When booting the SRV around on a hilly planet and inevitably getting stuck or flipping over and doing a dead spider impression, it would be handy if the SRV had some kind of self-righting mechanism. Vertical thrusting doesn't always work, and using the old log-out-of-Horizons thing to fix it is a bit immersion breaking. The contraptions built on Robot Wars have them, so why not the SRV?
Self-righter for SRV
- Thread starter Solsticide
- Start date
This doesn't happen anywhere near often enough to make it worthwhile. Boosting and turning allows you to self right 99% of the time. Only obstructions would prevent this from working, and those same obstructions would likely prevent any other self-righting mechanism from working too.
This is a skill based activity. You just need to practice more in the SRV rather than logging out and back in again.
I'm sure there's an SRV training scenario in-game...
SRV driving is tricky. I'm generally good at it and only rarely go spinning, but I can see how people WILL have trouble with it. And as a game, the features should be accessible and not painful for all players, not just those who are good at getting the knack of things.
If some people are just not "good at getting the knack of things", then that's a shame and I feel bad for them. Most people get better at things the more they practice.
In this case, it sounds like a solution already exists for those people who are not good at getting the knack of righting the SRV: log out and log back in again.
Basically, it sounds like this problem is already solved.
Every instance where a bad system is "solved" by a relog is just proof that the system is bad. NO game should require the player to completely un-immerse themselves, just to fix something.
- Mission board switching is bad.
- Refreshing static POIs on planets is bad.
- Refreshing static POIs in space is bad.
- Fleeing NPCs by exiting to menu is bad.
- And yes, having to relog to get an SRV on its wheels is bad.
I'm not saying that the entire universe should be static, but it should remember instances for a LITTLE while.
I think you are discussing points that are unrelated to the OP.
The OP was asking for a self-righting mechanism because he was unable to right himself in the SRV.
Was he (1) unable to right his SRV because a bug caused it to become stuck in the scenery? If so, it should be reported as a bug.
Or, (2) unable to right himself because there was no combination of controls that would allow him to do so? Well, maybe. But i’ve played hundreds of hours in the SRV and i’ve never encountered a scenario where I was unable to right myself, so how common is this issue really?
Or, (3) unable to right himself because he hasn’t yet mastered the SRV controls that would do this?
If it’s (3), then yea - git gud, lolol.
If it’s (2), then I would expect to hear many more complaints on this issue for it to be common enough to warrant implementing a solution for.
I think a video of the issue would be helpful here...
Don't be a jerk. Some people don't have the motor control to just make things happen on the computer.
And I literally discussed the relog he stated in the OP, and broadened the scope a little.
And yet you can still get stuck flipped over without any means to self-fix this.... and your only answer is to git gud! seriolusly? I do hope you NEVER make a complaint about anything in this game, as the the obvious answerer would be git gud and this would not have happen, did you do the training missions?
That's true - but we're not talking about the skill needed to FA-off drift around a planetary ring without hitting anything (I can't do that either)
In terms of righting the SRV there are just three controls - thruster, roll axis, pitch axis. And generally hitting the thruster and using one of the axes for a bit is sufficient to right the SRV 99% of the time since it *already does* try to self-right when it lands. Quite a lot of the time hitting the thruster alone, ignoring the spin axes, and just bouncing up and down until it fixes itself is sufficient, though it may scrape the hull a bit more in the process.
This isn't a "git gud" situation, this is a "bind controls and use them" situation.
The only times I've had any difficulty with righting the SRV have been
- one time I got stuck on a bit of a planetary base (game crashed, when I reloaded it positioned me inside the structure, clear bug)
- a couple of times when I got stuck tipped over on my own ship's landing gear, and so was too close to use the thrusters. Obviously dismissing the ship fixed the problem.
- once I saw someone else get stuck on someone else's landing gear. Fortunately in that situation there are by definition other people around who can ram you until you're clear.
- once when I was in extremely rough mountains full of 60-degree slopes. In that situation, it's not so much "self-righting" which was needed as using the thruster to bounce from wall to wall until I landed somewhere more manageable. And it took a fair amount of effort to get into that mess in the first place...
All of those were escapable anyway ... in the case of being stuck inside the structure, by self-destructing the SRV (no need to relog, they're cheap to replace)
I recommend just being more selective of the planets you visit.
0.5g (rocky) feels like the optimum driving conditions for prolonged SRV activity, enough gravity to keep traction and speed up material collection, but low enough that you can still get some air time when needed.
