Issues

Starshatter: The Gathering Storm extends the classic space sim by combining fighter and starship combat in a single dynamic campaign game.
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Moriartie
Posts: 104
Joined: Fri Dec 29, 2006 6:46 pm

Issues

Post by Moriartie »

Ok, I have some issues with this game. I remember trying StarShatter 4.X a looong time ago and wanting to get into it, but generally find it just plain not nice. It seems Version 5 also has some problems.

There are some "bugs" in here too.


1) Basic Flight Training mission - WHAT IS GOING ON? The guy gives me instructions much faster than I can follow them. Not only that he gives instructions in the wrong order. He shouldn't be telling me about auto-nav before I've been told how to alter my speed (which happens after waypoint 2!).

2) Why does the trainer tell me to press N (I think it's N it may be M it's not clear) to brake? It brings up the nav map. Looking at the control config I can't actually find a braking key. There's only Shift-X for all-stop. So how do I slow down without tactical shift-x use?

3) The tilde key doesn't elicit any form of response whatsoever within SS 5.01. It works fine everywhere else: ````` see. Shift-Tilde: ¬¬¬¬ and even AltGr-Tild ¦¦¦
Tilde isn't even detected in the hotkey configeration menu. I had to remap to F11 to get mouse steering.

4) Landing has issues. It's set to "standard". The first time I tried landing I was just hovering in the bay with my gear down. Do I have to actually be touching the deck? Makes sense. Except that I then moved forward and pointed downward. Ended up with about half of my fighter poking "through" the bottom of the deck. Yet it still wasn't landed. Very irksome.
Also - DO NOT force the player to use your view. I tried changing back to in-cockpit view but then the game forced me back to the in-hanger view a few milliseconds later, which I find useless to me (you can't actually see how far from the deck your fighter is). If the player wants to change views, LET HIM/HER.

5) When it shows "docking complete" shouldn't the player lose all control of the fighter? I can still turn it around with mouse control which just looks silly.

That'll do for now. It only took me about 4 attempts to complete that first training mission. I invariably get them first time with most other games.


Oh, and when I click "Tac Resources" from the main menu it spends a full 50-60 seconds loading as well as hogging 300MB of RAM. Wouldn't it be better to only load ships/weapons in the database when the user clicks them? Also, the RAM the TAC thing uses isn't freed when you exit TAC and go back into the game. Not sure if that's intentionall or not.

Bug: I have F11 setup for my mouse steering on/off. It was defauted to chatting or something but that I've removed.
So how come on Training mission2 when I press F11 on/off a few times the planet moves? Really it moves. The fighters in front of me stay where they are but the planet is right next to me on minute, a press it a few more times it appears in front! Press it again and it disappears. It seems to go around me counter-clockwise (from the top). It's a little... disturbing.

Graphical bug: The planet turns yellow occasionally. GeForce 440MX (yes old card :) ).

Bug2: Mouse wheel doesn't always work for throttle. I launch, I try to use it, nothing. A few mins later, it's working. Irrespective of whether mouse control is on/off. Odd.
Krasny
Posts: 315
Joined: Wed Jul 02, 2003 10:03 pm

RE: Issues

Post by Krasny »

1. speaking as a noob, i generally took two goes per training mission, print out the key guide on page 113-4

2. 'N' is the navigation map, you alter waypoints etc

3. dunno what that key does, try remapping

4. yeah, landing is silly, but try heeping a speed of 50-100 and you will be fine

5. see 4.

a joystick is prolly the best way of controlling, or steer with mouse and use keyboard to throttle


Moriartie
Posts: 104
Joined: Fri Dec 29, 2006 6:46 pm

RE: Issues

Post by Moriartie »

Thanks for the reply but it's not too helpful:

1) You can see the controls just fine in-game. Escape then Option 4.
2) I know what the N key does, I wanted to know how the heck I'm supposed to break.
3) That key allows switching between mouse steering and non-mouse steering. Thus I did re-map.

5) This is not related to landing. It's really a bug. You shouldn't be able to move the spacecraft after it says "docking complete".


