Newcomer / Intro Guardian Site Problems

Ok.... taking a deep breath and trying this again.......

I have been trying to do the guardian blueprints.
1) I've read all the tutorials and all the youtube videos on how to do it. I get it. Go to the machine. Activate pylon 1, then raise pylons 2,3,4,5,6. Destroy sentinels. Then shoot pylon 1, then go to 2,3,4,5,6. Easy breazy. I understand the dynamics. I've read the blueprints. I see where the pylons should raise up out of the ground when i park my SVR on the "x."

So let's assume a baseline.. I have a detailed understanding of what to do, and a generalized concept of where the pylons are, I've seen map after map after map. They're all great from a top-down visual perspective. Crystal clear. NOT so clear once you're in the SRV and trying to figure it out.

Let's start with this. After reading all the tutorials and watching endless youtube video's, I've tried this now 87 times and failed.

My initial problem was that while i can conceptualize where pylons 2,3,4,5,6 are based on the map and relative to my parked ship, once in the ruins, i get lost.

I have asked for help in how to look "down" from my SRV camera, and received advice on "headlock", "camera suite" and "free camera". I have watched no fewer than 19 videos on headlock, camera suite and free camera, and I just can't seem to grasp it. I've followed advice from others on this such as "just use exanternal view" etc... which havenj't worked and ultimately locked me into some sort of unussable mode of my SRV that I could no longer function and hand to self destruct and reset. I've made adjustments to these three areas of options which resulted in such a bad set of circumstances, i had to uninstall the game, reinstall to restore defaults to even begin to play.

So... again, I get what I need to do. I get the maps where the things are. I get the "free camera" and "external view" concepts, but none of this has worked for me. I've done due dillegence and researched, researched, researched. I UNDERSTAND what to do, but I'm failing to be able to execute it once in the SRV. I become disoriiented and can't find things.

On attempt 64 of 87, I finally managed to stumble onto all the 6 pylons and raise them. But then once I started the process and the timer began I couldn't find them again, there is no "marking" to show where they are, and yes, I know where they are on the "maps" people have provided, but in the SRV I have difficuly finding them. I keep timing out over and over and over again.

Another problem is accessing "the machine" to start things off. I see where it's located, but to get my SRV "up there" i have to thrust and damage my SRV over and over and over again before finally landing on the area. The combinatin of not finding the pylons and difdiculty of getting the SRV on the raised platforms is just impossible.

I am not a "great" player by any means. I'm average ... and i REALLY try to learn before asking for advice, but I just CAN NOT figure this out. I don't have any ED friends to help me. I can't figure out the camera views to look "down" and i can't find the pylons shown in the youtube vids or tutorials or advice.

I guess I'm an idiot because I can't figure this out, but honesly I've really tried and tried and tried by watching, learning and doing it over and over. But I'm so far beyond frustrated, I just don't know what to do anymore.

I need help. Basic, step by step, don't assume I know how to use "external camera" or "just follow the map"... because I've tried and it's not working. I hate to give up... but I just just just can not figure this out and neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed help in the most basic way PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE.
 
One last thing from me, and then I'm stumped as to how to help I'm afraid. Someone else with a better mind than mine will probably be along soon with a much more pertinent clue.

Is there any way you can make a video of what you are doing?

BTW, I've never tried to do one so I'll be zero help with that!
 
  • There are different layouts for the guardian ruins. Make sure you find the map that corresponds with the one you are visiting
  • When you start camera mode. Hit 0 on the numpad to 'free' the camera to fly around
  • Find the axis of the map. use the direction number on top or the screen to get a feeling on your bearing
  • Get to know 'west' and 'east' to help you orientate
  • Park your ship in a place so it can help your orientate for instance behind the machine (in the 'north' perhaps)
  • Fly over the site in your ship and verify what you see with the map you found.
  • Go to open; a lot of time a different cmdr will pop up and most of the times they will help you
  • If you can; visit the site during daylight
  • It seems you have a lot of problems controlling the srv. Go driving for an hour or so to get more familiar with how the srv drives
  • Going to the machine you indeed need to climb a little. There are some easy places. find them before starting the activation
  • Drive around and kill all guardians before starting the activation
  • Are you using night vision?
 
In the other thread (now closed) was your basic question "how do I set up the external camera". Is this still an issue for you?

You'll need to go into the controls menu and set up the controls for the free camera - I don't even know if they're bound by default (should be, as I didn't think I set up the free camera on this PC). People who use the free camra a lot (for pictures or videos) often use a dedicated controller (on the other PC, I have an XBox controller for the camera and HOSAS for the game control).

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You could also display the map (image) of the site on a different screen/window.

However, if your issue is with transferring the map to what you see out of your SRV - that's a skill that has to be learned, in real life as well as in a game, although the real life skill of map reading transfers easily enough into most games, including ED. My very basic suggestion would be that you drop ED for a cfew days and get a classic detailed paper map 1:25,000 or larger (1:10,000 if you can find one) of your local area, then go outside and try to find your way around using that map. Most of us around here are old enough to have learned that (and having had to use it) for everything, including finding the way to the holiday resort.

