Before i throw this game away......

[Ted Striker]

Relevant

[video=youtube;qYPtigdFxnA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYPtigdFxnA[/video]

I tried this game with my HOTAS and my control was awful. Went back to keyboard + mouse and things are much smoother. I think I'm an exception though, seems a lot of people prefer HOTAS.

If you're playing on PC with a Mouse and Keyboard, my first tip is to change mouse controls to be Yaw instead of Roll, and rebind roll to A and D.

The video Fost posted was the one that I was also going to post. That's our Producer, Adam Woods, talking you through the docking procedure. It's something that I sometimes have issues with when I switch ships and forget how to use it, and sometimes just when I'm not paying attention. Once you get used to it, and start to remember the procedure, you'll be a pro in no time.

This is extremely important IMO. You can probably get used to doing it the other way but mouse controlling yaw and A+D controlling roll is best, and easy once you get used to it.

 

[Candy Man]

Are there any one of you who actually had problems landing tha craft on a landing pad.
I've been trying to get, sigh, the sidewinder from station into deep space, no problem there, finding my destination, also after a few tries, no problem, getting to a station works only with lock, sadly I tried this without lock several times until i figured that out.
In the eighties i played also Elite, and the landing was then a terrible thing, mastering it with analog joysticks, but now it seems the technique has not improved. Come on, this is almost 4 decades ago, and we still use this stupid not automated control to land? and if time runs out, the fines are bigger than your wallet. !!!!!!

Seriously, if this does not improve, because i am no robot, then i return this<Ahem> game!

It really is a matter of practice. Most PC CMDR's probably land at speed only slowing in the final seconds. But to do that takes plenty of practice. You'll soon find landing is an auto memory response which requires little thinking.

 

[Flapdrol1337]

Was pretty easy once I had set my throttle to forward only.

When the throttle was for reverse too I would struggle to find the 0 spot and bump in to things.

 

[Cdr Voorheez]

Depends on what you are used to. Play this on my pc with an Xbox controller and it works perfectly. Recently tried it with HOTAS and hated it.

 

[jasonbarron]

Perhaps the OP if flying with FA OFF without knowing, otherwise landing is a simple process and most enjoy it there has even been a few fun comps to see who can do it the fastest.

That would be funny. FA Off landing is almost mind bendingly difficult to get used to

 

[[VR] Frank_G]

Come on OP. Lots of oldtimers, including me, play this game and love it. The initial learning curve is with no doubt steep, but this game pays back a lot, once you get used to it. Get a HOTAS joystick, so you have analogue control for all 6 axis and off into the black you go (and back to the landing pad as well). Play in Solo to avoid trouble at first and find some pilots for a private flying lesson (i am 12.000 lightyears far out in unknown space, otherwise i would have volunteered - the tour will last for at least 2 more months). If you liked Elite back in the 80s you will love Elite Dangerous for sure.
Looking forward to meet you in the void some day. Never give up, never surrender! Godspeed o7

 

[GG7]

Are there any one of you who actually had problems landing tha craft on a landing pad.
I've been trying to get, sigh, the sidewinder from station into deep space, no problem there, finding my destination, also after a few tries, no problem, getting to a station works only with lock, sadly I tried this without lock several times until i figured that out.
In the eighties i played also Elite, and the landing was then a terrible thing, mastering it with analog joysticks, but now it seems the technique has not improved. Come on, this is almost 4 decades ago, and we still use this stupid not automated control to land? and if time runs out, the fines are bigger than your wallet. !!!!!!

Seriously, if this does not improve, because i am no robot, then i return this<Ahem> game!

Buy a DOCKING COMPUTER!

This will give you the opportunity to observe how landings are handled in the game, and provide you with insight into proper pad orientation at Outposts and Planetary bases.

Once you have seen enough landings performed by your own ship on auto-dock, you can then start trying your hand at manual landings.

This is why all this crap saying "Don't Use the Docking Computer" is such BAD ADVICE for new players!

Docking in this game becomes second nature for most players in a few days or maybe a week on the outside, but many of us still use a Docking Computer sometimes, or in the case of hybrid landings involving a manual approach followed by an automated touch down, pretty much every single time we land our ship at a station.

