How to mailslot an Anaconda.

Shiro Akai

Shiro Akai
o7 CMDRs,

as it happened I'm new Anaconda owner andstill learning how to fly this beast. For beast it is. Right now I tinker with outfitting, managed to push jump range from starting 9 LYs to 51.86 LYs. But I digress. What came out as an issue was passing through station's mailslot.

Interestingly, my very first passes were a ok. No issues whatsoever. Bah, I thought, all those people saying that you can get stuck and get blown simply cannot fly properly (uber pilot skillz ftw). Then I packed few missions and head out. Just to get stuck in the mailslot as I was leaving the station. Adrenalin levels went off the chart as I fought to get free. It wouldn't be a good start with an Anaconda if you got blown up during your first mission, right?

I somehow managed to re-align myself and get free. Boosted out of the slot as a cork out of the bottle. Then system police bounced off of my shields. Ended with speeding fine, no big deal. Then I proceeded toward my destination, thinking about what happened and how to avoid it. Upon arrival, guess what. I stucked in the mailslot. Again... So there's something out there about getting stuck and my initial success was a matter of luck.

Quick reading got me this: boost through it as fast as possible. Well, I'm fairly good at darts but I don't feel confident enough with aiming Anaconda into the slot at high speed. So I went to bed and left my brain chewing on the problem. In the morning I had a solution.

And it works. I probably re-invented the wheel here, but here it goes:

This is how I enter the station:

x7ZokXd.jpg



This is me how I exit the Station:

c4qqDdc.jpg




No docking comp, no speeding, no boosting required. I'm passing the slot as slow as 25% throttle (speed is 48) Just roll for about 30* and that's it. Shields can get a glancing hit but so far (and I made few extra landings for tests) I'm passing the slot with no issues.
 

Stigbob

Stigbob
The anaconda's cockpit is right at the back and raised up from the centre of the ship. You need to align your view with the cockpit roof almost scraping the top of the mailslot and be correctly positioned before you move through. Don't maneuver until well after you think you are safely through or things will go wrong. If you do that speed and station collisions are not an issue, unless you splat someone.
 

CMDR Zadian Lichtfrost

C
Training wheels for big ship docking:

enable the mouse widget in Options. It's a small dot in the centre of the screen. Keep that dot in the centre of the slot and slowly roll with the slot as you enter or leave.

Takes some time to learn how to dock on of the big ships. With a bit of practice you will be able to dock without scrapping the shields. With a bit more practice you will be able to dock even if other ships are passing through the slot (unless it's one of the big ships).
 

Taranis Dekker

Taranis Dekker
Go faster than ~50 as well. As close to 100 as you can get, and station rotation is much less of an issue to worry about, especially on the way out with the toast rack.
 

Shiro Akai

Shiro Akai
Irreformable bunch, all of you :D

1- I tried passing high with a "head duck" feeling. Got stucked.
2- tried to pass high and fast. Got stucked.
3- got pi... erm, annoyed.
4- this got me thinking
5- found easy and slow solution
6- ...
7- profit.

I bet all above work for you guys. I just wanted to add one more. I'm not a fan of high speed entry (RPing while docking/leaving), wanted safe and reliable way. Looks like it's working. Give it a try and see for yourself. Then you can go back to your preferred way.
 

CMDR Zadian Lichtfrost

C
Shiro Akai said:
…, wanted safe and reliable way. Looks like it's working. …
Click to expand...

I guess anybody who flies one of the big ships passes through the entrance corridor while just rolling a bit.

Entering the slot at a fixed angle and letting the station roll is interesting - but probably requires precise speed with no room for error (that suddenly in front of the slot appearing T-9 or Beluga…).
 

Stigbob

Stigbob
CMDR Zadian Lichtfrost said:
Training wheels for big ship docking:

enable the mouse widget in Options. It's a small dot in the centre of the screen. Keep that dot in the centre of the slot and slowly roll with the slot as you enter or leave.

Takes some time to learn how to dock on of the big ships. With a bit of practice you will be able to dock without scrapping the shields. With a bit more practice you will be able to dock even if other ships are passing through the slot (unless it's one of the big ships).
Click to expand...

