Hmmm I think I have a fair idea of how to allow omni-directional thrusters to stand face to face with directional thrusters.
If I understand this correctly, the volume of omni-directional thrusters is partitioned amongst each face according to the surface area of the face, making each side weaker as a whole. Directional thrusters on the other hand use 100% of the internal volume as power for one face.
The solution to this is to allow the omni-directional thrusters to divide the internal volume DYNAMICALLY depending on the amount of faces currently firing and the amount of power each face is outputting. So if an omni-directional thruster is only firing its forward-facing thrusters to brake, then 100% of the internal volume is allocated to one face; however, if the player is strafing and braking at the same time, 2 faces of the omni-directional thruster may be firing at the same time and thus the internal volume is allocated between both faces. If the strafing face wants 30% power then the braking face only gets the remaining 70% power.
TLDR: an omni-directional thruster should work exactly the same as a directional if only one face is firing, but if more than one face fires then the volume is split between the amount of active faces.
Beta Branch Patchnotes 0.10.4.7565
in Beta Patch Notes
Posted
Hmmm I think I have a fair idea of how to allow omni-directional thrusters to stand face to face with directional thrusters.
If I understand this correctly, the volume of omni-directional thrusters is partitioned amongst each face according to the surface area of the face, making each side weaker as a whole. Directional thrusters on the other hand use 100% of the internal volume as power for one face.
The solution to this is to allow the omni-directional thrusters to divide the internal volume DYNAMICALLY depending on the amount of faces currently firing and the amount of power each face is outputting. So if an omni-directional thruster is only firing its forward-facing thrusters to brake, then 100% of the internal volume is allocated to one face; however, if the player is strafing and braking at the same time, 2 faces of the omni-directional thruster may be firing at the same time and thus the internal volume is allocated between both faces. If the strafing face wants 30% power then the braking face only gets the remaining 70% power.
TLDR: an omni-directional thruster should work exactly the same as a directional if only one face is firing, but if more than one face fires then the volume is split between the amount of active faces.