I know, I know...
Science doesn't allow for fun.
But imagine how fun it could be?
You select a distant object, a planet, moon, or station, over a certain distance in Ls away, and then ask your ships computer for a "slingshot vector" or some other fancy terminology.
After a brief calculation, your computer generates a dynamic "pipe" on your HUD (a series of rings to fly through basically), leading you to a large enough object to slingshot from, then around said object, then off to your destination.
Once you're in, you basically just need to follow it.
You then throttle up, and begin zooming towards your slingshot object, gravity breaking is generally disabled, or weakened, so you can gain some really high speeds on descent.
You need to balance your throttle with your ability to stay in the pipe.
Once you're at your slingshot object, you need to maintain the highest possible speed, and keep inside the pipe until you've gained enough momentum to slingshot yourself to your destination.
You'll be able to accelerate to above 2001c insanely fast, and reach your destination much faster.
Slowing down is difficult, and your agility after a slingshot is almost zero.
The upside is, other than super fun supercruise, you can't be interdicted unless someone does a better slingshot than you, and catches up.
There's a couple of dangerous downsides however.
1) Leaving the pipe can be dangerous. At lower speeds, you might just crash out of supercruise quite harmlessly, or simply slow down as need to start again. At high speeds, you can be flung off course, or have a massive near catastrophic crash out of supercruise.
2) If using a star to slingshot, your heat will no doubt get quite high. If using a ringed planet, your vector may try to take you through a ring, which of course can be lethal (see below). It's best to check before you begin..!
3) Collisions with objects during a slingshot are near catastrophic. You'll take severe hull damage, which may or may not mean instant death depending on your ships condition. If you do manage to survive, results may vary, but in most cases, you'll be flung out of supercruise, usually towards the planet or object you hit, at some seriously high speeds in normal space. Your thrusters will generate massive heat trying to slow you down, as well as damage themselves, and you'll basically be falling towards the surface. You will need to balance slowing down with not frying your thrusters entirely. If they go offline, you might not have time for a reboot!
For landable planets, you your main concern is hitting the surface, rings is hitting an asteroid on the way through. For everything else, excessive heat is your main concern.
Sound fun?
CMDR Cosmic Spacehead
Science doesn't allow for fun.
But imagine how fun it could be?
You select a distant object, a planet, moon, or station, over a certain distance in Ls away, and then ask your ships computer for a "slingshot vector" or some other fancy terminology.
After a brief calculation, your computer generates a dynamic "pipe" on your HUD (a series of rings to fly through basically), leading you to a large enough object to slingshot from, then around said object, then off to your destination.
Once you're in, you basically just need to follow it.
You then throttle up, and begin zooming towards your slingshot object, gravity breaking is generally disabled, or weakened, so you can gain some really high speeds on descent.
You need to balance your throttle with your ability to stay in the pipe.
Once you're at your slingshot object, you need to maintain the highest possible speed, and keep inside the pipe until you've gained enough momentum to slingshot yourself to your destination.
You'll be able to accelerate to above 2001c insanely fast, and reach your destination much faster.
Slowing down is difficult, and your agility after a slingshot is almost zero.
The upside is, other than super fun supercruise, you can't be interdicted unless someone does a better slingshot than you, and catches up.
There's a couple of dangerous downsides however.
1) Leaving the pipe can be dangerous. At lower speeds, you might just crash out of supercruise quite harmlessly, or simply slow down as need to start again. At high speeds, you can be flung off course, or have a massive near catastrophic crash out of supercruise.
2) If using a star to slingshot, your heat will no doubt get quite high. If using a ringed planet, your vector may try to take you through a ring, which of course can be lethal (see below). It's best to check before you begin..!
3) Collisions with objects during a slingshot are near catastrophic. You'll take severe hull damage, which may or may not mean instant death depending on your ships condition. If you do manage to survive, results may vary, but in most cases, you'll be flung out of supercruise, usually towards the planet or object you hit, at some seriously high speeds in normal space. Your thrusters will generate massive heat trying to slow you down, as well as damage themselves, and you'll basically be falling towards the surface. You will need to balance slowing down with not frying your thrusters entirely. If they go offline, you might not have time for a reboot!
For landable planets, you your main concern is hitting the surface, rings is hitting an asteroid on the way through. For everything else, excessive heat is your main concern.
Sound fun?
CMDR Cosmic Spacehead