The mouse widget is also fantastic for stopping your sense of direction being thrown off by ships with an off-center cockpit like the FDL.
 

lenna

lenna
Shiro Akai said:
1- I tried passing high with a "head duck" feeling. Got stucked.
Click to expand...
Did not duck low enough (i.e. fly high enough) then ;)

The Anaconda and the Beluga have the inverse problem of each other (Anaconda too much keel and the Beluga has too much tail) but IMO the Beluga is harder to get right. Both require ALOT of practice, and I can not count the number of times I had to emergency log out because I got stuck and was on the trespass countdown with either ship.

If your method works for you, then fair cop to you but personally I believe you just needed more practice with the head-duck method - once you have it licked it is safe and reliable.
 
Last edited:

Hell Razor5543

H
Well, if you think that flying an Anaconda through a docking slot is tricky (although it can be for new Anaconda owners), try flying one down the central passage of a Farragut Battle Cruiser! It can be done, and then (with care) you can slide sideways out. I did this when there were the two destroyed Farraguts at the attack site.
 
Last edited:

Tono Kopec

Tono Kopec
Just use directional thrust and roll, no pitch (and no yaw), to line up with the slot when leaving a space station in an Anaconda.
 
Last edited:

Para Handy

Para Handy
Shiro Akai said:
................. an issue was passing through station's mailslot.

.............
Click to expand...

There are two visual aides in the game to help you line up for entering and leaving. When entering there is a group of three lights in a line (or a triangle) on the rear wall of the docking bay area that show when you are on the centre line of the station (axis). For exiting there is a marker on your sensor display for the station's docking area centre it shows as an arrow (or arrow-head) indication if you need to go up or down and when aligned it is a thin rectangle.

For clarity, here are images illustrating this:

D3KAD9K.jpg



EDjUo9Y.jpg




.. I don't know why it isn't in the manual.


EDIT - Of course, as others have mentioned, don't adjust pitch or yaw when leaving the station - just use thrusters to raise from the pad (keeps you parallel to the station axis) and line up.

[hotas]
 
Last edited:

bootsam

bootsam
I always imagine im trying to knock my hat off leaving or entering the letterbox. Ive had zero issues with the conda, but that goddamned beluga, why do npcs think they can squeeze by in a t9 when im already 50/50 with the bleeding letterbox.

Im always fully aligned docking and exiting and I keep a mild twist on the rotate to ensure I stay level at all times. I learnt to do this after losing several fully laden T9's to the toast rack. Thus Ive always got some rotation going until im through. This is most important in a cutter as ive lost one of those due to entanglement of one of the nacelles.
 

Maymo

Maymo
Your alignment is all that matters op, speed is optional...

You’ll probably speed up naturally as you spend more time in the ship. Just do whatever works for you though...

If you ever watch an Anaconda pass through the mail slot there’s actually heaps of room...much more than it feels in first person...
 

Flapdrol1337

F
I align myself inside the station so that I can barely see the ceiling of the mailslot, then aim the dot in the middle, maybe slightly above it? dunno, I play in VR which makes docking dead easy.
 

The Lawful

The Lawful
FWIW, I really feared leaving the station when I got my first Conda (a long time ago), for the most dangerous part was getting stuck in the slot upon launch, and loitering was a crime punishable by death. Then it turned out I had taken over the habit of raising my landing gear (because of better speed control) only when I had left the station, from flying smaller ships. For the Conda, this doesn't work in the majority of cases, though, and most certainly this is the very thing that gets stuck. And if you do, you can't even boost while the counter goes down. After I changed my procedures, everything suddenly went slick as grass thru the goose. Got 3 Condas now and no fears or getting stuck anymore. Don't forget to aim at the upper part of the slot, as the Conda's cockpit is on top of the ship.

Same is basically true for the Beluga and the Corvette, the latter being more forgiving, though. Only wished the game wouldn't always send in all those Belugas or Cutters just when I'm about to leave...

HTH,
[noob]
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom