I was attacked by a pirate, which I'm not complaining about, but whie I tried getting a shot in, I was watching him manoeuver his ship in a rather crazy fashion, and I thought that such rapid turns and rolls would surely make any real pilot lose consciousness. If our ships have inertial dampeners, as surely they must, would not manoeuvers of any kind increase the power drawn by such dampeners? And that power must come from somewhere.

Thus I suggest that each ship, based on it's mass (with cargo), it's speed, and it's rotational force, pitch/yaw force, and drifting force, would drain the capacitor at a set rate for each axis of movement and exponentially with the degree of movement, and with drains stacking. This drain need not be large, but it should be noticeable, especially when using true physics mode. Note that negative g-forces are more difficult for a human to resist and manoeuvers that exert negative g's should drain more power than those that exert positive g's.

This capacitor drain would dramatically change combat, making it much more tactical in nature and requiring more forethought and planning. It would also divide good pilots from good shooters.

This isnt a space simulation as much as an arcadey space shooter when it comes to combat. PLEASE do not change that. -1, fun combat shouldn't be a chore to engage in.

I'm not sure how to reply to that. I do agree that this game should be fun, and any limitations on manoeuvering should be carefully considered, but something of this nature, be it a capacitor drain or a limitation on the speed of pitch, roll, yaw, and drift changes would level the field between good shooters and good pilots, and move the focus from insane driving to measured flying.

What exactly do you mean by "insane driving"? And why do you feel there is a need to separate "good pilots" from "good shooters"?

You're talking about good pilots and good shooters as though they're different things, but you cannot be a good shooter in this game without being a good pilot. Weapon velocities are low enough that the relative motion of the ships has a huge impact on the projectile's path and effectiveness. When you dodge randomly, your shots go all over the place. A common piece of advice you'll hear if you talk to vets is "aim by strafing." You need to dodge in such a way that you not only avoid the incoming fire, but also line things up to make it easier for you to hit them. Ideally you also move into a position that puts you further outside their firing cone while putting them deeper within your own. Even better if you account for their motion and rotational momentum so that you move in the direction that makes it most difficult for them to get you back in their sights (e.g. it's better to be ten degrees out in the direction opposite the one they're rotating than to be ten degrees out perpendicularly, or worse, over where they're already turning toward).

If it seems like I'm overemphasizing this, try fighting people at a closer range. That's where skill starts to really trump luck and equipment.

So, -1. Sloppy pilots are already less effective than people who think about how they fly, so there's no need to risk slowing down the fast, intense fights that are this game's hallmark by adding capacitor drain.

Thank you for your advice. I never really paid much attention to weapon velocities, but they are quite low, aren't they? I'll try getting closer in future fights and see if it helps. As to my suggestion, I think I'll let it die quietly.