On Finding and Using a Common Reference Point
While working in space has its perks and for the most part is a wonderful experience, we are in part hampered by the interface built into our ships. I firmly place any and all blame on the Jovians as part of their desire to maintain a position of aloof superiority over us by seeding small technological wonders attached to inane and sometimes incomplete user interfaces. I could probably wax eloquent over multiple examples, but would only be “preaching to the choir” as it were. None of the pilots I fly with or talk to would recommend the user interface we use on a regular basis for any purpose other than masochism.
Having written all of that, we are flying around in a multi-dimensional space with the only real point of reference being a false horizon given to us by the tactical overlay. Flying around planets, suns, moons, et cetra are all inconsistent measures of location and often difficult to describe in a place where concepts like UP, DOWN, STARBOARD, PORT, AFT, BOW are rendered meaningless in light of both the interface and third-dimensional travel. [As an aside for those who might have flown a spaceship in a "twitch" type of environment, a barrel-roll really loses it's meaning without a horizon, but that doesn't negate it's usefulness.] So how can you organise yourself and others [especially fleet commanders] to use a common point of reference without everything going down the drain in confusion over directions and terms.
REALITY – You can’t. There will always be someone to misunderstand any given command. “Warp to 30km and hold,” will invariably be understood as, “Get to the gate and jump. Jump! JUMP!” by aforementioned schmuck. In another life, we had a fleet-mate who always turned up oriented 180˚ degrees vertical to the rest of the group. Ultimately it didn’t matter as she would at least be facing the right direction. The best we can do is develop a consistent point of reference and be insistent that people reference it for direction. Anything else will largely just be lucky, random happenstance.
Something reminded me the other day of how we were taught to find reference points in fleet operations while giving a new corp-mate the grand tour. Dazed and confused by the overwhelming flood of information coming at him upon joining our little patch of home, he queried, “How do you all know where you are going?” Admittedly he was referring to finding and keeping track of the ever shifting network of wormholes, but it was a good reminder about getting oriented and one that I had completely forgotten in moving into a wormhole. The point of this is to get everyone a common frame of reference that they can use to describe position and interpret directions.
Finding North
The method is fairly easy and refers to an arbitrary direction that we will call, Norbert. To find Norbert and get oriented to Norbert, you simply full up the otherwise useless system map [via the F11 key unless you've remapped it somehow]. In the lower right hand corner will be a map of your current system complete with relative planetary orbits and the star in the centre. Somewhere on this little map will be a red circle that represents your current position. extending outward from this circle is what can best be described as two overlapping, semi-transparent triangles. These indicate the current horizontal “field-of-view” of your camera drones. The direction your ship is facing is irrelevant as is your vertical declination above or below the plane of the tactical overlay horizon. Remember Norton? It is this field-of-view that we use to define Norbert. Norbert is arbitrarily defined as the top of the little system map. Everything else can now be defined relative to Norbert. You warp to a wormhole at 10 o’clock knowing that your cloaked stealth bomber buddy is 30km 6 o’clock. Stealth Edit. 
I should mention that we actually use North instead of Norbert or alternatively refer to it as 12 o’clock. Additionally I should point out that when I say we here, I actually mean Me, Myself and that other gal who calls herself I.
And when it comes to it, “The enemy’s gate is down” as Orson Scott Card taught us.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Keith. Keith said: You know I'd never thought of this before: http://bit.ly/Norbdir will be trying to use this in future #tweetfleet #eveonline [...]
At the end, you interchange norbert and norton, or did I miss something?
Is norton south and norbert north?
I refer to 12 as North, it is just the way i think of navigation in my head.
If you have a static north, you are good.
Though I do see the usage if you refer to 12 as north and regardless of your ships orient, you still think 12 as north due to cockpit combat not being a factor. Guess it really could never be as to we are in a pod, and can see all around us.
Ok I am overthinking it, and you already gave me something to consider.
Good post!
Redacted. Good catch. I can’t imagine how Norton got in the way. Must have watched an old episode of Honeymooners on MBC 2.
Fortunately for us, systems are static and once you have your point of reference, it’s fairly easy to pull it up and check. The biggest advantage I think is for stealth ships and fleet operations. For the solo pilot, it’s less important to reference your position since the only points of interest are your targets. Although, now that I think about it, solo combat in a well scouted asteroid field could benefit to some small degree, but I don’t think significantly.
Thanks for catching the Nor.. goof.
Solo operations can use this information too. When using d-scan to locate targets, the F11 map can be called up to see which way your view is pointing, letting you get a better bearing when switching to the system map to position probes quickly and accurately.
At least, you could, if the UI wasn’t a hideous monstrosity that doesn’t want me to slaughter innocent miners and steal their ore.
A HA! This ^^.
Finally we have the reason. The prefect end justification and defence. The UI made me do it.
It is just so sweet and perfect. It’s flawless. It explains so much of piracy, war-decs and gatecamps.
No. Wait. Careful re-reading indicates you blame the UI for not giving you more kills. Ah. Which could also explain the blood rage and haze of red resulting in additional corpses joining our ever-growing morgue.
[...] try to get a better idea of transitioning between my live view and the system map by using the map browser to determine north. I normally try to triangulate my bearing using celestial bodies, but it would be convenient if I [...]
[...] position. We communicate as best we can our positions using points of reference in the site and a determination of ‘north’ from the system map. A check of d-scan shows the other ships still in the system but now there are some distant Sleeper [...]