 

[jasonbarron]

Buy a DOCKING COMPUTER!

This will give you the opportunity to observe how landings are handled in the game, and provide you with insight into proper pad orientation at Outposts and Planetary bases.

Once you have seen enough landings performed by your own ship on auto-dock, you can then start trying your hand at manual landings.

This is why all this crap saying "Don't Use the Docking Computer" is such BAD ADVICE for new players!

Docking in this game becomes second nature for most players in a few days or maybe a week on the outside, but many of us still use a Docking Computer sometimes, or in the case of hybrid landings involving a manual approach followed by an automated touch down, pretty much every single time we land our ship at a station.

Good god, enough with the docking computer nonsense. That's how you DON'T learn how to land, literally.

 

[Shockbot]

Are there any one of you who actually had problems landing tha craft on a landing pad.
I've been trying to get, sigh, the sidewinder from station into deep space, no problem there, finding my destination, also after a few tries, no problem, getting to a station works only with lock, sadly I tried this without lock several times until i figured that out.
In the eighties i played also Elite, and the landing was then a terrible thing, mastering it with analog joysticks, but now it seems the technique has not improved. Come on, this is almost 4 decades ago, and we still use this stupid not automated control to land? and if time runs out, the fines are bigger than your wallet. !!!!!!

Seriously, if this does not improve, because i am no robot, then i return this<Ahem> game!

I can remember my first attempts to land and fly the sidey, it was horrible. My head turned around in every direction when the huge coriolis stationwere spinning in front of me and i wanted to get in ^^. The landing, hmm, I had to land many times before I get it half right.

I am very happy that ED is not an arcade game so, keep it up, try it again and again and you will laugh in some time about that

 

[Vorxian]

Hey listen OP, if it helps I still can't land as well... For manual landing I just ask for docking permission, put landing gear down, point at the pad and boost

I tend to use docking computers, they're great!

 

[Stigbob]

The easiest way is to ignore any semblance of proper landing approaches just get near the pad then orientate your ship to the landing display and plonk it down.

It's space you can go whichever way you like you don't need throttle for fine maneuvers and you can treat it very like an FPS if you use mouse and keyboard. Set your controls so you can thrust forwards, back, left, right, up and down (WASD and EQ works for me) and set your throttle pitch yaw and roll with something easy. Zero your throttle point your ship at the number above the pad thrust forward till you nearly touch it, adjust your ships yaw, roll and pitch so the number is the right way up and dead ahead, now thrust down until the landing display appears, center your ship above the middle circle still pointing at the number, and when it's all blue just thrust down gently onto the pad (quick dabs of the key).

Once you've got decent shields you can just smack into the control tower of your pad at full throttle then reverse a bit.

 

[Tataboj]

If you're playing on PC with a Mouse and Keyboard, my first tip is to change mouse controls to be Yaw instead of Roll, and rebind roll to A and D.

The video Fost posted was the one that I was also going to post. That's our Producer, Adam Woods, talking you through the docking procedure. It's something that I sometimes have issues with when I switch ships and forget how to use it, and sometimes just when I'm not paying attention. Once you get used to it, and start to remember the procedure, you'll be a pro in no time.

That's really Adam Woods? I just thought it was someone who sounded a lot like him.

 

[Leadfoot]

Are there any one of you who actually had problems landing tha craft on a landing pad.
I've been trying to get, sigh, the sidewinder from station into deep space, no problem there, finding my destination, also after a few tries, no problem, getting to a station works only with lock, sadly I tried this without lock several times until i figured that out.
In the eighties i played also Elite, and the landing was then a terrible thing, mastering it with analog joysticks, but now it seems the technique has not improved. Come on, this is almost 4 decades ago, and we still use this stupid not automated control to land? and if time runs out, the fines are bigger than your wallet. !!!!!!

Seriously, if this does not improve, because i am no robot, then i return this<Ahem> game!

