Supercruise Assistant and Exploration - Might FD be missing a trick here?

[NeilF]

Surely one aspect of ED's gameplay is doing things efficiently, well and making good choices to best utilise your time and effort? So you get "that job well done" type of satisfaction?

Given this, surely a nice use of the new Supercruise Assistant (SCA) might be that while exploring, you realise you want to surface scan a planet, so you use the SCA to fly to it while you then carry on using the FSS to identify other targets in the system (ie: So you can use your time better and more efficiently)?

Now, I suspect there might be two problems with this?:-

1. Does the FSS still prevent you from using it if you're not at zero throttle/stationary (An issue a number of CMDRs have raised of course)? Hopefully if this is still the case the limitation could be removed?
2. The SCA might only accept stations and the like as a target, not planets? We'll have to wait and see, but again it surely wouldn't be hard to adjust its behaviour so if the target is a body (eg: planet) it then delivers you to near that target sitting at zero throttle in supercruise?

This seems like a possible easy win to me to offer explorers some choices and more depth and variety in gameplay?



EDIT: As pointed out by folks, it seems as regards [2], it seems this is a non-problem. You can target a planet for example and SC to it already with the SCA.

 

[S3B4ST13N]

The SCA does accept planets as a destination. If you select a planet, the SCA will drop you out at the planet, and bring the ship into orbit.

I'd be really happy to set SCA on, knowing that I'll drop out of SC and enter orbit when I've reached my destination whilst I'm busy doing my own thing with the FSS. That, to me, is quite immersive.

 

[NeilF]

The SCA does accept planets as a destination. If you select a planet, the SCA will drop you out at the planet, and bring the ship into orbit.

I'd be really happy to set SCA on, knowing that I'll drop out of SC and enter orbit when I've reached my destination whilst I'm busy doing my own thing with the FSS. That, to me, is quite immersive.

Oh good! That's basically good enough as it is then I guess. Although it would risk messing the FSS up as you have to be in SC don't you?

BTW - How do you know about this behaviour? Has there been some specifics posted, or were there details in last Thursday's livestream (which I've not watched)?

 

[S3B4ST13N]

Oh good! That's basically good enough as it is then I guess. Although it would risk messing the FSS up as you have to be in SC don't you?

BTW - How do you know about this behaviour? Has there been some specifics posted, or were there details in last Thursday's livestream (which I've not watched)?

It was actually in the announcement.

Supercruise Assist

Available at your nearest starship department store (i.e. Outfitting) comes the new Supercruise Assist module. While in Supercruise, you'll be able to target a destination and activate Supercruise Assist, putting your safety in the reassuring hands of a machine. In this mode, your ship will automatically maintain the correct speed and approach to your target destination, and break out of Supercruise at the optimum time. You'll still have to align with the correct location, but you will no longer have to worry about doing a loop of shame!

With the the Supercruise Assist, you will also be able to enter into orbit around a body - allowing you to launch discovery probes and take screenshots without the fear of face-planting the dusty, rocky ground.

* I will concede that it's possible that that is not what Will meant; and that you'd need to be at the planet to engage SCA Auto Orbit (SCA-AO? skah-ooo); but I'm fairly confident I interpreted it correctly.

 

[Ian Doncaster]

The SCA does accept planets as a destination. If you select a planet, the SCA will drop you out at the planet, and bring the ship into orbit.

The quote from Will you highlight suggests that if you select a planet, you'll orbit it in supercruise rather than normal flight - you can't fire probes when not in supercruise, and only for the very lightest moons can you get a stable orbit in normal space.

 

[Jethro49]

Will it be possible to engage the SCA directly from the FSS ? Otherwise we would have to honk, enter FSS, find a body and target it, exit FSS, engage SCA, enter FSS and carry on the survey of the system... BTW, FSSing while the ship is moving at several Cs might be tricky for nearby bodies !

 

[S3B4ST13N]

The quote from Will you highlight suggests that if you select a planet, you'll orbit it in supercruise rather than normal flight - you can't fire probes when not in supercruise, and only for the very lightest moons can you get a stable orbit in normal space.

Ah yes, true.
However, the SCA will, at least, bring you to a planet and into orbit around it. Which is noice because it doesn't conflict with @NeilF's question (suggestion) of using FSS whilst in SC. It would be nice to be enter SC, SCA to a planet, enter orbit, finish up FSS and then just start throwing probes at the planet.

EDIT: Typo's, word's left out, word's spelt wrong. What is wrong with me.. bleh

 

[NeilF]

Ah yes, true.
However, the SCA will, at least, bring you to a planet and into orbit around it. Which is noice because it doesn't conflict with @NeilF's question (suggestion) of using FSS whilst in SC. It would be nice to be enter SC, SCA to a planet, enter orbit, finish up FSS and then just start throwing probes at the planet.

Cool! That does imply the even better outcome of arriving at the target planet and staying in SC, which as regards the mechanic in the OP, is idea!