Lets make new people not crash!

Vigilantecow

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Oct 5, 2013
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Some Place Cold
moonquest.com
This has probably happened to some of you at one time or another (Probably the first time you went there), crashing into the moon. For some people who are new, the short amount of time given to slow down is hard to read all of that text, and I have seen multiple let's plays featuring galacticraft wherein the players worked hard to go to the moon, and then had an untimely death inside a crater
. While this may be a learning experience for some, like it was for me, it can be EXTREMELY frustrating, and downright horrible. I think the gravity experienced inside the Lander should be a lot less, and there should be a label telling you how far from the surface you are. This would help out new astronauts when it comes to landing on the Lunar surface.
 
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Space Viking

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I did actually watch MoonQuest during its live event. It was pretty unexpected and hilarious seeing Simon's anti-climatic feat of slamming right onto the Lunar surface. :D

I can't blame him though, since it's indeed quite easy as a beginner to be overwhelmed by the all flashing HUD information combined with the fact you only got about 10 seconds to react. For a starter, I think without a doubt the lander HUD should feature the same altitude gauge seen in the rocket HUD. Not only would that give the player a visual idea on how far he's from the surface, but also how quickly he's descending. It could be comparable to a simplified version of the game Lunar Lander.
 

Vigilantecow

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I did actually watch MoonQuest during its live event. It was pretty unexpected and hilarious seeing Simon's anti-climatic feat of slamming right onto the Lunar surface. :D

I can't blame him though, since it's indeed quite easy as a beginner to be overwhelmed by the all flashing HUD information combined with the fact you only got about 10 seconds to react. For a starter, I think without a doubt the lander HUD should feature the same altitude gauge seen in the rocket HUD. Not only would that give the player a visual idea on how far he's from the surface, but also how quickly he's descending. It could be comparable to a simplified version of the game Lunar Lander.
Yeah. I watched that livestream, but only up untill Simon found oil, so I never knew they actually made it to the Moon until I saw that video.
 

Ezer'Arch

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May 18, 2013
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Let's make new people not crash!
Yes. Some people were badly implemented. Due to bad installation of the code, they may come with bugs, segmentation failure or bad memory allocation.

Hey! We can try to debug them. But some bugfix can cause sudden shutdown or create new bugs and then make their system even more unstable. ;)
 

Dex Luther

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Aug 15, 2013
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Yes. Some people were badly implemented. Due to bad installation of the code, they may come with bugs, segmentation failure or bad memory allocation.

Hey! We can try to debug them. But some bugfix can cause sudden shutdown or create new bugs and then make their system even more unstable. ;)

Good one. It's also funny how the kids around here don't get it. Fun with grammar.

The issue with people crashing is probably more about how good their computer is rather than how new they are to GC.
 

Konker

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Mar 11, 2014
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The issue with people crashing is probably more about how good their computer is rather than how new they are to GC.

Or the server. Or connection. Or in my case happening across a video tutorial where there was no lander, only a parachute. And reading the official and unofficial wikis that strongly emphasize the parachute, but never mention anything about a lander.

The lander is a cool concept, but it does need to spawn in a stable orbit with a confirmation to begin decent - as well as visuals representing distance to the surface. A requirement to craft a lander and take it with the rocket would be helpful as well - it would not be such a surprise.

I actually made my first landing - but just barely. But then when having issues getting power to my fuel loader, I tried to pick it up without a tool - breaking it and leaving me with 32,000 units of fuel but no way to get it into the rocket. Didn't have complete material for a sustainable base on me that trip, but I did bring materials for a portal - that did not work. No prob, put my things in my rocket and took off my oxygen gear to end the bad dream. Apparently, landing on the moon sets a new spawn point - good to know. So all three methods I had available to return failed. And not only that, the spawn point is literally a few blocks to far away from my rocket to get back to my oxygen gear.

So, had a friend come to the moon - she crashed. Now she also spawns too far away to get to anything.

Crashing isn't really even a big problem - even if the lander decent is a total unexpected surprise, a crash is bearable and interactive landing with consequence is cool. The problem is that when spawn gets set to the moon - so whether it be through ignorance, incompetence or bad luck - getting stuck is permanent without either getting someone else to take the same risk, or accessing the server configuration files.

My suggestions:
-Craft a lander as part of the rocket.
-Prompt for lander decent rather than spawning into the middle of it
-Do not automatically set a spawn point on the moon <---This is one that feels like it breaks the game.

Fantastic mod anyways up to that point - hoping the server admin will get my spawn fixed so I can try out the rest!
 
