Setting Homebase function

[PaulB]

Has anyone tried adding a stations coords to
your onboard maplog? Might do the trick for ya.
Can delete that log entry when you don't need
it anymore.

Sure - a lot - but you got to remember to use that too - LOL

[picommander]

Has anyone tried adding a stations coords to
your onboard maplog? Might do the trick for ya.
Can delete that log entry when you don't need
it anymore.

Have you read the OP? What do you think would I possibly mean with the words "scrolling down my list of jump-points"?

Here's what I'm recently doing all the time: scrolling down my 20+ "jump points" aka maplog entries and choosing number 21. Over and over again. What I was trying to suggest was a player programmable key for one of an arbitrary maplog entry that I could trigger then with e.g. Shift+F2 or Ctrl+F2. No need to open the Nav Map (at least not for docking at this certain station) nor to scroll down a list nor to level my ship or what not. Still the most convenient and straightforward way I can imagine if you want to dock at the same station many times in a row (for various reasons, military contracts came to my mind in the first place). You set your coordinates once and as close as you dare in front of a docking bay, transfer it to a maplog and lastly applying this maplog entry to the quick-dock-key, might be even assignable to a button. Once assigned its just a single click until re-programmed or canceled. Compare this with the 3-steps 'open F1, R-click on station or optional click on a map log entry (then again F1 though that is optional) and lastly F2'. Even that's no big deal of course, when treated isolated. But after 100 times (which means still working at a pretty low Navy rank, imagine this for the higher ranks) the difference will show...

That was the idea but the number of its fans seem negligible.
Or my abilities to express myself are just hopeless in which case I have to apologize for wasting your time and I better shut up from now on.

[Edited on 13-4-2014 by picommander]

[Rubber Chicken]

I do see that having this return-to-base option could be useful. I'm guessing that having actual presets coded into the game for each docking port, plus a way to select the port you want, then auto-level your ship and set it on the correct gate heading before jumping, would save some repetitiveness. The game handles the waypoint placement during contracts, so maybe when a contract completes it could auto-set the return-to-base port that you selected. You would be right in saying that a on/off toggle option would be needed, but so would the gate selection feature and the auto-orient feature would ice the cake nicely. That way five players could be on the same contract then jump to the five different points respectively when completed.

I hope I at least somewhat got close to getting it this time.

[Marvin]

Two additional comments:

(1) Turn IDS on prior to jumping ... that way you're more likely to cancel drift before making the jump. But if you still manage to miss one of the docking bay entrances, there's no need to fly to some secondary point before attempting another hot dock ... you can do it even while hugging the side of the station ... just turn to one of the 5 headings and set pitch before jumping.

(2) Join us in co-op and let Denny or Starbuck select the contract. That way, you can just hang around anywhere in the sector and wait for the waypoint to be set automatically.

[picommander]

I hope I at least somewhat got close to getting it this time.

Yeah, I'm not quite feeling like an idiot anymore. Thanks for that!

There's just one thing left I'd like to straighten out. You probably might be surprised but I'm actually no friend of simplifications or out for general convenience in games, quite the opposite! I'm only asking for such things when game tasks are getting all to repetitive. Personally, I even like to dock manually and I'd even prefer a much more dangerous docking procedure (like in Jumpgate classic or IIRC one of the first incarnations of Evochron, same for planet landing) so that would all be a challenging 'mini-game' in itself. But the basic question in my opinion would be about how to remove repetitive tasks in the first place. This thread surely wouldn't exist, if there wouldn't be a reason to repeat contracts for a single station. I hope I don't sound like a troll, but if these military contracts would also require longer traveling for instance with multiple jumps, there would be less reason to dock at the same station. Would be the kind of solution that I would like much better than a 'workaround' with my initial suggestion...

[Marvin]

Yes, I'd vote for a greater variety of things to find ... things that can only be found at out-of-the-way places. But, at least the repetitive contracts aren't nearly as tiresome as some "whack-a-mole" methods of leveling up in so many RPGs. In EM, you can get along quite well without spending hours just increasing your in-game combat level.

[picommander]

Yeah I think I know what you mean. You could easily embarrass me if you'd ask me why on earth do I want a high Navy rank at all? First answer would probably be "to get access to all Navy ships" but - is it really worth to proceed with a ranking of 150 (I'm slightly above 100 now and can fly the Evoch-C, the E-type is only marginally better and uses more fuel but come what may I want this bird)?

[picommander]

Yes, I'd vote for a greater variety of things to find ... things that can only be found at out-of-the-way places.

That would be awesome, but who knows? The Evovers is huge and maybe some secrets already exist? That's why I prefer to search for unknown systems via the purchased information from random NPC pilots. IF such secrets actually exist I'd expect them to find from such coordinates rather than from triangulation (cause I'm not only looking for new systems). A 100/100 scientist on board would be mandatory... ok I'm dreaming but if not dreaming why playing such a game in the first place?

[Rubber Chicken]

Glad we got on a similar page.

A deploy constructor to set up sensor arrays is also a good thing to have along with the 100/100 science officer when searching for hidden containers.

@ Marvin: Yeah, I did kind of forget to mention 'IDS = on' would be a requirement for the proposed RTB system to work properly.

[PaulB]

I think I've managed to Dock using Auto Pilot without the alignment if I remember right - but it wasn't a very clean docking and you have to remember to turn off Auto Pilot.