Oh, and could someone explain HOW I'm supposed to land on a planet? Because I've made about 5 attempts and they all ended in fiery explosions. I've played a couple of flight sims before, but I simply cannot land on a planet in this game. At least 3 of those attempts were with "easier" landings on.

Oh, and I don't have a joystick. :)
Kuokkanen
Posts: 3752
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2004 1:16 pm

RE: Issues

Post by Kuokkanen »

ORIGINAL: Moriartie

Oh, and could someone explain HOW I'm supposed to land on a planet? Because I've made about 5 attempts and they all ended in fiery explosions. I've played a couple of flight sims before, but I simply cannot land on a planet in this game.
I found landing to be much alike with other fighter simulation games (Falcon 3 and F-14 Fleet Defender). If Starshatter 5 don't have training mission with proper instructions for landing, download Starshatter 3.9.4 (it's demo).
You know what they say, don't you? About how us MechWarriors are the modern knights, how warfare has become civilized now that we have to abide by conventions and rules of war. Don't believe it.

MekWars
Papi
Posts: 54
Joined: Sat Mar 05, 2005 6:33 pm

RE: Issues

Post by Papi »

It's the "End" key, not the "N" key. Why don't you guys let autopilot ("shift-m") do the docking? I would (and do) if I was living in the time of Starshatter timeline. LOL!
Moriartie
Posts: 104
Joined: Fri Dec 29, 2006 6:46 pm

RE: Issues

Post by Moriartie »

End key? Hmmm. "Translate Aft". Suppose that makes sense.
Wouldn't end up confusing me if it said "Brake" though. :-)

Shift-M - autodock - So it does. Thanks. :-D
Of course, I just tested it and it spent about 5 mins buzzing around before actually bothering to try and dock.
Of course, on the down side - noting how poorly the AI does docking the AI fighters I'm not sure I want to trust it with my own carcass. :-?

Thanks lots. :-D
Kuokkanen
Posts: 3752
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2004 1:16 pm

RE: Issues

Post by Kuokkanen »

ORIGINAL: Moriartie

Of course, I just tested it and it spent about 5 mins buzzing around before actually bothering to try and dock.
Let me guess: you wasn't only pilot who wanted to land and you were put on line [;)]
You know what they say, don't you? About how us MechWarriors are the modern knights, how warfare has become civilized now that we have to abide by conventions and rules of war. Don't believe it.

MekWars
Moriartie
Posts: 104
Joined: Fri Dec 29, 2006 6:46 pm

RE: Issues

Post by Moriartie »

Let me guess: you wasn't only pilot who wanted to land and you were put on line
Doubtfull as the ILS was already up when I engaged shift-M.
Kuokkanen
Posts: 3752
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2004 1:16 pm

RE: Issues

Post by Kuokkanen »

ILS mode is activated when requesting landing, regardless is there queue or not. Keep eye on radio messages, they give info about landing procedures.
You know what they say, don't you? About how us MechWarriors are the modern knights, how warfare has become civilized now that we have to abide by conventions and rules of war. Don't believe it.

MekWars
Moriartie
Posts: 104
Joined: Fri Dec 29, 2006 6:46 pm

RE: Issues

Post by Moriartie »

ILS mode is activated when requesting landing, regardless is there queue or not.
Are you sure? Because I had several landings requested where ILS wasn't activated and I assumed it was because there were other ships "ahead" of me.
Kuokkanen
Posts: 3752
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2004 1:16 pm

RE: Issues

Post by Kuokkanen »

Well... no, I'm not sure. You may be talking about Starshatter 5, I was talking about Starshatter 4.5 and I assumed this feature is common for both versions (like campaigns are). On the other hand, in 4.5 it don't always switch on ILS and it might be bug. Anyways keep eye on radio messages, they tell you are you in queue and when you can land.
You know what they say, don't you? About how us MechWarriors are the modern knights, how warfare has become civilized now that we have to abide by conventions and rules of war. Don't believe it.

MekWars
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