Should 'grav-well' feature be removed?

[Nanook]

It's gravity ... you can't turn it off ... smaller mass is pulled towards larger mass and that is actual fact.
To remove this would take away from the space immersion that I currently enjoy flying around in....
=Baddieus=

And the amount of gravity needed to hold a person on Earth at one g is, well, produced by the mass of the Earth. And gravity isn't a short range force, as depicted in the game. If it were truly gravity holding small ships near large ships, that attraction would extend much, much, much further out. Sorry to burst your immersion bubble, but them's the facts. In addition to what Falcrack said.

[jlehtone]

I would prefer it to be a toggle-able option like docking that the player could turn on and off as needed. Too many times I've flown close to a big ship that I did not want to dock at, yet I was grabbed by its so-called 'grav-well' when it was least convenient. So yes, it's necessary, but it should be able to be turned on and off as needed. IMHO.

Who gets to decide that on/off? You, or the captain of that big ship?
Their "artificial gravity generator"/"tractor beam"/"repulsor field" is surely more powerful than yours ...

[Nanook]

I would prefer it to be a toggle-able option like docking that the player could turn on and off as needed. Too many times I've flown close to a big ship that I did not want to dock at, yet I was grabbed by its so-called 'grav-well' when it was least convenient. So yes, it's necessary, but it should be able to be turned on and off as needed. IMHO.

Who gets to decide that on/off? You, or the captain of that big ship?
Their "artificial gravity generator"/"tractor beam"/"repulsor field" is surely more powerful than yours ...

It's none of that fantastical, magical nonsense. It's simply an autopilot ability of the playership to maintain station, as was mentioned a few posts back. Or it should be. No 'magic' needed.

[Raptor34]

I would prefer it to be a toggle-able option like docking that the player could turn on and off as needed. Too many times I've flown close to a big ship that I did not want to dock at, yet I was grabbed by its so-called 'grav-well' when it was least convenient. So yes, it's necessary, but it should be able to be turned on and off as needed. IMHO.

Who gets to decide that on/off? You, or the captain of that big ship?
Their "artificial gravity generator"/"tractor beam"/"repulsor field" is surely more powerful than yours ...

It's none of that fantastical, magical nonsense. It's simply an autopilot ability of the playership to maintain station, as was mentioned a few posts back. Or it should be. No 'magic' needed.

We already have tractor beams.

[abisha1980]

I think the gravity of objects are over the top a capital ship of 1KM simple not have enough mass to generate that amount of gravity.
still i think for gameplay it makes sense that your ship can stick to large ships.

[jlehtone]

It's none of that fantastical, magical nonsense. It's simply an autopilot ability of the playership to maintain station, as was mentioned a few posts back. Or it should be. No 'magic' needed.

Ahh, the feature known as "gravity well" is actually the infamous X Universe auto-pillock and has nothing to do with actual gravity. That [auto-pillock] explains why the feature behaves as it does.

It just does not say "EPIC FAIL" like the autopilot button, which I don't use.

[Falcrack]

I think the gravity of objects are over the top a capital ship of 1KM simple not have enough mass to generate that amount of gravity.
still i think for gameplay it makes sense that your ship can stick to large ships.

Although to be fair, all the ships in the game generate artificial gravity, so I suppose you could handwave and say that getting close to capital ships put you in range of their artificial gravity field. Since there is no scientific basis for explaining how artificial gravity would be generated, that would be as plausible an explanation as anything else.

[Baddieus]

FYi ... I looked up the math ... those who say "not enough mass to generate a gravitational effect between ships or even from a station" are correct.
So ... it is the auto-pilot kicking in to keep both ships in tandem for ease of docking while in motion which works for me, with one little exception.

If I pilot towards a ship with obvious intent to be there, then I'm grateful for the auto-pilot assistance in keeping me in tandem for docking or attacking.
However, when I'm hanging out near a gate checking the map and a large freighter pops in and starts dragging me along ... not to thrilled about that.

=Baddieus=

[TheDeliveryMan]

If I pilot towards a ship with obvious intent to be there, then I'm grateful for the auto-pilot assistance in keeping me in tandem for docking or attacking.
However, when I'm hanging out near a gate checking the map and a large freighter pops in and starts dragging me along ... not to thrilled about that.

I think you have a very good point here!

[dtpsprt]

................

However, when I'm hanging out near a gate checking the map and a large freighter pops in and starts dragging me along ... not to thrilled about that.

=Baddieus=

Honestly speaking and being the X Universe buff I am with equal hours in almost every X Game (except the accursed one in which I only have about 3,000) I can't see how someone would "park" in front or behind a jump gate. If one does it then they should build a golden statue to Bernd for "abolishing" collision damage instead of feeling discomforted for being dragged to the other end of a sector...

