Dev Request

Trent · Post by **Trent** » Sun Oct 17, 2010 5:47 am

Small request:

Max Jump (ALT+F2) default "locks" you to a position in the furthest sector that can be reached. Can we get an auxiliary function for max jump that lets you jump the max range at the "true heading"?

Reason I ask for this is when going over long distances, at anything other than true N/S/E/W travel (or a true 45 degree angle), the current max jump will introduce an increasing margin of error to your desired heading. The margin of error by being sector-locked depends on your desired angle vs. the alignment of sectors relative to your intended path.

Thanks for considering this!

Aures · Post by **Aures** » Sun Oct 17, 2010 7:57 am

Good idea, rather than take you to a sector at whatever coordinates it would set the coordinates in the sector based on your true heading. As long as it doesn't let you jump into a sector that you couldn't reach by ALT+F2 it sounds good except for the work it would take to implement and the extra key binding it would require.

You should probably try using the autopilot actively in the meantime. The amount of fuel it wastes is not that much and a deploy constructor makes the whole fuel issue moot. The autopilot also has better reflexes than you so will jump straight away and jumping will take less time. I never use jump to max distance when exploring, I enter coordinates into the nav map or click on the nav map. If I could just jump at max distance on my true heading I might reconsider.

Post by **Marvin** » Sun Oct 17, 2010 5:08 pm

Jumping to max distance is an emergency procedure ... usually used when you're surrounded by enemy forces and you've forgotten to set an escape waypoint. In a situation like that, the last thing you worry about is where you're going ... you're more interested in where it is you're leaving (and how fast you can leave).

xingbing1 · Post by **xingbing1** » Sun Oct 17, 2010 6:02 pm

But it is also used when you're going somewhere that is far away, but you don't want to use the autopilot. So, some situations that occurs in are when going exploring, when trying to avoid autopilot because of the small amount of extra fuel it needs or when heading for something not far enough to warrant jump drive, but close enough to need multiple long-range jumps - so perhaps a jump of 20 sectors.
In fact, wouldn't it just be better to replace the current function with a true max jump?

Post by **Marvin** » Sun Oct 17, 2010 8:16 pm

You're missing the point. It's an emergency tool introduced in Legends. The fact that autopilot uses a little more fuel is ... well, it's kind'a like complaining that you aren't allowed to use the ejection seat to exit the cockpit of an F-16 when climbing out, normally, takes too much time and effort.

Aesir Rising · Post by **Aesir Rising** » Sun Oct 17, 2010 10:49 pm

Trent asks for, "..an auxiliary function.." This probably means he'd like existing ALT+F2 to remain available.

But even if Trent's concept fully-replaced the existing implementation (which it could, since it seems to allow for existing functionality as well as more precise navigation all within one feature), then explain why this would change the narrowly-defined use of ALT+F2 as an escape mechanism?

If "..the last thing you worry about is where you're going.." then why would you worry about where you were going? Just hit ALT+F2 or New Improved ALT+F2.. same difference if you don't care about the destination. Except that Trent seems to care about destination, and his idea would allow his requirement to coexist with yours.

BraveHart · Post by **BraveHart** » Mon Oct 18, 2010 1:11 am

"I remember using ALT-F2 once when I was surrounded...but seeing as how I didn't have a Navigator at the time I landed smack dab into a Moon"...LoL

"Yoda Moment...hahahaha"

Post by **Marvin** » Mon Oct 18, 2010 1:44 am

Originally posted by BraveHart

"...I landed smack dab into a Moon"...."

I do believe Vice warned about that when he added the option.

Trent · Post by **Trent** » Mon Oct 18, 2010 2:44 am

You know, a week of playing and I never thought about using it as an escape function. If I get in to a bad spot, I've been pinning the afterburners to 2k+ then leisurely taking my time on the NAV map. I've gotten quite good at setting my direction and speed right before jumping to stick my nose right in to the gate/station/carrier. I don't like waiting to dock.

Of course that probably wouldn't fly in multiplayer with a human on my tail, I'm sure.

On a related request note, how about a text log warning when you accept a mission and your countermeasures are empty? "HEY STUPID, YOU ARE ABOUT TO DIE" would work, I think.

Trent · Post by **Trent** » Mon Oct 18, 2010 3:27 am

Another question about hat switches...

My Logitech G940 setup has four hat switches - two on the throttle, two on the joystick. One of them on the joystick is analog and can be mapped to axes, I use this for strafing. But the other three are useless.

The way the game is set up, it doesn't seem like I can program hat switches to do anything individually. I'd really like to use one of the three remaining hat switches for transferring shield energy (front, back, left, right), another one of them to target next/prev friend and enemy (up and down to toggle through enemies, left & right to toggle between friendlies), and the last hat switch to change weapons, primary (up & down) and secondary (left & right) .

Most other games I play treat the hat switches as button presses, but I can't seem to map them in EM.

Am I doing something wrong?

Post by **Marvin** » Mon Oct 18, 2010 5:21 am

Originally posted by Trent

Of course that probably wouldn't fly in multiplayer with a human on my tail, I'm sure.

Depends on the human. I could've sworn an old trick I often used against AI would work against one of the Vets. Evidently, 2500kps isn't fast enough when attempting to retreat from Eclipse's guns.