The best captains make use of automated navigation, but are aware of its limitations and, when needed, will not hesitate to take manual control and fly the ship themselves.
Capital Command's automated navigation system can fly the ship reasonably well in in most situations, including combat. This allows the captain to focus on weapons, tactics and situational awareness. However, the nav system will not consider the whole tactical situation and plan maneuvers several steps ahead, nor will it ever match the grace and technique of a skilled skipper at the con.
The two primary concerns when it comes to ship handling are attitude (the ship's rotation) and velocity (how it's moving through space). Since ships fly through vacuum, the two are decoupled: flying "backwards" or "sideways" is no more difficult than moving bow-forward.
Ships use two different systems for attitude control. Thrusters are small rocket engines positioned strategically around the hull. When the captain orders a maneuver, the ship automatically calculates the required throttle for each thruster, and activates them to push the the ship so that it rotates as required.
Thrusters are effective, but are also vulnerable to enemy attacks. As a backup, ships use reaction-less stabilizers, located deep inside the hull. While less effective, they are impervious to enemy fire, in the sense that damage heavy enough to disable them would likely also destroy the whole ship as well.
Actual acceleration is achieved using boosters: giant, powerful rockets that push the ship and alter its velocity. Maneuvers usually consist of two parts: turning the ship so the boosters point in the right direction, then boosting until the ship's velocity reaches its desired value.
One significant feature of space navigation is that, once the ship is boosted into motion, it keeps moving until stopped, or turned, by another boost. The ability to manage ship orientation, engine burns, and booster delta V reserves, is the mark of a skilled ship driver.
Thrusters, too, can be used to push the ship into actual movement. While weaker than boosters, they are positioned all over the hull, making them well-suited for small trajectory changes without needing to turn the whole ship for a booster burn.
Capital Command's 3D flight model is a difficult skill set to master, and the automated nav system does a decent job of flying any ship in the game. However, captains who put in the effort and master manual navigation will gain access to new, creative tactical options, and experience truly free flight in open space.
That's it for this TA. Next time, we'll take a look at the nuts and bolts of conning your ship: the navigation and flight control interface. Thanks for reading, and fly safe!
The dev