Another point that I don't know if you have trouble with, but I think I can occasionally read it between the lines, is headlook. If you sit still in your ship (or SRV), do you know how to move your view around without moving your ship or SRV? Again, the control binding for that will be different, depending on what you set up for it (on the default XBox controller binding, it's click the right stick to switch between ship control and headlook). It's not exactly mandatory for basic gameplay, but pretty much essential later on. Again, a lot of people use a hands-off approcah for that - headtrackers, eye trackers or VR are popular here.
 
Well, unless you develop the spacial awareness to locate yourself in the location or learn the map, there's nothing anyone can do to help you. You really should just convince someone to go with you and point them out from the air, if you're not making any progress after 80 tries.
 
This guide by OriginalB is a good place to start...


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Just a few of my personal notes:
Four sentinels attack after you’ve charged the final pylon. Therefore charge up pylon 1 LAST as you’ll already be in position to drop the glowing thingummy into the orifice of the gods to receive the power of the eternal champion blueprint. Then you can just logout with 4 pips to shields without engaging the sentinels.

Pylons 4 and 5 can be somewhat tricky to find as they’re away from the stairway to heaven, do them first. Then pylons 2 and 6, then 3, finally 1.

Don’t forget point defence.
 
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OH!!

The guardian shield reinforcement package is awesome and well worth getting.
Unfortunately it requires 24 pattern delta from the obelisks...
Do not, I repeat, do not try and get them from the main guardian site, it’ll take you HOURS.
Get them from one of the nearby lesser obelisk sites instead. You can park up in front of them and get your scans quickly and safely there and it can still take a half hour to get all the deltas.
 
Ages ago when I did this I used the site fairly close to the far end of the weekly megaship ferry service.
With the machine at the 12 o’clock position I would park my Diamondback Explorer fitted with two Point Defence around 4 o’clock inside the site.
The next thing was to go around collecting everything and destroying the sentinels after I had done that I would drive round the site visiting but not activating the pylons in the order I was going to try to use. As I recall I started with number 2 and took them in order finishing by parking on or near the X on the ground in front of the machine then activating number 1 it was then straightforward usually to finish.

I didn’t use the camera much as I recall as I find it slow, to get a better viewpoint I would switch to turret mode.

It took many attempts before I was getting to the point where I could get close to succeeding but I did manage it, the key was learning the route remembering bits of landmarks and compass headings especially for the bit around 4 & 5. I also always used night vision even if the site was in what passed for daylight as it made the appearance of things more consistent.
 

Thwarptide

Banned
It seems like Arjay's experience and mine reflect each others. I used gun turrets more to regain spacial awareness, but I did rely on external camera once in a while (during the first few attempts.) I think it was after the 4th attempt I gained more confidence and eventually the site became a walk in the park, about as much fun as a trip to Dav's Hope, which I do when the bug hits me to just get crazy in the srv.

Anyway one of the bigger things that helped me to become more acclimated to the site was establishing visual land marks. You have done this in your home town, which is why you don't need a map to get around. The best and largest land mark is the center line down the length of the site. You'll even establish lesser ones that will clue you as to exactly where you are. But you're first land mark should be you're ship. Leaving its lights one will accentuate it when you need to use the visual reference.
YOU NEED to have a couple point defense mods on either the top or front of your ship (depends on the ship) if you don't already. They put on a great show too. Drive around killing the sentinels (helps bunches) while you're establishing landmarks, getting a feel for the place. Even after 80 tries you'll get it once you're afforded the extra time by killing off most of the sentinels. Once they're gone the place is yours to roam and do as you please, even finishing the site.
You can now be more confident to log off, do it again and concentrate on just gathering materials (you don't need to grab a bluerint every time.)

Plenty of good advice offered in this thread. I truly hope it contributes to you're greater success. 👍
 
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Update:
Thanks everyone for the advice.
I found a new video that explains camera suite and free camera much better than any of the previous ones I've watched, so I've now got that at least set up and I will try it out.
I didn't know about "night vision" but now I do, so I think that will help.
I went to open mode and found someone at the site, who was kind enough to show me around. I think that will help, but I still can't remember where the stupid pylons are.
He also taught me a few tricks about where to get up ramps and how to better use the thrust on the SRV to "jump."

I'm going to try this again, using the new camera setup and see if I can figure it out better.
 

Thwarptide

Banned
Update:
Thanks everyone for the advice.
I found a new video that explains camera suite and free camera much better than any of the previous ones I've watched, so I've now got that at least set up and I will try it out.
I didn't know about "night vision" but now I do, so I think that will help.
I went to open mode and found someone at the site, who was kind enough to show me around. I think that will help, but I still can't remember where the stupid pylons are.
He also taught me a few tricks about where to get up ramps and how to better use the thrust on the SRV to "jump."

I'm going to try this again, using the new camera setup and see if I can figure it out better.
It's always helps to have a veteran Cmdr on site to show you the ropes, doesn't it.
I have no doubt you'll pick it up with greater confidence now. You may end up at a point where you say to yourself "how in the world did I make this more difficult that it needed to be"? I think every Cmdr who visited the site has had this realization to one degree or another.
You're on the right track now. 07
 
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