[TC] How do I use a tractor beam?

Ratlaw · Post by **Ratlaw** » Wed, 10. Mar 10, 23:35

I have a mammoth with all tractor beams on it, but I cant find a command that will let me use it. Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong?

Carlo the Curious · Post by **Carlo the Curious** » Wed, 10. Mar 10, 23:38

http://www.egosoft.com/support/faq/inde ... &version=9

Catra · Post by **Catra** » Wed, 10. Mar 10, 23:38

you have to jump into the turret and fire it like a regular laser(when it goes from purple to orange, that means you got a link and can tow it).

id also suggest something smaller. like an m6, you might get rearended by the station in the mammoth

(also, you can only tow stuff belonging to you, and stations cannot go through gates)

Ratlaw · Post by **Ratlaw** » Wed, 10. Mar 10, 23:54

Catra wrote:you have to jump into the turret and fire it like a regular laser(when it goes from purple to orange, that means you got a link and can tow it).

id also suggest something smaller. like an m6, you might get rearended by the station in the mammoth

(also, you can only tow stuff belonging to you, and stations cannot go through gates)

How do I jump into the turret to use it? All I have is a attack button? Do I need to be in the back turret?

Ratlaw · Post by **Ratlaw** » Thu, 11. Mar 10, 00:02

I dont have a tractor beam command button at all...please help!!

Catra · Post by **Catra** » Thu, 11. Mar 10, 00:06

Ratlaw wrote:I dont have a tractor beam command button at all...please help!!

press F1 to cycle between places where you can be. you can use any turret to tow the object, the beam is omnidirectional(as in, you can fire the beam from the front turret, turn around and youll still have a lock).

Gold Dragon · Post by **Gold Dragon** » Thu, 11. Mar 10, 00:07

I believe that the command to switch to a Turrent is the <F1> key. then fire the TB when within 2KM of your target.

Ratlaw · Post by **Ratlaw** » Thu, 11. Mar 10, 00:29

Catra wrote:
Ratlaw wrote:I dont have a tractor beam command button at all...please help!!
press F1 to cycle between places where you can be. you can use any turret to tow the object, the beam is omnidirectional(as in, you can fire the beam from the front turret, turn around and youll still have a lock).

All I have is attack ship command. wheres the command for useing the tractor beam located? Also I'm useing a Centuar ship to do this and it only has tractor beams for all the frount lasers, not one for the back. should I be useing a differnt ship? Someone please help me here.

Rednoahl · Post by **Rednoahl** » Thu, 11. Mar 10, 00:43

it's a gun - shoot it yourself

fairywhipper · Post by **fairywhipper** » Thu, 11. Mar 10, 00:47

ok,
only 1 tractor beam required.
mount it on front of centar. (take other guns off)
approach your target to move (factory or mine) get to 3km or so then stop
fire beam once at the target, the beam should change from purple to orange.
slowly move your centar to the facing you wish to go and then accelerate slowly, the target should start to follow you. you should try to keep it at low speeds,( i do mine at around 36m/s, dont use boost)
get to destination, fire your tractor beam once to disengage.
finished.

you can use the target monitors to help you, when tractor is engaged it will be orange beam, purple is disenaged

Carlo the Curious · Post by **Carlo the Curious** » Thu, 11. Mar 10, 00:48

Ratlaw wrote:All I have is attack ship command. wheres the command for useing the tractor beam located?

'attack ship command'? You mean the autopilot?

Fire manually (CTRL by default).

Ratlaw · Post by **Ratlaw** » Thu, 11. Mar 10, 00:54

fairywhipper wrote:ok,
only 1 tractor beam required.
mount it on front of centar. (take other guns off)
approach your target to move (factory or mine) get to 3km or so then stop
fire beam once at the target, the beam should change from purple to orange.
slowly move your centar to the facing you wish to go and then accelerate slowly, the target should start to follow you. you should try to keep it at low speeds,( i do mine at around 36m/s, dont use boost)
get to destination, fire your tractor beam once to disengage.
finished.

you can use the target monitors to help you, when tractor is engaged it will be orange beam, purple is disenaged

My tractor beams are at 0%. and wont work for me. What do I use for ammo for it?

fairywhipper · Post by **fairywhipper** » Thu, 11. Mar 10, 01:02

some ships dont have the energy to substain tractor or doesnt support it, i dont fly centar, so dont know if it will work. i use mine in vidar.

Allan F · Post by **Allan F** » Thu, 11. Mar 10, 01:04

Centaur works just fine - are you sure you have the gun mounted (press 'g') ?

Freeholder · Post by **Freeholder** » Thu, 11. Mar 10, 01:10

Your problem is that you are mounting a FULL LOADOUT of tractor beam weapons.

This exceeds your ships weapon generator capacity so nothing fires.

Try using just one, get into range, pull the trigger

Allan F · Post by **Allan F** » Thu, 11. Mar 10, 01:16

Shouldn't matter - one will always fire.

Ratlaw · Post by **Ratlaw** » Thu, 11. Mar 10, 01:35

I used the Vidar and all is good now, Thanks for the help everyone.

Ratlaw · Post by **Ratlaw** » Thu, 11. Mar 10, 02:18

I am now still haveing problems. I can not get the orbital platform threw the gate. its the Aldrin missions one where you have to get the platform to Aldrin 2. Could someone give me a hand on how I do this?

Allan F · Post by **Allan F** » Thu, 11. Mar 10, 02:20

You can't get anything other than ships through gates. Do you mean the Mobile Mining Base Ship? Just use your autopilot, order your own ship to pass through, and wait. The towed ship will come through on it's own. It can take some time, though.