Ariel circumnavigation

OK - if I were you I think I'd head right a bit to get an easier route over the next canyon.

Further to this, I went looking at that canyon today and found you a crossing point if you want ...

5jhYG3T.jpg


48.7749, 170.4403

It was dark so no great screenies but I crossed there taking zero damage and doing a steady 15m/s (no fliving) so you can tell it's doable.

Then I went back to the BIG canyon to take another look. Jesus - I still think we might need to find you a better crossing point than that corner by the circle. Some of that terrain is a nightmare. I might try to post some video later.
 
48.7749, 170.4403

Looks pretty good from that screenshot. I'll head over there.

Yeah, the big one... from whichever angle you look at it, it will be brutal. I don't know... I guess I'll have to take it a step at the time. Funny thing is when I look at this shot from Florenus:
fZxiOuy.jpg
... that last crossing at 63.53, 156.48 looks doable... but than I look at your detailed shots and it's OMG :-o ... HELP!!!
 
@Alec @Florenus
I did got out of that big canyon...

I think I'll aim for the green route given in this post from Florenus. It looks doable... I need to make sure I stay away from the center and keep "high" up the northern wall for the first stretch. I'll make prints of these shots and fix them to the wall so I have a broad idea of the route. You kinda loose the concept once you're in the SRV and there's only rock around you.

Edit: would it be possible to get me those coordinates so I have a rough idea when to head towards the top?
oh1QJz5.jpg
 
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@Alec @Florenus


I think I'll aim for the green route given in this post from Florenus. It looks doable... I need to make sure I stay away from the center and keep "high" up the northern wall for the first stretch. I'll make prints of these shots and fix them to the wall so I have a broad idea of the route. You kinda loose the concept once you're in the SRV and there's only rock around you.

Edit: would it be possible to get me those coordinates so I have a rough idea when to head towards the top?
I think staying away from the middle might be a good idea (you'll see what I mean when my video goes up later).

So here's a thing ... dear Frontier, if setting a bunch of planetary bookmarks that you can then target from the SRV is difficult then please for the love of god can we at least have a reticle in the surface map which at least shows the coordinates! Otherwise, what exactly is the flippin' point of the surface map?

P.S. don't know about you but I'm seriously enjoying this! It feel very "real".
 
So here's a thing ... dear Frontier, if setting a bunch of planetary bookmarks that you can then target from the SRV is difficult then please for the love of god can we at least have a reticle in the surface map which at least shows the coordinates! Otherwise, what exactly is the flippin' point of the surface map?

^^ Very much this!!!

Alec Turner said:
P.S. don't know about you but I'm seriously enjoying this! It feels very "real".

Loving every minute of it. Since you and Florenus joined as scouts it has become awesome. I believe there's still this nasty damage bug when driving in wings or with other players in your instance, otherwise, this is great for doing expeditions. You could have scouting teams with speedy drivers or groups that do air reconnaissance.
 
^^ Very much this!!!



Loving every minute of it. Since you and Florenus joined as scouts it has become awesome. I believe there's still this nasty damage bug when driving in wings or with other players in your instance, otherwise, this is great for doing expeditions. You could have scouting teams with speedy drivers or groups that do air reconnaissance.

So while I wait for my video to upload (2hrs I'm afraid despite it only being 10mins long) I'll just add a big word of warning about air reconnaissance. Bascially the issue is that Elite doesn't show all the detail from a distance, instead smoothing out the contours and making something that in practice is an utter nightmare at ground level look perfectable manageable from the air, even at fairly close range.

So, in the route image from Florenus ..

g5BKstt.jpg


.. the red arrow shows where I end up basically stuck (sorry, spoiler!). It doesn't look too bad in that image but in practice is more like this ..

jsGAhWd.jpg


WExcu4o.png
 
.. the red arrow shows where I end up basically stuck (sorry, spoiler!). It doesn't look too bad in that image but in practice is more like this ..

Oops! That looks awful :-(

In the mean time... here's a picture of my (temporary*) "war room". Scouting reports are on the wall for quick reference... :)

hdNUPW2.jpg


*temporary: we're in the process of moving home but our new house is not yet ready...

Edit: Looking at the position of your arrow, you're quite a bit towards the south from Florenus' green line. Could it be that the landscape more towards that green line (so, more north) is more accessible than that picture you posted?
 
