Simpler controlling, for reliable ascent to glory!

(5:32) Level 5 ('Assault on the Control Room') on Heroic. Shortly after releasing the last movie, I found a method for making column ascent easy and reliable, via precise launching. Banshee steering is entirely controlled by where you aim your weapon prior to boarding, and also you bail ASAP (though a delay can help you do other things, something I touch on later in the movie). This tight control can give you closely similar launch dynamics each time, making ascent reliable once you've found a good aim (which depends on your set-up). So if you ever get down the chamber to do some launching yourself, keep this method in mind! Update: I now have an article covering this topic.

Released July 24th 2017, gameplay recorded July 22nd-24th 2017.

00:02 (Previously) Column ascent was previously rather hit-and-miss, hard to control. Plenty could go wrong, as represented by these opening two clips. In the first, the Banshee hits the column - not good! In the second I get shunted through the ceiling but not strongly enough.

00:31 (Triple ascent demo) But now here's my aim-based method in action. Standing fully inside the Banshee (it's handy if you were already there when you got your checkpoint), adopt some particular aim, then board and mash X to bail ASAP. The aim controls the Banshee steering. If you use the same aim each time as best you can, you should get very similar Banshee dynamics. Your bailing time is likewise quite precise, and all of this minimizes variation of outcome; so ascent can become very reliable and easy. You just need a bit of skill to drift onto the top. With this aim I was able to ascend ten times in a row!

01:48 (Finding a good aim) You need to find your own aim though, because it depends on your Banshee position and angle. Just experiment, such as illustrated here in simulated fashion (I actually knew the eventual good aim in advance). You'll probably find a good aim, as long as the Banshee configuration wasn't awkward (e.g. if it's under a ring, which could be hard to avoid hitting as you rise). I found good aims for all five saves I tried. Tip: when you finally get an aim which at least gets you shunted through the ceiling, start trying aims nearby, to tweak the dynamics and get higher.

In this experiment sequence, note that my first aim is the same as used in my triple ascent demo. That was deliberate, to show that an aim which works for one set-up does not necessarily work for another.

03:19 (Another set-up, another aim) Returning to the AR save used at the start of the movie, here's a double ascent using a good aim (with which I was able to do ten in a row). Part of the reason I included this clip was because it adds some enjoyable AR noise, but also it gave me an opportunity to emphasize that we're minimizing variation via minimal flight control and fixed bailing time.

04:05 (Delayed bail - reaching a panel) Delaying the bail by some particular amount can potentially help you do other things. In this example I use a relatively long delay, and twice get onto a panel, with basically the same dynamic each time.

04:35 (Delayed bail - extra height) In this second example of delayed bail, I delay until the canopy closes (only a small delay, compared to bailing ASAP), and twice get extra height, going well above the top of the column for fun. Good death cry at the end huh? By the way, this set-up isnt't the same one as the earlier sniper rifle set-up.

I was able to get a success rate of maybe around 60% with this recipe. In general, when going for extra height I think you'll need to expect a significant failure rate, because success rests (I think) on getting a relatively unusual shunt/bump, and that's hard to control. The line between success and failure is finer. Or at least, that's my current impression.

This sort of height is potentially also possible with ASAP bailing, but I tried that with a few set-ups and wasn't able to find an aim for doing it with a decent success rate. So maybe your chances are better when using a delay. I can't be sure of the full picture at this point.

Closing remarks This aim-based method grew out of something else I was doing. After the last movie I started working on another, involving force-launching with a particular goal in mind. Part way through, I hit on the aiming idea as a way of giving me finer control over the launch, and it started helping me achieve what I wanted. But then I thought "Hey, maybe this could help with column ascent too" - and soon found that it did, in a major way! So I switched focus to make a movie about that. As for the movie I'd originally been working on, I'll get back to that now, and I expect it'll be next.

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