Without spoiling it for me...

OLDS442 · Post by **OLDS442** » Sat Sep 26, 2009 7:41 pm

Is it supposed to be difficult to find the beacon that Scott Gerrett has told me about? I find the electrical parts, Erato II, and Y=-14,100 just fine...

Again, no spoilers please!

SDWeimer · Post by **SDWeimer** » Sat Sep 26, 2009 7:55 pm

It should not be they are fairly visible if you go to the exact coords given to you. If you need spoilers or help it is listed in the game guide posted here

http://starfighter.home.att.net/evochro ... lguide.htm

Post by **Marvin** » Sat Sep 26, 2009 9:11 pm

Surface beacons are easier to see from space ... stay just above the planet's atmosphere. Also, if you're given a reference point (e.g. near a certain ground station) and a direction from that point (e.g. along the Y axis), use your nav map to plot a point from the reference point, off in the direction specified.

Did that make any sense?

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Sat Sep 26, 2009 9:24 pm

Originally posted by OLDS442
Is it supposed to be difficult to find the beacon that Scott Gerrett has told me about? I find the electrical parts, Erato II, and Y=-14,100 just fine...

Again, no spoilers please!

While on the planet fly to a point where your Y coordinate is -14,100 and then keep flying around the planet and keep your Y coordinate on -14,100 till you see the Beacon It may take a long time depending on your starting position!;)

OLDS442 · Post by **OLDS442** » Sat Sep 26, 2009 11:37 pm

I've been doing all these things. I just wanted to verify it's a combination of knowing 1/3 of your coords, dead reckoning and landmarks. Am I also correct in saying a sector coordinate system is being used to navigate a sphere? And there is no coordinate system on the planets themselves?

Post by **Marvin** » Sun Sep 27, 2009 12:30 am

Originally posted by OLDS442

Am I also correct in saying a sector coordinate system is being used to navigate a sphere?

In Forbidden Planet, Morbius asked if the ship's navigator had standard charts. The captain should've replied that he didn't need 'em ... his navigator only uses X-Y-Z vectors.

Once you get used to 'em, it's all you really need.

OLDS442 · Post by **OLDS442** » Sun Sep 27, 2009 1:07 am

I like your style, Marvin.

Well just found the beacon. Very cool. You'll have to admit, though, that if you wanted to traverse a "Y" value in both directions relative to a planet surface, from the navigation map, it would be nice to have a bottom view? Or am I imagining this?

[Edited on 9-27-2009 by OLDS442]

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Sun Sep 27, 2009 3:55 am

You have to remmember that when your Nav MAp says Top View it means you are looking at the Rear View and you have to click on TopView to look at TopView. And when it says Rear View your actually looking at TopView and it means click here for RearView.

Also as you discovered the coordinates on planet surfaces are different then the coordinates in Space you notice this as soon as you enter the planets atmosphere. Your pitch angle changes and compass heading changes due to the poles of the planet!;)

OLDS442 · Post by **OLDS442** » Sun Sep 27, 2009 4:45 am

Originally posted by Maarschalk

Also as you discovered the coordinates on planet surfaces are different then the coordinates in Space you notice this as soon as you enter the planets atmosphere. Your pitch angle changes and compass heading changes due to the poles of the planet!;)

I just noticed that because I was setting pitch at 90 to get into space quickly and I saw the pitch change though trajectory did not.
But I didn't explain myself about the nav views very well. It's not a big deal, though. To me the word "rear" is a misnomer because it's really a profile view. Isn't it? (It flips 90 degrees). And if that's the case you're only seeing one side of the profile view of the objects when a given "Y" location could exist on both sides. In other words it's not possible to set markers to follow at a set "Y" value all the way around a planet and just follow them.
If I have this wrong I'm just gonna shut up.

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Sun Sep 27, 2009 6:43 am

Yes you are right you can not set the y coordinate to set a marker because you need all 3 x,y,z to set a marker!
On a Planet you could set a starting point Like 0,-14100,0 and then set your heading to 90 degrees or 270 degrees but of course you have to set a Z value for your elevation height of the Planet so if you set your z to 1000 you will be flying 1km above the surface of the planet. So to fly a perfect circle around the planet you can set a marker at 0,-14100,10000 (10Km to avoid colliding in a mountain) and then start from that marker flying
all around at a heading of 90 or 270 degrees back to that marker. So if you set your heading at 90 or 270 degrees then you are following a set Y value when flying around a planet. When on a planet you can not just set one coordinate value as a Marker it does not matter if it is only X or Y or Z you are dealing with latitude and longitude and elevation. In open space you can because there is no real up or down or mountains and craters and valleys or east and west or north and south!;)

OLDS442 · Post by **OLDS442** » Sun Sep 27, 2009 2:14 pm

Very cool. Thanks Maarschalk.

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Sun Sep 27, 2009 5:34 pm

Your Welcome!;)

Post by **Marvin** » Sun Sep 27, 2009 10:36 pm

I must be magic. I only changed one coordinate. It placed a waypoint "under" my PPOS ... I just kept the waypoint under my nose and followed it until sighting the beacon.

Edit:

P.S. I changed the text file so "rear" now reads as "side" view. I guess it makes more sense to me, that way, 'cause I never thought of a galaxy as having a profile. Or a rear.

[Edited on 9-27-2009 by Marvin]

OLDS442 · Post by **OLDS442** » Sun Sep 27, 2009 11:28 pm

Finding the beacon is pretty easy for me now. I'm loving life. Finally got a grip on the game I think. Doing some contracts. Conserving some fuel. In a set of civil engineering drawings you have the "Plan and Profile" sections which show the "aerial view" on the top of the page and the profile "side" view on the bottom half of the page (In another section you'll find the "cross section" view). Some drafting fun facts for ya there...