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Just two other options I noticed (orange arrows, top left). They look like two landbridges that go from side to side. Would they be an option? From my current location, I would need to head west and pass west of "the sack"... I guess the area west of the sack is more or less undiscovered land.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

lykP3it.jpg
 
Just two other options I noticed (orange arrows, top left). They look like two landbridges that go from side to side. Would they be an option? From my current location, I would need to head west and pass west of "the sack"... I guess the area west of the sack is more or less undiscovered land.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The landbridges might work but then you have the problem of getting across to there from the West side of "The sack".

6RGF5ND.jpg


Can't see in to that dark area to the left there but I'm willing to bet it's not good.
 
The landbridges might work but then you have the problem of getting across to there from the West side of "The sack".
Can't see in to that dark area to the left there but I'm willing to bet it's not good.

Yeah, that might be a problem. Not at my computer atm but maybe a wider drive around the sack might be an option. I'm still only at 36° North so there's still room to maneuver. I'll have a closer look tonight at the surrounding landscape to the west of the sack...
 
Loving every minute of it. Since you and Florenus joined as scouts it has become awesome. I believe there's still this nasty damage bug when driving in wings or with other players in your instance, otherwise, this is great for doing expeditions. You could have scouting teams with speedy drivers or groups that do air reconnaissance.
I did not know about any bug. I'll keep my distance next time.

So, in the route image from Florenus ..
.. the red arrow shows where I end up basically stuck (sorry, spoiler!). It doesn't look too bad in that image but in practice is more like this ..

That's why I drove more to the east of that tip of land, circling around it.
I'll fly there soon and try to give more precise coordinates and pics.

As for circling around the other side of "the sack". I really don't believe its doable route.
I'll fly there also and do more pics there too.
 
Video's up!

[video=youtube_share;HUNp4KQcI-k]https://youtu.be/HUNp4KQcI-k[/video]

It all starts so well! Even half way through (and despite a couple of unfortunate bounces which kill all my speed) it still seems like it's under control. And then hell. For some reason it reminds me of that scene in The Abyss where Ed Harris and Mary Mastrantonio go out in the little sub. They spring a leak or something and it's all casual banter and laughing and joking and looking for a solution and then suddenly you kinda realise - oh my god, one of them is SCREWED!

the-abyss-ed-harris.jpg

That's why I drove more to the east of that tip of land, circling around it.

Yeah, I got carried away by the beautiful view and fabulous lighting and went all gung-ho on it, imagining I could just bound straight over the top of it all - bad mistake!
 
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Yeah, I got carried away by the beautiful view and fabulous lighting and went all gung-ho on it, imagining I could just bound straight over the top of it all - bad mistake!
After watching your video I can say that my driving philosophy is much different and consists mainly on driving below 10 and keeping wheels on the ground for as long as i can, so it didn't even occured to me that this is doable.
But that is impressive driv... flying there. And it looks like you could've made it. Just some bad luck.

Let's say I'm that scout that looks for REALLY easy routes and let's pretend it's by design...
 
Oh oh oh - really important and I completely forgot to say. You'll see in my video a targetting reticle hovering over the start of the slope on the far side that I'm heading for. This is REALLY useful - especially if you get knocked and lose your sense of direction. For those that don't know, basically, before you start heading down into the canyon aim exactly at where you want to go (maybe try to point upwards too if possible) and then turn off your dual repeater module. Bingo, permanent target in the sky for you to aim at.
 
It got really dark in the big canyon now. Edges are in sunlight, but the bottom is pitch black.
Ariel has orbital period of 2,5 days, so it should get brighter again tomorrow?
That's another shot of where I drove down.
jb3bcnale2i9hd9zg.jpg
I think I should wait till it gets brighter, because right now I can only take great pictures of blackness.
 
Oh oh oh - really important and I completely forgot to say. You'll see in my video a targetting reticle hovering over the start of the slope on the far side that I'm heading for. This is REALLY useful - especially if you get knocked and lose your sense of direction. For those that don't know, basically, before you start heading down into the canyon aim exactly at where you want to go (maybe try to point upwards too if possible) and then turn off your dual repeater module. Bingo, permanent target in the sky for you to aim at.

Best tip ever!
 
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