0.33c and Overspeed question

[Cmdr Travers]

Hi,

Does anybody know what causes a ship to get stuck for ages at 0.33c when scooping? Also, does anybody know what causes sudden overspeed when locking onto a USS?

I'd like to be able to adjust the way I fly to avoid both if possible, as both are really annoying, especially the former as it can result in considerable damage when you're completely unable to escape the star

Thanks all

 

[GreyAreaUK]

I suspect the 0.33c bit is just a side affect of high gravity fields.

 

[Father Cool]

Not sure I've had the stuck at 0.33c thing so can't help there. The sudden overspeed is due to the fact that the ships engines automatically adjust speed to land you at the target destination so if you suddenly change to something closer then you are travelling too fast to drop nicely at the new target. The sound is a bit rubbish though to be honest as it is like gear changing or something. I know its there to give you an audible reference to your relative speed to target. i.e. If you are going too fast to drop nicely it revs up to encourage you to slow down, but it makes no real sense with the tech. Its not a car engine with gears. If anything it should shut down more to slow you rather than speed up the revs but hey.

Its not a play style thing its just how its coded. Flicking to a far away target slows the revs, flicking to a nearer one speeds them up.

 

[GreyAreaUK]

Its not a play style thing its just how its coded. Flicking to a far away target slows the revs, flicking to a nearer one speeds them up.

I think I must be misunderstanding you, but I'm almost completely sure that's not the case. I've never had my engine speed be based on what target I have selected. It always seems to be to do with what mass is around you. Mass affects both the FSD's maximum speed and its ability to alter speed. I think.

So when you're in deep space with no star or planet close by then your FSD can go from zero(ish) to 100c is a second or two, but changing speed close to a planet or star will take time. You'll naturally slow as you approach (since mass will slow you), but the mass will also affect the FSD's ability to accelerate (in either a plus or minus way).

 

[Father Cool]

You are misunderstanding but maybe I wasn't clear. Your speed doesn't suddenly change, that does take time to adjust due to gravity effects but the engine sound changes relative to distance. The sound changes because the rate of deceleration changes because you are now much closer or further away from your destination.

 

[babelfisch]

You are misunderstanding but maybe I wasn't clear. Your speed doesn't suddenly change, that does take time to adjust due to gravity effects but the engine sound changes relative to distance. The sound changes because the rate of deceleration changes because you are now much closer or further away from your destination.

Actually the acceleration/deceleration (and therefore the sound) change upon targeting different locations. It's basically an automated, build-in cruise control that ensures you are able to set the correct speed for different distances.

 

[GreyAreaUK]

Actually the acceleration/deceleration (and therefore the sound) change upon targeting different locations. It's basically an automated, build-in cruise control that ensures you are able to set the correct speed for different distances.

If I understand you:

Let's say I'm heading directly towards a planet (say 2,000Ls away, but that doesn't matter). If I target the planet then it takes x seconds to reach it.
If I start from the same place and travel towards the same planet but target something else (say another planet in the same line of travel but much further away) then it will take <x seconds to reach the same point? That seems...wrong, somehow. I'd always assumed that your speed and acceleration were based on the mass around you, not what you happen to have targeted.

 

[Father Cool]

No if you targetted something further away you would indeed get to the first one much faster becaise the FSD automatically slows you down to a certain degree to reach your target regardless of throttle position. Of course you would then be going at a crazy speed when you get to your intended target and you would then have to deal with the exessive speed you will have.

 

[GreyAreaUK]

No if you targetted something further away you would indeed get to the first one much faster becaise the FSD automatically slows you down to a certain degree to reach your target regardless of throttle position. Of course you would then be going at a crazy speed when you get to your intended target and you would then have to deal with the exessive speed you will have.

You know, I'm not sure I like the FSD making that kind of decision for me. I'm the pilot - that's my job



(Oh - and thanks for the clarification)

 

[babelfisch]

No if you targetted something further away you would indeed get to the first one much faster becaise the FSD automatically slows you down to a certain degree to reach your target regardless of throttle position. Of course you would then be going at a crazy speed when you get to your intended target and you would then have to deal with the exessive speed you will have.

This is correct. Ship computer sets optimal acceleration/declaration and top speed automatically. You could target a distant body (or no body at all) and reach your destination much quicker but this would also mean you'll hopelessly overshoot.

 

[trollson]

There are two effects at play here - both have been mentioned in the preceeding posts.

1. The SC speed is limited by proximity to large masses - so when bypassing a planet or star you suddenly appear to be overspeed and start involuntary breaking.

