I had a run in with an NPCS pirate last night that didn't end well at all. 12m lost. Ouch, but I'm not complaining about NPC pirates (I stepped away for a minute, so getting interdicted was my fault). I'm not complaining about insurance (I had more than enough to cover my loss), I'm not even complaining that I lost 12m credits, it's a fun story which I'll tell in a minute. No, what burns my biscuits is a small, broken game mechanic that kept me in the cross hairs 30 seconds longer than it should have.
"Align with target destination" when I am only trying to enter supercruise!
When you are trying to enter supercruise, you can do it almost anywhere facing any direction, unless you have a destination locked. Once the destination has been locked in, whether a station or a whole different system, you can't just to supercruise until you line up squarely with that destination. This makes no sense whatsoever, does it? If there were at least a single key press to unlock your current destination, it would be invaluable. Alternatively, since we have H for FSD, J for Supercruise unless a system is selected (in which case it acts like H) and RShift for supercruise regardless of destination lock, hopefully FD will consider removing the entire destination lock required from case 3.
So, my story I mentioned. I was doing my regular trade run, I was on leg 3 returning to Station 1. I had Just paid 8 million credits for a hold full of Imperial Citizens off to pay their debts by working in the factories. I stopped to refuel on a star in an isolated layover system, and then pointed at my destination and revved the throttle but didn't jump just yet. At this point, I left my computer to check on something. "It's fine, it's an isolated system, you only get interdicted if you're heading towards a station or stopped refueling." Well, I come back a moment later to find I've been pulled from Supercruise by an Asp who is lighting me up. Shields are already gone as I grab the stick and begin evasive maneuvers and jump to Supercruise (RShift). The Charging meter creeps up, line by line, painfully slow. 50% hull. 30%. This is going to be expensive. 25%, and it's charged... But wait! "Align with target destination". Crap! I try to line it up, a little too high, a little too low, PING! crunch! 22% and the jump countdown begins! but not before one more fateful blow... "Canopy Breached." I now have 4 minutes to get to the nearest station. I've done this run dozens of times. I've used a stopwatch to time each leg. I know how long it takes, and I know.... This isn't good. I hit H now to jump to FSD and it he next system hit it again almost immediately.. I don't have time to worry about heat damage, I've got to MOVE. Finally I'm back in System 1 and 60ls from the station. I have 2 minutes. I already know. I drop from supercruise at the station, but the angle is all wrong, I'm looking at it sideways. Less than a minute. I boost, then boost again, and again. I'm in front of the entrance trying to turn quickly enough. The counter is red now. I'm in the toaster rack, I'm going to make it! Then... The lights go out in my ship. She drifts listlessly, bouncing against the toaster rack, before, finally.... Exploding. I'm on the rebuy screen now. 4 million for my ship insurance. 8 million in lost cargo, and all those lives! It is a sad, sad day. I didn't commiserate for long, I have a regular route, and I'm expected. For the rest of the evening, I kept a very watchful on on my radar, and I will never, NEVER fuel scoop on the 3rd leg again. (I often turn off life support while scooping to save power and lower heat. If I hadn't done that, I'd have had an extra minute to get into the station)
Losing that cargo, failing that flight, was part of this game. It's what makes it Dangerous, even if only for sod fools like myself who afk. There was nothing wrong with what happened to me, but there was ONE think that wasn't my fault AND took precious seconds that I needed to live. Having to align with the next system before I could supercruise away from the interdictor. If it had jumped when it was ready, my canopy would not have. Been breached, and my loss would have been 1/3.
Thanks for readying my rant, story, and suggestion.
Fly Save Cmdrs.
"Align with target destination" when I am only trying to enter supercruise!
When you are trying to enter supercruise, you can do it almost anywhere facing any direction, unless you have a destination locked. Once the destination has been locked in, whether a station or a whole different system, you can't just to supercruise until you line up squarely with that destination. This makes no sense whatsoever, does it? If there were at least a single key press to unlock your current destination, it would be invaluable. Alternatively, since we have H for FSD, J for Supercruise unless a system is selected (in which case it acts like H) and RShift for supercruise regardless of destination lock, hopefully FD will consider removing the entire destination lock required from case 3.
So, my story I mentioned. I was doing my regular trade run, I was on leg 3 returning to Station 1. I had Just paid 8 million credits for a hold full of Imperial Citizens off to pay their debts by working in the factories. I stopped to refuel on a star in an isolated layover system, and then pointed at my destination and revved the throttle but didn't jump just yet. At this point, I left my computer to check on something. "It's fine, it's an isolated system, you only get interdicted if you're heading towards a station or stopped refueling." Well, I come back a moment later to find I've been pulled from Supercruise by an Asp who is lighting me up. Shields are already gone as I grab the stick and begin evasive maneuvers and jump to Supercruise (RShift). The Charging meter creeps up, line by line, painfully slow. 50% hull. 30%. This is going to be expensive. 25%, and it's charged... But wait! "Align with target destination". Crap! I try to line it up, a little too high, a little too low, PING! crunch! 22% and the jump countdown begins! but not before one more fateful blow... "Canopy Breached." I now have 4 minutes to get to the nearest station. I've done this run dozens of times. I've used a stopwatch to time each leg. I know how long it takes, and I know.... This isn't good. I hit H now to jump to FSD and it he next system hit it again almost immediately.. I don't have time to worry about heat damage, I've got to MOVE. Finally I'm back in System 1 and 60ls from the station. I have 2 minutes. I already know. I drop from supercruise at the station, but the angle is all wrong, I'm looking at it sideways. Less than a minute. I boost, then boost again, and again. I'm in front of the entrance trying to turn quickly enough. The counter is red now. I'm in the toaster rack, I'm going to make it! Then... The lights go out in my ship. She drifts listlessly, bouncing against the toaster rack, before, finally.... Exploding. I'm on the rebuy screen now. 4 million for my ship insurance. 8 million in lost cargo, and all those lives! It is a sad, sad day. I didn't commiserate for long, I have a regular route, and I'm expected. For the rest of the evening, I kept a very watchful on on my radar, and I will never, NEVER fuel scoop on the 3rd leg again. (I often turn off life support while scooping to save power and lower heat. If I hadn't done that, I'd have had an extra minute to get into the station)
Losing that cargo, failing that flight, was part of this game. It's what makes it Dangerous, even if only for sod fools like myself who afk. There was nothing wrong with what happened to me, but there was ONE think that wasn't my fault AND took precious seconds that I needed to live. Having to align with the next system before I could supercruise away from the interdictor. If it had jumped when it was ready, my canopy would not have. Been breached, and my loss would have been 1/3.
Thanks for readying my rant, story, and suggestion.
Fly Save Cmdrs.
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