Newcomer / Intro First Prospector Limpet Keeps Failing.

[withnail67]

Hey All,

When I'm out mining, I keep finding the first Prospector Limpet I fire off usually fails as soon as it launches. I initially thought it was down to the speed I was traveling as I normally still have 4 pips assigned to engines until I find the first astroid worth mining, but further experiments seems to have rules that out.

Is this a bug or is there some other reason the initial Limpet fails so often?

Cheers o7

 

[Para Handy]

I think you are right about the speed. If I forget to slow down a bit first then the prospector can fail on deployment. I don't know if it is hitting the ship or being hit by the ship but in any case, if I have not got the cargo scoop deployed then I pull back on the throttle as I launch a prospector and that seems to avoid the issue.

N.B. I am not saying that is the definitive reason, just what I think is happening.

 

[Martyn W]

A bug I think. However if you reduce speed to less than 100 it works ok - applies to first prospector limpet only.

 

[ChipStar65]

This happens in my 'Vette if I am traveling over around 80-90 mps, even if decelerating. It should be considered a bug, because the limpet launches at a relative, not absolute, velocity -- the ship's velocity is part of the limpet's vector, so the limpet should not be overtaken and destroyed by collision with the ship. The only reason this could logically happen is if the limpet actually slows down immediately after launch, which would be truly stupid programming.

 

[Dommarraa]

It doesn't use fa-off, so behaving as expected.
Different ships have different tolerances to speed due to their undercrackers

 

[Hooplah]

I fly my Python fast to the asteroid slowing down to a crawl setting up for mining then fire the
first prospector limpet. It also significantly reduces the travel time for the limpet. Cargo scoop
deployed or retracted doesn't seem to matter and I rarely lose a limpet.

Also the normal..

Using a 1A prospector limpet controller with a max 1.
Launch a prospector limpet. It works.
Launch another prospector limpet.
'Prospector limped failed" alarm referring to the first limpet as there can only be one at a time.
Meanwhile the second prospector limpet continues on and works.

 

[Northpin]

Hey All,

When I'm out mining, I keep finding the first Prospector Limpet I fire off usually fails as soon as it launches. I initially thought it was down to the speed I was traveling as I normally still have 4 pips assigned to engines until I find the first astroid worth mining, but further experiments seems to have rules that out.

Is this a bug or is there some other reason the initial Limpet fails so often?

Cheers o7

Prospectors are flying at 200m/s
IF you fly faster, you will hit them with your cargo hatch and kill them
If you fly slower than that, but move during launch (using directional controls), there is a chance to hit them with your ship and destroy them

For me the rule is to fly around 100-150, launch the prospector and keep the ship steady until I see the prospector in front of my ship

 

[ChipStar65]

Prospectors are flying at 200m/s
IF you fly faster, you will hit them with your cargo hatch and kill them

This doesn't agree with physics. Before launch, the limpet is traveling at the same velocity as the ship. The launch should add the limpet's 200mps to this velocity, so the ship should not overtake the limpet unless the ship is accelerating or the limpet immediately decelerates. Whoever programmed the limpet launch behavior needs to go back to high school and brush up on basic physics -- inertia and conservation of momentum to begin with.

 

[withnail67]

Thanks for the replies. With 4 pips on weapons and 1 each on Sys & Eng and with the cargo hatch open, my ship does just under 100m/sec, which avoids the issue. I'm using a 3A prospector limpet controller so I can "leap frog" astroids and keep my bearings, so I don't do my previous trick of flying in a large circle and then discovering a load of depleted astroids!

As ChipStar65 points out, it's counter intuitive as you'd expect it to travel at 200m/s+ship speed, rather than immediately braking to 200m/s on launch!

 

[Northpin]

This doesn't agree with physics. Before launch, the limpet is traveling at the same velocity as the ship. The launch should add the limpet's 200mps to this velocity, so the ship should not overtake the limpet unless the ship is accelerating or the limpet immediately decelerates. Whoever programmed the limpet launch behavior needs to go back to high school and brush up on basic physics -- inertia and conservation of momentum to begin with.

tell that to them devs.
This is valid for Seekers too... Torpedoes on the other side, will add ship' speed at their velocity right after launch, but this will fade away rather fast

 

[Northpin]

Thanks for the replies. With 4 pips on weapons and 1 each on Sys & Eng and with the cargo hatch open, my ship does just under 100m/sec, which avoids the issue

Then you are not keeping the ship steady until the prospector overtakes you.

 

[ChipStar65]

tell that to them devs.
This is valid for Seekers too... Torpedoes on the other side, will add ship' speed at their velocity right after launch, but this will fade away rather fast

Devs got enough on their plate , won't add to their grief, easy enough to work around if a bit annoying.

I wonder what the tactical advantage to the Torpedoes decelerating might be?

 

[Northpin]

Devs got enough on their plate , won't add to their grief, easy enough to work around if a bit annoying.

I wonder what the tactical advantage to the Torpedoes decelerating might be?

to keep them at their intended speed of 250m/s - they are powerful as they are without traveling at 250+whatever speed the ship might have

 

[MAJOR_H8R]

I noticed many 'prospector limpet failed' messages today, but actually the limpet was still travelling to the rock. Maybe the error message is bugged, too..?

 

[ChipStar65]

I noticed many 'prospector limpet failed' messages today, but actually the limpet was still travelling to the rock. Maybe the error message is bugged, too..?

That message usually refers to the previous Prospector Limpet in play, which will fail if you get beyond its prescribed range, or if you launch a new Prospector.

 

[Northpin]

I noticed many 'prospector limpet failed' messages today, but actually the limpet was still travelling to the rock. Maybe the error message is bugged, too..?

I also noticed a lot of weird behaviours while i played on a really, and i mean Really crappy, 3g connection.
Prospectors/Collectors not firing, Fragments not being processed and getting stuck in the refinery and so on - apparently the connection quality is strongly tied up with mining

 

[withnail67]

UPDATE: The first Prospector Limpet failure isn't (always) related to the speed of your ship.

Today I slowed to 70m/sec and didn't lower the cargo hatch before despatching the first Prospector, but it still failed as soon as it was launched.