Newcomer / Intro What are you up to?

[Tyres O'Flaherty]

What's that?

If you decide to make the Ricky Hatton run in under 12 parsecs, don't go large on your ship size. And rumours of the free 'Conda on arrival are false - FD nerfed that aged ago. The mug is now only available for 10 units of grandaderite.

 

[Para Handy]

Para will see you crash directly into a planet just for a laugh.

When I'm looking at the Time to Destination countdown, and it says "One hour fifteen minutes", that is too long to be flying with a valuable cargo down to the planet's surface.

To @Pixie40 - contrary to @KnezBP's little joke - I am serious about not using Supercruise Assist. For one thing it makes your in-system travel take longer (with it using 75%throttle) and the issues you are having approaching planetary bases sound awful.

I just made a short video showing a trip from one system to a surface port in a neighbouring system to illustrate this for you. Not using supercruise assist makes for a quick trip and easy insertion to the planetary port. You can see how easy it was to control speed and attitude for planetary port approach. (Stupidly, I kept just saying "supercruise" when I meant "Supercruise Assist" but I am not going to redo the video.)

Maybe you could try just not engaging supercruise assist for one trip to a planetary destination to see if you get the hang of it better. Certainly it must be spoiling your enjoyment of the game if you find yourself avoiding surface destinations. Good luck whatever you decide.

BTW I don't always get it right, my video on my yootoob channel of the Thargoid crash site shows me making a right pigs-ear of the insertion to the site approach.

The hints given above by @aRJay, @Ashnak and @XloubellXX are spot on and you can see those illustrated in the video.

 

[Pixie40]

To @Pixie40 - contrary to @KnezBP's little joke - I am serious about not using Supercruise Assist. For one thing it makes your in-system travel take longer (with it using 75%throttle) and the issues you are having approaching planetary bases sound awful.

Again, it's not "my issues approaching planetary bases". It's my issues timing when to slow down and when to exit supercruise. I'm slowly getting better about it, in the sense that I now sometimes undershoot my destination by only 150 ks instead of always overshooting by 300 ms to a light year. Planetary base, orbital base, space station, McDonalds Space Restaurant, it doesn't matter. My issue is with timing. It's not with decending to the surface, damaging the ship due to going at too steep of an angle, or anything like that. It's not being incapable of landing either. It's 100% being bad at timing when to slow down and when to turn off supercruise. No amount of videos to prove how easy it is will change that, only experience. When I'm not hauling a valuable cargo I don't use Supercruise Assist in order to get said experience. But when I am hauling 40,000k or more in cargo I use Supercruise Assist because until I get that timing, it is faster for me then manual supercruise is entirely due to not over shooting and undershooting the destination. Yes, I'd seen the "six second rule". Knowing it isn't helping with my timing at all because I haven't internally groked the various componants that make up stopping on a dime yet. And trying to rely on the AI assistant telling me when to slow down and when to exit supercruise doesn't help me any, because I haven't internalized when to start slowing down yet. By the time the "slow down" warning comes up, I'm too close to slow down enough in time. Which means when the "exit supercruise" message comes up, I'm still going too fast so it wont let me drop out normally. And by the time I do an "emergency exit" (which damages your ship) I've overshot my destination by 300 ms to a lightyear. Plus now have to wait for a long FSD cooldown before I can try again.

This isn't a problem videos can help me solve, it's one only experience will help solve.

 

[Tyres O'Flaherty]

I never use SCA for planetary approach. I'll use the 7 second rule to go to 75%, then, when at a couple ls out, I'll drop to 50%. If I have a target - planetary base, geo site, POI etc.- I'll try to angle in at about 45-50 degrees, or just above the red if I'm feeling rumbunctious.

When the altitude indicates "0C" I'll ensure I'm at 0% thrust - but I'll proably be slowing before that.

Coincidentally, I've just got back from a geo site to top up on some stuff and I completely ignored everything I just said. Cost me 10kCR on repairing my integrity. Which was nice.