In the menu before you start there's "Tutorials" that let you practice on how to land/take off, navigate, etc.
And if you use them about 20 or 30 times before actually playing, you'll avoid this:
[video=youtube;qYPtigdFxnA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYPtigdFxnA[/video]

 

[Devantejah]

If you're playing on PC with a Mouse and Keyboard, my first tip is to change mouse controls to be Yaw instead of Roll, and rebind roll to A and D.

I would disagree with that tip, I personally find it immensly easier when I have roll on mouse control.

But to OP, play around with the controls and see what you like.

Good god, enough with the docking computer nonsense. That's how you DON'T learn how to land, literally.

Nothing wrong with docking computers, docking manually gets old real fast.

 

[Lightspeed]

Whatever you do ..... don't use the Docking Computer .... you will never make the effort to learn how to handle the ship properly in landing, and how will you take over when it goes wrong ? (They do !)

 

[Luniticisi]

In the menu before you start there's "Tutorials" that let you practice on how to land/take off, navigate, etc.
And if you use them about 20 or 30 times before actually playing, you'll avoid this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYPtigdFxnA

That is THE funniest ED video I have ever seen ....

 

[GG7]

Whatever you do ..... don't use the Docking Computer .... you will never make the effort to learn how to handle the ship properly in landing, and how will you take over when it goes wrong ? (They do !)

STOP giving out such terrible advice!

Did the thought ever occur to you that some of these players just want to get out there exploring the game, and not spend hours in a docking bay to make some "High School" point of being "A Real Man - Who Doesn't Need Any Landing Help" like you apparently think everyone cares about?

One of the many reasons the Docking Computer is in the game is for the purpose of aiding new players landing their ships properly. As I have said dozens of times... Watching your own ship perform an automated landing is the best way to learn how it is done.

It is such a disservice to these new players to be shoving them away from the one thing that will help them get past the docking learning curve as quickly as possible. While using totally debunked misinformation as your justification for giving out such bad advice.

Your alternative is basically to assist them in bashing their heads against the wall to the point they are threatening to return the game. Yeah... That's helpful. [rolleyes] [wacko]

Like I said the other day... Any time you want to have a docking competition, I am ready. We will get several YouTubers to capture the whole event to put this idiocy about not taking advantage of the DC to rest once and for all!

 

[Kimosabe_X]

Maybe you could practice the tutorial for proper landing and starting a few times ? Not kidding here though. IIrc, I learned some things from the docking computer, e.g. how to land on an outpost in a fast way or how to approach the mailslot in better ways. Well... at least I adapted parts of it, because the DCs "original" was sometimes sickening, especially when it boosted right into the station wall next to the slot... *meh* lol And you should use the controls that suit you the most. I'm playing with a XBox360 Gamepad, because it's the best compromise between "Joystick behavior" and being nearly as small as a mouse so you could easily put it away. But that's just personal taste, adapted from ArmA II and III. So give it a another try before you put E: D in the bin, I'd say it's worth it...


Edit: referring to Lightspeeds post, I don't use the DC any more, it was(is?) highly unreliable and if you got the basics you can start honing your skills...

 

[Frank]

Relevant

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYPtigdFxnA

I tried this game with my HOTAS and my control was awful. Went back to keyboard + mouse and things are much smoother. I think I'm an exception though, seems a lot of people prefer HOTAS.



This is extremely important IMO. You can probably get used to doing it the other way but mouse controlling yaw and A+D controlling roll is best, and easy once you get used to it.

I can't every remember having any docking difficulties, but that video of yours does look worryingly familiar.

Welcome to all our new pilots, and bear in mind that if anyone as inept as me can manage to dock his spaceship, then anyone can.

 

[Devantejah]

Whatever you do ..... don't use the Docking Computer .... you will never make the effort to learn how to handle the ship properly in landing, and how will you take over when it goes wrong ? (They do !)

Yes, because landing is somehow extremely harder than flying in normal space without crashing into things.

I never really understood why some say that landing is so hard. You can just go in through the slot, roll a little and fire your dorsal thrusters and presto, docked and ready.

EDIT; And as GG7 put it, you can just watch the ship fly and mimic it..