rift could do that, it projects a stereoscopic image into your face so it's already 3D. They just have to develop glove things or incorporate more cameras.

[Ivan2006]

I'm waiting for a game I control by reaching into and manipulating a hologram. Once we can do that, we'll have our 3D games.

VR systems like the Rift could do that, it projects a stereoscopic image into your face so it's already 3D. They just have to develop glove things or incorporate more cameras.

^

[Solar112]

I like the idea of using naval terms, but failing that we could use the following
Prograde (Forward)
Retrograde (Backward)
Normal (Up)
Antinormal (Down)
Radial in (Left)
Radial out (Right)

[Error]

Those pertain more to orbit and orbital vector, but works, I guess.

[Shadowcatbot]

I like the idea of using naval terms, but failing that we could use the following
Prograde (Forward)
Retrograde (Backward)
Normal (Up)
Antinormal (Down)
Radial in (Left)
Radial out (Right)

I like these.

[Solar112]

Those pertain more to orbit and orbital vector, but works, I guess.

Most of the time we're going to be in orbit, right? I mean even if we're in the middle of buttfuck no where, milky way, we're still orbiting the black hole in the center. (I forgot it's name.)

[Error]

Sagittarius A*.

And yeah.

[҉]

Those pertain more to orbit and orbital vector, but works, I guess.

Most of the time we're going to be in orbit, right? I mean even if we're in the middle of buttfuck no where, milky way, we're still orbiting the black hole in the center. (I forgot it's name.)

Kinda? Lots of things aren't in orbit. Space probes, for instance. Any time you're going anywhere you're not in orbit.

[CMA]

Those pertain more to orbit and orbital vector, but works, I guess.

Most of the time we're going to be in orbit, right? I mean even if we're in the middle of buttfuck no where, milky way, we're still orbiting the black hole in the center. (I forgot it's name.)

Kinda? Lots of things aren't in orbit. Space probes, for instance. Any time you're going anywhere you're not in orbit.

You still have an object you're basing your reference frame(?) on. Prograde, Retrograde, etc. would be the best, if not technically correct.

[cats]

Fore and aft just mean front and back respectively and are relative to the ship itself, usually referring to parts of it that are forward or after the middle. If you would like to use another set of words to describe that, there's nothing to stop you, they're just easy and sound nice. If you want to use another system to describe direction relative to the orbit of another object, retrograde and prograde would work. The two aren't mutually exclusive. You could also use a coordinate system in which the ship or something else is the origin, but that's pretty specific for the RP.

[Ivan2006]

Prograde and retrograde are directions of movements. If there is something 'prograde of your ship' it means you are moving towards it.
Since in space, however, your movement vector does not necessarily equal the direction your ship is pointing, those would not always be technically correct.
And, as for a matter of fact, Jedi, even space probes are in orbit. You are in orbit all the time. Even if you are on an escape/capture trajectory, that's still a part of an orbit that merges into another orbit.