Yup, unfortunately. A lot more than "a few" seconds for some. It's probably due to a combination of finding & joining a networking instance (even if playing in Solo) and/or generated the planetary detail. I would guess it's more the latter, since you don't get the same kind of delay at other times when switching instances.
Glad you said this, I just timed mine to about ten seconds! For some odd reason it did not appear that long earlier. Could be due to a tired brain
I know this is an intended way the game works, but when you are over the planet surface, you get the pause to go gliding, then again to drop out of glide.
I was told it is for the game to generate the planet.
What the? The planet has already been generated!
Go figure ..........
I was told it is for the game to generate the planet.
What the? The planet has already been generated!
Go figure ..........
It will be for two reasons - load surface detail, and maybe a switch to a different physics model. The planet surface may be present, but there are tiny differences in surface detail.
Yeah, I think the physics (ie. gravity) probably has something to do with it and I'd say they do it then so there's no long pause when you drop out of glide (just a guess).
Yes I believe the game switches between a "supercruise" instance, and the sublight instance, which is sometimes at planetary/moon bodies/surfaces. That's why your contacts are all different afterwards, and you loose all USS's except the one targeted - but only if you have dropped out with it in front and with the "safe" indicator. I've noticed that sometimes many bodies in the distance also disappear when dropping from SC. For instance, if you are nearby a planet, but not within the planetary cruise distance, it disappears and you appear to instead be just in deep space.
It's another loading screen cleverly disguised as a pretty animation. For me, it is the longest transition in the game. The first time I dropped, the ship didn't freeze, it kept going right down into the planet (they're hollow) but yes, the freezing is normal. It is simply more fun to look at the animation than it is to watch a black screen showing a little "progress: 32%" bar.
