egosoft.com

Tractor beam Range Mod.

Download http://circleofatlantis.com/games/X3/apricot.html

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Apricot Mapping Service.
Internal Memo.
From : Bob Derr (Chief Mechanic)
To : John Slice CEO
Subject : New Tractor Beam

John,

The new Tractor Beam is not up to specs.

They can only be mounted at present by M6 and TL ships, but the design of them seems to be expecting them to be mounted on a smaller ship that can get a lot closer to a roid or station.

In testing, the tow was found to be inherently unstable, and only a dead slow speed could be maintained. Continual reattachment is necessary to keep a tow moving.

We either ditch them or modify them to work.

Bob.


Apricot Mapping Service.
Internal Memo.
From : John Slice CEO
To : Bob Derr (Chief Mechanic)
Subject : New Tractor Beam

Bob, do what you have to, to make them work !

John.


Apricot Mapping Service.
Internal Memo.
From : Bob Derr (Chief Mechanic)
To : John Slice CEO
Subject : New Tractor Beam

John, I've extended the range of the beam and towing is now stable. The most difficult part is still attaching the tow in the right spot to avoid rotating the station or roid while moving, but once any movement ceases, the tow is now stable.

Tests are still ongoing to determine a safe top speed.

Bob.


Instructions :

Unzip the file into the x3\mods directory.

Then before starting X3, the select mod option will be available, click, then select the tractor beam range mod, and ok. Then start game normally.

To stop using it, select original in mods list, and restart game.

Note, this mod is already included in the Gunbus Heavy Transport Mod.

Download now available, sorry for the delay.

Does this interfere with any other mods?

Diablos wrote:Does this interfere with any other mods?

You can only run 1 mod (unless you use one as a patch). If you look at the 2 changes made, its easy to make the same changes within any other mod. Those changes wont affect anything else if you make them within another mod, since they just change the nature of a single gun.

Cant u make this into a script?

would be nicer that way

Krim wrote:Cant u make this into a script?
would be nicer that way

I wish.

Its jusy the way the modding/scripting was designed.

Oh well

ill just try adding it as a new patch and see if it will work

I merged it with the EMP mod and slapped it on as a 'false patch', going to see if it buggers anything.

Jakesnake5 wrote:I merged it with the EMP mod and slapped it on as a 'false patch', going to see if it buggers anything.

I'd be very surprised if it does.

Actually, its the sort of thing that should be added to the emp mod. imho

Jakesnake5 wrote:I merged it with the EMP mod and slapped it on as a 'false patch', going to see if it buggers anything.

If your using any weapon reballance modification it wont work. Thats really the only things that would break this mod being used as a false patch.

I don't 'rebalance' my weapons with any mod, I've gotten used to how they behave as they are.

Combining the EMP and this mod worked well. But I'm beginning to see why people complain about the TB's behavior.

I slapped a station I had (Silicon Mine) with this thing, and the 'rotation' that occures bugs me.

I lock onto the station (not the rock) part, and move back, it moves away (rotates), push and it tries to smack me (till I put to test the 3-4km range clearance).

It's the dumbest insanity I've ever heard of. and I haven't TRIED it with a station/complex not attached to a roid.

This would require a rewrite of the code concerning the TB. Though I did get my mine sitting straight up according to the ecliptic.

Jakesnake5 wrote: I lock onto the station (not the rock) part, and move back, it moves away (rotates), push and it tries to smack me (till I put to test the 3-4km range clearance).

Thats your problem. You dont aim at the station, you find the center of the rock, as indicated by the targetting.

You have to align and position your ship with the center of the roid, facing the direction you intend to go, then attach the tow, then move. If you got the alignment right, there is minimal movement of the roid.

Tad difficult with a Dragon as the only slots for the TB are on the front.

I did lock dead center and the stupid rock STILL rotated.

And I do know how to center. The trouble is, the rock is not a smooth sphere. and the TB doesn't HIT dead center, but is offset by where your TB is mounted. Even that slight offset can set the thing to spinning. (Haven't called in my Centaur since its slapping Rats in Mi Ton's to keep my UT's safe).

And of course, when the rock rotates the 'connection position' outside of the 500m window, you lose contact and the rock stop moving INSTANTLY (not glides to a halt). Not very realistic.

The only way iv found to get it to work is to increase ur speed very slowly (2m/s) (and wait for the distance from the station to stop increasing before increasing again), and also not using seta ever it ruins my towing every time!

I got killed by my own station yesterday because the 'roid decided to rotated after about 5-10 mins of stable towing, i was putting my feet up with a drink in hand expecting a long wait.

Btw apricotslice i love the way you do the threads like memos.

dannyporter4u wrote:Btw apricotslice i love the way you do the threads like memos.

Thankyou

I like to keep an ongoing 'character' going, in game and out.

The new Community Mod over at Xperiment will give the Apricot Mapping Service a home sector with a real HQ.

And the modified Tractor Beam will be on sale there, along with my Gunbus and Camel M6's.

New download site added.

Has anybody tried applying this mod to the DDRS Deadly Ships and Stations mod? That is the mod I use all the time now but the tractor beam is still freaking rediculous. It is completely unusable at this time.
Brian

Tiedyeguy wrote:Has anybody tried applying this mod to the DDRS Deadly Ships and Stations mod? That is the mod I use all the time now but the tractor beam is still freaking rediculous. It is completely unusable at this time.

I doubt you could use both mods together. They would overwrite each other.

There is a script now. Advanced Tractor Beam. http://forum2.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=149343

Why dont you request that DDRS add that tweak in ? (in its thread).