Newcomer / Intro Just some niggling questions/issues .......

[Wombat1940]

1. There appears to be no genuine PAUSE command. If you return to the MAIN MENU by using keystroke P, the game continues in your absence irrespective. I assume that's because the game is server bound not computer bound?
2. In the Landing Scenario, I couldn't see my distance to the Station as I approached it ......
3. The Compass solid circle losses any value as you near the very centre of the landing pad .....
4. As you can move the solid circle in the Compass by nose up/nose down movement. Therefore, when reading the Compass, it is important to have your ship "level" relative to the Station's rotational axis. How do tell if your ship is "level" other than by guessing?
5. Is the "Trespass Warning" and eventual ship's vaporization the norm if you exceed the landing time allowance?

Thanks.

 

[Zieman]

1. Becauese of the game's multiplayer nature, there is no time acceleration and no pause. Either you're logged in or logged out. Pressing P does not log you out, you need to select EXIT from the menu.
2. If you select the station as your target, it should show the distance to the center point (if I recall correctly).
3. Yes. But landing schematic should appear on the scanner, you just need to be near ("low") enough.
4. By your surroundings. Not always very easy.
5. Yes. Unless you manage to get out of the station before the timer expires.

 

[aRJay]

1. Becauese of the game's multiplayer nature, there is no time acceleration and no pause. Either you're logged in or logged out. Pressing P does not log you out, you need to select EXIT from the menu.
2. If you select the station as your target, it should show the distance to the center point (if I recall correctly).
3. Yes. But landing schematic should appear on the scanner, you just need to be near ("low") enough.
4. By your surroundings. Not always very easy.
5. Yes. Unless you manage to get out of the station before the timer expires.

Re 3. Landing gear has to be deployed for this to happen.

If you do just press P and leave your ship in space, or on the surface of a planet, and not docked on a landing pad you can come back to find it has benn destroyed because you ran out of fuel.

 

[Wombat1940]

1. Becauese of the game's multiplayer nature, there is no time acceleration and no pause. Either you're logged in or logged out. Pressing P does not log you out, you need to select EXIT from the menu.
2. If you select the station as your target, it should show the distance to the center point (if I recall correctly).
3. Yes. But landing schematic should appear on the scanner, you just need to be near ("low") enough.
4. By your surroundings. Not always very easy.
5. Yes. Unless you manage to get out of the station before the timer expires.

Re 3. Landing gear has to be deployed for this to happen.

If you do just press P and leave your ship in space, or on the surface of a planet, and not docked on a landing pad you can come back to find it has benn destroyed because you ran out of fuel.

Thanks boys!

Let me go through each one:

1. Pausing? Non. As I expected.
2. Distance to target? Then I need to select the station as the target on the Left-hand Panel? Or is there a quicker way?
3. Compass and Landing Pad? Ok, I'll check the Scanner next time do a landing. Must remember Landing Gear! (I forgot with the Landing Scenario. Stn Master ask me "Have you forgotten something?" Oh ! Thanks mate!! Ha!)
4. Level Flight? Hmmm, pity ...... view from outside the ship would be nice. Why not a Station Master's view or maybe using a turret camera view? Must try it next time.
5. Landing Timer? WOW! OK! Wombat you have been warned !!

Thanks again boys! I will report in on my finding with issues 2 and 4.

 

[metatheurgist]

2. Distance to target? Then I need to select the station as the target on the Left-hand Panel? Or is there a quicker way?

You can just target it in your HUD but that can be finicky.

 

[aRJay]

There should be a key binding for Select Target Ahead or similar wording which will let you target an object within 30 degrees of straight ahead.

As you have to use the Nav panel Contacts tab to request docking anyway targeting the station there at the same time will work.

I prefer to target the station early as it can be useful when approaching a Coriolis station, the faceted ball one, as when the HUD display of the station changes colour arrow heads are placed on the facets showing which way the docking slot is.

 

[Para Handy]

"T" is the default for "Target Ahead" (i.e. what is in the centre of your view).

 

[Wombat1940]

"T" is the default for "Target Ahead" (i.e. what is in the centre of your view).

Yes, I tried that but it doesn't (didn't) seem to work. I didn't pursue it further thinking it was not an option. However, I will now pursue it further, following your advice. Thank You.

 

[Wombat1940]

Some checks and adjustments:

1. <R CTR> set as 75% forward speed hotkey.
2. In regard to maintaining a level status, particularly useful in docking I would think, I'm attempting to view my craft external using the onboard external cameras. A brief look through the manual did little, so I've got lazy by asking here.
What are the default key bindings, or whatever, to access the cameras and similarly the key bindings to manipulate them?
Thanks

 

[aRJay]

The camera suite is quite complex, but is aimed more towards filmmakers and photographers than ship handlers.
Unfortunately I set up my camera controls when the new system was introduced and there were almost no default bindings, I believe this has changed, I get in using Ctrl+L_Alt+Space which might be original.
There are 3 external and 5 or so internal cameras that you can select but none of the external ones are in a good position to fly the ship from. You can unlock a camera and fly it around but I then can’t fly the ship though I do believe it is possible.

