Flat, open, well lit landscape stretching out ahead of you ... yup, I'd make the most of that too, should be able to cover some serious distance! Nice change of pace after the last few days.
Charon Circumnavigation
- Thread starter Ian Phillips
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Flat, open, well lit landscape stretching out ahead of you ... yup, I'd make the most of that too, should be able to cover some serious distance! Nice change of pace after the last few days.
Ian Phillips
Volunteer Moderator
The good going had to stop sometime 
I have got past this:
and am now facing this
The light is fading and whilst it would be good to press on, I need the break.
I have got past this:
and am now facing this
The light is fading and whilst it would be good to press on, I need the break.
Ian Phillips
Volunteer Moderator
Haven't posted an update for a couple of days, so here goes.
I've been trying to speed/fly and whilst I can do it for a short time, any landing that is not perfectly straight sends me into a slide and I end up sideways, then backwards and invariably stop by hitting a rock. When I don't hit a rock, I spin out.
Sometimes I spin out next to meteorites or other material collecting rocks and take the chance to stock up. I've made a game of trying to collect as many of the materials as I can as they spray out, before they land.
I have got through the mountains I showed in the last update and have gone some distance over flat plains since then. I've got my top speed up to 43 for a few seconds (before spinning out and ... you can guess!) Normally my best top speed is 38.
I have found this feature and named it "Elephant's Head".
I can't resist and am currently about half way up it, in the dark. It's fairly rough going and I am trying to drive without headlights, to see if it is better. The result is that I need to take more frequent breaks because of not feeling to well
I've been trying to speed/fly and whilst I can do it for a short time, any landing that is not perfectly straight sends me into a slide and I end up sideways, then backwards and invariably stop by hitting a rock. When I don't hit a rock, I spin out.
Sometimes I spin out next to meteorites or other material collecting rocks and take the chance to stock up. I've made a game of trying to collect as many of the materials as I can as they spray out, before they land.
I have got through the mountains I showed in the last update and have gone some distance over flat plains since then. I've got my top speed up to 43 for a few seconds (before spinning out and ... you can guess!) Normally my best top speed is 38.
I have found this feature and named it "Elephant's Head".
I can't resist and am currently about half way up it, in the dark. It's fairly rough going and I am trying to drive without headlights, to see if it is better. The result is that I need to take more frequent breaks because of not feeling to well
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Yeah, that's always a problem. I've found that it takes a real gentle touch on the controls. Plus some directional correction if the SRV is moving off-center (diagonally) at all, which means tilting and thrusting. It becomes a game of selecting where you'll touch down, so that you can bounce back up without any yaw. You have more time for corrections on low gravity worlds, of course, so it's of limited use elsewhere.
LOL, OK I may have posted this in the wrong thread since Orvidius seems to understand the deal here already. So, Ian, take a look at what I wrote over in Orvidius' thread, Orvidius ... apologies for teaching you how to suck eggs (is that how the saying goes?) [haha]
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showt...umnavigation?p=7072821&viewfull=1#post7072821
Ian Phillips
Volunteer Moderator
A really gentle touch is completely the way to go. Anything more a 2 degrees twitch to avoid a rock ends up in a spin out.
Ian Phillips
Volunteer Moderator
I did get to the top of the Elephant's Head - at the second attempt. First time I got to within 2 metres of the top, lost all traction and slid backwards down the mountain, calling "No, No, No!" on the way.
Once I stopped bouncing down the mountainside I tried again, this time with a bit more momentum and got to the top. So I looked around and saw what appeared to be a higher summit close by and decided to take my summit picture from there.
By the time I had descended halfway down the mountain wall I knew that I wasn't going to get my summit picture. I had to carry on and descended the back of the Elephant's Head then carried on my way.
At one point I saw the shadow of a ship crossing the ice ahead and to my left. I didn't actually see the ship though. Later I saw something on a ridge and wondered what the hell it was.
What is that doing here?
With the light being good I pressed on all day, until at the end of the afternoon I needed a break and recalled my ship.
Time for a beer.
I continued on after a rest, to make the best use of the light which is fading now.
I have made 20 degrees southing today, but am wondering about the bearing I am using (based on the link from post #46) as I have only gone about 3 or 4 degrees East.
Maybe I'll have to do a long run east once I'm far enough south.
This is where I've parked up for now at the end of the day.
Once I stopped bouncing down the mountainside I tried again, this time with a bit more momentum and got to the top. So I looked around and saw what appeared to be a higher summit close by and decided to take my summit picture from there.
By the time I had descended halfway down the mountain wall I knew that I wasn't going to get my summit picture. I had to carry on and descended the back of the Elephant's Head then carried on my way.
At one point I saw the shadow of a ship crossing the ice ahead and to my left. I didn't actually see the ship though. Later I saw something on a ridge and wondered what the hell it was.
What is that doing here?
With the light being good I pressed on all day, until at the end of the afternoon I needed a break and recalled my ship.
Time for a beer.
I continued on after a rest, to make the best use of the light which is fading now.
I have made 20 degrees southing today, but am wondering about the bearing I am using (based on the link from post #46) as I have only gone about 3 or 4 degrees East.
Maybe I'll have to do a long run east once I'm far enough south.
This is where I've parked up for now at the end of the day.
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The best way to get more control when jump-flying the SRV is to throttle down considerably (even down to zero throttle) when you're about to hit the ground. This will prevent the SRV from throwing up its back axle when it hits the ground which invariably leads to a spin no matter how gentle you handle the controls. Another possiblity is to apply the handbrake when the SRV hits the ground which will bleed off the excessive speed. Speed you do not need anyway as it will only cause the spin you try to avoid. Depending on your specific situation you can choose to hold on to the handbrake and come to a full stop or release it and gently throttle up to gain speed again.
