Hover pack needs some improvement.

[Dog]

Its too slow, needs more reach to get its power, also needs an air brake. Im always drifting slowly after "stopping". Also needs to be unlocked earlier.

[Dog]

Originally posted by Wolfgang:

Originally posted by Dog:

Interesting? Id prefer it to be useful. Slowly gliding sideways is extremely annoying. Needing to be less than 15 feet away from a power point is too limiting. When attempting to use it for movement its agonizingly too slow. It may as well not even be in the game as it currently is. Especially after turbo fuel will be usable in the jetpack the hoverpack will be even more lackluster.

If you want to use the Hover Pack for fast traversal of space then you are using it wrong. It is more for slow precise movement to build your factory while the jetpack is for traversal of an area and to aid in exploring.

I do want it for building, but its self defeating when you need to lay down a power network first to be able to use it properly, especially when considering its tiny power reach. It doesnt even have the reach of 1/2 a power pole max length. It simply isnt good enough to justify how late its unlock is.

[Nikoli Voldkif]

Originally posted by Dog:

I do want it for building, but its self defeating when you need to lay down a power network first to be able to use it properly, especially when considering its tiny power reach. It doesnt even have the reach of 1/2 a power pole max length. It simply isnt good enough to justify how late its unlock is.

Okay, I think this is where you are misunderstanding. The Hoverpack is for Intrafactory building not Interfactory building. It's primary use is when you are building in your factories in which case your going to have plenty of power connections to tap off of. In those situations you'll rarely if ever come close to the distance limit. And when you have an eight-story factory with 300+ machines in it and all the accompanying belts the hoverpack is an absolute god send. I don't even think that my main factory is navigable without one.

The jetpack however is for long distance travel and from scratch new factory building aid. If you need to get somewhere you don't have infrastructure, built yet then the Jetpack is your go too travel item. I have both the hoverpack and jetpack on my character at all times for this very reason.

As for the hoverpack drift, If your not coming to a stop while in the air. That is most likely something in your setup, a control or input configuration change somewhere. I regularly hover in the air over a new factory and can get up grab something to eat and come back and I am in the same location.

[Dog]

I know what things are for. I also know that building at a new location would be a lot easier with the hoverpack if it wasnt so limited. Its barely good enough when constructing a new place. Mainly because of its limited power reach. If only that were increased it would be far better. As it is though its mediocre at best.

[Wolfgang]

Originally posted by Dog:

I know what things are for. I also know that building at a new location would be a lot easier with the hoverpack if it wasnt so limited. Its barely good enough when constructing a new place. Mainly because of its limited power reach. If only that were increased it would be far better. As it is though its mediocre at best.

It has been said already: The hoverpack is for building in an existing factory and not in an area for a brand new one.

[Dog]

Originally posted by Wolfgang:

Originally posted by Dog:

I know what things are for. I also know that building at a new location would be a lot easier with the hoverpack if it wasnt so limited. Its barely good enough when constructing a new place. Mainly because of its limited power reach. If only that were increased it would be far better. As it is though its mediocre at best.

It has been said already: The hoverpack is for building in an existing factory and not in an area for a brand new one.

So its useless then, like I said. I dont need it in a place thats COMEPLETE. I want to use it for building. But as it currently is its not nearly as helpful as it could be.

[geofraynils]

Originally posted by Dog:

The choices for the way it functions just dont make any sense. Why let it drift? Why is the power reach so short?

Overpack perfectly have logic sense based on physic mecanics, maybe not that much realist based on real calulation but i didn't made the calcation to check if it's true or not. As i feel, it feet weel the knowledge of how physic works. What you call drift is inertia and is perfectly well done. I don't think it need any change, except bugs correction if there are.
For any seed issue you have, use your conveyor belt as a launcher will get you more speed. It will also extend the distance you can reach with.

[geofraynils]

Originally posted by Dog:

So its useless then, like I said. I dont need it in a place thats COMEPLETE. I want to use it for building. But as it currently is its not nearly as helpful as it could be.

Use the electric hower pack (don't know its exact name in english sry). This will allow you to maintain at certain level as long as you have enough power near you. With a well built factory and energy system, you should be able to fly everywhere without any concern.

[Bookslayer10]

Originally posted by Dog:

Originally posted by Wolfgang:

It has been said already: The hoverpack is for building in an existing factory and not in an area for a brand new one.

So its useless then, like I said. I dont need it in a place thats COMEPLETE. I want to use it for building. But as it currently is its not nearly as helpful as it could be.

Just because you already have power in an area doesn't mean that you have finished every single construction project there. If you simply lay out your power grid beforehand by using celing nodes, you can fly anywhere in your construction site as you lay all your manufacturing out. If you want to build a factory completely from scratch, then you should use a jetpack initially until you have the basic infrastructure down, and then switch to the hover pack.