2. Flight assist automatically adjusts speed when a destination is locked and aligned - so it automatically decelerate the ship as you approach.

The OP's issue of being stuck at 0.33c when scooping is almost certainly the former. The star's mass dominates maximum SC speed within a system - so if you want to maintain velocity when travelling to a location on the far side of a system you have to travel along an orbit (ensure that the star is not in the forward half of the radar).

On a separate note, from a prior thread - the first effect is why "sling shot" acceleration wouldn't work with SC travel.

 

[babelfisch]

You know, I'm not sure I like the FSD making that kind of decision for me. I'm the pilot - that's my job



(Oh - and thanks for the clarification)

How should it work? We have speeds varying from a few km/s to 2000c. You'd need an infinite throttle range to set speed yourself, not sure if your desk is big enough

 

[Lucius-Darcia]

Hi,

Does anybody know what causes a ship to get stuck for ages at 0.33c when scooping? Also, does anybody know what causes sudden overspeed when locking onto a USS?

I'd like to be able to adjust the way I fly to avoid both if possible, as both are really annoying, especially the former as it can result in considerable damage when you're completely unable to escape the star

Thanks all

The FSD get's influenced by mass, many systems have asteroid fields, espacially around the star or between star and huge planets like gas giants
Most people including myself deactivate them in the navpanel so we don't see them there. But they doesn't disappear

It's just these asteroid fields that slow you down when passing by

 

[GreyAreaUK]

How should it work? We have speeds varying from a few km/s to 2000c. You'd need an infinite throttle range to set speed yourself, not sure if your desk is big enough

Damn you, that's a good point

(Note to self: order bigger desk)

 

[babelfisch]

Damn you, that's a good point

(Note to self: order bigger desk)

The point isn't that good, theoretically it would be possible to come up with a mechanic that allows you to define speed and acceleration yourself. We would need some kind of navigation computer / calculator that we could feed with additional data from the system map and calculate an optimal approach ourselves. The question is: Is it worth the effort and should it be optional? You could even think about hiring navigator crew and add speed buffs for exceptional good routes (making use or avoiding the different bodies in a system). Seems to be a rather extensive change though.

I'd like it.

 

[Father Cool]

Well no you would just have max throttle as max FSD power thus max acceleration. However I have no issue with how it works now in that respect.

The sound however is weird with the gear change thing. I'd sooner the pitch just be directly related to engine power being applied.

Edit: Ninja'd was just answering greyareauk

 

[babelfisch]

Well no you would just have max throttle as max FSD power thus max acceleration. However I have no issue with how it works now in that respect.

The sound however is weird with the gear change thing. I'd sooner the pitch just be directly related to engine power being applied.

Edit: Ninja'd was just answering greyareauk

I like the sound, it's a notification that your ship tries to decelerate faster than your FSD can handle. It's also quite intuitive, I don't need to watch my speed / ETA anymore because just by hearing it I know exactly when to throttle down.

 

[Father Cool]

Well yes I understand why it does it. It says to your brain 'my engines revving too high I need to slow it down' but it wouldn't make that sound. If you were travelling along at high speed the engine would be revving away nice and fast then as you flick to a closer target requiring less speed the engine (given its auto speed ajust nature) would then start to whirr down trying to slow the ship not rev up. What it sounds like is happening is the FSD changing down a gear hence revving higher and engine braking. This clearly isn't how an FSD works so sounds odd to me at least as my brain tries to see how the engine is actually working not imagining I'm in my car with a gear stick.

 

[Ripbudd]

Who the hell thought it would be good idea to have game mechanics where you break faster if you deselect target, while NOT HAVING deselect target BUTTON for that!

 

[Sylow]

How should it work? We have speeds varying from a few km/s to 2000c. You'd need an infinite throttle range to set speed yourself, not sure if your desk is big enough

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That's exactly the point. I remember a time when this function was not in place yet. At that time it was very "interesting" trying to get to a USS or a low wake in open space. Around a planet, where your speed automatically was reduced by mass, this was no problem, but in open space it was insane. I remember circling a USS many times, again and again stopping just out of range to drop into it, then just tipping the throttle forward for a moment and immediately pulling it back, but that was enough to massively overshoot my target.
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There was a way around that, by flying triangles, but that was not intuitive at all, so the current system makes sense.
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Who the hell thought it would be good idea to have game mechanics where you break faster if you deselect target, while NOT HAVING deselect target BUTTON for that!

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Uh, what? Hmm. I have "select target ahead" bound, that one can also be used for deselecting your current target.
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