SAS Locks Heading on the Manuever Node.

[AustralianFries]

Simple idea. Here it is:

When you set up a maneuver node and turn on the SAS, the system will automatically turn to the heading that the node is on. This would reduce/eliminate deviation from the course, which would end the annoying node spazes at the end of the burn. You would still have full control of the throttle, so if something were to happen, X would cut the burn. Also, if for some reason you began to get off course, the ship would keep tracking on path. And for the people that don't want this, there would for sure be a way to turn this function off.

[Kimberly]

The SAS doesn't hold course properly at all at the moment. But even if it did, I'm not sure this would be the most intuitive way to do it--when I turn on the SAS, I expect it to lock on to my current heading, regardless of where it is. It would be annoying if you don't want to burn to your maneuver mode but it is locked in there. I would prefer something like RemoteTech's flight computer, where you can simply lock in the heading to prograde, retrograde, maneuver, etc.

[AustralianFries]

Yeah, just a thought I had while in another forum. Not really much thought put into it, unlike most of my other ideas.

[DannySwish]

I think this would remove a good amount of the challenge, and that's a bad thing. Plus, sometimes I deviate from my nodes because I know what I'm doing well enough to make more optimized paths for myself.

[stupid_chris]

Sounds like an autopilot ish thing. I mean the old ASAS didn't behave like this neither :l It's a lot easier to track the marker now honestly.

[allmappedout]

I don't think there's a need. If your ship is balanced, this is trivial anyway as it will stay pointing at it...Plus, you'll never get rid of the spazzing at the end of a burn - it happens because of rounding issues when dealing with small numbers (the same reason why Pe and Ap jump about in circular orbits).

[MR4Y]

I don't think there's a need. If your ship is balanced, this is trivial anyway as it will stay pointing at it...Plus, you'll never get rid of the spazzing at the end of a burn - it happens because of rounding issues when dealing with small numbers (the same reason why Pe and Ap jump about in circular orbits).

Define balanced in a game that has simmetry issues as well as physics issues.

[Cronos988]

I like the idea. Maneuver nodes are the most common thing to use SAS lock on in space, so why not make it a tad more accuratre.

I think this would remove a good amount of the challenge, and that's a bad thing. Plus, sometimes I deviate from my nodes because I know what I'm doing well enough to make more optimized paths for myself.

I don't know about the challenge bit. What exactly is the challenge with locking onto a maneuver node currently? It is practically impossible to get a perfect alignment unless you want to fiddle for half an hour, which is not exactly challenge. Thus all burns will always be slightly off. Removing that allows for more complicated maneuvers and therefore more interesting missions.

Also if you didn't want to use the maneuver node, why set it in the first place?

Sounds like an autopilot ish thing. I mean the old ASAS didn't behave like this neither :l It's a lot easier to track the marker now honestly.

Sure, but just because it wasn't the case previously it isn't automatically a bad idea.

Though maybe the function should be somewhat in addition to the normal SAS. Maybe you could activate the lock on the maneuver node itself, and when SAS is engaged, it will move there. I don't think that would be too much autopiloting. You still set the maneuver node yourself, you still do the burn yourself. It is not like you would normally fry freely during the maneuver, heading is always locked by SAS. This feature would just make the already existing lock a tad more accurate.

[stupid_chris]

If maneuver nodes were static, that wouldn't be the problem, but in that case, the maneuver node moves around, to ask the game to follow it is really piloting the ship for you, that's why I doubt the devs will want to add this to the game. I agree it's useful, that's why I use MechJeb.

[Comrade Jenkens]

I like the idea. Maybe that should be what the ASAS parts do as they no longer have a use

[dlmarti]

If maneuver nodes were static, that wouldn't be the problem, but in that case, the maneuver node moves around, to ask the game to follow it is really piloting the ship for you, that's why I doubt the devs will want to add this to the game. I agree it's useful, that's why I use MechJeb.

Maneuver nodes were always, and still are static.

Its just your resolution marker that is changing.

[stupid_chris]

That's what I meant, the maneuver node itself doesn't move but the marker does across the navball.