Materials collection on planets for engineering....

[n13L5]

Disclaimers: Yeah, I've taken a break since 1.4 and missed all the "fun"... And I did read that FD has plans to make engineering "more accessible".

So, after way too many google searches, YouTube guides, Reddit guides, planet databases etc, here's what I got out of it so far:
(maybe its helpful to some, maybe funny to others, and just maybe, someone has advice)

- UI inconsistency: "T" to target forward has been changed to MB2 in the SRV... seriously, FD..?
- I had the resources from 5 separate nodes despawn, before I figured out they had to be targeted in order to pick them up.
- Oh yeah, and you have to drive backwards to target the next one and forwards again to pick it up.
- And the amount of time/distance you have to drive to find these is insane!
- Correct me if I'm wrong, but rough terrain is your enemy, as you simply can't drive fast enough to get to the next node before you grow a long beard.
- it seems to be easiest to drive at a 15 degree angle towards the sun, so you don't end up driving circles.
(Yeah, I'm aware of the scanner and its different noises and bars showing. Every time I tried to follow one of the long bars, it eventually just went away, without me ever seeing any node to match)
- "point of interest" areas seem to have no more nodes than any place else.
- after driving far enough on smooth terrain to find a grand total of 7 nodes, I got a warning that the hull of my SRV was at 25% The hell? One hour of full-speed driving, without loosing control or tumbling down any inclines, and my SRV is nearly finished? (driving with 3 pips into SYS...?)
- ok good thing I came with the Cutter, I have more SRVs. Recalling your ship is good, the autopilot lands that thing in spots the finicky thing would NEVER let you land in person.
- And what is with the "drive assist"...? It seems to make driving an SRV much worse than without. I almost never spin out without the assist, with it, I'm spinning out all the time, not to mention that it keeps wanting to go, even if I get off the power....


So the total number of hours expended to grab these 7 nodes? Don't ask...

Now I know why YouTubers cut the video between harvesting nodes. The driving time in between is like going from Texas to Colorado

 

[Spacecat]

yeah, drive assist is trash, using "spacemarks" helps from driving in circles, and flat ground is best. I also find higher gravity worlds actually easier to drive on (less flipping and spinning). I hate the scanner with every fiber of my being.

 

[Reckless Troll]

Disclaimers: Yeah, I've taken a break since 1.4 and missed all the "fun"... And I did read that FD has plans to make engineering "more accessible".

So, after way too many google searches, YouTube guides, Reddit guides, planet databases etc, here's what I got out of it so far:
(maybe its helpful to some, maybe funny to others, and just maybe, someone has advice)

- UI inconsistency: "T" to target forward has been changed to MB2 in the SRV... seriously, FD..?
- I had the resources from 5 separate nodes despawn, before I figured out they had to be targeted in order to pick them up.
- Oh yeah, and you have to drive backwards to target the next one and forwards again to pick it up.
- And the amount of time/distance you have to drive to find these is insane!
- Correct me if I'm wrong, but rough terrain is your enemy, as you simply can't drive fast enough to get to the next node before you grow a long beard.
- it seems to be easiest to drive at a 15 degree angle towards the sun, so you don't end up driving circles.
(Yeah, I'm aware of the scanner and its different noises and bars showing. Every time I tried to follow one of the long bars, it eventually just went away, without me ever seeing any node to match)
- "point of interest" areas seem to have no more nodes than any place else.
- after driving far enough on smooth terrain to find a grand total of 7 nodes, I got a warning that the hull of my SRV was at 25% The hell? One hour of full-speed driving, without loosing control or tumbling down any inclines, and my SRV is nearly finished? (driving with 3 pips into SYS...?)
- ok good thing I came with the Cutter, I have more SRVs. Recalling your ship is good, the autopilot lands that thing in spots the finicky thing would NEVER let you land in person.
- And what is with the "drive assist"...? It seems to make driving an SRV much worse than without. I almost never spin out without the assist, with it, I'm spinning out all the time, not to mention that it keeps wanting to go, even if I get off the power....


So the total number of hours expended to grab these 7 nodes? Don't ask...

