Okay, so I know many people have asked this before, but I am having a completely different experience here. I can't clean solar panels.
I know, I know... you're going to say 'you missed a spot'. That is not the issue. I've spent an hour... my very first hour with the game, and I'm deeply unhappy about this (talk about leaving a bad first impression) trying again and again and again, and not only is the mission not completing, it's not even looking anything like it does to other people. I read every forum post about cleaning solar arrays, and people say they have levels of cleanliness that you can see. I checked out a youtube video of someone cleaning one, and it's true... it goes from opaque to transparent on each cell.
Mine doesn't. EVER.
Each panel just turns a slightly deeper shade of blue as soon as it's touched with the tractor beam, but the cells never go transparent or look anything like they do in the youtube video I watched. I've had my nose right up against the array and I can't even get a single panel transparent.
I wish I could post a picture or video or something, but I'm not that savvy. Hasn't anyone had a problem like this, where the panel just cannot be cleaned, even one square, to transparent?
I am deeply frustrated, as this was the first thing I tried to do and I have now wasted nearly an hour and a half trying to figure this out.
Solar Panels... Is It Just Me?
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Vice
- Administrator
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- Joined: Fri Apr 25, 2003 1:38 am
Solar Panels... Is It Just Me?
A quick video might help, but here are a few possibilities to check into:
- You're not bringing the beam to full power. Press Alt-B to lock the tractor beam on at 100% and leave it fully active until you finish the cleaning process. Then press B again by itself to turn off the beam.
- Move your ship more than you pan the beam. Too far of an offset (above around 30-45 degrees or so) can result in an incomplete cleaning cycle for that array due to an indirect beam. It's better, at least at first until you get the hang of it, to face the solar cells directly, activate the beam with Alt-B, then move your ship using maneuvering thrusters to pan up/down/left/right to clean them rather than panning the beam.
- Keep the solar array to about the mid-range point of the beam, not too close and not too far away. This will help provide a cushion for error if you drift away from or toward the array, giving the direct effect of the beam the best chance for a complete cleaning cycle.
- You're not bringing the beam to full power. Press Alt-B to lock the tractor beam on at 100% and leave it fully active until you finish the cleaning process. Then press B again by itself to turn off the beam.
- Move your ship more than you pan the beam. Too far of an offset (above around 30-45 degrees or so) can result in an incomplete cleaning cycle for that array due to an indirect beam. It's better, at least at first until you get the hang of it, to face the solar cells directly, activate the beam with Alt-B, then move your ship using maneuvering thrusters to pan up/down/left/right to clean them rather than panning the beam.
- Keep the solar array to about the mid-range point of the beam, not too close and not too far away. This will help provide a cushion for error if you drift away from or toward the array, giving the direct effect of the beam the best chance for a complete cleaning cycle.
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Marvin
- Global Moderator
- Posts: 14373
- Joined: Wed Mar 04, 2009 5:47 am
- Location: Fallon-Reno
Solar Panels... Is It Just Me?
The way I do it is to turn to a heading of either 0 or 180 before jumping to the waypoint. That puts me perpendicular to the array. Then I approach it until on panel is about the size of the middle reticle on the HUD. With IDS engaged, I active the beam as Vice instructed (Alt B) and use maneuvering thrusters to move my ship up, down, left and right. No need to pause ... the time it takes to move from one panel to the next, via thrusters, is plenty.