[TC] Tractor Beams

[Bill Huntington]

I've been using the tractor beams lately. Right now I'm using a Heavy Hydra "borrowed" from an abandoned ship mission as my towing vehicle. I got 2 TBs in the main weapons area, and two more in the rear turret. I've noticed that the tow is smoother using 2 TBs, but 4 doesn't seem to make much difference. It seems to tow okay from either main or rear turret, so that is just a convenience choice. I have also used the Cobra and Centaur.

My question: What is the fastest sustained speed that players have towed asteroids and mines? I've have accidentally been up to 45, and slowed down okay. Sometimes I get it up to 19. Usually I can maintain 9 - 14.

What is the experience with multiple tractor beams? Do they allow a faster speed?

[pr0nflakes]

I tractor at 89m/s (Mammoth max speed) and havent had any problems, i do however gradually increase the speed.
i use two tractor beams in the rear turret.

[Deadbeat_Spinn]

Regardless of how many tractors you have mounted on a given ship, only one will lock on to the target, IIRC. I had a pair of Ele's with dual front and rear mounted TB's, fastest speed I've ever gotten towing something was 80m/s (an SPP XL that looked like a deployed chute behind me in Brennen's, made short work of rock debris though). But going that speed is not advised esp. with mines and adding SETA into the mix makes any instability far worse.

On the subject of multiple, has any tried to tractor (and move) a station with multiple ships?

[Lancefighter]

Regardless of how many tractors you have mounted on a given ship, only one will lock on to the target, IIRC. I had a pair of Ele's with dual front and rear mounted TB's, fastest speed I've ever gotten towing something was 80m/s (an SPP XL that looked like a deployed chute behind me in Brennen's, made short work of rock debris though). But going that speed is not advised esp. with mines and adding SETA into the mix makes any instability far worse.

On the subject of multiple, has any tried to tractor (and move) a station with multiple ships?

I hardly trust myself with a tractor beam, im surely not going to trust the AI with them!

[Gold Dragon]

I'm not even certain the AI can HANDLE towing, hence the Removal of the Factories from the game....

[RainerPrem]

Hi,

my preferred ship is the Hyperion. I use a single Tractor beam mounted on the front. The ship goes at a max speed of exactly 80m/s and I can reliably use the SETA.
When dragging a mine I select it as target, use the F3 view and zoom out to see where I'm going to.

cu
Rainer

[Jack Slinger]

Is it posible to drag asteriods through jump gates or to jump when tractor beeming things?

[Deadbeat_Spinn]

Is it posible to drag asteriods through jump gates or to jump when tractor beeming things?

For rocks, no (at least not in vanilla) since the big rocks are larger than the gate, maybe with small debris. As for things, I doubt it.

[Carlo the Curious]

Also see the FAQ.