Some Planetary Ops Questions...

[Guest Ramius]

I'm reposting this from another thread in the General forum - please forgive but it really belongs here now that there's a Newbie forum...

Please help this noob with a couple questions on planetary ops.

1) When deploying a team planetside via shuttle, is it possible to deploy only the passengers (marines) and not the pilot too? Seems like everyone in the shuttle gets out for a stroll if I give the shuttle a DEPLOY TEAM waypoint. If there is a way to designate an away team in TACOPS, without actually flying the shuttle yourself, it's eluding me in spite of a LOT of time with the manual. Probably a brainfart on my part.

2) Let's say I have manually deployed some marines (by flying down there myself in a shuttle), then I go fly around for a while and return to the marines. How do I get them to come back to the shuttle? The RTB command doesn't seem to be the one, and I'm pretty sure the EVACUATE checkbox is to mark them for transporter retrieval. Yes? If I target the marines and issue a ALT+D, it says of course INVALID DOCK TARGET. I know I am missing something here. I can always retrieve them via transporter but I'm one of those types who has to try the hard way...

3) Let's say I'm a dumb-dumb noob, and I deploy some folks planetside via transporter. Then I turn the transporter power off (to thwart invaders?). Now I send my AE down to the plant in a shuttle. First off, can I manually get these marines into my shuttle even though I deployed them via transporter? Secondly, now that my AE is off the bridge, will it be possible to restore power to the transporter from a TACOPS link? I couldn't find a way to do that. My only recourse is to fly back to the CC and restore power manually to the tranporter and beam them up, as it stands with what I know.

One thing I forgot - when my AE is planetside in a shuttle, I can't seem to launch any more shuttles using TACOPS. I do ensure that there is power to the launch bay, and that I have at least one crew member aboard (the shuttle icon is bright green). In fact, when I click on the shuttle I have the LAUNCH comand available, and my crew is verified as being aboard, but when I click it nothing happens. No message appears to tell me in what fashion I am being a dumb-ass.

Forgive my ignorance, but as you can see, I'm trying out some pretty damn cool stuff. I hope you can help. I know that some planetary issues with TACOPS and support craft are being addressed in a patch, but I think my questions are things that can already be done, I just don't know how. Thanks!

BTW, this profile is my old one from the BC legacy days. My BCM game is registered with another profile, Proximo. Rest assured, I'm legal!

[Thermidor]

I also can't find answers to these very good questions. I like doing things the hard way as well so that alternative solutions are available to me later..

[Mindglow]

I noticed that when your AE lands the shuttle and lets the marines out, you can get them back in via the personel icon on the right, or you can transfer control to another team, I havn't gotten to transporting just yet so I think your troops can only go back by transporter but I'll see if you can assign them to a shuttles away team and then the shuttle can pick them up. BTW, I'm just learning this game too .. I finally got the vehicles to deploy as well as troops, it just takes a long time for the pilot to figure out how to land. Guess I shouldn't send a marine to do a pilots job huh?