UX: SCO should allow X to stop the overcharge

[MercyOfTheStars]

Currently the X key serves as the default key bind to stop conventional drive, stop frame shift drive to its minimum speed, acting as the handbrake for the SCV.

Please note that this is the opposite of what we do in normal space. If you press tab and tab again in normal space, you get double boost. To stop a boost in normal space, player press the X key.

For consistency, the same should really be the case for SCO overcharge. It's really counterintuitive to me to use the Tab (boost) key to stop the drive rather than making it run faster.

 

[varonica]

Yeah I agree it's inconsistent with the way boost works, but it is consistent with the way a lot of other features work, for instance to enter and exit FSS I press the same key. I suspect it seems natural to most people to keep their finger on the "boost" button to enter and exit SCO because the don't have to move their grip to exit SCO. For instance I have my SCO and boost button mapped to a joystick button, I just keep my finger over the button and press to exit. It's fast and not unintuitive, to move my attention to X after engaging SCO means taking my eyes off the screen to make sure my finger is on the right key, it certainly wouldn't be the first time I have missed the X key when hastily pressing, so using the same key seems obvious.

Of course then we have the problem of if we press X does it turn SCO off and set SC to zero speed? In other words you are trying to set two different functions to the same key press, I mean it's quite possible to set SC at zero and still have SCO running at the moment, what if I want to do that? Do I no longer have that option? I don't think assigning two different functions to that key will actually work anyway.

 

[metatheurgist]

There seems to be some features here that I'm not aware of. I didn't know it was possible to double boost. Pretty sure every time I've tried I get the one boost and I have to wait for a cooldown. Also was not aware zeroing thrust also stopped boost, always seems to run for a fixed interval for me. Not sure why all those PvP guys are talking about controlling boost with landing gear or scoop deployment then. Going to have some new things to try next time I login for sure.

Regular boost dies not require throttle, so it's consistent that SC boost doesn't require throttle either. To be really consistent SC boost should also last an interval, can't see that being popular though.

 

[MercyOfTheStars]

Of course then we have the problem of if we press X does it turn SCO off and set SC to zero speed? In other words you are trying to set two different functions to the same key press, I mean it's quite possible to set SC at zero and still have SCO running at the moment, what if I want to do that? Do I no longer have that option? I don't think assigning two different functions to that key will actually work anyway.

I think you are right that pressing X here should have a different meaning than pressing TAB today for cancelling SCO. By pressing X I would want to turn off SCO and drop SC throttle to 0% at the same time, sort of acting as a handbrake. It would be better than having SCO on while SC is set to 0, because that does not seem to do anything in-game unless you then press TAB to exit the SCO?

 

[aRJay]

I would like to point out that talking about what your bound keys/buttons is almost meaningless to anyone else unless they have copied your bindings, it would be much more helpful if you talked about Jump to Hyperspace or Jump to Supercruise than J and H to use examples from my bindings. TAB doesn't cancel SCO it swaps Combat/Analysis modes.

I assume a lot of this is about keyboard throttle settings of which I have three direct and an increment of which only 50% and 75% are used enough to know where they are.

 

[varonica]

I would like to point out that talking about what your bound keys/buttons is almost meaningless to anyone else unless they have copied your bindings, it would be much more helpful if you talked about Jump to Hyperspace or Jump to Supercruise than J and H to use examples from my bindings. TAB doesn't cancel SCO it swaps Combat/Analysis modes.

I assume a lot of this is about keyboard throttle settings of which I have three direct and an increment of which only 50% and 75% are used enough to know where they are.

Yeah that's true, my boost/SCO is set to tab and swap modes is bound to numpad* on the keyboard, but I use boost/SCO from the right thumb key on my joystick, so it's a single press to activate SCO and then the same to exit, so it only makes sense to people with the same settings. The OP wants to bind SCO exit to the same key used for setting SC to 0% thrust, which makes no sense at all, since if I am traveling to a distant object I always want SC at 100% so I can use the coasting effect of SCO to chew up the LS between SCO boosts. Now as to that, having SCO exit bound to another key is a problem when you hit it by mistake, more than twice I have accidentally pressed it, and when you are directly facing a planet a couple of MM away having to move my hands to press the SCO exit key, well by the time I do that I have already faceplanted, but having it under my thumb means I can press it instantly and avoid that faceplant.

I have never needed to have SC at 0% thrust when exiting SCO simply because I am so good at....yes now I am boasting, that should only be needed when you overshoot and have to circle round so I am guessing the OP does a lot of that.

 

[MercyOfTheStars]

The case is indeed for overshoot. In my case I intentionally do so in my Robigo passenger loop. It is only 1500Ls to travel to Sirius Atmopsherics but to optimize the time of credit/hour, I use the SCO to shorten the biggest time sink for my loop which is to travel from the primary star to the Sirius Atmospheric and the Robigo mine.

If I conciously is fully focused on the loop and just playing the game, I wouldn't mistake a tab with X. The timing is extremely short and sometimes I don't pay attention as I am in middle of grinding the loop while doing other things in my iPad at the same time.

