Tractoring Ships

mejobloggs_ · Post by **mejobloggs_** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 1:18 am

I have a mule equipped with two heavy tractors and want to be able to suck ships up. I have tried but it didn't work. The plowshare got pulled towards me but crashed into my hull and died rather than going into the cargo bay. Why does it not work? Is there a special button I have to press or something?

Cheers

smbarbour · Post by **smbarbour** » Wed Mar 30, 2005 12:46 am

From what I understand from other posts, you need a bigger ship than a mule to tractor in ships. I believe an ox is the appropriate ship for this.

I know that a mule has a large enough cargo bay to hold 9 sickles, but it cannot tractor in ships.

mejobloggs_ · Post by **mejobloggs_** » Wed Mar 30, 2005 7:17 am

can you explain why?

Cause a mule can fit 2000 hyenas in, so I see absolutely no reason why it cant tractor one in.

Space Pirate · Post by **Space Pirate** » Thu Mar 31, 2005 7:44 am

mejobloggs_ wrote:can you explain why?

Cause a mule can fit 2000 hyenas in, so I see absolutely no reason why it cant tractor one in.

I think it may be a bug... or it may be how the ship's hold is constructed. (The ship's hold, in total, can hold that much, but each individual storage area is not large enough to house a ship).

smbarbour · Post by **smbarbour** » Thu Mar 31, 2005 5:21 pm

I think it is more along the lines of being a bug. If it were due to individual storage areas, I would think that would prevent you from docking with it. Maybe one of the programmers could shed some light on this?

mejobloggs_ · Post by **mejobloggs_** » Fri Apr 01, 2005 8:36 am

Space Pirate wrote: I think it may be a bug... or it may be how the ship's hold is constructed. (The ship's hold, in total, can hold that much, but each individual storage area is not large enough to house a ship).

That can't be right, because in a Mule you can BUY about 2000 hyenas. So if you can buy them, then they sit in the cargo space.

The way I see it, if you can buy them as cargo, you should be able to tractor them in.

smbarbour · Post by **smbarbour** » Fri Apr 01, 2005 4:54 pm

As I just noticed last night, even a DODO can hold some of the smallest fighters.

Halleck · Post by **Halleck** » Sat Apr 02, 2005 11:36 am

I recall docking with a dodo, once... it was like a capship on the inside.

Ampersand · Post by **Ampersand** » Sat Apr 02, 2005 11:42 am

Is it anything to do with the positioning of docking ports? I noticed that oxen had one at the front, not sure about mules.
Richard

Nightshadow3002 · Post by **Nightshadow3002** » Sun Apr 03, 2005 11:43 pm

About using tractor beams on a ship:

It is only possible to get a ship into your cargo bay, when the pilot has jumped out (says the manual).

As long as there is a pilot on bord, you can only fight this ship.

mejobloggs_ · Post by **mejobloggs_** » Mon Apr 04, 2005 6:10 am

Well, thanks! That would solve my problem then. I shoulda read the manual properly. I assume you just shoot them until they are nearly dead?

mejobloggs_ · Post by **mejobloggs_** » Sat Apr 09, 2005 3:19 am

Or not. I got the Plowshare, bought a Robin or something as cargo, launched him as a wingman, flew him around...

And had no way to get him back. Switching to my Plowshare, and tractoring the Robin just made it wizz past me faster.

Switched to Robin, ejected pilot, tried again. Didnt work.

Got very annoyed, switched to Robin, blew up Plowshare, mwhwaaahaw... Oh, I am dead.

providence2010 · Post by **providence2010** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 9:27 pm

I've had problems like this too, only instead of the ships bouncing off me, they start accelerating away (no I'm not stupid, yes it is a tractor beam, yes, it is a heavy tractor beam). I haven't tried to tractor anything else in yet, but I can't get the ship to be pilotless. If I eject, the AI pilot takes over (and for some reason tries to fly toward jupiter). I think the next release needs to provide more support for those who want to make fleets of ships. (Also, AI wont obey my commands, it neither accepts nor rejects them).

smbarbour · Post by **smbarbour** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 9:34 pm

I'll ask this question: Has anyone EVER been able to tractor a ship back in after ejecting it? Anyone? Any ship?

providence2010 · Post by **providence2010** » Tue Jun 07, 2005 4:46 pm

Actually, I just got it to work finally. I'ts pretty amazing too. Now I have an aeris (some wierd glitch put it on atlantis) my Taizong (amazing rlaan fighter) and a few confed ships.

smbarbour · Post by **smbarbour** » Tue Jun 07, 2005 5:42 pm

What ship did you use?

sasKuach · Post by **sasKuach** » Sun Jun 26, 2005 8:29 pm

I'm curious where the other ships tried to go. As soon as I leave them, they haul ass and get away from me.

So how do you guys catch them? Even a fully loaded Plowshare is a nimble fighter compared to an empty Mule.

providence2010, how did you do it? I'm dying to know.

Rob

Elementlmage · Post by **Elementlmage** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 10:56 pm

Yes, please tell us, I want to know this too!

rubikcube · Post by **rubikcube** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 2:51 am

Still no solution? When I tell my wingman to form up ("F"), the keep constantly slightly behind me => can't tractor them in. An when I tell them to break the formation, they fly away way too fast...

Anyone here who can explain this in more detail, esp. if there's a restriction on the ships used?

Edit: Ok, so with the "home" key I managed to get close enough, I can even tractor it (a Robin) "into" my ship (a Mule), i.e. it is physically at the same place, intersecting with my ship, but logically it still is an independent ship, not added to my cargo. Any ideas?

Jaiz · Post by **Jaiz** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 4:56 am

You need an Ox (at least) with autotracking on it. You don't need a Heavy Tractor-Beam a regular one will do. Go at 0 velocity and turn to face them. If they get behind you push Shift+B to make them break formation and fly away. When you face them push Shift+F to make the fly towards you. When they are at about 3000 Meters you will suck them up.

Don't use the Home key because you will fly right past them.

And so concludes Jai's Tractor Beam Tutorial. Once you get used to it you'll be fine.

Have fun!

-Jai