If it’s a mission (planetary scan for example) you aren’t usually in the SRV long enough for things to be a problem.
0.5g (rocky) feels like the optimum driving conditions for prolonged SRV activity, enough gravity to keep traction and speed up material collection, but low enough that you can still get some air time when needed.
If it’s a mission (planetary scan for example) you aren’t usually in the SRV long enough for things to be a problem.
Wow, ok I guess I need to clarify why I raised this. I personally don’t have any problems self-righting in the SRV. I posted this because I’ve seen other ED communities where this does get raised every now and again, and the standard response to getting stuck is to re-log without Horizons or self-destruct the SRV (fine when near a station, not so much for someone 20k LY out), so I thought I’d throw this idea out there to see if anyone would find such a feature useful. Sorry if you thought it was just a case of "I can't do this, so make the game easier!" I probably could have worded it better.
I was in the SRV waiting for it to slowly roll over when I thought of this, and figured it might ease any potential frustration for newer players or act as a time saver for experienced ones. Even if it was just a boost flip assigned to a keybind.
I was in the SRV waiting for it to slowly roll over when I thought of this, and figured it might ease any potential frustration for newer players or act as a time saver for experienced ones. Even if it was just a boost flip assigned to a keybind.
Jeez, dude - calm down. I was just asking for some clarification of the OP's issue and offering an opinion based on what I understand.
Also, can you explain what you mean by "Some people don't have the motor control"? Are you talking about people with disabilities? There was nothing in the OP's post to indicate he suffered from a lack of motor skill.
In any case, how do people who lack motor control manage in other games? Like 'Doom' for example? How do they "make things happen" on their computer?
Also, Elite Dangerous provides several options to reconfigure the SRV's driving control system to better suit the player's needs and preferences.
Can you?
Like I said, I've not seen evidence of this. If it happens so often, it should be easy to provide evidence for it. Like I asked in my post, can you (or somebody) post a video of the issue? It would really help explain what problem we're trying to solve here.
No. Go back and re-read my post and you'll see that was not my only answer.
Thank you for providing clarification OP. I can see where you're coming from now.
I will admit that I don't watch the ED livestreams, but I do regularly read the forums and have not seen anyone raise this as an issue until now. That's not say it doesn't happen, but I would be interested to see an example of the issue, and to know how often people encounter this issue.
Based on what I know so far, in my opinion (and before people reach for their pitchforks, I want to stress that this is just my personal opinion), I don't see it as a serious enough issue to warrant developing a workaround for. If practice and skill can eliminate this from happening, then I would still prefer people to practice and improve their skills.
I am happy to be proven wrong though, so can someone provide an example of the issue?
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As soon as you tell someone to "git gud" (and you said precisely that), you are a jerk. Not the kind of infraction that deserves the death penalty, but people can reasonably look at you and thing "that guy is kind of a jerk." Yes, it can be funny. But you're still a bit of a jerk for saying it.
Some people just can't do things. I don't have the raw reflexes that I did a decade ago, but I'm in fine shape myself. My father games, but does not have the hand-eye-mind coordination to make things work fast enough in a multiplayer environment.
For such people, difficulty settings exist. And SRV driving on a flat plane is quite straightforward, barring the occasional collision with a rock and the constant spinouts at any speed, especially in low gravity.
And making th SRV behave intelligently (or at least mostly controllably) in low gravity in ridiculous terrain makes the feature less punishing for people who run into it sometimes.
Why? Because the wallet of someone who is bad at SRV driving contains potential cosmetic purchase money, just like anyone else. And making the SRV handle well doesn't hurt anyone. And the payoff in players who enjoy a fun feature is hard to quantify, but I would suspect it might pay off.
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Just to be clear here - the only time I used that phrase was when I was quoting your own words back to you!
Your thoroughly dishonest use of the quote function in post #3 not only broke rule #2 of the forums ("No Flaming, trolling, harassment, and/or badgering."), but also rule #4 ("Impersonation of other members, moderators, or employees of Frontier is not permitted.").
I haven't reported you to the mods yet because I feel everyone will benefit from seeing your actions in the open. I will, however, report you if you continue to vilify me for something I haven't even done.
So it sounds like there is already a solution to the problem - for people with motor control and reflex problems, drive on a flat plane instead of hilly terrain since it makes driving the SRV "quite straightforward".