Also, did you know that you get increased interact distance when flying with the hover pack? You can press E on machines from further away, which can be quite convenient.

[Dog]

Yeah the increased interact reach is very nice, I do like that. It just requires too much prework to be good. Gotta put down power points much closer than I normally would. Which then means I have to go back and delete things. Or attach power to every machine as soon as its placed. Annoying. When normally I like to build a crap ton of whatever machine, get all the belts right etc. The last step is connecting power.

[Bookslayer10]

Originally posted by Dog:

Yeah the increased interact reach is very nice, I do like that. It just requires too much prework to be good. Gotta put down power points much closer than I normally would. Which then means I have to go back and delete things. Or attach power to every machine as soon as its placed. Annoying. When normally I like to build a crap ton of whatever machine, get all the belts right etc. The last step is connecting power.

Well, if you just adapt, and build power before everything else, then you'll have a powerful new tool to use. Something as strong as the power pack really ought to require thinking and planning to use properly. If you don't need to plan around it, then it would be boring and the same user experience as just turning on flight cheats.

Like, the first time I unlocked the jetpack and got fuel for it, I was thrown off by how limited the flight time was. I expected creative mode, and I got something that was hard to use. However, I went on to learn how to control the pack, what it's strengths were, how to design bases with its travel length, and to leave fuel to break a long fall. It was much more fun in the end than a simple creative mode emulator.

The hoverpack is the same experience, so both of them should be left as they are.

[Dog]

Na, its supposed to be a boon to help build bigger and better but its far too limited. Having to prebuild a bunch of crap just to use the hoverpack defeats the purpose of the benefit is supposed to provide. All it really needs is farther reaching power range. The speed, the drift, the loss of inertia, I could ignore those if i didnt need to be so close. Its easier to just build a ladder, place all the crap Im doing from that and then take down the ladder than to put a bunch of power all over the place far closer than I need it for production just to gain the same vantage point.

[God of Snacks]

we'll have to see what the upcoming changes to power poles brings too. Maybe the Pylons or some secret other power relay (substations?) have an increased radius for hover packs.

[Dog]

Originally posted by God of Snacks:

we'll have to see what the upcoming changes to power poles brings too. Maybe the Pylons or some secret other power relay (substations?) have an increased radius for hover packs.

If they will i dont remember seeing that stated in the QoL vid. Would be nice.

[Bookslayer10]

Originally posted by Dog:

Na, its supposed to be a boon to help build bigger and better but its far too limited. Having to prebuild a bunch of crap just to use the hoverpack defeats the purpose of the benefit is supposed to provide.

But you don't even need the hoverpack to add in the power systems it needs. Simply building a celing and then running power lines along the bottom doesn't need flight. All it needs is a chance in what you normally do, if you don't already. You could even use a blueprint to save the specific pattern of nodes on the celing and reduce the hassle of connecting them up.

And even if you need flight to set up the basic infrastructure first, you can't deny that the hoverpack is very useful once you do get the power lines down. Just use a jetpack at first, and switch to the hoverpack once you get the basics out of the way.

Originally posted by God of Snacks:

we'll have to see what the upcoming changes to power poles brings too. Maybe the Pylons or some secret other power relay (substations?) have an increased radius for hover packs.

Yeah, that would be nice if pylons had a longer connection range. It would be tricky to actually fit them in your factory floor though, so it wouldn't make the hover pack too easy to use.

[Dog]

Originally posted by Bookslayer10:

Originally posted by Dog:

Na, its supposed to be a boon to help build bigger and better but its far too limited. Having to prebuild a bunch of crap just to use the hoverpack defeats the purpose of the benefit is supposed to provide.

But you don't even need the hoverpack to add in the power systems it needs. Simply building a celing and then running power lines along the bottom doesn't need flight. All it needs is a chance in what you normally do, if you don't already. You could even use a blueprint to save the specific pattern of nodes on the celing and reduce the hassle of connecting them up.

And even if you need flight to set up the basic infrastructure first, you can't deny that the hoverpack is very useful once you do get the power lines down. Just use a jetpack at first, and switch to the hoverpack once you get the basics out of the way.

Originally posted by God of Snacks:

we'll have to see what the upcoming changes to power poles brings too. Maybe the Pylons or some secret other power relay (substations?) have an increased radius for hover packs.

Yeah, that would be nice if pylons had a longer connection range. It would be tricky to actually fit them in your factory floor though, so it wouldn't make the hover pack too easy to use.

Again, the trouble could all be fixed if it merely had longer reach. 1 temp pole for the sake of moving around building whatever. It needs longer reach.