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Lunar Flight 'simulator'

I made some break throughs tonight. :)

I finally got out of debt and was up to $51K in flight earnings. I watched a YouTube again and saw one guy buying his addons for his Lander and thought I would check this out. The basic mods were open (unlocked) and so I picked up the thruster, better RCS manuvering jets, gyro, Aux fuel tank, etc. I was stunned to find that I burned less fuel! I was able to run 8000 LB runs at short distance on only half a tank of fuel. Very nice.... After I had spent those funds on updates, I was back up to $50+K already in just a few hops.


Another thing, which was wasnt afraid of doing anymore was using the RCS rockets to get up to 3.5 M/S speed. At one point, I was up to 4.0 or 4.5. A bit to hot for me right now. But at 3.5, I start decelling at .75 out, getting down to about 1.2 or 1.4 M/S. Then when I see the ramp from the overhead view (top down view mode), I slow down and center her up, sometimes trying to rotate around 180 degrees for the take-off. If I am freaked out from stress on a landing, I do the 180 adjustment after touching down, doing a very low hover, rotate, touch back down.


But with the updates and enhancements, its really nice to have lots of fuel left over, and better acceleration/deceleration performance.
 
With it being my day off, I got in some great flying time today on this. :)

I am up to Level 2 now and all equipment. The ship handles totally better. Unbeleiveable how much better. Horrible that we were put through the first parts with unstable ships, lol...

I am now doing flights on long distance jumps (accross the valley) at 4.0 M/S. I start slowing at 80.0 Meters out, decelling to 2.0 M/S. Near 35 meters out, I slow to about 1.0 M/S. When I am nearly over the pad, I begin a turn around to face the other way (spin it 180 degrees) and start decent at 28 to 30. (I think thats 0.28 to 0.30 - M/S descent rate, VSI or VMI). I am pretty good now at touching down.

I am landing with like 60% fuel left on board, lol.... I was landing at first (first started out) with nearly zero in the tanks, when I was lucky....

There is no way you can come in that hot, at 4.0 M/S, with older version RCS engines/rockets, as you cant slow down in time. The Level 1's were great, and Level 2 is awesome. I wonder what Level 3 will be like.

I am already back up to 60,K in credits, doing LOTS of runs. Pretty fun to actually get in successful flights.

Now I am sure I'll be having a bunch of dreams about those Lunar Landers now, lol... 8-S


Bill
 
I am now at level 3 on all updates and accessories.

Now traveling at 4.5 M/S to waypoints. I start reverse thrusting at 70 meters out. Coming in HOT!!!! One goof up and I am part of that tower, lol...

Amazing how it handles on turns now. The Gyro updates keep the craft from continually turning; stops automatically.

I still havent done a survey or lost cargo run. I guess I could do that tonight. After work... Hours and hours away... :(
 
Lionheart said:
I am now at level 3 on all updates and accessories.

Now traveling at 4.5 M/S to waypoints. I start reverse thrusting at 70 meters out. Coming in HOT!!!! One goof up and I am part of that tower, lol...

Amazing how it handles on turns now. The Gyro updates keep the craft from continually turning; stops automatically.

I still havent done a survey or lost cargo run. I guess I could do that tonight. After work... Hours and hours away... :(
Click to expand...

Surveys and Lost Cargoes are the fun but challenging ones.
No spoiler I hope, you'll get some surveys on top of the surrounding Mountains.
But with level 3 upgrades you can do it. :ipepsi2:
 
Dain Arns;747447 But with level 3 upgrades you can do it. :ipepsi2:[/QUOTE said:
I'll try some tonight. With Level 3 upgrades, you can fly along empty (no cargo) for quite a long time. I am getting in with 8000 LBs payloads with 65 to 70% left over fuel. It isnt like this on Base level engines, lol... Nice to be this far ahead.
Click to expand...
 
Other maps?

I am at level 2 on equipment, but I don't understand something: It says all the maps are unlocked, but how do I actually switch to a different one?
 
Cratermaker said:
I am at level 2 on equipment, but I don't understand something: It says all the maps are unlocked, but how do I actually switch to a different one?
Click to expand...

Congrats! Flies a heck of a lot better, eh?


I have no idea on the maps. Maybe the missions change at a certain point.


I just did my first couple of lost cargo runs. First was very fast and easy, but the second took 2 jumps to a refuel station then back and finally found the dang thing right in the center of the crater base in the valley. Both loads were 8000 LBs. Nice funds.
 
Dain, you werent kidding.

Ive been doing 'lost cargo' missions and just did two on top of the crater at its outer rim. That is a deep crater.....

I had to refuel on one as I went to the wrong base (some how) when trying to deliver the cargo.



Sue, you can plug in VOR links via the Map, then fly to that base, to practice flying and landings. Also, I suggest the aux fuel tank purchases. 1,000 credits, but well worth it. I think it will fully fuel your tank. I believe also the emergency gyro you can buy (sticks into the 3 button thing on the top right) will help you when you get into a tumble effect during a flight. I just realized what it was for and bought it...

