Space Travel Physics: Realistic 2D Simulation

[Noah J]

So, I have been designing a game that uses Lego models to create spaceships that you then maneuver on a floor and do battle with. And one of the goals of this game is to be as realistic as possible, within the limits of a 2D environment.

With that in mind, I have created a system that divides mass by (simulated) thrust to get acceleration. The only weird part is when you apply thrust in a different vector from the current one.

So my question is, is it best (I.E., most realistic) to work through the equation using trigonometric functions to calculate a new vector and velocity, or is it better to divide the thrust among the x and y-axis to get an end point, and then draw a line between the start and end points?

(Also, if I have totally messed up on anything, please correct me, it has been a while since physics.)

 

[mfb]

So my question is, is it best (I.E., most realistic) to work through the equation using trigonometric functions to calculate a new vector and velocity, or is it better to divide the thrust among the x and y axis

Where is the difference between the two things?

to get an end point, and then draw a line between the start and end points?

The "end point" will depend both on the acceleration and the previous velocity, you cannot calculate it based on current thrust alone.