How to use an SRV, (FULLY explained!).

[𝕊𝕋𝕌ℝ𝕄-𝕂𝔸𝕋]

There may well already be something like this buried away in the dusty pages of steam or other forums, but I thought I'd post this for the benefit of any new players currently stuck and possibly coming across this in a google search;

There are a number of things one needs to understand so as to be able to perform surface mining and reconnoiter planet-side, which frankly not many "You-tube tutorials" go into great detail. Things that are pretty much essential to know;

I was confronted with confusion and bewilderment the first time I tried to use the SRV. However, 2nd time around, the planet I had selected seemed to reveal all its goodies to me once I'd scanned it from orbit, using the DSS (Detailed Surface Scanner), which you have to purchase and fit it in your ship's 'Optional Internal' bays. I have a feeling this is not entirely necessary to do, however it does help in detailing the planet and its content, so.. up to you. In the 'Out-fitting' section, when in a station that offers the service, the 'Optional Internal' bays are where you also purchase and fit an SRV into your ship.
NOTE: YOU NEED 'ELITE: HORIZONS' DLC, (but NOT the srv pack- that's just for paint jobs etc for the SRV), TO LAND ON PLANETS AND HAVE SRVs IN YOUR GAME.
One method of launching Horizons, is to go to Steam Library, right click on Elite: Dangerous in Games list, then double click on 'Play Elite Dangerous: Horizons'. This will launch the 'blue' launcher, the Horizons game version. (It's all a mess tbh, but that's greedy Corporate Capitalism for you).

Buying/fitting the SRV

OK, so, at a station:
Out-fitting>Optional Internal slots> Select small slot (class 2 usually)>buying options>Vehicle Hangar. Buy one. (If the Station doesn't support the tech, go to another system or a High-Tech system, you will not be disappointed there). Now, having bought the Vehicle hangar, you will notice a class-1 sub-slot appear in your list of Optional Internal slots, below the Vehicle Hangar slot, that wasn't there before. Click it and then use it to fit an SRV bay. Go to 'Purchase options' again and then buy this SRV bay for that sub-slot. Don't make the mistake of thinking that because you have to buy a Vehicle hangar and THEN an SRV bay, that it's going to use up two slots. An SRV bay option appears as an en-suite sub-slot for the Vehicle Hangar as soon as you buy this Hangar.

Landing/Deployment of SRV

You're ship's now loaded with an SRV and you've surveyed a potential candidate planet to mine materiel from. OK. Once entered planetary landing sequence re-entry, try to land in a fairly interesting, diverse-looking area, with different colours or features, preferably away from the night-time terminator line, (land on the sunny side), so that you can see easier.

Click Middle mouse (default) to free-look and look down into your lap, there you see your HUD for deploying the SRV. Space bar )default) to select the SRV, (assuming you have bought a bay and fitted one in your optional internal slot!), and then select deploy SRV. I'll go over the scanner and driving. First, let's get to know the driving controls, then will go over the scanner:

Driving SRV

You will be underneath your Vessel, in your SRV and automatically, the surface anomaly scanner will be active, showing all manner of messy lines, and, if you hear close enough, making noises as well!

Now. Once you have mastered the wacky, (but understandably and well figured out), controls for the SRV, you can drive the thing. Space bar boosts you slightly into the air and WASD keys alter pitch and roll slightly while in the air. The effectiveness of that pitching while airborne depends upon planetary gravity.

You will at this point be completely oblivious to the fact that the control keys you are usually familiar with do not apply in the SRV. They are there, but a different layout and knowing these functions is the key, (ahem), to figuring out how to operate this little devil. So:

• 'E' is accelerate, 'Q' is reverse. 'A'=left, 'D'=right. Holding down the keys increases the velocity and strength of the force applied. Press the opposite key to come to a stop. Make sure to familliarise yourself with the central radar screen, just on the right edge of the radar shows your thrust and its direction.

• 'U' key will switch you from Turret/Cockpit view.

You can still drive the SRV and maneuver it around, but you will be facing where the turret points. (Think of driving a Tank in GTA, same process). This is useful in certain situations because it can offer a tactical perspective of view whilst navigating ditches etc or engaging multiple enemies whilst remaining mobile.

• 'LEFT MOUSE' button fires the SRV's weapon system, which is also used for breaking open mineral nodes, (the goodies!). 'RIGHT MOUSE' button is the default 'Target' key to press to target an object

(primarily nodes of goodies and the goodies themselves, but also enemy targets as well). NOTE: Be aware the ammunition for the weapon only carries a finite amount of ammo, whilst deployed on the surface. (to be updated): I suspect you have to go back to the ship to reload, but need to prove this.

• HOME key is default for Cargo Scoop

But I have mine set as 'C' key. Deploy the Cargo Scoop, then simply drive over the piece of material in order to harvest it. That's about it. Circle around or reverse to gather more objects, bearing in mind to target each one first, (I really don't know why this is necessary, but sadly, it is).

