Stupid Questions from a Tired Dope

[Roger Wilco Jr]

How do you deselect a commander if you can't point away? For example, if I'm parked on a planet and I select a commander in front of me, I can't figure out a way to deselect him w/o having to select someone else. I would think selecting him on the contacts list would do something, but no. All I've been able to figure out is to turn my sensors off and on again.

Very related to that, if you have a commander selected and open comms, it defaults to a private chat message - is there a way to quickly switch to local? I realize deselecting the commander will to this, and there is a / override, but is there some option on the comms panel?

Is there a way to find out a commander's name w/o scanning him? If I'm parked on a planet and surrounded my commanders, all I've been able to do is drive around in the SRV and scan commanders. But I often get friends requests from commanders and I can't figure out how they could have scanned me (like if they are on the ground and I'm 2km up coming in for a landing).

Today I was parked on a planet and performed repairs for the first time (on DW). I shut off almost everything and then powered up the AFMU and started making repairs. When I repaired life support, I went on emergency oxygen for a few seconds, but I quickly restored power. I then finished repairing the other modules. Then I looked out the cockpit window, and a few seconds later it started icing up. Why? I didn't launch a heat sink or shut off the power plant, so why did I get so cold? I warmed back up after quickly turning back on shields, sensors, thrusters, PD, and etc. I think that may have been a glitch - or is it normal?

Thanks.

[TorTorden]

There is a "next system" or nav point select that I sometimes used to deselect targets but you need to have a route plotted. So less than perfect, I have it bound to my hotas so check control settings.

The tab key should change/cycle chat target including local chat.

As soon as heat ratio drops below 10% the canopy will ice up. It's just an easter egg or graphical feature.
I have often done this when I'm waiting for the 8 minutes bounty timer.
By hopping to the nearby system, exiting cruise over a nice view and power down all modules.

[stereoBear]

How do you deselect a commander if you can't point away? For example, if I'm parked on a planet and I select a commander in front of me, I can't figure out a way to deselect him w/o having to select someone else. I would think selecting him on the contacts list would do something, but no. All I've been able to figure out is to turn my sensors off and on again.

You can try target prev/next hostile, that works in flight (when there's no hostiles around ), don't actually know how it behaves when parked on a planet, since it does nothing in dock, though it should work when target ahead works.

Is there a way to find out a commander's name w/o scanning him? If I'm parked on a planet and surrounded my commanders, all I've been able to do is drive around in the SRV and scan commanders. But I often get friends requests from commanders and I can't figure out how they could have scanned me (like if they are on the ground and I'm 2km up coming in for a landing).

They might just send friend requests to anyone that shows up as unknown, i.e. only ship type, in the comms panel?

[clivewil]

i too would really love a 'target none/deselect current target' function.

half the time if i try pointing away in a RES i end up selecting a mineral fragment instead.

[Black Rose]

When I have something targeted I push the button on my joystick that originally targets something.

The target key/button/whatever is a toggle.

Press it once to target, press it again to un-target and move to the next available target or if none are present, then nothing is selected.

[clivewil]

what's the name of that key/function? because i'm pretty sure i have them all mapped, and none of them work quite that way for me

[Loriath]

what's the name of that key/function? because i'm pretty sure i have them all mapped, and none of them work quite that way for me

There are Four targeting options in bindings.

Target Ahead

Target Highest Threat

Cycle Next/Previous Ship

Cycle Next/Previous Hostile

If I have a target selected (Say cycling through ships in SC to check for Police Ships), Not hostile, Next/Previous Hostile will unlock current target to nothing. I think Target Highest Threat will do the same but my muscle memory has me doing the Next Hostile.

[bootsam]

I only use the bottom two of what Loriath posted. I do have the upper two bound but rarely use them. The cycle next/previous can be countered by cycle next hostile as it clears the targeting. (as long as no hostiles about but tbh I want to target the hostiles if they're about as it means I'm in a CZ, everywhere else it just unselects)

I have it bound to the up/down toggle switch on my x55 throttle. On the throttle lever itself, on left so my fingers are always on it. click downwards selects ships, click upwards selects hostiles.

The red button on joystick is used to select highest threat. and the button just above the fire button to the left is the select ahead. Both are cancelled using the toggle down next ship one. Only really use the cycle ones.

[de Carabas]

Very related to that, if you have a commander selected and open comms, it defaults to a private chat message - is there a way to quickly switch to local? I realize deselecting the commander will to this, and there is a / override, but is there some option on the comms panel?

I think the quickest way is the /l when typing. I only found that out this morning at LHS 3447 where a T9 was stuck in the toaster and when it was blown up by the station the debris made it difficult to spot was coming through, as the conda and cutter ahead of me found out
It's worth a shout people!

[Roger Wilco Jr]

I'll definitely try the tab key with comms open. That sounds like a great tip.

As for targeting, I really don't remember "target ahead" acting as a toggle. Even just last night, I still remember needing to point away in SC or it wouldn't do anything. And on a planet with the ship ahead of me targeted, none of the targeting options seems to do anything - I need to use the contacts panel. Now I'm wondering if there are some new Horizons key bindings that I've never set, so on a planet my targeting buttons actually aren't doing anything.

It's amazing how much you forget, 6 weeks, mostly alone, out in the core. And I really haven't done any combat since pre 1.5 (just a bit in the Horizons beta).