Hope this helps.
Drive speedy!
o7
Edit: also make sure you align the SRV with the ground so that both axels hit the ground simultaneously. A combination of good alignment and reduced throttle will improve tracking.
Hope this helps.
Drive speedy!
o7
Edit: also make sure you align the SRV with the ground so that both axels hit the ground simultaneously. A combination of good alignment and reduced throttle will improve tracking.
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Ian Phillips
Volunteer Moderator
About speed and control in the SRV.
I am finding that about 26-28 m/s is the sweet spot between being able to keep control (not spin out) and going fast. While 40m/s is doable, the slightest mistake or a landing that is not absolutely even throws the SRV off, Slowing down just as you land does improve things though.
After sleeping on the problem with the bearing, I think I have an answer.
The further south one goes, the closer the Longtitude lines get to each other. Therefore as I approach my southern point, I should see a much greater increase in longitude per km travelled.
I am finding that about 26-28 m/s is the sweet spot between being able to keep control (not spin out) and going fast. While 40m/s is doable, the slightest mistake or a landing that is not absolutely even throws the SRV off, Slowing down just as you land does improve things though.
After sleeping on the problem with the bearing, I think I have an answer.
The further south one goes, the closer the Longtitude lines get to each other. Therefore as I approach my southern point, I should see a much greater increase in longitude per km travelled.
Interesting. I can't say I either agree or diasagree with the throttle down and/or brake on landing technique. I did most of my SRV learning in long distance races so throttling down and braking were things to be avoided. Basically what I learned is to land flat (or maybe front wheels slightly first, but certainly not back wheels first), and as precisely aligned to your direction of movement as possible (this one is super important). If you get really good at this then there's certainly no need to brake on landing and you can go faster and faster, crusing along at speeds well over 80m/s. The other advantage of speed is that when you do bounce, you bounce higher which gives you longer in the air to correct your orientation and repair if required. In fact getting good air makes life so much easier that I tend to bump down deliberately hard in order to get a nice bounce back up again. Carefully picking your next landing spot helps with this too ... try to catch the front edge of smooth mounds ahead you or the oppsosite edge of small craters. Anything that will give you a nice gentle kick back up. I found over time that trying to gently feather my landings was the worse thing I could do 'cos you end up skimming just a metre or so above the ground with no room to correct orientation and almost invariably end twisted sideways and spinning out badly on the next landing.
Ian Phillips
Volunteer Moderator
Yes. I hop over rocks frequently, but sometime I just graze one with a wheel which throws the SRV off straight and the landing invariably ends up in a spinout. Landing on the back wheels is a sure fire way to bad things happening
I use the handbrake mainly when I'm climbing steep mountains or canyon walls. It prevents the SRV from sliding back. Also, the nature of Ariel is such that you just cannot go full speed all the time. You need to plan your route to prevent getting into situations you cannot get out of. On the flat, I do try to go as fast as possible. Only last night I plunged myself into a 8km deep chasm that I so did not see coming Chassis health at the bottom 6%...
Chassis health at the bottom 6%...I have to say with most if not all the other circumnavigations I'm aware of it's been more of an endurance challenge, stick to your resolve, don't lose focus and don't screw up ... but Ariel? Man that's a nailbiting one, you're gonna face some seriously tough challenges there and quite possibly have to swallow some major detours to get past some of that terrain. That one strikes me as an "if you finish" more than a "when"!I use the handbrake mainly when I'm climbing steep mountains or canyon walls. It prevents the SRV from sliding back. Also, the nature of Ariel is such that you just cannot go full speed all the time. You need to plan your route to prevent getting into situations you cannot get out of. On the flat, I do try to go as fast as possible. Only last night I plunged myself into a 8km deep chasm that I so did not see coming
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Ian Phillips
Volunteer Moderator
I am having to get new bearings far more frequently now that I am approaching my southern limit. The tool is giving me a far more easterly bearing now, and that changes much quicker than when I was near the equator. I have recalled my ship and intend to spend some time fixing my SRV. It has really taken a pounding and after a particularly hard crash against a rock at speed, I lost 30% hull in one hit! Since then I seem to have lost some power as I now cannot go faster than 23 k/s, whereas before the crash I could get 38 k/s. I'm hoping a good session with my trusty hammer will fix all the things. I did notice that my SRV hull is showing at 38% in Modules, and that has got me a bit worried.
I am now at (approx) -62; 113. The going has been (mostly) flattish so I have made some good progress today, after getting through a mountain range over the last couple of days.
No pictures today, but I will mention one thing before signing off. I keep seeing flashes in the sky, and have to remind myself each time that it isn't lightning, but ships exiting orbital cruise.
I am now at (approx) -62; 113. The going has been (mostly) flattish so I have made some good progress today, after getting through a mountain range over the last couple of days.
No pictures today, but I will mention one thing before signing off. I keep seeing flashes in the sky, and have to remind myself each time that it isn't lightning, but ships exiting orbital cruise.
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I take it you're only carrying the one? In which case it pays to be cautious, I think. I lost around 50% hull in one fall, so now I get nervous when hull integrity gets down to around 60% because one bad accident and it's game over. I seem to spend a lot of time in areas where the ship can't land so I've been synthing repairs as necessary, but when I can overnight on board I do so to save repair mats.
Good luck, commander!
I feel sure I've pretty much lost an SRV in a single hit in the past (especially in a multi-player instance) but can't seem to lay my hands on any evidence right now. Are you sure about that?
I'm not sure, no, it's something that's been mentioned here on the forum previously. What I remember people saying is that it used to be that you could be destroyed in one hit, particularly in large multiplayer instances, such as at the DWE meetups, so the damage cap was supposed to be a band-aid sort of fix for that. But I've never taken hits that hard in my SRV to date, and haven't tried testing it.