TIP: If you are struggling to find the pieces of materiel, you can target them individually, the same way as when identifying local ships in flight, using your nav' HUD, (to the left),- look left, at HUD, select "contacts" and then you will see all the nearby objects before your very eyes, select at will and then they are targeted for engagement.

NOTE: Remember, you cannot pick up materials / objects unless they are targeted first!!! Also, the SRV can hold a MAXIMUM of TWO (IKR) 2 pieces of cargo, (you will find cargo in places). When full, just transfer it to your ship cargo manifest by driving under your ship, lining up with the SRV bay and interacting with the lap HUD (look down into your lap to see that HUD, yes, that one).

Understanding the SRV HUD

In front of you as you know by now, is the radar and the scanner. The scanner shows different objects by a spectrum layout. Anomalies that show up on radar returns can be shown on approximately 3 distinct levels:

Low-lying objects, primarily the minerals and rocks etc, will show up at the bottom of the radar scanner screen (that curved radar screen emmitting signals from left to right).

Medium-sized to Large objects will respectively appear as a thicker, higher bands of 'noise' appearing on the radar 'scanner' bar.

Now, here's the thing about this; when you see just a mess on your screen, don't panic or don't worry that you're not going to understand it, it DOES get easier to interpret the further ahead you drive. Simply look for the 'mess' growing more concentrated on the radar scanner and remember to turn into the direction of the signals, nice and simple. Keep driving on straight ahead, adjusting as necessary in order to keep the images centralized in the radar scanner bar. EVENTUALLY, you will start to see the 'mess' of noise start to concentrate itself and the SOUND of the radar returns will become more distinct and louder, more clearer. You now know that you are onto something.

At first, it was difficult to gauge any sense of scale, not knowing whether I'd gone past it, or if it was much further ahead. You will know by simple trial and error. You can, of course, practice with your ship. IT will show a large bar of noise on the scanner, and to get a feel for the range, you can see the ship identify itself on your 360 degree radar screen, when it gets in range. Compare that with how the 'noise-bands' appear on the radar return screen.

• 'Page Up' / 'Page Down' keys alter the scale of zoom on your 360 degree radar field.

Using this can help locate the objects that you might already see as 'noise' on the radar scanner bar, but don't yet spot in real-space on the surface ahead.

I really hope this helps. Happy hunting!

Vehicle Hangar Info[elite-dangerous.fandom.com]

Elite Dangerous: Horizons - Quick Start Guide[community.elitedangerous.com]

[grapplehoeker]

Why post that here? Is it a discussion topic?
Do you want it buried and forgotten within a couple of weeks?
Use it and create a Guide. Then post the Guide in the Workshop/Guides section instead.
https://steamcommunity.com/app/359320/guides/
Try to make sure your guide has something to offer that similar guides there already do not, such as this one for example,
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=640949154

[𝕊𝕋𝕌ℝ𝕄-𝕂𝔸𝕋]

Publicado originalmente por grapplehoeker:

Why post that here? Is it a discussion topic?
Do you want it buried and forgotten within a couple of weeks?
Use it and create a Guide. Then post the Guide in the Workshop/Guides section instead.

Thanks for the comment :)
Yeah lots of people have still found operating the SRV very confusing and it would be great as a guide, AND also a discussion topic on using the SRV and allowing others to perhaps add to it! (like you have just done that's why.)

Think of it as a dynamic discussion that helps others. heh

[HamakiBCN2]

Publicado originalmente por 𝕊𝕋𝕌ℝ𝕄-𝕂𝔸𝕋:

Publicado originalmente por grapplehoeker:

Why post that here? Is it a discussion topic?
Do you want it buried and forgotten within a couple of weeks?
Use it and create a Guide. Then post the Guide in the Workshop/Guides section instead.

Thanks for the comment :)
Yeah lots of people have still found operating the SRV very confusing and it would be great as a guide, AND also a discussion topic on using the SRV and allowing others to perhaps add to it! (like you have just done that's why.)

Think of it as a dynamic discussion that helps others. heh :104:

Speaking of a dynamic discussion, the part about the radar signals is completely wrong.It has nothing to do with the size of the object.

The lower band of the scanner is for natural rock formations (broncite, mesosiderite, outcrops, metorites)

The middle band is for MANMADE objects (skimmers, cargo conteianers, etc)

The higher band is for Datapoints (probes, downed satellites)

In more detail: https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threads/tool-srv-wave-scanner-object-identifier.223453/page-4#lg=_xfUid-1-1566557103&slide=0 (note: could be outdated)

(there used to be a yool at wavescanner.net but seems to be down now)

For even more detail: https://elite-dangerous.fandom.com/wiki/Wave_Scanner

[GC13]

Publicado originalmente por Patterner:

useless. you cannot just "drive over the crap" to collect it

Did you try deploying your cargo scoop and targeting the thing you want to pick up, like the guide said? Did you consider not replying to a thread no one had posted in for almost two and a half years?