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[Evochron Alliance] - Mining without permanent controller moving

Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2017 11:46 pm
by OSH
Hi!
I'm playing Evochron Alliance (the first one). I'm trying to mining asteroid but there is one problem. For mining, I have to permanently move my controller. If I stop moving, mining is discontinued. I've tried pemrnantly rotate (my joy has Z-axis), but this didn't help. I want to suffer RSI, so I have one questsion: is possible to mine asteroid without this permanent moving?

Re: [Evochron Alliance] - Mining without permanent controller moving

Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 1:13 am
by Vice
Wow, that's going so far back (2005/6) that I don't remember what may or may not be required to mine that way. I also don't have a Windows XP computer sitting around that I could try to run the game on. I can say that Evochron Alliance 2.X will let you mine without the need to pan the beam around manually. It may have been one of the changes applied in that free update. So if you're after that approach, you can update to the later version of the game. The 2.X version will also work on XP as well as later versions of Windows (just tested it on 10 and it worked).

Re: [Evochron Alliance] - Mining without permanent controller moving

Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 8:01 am
by OSH
Vice, you know me, I'm old-games-freak. ;D 4 years ago we have talked about original Evochron. I completed it so I started playing Alliance. I've bought original German version (1.798G), and this is the reason, why I don't update it to newer version (I want to play it in German). And you said, Alliance 1.0 doesn't work well on systems newer than XP. That's true, but with the help of glide wrapper dgVoodoo I was able to play it on Windows 7 in the resolution 1600x1200 with acceptable speed (but only in 16-bit color depth). With the help of combination rotating, strafing right and slight tilting joystick to left I was able to mining without permanently pan the beam, but I have to close my eyes during this procedure, because this rotating makes me sick. So...

Re: [Evochron Alliance] - Mining without permanent controller moving

Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 7:37 pm
by Vice
Manual mining beam control must have been a requirement in that game then, changed later in the update. Your work-around is probably the only solution for the time being, but 2.0 is available if/when you want to install the update.

Re: [Evochron Alliance] - Mining without permanent controller moving

Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 7:43 pm
by OSH
Of course Vice I will, but first I will play original Alliance. Thanks!

Re: [Evochron Alliance] - Mining without permanent controller moving

Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 9:03 pm
by DaveK
I can remember from Legends that you had to keep moving the beam across the asteroid even though the asteroid was spinning so your beam was moving anyway. I also remember that the rate of mining was linked to the speed of movement.

Scuttlebutt in EMI said that there was the same requirement

The technique I developed was to aim at the centre of the asteroid, rotate the ship and have a small upwards vector and compensate with a degree of banking as well so the beam carved a circle within the asteroid profile. Faster rotation = faster movement = faster mining. A bit of experience and adjustment meant that although I couldn't let go of the joystick, I could hold the stick position stationary, solving the RSI issue :D

Re: [Evochron Alliance] - Mining without permanent controller moving

Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2017 7:31 am
by OSH
Well, what is now interesting: if you have a scout and only one load bay you can mine only one type of raws (for example platinum). But more interesting is, in each system you can mine only one type: in Sapphire platinum, in Sierra A only metal and so on...

Re: [Evochron Alliance] - Mining without permanent controller moving

Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2017 12:51 am
by DaveK
yep ... but you will probably mine from several available materials, so for example you might get metals, dump them and get metals again, but if you persist you can get the material you want and fill the bay.

but ... if you are mining it makes some sense to have several bays and so you can let them 'sort' the material for you and then - working from the top bay - lose the stuff you don't want until all your bays are going to load with the stuff you do want. Then you can just hold the stick in place and sip coffee or read something you're interested about until your bays are full. Go to a station and sell ... rinse and repeat.

But! ... in Legacy, the more you sell the less you get so you'll have to do a few sales trips and change system and do a few sales trips then either go back or onto another system ... rinse and repeat!

Sad if you find mining boring - great if you find it therapeutically relaxing! ;D

:)

Re: [Evochron Alliance] - Mining without permanent controller moving

Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2017 11:42 am
by OSH
Hm. I think, the raw type is set when you enter to system, or when you start mining. For example: sometimes, when I start mining in Sapphire, I get Platinum, sometimes Diamonds, and sometimes Metall. And if you jettison mined material and start once again - you will have the same raw type. Because I have Scout, I have only one load bay. It's rather frustrating, when I have several times to start game, because I want Platinum and nothing else. But of course, I accept this, because this game comes from 2005 and is not so advanced like Evochron Legacy or Mercenary. Well I think, I'm masochist. :D

No Dave, you was right! After I've jettisoned metal two times, I've got Platinum!. Thanks for this note!