Pretty good fun. (now that I know how to fly without crashing and spinning and making craters... arrgh).
 
Cratermaker said:
I am at level 2 on equipment, but I don't understand something: It says all the maps are unlocked, but how do I actually switch to a different one?
Click to expand...
OH.... hit "ESC" while in the lander, select maps from the pop up menu. I'm trying the 2nd one now. "Intermediate" it says. More natural looking terrain in that one. Things are bit farther apart too.
 
Whoa...... I jumped from Map 1 to Map 4; Mars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Went there without going to the other levels. One jumps from missions that are 350 to 550 meters, up to 2500 meters, and you fly through dust storms! ack!!!!!!!!!

Can you believe I made it on the first flight, farthest distance. Luckily I had my aux fuel tank, which I think is about 1/2 a tank. I might get two Aux tanks (if I can do that) just in case. Looks like you would use that giant thrust option (click and burn) that runs for like 5 seconds, 300% boost for doing long jumps on Mars. Dang.... What a change. Blue skies and dust storms, lol..... And you are much more heavier. I was fighting a head wind landing at this last base, trying to land.




Bill
 
I have been playing this game for some time now and it is really fun. A good mix between realism and arcade and a real challenge. You really have to focus and be gentle to keep the lander from spinning out of control.

For better control I suggest you use an Xbox 360 controller. The game recognizes it, and there is a keychart for it in the manual. I tried my joystick first but I was all over the place constantly overcorrecting. With the Xbox 360 controller you can make really small adjustments by tapping the thumbsticks.
 
Thanks Alain for the heads up. For me, using my joystick was also totally useless. Ive become pretty good with my fingers on the keyboard. The third level addon equipment also really help out in keeping my craft form spiraling around.


Bill
 
Agreed on the 360 controller. I have all the achievements now. I just did a "lost cargo" mission on mars. Had to go halfway across the map to find it, far away from other bases, only to find it weighed 12,000 lbs!! Had to go back and refuel at the original base. Winds were VERY heavy. Had < 100 fuel left. Destination was on the other side of the map. Diagonally. Purchased "drop tanks" and man, did I need them! At the destination, there was a down draft or something. Sometimes, even at 100% thrust, I couldn't slow my decent rate!
 
Cratermaker said:
Agreed on the 360 controller. I have all the achievements now. I just did a "lost cargo" mission on mars. Had to go halfway across the map to find it, far away from other bases, only to find it weighed 12,000 lbs!! Had to go back and refuel at the original base. Winds were VERY heavy. Had < 100 fuel left. Destination was on the other side of the map. Diagonally. Purchased "drop tanks" and man, did I need them! At the destination, there was a down draft or something. Sometimes, even at 100% thrust, I couldn't slow my decent rate!
Click to expand...


Dang! I need some destressing, not something that will have me sweating bullets, lol...

Thanks for the heads up.
 
I took a mini vacation from this sim. Went back last night and did a couple of flights. One flight, I had a forward angle of nearly 40, was rocketing accross the horizon, and thought I had plenty of time to descend and land and slow down. I was doing something like 10 meters per second, lol... Came in way high over the cliffs of Mars just before Delta base (top right). Had to come in straight down while negotiating a dust storm which helped me slow down but zero viz. 8,000 LB payload! Made it.

Pretty fun.


Those 'lost cargo' missions on Mars are CRAZY!
 
I suck at this game!

What is the trick to getting the Xbox 360 controller to work? I hooked up the controller via my charging cable that usually attaches to my 360, installed the driver software from MS, but I can't get it to do anything.
 
Gdavis101 said:
I suck at this game!

What is the trick to getting the Xbox 360 controller to work? I hooked up the controller via my charging cable that usually attaches to my 360, installed the driver software from MS, but I can't get it to do anything.
Click to expand...


Gene,

I have no idea. I use the keyboard. I tried linking my X52 to it, but it was horrible. Carnage everywhere. For me, taps of burst on the keys work brilliant. I have to disconnect my joystic before using the game. Last night, I accidentally had the joystick linked in and each time my sim started a scene, my lander did a vertical doughnut and wrecked each time. FInally figured out it was the joystick.

Watch the movie at YouTube that I posted. That shows you much about how to do a good flight and landing. Start at making level flights via that first map zone. Never touch the rotation keys (arrow keys) if at all possible, until you are upgraded to the highest level. Low level basic, you will just crash. Keep it level and fly straight. Balanced zero lift on your main engine is key importance; (LOPTW chart).

Later, you learn to take off at full thrust, then adjust down as you cliimb, then when you have gyro enhancements, you can lean forward and let the main engine drive you to speeds of 10 MPS. Until then though, 2 MPS to 3.5 MPS in that small crater zone is very fast.



Bill
 
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