By Tom S.
Pretty close. The details of exactly how and why you drop from Normal to Secondary or Direct are complicated and subtle. Details of FBW systems are also export controlled by the US so US persons can get in a lot of trouble for discussing them in uncontrolled forums.
However, the 777 FCOM is publically available (e.g. through SmartCockpit) and not export controlled. It’s quite clear that pitch control in Secondary & Direct modes is proportional elevator deflection. I.e. the elevator position is based directly on the column position. However, you can still get some level of augmentation by altering the proportionality constant (the control gain) and, at least in pitch, the computers are never totally out of the loop.
It’s definitely true that handling qualities in degraded modes do not have to meet the same requirements for certification as normal mode; it just has to be safe and flyable by a “reasonably competent pilot”. There’s no requirement that it be nice, or not-fatiguing, or require little attention, to fly in degraded mode.
Aerodynamics is still aerodynamics so, without augmentation, most modern airliners aren’t particularly nice to fly…because they’re so slippery (low drag), the natural damping is low and you get lots of oscillations if you’re not paying attention. This is why yaw dampers were one of the first augmentations ever added.