I have an interest also

[captainfred]

I'm a budding simster and have been for many years. Starshatter:TGS does look very tempting but if I may ask some questions:

1. Can you only pilot the fighters (ie in cockpit view) or can you also pilot the capital ships in cockpit view?

2. Can you actually jump to different systems within the Galaxy or is the dynamic campaign restricted to the SOL system only?

3. Is there a Training Academy where you learn the ropes before you jump straight into the action?

4. Once you are in command of a cap ship, do you have the option of jumping back into a fighter again?

5. Do you actually plot your own nav points or is it pre-set for each mission type? For example, a recon mission where you need to plot your way to the destination.

6. Is cockpit view only available if you have the Track IR headsets?

7. And finally, how does it compare with X3-The Reunion in relation to space travel.

Thank you in advance.

[Incendiary Lemon]

1 - Only the Fighters have cockpits. That is an art limitation however and a modder could certainly build their own. Perhaps they'll be featured in the next version of Starshatter.

2 -  You can jump between sectors (Systems are divided up into mulitple sectors) but you progress to the next System only when you defeat the enemy.

3 - The first campaign is designed to get you up and running. You'll have some live fire practice against drones and learn to handle Fighters. So yes.

4 - You can move back and forth whenever you want to. Just select the Ship/Squadron and hit the "transfer" button.

5 - You can adjust your nav points before and during missions.

6 - I haven't played X3.

[Dragonlead]

To answer the X3 question...

X3 and X2 are more commonly known as "arcade" style sims. Inertia is basically ignored and you can zoom off in any direction you want to with no regard to physics.

SS (all variants) is most commonly played in a Newtonian physics world, much like real space travel. In other words, cutting off your engine does NOT cause you to stop, as it does in X2/3. HOWEVER, SS can be set up to fly like X2/3 in the options setting.
Myself, I have never flown the game like this, nor have I designed ships to operate in that environment, but it is possible to go either way. I hope that answered your question.

V/R

[captainfred]

ORIGINAL: Dragonlead

To answer the X3 question...

X3 and X2 are more commonly known as "arcade" style sims. Inertia is basically ignored and you can zoom off in any direction you want to with no regard to physics.

SS (all variants) is most commonly played in a Newtonian physics world, much like real space travel. In other words, cutting off your engine does NOT cause you to stop, as it does in X2/3. HOWEVER, SS can be set up to fly like X2/3 in the options setting.
Myself, I have never flown the game like this, nor have I designed ships to operate in that environment, but it is possible to go either way. I hope that answered your question.

V/R

Well I wasn't actually looking at the physics side of space travel, more like being inside a spacecraft and viewing from the inside whilst travelling through space 3D like. Point well taken on the inertia factor but one would assume reverse thrusters were used to counteract the inertia factor.

Having said that though, for spacecraft to stop on time and at a particular nav point, the onboard computers would have to calculate the distance from A to B and also the amount of thrust to gain enough inertia to get there and then at some midpoint between A and B would have to turn the spacecraft around a full 180 degrees to counteract the inertia it's currently in to be able to stop at B. That's if the spacecraft didn't have reverse thrusters ofcourse[:)]

[Adonnay]

Well I think X3 has a great atmosphere as far as space is concerned... some sectors are breathtaking, somtimes underlined with a great and fitting music score. However X3 does have serious disappointments as far as space combat is concerned (in my opinion at least). Starshatter delivers a much better 'feel' for space combat I think... not sure how to describe it. It's probably because I don't like those fluffy slow flying bullets in X3... space combat in SS (especially if you modded it to be like you want it, like I've done ) seems more strategic and 'realistic'. Planning scout routes around your carrier and chosing which ships carry what loadout may sound boring to some but I like it very much. And when a patrol spots incoming bombers things get hot... can you intercept them before they reach firing distance or should you better jump away instantly (you can't repair hull damage actively - it increases between missions, but very very slowly).

So both games have their advantages and disadvantages - it mostly depends on your preference and playstyle.

[Kuokkanen]

ORIGINAL: captainfred

Well I wasn't actually looking at the physics side of space travel, more like being inside a spacecraft and viewing from the inside whilst travelling through space 3D like. Point well taken on the inertia factor but one would assume reverse thrusters were used to counteract the inertia factor.

There was cockpit for one fighter (Stormhawk) in old Starshatter version 3.7.6 (version number of Gathering Storm is 5.0). It had at least pad lock working on it, though I'm not sure can player turn head around at will with hat or something else. If cockpit isn't available or it is turned off, view from inside ship (fighter or not) is straight forward and pad lock won't work.

What comes to inertia thing, there are mechanics in Starshatter which counteract with it. But with massive cruiser on high speeds (kilometer per second) it's much easier turn heading of ship than its movement vector.