EVE Search - [TL:DR] Game physics not realistic for space flight simulation

Ogedei Khaghan wrote:

I am sure this has been bandied about before, but I want to get in my 2 cents.

I am rather OCD when it comes to game play physics; especially when it applies to a game that is based on real world physics. I have noticed the following inconsitancies in the physics of EVE online.

Tranquility - EVE-EVE-TRANQUILITY - 7.43.412710

Space does not have a maximum speed. You CAN have a maximum rate of acceleration due to mass to thrust ratios. The only limiting facter on speed in space is the ability to avoid running into space dust which would destoy a ship if the collision velocity is too high. Currently MicroWarp and afterburners are able to increase the maximum velocity and acceleration of a star ship which shows that any shielding that would be used to protect the vessel from collisions is better than these maximum speeds. In a real world setting the plow shielding would need to be upgraded to withstand micro collisions before increasing the maximum speed. Reference this.

There is no UP or Down in space. There is a galactic or solar north that could be considered UP/DOWN from a graphics stand point, but this has no bearing on space flight except in the sense of magnetic fields. See this. The physics of aeronautical flight do not apply in a vacuum.

Thus there is no need for a ship to roll in order to change direction. That being said - assuming these ships have gravity plating only on the decks and not on the wall, it may be necessary to roll in order to redirect the Gs of the centripetal force downward. However, this is very poorly implemented; i.e. the center of mass point for the Myrmidon - a very tall ship comparatively; is somewhere in the middle of the ship. Using the theory above - this would throw all the crewmen in the upper levels into the ceiling.
There is no need for a spacefaring vessel to "right" itself in relation to the galactic/solar north. While this does make for some easier comprehension of game play it shows a poor comprehension of 3 dimensional movement.

There is no (relative term) friction in space - see this. Case in point the density of matter is next to nothing due to it being a vacuum. Thus the only environmental force that would interact on the ship's velocity would be micro gravity from larger bodies.

A space ship would not stop by ceasing forward acceleration (read: Turning off its engines). It would continue on its current vector until it reversed the direction of its engines and accelerated on a reciprocal vector. Read this.
A space ship would not change directions and then change orientation as is the current case. If anyone has ever piloted a very heavy ship, like a freighter, you may have noticed that the ship points in the direction you want to warp in and then matches the vector after a period of time. While this is a lot closer to true physics it is not realistic. This goes back to the point above as to the reduction of velocity on one vector must be reduced while acceleration is applied to the new vector. For example: in order to make a 90 degree turn on the same plain the ship must yaw (90+45=) 135 degrees in the direction of intended travel before applying acceleration in order to scrub off the velocity on the previous vector. Doing this describes an arc connecting the previous vector with the new one.

As I said, this is just my 2 cents to CCP on how to make their game more realistic. I am well aware this is a game and that any or all of this post may be discarded as beyond the ability to be coded or not feasible for game play in the current environment.