# Elite Dangerous **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** video-games-e-games\ **Created:** [December 17, 2014, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elite-dangerous/707501 "2014-12-17T16:14:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elite-dangerous/707501/261 "2015-12-02T02:02:36Z")
Well, I could scuttle the ship and respawn in Ghekreep. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elite-dangerous/707501/262 "2015-12-02T02:38:19Z")
Nope. That results in a connection error. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elite-dangerous/707501/263 "2015-12-02T17:13:26Z")
Question: how do you tell in what direction to land when landing at an outpost? It seems that half of the time, entering in the direction where you can read the pad number correctly turns out to be on the opposite side of the proper direction. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elite-dangerous/707501/264 "2015-12-02T17:47:54Z")
Found that all that exploration data messes with the respawn and us deep-space explorers are supposed to contact technical support for help. Which I’ve done. > [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > Question: how do you tell in what direction to land when landing at an outpost? It seems that half of the time, entering in the direction where you can read the pad number correctly turns out to be on the opposite side of the proper direction. Once you have docking clearance, your nav-compass shows which direction you need to go. It gets easier when you have a medium-sized ship. There’s only one medium-sized pad and it’s on the biggest bay so all you have to do is look for the what part of the station is the biggest. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elite-dangerous/707501/265 "2015-12-02T18:22:23Z")
The Python, with the exception of its superb ability to kill Anacondas, is just not as fun in an RES as the Federal Assault Ship. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elite-dangerous/707501/266 "2015-12-02T19:48:40Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > Once you have docking clearance, your nav-compass shows which direction you need to go. Finding the pad is easy. What I want to know is, how do I know in which direction I need to be facing? On a station, that’s easy; it’s always the way you came in. On an outpost, however, it’s not always “go in the direction where you can read the number correctly” for some reason. I know that the pad has one or two arrows pointing right to it, but how am I supposed to see those when I am approaching? Which brings up another question: is there a preferred distance from which I should be approaching the entry to a station? Usually, I end up coming in at a right angle to the entry pretty much directly in front of the red/green lights, and one of these days I’m going to crash into a ship trying to enter or leave. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elite-dangerous/707501/267 "2015-12-02T19:59:58Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > Finding the pad is easy. What I want to know is, how do I know in which direction I need to be facing? One way to know is that the docking bay holographic number is always placed on the side of the direction you’re supposed to be oriented when over the pad. It’s visible from either direction. If it’s on the near side, you’ll have to turn around over the pad. You could also fly a large vessel (Clipper, Type-9, Anaconda, or one of the upcoming ships, Cutter or Corvette), and not be able to land at an outpost at all. Becomes a moot point, then? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elite-dangerous/707501/268 "2015-12-02T22:52:45Z")
> [@Knorf](#): > > One way to know is that the docking bay holographic number is always placed on the side of the direction you’re supposed to be oriented when over the pad. It’s visible from either direction. If it’s on the near side, you’ll have to turn around over the pad. Shows you how much I know - for some reason, I thought the numbers appeared in mirror image if you approached “from the back” and that the numbers appeared on the side you’re supposed to enter, rather than the side opposite the one you’re supposed to enter. As for larger ships, with my current credit balance of about 15,000, I don’t think that’s a problem at the moment… (Yes, I did start playing from 1.0.0.0, but I have been playing very infrequently since my old computer started more or less randomly freezing up on me in February.) ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elite-dangerous/707501/269 "2015-12-02T23:08:28Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > Finding the pad is easy. What I want to know is, how do I know in which direction I need to be facing? > > On a station, that’s easy; it’s always the way you came in. On an outpost, however, it’s not always “go in the direction where you can read the number correctly” for some reason. I know that the pad has one or two arrows pointing right to it, but how am I supposed to see those when I am approaching? The little ship on your scanner needs to be pointed toward your canopy. If it’s pointed toward you, turn around. 🙂 This doesn’t work on the rare occasion that you’re trying to dock on a pad that was recently vacated and has yet to reorient itself. > [@](#): > > Usually, I end up coming in at a right angle to the entry pretty much directly in front of the red/green lights, and one of these days I’m going to crash into a ship trying to enter or leave. A trick I’ve learned when approaching at a right angle is to come to a dead stop then steer left while thrusting right. And hope to not ram anyone while speeding. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2015, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elite-dangerous/707501/270 "2015-12-03T15:22:30Z")
One would think an NPC named Edmund Fitzgerald would be piloting a Type-9, not preying on 'em! ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2015, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elite-dangerous/707501/271 "2015-12-03T15:28:16Z")
I recently ran into two NPC pilots I could not believe were not wanted: Jayne Cobb and Cthulhu Fhtagn. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2015, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elite-dangerous/707501/272 "2015-12-04T05:30:25Z")
Back in the Asp for the Lave community goal. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2015, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elite-dangerous/707501/273 "2015-12-05T22:01:19Z")
_Now_ I can play around in the Beta. Opened a support ticket and they moved me to civilization. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2015, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elite-dangerous/707501/274 "2015-12-06T01:13:43Z")
Successfully approached a planet, looking for a viable landing site… ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2015, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elite-dangerous/707501/275 "2015-12-06T01:34:12Z")
…landed. Now for disembarking… ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2015, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elite-dangerous/707501/276 "2015-12-06T01:36:28Z")
In other news, I’m seeing some stations with a security rating. Perhaps for smugglers? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2015, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elite-dangerous/707501/277 "2015-12-06T01:50:56Z")
Ah, that station with a security rating is on this planet. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2015, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elite-dangerous/707501/278 "2015-12-06T02:08:14Z")
Well, now I’m lost. Have no idea how to get to that station _or_ my ship! ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2015, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elite-dangerous/707501/279 "2015-12-06T03:01:09Z")
Checked out the bulletin board at an outpost and spotted some new mission categories. Most interesting are transports with multiple stops. There are also missions to transport classified data which fail if your ship is scanned, consignments which require finding the customer in space rather than at a dock, and guard the macguffin. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2015, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elite-dangerous/707501/280 "2015-12-06T04:15:19Z")
Weird. Ever since taking off from that Icy Body, attempting to approach any other planet gets me stuck in the descent (i.e.: glide) and can only get out with a self destruct. Would like to practice approaching a surface station from orbit rather than simply landing and hoping to run across it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elite-dangerous/707501.md?page=13) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elite-dangerous/707501.md?page=15)