Newcomer / Intro Cannot use frame shift drive

Mariner · Apr 4, 2015

I have owned a copy of ED for weeks now but am unable to get anywhere with it. In either the travel tutorial or the actual game this is what happens to me. I launch and exit the station, retract landing gear, get out of mass lock. I then go into navigation and select a target system, line up with the target system and activate the frame shift drive. I drop out of fsd near the star, I go into navigation and choose a destination station. I line up to the destination station and activate fsd. I travel rapidly toward the station but drop down to normal speed when I am 66.6 d away. If I try to activate fsd again it tells me "No destination lock" and I get dropped back to normal speed but now I am over a year away. At this distance I can activate fsd but I get dropped back to normal speed at 66.6 d away from the station. I can repeat this many times with no variation. I have tried leaving the game running unattended for a few hours and when I came back I was 66.5 d away from station. Not sure I really want to leave the game running for over two months just to dock at a station.

I have looked at the video tutorial for travel and don't see what I am doing wrong. I searched the forums and saw a few posts from people who seemed to be having a similar problem but nobody had posted any replies. Here's hoping I have better luck.

I have played many space sims, the original Elite, all the Wing Commanders, Privateer, Starlancer, Freelancer, and the X series. I don't understand why this game has to be so difficult.

Vladimar Rubicon · Apr 5, 2015

I don't understand. Once you get to a star, you stay in "Super Cruise" to the station until you get the signal that it's safe to drop out or supercruise. You should be a few seconds from the station. I think you are probably activating FSD with another system loaded instead of the station and that is why it won't engage. Don't drop out of Super Cruise when you reach the star, just lock onto a station and head to it.

Hap · Apr 5, 2015

When you travel to another system using the fsd when you drop out you are in supercruise, you can them manage your speed with throttle up and down. sounds to me like you are running at min speed and so when you hit the fsd button it's dropping you out of supercruise.
What you need to do is stay in SC and throttle up, then when the counter gets to about 7 seconds from your target drop to 75% thrust, that should the auto slow down so when you get to within 1Mm of the target you will be going less than 1000km/s and so drop out of SC with a target destination locked. Note this lock happens when you both with both the speed and distance in the blue zone on the target /speed to target display on the left side of the hud.

Mariner · Apr 5, 2015

Still unable to FSD

First of all, thank you for spending the time to help someone who is currently ranked Bewildered.

It feels like I am playing a different game to you guys. I just tried the travel tutorial again and made notes as I went.

Launch from Training Station, retract landing gear and clear mass lock. No problems with that bit at all.

Go into navigation and lock on to Destination System, cannot lock on to Destination Station at this point as it is not listed.

Point nose at Destination System 3.16Ly away. Activate FSD, FSD charges and I get message to throttle up to activate.

FSD does not activate until my throttle is all the way up. Get 4 second countdown and pretty effects.

My hands are nowhere near any controls, I get no messages about slowing down but automatically drop into what looks like normal travel at 30.0Km/s with no destination locked.

I go into navigation and lock on to Destination Station. Point nose at station, 576Ls away 66.6d. Activate FSD, get message No Destination Lock, Dropping At Current Location.

Station is still 576Ls away but time is now listed at > 1 year.

This is where I get stuck in an infinite loop of flipping between 66.6d and > 1 year.

I know this is possible because lots of people are playing and I have watched You Tube videos of people travelling between systems and docking at stations.

Ophion · Apr 5, 2015

You've traveled to another system near the star. When you lock your STATION destination, DON'T press FSD again! Just align to destination station and throttle up to 75% (throttle blue zone on the hud)

Ophion · Apr 5, 2015

1. Select System.
2. Charge FSD
3. Throttle up to max.
4. Countdown -> hyperspace to system
5. You arrive to system near a star
6. Set throttle to 0
7. Select station
8. Point nose to station
9. Throttle up to 75% (blue zone)
10. Travel to station
11. When near enough the station, you'll get "safe disengage ready" blue message. Only then press FSD again to drop out of supercruise in to normal space near station.

Mariner · Apr 5, 2015

We have significant progress. I have swapped a major problem for a minor problem. I don't know why but when I arrive at the system the throttle on my joystick is inactive. Using the keyboard I can speed up and arrive at the station in minutes rather than months.

Now, any idea why the throttle on my Logitech Extreme 3D Pro is turned off during FSD? Or, is that how it is supposed to be?

Ophion · Apr 5, 2015

Mariner said:
Now, any idea why the throttle on my Logitech Extreme 3D Pro is turned off during FSD? Or, is that how it is supposed to be?

I don't know but I do know it's not supposed to be like that. Your joystick throttle should always be active, both in supercruise or normal space.

YoBuck · Apr 5, 2015

Try looking at your key binds in options

Rikk · Apr 5, 2015

I know what your problem is.

1. You line up to another star, and activate your frame shift drive. Good
2. You enter hyperspace to travel to the star. Good (Your fligh stick is disables in hyperspace, that is fine)
3. You select your station in the next system
4. You engage you frame shift drive <--- Here's your problem
5. You drop out of 'Supercruise'

When you exit hyperspace you are still in a form of high speed travel called supercruise. This allows you to travel faster than light without hyperspace, but you also have full ship control in supercruise.

Next time you jump to a system, do steps 1-3 and then just point your ship at the station and throttle up. Your speed will increase nicely.

Once you get to a point about 10 seconds from the station throttle back to about 70% (lower blue zone on the indicator) and keep the station lined up.
When you get a 'safe disengage ready' bar press your frame shift drive button to exit supercruise, you will be next to the station.

Handy hints.
1. 10s is the high figure, once you get better at it you will be able to get down to throttling back at 6s
2. As you get more experience, start altering your course so you pass close by the planet orbits. Aproaching the station with the planet to your rear allows you to drop out in better position for docking (doesn't matter on outposts...)

Vladimar Rubicon · Apr 6, 2015

This seems to be what is happening- what we've all said- you are dropping out of super cruise because you are hitting your FSD when you don't have to. ALSO... when you mention about the throttle not effecting anything- as another said above- check your bindings again- there are TWO bindings for forward/backward throttle....(not talking about "landing" bindings) .....I've never been completely sure why there are 2 but there are- I have another lever that I can adjust minutely if I need to but most of the time I leave it alone and never touch it. (But I have mostly all analog controls, not digital, so this may not effect you at all)