Personally as I don’t tend to land vertically from a height at stations or outposts getting the ship level isn’t an issue I just dive towards the pad and when close enough level out by which time there is enough scenery in view to make my orientation straightforward.

 

[MickyG1982]

It's worth noting that you can select the station you want to travel to using the gal/system map prior to making the jump providing you have the required system information too.

That way you do not have to select it when you arrive at the correct system, it will already be your target.

 

[Ashnak]

...
There are 3 external and 5 or so internal cameras that you can select but none of the external ones are in a good position to fly the ship from. You can unlock a camera and fly it around but I then can’t fly the ship though I do believe it is possible.

Surely possible. "All" you need to do is to map the camera movement controls to inputs that have nothing to do with ship movement controls. Some people (like me) therefore use e.g. a Gamepad for the camera control and a HO[S|T]AS for the ship.
I haven't solved the issue, though, that you would also need an additional set of hands to control both independently and simultaneously .

 

[Para Handy]

............

 

[Wombat1940]

I already gave you (on Friday) a printable graphic of all the default KB&M bindings (which obviously includes the camera ones):

Edited:
Yes I acknowledge but trying to use them (eg. Num 0 for Free Cam) I had no success. However, maybe L ALT plus L CTRL plus SPACE might take me to external cam and will be my next try .......

 

[aRJay]

Yes I acknowledge but trying to use them (eg. Num 0 for Free Cam) I had no success. However, maybe ALT L with ALT R plus SPACE might take me to external cam and will be my next try .......

Yes you have to "enable" the external cameras with the left Ctrl Alt Space combo first which will switch your view to the default camera, changing camera or switching to free camera can only be done after that.
The right Ctrl Alt Space combo is what switches you to external cameras in the SRV.

 

[Wombat1940]

Yes you have to "enable" the external cameras with the left Ctrl Alt Space combo first which will switch your view to the default camera, changing camera or switching to free camera can only be done after that.
The right Ctrl Alt Space combo is what switches you to external cameras in the SRV.

Thank you.

 

[Vetinari]

Compass - Only points to things selectable in Nav Panel, so the station should be pre-selected on drop out as you were targeting it in SC to get there in the first place. Only changes when inside the station to point to pad, or on Outposts where it points to the pad directly (I think). Can sometimes lose the target if a ground target when dropping into Cruise / Glide at the planet.

Landing Pad - Easiest way for beginner is to aim for the holographic number above the pad. Drive into it so it just disappears, stop and got straight down with thrust, youll either be bang on or not far off. So far worked on all ships and sizes (ie all size landing pads) when I tested. If you dont have landing gear down you will get a verbal warning, on XB you still get the landing pad graphic when low enough with the circle but you just cant land. (may be different on PC from above comments).

The compass point is in relation to your ship, so yes it will drift up and down if nose points up and down as needs more movement to aim at it.

 

[Wombat1940]

Some checks and adjustments:

1. <R CTR> set as 75% forward speed hotkey.
2. In regard to maintaining a level status, particularly useful in docking I would think, I'm attempting to view my craft external using the onboard external cameras.

....... and I've been successful:
<L CTRL> + <L ALT> + <SPACE> put me into Ext Cam Mode and I followed up with <NUM 7> or <NUM 8> to view my craft from the front or the rear respectively. Both views allowed assessment of level flight.
3. I have successfully use <T> to target an object ahead of me.
4. In Solo Mode I can Auto Launch and Auto Dock. They appear to be the default settings for Solo Mode launching and docking.

 

[Wombat1940]

It's worth noting that you can select the station you want to travel to using the gal/system map prior to making the jump providing you have the required system information too.

That way you do not have to select it when you arrive at the correct system, it will already be your target.

This looks most useful as you could target objects out of visual range.
Alternatively, if you select a similar target (ie. an out of visual range Station) in the Target Panel - Navigation Tab; does this also target the Station when you arrive at the correct System ?
Just wondering .....

 

[Vetinari]

Should keep the same target in SC and when you drop out so yes. If you route in the GalMap you can route to the system or go into System Map if discovered and choose to route straight to a station or planet or any other target visible in SysMap. Compass on entry to the system will point straight to the station. So yes, you can target things you cant see in a lot of ways

Auto Dock - you have an Advanced Docking Computer as standard on all small ships. Standard DC docks only and ADC undocks as well. Its in the right panel under Ship to turn it on and off. For some reason it sometimes turns off or at least doesnt activate on the first launch when swopping ship or maybe when logging in when docked or seemingly at random for some other reason I havent identified. So the switch to Solo must have turned it back on? Even if it doesnt auto-launch and you do absolutely nothing with the on/off, it will still work on next dock and be normal for next launch. Its just a bug but I dont know what causes it.