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Or the server. Or connection. Or in my case happening across a video tutorial where there was no lander, only a parachute. And reading the official and unofficial wikis that strongly emphasize the parachute, but never mention anything about a lander.

The lander is a cool concept, but it does need to spawn in a stable orbit with a confirmation to begin decent - as well as visuals representing distance to the surface. A requirement to craft a lander and take it with the rocket would be helpful as well - it would not be such a surprise.

I actually made my first landing - but just barely. But then when having issues getting power to my fuel loader, I tried to pick it up without a tool - breaking it and leaving me with 32,000 units of fuel but no way to get it into the rocket. Didn't have complete material for a sustainable base on me that trip, but I did bring materials for a portal - that did not work. No prob, put my things in my rocket and took off my oxygen gear to end the bad dream. Apparently, landing on the moon sets a new spawn point - good to know. So all three methods I had available to return failed. And not only that, the spawn point is literally a few blocks to far away from my rocket to get back to my oxygen gear.

So, had a friend come to the moon - she crashed. Now she also spawns too far away to get to anything.

Crashing isn't really even a big problem - even if the lander decent is a total unexpected surprise, a crash is bearable and interactive landing with consequence is cool. The problem is that when spawn gets set to the moon - so whether it be through ignorance, incompetence or bad luck - getting stuck is permanent without either getting someone else to take the same risk, or accessing the server configuration files.

My suggestions:
-Craft a lander as part of the rocket.
-Prompt for lander decent rather than spawning into the middle of it
-Do not automatically set a spawn point on the moon <---This is one that feels like it breaks the game.

Fantastic mod anyways up to that point - hoping the server admin will get my spawn fixed so I can try out the rest!
Ägum i think its an good idea to post this as an suggestion ;)
 

Space Viking

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Jun 30, 2013
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-snip-

My suggestions:
-Craft a lander as part of the rocket.
-Prompt for lander decent rather than spawning into the middle of it
-Do not automatically set a spawn point on the moon <---This is one that feels like it breaks the game.

Since the lander is supposedly a module, I wouldn't mind it to be crafted separately. Being clearly based on the historic Lunar Orbit Rendezvous method and that the detailed lander model also features what resembles RCS thrusters, I'm wondering myself if docking maneuvers in space has been considered. Of course, it could just be purely meant as aesthetics.

On the other hand, I could also favor a variant based on the more simple profile of a direct-ascent landing.

Eitherway, I do agree that the player should be allowed engaging the landing sequence when he's ready. Right now it is feeling pretty unfair for it to start at the same time as the world has begun loading.

I've also designed a concept image based on my suggestion involving a HUD adjustment for the lander:


hied5cvl.jpg


To the left there's a gauge indicating your current altitude along with a visual representation of your total descent. I think this could help giving the player an idea of how quickly he's approaching the surface.

As a bonus I've also added to the top right a concept of how a fuel gauge could look like if it was featured. This would depend on if it would be desirable that the lander could ascend if you apply enough thrust.

Note that this concept image does assume the possibility of the moon's skybox receiving an high altitude texture.
 
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Jan 8, 2014
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Since the lander is supposedly a module, I wouldn't mind it to be crafted separately. Being clearly based on the historic Lunar Orbit Rendezvous method and that the detailed lander model also features what resembles RCS thrusters, I'm wondering myself if docking maneuvers in space has been considered. Of course, it could just be purely meant as aesthetics.

On the other hand, I could also favor a variant based on the more simple profile of a direct-ascent landing.

Eitherway, I do agree that the player should be allowed engaging the landing sequence when he's ready. Right now it is feeling pretty unfair for it to start at the same time as the world has begun loading.

I've also designed a concept image based on my suggestion involving a HUD adjustment for the lander:


hied5cvl.jpg


To the left there's a gauge indicating your current altitude along with a visual representation of your total descent. I think this could help giving the player an idea of how quickly he's approaching the surface.

As a bonus I've also added to the top right a concept of how a fuel gauge could look like if it was featured. This would depend on if it would be desirable that the lander could ascend if you apply enough thrust.

Note that this concept image does assume the possibility of the moon's skybox receiving an high altitude texture.
Would be cool!
 

Konker

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Mar 11, 2014
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Ok - I need to update my story with additional suggestions....

So far, I land on the moon & break my fuel loader. Friend crashes trying to save me. Our spawn points are too far away to recover extra oxygen gear from my rocket/lander. Well...

