Elite / Frontier Intercepting craft

[Ril]

Greetings Commanders.

I have been messing around with FFE again lately and im trying to remember how to intercept craft in deep space.

You should be able to target hyperspace clouds using the 3d system map, and wait for the craft to come out of hyperspace The clouds would show us as unmakred blue dots. This is confirmed both in the manual and on Alioth.net. However in the version i am playing (GLFFE) there doesnt seem to be any blue dots, not even my own hyperspace cloud. Any suggestions?

 

[Steve]

I'm pretty sure that feature has disappeared from the new versions of FFE.

Your best hope is that it gets reintroduced in the next build of FFED3D, but I don't know if it's going to be

 

[Ril]

Thanks for the reply

Ah thought as much as ive tested in JLFFE and FFE3D and no luck, its a pity though.

Now If i only i could get the shift key to work in FFE3D, its a hell of a piece of work but a bit of a moot point if you cant reverse

 

[scowie]

The feature is still present. Make sure you are using the current solar system view (F6) and not the solar system view you select from the far right icon which is for the currently selected solar system on the galactic map.

You may need to zoom out to see the blue dots. They are certainly there:

 

[Ril]

Ah so simple, thanks ill give it a try

 

[Steve]

As you say, you can pick out your own hyperspace cloud from the orbital map screen, but what I think the OP was referring to was being able to spot enemy/target craft.

I tested this by jumping to Riedquat and going to full Stardreamer until I was attacked. When that happened I switched to the orbital map screen and there was no sign of myself or any of the ships that were attacking me

 

[Ril]

i have JLFFE, GLFFE and FFE3D

Ive tested all three versions

in JLFFE and FFE3D, based on the tests you can pick up other crafts hyperspace clouds and autopilot to them. However it appears that you cant autopilot to craft once they have hyperspaced in and the cloud has dissapated

in GLFFE the feature isnt there at all, or im not seeing it, which is a ****** because GLFFE is the only version for me that i dont have the reverse thrust issue.

 

[scowie]

You could try using AutoHotkey to remap keys in FFED3D. I use that myself. Make and run a script that includes the lines:

#IfWinActive ahk_class FFED3D
x::RShift
#IfWinActive

or use some other key in place of x. I cant guarantee this will work for you though, but worth a try.

Btw, Steve, I dont think you get a hyperspace cloud for each attacker, i think most attackers are just pirates hanging around in the system you just jumped to, waiting for your hyperspace cloud to appear. It's probably just the ones with hyperspace cloud analysers that jumped after you.

And if you wait until you are attacked before checking the orbital map, your own cloud and others might have disipated by then.

You obviously dont see other craft on the orbital map, just their clouds. I dont know what happens when a craft emerges from your targetted cloud at large distances, i.e. whether it gets targetted or not. I know you cant autopilot to them but does it at least target them and tell you how far away they are?

I am guessing that the best way to intercept a craft if you cant reach its cloud before it appears would be to target the cloud with your battle target, which would hopefully then target the craft when it appears, then you can target the cloud again with your navigation target and continue flying towards it. Then when you get to it, target the nearest starport (hoping that is where the target craft is going), and hope you pass your victim on the way. Might be a bit of a long shot though!

 

[potsmoke66]

did you know the fact, that when you engage hyperspace next to your targets cloud, you will materialise next to your targets arrival cloud, it's easy then to wait for him.