EDIT

Oh, and another thing I've just experienced is to watch that ADC. When you're not looking it will crash you into a Coriolis pylon during auto launch. Those at George Lucas are lookling down their noses at me. When I get back from Minders base (Didi's place... do you see what I did there?*), I'll make it up to them.

*Tenuous in the extreme.

 

[aRJay]

Again, it's not "my issues approaching planetary bases". It's my issues timing when to slow down and when to exit supercruise. I'm slowly getting better about it, in the sense that I now sometimes undershoot my destination by only 150 ks instead of always overshooting by 300 ms to a light year. Planetary base, orbital base, space station, McDonalds Space Restaurant, it doesn't matter. My issue is with timing. It's not with decending to the surface, damaging the ship due to going at too steep of an angle, or anything like that. It's not being incapable of landing either. It's 100% being bad at timing when to slow down and when to turn off supercruise. No amount of videos to prove how easy it is will change that, only experience. When I'm not hauling a valuable cargo I don't use Supercruise Assist in order to get said experience. But when I am hauling 40,000k or more in cargo I use Supercruise Assist because until I get that timing, it is faster for me then manual supercruise is entirely due to not over shooting and undershooting the destination. Yes, I'd seen the "six second rule". Knowing it isn't helping with my timing at all because I haven't internally groked the various componants that make up stopping on a dime yet. And trying to rely on the AI assistant telling me when to slow down and when to exit supercruise doesn't help me any, because I haven't internalized when to start slowing down yet. By the time the "slow down" warning comes up, I'm too close to slow down enough in time. Which means when the "exit supercruise" message comes up, I'm still going too fast so it wont let me drop out normally. And by the time I do an "emergency exit" (which damages your ship) I've overshot my destination by 300 ms to a lightyear. Plus now have to wait for a long FSD cooldown before I can try again.

This isn't a problem videos can help me solve, it's one only experience will help solve.

To avoid seeing the Slow Down warning messages (they are just telling you that your ship is being slowed by the nearby gravity sources so can be ignored) I fly to approach stations so that they are between me and the planet for those stations in the rings I will position to approach at 90 degrees to the plane of the rings.
To avoid overshooting I set my throttle to 75% using a binding or by bringing the indicator to the middle of the blue zone no later than 10 seconds to target, 30 seconds if I am not in a hurry, this should cause the owner to drop holding me at 6 seconds to target until the drop from cruise message appears. I know some people say go to 75% at 7, 6 or even 5 seconds but I like to have a little leeway in case the instruction doesn’t register.

 

[Para Handy]

........er. My issue is with timing.......... It's 100% being bad at timing when to slow down and when to turn off supercruise. No amount of videos to prove how easy it is will change that, only experience. ........... I haven't internally groked the various componants that make up stopping on a dime yet. ............ because I haven't internalized when to start slowing down yet. By the time the "slow down" warning comes up, I'm too close to slow down enough in time. Which means when the "exit supercruise" message comes up, I'm still going too fast so it wont let me drop out normally. And by the time I do an "emergency exit" (which damages your ship) I've overshot my destination by 300 ms to a lightyear. Plus now have to wait for a long FSD cooldown before I can try again.
.........

So what is it about the advice to reduce throttle to 75% (middle of the blue) before the ttg counter reaches 0:07 that you don't get? I tried to explain about using the 75% (and 50%) in the video - you can clearly see that I engage 75% when the ttg gets under 0:10 and how I vary between 75% and 50% for planetary insertion.

In an earlier post you said "I think I do not like trying to deliver to a planetary base/settlement. Takes too long to reach port once I arrive at the planet." - This is why I made the video for you to try to show you that it is actually not too difficult. The difference for planetary destinations rather than orbital ones is the use of 50% throttle to ensure the speed is low enough on orbital cruise insertion so as not to suffer emergency drop and associated damage and delay. For orbitals - you just whack the throttle on 75% and wait for the safe to disengage message.

I know you are on VR so I don't know if you have a control available to you to bind to the 75% throttle control - if you can do that then basically that removes any need for supercruise assist.