She brought everything we could need on the moon and then some. We have a mod that leaves a "grave" with a dead players inventory, so cool, we can recover everything once we can get oxygen gear to get back to the crash site. So, I got a server admin to reset my spawn to Overworld, got back to my base, built a new rocket, loader, etc... and I take off back to the moon to rescue ourselves. I am landing exactly where I first landed, which is exactly where she crashed, which is now a deep crater filled with at least 6-9 mobs fighting over the block I am going to land on. So, I land "safely" in the bottom of this crater, but of course, after three creeper explosions the "grave" of my friend is gone along with all that inventory. The landing site is now not only a crash deep, but three more creepers deep as well - exposing it to underground cave systems that seem to have mobs day and night. I built a flat area above the crater - hopefully it will suit future landings(crashes?). Any future landings would have been really, really bad - likely making the crater even deeper with each landing.

So, additional suggestions...
-Have mobs either not aggro until after exiting the lander (looks like mobs aggro to the landing spot as soon as the moon loads), or have lander squish mobs under it, or have lander thrusters burn/knock back mobs under it. Or allow an option to wait in orbit until daylight before descending in the lander. *Edit: ....Or add a "clock" for the moon.
-Vary the landing location a little bit - maybe every visit, maybe just each player, maybe relative to overworld launch coordinates. Maybe a craftable "landing pad" for future landings. Or allow the lander to move a bit on decent. Landing in the same location seems to be problematic - at least after a crash or creeper welcoming party.
-An Overworld "landing pad" could be good as well. Not sure what the return location rules are, but on my return trip I landed a short ways east and south of my take-off - right on the edge of a tall tree-covered cliff. As I am going up to get to the parachest stuck in a tree, I did not see the creeper coming down the cliff that beat me to it. BOOM!

Having really bad luck with this mod so far. But I will probably build a 4th rocket and try again. Nothing else could possibly go wrong, right?
 
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Vigilantecow

Member
Oct 5, 2013
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moonquest.com
Yes. Some people were badly implemented. Due to bad installation of the code, they may come with bugs, segmentation failure or bad memory allocation.

Hey! We can try to debug them. But some bugfix can cause sudden shutdown or create new bugs and then make their system even more unstable. ;)
I was more refering to making it more obvious how to land, but bugfixes always help everything! (Except for that wolf update..... *shudders*)
 

Space Viking

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Jun 30, 2013
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Yes. Some people were badly implemented. Due to bad installation of the code, they may come with bugs, segmentation failure or bad memory allocation.

Hey! We can try to debug them. But some bugfix can cause sudden shutdown or create new bugs and then make their system even more unstable. ;)
I was more refering to making it more obvious how to land, but bugfixes always help everything! (Except for that wolf update..... *shudders*)

We can always compromise: delete the feature people and replace it with a robotic system that removes the margins of human error. :)

-Do not automatically set a spawn point on the moon <---This is one that feels like it breaks the game.

When I'm thinking of it and how current game mechanics work, I'd imagine the spawn could be bound to the lander. That way if you are stranded, you could ironically resort to destroying it as a mean of resetting your spawn.

-Have mobs either not aggro until after exiting the lander (looks like mobs aggro to the landing spot as soon as the moon loads), or have lander squish mobs under it, or have lander thrusters burn/knock back mobs under it.

I've always wondered myself how hostile mobs should behave when you are inside the lander. I presume they should either not aggro you or possibly be capable of destroying it based on a hit-point system. Eitherway, I do love the idea of squishing any unfortunate mobs that would happen to be beneath your descending lander. :cool:

Or allow an option to wait in orbit until daylight before descending in the lander. *Edit: ....Or add a "clock" for the moon.

Actually, you can directly observe what time it's on the moon by observing it's current phase (full moon= day/new moon=night). It's not a clarified feature, but it's there. A future manual (whether it's ingame or on the internet) could help clarifying this to newbies. In relevance to this, I did also make a suggestion further elaborating this concept with planetary phases: http://forum.micdoodle8.com/index.php?threads/planetary-phases.3492/

-Vary the landing location a little bit - maybe every visit, maybe just each player, maybe relative to overworld launch coordinates. Maybe a craftable "landing pad" for future landings. Or allow the lander to move a bit on decent. Landing in the same location seems to be problematic - at least after a crash or creeper welcoming party.
-An Overworld "landing pad" could be good as well. Not sure what the return location rules are, but on my return trip I landed a short ways east and south of my take-off - right on the edge of a tall tree-covered cliff. As I am going up to get to the parachest stuck in a tree, I did not see the creeper coming down the cliff that beat me to it. BOOM!

I do like the idea of unpredictable landing spots not relative to your launch coordinates. By deriving the mechanics used by the unmanned Cargo Rocket, it could also enable manned precision landings I'd imagine.
 

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