[jlehtone]

................

However, when I'm hanging out near a gate checking the map and a large freighter pops in and starts dragging me along ... not to thrilled about that.

=Baddieus=

Honestly speaking and being the X Universe buff I am with equal hours in almost every X Game (except the accursed one in which I only have about 3,000) I can't see how someone would "park" in front or behind a jump gate. If one does it then they should build a golden statue to Bernd for "abolishing" collision damage instead of feeling discomforted for being dragged to the other end of a sector...

I did, occasionally, forgot to move away from the Gate after entry to sector in X3s. The reminder was quite predictable.

In X4 you just get this (unless the 6.0 has new tricks).

[Falcrack]

................

However, when I'm hanging out near a gate checking the map and a large freighter pops in and starts dragging me along ... not to thrilled about that.

=Baddieus=

Honestly speaking and being the X Universe buff I am with equal hours in almost every X Game (except the accursed one in which I only have about 3,000) I can't see how someone would "park" in front or behind a jump gate. If one does it then they should build a golden statue to Bernd for "abolishing" collision damage instead of feeling discomforted for being dragged to the other end of a sector...

I did, occasionally, forgot to move away from the Gate after entry to sector in X3s. The reminder was quite predictable.

In X4 you just get this (unless the 6.0 has new tricks).

You see a lot less of ships clipping into other ships in 6.0 compared to what is seen in the linked picture.

[Baddieus]

I can't see how someone would "park" in front or behind a jump gate.

Xenon capitals entering N.E. gate in Hatikvahs ... me near the beginning of a new game in a small fighter waiting near the W. gate (not directly in front of its exit), in Silent Witness to rush in and collect drops after most/all are destroyed by the nearby station. While watching the battle play out via the map a large freighter jumps in around the outside of the gate and as it goes by grabs my ship in its wake. I close the map to go get drops & realize that I'm 1/2 way across the sector ...

= Baddieus =

[jlehtone]

... in a small fighter waiting near the W. gate (not directly in front of its exit), in Silent Witness ...

Behind the Gate. You can enter the Gate from behind. There is no traffic behind it any more, since (4.0 or 3.30?). Not in the dead center.

[alt3rn1ty]

I like it, helps me landing on my big ships, and also I like having the ability to creep around the outside of an enemy big ship taking out its surface elements.

[Nanook]

I don't think most are arguing to get rid of it. What we want is player control of when it happens or doesn't. Right now, you get too close and you're 'grabbed' no matter what.

[LameFox]

I think I prefer the idea of it being something the large ship does to the small ship on purpose, using the same tech as the loot magnet maybe, because it's pretty clear our thrusters can't really do something like move us thousands of m/s sideways to keep up with an L ship in travel drive. Why would we have them be that powerful but only when we are near a big ship...

In that case, maybe it also opens it up to being optional, something you request from the target ship like how you request docking permission, and also something a hostile ship can deny.

Though one downside I can think of then is you'd need some other way to explain those explorable wrecks—or else remove the rotation from them.

[Nanook]

I can't think of a single scenario where a hostile ship would want you attached to its skin, especially since they're actively trying to shoot you (me).

After giving it a bit more thought, I think it should just go away. It was a game mechanic in X Rebirth that doesn't really translate well to X4. If you want to attach yourself to an enemy ship, you knock it out of travel drive with a couple of shots. If you want to dock on a friendly ship, you should be able to ask it to drop out of travel drive, or else dock on it before it enters travel drive. I don't really see the need for it. It's just not a believable. or necessary thing anymore. If it was made optional, I'd probably never turn it on.

[dtpsprt]

I can't think of a single scenario where a hostile ship would want you attached to its skin, especially since they're actively trying to shoot you (me).

After giving it a bit more thought, I think it should just go away. It was a game mechanic in X Rebirth that doesn't really translate well to X4. If you want to attach yourself to an enemy ship, you knock it out of travel drive with a couple of shots. If you want to dock on a friendly ship, you should be able to ask it to drop out of travel drive, or else dock on it before it enters travel drive. I don't really see the need for it. It's just not a believable. or necessary thing anymore. If it was made optional, I'd probably never turn it on.

Couldn't agree more, especially as it applies equally to all ships regardless of size/mass/volume. I'd rather be chasing am L that I have or want boarded than be banged (and "jolted") around by commercial traffic when I dock my Cerberus!!!

The only "useful" thing that might help the player a bit is a tractor beam (which exists in the Manticores) to "latch on" to targets, most probably sacrifising one turret slot for it.

P.S. If Egosoft could get rid of anything and everything reminiscing the unmentionable failed game I'd be a very happy customer!!!

[grapedog]

I vote to keep it as is.