........
This isn't a problem videos can help me solve,........

Maybe they can give you a hint though because they prevent you overshooting if you follow the advice to use 75% throttle.


P.S. Did you even bother to spend 4 min 50 sec to view the video I made for you?

 

[[PS4] Lorenzo Waringos]

P.S. Did you even bother to spend 4 min 50 sec to view the video I made for you?

I did, I found your Northern tones very soothing. I may go check out your other videos.

 

[Tyres O'Flaherty]

Probably not the best place to ask this but...

I've had to order a new keyboard for my PC - the b key and space bar are only working if I hit them really hard (probably some congealed sheekh kebab has fused the blister membrane to the circuit board ) - just a cheap thing, nothing fancy and exactly the same make and model as the one that's going ye-bye.

Will my bindings stay the same or will ED realise a new peripheral is attached and reset them? I'll have a backup of the file anyway but I was curious. Is there anything else I need to be aware of?

@@@07

 

[Para Handy]

Thought I might as well make a video to an orbital destination illustrating the 75% throttle automatic speed control (no Supercruise Assist):

... it might help - I was going there anyway.


P.S. @Tyres O'Flaherty - you should have no issues, as long as it is a UK layout (if you are replacing a UK layout one). Just to be safe, copy your bindings folder to somewhere else then you can recover.

bindings folder is in - %LOCALAPPDATA%\Frontier Developments\Elite Dangerous\Options\

 

[Tyres O'Flaherty]

P.S. @Tyres O'Flaherty - you should have no issues, as long as it is a UK layout (if you are replacing a UK layout one). Just to be safe, copy your bindings folder to somewhere else then you can recover.

bindings folder is in - %LOCALAPPDATA%\Frontier Developments\Elite Dangerous\Options\

Cool bananas. Ta!

I've just splashed some ARX:

 

[Ashnak]

Cool bananas. Ta!

I've just splashed some ARX:

 

[Pixie40]

I know you are on VR so I don't know if you have a control available to you to bind to the 75% throttle control - if you can do that then basically that removes any need for supercruise assist.

I'm using a HOTAS setup, so my throttle control is via a throttle stick rather then a keyboard key. Intuitive, high precision, but not something I can just hit a key to manipulate in specific ways. Yes, I did try it. But the throttle stick's actual position would negate whatever speed setting I keybound when doing a manual supercruise. When using Supercruise Assist I zero my throttle stick in order to avoid flying into the station when I arrive and the Assist cruise control ends.

EDIT, I have actually done a lot of research on the issue. Also paid attention every time I use supercruise assist to learn when it starts slowing down. Intellectually, I know when to start slowing down and when to disable supercruise. But it's not yet been internalized. That takes time and practice. I might 'know' what to do, but until I manage to internalize things it's a crapshoot if I actually pull off the correct timing.

 

[Ashnak]

I'm using a HOTAS setup, so my throttle control is via a throttle stick rather then a keyboard key. Intuitive, high precision, but not something I can just hit a key to manipulate in specific ways. Yes, I did try it. But the throttle stick's actual position would negate whatever speed setting I keybound when doing a manual supercruise. When using Supercruise Assist I zero my throttle stick in order to avoid flying into the station when I arrive and the Assist cruise control ends.

Only when you change the stick's position - usually.
What I use (I have enough buttons and whatnots on my sticks) is use the left stick's twist as analog throttle control, and a thumbwheel on the right stick as digital throttle control. Lat one wins, so no matter where I set the static throttle on my thumbwheel, as soon as I twist the stick, the stick takes over - and vice versa.

Another bit of information: the "75%" everyone is talking about is the center of the blue zone on your throttle indicator (right side of your radar), so also without buttons mapped to specific throttle settings, it's reasonably reliable to hit that mark just from watching in your HUD.

