This evening I found myself suffering from a bout of Elite fatigue. After a couple of back-to-back community goals and rep building I just couldn't face my usual cycle of bounty hunting/exploring/trading; I needed something different. After a while noodling around with Flight Assist off it occurred to me how much we rely on our various ship systems: what if one or more of these failed? With a bit of thought I created a couple of scenarios to work through and the results were possibly some the most fun and challenging hours of game-play I've had in a long time.
If you find yourself at a loose end I can highly recommend it. Expect some fails, don't gamble more than you're prepared to lose and and remember to have enough to cover your insurance. Here's a couple to get you started:
Canopy blow out. An easy one to start. Many of us have experience this 'for real' but there's no harm in doing a couple of practice runs. Life support off, Post-it note centre screen to obscure your HUD and get home before your air runs out.
Ambush! Shields off-line, FSD offline, thrusters damaged. Pick an opponent and fight. Set yourself an arbitrary top speed, you cannot boost or jump away. Flight Assist off and take one or more weapons offline for extra giggles.
Frameshift Calamity. A systems failure forces you out of super-cruise 50-100km from the station. Point at the station, set a speed then Flight Assist off. Introduce a gentle spin then set all systems offline: shields, thrusters, life support, the works. You have enough fuel to power the sensors and thrusters for 30 seconds once you reach the station. Play with the numbers: what's the longest drift you can manage without running out of air? what's the shortest burn you can manage on the thrusters? How might another pilot be able to help?
This is one of my favourites, there's something quite serene about tumbling through space with a frozen canopy and the only sound is your own breathing - serenity that gives way to panic as you realise you need to power up thrusters, slow down and somehow get through the docking slot - no shields, no FA. Enjoy it while it lasts!
Feel free to give it a whirl and share your experiences.
If you find yourself at a loose end I can highly recommend it. Expect some fails, don't gamble more than you're prepared to lose and and remember to have enough to cover your insurance. Here's a couple to get you started:
Canopy blow out. An easy one to start. Many of us have experience this 'for real' but there's no harm in doing a couple of practice runs. Life support off, Post-it note centre screen to obscure your HUD and get home before your air runs out.
Ambush! Shields off-line, FSD offline, thrusters damaged. Pick an opponent and fight. Set yourself an arbitrary top speed, you cannot boost or jump away. Flight Assist off and take one or more weapons offline for extra giggles.
Frameshift Calamity. A systems failure forces you out of super-cruise 50-100km from the station. Point at the station, set a speed then Flight Assist off. Introduce a gentle spin then set all systems offline: shields, thrusters, life support, the works. You have enough fuel to power the sensors and thrusters for 30 seconds once you reach the station. Play with the numbers: what's the longest drift you can manage without running out of air? what's the shortest burn you can manage on the thrusters? How might another pilot be able to help?
This is one of my favourites, there's something quite serene about tumbling through space with a frozen canopy and the only sound is your own breathing - serenity that gives way to panic as you realise you need to power up thrusters, slow down and somehow get through the docking slot - no shields, no FA. Enjoy it while it lasts!
Feel free to give it a whirl and share your experiences.