Talk:Relativity effect

"If the theory of relativity would apply, the plasmoid would be fired with the start speed plus ship speed." That's not true. That's using classical mechanics. With relativity, to add two speeds v₁ and v₂, you'd have to do this:

v_combined = (v₁ + v₂) / (1 + (v₁ * v₂) / C²)

where C is the speed of light.

In the game classical mechanics are used, with an cap on the maximum speed (wrt the viewer).

-- SvdB 00:42, 22 Nov 2004 (CET)

Hey SvdB, are you sure about that. I've being getting empirical data that for projectiles, their speed in the is the same regardless of how fast the ship is going. I did it with the Chenjesu Broodhome and timed how long it took for the crystal projectile to wrap all the way around for the following cases: stationary broodhome, fired forward-broodhome at max speed, fired backwards-broodhome at max speed. But maybe there's more going on in the code than I'm guessing. How exactly does the code determine a projectile's speed? I'd like to figure this out before editing this page.

Erm, right. It's just for ships. If you add speed to the ship, by pressing forward, or by bumping into an asteroid, the ships behaves as described above. Projectiles (at least the ones for which I've checked the source) get a fixed speed at launch time, which isn't related to the ship's speed.

— SvdB 16:08, 13 Aug 2005 (CEST)

I tried to rewrite this page to be a bit more accurate. I tried to not go too deep into newtonian physics and relativistic physics, but mentioned them to explain how SC physics relates. It's still real rough so edit at leisure - I'm going to have to let it sit a while before I try to revise it. Fyzixfighter 07:37, 26 Aug 2005 (CEST)

Silly

I think this entire page is rather silly. It might be appropriate to discuss the SC combat mechanics somewhere, but all this talk about relativity in real life has no business here, imho. — SvdB 16:27, 25 April 2007 (CEST)

I agree. The term "Relativity effect" is never used in canon - even more reason not to have a page on this. Perhaps rename it Combat mechanics or Melee mechanics or Melee physics and keep just the final paragraph (the only one that really deals with the game). The only other thing to add would then be the speed limit effect and planet interaction type stuff (gravity and collisions). I think I fleshed out the page with the real world stuff mainly out of annoyance - I hate it when people try to pass off bad physics as the real deal. But I promise not to kick and scream and throw a fit if it's deleted. --Fyzixfighter 02:18, 26 April 2007 (CEST)

Well, it's been awhile. Any objections if I move (and trim and readjust) this to Combat mechanics? --Fyzixfighter 07:52, 12 May 2007 (CEST)

Not from me, in fact, I support this. — SvdB 23:02, 2 June 2007 (CEST)