While pressing the tab key again stopping the SCO makes sense, I'm not arguing on that particular note. But having the "full stop" key not stopping the SCO, and rather do nothing at all, does not make sense in any sense at all, as the X key does work as the stop key for default bind in every other vehicle modes for all vehicles.

 

[varonica]

as the X key does work as the stop key for default bind in every other vehicle modes for all vehicles.

By default it acts as the handbrake in the SRV, not the zero throttle, if you apply the handbrake then release it you will still be at full throttle.

 

[DjVortex]

Currently the X key serves as the default key bind to stop conventional drive, stop frame shift drive to its minimum speed, acting as the handbrake for the SCV.

I don't think that's the intent and purpose of that keybind. It merely sets the throttle to zero. It simply does immediately what the "decrease throttle" button does eventually, as the throttle reaches zero.

Whatever the effects of suddenly setting the throttle to zero may have, I don't see that keybind as being that thing directly. The effects of zeroing the throttle are just incidental.

Thus, that key not affecting SCO makes sense, because throttle controls don't work in SCO mode anyway (AFAIK). No matter which throttle control keys you use, they don't affect SCO, and "set throttle to 0%" (or 75%, or 100%) is among those. Why would "set throttle to 0%" be special among all other throttle controls?

 

[BetaToaster]

Setting throttle to 0 while remaining in SCO is useful for switching into low gear. (In case you didn't know, SCO behaves differently depending on whether your throttle is greater or less than 50%.)

I'd much rather have an option to SCO only while the boost key is held down, instead of it being a toggle.
And since we're talking about better UI: There should be a display for the SCO cooldown.

 

[DjVortex]

And since we're talking about better UI: There should be a display for the SCO cooldown.

Also, it appears that the mass lock by a stellar body extends farther for SCO than it does for regular supercruise (which becomes evident when leaving a landable planet), yet this isn't visually indicated either.

 

[aRJay]

Setting throttle to 0 while remaining in SCO is useful for switching into low gear. (In case you didn't know, SCO behaves differently depending on whether your throttle is greater or less than 50%.)

I'd much rather have an option to SCO only while the boost key is held down, instead of it being a toggle.
And since we're talking about better UI: There should be a display for the SCO cooldown.

I didn’t please tell us more.

 

[BetaToaster]

[accidental double-post, please delete]

 

[BetaToaster]

You can toggle between 0% and 100% (or 49% and 51%) throttle and see how the throttle indicator to the right of the radar switches between the lower part filled or the upper part filled.
Sadly, there's no other information about this in game, so everything else we know is player-done science:

Measured SCO Fuel/Hour and Speed Rates

They gave us free slots for those in small ships so no loss of jump range, if they combine them all into a single one I would expect them to take away the free slots they gave us to put them in, and you would end up with less available slots to individualise your ship, not more, and lesser jump...

forums.frontier.co.uk

 

[aRJay]

I would like to point out that talking about what your bound keys/buttons is almost meaningless to anyone else unless they have copied your bindings, it would be much more helpful if you talked about Jump to Hyperspace or Jump to Supercruise than J and H to use examples from my bindings. TAB doesn't cancel SCO it swaps Combat/Analysis modes.

I assume a lot of this is about keyboard throttle settings of which I have three direct and an increment of which only 50% and 75% are used enough to know where they are.

To clarify the third binding is not 0% I use a throttle so don’t need that.

 

[varonica]

To clarify the third binding is not 0% I use a throttle so don’t need that.

I have 25%, 50% and 75% set and use them all the time. Why 25% used a lot? Well it's the setting I use when cruising across planetary surfaces with landing gear down looking for bio, it sets the perfect speed for this activity, just one button press and of I go.

 

[DjVortex]

I'd much rather have an option to SCO only while the boost key is held down, instead of it being a toggle.

Problem is that with a game controller the boost button (by default) is the B button, but like all face buttons it also acts as a combo button with other buttons to get more actions. To get just the functionality of the B button alone (boost in this case) you need to press and release it immediately, else it will just go to the combo mode.

I'm sure many people using HOTAS have a similar setup.

Although I suppose if it's just an option (ie. you can choose whether it's a toggle or a button to be held) that would be alright.

EDIT: I actually just now noticed that the SRV boost button does have a "toggle/hold" option, so there is actually precedent for this kind of thing.

 

[MercyOfTheStars]

Problem is that with a game controller the boost button (by default) is the B button, but like all face buttons it also acts as a combo button with other buttons to get more actions. To get just the functionality of the B button alone (boost in this case) you need to press and release it immediately, else it will just go to the combo mode.

I'm sure many people using HOTAS have a similar setup.

Although I suppose if it's just an option (ie. you can choose whether it's a toggle or a button to be held) that would be alright.

EDIT: I actually just now noticed that the SRV boost button does have a "toggle/hold" option, so there is actually precedent for this kind of thing.

Hold tab key alternate mode for SCO, would be a nice option as well, yes