autopilot orbiting

[Nigel Strange]

I find that when I use autopilot to get somewhere, be it a ship or a wormhole, I get close to it, but then I just start orbiting it. The autonav doesn't take me straight to my target, but seems to put me in orbit around it. I continually face it, but I circle it, and can't get closer.

In order to actually get to my destination, despite this Xenotic behavior, I have to shut off autopilot, bring the ship to a complete stop, and then accelerate directly toward the target, during which time (which is considerable) I'm a floating duck for any laser-toting maniacs that seem to fill the vacuum of space.

This seems new since .50. I didn't have this issue with 0.4x.

[loki1950]

Sounds like a velocity mis-match try the match velocity to target key "Home" before you engage the auto-pilot.I have not encountered this expect in Sol where all the system objects have a high angular velocity.

Enjoy the Choice

[Hern]

I know this is resurrecting a dead thread but.. To work around this issue I lock on to my destination and accelerate (set acceleration to max and use thrusters and do not use autopilot... yet) until you have reached at least 200 (in a lama) and check the cameras to ensure you are fully clear of the station ( to avoid autopilot clearing the station at a 90 degree angle off course ) and then spec to your destination. If you clear the station and the navigation computer still maneuvers the ship off destination target, stop the autopilot and accelerate to max speed directly towards the destination and then SPEC.

It seems that autopilot alters the course to ensure that you do not collide with the object that you are launching from as well as avoiding gravity wells, problem seems to be that your speed and vector ( direction you were going before SPECing ) are maintained when you arrive at your destination and this is especially a problem when letting the navigation computer correct your direction. You circle the object when this happens because you are pointing towards your objective while your ship is actually flying past it and not towards it ( especially troublesome when extremely overloaded ) and your thrusters will just make you circle while pointed towards your destination. If this happens, select your starting point and point your ship towards it and use thrusters to stop ( or nearly stop ), this will save you 30mins of agony trying to hit your jump point or dock with the station you are circling.

[loki1950]

Good workaround Hern what we had to do before the introduction of the auto-pilot the auto-pilot masks the inertia so you kinda forget about it.

Enjoy the Choice

[Hern]

Was guessing as much. Doesn't work with multiple jumps too well though.. You have to find a place to stop SPECing and get your speed and vector under control in between jumps and just might have to rack up a few kills in the process or do it as soon as you finish jumping in if no hostiles are present . The later ships seem to have enough acceleration or a combo of low enough top speed + greater mass to help make the overloaded problem easier to deal with. Too bad no reverse thrusters ( even as an option to purchase ) or having a speed listed on your current vector ( used for currently faced direction or the direction you want to go ) so you can better control inertia.

[loki1950]

Some chatter about adding a vector indication to the HUD but if you use a mouse for control the shape of the cursor indicates some info about your vector if the cursor is not a circle you are under acceleration.

Enjoy the Choice