Newcomer / Intro How do you get started?

[[PS4] Lorenzo Waringos]

Hello and welcome.

I still find docking at platforms harder than docking in stations. I just get cofuzzled at platforms.

Anyway, the method I used to learn docking at stations was to get through the slot. Stop. Get the pad in view, possibly rotating to do so. Find it. Line it up. Crawl towards it, in a gliding down way, much like an aircraft coming into land, long, slow descent. Once I was in the right area, I found that if I get the number of the pad filling my windscreen, I was near the right spot. Then lower the ship down for final movements.

I know there is a timer but it doesn't have to all be done in one swift move. Find a position then make a move even if that is just forward a bit, stop, down a bit, stop. I did it this way a good few times, eventually the stops started disappearing and the moves blended into one another.

As others have suggested, look in the options to change either sensitivities or completely new key bindings for the controls.

I think Para is right, they do come with auto docking as standard but even so, if you have Horizons and ever intend landing on a planet's surface to thrash an SRV around the place, you will need to learn how to do this as auto docking won't land you on a planet's surface.

I appreciate it is trusting, (made worse by us lot all telling you how easy it is) but really, you cross this one hurdle and the game is blown wide open for you. Good luck.

 

[Tyres O'Flaherty]

For docking, remember that accelerate and decelerate are different controls to forward and backward thrust.

I use kb and mouse mostly, but in combat, I'll use a joystick. Most controls can have two different key binds - so, for instance, you can roll with both joystick and or kb. As an example, when I'm interdicted and chasing the escape vector, I'll use the joyce to pitch an roll and the kb to guide the laterals. During a docking procedure. I'll exclusively use the kb to pitch, roll and yaw with my left hand while using the right hand on my arrow keys to thrust forward, backward, left and right.

 

[Robin of Spiritwood]

I have played for a long time, but still can't fly with a keyboard and mouse.

Controller works for me, but the sensitivity had to be turned wayyyyyy down. I mapped the thrusters to the 4 way + button, pitch and yaw to one joystick, and roll & up-down thruster to the other. Set a few numpad keys to throttle speeds: full, zero, half, & 3/4 was fine.

Check that you have not inadvertently switched off Flight Assist. Right hand panel, tab across to the picture of your ship, and check there. It should be ON.

 

[Harrowdown]

I had this game for the longest time without being able to get into it. My biggest issue aside from the ones you are having were the flight controls, I was very much a Freespace man. Then half a year ago I tried again and I don't know. Something just clicked. I worked out auto docking, which felt very rewarding but I had to change my shirt after. Everything else soon came after. Now I dock manually all of the time.

 

[Ashnak]

Ok , first of all, as I recall my last start, you do start with a standard docking computer. It's just that not all stations (or outposts) support the use of it, so you'll need to learn to dock manually at some point. All of us did - and those of us who have played this game longer didn't even have a docking computer to start with.
So, go back to the tutorials/training scenarios. There should be something there that covers manual docking. Do it and keep on doing it until you can do it. Then go and watch some buckyball racing videos and realize that you're still far from having mastered docking .
The mouse isn't a hindrance there - some of the best PvP players are using kb+m - but if it doesn't work for you (you know you can adjust the sensitivity?), you might consider getting a joystick, 3 axes for preference (i.e. a stick with twist), at least that would cover then half of the degrees of freedom your ship has.
Getting a "decent ship" and a DC does make less difference than you'd think - the Sidewinder already is a decent ship, there's nothing in the game you can't do with one (and that iincludes triple elite rank).

As for the rest of the controls - if they don't suit you, you're not stuck with them. You can change anything in this game. Those 5 hours you spent so far? Some people spend more than that to get the mapping of the controls just right. External sites like EDRefcard can help you with that.

 

[Factabulous]

it'd be doable if you got a docking computer to start with

Something weird here ... you do get a docking computer on starter ships, and you can buy one if you upgrade. I'd suggest you do.

And I wouldn't invest in lots of hardware to play the game. It should be perfectly flyable with m/k/b while you see if you want to continue (or with a controller if you have one lying around). Sounds like you need to practice more - skipping tutorials because they're 'too hard' kinda implies you should be not skipping them until they are not too hard. They are there to help you learn. gl!

 

[Northpin]

There just seems to be no relatively easy way to get started while using a mouse and keyboard

Kinda weird tbh.

I started the game on XB and found the controller setup pretty marvelous.

Then one year later i got a PC account too - playing it with KB / Mouse (inserting old Bond joke). Relative Mouse.
Initially I found it difficult, but I changed controls to:

• pitch/yaw on mouse,
• roll on Q/E and,
• lateral thrusters on WSAD with,
• Space setup as Pitch Up to compensate for Relative Mouse in SuperCruise or in NormalSpace using FA On.

Then you need a lot of practice to develop some sort of basic muscle memory.

Otherwise, Torchlight II is still a marvelous game. Ice EmberMage with maxed Hailstorm is so dumb that is cool

 

[EarlSinclair]

Do the tutorials and get a advanced docking computer for your ship.

 

[Bob McBobblehead]

Try Youtube, there are lots of tutorials. Here is one for new starts, this one uses Xbox controller. Starter tutorial

 

[CptArcher]

It took me about a half week to do the docking tutorial and literally months to complete the combat tutorial. This game is hard which is the beauty of it. I'm still learning things and it's been years.

I suggest to just learn docking for starters, and make some friends to help out. Join in an ED discord group and your progress will skyrocket. I know this because we've been helping noobs lately and they progresses so much faster than I did.

Docking is the most important though. Just do that and you can start venturing around the system and start doing missions. Everything else will come in time.

Also, mouse and keyboard can be set up to work well. You'll find that some hotas users hate mouse and keyboard users because of how good they are. In my experience, mouse and keyboard is superior to hotas or any controller.

Be prepared to spend time setting up controls. I spent hours and hours fine tuning controls. Even to this day I still fiddle with controls to optimize bindings.

Good luck commander

 

[CptArcher]

When you get through the slot the compass, the small round screen to the left of the scanner, indicates the direction of your landing pad. Solid dot means the pad is in front of you, ring means it is behind you where the dot is in relation to the centre is the direction from your ship to the pad.

Holy crap, I just learned something new, hahahaha. See? I'm not kidding, I've been playing this game for years and still learning. I've gone all this time not knowing that the landing pad shows on the compass! I usually have to spin my ship and headlook around to find it!

You'll get there commander, it just takes time. And this game is casual. Name another game that you can park at a star in open and have a snack, make coffee, and come back and resume. How about camping on a moon surface after prospecting rocks? Love this game!

 

[Lowbee]

It's the controls, Mouse and keyboard makes it almost impossible to dock or use the ore scoop, or dogfight for that matter, the mouse is far too sensitive, also the keyboard shortcuts for the various Hud controls, like how do you read some message thats just come in as your trying to dock, or navigating to some more detailed part of the side panels, go through options, controls and it's not there, in the meantime your running out of O2 while your trying to find it lol

you must take it slowly. there's a lot of stuff to comprehend all at once. i ran the tutorials a LOT before I felt comfortable and the advanced combat one for me was harder than actual combat later in the game itself. as the hours go by you will get better and more fluid in everything!

you'll probably have to futz a bit with the mouse sensitivity and axis controls in the settings to work best for you. unlike a lot of CMDRs here i prefer keybd+mouse and have never really had too many issues.

o7

 

[Patrick_68000]

Welcome to the great family of the Elite ! Cmdr

And don't forget, take your time, ED is a game of patience and the long-term.

The road is hard towards Elite.

Fly safe.