Don't fear Thargoids, fear the Beluga Liner !!

Nick Caragua · Jan 9, 2017

Let me explain why.

I am currently aboard a pretty well fit anaconda (love it). While I was transporting 452 tonnes of gold to my destination, I was approaching slowly the station. Easyyyy, slowlyyyy. I'm big, I'm slow, I'm expensive but, I've done it more than 40 times (nice loop, 1 jump to get over 1 000 000).
Approaching near the air lock, and suddenly, accelerating !!! ? Then my Anaconda got pushed and crushed across the entrance !
Looking for the enemy, the anomalies, the bug, anything !

A damn stupid Beluga liner ... Tried to dock at the station faster than me (make way to larger vessel they said ...). Pushed me, blocked me, and kept trying to enter while I was in the middle competely stuck, losing my hull...

Summary:
- ship blowned to pieces (my gooooooold !!!!)
- large insurance to pay (doh!)
- wanted in the sector (yes, don't try to block a station entrance! I didn't event know it was existing)
- scared as hell whenever I want to dock to a station now!

Only in Elite can a Beluga NPC destroy a player aboard an Anaconda without firing a single laser shot!

I love that game

illyTheKid TM · Jan 9, 2017

How are you wanted if you died? I thought your criminal record clears on death.

Thetele · Jan 9, 2017

I was once leaving Jameson memorial with my Anaconda. I was just about to boost out but i just see npc beluga liner coming into station through the slot. I managed to brake and avoid beluga and was going out after it was in just to see other beluga coming in. After that one i thought now and boosted to he slot to see one more Beluga coming in I managed to get out the slot barely. Outside i see that there is gonga line of like 5 other belugas approaching the station right after each other.

Darth Ender · Jan 9, 2017

this is just payback for all the times you've turbo'd through the slot and just gave zero ducks (sp?) to the sidewinder exiting/entering at < 100m/s. Laughing as it bounces off your shields and pinballs around the station as it explodes.

Windscreen Smudge · Jan 9, 2017

Good to hear that the Beluga keeps up the fine tradition set by the Orca. I may look into engineering one up someday and creating a terror that I can use to just appear out of nowhere and belly-flop on people like it's namesake.

Arry · Jan 9, 2017

Radar. Is there anything else to say?

Dracaya Tzentchel · Jan 9, 2017

Darth Ender said:
this is just payback for all the times you've turbo'd through the slot and just gave zero ducks (sp?) to the sidewinder exiting/entering at < 100m/s. Laughing as it bounces off your shields and pinballs around the station as it explodes.

It's not my intent... I keep forgetting how wide my Clipper actually is...

trollson · Jan 9, 2017

Looks like a fish, moves like a fish, steers like a cow.

Dracaya Tzentchel · Jan 9, 2017

trollson said:
Looks like a fish, moves like a fish, steers like a cow.

Really needs a livery option to make it go WOOAAAAAOOOOAAAAA as you're flying into the mailbox.

NascentChemist · Jan 9, 2017

I've said it before and I'll say it again: If you think dealing with NPC Belugas is annoying, try flying the damn thing. NPC's will fly straight for your tail fins, trigger a fine if you're speeding, and all your passengers will have a collective apoplexy.

Captain Willard · Jan 9, 2017

Arry said:
Radar. Is there anything else to say?

Doesn't always work. Had a no scan run, I had me beluga all lined up, radar clear, time to boost. I was in the slot when a small craft lifted off right in front of me. He goes boom. Survey Says. Beluga goes boom. All I could do was laugh.

CMDR Goro · Jan 9, 2017

In situations like that TURN OFF FLIGHT ASSIST AND DO NOTHING.

With fa on ship "fights" being pushed around. Turn it of and other ship will plow you in/out of slot with no to minimal damage (depending on your shileds/armour).

Same works with being stuck at slot with big ship.

JRok · Jan 9, 2017

Yep... those SBW's have clipped me a few times.

NW3 · Jan 9, 2017

CMDR Goro said:
In situations like that TURN OFF FLIGHT ASSIST AND DO NOTHING.

With fa on ship "fights" being pushed around. Turn it of and other ship will plow you in/out of slot with no to minimal damage (depending on your shileds/armour).

Same works with being stuck at slot with big ship.

Great tip! Rep++

Windscreen Smudge · Jan 10, 2017

CMDR Goro said:
In situations like that TURN OFF FLIGHT ASSIST AND DO NOTHING.

