I'd say if you're static lining the object, your best bet is to use a soft launch, since you're going to be open very close to the object no matter how big it is.

Generally, a hard launch is used to get clear of the object, right?. If you're using a static line, it seems like you're probably not going to gain much extra distance from the object (because you're tied to it). But you will definitely induce oscillations.

If I'm freefalling something, even in the 200' range, I'm expecting that my vertical speed will be much greater than my horizontal speed by the time my canopy extracts, no matter how hard I launch. I'm not too worried about getting a nice soft launch in that case, because even with a very short freefall, I can probably get enough distance from the object to correct a 180 (if I'm quick about it).

In addition, there's the fact that 180's (or any off-heading at all) seem much less likely with a static line configuration than with freefall jumps. When you weigh your options, this may decrease the importance of distance-from-object relative to minimizing oscillations...

Michael