Planetfall Problem! - Any Advice?

Aydanstuart · Post by **Aydanstuart** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 5:09 pm

Im quite new to Oolite, but I have got the planetfall addon and also docking computer and external heat sheild, however, when I approach the planet, it says my ship cannot land, otherwise it will get vaporised. I just crash and burn!!!
Any advice on where im going wrong?

Post by **Kaks** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 5:16 pm

Hi, and welcome to the friendliest board this side of Riedquat!

You need to purchase the planet landing equipment first. ( I forget what it's called, but if you go to a sufficiently high tech planet it should be available as one of the things you can buy. )

Without that, there's no way you can land on any planet...

JazHaz · Post by **JazHaz** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 5:17 pm

Kaks wrote:
You need to purchase the planet landing equipment first. ( I forget what it's called, but if you go to a sufficiently high tech planet it should be available as one of the things you can buy. )

As you said, you also need Heat Shielding and Docking Computers.

Planetary Landing Capability is quite expensive, as far as I remember its something like 20,000 cr.

When you have all three requirements, you must do the final approach at a crawl, I always approach with my speed in the green area. I usually inject speed until the altimeter is about 10 pixels from zero and then slow right down to the green speed indicator.

However I have found that sometimes (about 1 in every 5 or 6 times) when you launch from the surface you sometimes crash on launching. Nothing you can do about it.

Wiki pages · Post by **Thargoid** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 7:48 pm

JazHaz wrote:
However I have found that sometimes (about 1 in every 5 or 6 times) when you launch from the surface you sometimes crash on launching. Nothing you can do about it.

That bug should have been fixed with the current version of PF. It's something weird relating to the trunk code for orienting from the launch, which sometimes interacts badly with the PF code causing you to basically kiss the planet.

Can you check you're running the up-to-date version please?

JazHaz · Post by **JazHaz** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 9:48 pm

Thargoid wrote:
JazHaz wrote:
However I have found that sometimes (about 1 in every 5 or 6 times) when you launch from the surface you sometimes crash on launching. Nothing you can do about it.
That bug should have been fixed with the current version of PF. It's something weird relating to the trunk code for orienting from the launch, which sometimes interacts badly with the PF code causing you to basically kiss the planet.

Can you check you're running the up-to-date version please?

Ah! I'm running v.1.21, but current seems to be v.1.23.

Will go and download latest....

Chrisfs · Post by **Chrisfs** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 10:33 pm

I was running 1.21 as well. I put in 1.23 and have done about 5 landings with no crashes upon takeoff.
Though I did land in empty fields for the first time. That was new to me.

Is there a way to control which site you land on ?
I found a sweet place with narcs at 7.8/t but when I went back I ended up someplace completely different.

Wiki pages · Post by **Thargoid** » Mon Dec 28, 2009 9:20 am

No, the landing place is random. The pool of choices does vary somewhat depending on where you land (main planet, other planet or moon) and the tech level/system govt type.

But as to where you land, it's the luck of the draw. Oh and there are some OXPs which can also add locations (either my bolt-on ones, or ones like Random Hits and Feudal States).

Aydanstuart · Post by **Aydanstuart** » Mon Dec 28, 2009 7:22 pm

Nice one thanks guys. I got it and can land now!

Any more tips, what addons should I put on to make it more interesting than just being the same as the space stations!

Im really bored trading too, any good ideas of what else to do to get money!

Screet · Post by **Screet** » Mon Dec 28, 2009 8:30 pm

Aydanstuart wrote:
Im really bored trading too, any good ideas of what else to do to get money!

Really, if you need big money, keep trading until you have as much as you need. Trading pays off the best if you fly some trading ship like a boa class cruiser!

However, more fun is bounty hunting, especially if you're doing some assassinations from random hits oxp.

Screet

Post by **another_commander** » Mon Dec 28, 2009 8:50 pm

Aydanstuart wrote:
Im really bored trading too, any good ideas of what else to do to get money!

Assuming you start with the Cobra MkIII, here is an alternative way to make money, hopefully not that boring and does not require OXPs either: Start picking up the really long passenger contracts. Don't bother too much with anything less than 7 jumps away, it won't pay off. Do as many of the big passages in a row as you can. This will provide you with enough challenges during your trips and you will earn some good cash upon successful completion once you earn reputation in the passenger market. When you have enough cash, trade the Cobra for a Boa Class Cruiser. Big boat, with enough manoeuverability and cargo space to allow for the big cargo hauls. Start taking those. If you are successful, soon you will start getting some ludicrous offers for transportation of luxury goods and that's when money really starts flowing in. Before you know it, you are a kazillionaire. Definitely a less boring path than simply trading furs and computers.