Ship physics for Pulse - Analysing the past

[xdirex]

Thanks for the warm welcome, although I have been lurking around for years!

Yes, Wip3out is also my favourite game in the series (favourite of all time, actually, although followed closely by 2097). In my opinion, they really nailed the handling in that game - I think it had all the good characteristics of 2097's physics, but felt a little more refined, as though there were more factors being counted into each movement.

I appreciate that there were moments when the floatyness could be an issue, like when you're going too fast into the third tunnels on either Sampa Run or Stanza Inter, but this can be avoided by letting up on the thrust a little and adjusting pitch. Also, I realise that the huge boosts off the last jump in P-Mar Project may have been pushing the capabilities of the game engine a little far, but I kind of like the fact that you're pushing the game so far that it doesn't really know how to cope with what you're doing (and slapping your ship back onto the track after taking two big corners 300m in the air is an amazing feeling)! I especially like the swaying movement your ship does when it's so high off the track (P-Mar Project chicanes and the final jump in Hi-Fumi in particular).

The only real issue I have with W30's handling is that very occasionally, when you're going pretty fast and side-scraping around a corner, all of a sudden it will just snag, whereas a similar situation in 2097 would let you get away with it.

In my first post, by no means am I trying to say that every ship in Pulse (I know it's probably a little far on in the development cycle, but I'll use this as an example) should handle like they did back in 2097/2116, but maybe some of the veteran ships of the series could veer more towards this style of handling, while the newer additions to the series could have the more recent Pure style handling, and some ships fit in between.

I found many of the ships in Pure to be quite similar to each other. While the game was nicely balanced so that most teams had a fighting chance (Triakis excluded), I also found that I never really became 100% at home with any one team's characteristics.

I played WO3:SE on my PSP and I can tell you the old handling is no problem in terms of playability (the small screen is no barrier for good racing).

I've recently played through all three PSX Wipeouts on my PSP, and you're right, the small screen doesn't affect the playablity of the classics at all. Although I must admit, when I first got my PSP and Wipeout Pure, the small screen really threw me off - I didn't know if I'd ever be able to get used to it. No problems now though.

I haven't played Pure, but this sounds like a case of the weight being centred at, well, the centre...

...If Magstrips act as I percieve they do (pull the racer closer to the track with magnets) then there would be even alot of forces between the ground and the racer. Somehow, if this could be noticed and have some notable effect, that would really feel correct. For example, when the magstrips are no longer on the track, the racer would bounce up a slight bit higher than the usual height and then smoothly lower back down to the normal height.

I think your comments are pretty accurate, the center of gravity does seem to be centered, or even slightly to the front (the way the tail snaps in when you release the airbrakes) in Pure, when compared to earlier titles. I also really like your suggestion about the ships springing back up after the mag-lock forces are released. A nice little detail that would really add to the realism and AG feel.