PSA for people getting a new HOTAS in the next few days

[Faybs]

If you're getting a new HOTAS for crimbo, read on...

I've noticed a few threads in this and other forums where people are lamenting crashing their starships/airplanes/whatever as they get used to a new HOTAS, because of lack of muscle memory, unfamiliarity with binds and joystick curves, etc. In other games players are unfortunately out of luck, but in Elite you don't have to eat a few rebuys while you get used to your shiny new HOTAS. How? Easy: those training missions you've done maybe once and forgotten about. In those you can practice, set your keybinds and get used to them, and if you crash you lose nothing. There are training missions for docking, navigation, the SRV and combat, so you have a chance to practice all the things.

Enjoy your new toys without fear of rebuys!

 

[Deleted member 110222]

Yep'. I run a session like this whenever I make significant changes to my control scheme.

 

[Tarman]

Sounds obvious, but one pilot's obvious is another's epiphany. Good post.

Ofc, I like to live on the edge and livefire my control adjustments.

 

[Faybs]

Sounds obvious, but one pilot's obvious is another's epiphany. Good post.

Ofc, I like to live on the edge and livefire my control adjustments.

I was thinking mostly of the newer CMDRs. Elite is a bit unusual in that the tutorials are a separate menu item, rather than the first hour or so of normal play as in most other games. So I would not be surprised if quite a few people don't even know about the tutorials.

 

[Tarman]

I was thinking mostly of the newer CMDRs. Elite is a bit unusual in that the tutorials are a separate menu item, rather than the first hour or so of normal play as in most other games. So I would not be surprised if quite a few people don't even know about the tutorials.

It's how this game rolls; lots of stuff to know about on a big and small scale. There's always posts of things that a goodly selection of random CMDRs know or have known, but even some 2014 vets are all "wat, really" about.

 

[MottiKhan]

That's a good idea.

I swapped out my old HOTAS for a new one with the chapter 4 drop. I knew that there would be new bindings and figured that I could learn the new setup along with the new game. It was an exercise in frustration and I almost went back to my old HOTAS.

I'm used to it now though.

 

[CMDR Karrde Sun]

Really this is a problem? Okay fair enough.

- Recommnded to start with and only bind kbd + joystick first. If you are completely new, this is a much easier combo to learn how to play. Only once you’re used to that put aside and replace the keyboard with the throttle.

- I definitely do not recommend copying someone’s elses button map. Better to learn how to play on an easier setup, and one day simply arrive ready to go. Start playing as normal, and as soon as you decide to use any function in game, stop and choose a natural spot for it on your hotas. Repeat until the entire controller is bound or you have run out of commands

Easy!

 

[avow555]

Good post, it's something I have done for a while.

 

[DAKTARI]

If you're getting a new HOTAS for crimbo, read on...

I've noticed a few threads in this and other forums where people are lamenting crashing their starships/airplanes/whatever as they get used to a new HOTAS, because of lack of muscle memory, unfamiliarity with binds and joystick curves, etc. In other games players are unfortunately out of luck, but in Elite you don't have to eat a few rebuys while you get used to your shiny new HOTAS. How? Easy: those training missions you've done maybe once and forgotten about. In those you can practice, set your keybinds and get used to them, and if you crash you lose nothing. There are training missions for docking, navigation, the SRV and combat, so you have a chance to practice all the things.

Enjoy your new toys without fear of rebuys!

I was a Flight Engineer for Unmanned Aircraft Systems in the final years of my working life. All these systems were computer controlled with hardware and software updates addressing everything from safety of flight, system security and new features.

And with any new update, there was an aggressive shaking out period, where it was easy to see who was pencil whipping the read file and who took it seriously. Not just at an individual level, but at a unit level (one time, an entire Brigade). Aircraft, with price tags between $1,200,000 to $14,000,000, would suddenly suffer hard landings, critical payload failures, or just plain flying into the sides of mountains. It was estimated there was an increase of 3 percent in reported serious incidents traced to system changes, hardware or software.

It could be argued muscle memory was the culprit.

A good pilot is always anticipating his next action and how he will carry it out. Not bouncing switches out of habit, but methodically planned second by second. A lot of these are procedures that are require to be memorized, others are passed on operator to operator.

As an example, I like to do a quick flip to get behind an NPC, involving a series of actions and not just yanking back on the throttle and shoving the stick into my belly button. “Throttle back/Flight assist off/ joystick back/ boost on/ line up with target/ Flight assist on/ throttle full”. Snaps right on their , guns a’ blazin’!

Always keep your ENG and SYS capacitors charged. Shields/chaff/speed to fight another day...

 

[CMDR NightsLong]

If you can use the ed refrence input gen tool, input .binds file gives image of bound controls, have open on seperate monitor.

 

[xxThe_Dice_manxx]

Any time I have been away from the game for extended periods the training missions are always my first stop, spend a few hours making sure I remember how everything works before going online again.

Great advice OP.

 

[zarrazee]

OP. Good point. I got a new HOTAS a year back and spent at least 2 hours flying the Sidey asteroid /combat missions to get used to it.

 

[K M Butler]

That checklist everybody disables? It's purpose (like in real life piloting) is to make sure everything is copacetic BEFORE you find out the painful way.