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Multiplayer Towplane Issue


Bulau

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This has now happened twice to us in two different multiplayer tasks. What happens is that for a subsequent player that spawns on the runway, could be second or third player, the towplane does not start engine and take off, but just sits there on the runway. The player can end flight and respawn, this time getting an airspawn, however the towplane ends up sitting there on the runway the entire flight, even after the player who called it up has left the mutiplayer session.

Since we are all spawning on the runway, I can't rule out some kind of collision happening, undetected by us, which somehow damages the towplane, however in the second occurence, I'm certain the player was alone on the runway. I'm otherwise at a loss to explain or solve this.

Has enyone else encountered this issue?

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Hi,

I can't provide own experience with the tow-plane's enigne stopped. That sounds weird. Normally, the built-in towplane will always spawn with the engine running. Is this the default Maule or something else?

However, if by some reason the tow is released before the tow has actually begun, the tow-plane will increase the throttle hardly, maybe it remains there infinitely, then (whith stopped engine anyway).

It is also known, that tow-planes, once created will remain forever on the server, even after disconnect of the "owner". That's the reason why many (if not most) 24/7 FSX servers ban gliders entirely. Pete Dowson has once mused about some facility in registered FSUIPC to zap certain AI planes after a while, but I don't know about the status.

Registered CumulusX! "beams away" the tow-plane and "destroys" it after completion (sorry for the rigid procedure) of the tow-cycle, where you can't see it. I have no information so far if this works in MP, too, but likely it does.

Cheers,

Peter

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...Is this the default Maule or something else?

...

Thanks for input, Peter. Yes, it is the default Maule, invoked by CTRL+SHIFT+Y.

If it happens next time, we will try explore some options in the Traffic Browser.

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  • 2 months later...

We are still encountering this issue, however, some workarounds have come to light:

1. By rejoining the session, and invoking another towplane, it's possible to get one that will start up, however, the original dud is still sitting there in the same spot, and since you will get towed through it, it's necessary to disable collisions in your realism settings. Host must then allow players to change these settings.

2. By having the host allow spawn near host, if the host has towed successfully, and even better, thermaled higher, subsequent players can select spawn near host and avoid the aerotow entirely.

On the bright side, I have noticed that two sailplanes spawning on the runway, seem to get positioned lined up one behind the other.

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Have an idea:

When CumulusX! controls the smart tow it need to now its object ID. this is determined by intercepting the tow-key command and listening to an event "Object created in proximity". Maybe it's being done likewise with the native tow-mode in FSX.

If there is a tow called when two gliders are very nearby, maybe FSX is confused which aircraft to choose for tow-control, and erroneously controls the glider throttle which doesn't have and effect and such might undiscovered.

CumulusX! additionally checks the title of the created object to distinguish, but it still may go wrong if both parties call the identical tow aircraft models at the same time.

Cheers,

Peter

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This problem can happen, even if no sailplanes are close by, i.e. first pilot (host) has already taken off, released, etc., second player joins then, alone on the runway. When this happened to me, I tried open Traffic Browser, but couldn't understand all the commands to send to towplane to try to make it start.

My friend has not been using the Smart Towplane, and I think next time, I will have him use it and see if it solves problem. In fact, yesterday, when this happened again, neither of us used the Smart guy.

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