Open-World Narrative · Guides & deep dives

0011: Grounded Newtonian Spaceship Flight

The Sci-Fi Hard Vacuum cell promises grounded spaceship simulation with flip-and-burn maneuvers, PDC/railgun/torpedo combat, and gravity-zone changes.

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Status: Accepted

Date: 2026-05-25

Context#

The Sci-Fi Hard Vacuum cell promises grounded spaceship simulation with flip-and-burn maneuvers, PDC/railgun/torpedo combat, and gravity-zone changes. Arcade flight would undermine that cell identity.

Decision#

V5 uses a Newtonian flight model for Hard Vacuum ships. Thrust, mass, orientation, recoil, drift, and gravity zones are modeled explicitly, with assist layers exposed as accessibility and difficulty settings rather than a replacement model.

Consequences#

  • Ship combat tests must cover inertia and flip-and-burn behavior.
  • Input and HUD must communicate velocity vectors and burn planning.
  • PvP prediction work must respect deterministic ship-state integration.