 

[Pixie40]

Might be my specific HOTAS, donno. but from my initial testing the stick's position supersedes any keybinds. If I keybind 75% thrust but my stick is at 30% thrust, the keybind kicks in causing me to accelerate, then my ship starts lowing down to 30% thrust. Despite that, I love the level of control and intuitive feedback it gives me. Even without being able to see the throttle stick due to being in VR, I can tell how much throttle I'm applying just based on the feel. No real resistance, but I can feel how far the throttle stick has traveled, thus precisely control things. Also love the fact that I can find it again with ease if I take my hands off the controls for a moment.

 

[Codger]

Yay, they made carrier fuel 2x more efficient. It reduces the amount of Tritium needed by half. This seems good to me.

I was in a Tri2 spot I discovered yesterday, and it tested out as a bit above what a Tri1 would be expected to have, so that seems to be doing what they said it would. I wasn't sure it would because it's really a 3-way overlap, but one of them is Bromellite. The other 2 are Tritium.

I also found a few cores in there, which contained LTDs, Alexandrite, and Grandiderite. Oddly enough, I didn't find much Bromellite. I think that hotspot was too far away to mess with things. There was LOTs of Tritium, both laser-able and SSD.

Anyway, now that the Tritium issue is resolved and won't be changing much again, I can actually plan my next trip knowing what to expect

I have a few places I want to visit in the black, once I decide to move on from my current location.

It's all good!

And check out the diaphanous rings on this planet. Very wispy and transparent-looking. I thought it was a lovely sight.

 

[Para Handy]

Might be my specific HOTAS, donno. but from my initial testing the stick's position supersedes any keybinds. If I keybind 75% thrust but my stick is at 30% thrust, the keybind kicks in causing me to accelerate, then my ship starts lowing down to 30% thrust. Despite that, I love the level of control and intuitive feedback it gives me. Even without being able to see the throttle stick due to being in VR, I can tell how much throttle I'm applying just based on the feel. No real resistance, but I can feel how far the throttle stick has traveled, thus precisely control things. Also love the fact that I can find it again with ease if I take my hands off the controls for a moment.

Well you needn't use a keybind - you are in VR so you can tell where your throttle is set by the gauge on your HUD - you need not rely on feel.

I use HOTAS and when travelling to a station I zero the throttle and then apply 75% throttle joystick button - when approaching a planet for a base, port, POI or just for mapping, I reduce throttle below the 50% mark when I apply 75%, then as I get close I hit the 50% throttle button, then when I want to stop for mapping or just for control, I move the throttle - overrides the button.

I think if I was just doing it by "feel" then I would have all sorts of issues and I have been doing this for years now.

Still, whatever works for you, there is no right or wrong, people are just trying to tell you what they do to overcome the issues you seem to have.

Good luck.

 

[Pixie40]

I just need time and practice. Till then, I think I'll avoid delivering valuable cargo to planetary outposts because it's too dangerous. Picking a cargo up from one is another matter entirely though

 

[Phongsalt]

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[Chris Simon]

I think if I was just doing it by "feel" then I would have all sorts of issues and I have been doing this for years now.

I have never used the throttle presets with my HOTAS (I do use them when playing KB+M on the laptop). It's really just about a week of building the muscle memory. Now I don't even think about it and can place the throttle to exactly whichever position is needed. I guess both things work, but I don't think I could spare the buttons on my throttle anyway.

 

[TomcatMF]

I use VR with HOTAS and I can manage to exit super cruise at the right time just by reducing the throttle at the 7 second mark until I see the ETA go up a bit and then I slowly increase the throttle until the ETA is back at 7 seconds and hold it steady and wait for the safe to drop out message. The left side panel also indicates when you are at the correct distance and velocity from your destination to drop. When both are blue you drop out.

For planetary approach it's all about the distance from your destination when you enter the glide mode. Make sure that you are within 100km before entering glide. The yellow arc above the surface indicates where you will enter glide. When in the orbital flight mode your ship automatically reduces velocity as your altitude decreases regardless of where you set your throttle. After you pass below the yellow arc your ship will enter glide. Just keep the nose pointed at your destination and you will come out of glide within 5 to 7 km.