I thought I'd clear the save on my alt account, just for fun and to see what the new pilot experience is like now that the Pilots' Federation has taken an interest in nurturing new commanders.
Brave Commander Granton (since deceased, but that's another story) received his loaner Sidewinder without incident in the starting system and prepared with eager enthusiasm for his first flight. A thousand credits in the bank wasn't a lot, but he would soon change that.
Then he noticed an offer that seemed too good to true: 10000 credits just for flying to another starport? No cargo, no courier job? What could go wrong?
He lifted gently off the pad and gracefully exited the station, only to realize he'd lost all keyboard control... Suspiciously just after another message from the Pilot's Federation hit his in-box.
Panicked rifling through the on-board repair manual revealed that reading messages while in flight can sometimes cause the ship to lose control. "Very funny guys..." he thought. Fortunately, he'd configured enough redundancy into the control layout...
The trip was uneventful, and he was given landing clearance at his final destination... only to find his landing pad blocked by another Sidewinder. He double checked the pad clearance incredulously. Likely some other hapless recruit who had recently escaped death on their first flight--or another joke at his expense.
Commander Granton's thumb hovered over the control to deploy hardpoints. Just a little nudge to suggest they move.... 10000 credits for nothing--Ha!
To be clear, I enjoyed the added realism, but I think I would have been confused by the occupied landing pad as a new player. I wish now I'd kept the docking computer installed. What does it do with the occupied pad bug?
Brave Commander Granton (since deceased, but that's another story) received his loaner Sidewinder without incident in the starting system and prepared with eager enthusiasm for his first flight. A thousand credits in the bank wasn't a lot, but he would soon change that.
Then he noticed an offer that seemed too good to true: 10000 credits just for flying to another starport? No cargo, no courier job? What could go wrong?
He lifted gently off the pad and gracefully exited the station, only to realize he'd lost all keyboard control... Suspiciously just after another message from the Pilot's Federation hit his in-box.
Panicked rifling through the on-board repair manual revealed that reading messages while in flight can sometimes cause the ship to lose control. "Very funny guys..." he thought. Fortunately, he'd configured enough redundancy into the control layout...
The trip was uneventful, and he was given landing clearance at his final destination... only to find his landing pad blocked by another Sidewinder. He double checked the pad clearance incredulously. Likely some other hapless recruit who had recently escaped death on their first flight--or another joke at his expense.
Commander Granton's thumb hovered over the control to deploy hardpoints. Just a little nudge to suggest they move.... 10000 credits for nothing--Ha!
To be clear, I enjoyed the added realism, but I think I would have been confused by the occupied landing pad as a new player. I wish now I'd kept the docking computer installed. What does it do with the occupied pad bug?