With fa on ship "fights" being pushed around. Turn it of and other ship will plow you in/out of slot with no to minimal damage (depending on your shileds/armour).

Same works with being stuck at slot with big ship.

Fun fact: Flight assist Off is a direct equivalent to lube. Use it in every situation in which you think to yourself "If only I had just a little more lube" or "This just isn't slippery enough."

Dracaya Tzentchel · Jan 10, 2017

Windscreen Smudge said:
Fun fact: Flight assist Off is a direct equivalent to lube. Use it in every situation in which you think to yourself "If only I had just a little more lube" or "This just isn't slippery enough."

Same goes for SRVs actually. I find going up bumpy hills much easier with drive assist off but I slide around on flats like my wheels are lubricated.

CMDR-AD · Jan 10, 2017

CMDR Goro said:
In situations like that TURN OFF FLIGHT ASSIST AND DO NOTHING.

With fa on ship "fights" being pushed around. Turn it of and other ship will plow you in/out of slot with no to minimal damage (depending on your shileds/armour).

Same works with being stuck at slot with big ship.

Hey thanks, I'll remember that.

So far I have not had a bad encounter in the airlock vs. a Beluga. But I have had a bad encounter with the airlock IN a Beluga!

After countless dockings with zero issues (only scraped a huge wing a couple times, and was shocked at how my shields dropped)... It happened. those huge sticky-up horn like wing tips on top snagged in the airlock. So there was my Beluga, inside the station, my landing pad just below, and nothing I could do would get it free (I didn't consider FA OFF). And then here comes the warning of impeding lethal destruction. There may have been a fine there, I cared so little about such a penalty, I cannot remember for certain.

As the timer was counting down to my doom, in frustration I took my hands from the controls, gestured in the air, then reached for the Escape key. And just as the Escape screen appeared, I swore I saw my ship float into the station!

So I hit Escape again, and sure enough, the Beluga was free. I landed without incident.

For about a week after, I didn't want to fly the Beluga again. Seeing others pass by as I flew in other ships, my eyes couldn't stop looking at those huge honking wingtips on top. Practically designed to snag the airlock.

JRok · Jan 10, 2017

CMDR Goro said:
In situations like that TURN OFF FLIGHT ASSIST AND DO NOTHING.

With fa on ship "fights" being pushed around. Turn it of and other ship will plow you in/out of slot with no to minimal damage (depending on your shileds/armour).

Same works with being stuck at slot with big ship.

Yes... thanks for that!

CMDR Goro · Jan 10, 2017

CMDR-AD said:
Hey thanks, I'll remember that.

So far I have not had a bad encounter in the airlock vs. a Beluga. But I have had a bad encounter with the airlock IN a Beluga!

After countless dockings with zero issues (only scraped a huge wing a couple times, and was shocked at how my shields dropped)... It happened. those huge sticky-up horn like wing tips on top snagged in the airlock. So there was my Beluga, inside the station, my landing pad just below, and nothing I could do would get it free (I didn't consider FA OFF). And then here comes the warning of impeding lethal destruction. There may have been a fine there, I cared so little about such a penalty, I cannot remember for certain.

As the timer was counting down to my doom, in frustration I took my hands from the controls, gestured in the air, then reached for the Escape key. And just as the Escape screen appeared, I swore I saw my ship float into the station!

So I hit Escape again, and sure enough, the Beluga was free. I landed without incident.

For about a week after, I didn't want to fly the Beluga again. Seeing others pass by as I flew in other ships, my eyes couldn't stop looking at those huge honking wingtips on top. Practically designed to snag the airlock.

Wings are swept back enough to work as wedge

If you get stuck, FA Off, gentle thrust forward (+ try to mach rotation, being stuck sideways is no fun) and ship will slide right in. Just turn your space radio up amd ignore horrible metal bending soundals.

Another pro tip is to aproach slot waaaaaay low. If it feals like youre shoes are grinding on slot youre doing it right as cocpit is on the bottom of beluga nose.

Been flying bulk passengers on shiledless beluga for some time now (enough to buy Cutter from profit). She is huge but really agile.

Spacecat · Jan 10, 2017

CMDR Goro said:
In situations like that TURN OFF FLIGHT ASSIST AND DO NOTHING.

With fa on ship "fights" being pushed around. Turn it of and other ship will plow you in/out of slot with no to minimal damage (depending on your shileds/armour).

Same works with being stuck at slot with big ship.

Ahhh, so this must be why you "stick" to everything. I thought it was just "sticky" collision detection, but maybe FA is the culprit.