How do you scoop fuel?

[Cmdr Monte]

not as easy as in the BBC micor version. I tried it a week or so ago and exploded while heading away from the sun. ouch. I haven't tried it since. Can it be done without thermal shielding?

[Lucidor]

You can always witchspace out if it gets too hot before you get away.

[Rxke]

Yes it can be done w/o thermal shielding. Thermal shielding is quite a new addition in Oolite, people have been scooping since day one...

A good item to have is the fuel injector, you first 'j' towards the sun, untill you masslock, then hit 'i' so you go "in" faster, and once you're fueled up, use the same approach, but in opposite direction, 'i' for awhile, and then 'j'

For tricky suns, setting a target destination and then witchspace outa there, as Lucidor pointed out, can be a good approach too...

[Cmdr Monte]

Thanks guys.

IIRC, it was dead easy in the original Elite to scoop fuel so I never really tried to improove my technique. Do you guys just head straight for the sun and then turn arround once the scoops start working or is there some skimming involved like the original manual suggests?

[Lucidor]

I've got heat shields and fuel injectors. I plunge head first on injectors until the scoop is full and witchspace out of there. I don't even think you need heat shielding for that trick.

[Rxke]

Same here, never used a heatshield either. Some suns it's easy, some it's tricky. Also, when you fuel inject during scooping, scooping goes waaay faster than just normal speed.

[themacman]

what I do is I fuel inject into the sun, go strait accross it with fuel injectors going to get the fuel and then witchspace to another planet, why should I waste fuel getting out of the sun?

[Odo987]

Do you guys just head straight for the sun and then turn arround once the scoops start working or is there some skimming involved like the original manual suggests?

The PC version of Elite wouldn't scoop unless one was belly-surfing the sun. Oolite will scoop regardless of your attitude.

[the alberts]

If you look on the local star map you'll see that stars are different sizes - small ones are much, much easier to scoop from. I suppose it's because you can get to the scoopable depth so much quicker (and out again) because it is smaller.

[Wiggy]

I fly in, and then when the scoops start working, tip up, keeping the curve of the sun at the bottom of the screen. Hopefully, your altitude will then stay roughly the same as you fly at a tangent.
Watch your altimeter and temp gauge.

Fuel scooping doesn't make the friendly beeping noise that it used to on BBC Elite, though. (Or does it, now with the tractor beam scooping noise..?)

[BeastieBoy]

Hi All,

I know this thread is really old but I've started to play Oolite again and I'm on the current build. I'm trying to scoop fuel but it doesn't work. The scoops just never work. So I JD into the star but the new Graphics once you're in the corona doesn't let you know if you are flying into or away from it. So i keep going and all that happens is the CT goes up and you blow up. The scoops never work.

Any tips or help would be appreciated.

BB

[Cody]

How much equipment have you got? Do you have external heat shielding? What about injectors and the advanced space compass?

[BeastieBoy]

How much equipment have you got? Do you have external heat shielding? What about injectors and the advanced space compass?

Just scoops and the injectors.

To be honest now I have the Naval fuel mod installed and the fuel usage on the injectors is a lot better I don't bother trying to scoop. A pity it was a core part of the original game and all the other Elite titles. A pity. Although i much prefer the way Elite Dangerous does it. dropping out next to the star not all stars scoopable etc. Makes the game much less frustrating and doesn't waste as much of my time. Mind you that's one of the very FEW things I like about the game. Rarely play it now. After being an initial backer and in the DDF seeing all the good ideas passed over and the bad ones put in Because DB want's to make the game he want's and not what we want to play really pissed me off.

Oolite is what I play now to relax and have a bit of fun & nostalgia.

BB

[phkb]

Well, for future reference, fuel scooping does work, but it is highly recommended you get heat shielding before you try. The space compass also helps. My method is to (1) target the sun in the ASC, (2) aim at the middle of the star and head in, (3) when the fuel scoops starts, pitch up until just before the ASC indicates the sun is now behind me, (4) when fuel is full pitch up until the sun is directly behind me on the ASC. Because I'm using "Ship Configuration" I don't use injectors for any of this, but I can still get in and out before I overheat.

Further discussions of ideas for fuel scooping have taken place here, which is worth a read. I created the Fuel Tweaks OXP based on part of this discussion, and I've been enjoying the extra challenge it brings of not having fuel readily available in all systems.

[Cody]

As described above, fuel scooping does work.


The DDF was a con - and not the only one!