Overly transient 'Search Zones'

[Give_Me_Strength]

Is there any way to identify planetory 'Search Zones' better before committing to a glide, to prevent the f*cker from suddenly deciding to curl up and disappear under your left wing when you can do precious little about it, leaving you potentially hundreds of kms off target?

I've tried full surface scans, different angles of attack... nothing seems to work. That flipping 'Search Zone' just keeps dancing about like a gigolo at a hen party.

 

[Faded Glory]

You are talking about planetary scan missions?

If so, that is intended behavior, meant to make you feel like you're searching for the scan location...

Again, if so, go in slow, the move happens when you get to about 100km, so the aim is not to drop until the marker moves, at which point you can pitch up and getting to the new location in orbital cruise is quick and easy, there's only one big move, the rest are small. I try to keep my nose up with the marker just visible and I am always able to follow the first big move in orbital cruise, very occasionally in glide.

If you're not talking about planetary scan missions, then perhaps elaborate a bit.

 

[Give_Me_Strength]

You are talking about planetary scan missions?

If so, that is intended behavior, meant to make you feel like you're searching for the scan location...

Again, if so, go in slow, the move happens when you get to about 100km, so the aim is not to drop until the marker moves, at which point you can pitch up and getting to the new location in orbital cruise is quick and easy, there's only one big move, the rest are small. I try to keep my nose up with the marker just visible and I am always able to follow the first big move in orbital cruise, very occasionally in glide.

If you're not talking about planetary scan missions, then perhaps elaborate a bit.

It's missions where you've got to liberate bootleg liquor or retrieve an escape pod.
Any other time I'm approaching a planet, whatever I'm approaching generally (and helpfully) stays still.
With these, though, just when you think you've got yourself lined up and starting the descent... it does a quick jig and then 'whoosh' - off it goes.
Anyway, if I understand you correctly - and thanks for the answer btw - it seems you're basically saying, "no, just slow down." Trouble is, my throttles are always at idle as I approach the glide already, so I guess I'll just have to think 's - l - o - w'.

 

[Faded Glory]

I think those missions use the same 'searching' thing, but I haven't done them in ages.

To practice, yes try and approach as slow as you can, even quite a bit before you would drop to glide, and if you keep your nose up you won't be dropping before the move. Keep the search marker just in the bottom of the cockpit view, not in the middle of it. The marker changes, gets sort of straight lines through it just before it moves so you can then be prepared to lift up when it does and follow it at orbital cruise speeds.

When they first introduced this mechanic (the initial long move), it would often move millions of meters, but recently I've only seen a few hundred km.

 

[the100thmonkey]

One thing you can do is to fly several times over the search location just above the drop altitude. After a couple of passes, the (actually yes, I totally agree REALLY ANNOYING) behaviour you describe triggers, and you can use the orbital cruise speed assist thing (aim just above 0° on the HUD) to expedite your trip.

In my experience, the "trololol! it's actually 800km this way! trololol!" behaviour happens only once but yeah, that's one time too many for that crap to happen and I wish the devs would change it.

 

[Give_Me_Strength]

Thanks for both of these - seems I'll be practicing my best 'just above the drop altitude' approaches.

Yes, the first 'hop' is the biggest, but seems always to end up at your 6. Thereafter, smaller hops (on my last mission, about 5) are more manageable, but can still be 10-20 kms.

One would have thought, with all my amazing scanning gadgetry, that I could narrow things down a bit better than I apparently can... but, c'est la ED.