There's nothing in a hilly terrain that you can't get on open (or shallow) planes anyway, so if some people find driving on hilly terrain too challenging, why not just avoid those areas?
FWIW I didn’t see anything wrong with nanites original post (#2), it’s just honest, not contemptuous...
Also, sometimes ‘git gud’ really does apply, learning when to blue zone properly during combat for example.
In the case of righting an SRV though it’s less about ‘git gud’ and more about ‘git patient’. Bit of practice and you’re all sorted, it’s a minor frustration, one that (over time) you’ll stop letting happen in the first place...
Also, sometimes ‘git gud’ really does apply, learning when to blue zone properly during combat for example.
In the case of righting an SRV though it’s less about ‘git gud’ and more about ‘git patient’. Bit of practice and you’re all sorted, it’s a minor frustration, one that (over time) you’ll stop letting happen in the first place...
Sad how quick this suggestion devolved into an argument...here's a tip for those who want to imply that someone needs practice without sounding like a jerk: STOP SAYING "GIT GUD." It's not advice; it's a Dark Souls meme, it's a poor excuse for internet slang and it's permanently connotative to trash talk, much like the swastika is forever a symbol of tyranny, despite it's innocuous origins. Using it instantly gets you labeled. Just stop using the phrase. "Practice makes perfect" or "we all stumble sometimes" or perhaps "keep working at it until it gets easy" are all far more intelligent and diplomatic ways of expressing someone's need for improvement. "Git gud" automatically says "haha you suck and I felt the need to insult you for it." We can ALL do better than that.
Back to the original topic: It's true there are tools to help prevent and correct such inescapable situations in a SRV but it's also true that those situations CAN still happen and being left with naught but a relog and an instance reset to solve it is just very inelegant. It feels metagamey and not only does it completely interrupt your game but it also disrupts your enjoyment of the world, far more than any ingame mechanical solution would. It's basically admitting you have no solution nor workaround and are forced to ask the server to handwave away your mistake. Most of us don't like how that feels.
While I'm not sure how much this particular niche problem needs addressing, I DO hope that SRV's will receive some kind of customization options in the future. Perhaps it needn't be on par with ship module diversity or--god forbid--engineering, but the playerbase would almost universally welcome SOME kind of variety and tuning for our SRV's. Suspension, size, cargo space, durability--there are plenty of physics and mechanics attached to SRV's that could be given tuning levers through modules or alternate vehicles.
Back to the original topic: It's true there are tools to help prevent and correct such inescapable situations in a SRV but it's also true that those situations CAN still happen and being left with naught but a relog and an instance reset to solve it is just very inelegant. It feels metagamey and not only does it completely interrupt your game but it also disrupts your enjoyment of the world, far more than any ingame mechanical solution would. It's basically admitting you have no solution nor workaround and are forced to ask the server to handwave away your mistake. Most of us don't like how that feels.
While I'm not sure how much this particular niche problem needs addressing, I DO hope that SRV's will receive some kind of customization options in the future. Perhaps it needn't be on par with ship module diversity or--god forbid--engineering, but the playerbase would almost universally welcome SOME kind of variety and tuning for our SRV's. Suspension, size, cargo space, durability--there are plenty of physics and mechanics attached to SRV's that could be given tuning levers through modules or alternate vehicles.
Basically we can all imagine a number of automatic tools that would make our lives a bit easier. Proposed tool would come in handy when you're climbing a mountain and your SRV slips into a wild rotation...
I encountered this today, my first day of playing Elite Dangerous, and it was the worst. I don't have any way of flipping my SRV over and now I'm stuck. I'm desperately trying solutions and hoping I can find a hack. This is garbage.
First thing to try is the boost. Irrespective of which way up your SRV is, boost will tend to push you away from the ground. So, put 4 pips in ENG and one long hard boost will often get you high enough off the ground so you can roll back level. There are a couple of exceptions to this. If you're unfortunate enough to end up upside down next to your ship then the boosters will be retracted for stowage and inoperable. In this case dismiss your ship first. The other exception is when the SRV is stuck on some structure (because of its complex shape it can become somewhat entangled). In this instance you may find that various combinations of boost, forward, reverse and wheel waggling might help or you may just have to re-log. I agree the latter is a shame. To the OP's point I could imagine some kind of emergency escape feature which pulls the SRVs legs in under it, curls it into a ball and then boosts itself 200m in the air or somesuch. It would be kinda cool but it sounds like a lot of dev work for a feature that might not get used very often.