only played for few hours and dont really know the exact difference between these 2 fly-modes..
anyone can give me some good advices? whats better for combat PvP or missis..
thx alot

try it. : )

I'd go for physics at any and all time. Much more fun. :)

only tried arcade.. but i think its nah, ab bit too arcade.. will try other this evening but still dont know what u all think of the modes and its advandatages.. :)

It's purely personal preference, so you'll just have to figure it out yourself =P

There are no "advantages" that aren't preference; some people swear by physics mode (I do) while others will inform you that acade mode is da bomb.

Definately give both a valid try for a day and see which you like better.

It's my firm belief that there are a definite set of advantages and disadvantages to each flight mode, requiring a different set of tactics for each. In order to be a true ace pilot, you must master both physics and arcade mode, sometimes switching between the two several times in the same maneuver.

There's nothing you can do in arcade mode that you couldn't theoretically also do in physics mode, but the computer handles the correcting thrusters in arcade mode to keep you moving on a more or less straight path. Arcade mode is extremely useful for cornering since you don't have to worry about adjusting your thrusters, you can just aim and go. Consequently I use arcade mode for docking, flying around asteroid fields, and chasing a target.

Physics mode affords much more freedom of motion at the expense of ease of control. Once you thrust in one direction you will continue to move in that direction regardless of where you point your ship's nose. This means you can drift up or down or even backwards. Some people find this a little disorienting at first, kind of like sliding around on a patch of ice. Since you can move in one direction and aim in another, I use physics mode for dogfighting most of the time.

There are certain situations in which it's necessary to make use of both physics and arcade mode. There aren't too many valkyries around now, but in the days of rampant tri-flare valks I came up with a little defensive jink I called the "Cobra Maneuver" that required both physics and arcade mode. If someone is on your six with rockets you wanna be able to corner fast. In this case arcade would be the mode of choice. I would zig-zag a little under arcade mode to try and get the valkyrie to commit to boost, and as soon as he did I would switch to physics, flip around and fire off a salvo of my own rockets before turning another 90 degrees and switching back to arcade, letting the correcting thrusters take over and move me out of harm's way. The whole move takes less than a second, and you have to be able to switch from arcade to physics and back to arcade.

In a dogfight if you are comfortable with both flight modes and know when to use them you will have the upper hand. Use that toggle key!

when it's released, will switching be available, or will it be one or the other? it seems weird that the laws of the universe can change according to individual preference.

You can simute arcade mode while in physics mode by tapping the break button. It doesn't change the laws of the universe, just while in Arcade mode, your ships nav computer probably automatically fires maneuvering thrusters to keep you going more or less straight.

You're not changing physical laws. You're turning on an automatic thrust compensator in your ships computer.

Personally, I prefer physics. While on trade missions, however, I like to read as I travel, so I turn off mouselook and turn on arcade so I can pilot one handed and read my book as I +turbo to my destination.

Learn to use both modes.
I use arcade mode always for non-fight-situations (flying frm A to B, docking), while in-fight I use both.
Usual dogfight looks like this:
AM to aim some degrees behind the enemy (so if he is flying from the left of your viewport to the right, aim slightly left), Turbo until he is nearly in shooting range (550..500), switch to PM, target him and start shooting.
As soon as he is dead, switch to AM again to pick up the cargo.
Rinse and repeat.

When I changed from arcade to physic, my effectiveness against the bots dramatically increased.

I'm itching to fight a human, though. Maybe I'll head into uncharted territory just for fun and hope a pirate attacks:)

i perfer physics mode, it's fun ducking and swooping through the girders of stations

i thought the purpose of physics mode is that you aren't looking in the direction you are moving. in AM, to circle someone you strafe while aiming at them. in PM, to circle, you aim at them and tap forward (considering you weren't flying strait at them). Like a rocket tied to a center by a string or the real adding centripetal force to fly in a circle.

I use arcade mode with a single bot, but if I have a swarm of
axia ra18, I shift to physics mode, to increase the distance
and fly in a wide roll, so they don't kill me.
When only one of them is alive, I go back to arcade, which is my default. (and so I don't forget it before docking :)

There is 2 modes, just to make it possible to use the one that works best for the current situation, and the pilots choice. "the laws of the universe" don't apply to none of them since it should be impossible to play the game then.
(wings don't work in space either :-)

/birre (norsborg)