Advanced Space Compass

Advanced Space Compass
Name	ASC
Cost	650₢
TL Availability	8

Coluber HUD's Advanced Space Compass
Showing planet behind and to the left

Overview

The Tyley-Feynman GW-99 astro-navigation compass with user-selectable target modes, is an addition to the ship a commander is unlikely to regret. The function it offers beyond that of the basic compass may seem like an unnecessary luxury, but there are many hidden navigational utilities in space, and once experienced how to exploit them with the ASC's contribution to effortless space-orienteering, one comes quickly to rely and depend on it.

This little item really unlocks the solar system for you. All sorts of things that were hidden away previously (unless you inadvertently bumped into them!) are now out there in plain sight. Rock hermits (if you are close enough), and a plethora of goodies from any OXPs you may have added to your Vanilla game: other planets and their orbital stations, the various installations in Commies, Dictators, Feudal States & Anarchies, gates, fuelling stations, SIRF's, etc. etc. Oh! And if you want to use goodies like Market Inquirer, you won't get the full functionality until you have bought this first.

Distance

Major astronomical bodies (suns, planets, moons) are detected at any distance. For the others, it is a beacon which is detected. Some beacons are of limited range and will not be detected outside that range.

Modes

As with a basic compass, one may navigate by:

Planet

• nearby planet directly ahead.
• nearby planet directly aft.

By a key toggle on the astrogation console, the advanced compass can alternatively navigate by:

Sun

• sun directly ahead.
• sun directly aft.
  

Navigational Buoys

Navigational buoys and other beacons are indicated by a rhombus, and an identifying letter. Pressing the \ or # key will cause the Advanced Space Compass to cycle though all the Beacons being transmitted by stations, buoys or ships in the current system. From 1.77, you can also use the Shift + \ to step backwards

List of Navigational Buoys

This list is no longer so useful as the modern game includes the name of what you are looking at (if the OXP complies!), and the modern HUDs spell it out for you! 2011 (Oolite v.1.76) was when things started to improve.

• W - Witchpoint
• N - Galcop Station / main Station
  
  
• A - Astromine - Commies OXP
• A - Combat Arena - Combat Arena OXP
• A - Lave Academy - Lave Academy OXP
• B - Bank of the Black Monks - Black Monks OXP
• B - Nemeanian Military Base - The Assassins Guild OXP
• B - Space Bar - Random Hits OXP
• C - HoOpy Casino - HoOpy Casino OXP
• C - Pi-42 Constore - Your Ad Here! OXP
• D - Derelict ship - Towbar OXP
• E - Escape Capsule - Escape Pod Locator OXP
• F - Collective SLAPU - Commies OXP
• F - Collective Zero-G Factory - Commies OXP
• F - Fuel Station - Fuel Station OXP
• F - Imperial Astro Farm - Dictators OXP
• F - Royal Hunting Lodge - Feudal States OXP
• I - Naval Base - Coyote's Run OXP
• J - Jaguar Company Base Buoy - Jaguar Company
• J - Jump Ring - Racing Rings OXP
• g - GRS Buoy Repair Factory - Buoy Repair OXP
• G - Griff Research Orbital - The Assassins Guild OXP
• F - Collective Zero-G Factory - Commies OXP
• H - Deep Space Hoopy Hotel (Hades Branch) - The Assassins Guild OXP
• H - Hacker Hideout - Anarchies OXP
• H - OoHaul Hauler - Oo-Haul OXP
• L - Deep Space Hoopy Hotel (Lernean Branch) - The Assassins Guild OXP
• L - Link Base - Ionics OXP
• M - Mother ship (That you're on escort duty for, a trader or hauler) - Escort Contracts OXP & Oo Haul OXP
• P - Giant Space Pizza - Giant Space Pizza
• P - Tianve Pulsar Monitoring Station - Tianve Pulsar OXP
• Q - Hesperides Wiseguy Way Station - The Assassins Guild OXP
• R - Augeaian Orbital Repair Facility - The Assassins Guild OXP
• R - Rebel Outpost - The Assassins Guild OXP
• R - Rescue Station - Rescue Stations OXP
• R - Rock Hermit - Rock Hermit Locator OXP & Mining Contracts OXP
• S - Special Branch Orbital Headquarters (Assassins) - The Assassins Guild OXP
• S - SuperHub Station - SuperHub OXP
• T - Taranis Corporation HQ - Taranis OXP
• T - Taxi - Taxi Galactica OXP
• T - Towbar mission target - Towbar OXP
• T - Tracker: Jaguar Company Patrol - Jaguar Company
• U - Baakili Far Trader - Baakili Far Trader OXP
• V - Space Pizza Visitor Centre - Giant Space Pizza
• X - Xeptatl Society station/installation - Xeptatl's Sword
• Z – Free Trade Zone – Free Trade Zone OXP
  
  
• $ - Sothis station - Sothis OXP
• (fuel pump icon) - Fuel Station - Fuel Station OXP
• (horseshoe magnet icon) - Cargo Shepherd - Cargo Shepherd OXP
• (★) - Galactic Navy SecCom Station - Galactic Navy OXP
  
  

Witchpoint Buoy

• witchpoint buoy directly ahead.
• witchpoint buoy directly aft.
  

Station Buoy

• station buoy directly ahead.
• station buoy directly aft.
  

Station

• nearby station directly ahead.
• nearby station directly aft.
  

Target

• locked target directly ahead.
• locked target directly aft.
  

OXPs

These OXPs all require possession of an ASC:

Adding names

• Planetary Compass & Planetary Compass Name Packs A, B, C & D. - for naming complex planetary systems: names planets & moons
• Galactic Almanac MFD Unit both names and provides information on all stars, planets, moons gas giants and any ships and stations which are transmitting ID Beacons whilst you are in flight.

Adding objects

• Compass target mode autoswitch - for dog-fighting
• Escape Pod Locator OXP
• Rock Hermit Locator
• Mining Beacon Descrambler (added by the Mining Contracts OXP)

ASC is needed for these

• Market Inquirer - for comparing prices at some of the in-system markets

Other

• Star System Lane Indicator MFD is an extension to the compass: an MFD showing the system space lanes (between Witchpoint, Planet & Star).

Updating older HUDs

• Talkative Space Compass‎ changes the letter code to the name of the compass target
• Updating TSC also does this - and adds the distance to the target, too!

Links

• Target - the difference between View Screen and Compass targets
• Improvements to the Advanced space compass (2005)
• Advanced Compass Indicators (2011)
• Beacons on the Advanced Space Compass (2012)

Oolite Equipment Standard Equipment Astrogation Console • Cargo Hold • Compass • Energy banks • Engine/Main Drive • HUD • IFF Scanner • Life Support Systems • Missile • Pulse Laser • Shields • Ship's Hull • Torus Jump Drive • View Screen • Witchspace/Hyperspace Drive Optional Equipment Advanced Navigational Array • Advanced Space Compass • Cargo Bay Expansion • Docking Computers • E.C.M. System • Escape Pod • Extra Energy Unit • External Heat Shielding • Fuel Scoops • Galactic Hyperdrive • Integrated Targeting System • Military Shield Enhancement • Multi-Targeting System • Naval Energy Unit • Passenger Berth • Scanner Targeting Enhancement • Shield Boosters • Target System Memory Expansion • Witchdrive Fuel Injectors • Wormhole Scanner Weapons Beam Laser • ECM Hardened Missile • Energy Bomb • Military Laser • Mining Laser • Missile • Pulse Laser • Quirium Cascade Mine • Twin Plasma Cannon