That's one thing I wish was different in EM and like other Sims that have Auto Pilot - and that is that when you reach the destination, Auto Pilot automatically turns off - presumably cause the ship computer knows it has reached the destination - since it had to plot the Auto course to get there.

Paul

[picommander]

The 'docking trick' works like a charm now, dunno how I managed to screw it before. Maybe some esoterical reasons (cause a part of mine just didn't want it to work...)

[Marvin]

That's one thing I wish was different in EM and like other Sims that have Auto Pilot - and that is that when you reach the destination, Auto Pilot automatically turns off - presumably cause the ship computer knows it has reached the destination - since it had to plot the Auto course to get there.

Well, you can always make use of the Travel Buddy. It sounds an annoying beep whenever you reach your destination.

[DaveK]

That's one thing I wish was different in EM and like other Sims that have Auto Pilot - and that is that when you reach the destination, Auto Pilot automatically turns off - presumably cause the ship computer knows it has reached the destination - since it had to plot the Auto course to get there.

Paul

I agree that having autopilot disconnect on arrival would be good, but I think that it's probably because it never reaches the actual nav destination point - it's always jigging around a few hundred Dm away! I suspect a variable is set too precisely - a cut off when you arrive in the same sector would be great - you could then manually jump to your final destination.

[Major Grubert]

i see everyone have his way to travel short or long distances inside the Evoverse... interesting...

[Rooster]

I cut off Auto Pilot on the last jump and manually push jump. That way wherever I land, I am in control of hitting that rock....or that rock

[PaulB]

That's one thing I wish was different in EM and like other Sims that have Auto Pilot - and that is that when you reach the destination, Auto Pilot automatically turns off - presumably cause the ship computer knows it has reached the destination - since it had to plot the Auto course to get there.

Paul

I agree that having autopilot disconnect on arrival would be good, but I think that it's probably because it never reaches the actual nav destination point - it's always jigging around a few hundred Dm away! I suspect a variable is set too precisely - a cut off when you arrive in the same sector would be great - you could then manually jump to your final destination.

Exact destination is not important - that's not how it works in PPG or Vegastrike.
In PPG for instance you select the destintation (that is too far to just fly too unless you are willing to sit for hours at max normal speed) and you choose Auto. In PPG it does a kinf of Fly-by scene showing your ship headed toward the destination as opposed to the Warp in EM - but the same result - You come out of the Warp/Fly-by with the Destination in the Forward view and you return to Normal speed and finish the final distance to the station or planet under your control.
It's the same purpose as in EM - to cut down the long manual flight time - the only difference is in PPG Auto terminates and put you back in manual control at the end of the trip and YOU fly the remaining distance manually.
It's also done this way because when you arrive there "could" be hostiles there and you don't want to be stuck in Auto mode to a place you have already arrived at - and it also gives you some time to decide on how to deal with them since you still have a ways to go and aren't just dumped right in the middle of them (unlike EM).

Paul

[DaveK]

That's one thing I wish was different in EM and like other Sims that have Auto Pilot - and that is that when you reach the destination, Auto Pilot automatically turns off - presumably cause the ship computer knows it has reached the destination - since it had to plot the Auto course to get there.

Paul

I agree that having autopilot disconnect on arrival would be good, but I think that it's probably because it never reaches the actual nav destination point - it's always jigging around a few hundred Dm away! I suspect a variable is set too precisely - a cut off when you arrive in the same sector would be great - you could then manually jump to your final destination.

I'm doing some deep space research. One hour auto jumping / one hour refuelling / repeat

At the end of one jump sequence I ended up (fortuitously) 70 Dm from the nav marker and just sat quietly there - no hops, no swinging. Although the autopilot was still on it wasn't actually doing anything

[DaveK]

I cut off Auto Pilot on the last jump and manually push jump. That way wherever I land, I am in control of hitting that rock....or that rock

Yep - that works for me as well unless I'm exploring and making long auto-piloted jumps - I tend to go and do other chores during the hour or so it takes. I use an alarm call to remind me to rush back to the cockpit! Don't always get back before I run out of fuel!

[DaveK]

That's one thing I wish was different in EM and like other Sims that have Auto Pilot - and that is that when you reach the destination, Auto Pilot automatically turns off - presumably cause the ship computer knows it has reached the destination - since it had to plot the Auto course to get there.Paul

I'm doing some very deep space exploration which consists of:

REPEAT

1. fly for an hour with autopilot
2. deploy a fuel processor and dock
3. wait an hour for refuelling
   [/list=1]UNTIL FOREVER
   
   Autopilot action has changed in the latest version of EM.
   
   In the olden days, flying under autopilot with Inertial on saved you a few units of fuel per jump because you didn't slow down as much before the next jump. But (!) when you arrived at your destination the autopilot kept trying to jump back to the waypoint and if you were distracted or afk having coffee you could run out of fuel - no way to get to the fuel processor - much wailing and gnashing of teeth - auto switch off of autopilot was essential but unavailable! - more wailing and gnashing of teeth
   
   In the latest version, when you exit a jump your speed bottoms out at something like IDSx2, regardless of whether you are flying inertial or not and regardless of what your throttle setting is. Now the goody part . . . when you arrive at your destination with throttle at zero and inertial off (or on) your speed drops to zero - autopilot is (technically) still active but it doesn't do anything - you just sit there pointing at the nav point and not using any fuel! So when you get back to the 'pit you can just switch autopilot off (or order ANNA to do it for you) and then go about your business! Result is auto off autopilot isn't really relevant any more