Now I know why YouTubers cut the video between harvesting nodes. The driving time in between is like going from Texas to Colorado

Don't worry, you're a noob. You will get the hang of it. I just went on a planet for about an hour and ran into upwards of 30 nodes, they're no more than a couple minutes apart, and can and do frequently spawn 2-4 node in one relatively small area. Also, check your planet. High/rich metal content planets are your friend, typically avoid rocky and icy.
Here's a really good guide on how to properly use the scanner... 7 minute video could save you hours on planets. He has other really good guides too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewP5b76BqLc
Point of interests typically have little to do with resource nodes and more to do with things like cargo containers, crashed ships, ships, buildings and 'other debris' that can be scanned, usually for Data, among a few other items.
Learn how to use your SRV, then rough terrain becomes your friend... and quite fun.
Running into things, flipping over blah blah blah... all cause damage to the SRV. Pips in SYS are ONLY useful when you're being shot at, they do not protect from collisions. 4 pips to engines if you're not shooting/being shot at.
Turn off drive assist... it's the absolute worst thing on the ground... can be the absolute best thing in space though if you're not a good pilot lol.

 

[Flin]

Not at all intuitive, but you'll get the hang of it.

Drive Assist on if you want crappy 20th century cruise control ( for speed only), else just keep it off.

Scanner tips: nodes show up at the bottom, POIs show up at the top.

Shut off shields if you aren't expecting SRV combat to save on fuel. Figure out the materials required for SRV repair and refuel. E.g. iron and nickel for repair.

Might be useful on low G planet to learn booster hops. Personally, never got around to learning the technique.

Find (or Google it) fixed sites like barnacles, Dav's Hope, specific crash sites for material harvesting. Interesting persistent POIs on their own, but also a unlimited (with relog or revisit) source of materials.

Lastly, check out the Engineering section of the forum.

 

[Spacecat]

Also, change the throttle from "toggle" to "hold".

 

[Marklar_]

Oh yeah, and you have to drive backwards to target the next one and forwards again to pick it up.

Keep your cargo scoop deployed and use the contacts tab to target drops. That way you can pick them up even if you're sitting right on top of them.

Every time I tried to follow one of the long bars, it eventually just went away, without me ever seeing any node to match

You passed it up, keep an eye on your radar, they will show up as a white square when you get close.

 

[andrak]

You just need to not be a scrub with the SRV and use the contacts panel for mats instead of target ahead, that's all.

 

[Hooplah]

Greetings,

It's the noob thing. That is not a bad word. While I know a lot about this game we are all noobs everytime Frontier has a major update! Nor does many hours of experience help if one still isn't getting the desired results. Thank goodness that we have the Forum, Reddit and YouTube to help out. Still we have to wade through them to find the players who know what they are doing! Too many are so excited about the game they have to post a video that doesn't help a lot.

Full speed driving will easily end up with a 25% hull. Weren't you watching? Bouncing around actually slows one's progress per maintaining a constant speed with a minimum of damage. Drive assist totally works great if one knows how to use it. I suspect that many don't. Knowing which rocks to run over and the ones to avoid is also a must. Most planets easily have the basic materials to repair and refuel while in the SRV. Thrusters and roll/pitch/yaw are lifesavers. Using a Saitek X-56 HOTAS I map the thrusters and R/P/Y, reverse thrust, lights and cargo scoop the same as the ship so no confusion with your hands learning the mechanical memory. Thus when the SRV hits a hill and is launched into space on a low G planet a little thrust before landing and an approach angle keeps it running fast with no damage. Mastering this also makes for dealing with craters which often have more of the goodies we want versus flat terrain. Yes, some DEVS possibly take pleasure in our pain. I wonder if they have a department for that!

Being mostly a Trader I use the Advance Discovery Scanner and the Detailed Surface Scanner combo secondary to get info on the local systems I travel to a lot when I'm not in prospect mode. Meanwhile EDDB is also a must with their Bodies search finding what one needs. Looking for Arsenic for a Frame Shift Drive? EDDB shows 2.9% in Empire space close to me at El Tio 3 E A. It has relatively smooth areas and I can load up with all the Arsenic needed in an hour...and yes, I'm using drive assist. The point is you can find what you need quickly in your location with EDDB. Use the resources available to you as this is not an easy game and too many apply their own restrictive rules as in always playing on Open mode etc too early in the game. But that is their choice. Also with the 3.0 improvements coming in Beyond we won't need as much to get a good roll.

Anyway a few comments from a once noob who spent countless hours trying to figure SRVs out, cussing a lot at times and frustrated a lot before I figured it out. Now whatever planetary item I need is no big deal. You will get there too. Just don't let the evil DEVS win!

Best regards and fly safe