The Docking Computer thread.

CMDR Talcuris

C
Has anyone else noticed alt-tabbing out of the game to desktop seriously screwing with the docking computer behaviour? No idea why, but last time I tried I ended up scraping the bay wall almost 90 degrees offset to the target landing pad, and the other times weren't much better.
Other than that, it performs just about flawlessly with the latest release. Awesome work!
 

MacKerris

MacKerris
ObnoxiousJockGit said:
Three times now my docking computer, on a Type 6, can't handle Pad number 20, RHS close to the door. Starts to hit the sides then tells me to approach the docking bay while I am inside the station. Have to land manually. Never had any dramas before.
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Also in a 6 and seeing these issues. Also have had trouble turning off the docking computer to the point of having to turn off the module.

On two occasions it seamed as if the ship was clipping an invisible wall in front of it upon entry.
 

RG-870

RG-870
Sarah Jane Avory said:
Okay, I'll add deploying landing gear earlier to my to-do list. As for speed, I have another update that improves this, along with some navigation changes for outposts as well as regular stations.
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Thanks for the reply. The improved speed update sounds great. Time is money, you know. ^^
As I already stated I don't see the landing gear issue as a real problem because it deploys perfectly well before the ship hits the landing pad and I kind of like it that way as it feels very efficient. It's just the warning message which is a little disturbing.
What about the power distribution issue. Are there any chances to see my old power settings restored after the touch down?
 

ObnoxiousJockGit

O
MacKerris said:
Also in a 6 and seeing these issues. Also have had trouble turning off the docking computer to the point of having to turn off the module.

On two occasions it seamed as if the ship was clipping an invisible wall in front of it upon entry.
Click to expand...
Also when launching after this there is a speeded up version of the docking music playing.
Just had similar in an Asp; you can fly out of the station without attracting a penalty and try again!
 

Metkis

Metkis
Maybe we could just lose the 'landing gear not deployed' warning?
Its akin to your car pinging at you for obstructions ahead, or seatbelts not worn.
As a manual docker, its a tad annoying.
 

CMDR Generic EventHandler

CMDR Generic EventHandler
I don't trust the DC to get me through the slot anymore it stops in the slot and then reverses scraping the nose against the floor. The approach and final line up point is way too close to the slot, lots of CMDR traffic leaving the station pass through that point, if it lined up 1 - 2 km away at least commanders exiting the station would see you.
When it does work, it works great the small ships don't seem to have a problem at all, larger ships have lots of problems getting into and out of the slot.

Last night I bounced a dancing Type 9 that was rotating in place in the slot into the station so it freed up the slot for other npc's trying to leave.
 

ObnoxiousJockGit

O
CMDR Generic EventHandler said:
I don't trust the DC to get me through the slot anymore it stops in the slot and then reverses scraping the nose against the floor. The approach and final line up point is way too close to the slot, lots of CMDR traffic leaving the station pass through that point, if it lined up 1 - 2 km away at least commanders exiting the station would see you.
When it does work, it works great the small ships don't seem to have a problem at all, larger ships have lots of problems getting into and out of the slot.

Last night I bounced a dancing Type 9 that was rotating in place in the slot into the station so it freed up the slot for other npc's trying to leave.
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Same thing myself and MacKerris are seeing. Watched it happen to an NPC ship in front of me, had to shove it out of the way.
 

Innocence

Innocence
Metkis said:
Maybe we could just lose the 'landing gear not deployed' warning? Its akin to your car pinging at you for obstructions ahead, or seatbelts not worn. As a manual docker, its a tad annoying.
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If only the landing gear deployed faster this wouldn't be a problem really
 

Steve50

Steve50
Maybe I'm too mean but I just cannot use a docking computer, I tried it once and I hated giving the computer the fun part. No.. It's too much fun to dock, I'm not letting the computer do it :p
 

Toumal

Toumal
Herik said:
Sure; it's fun listening to the music...
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Exactly. I like using it when someone comes into the room just as I'm about to dock and wants to talk to me. Then I just let the DC do its thing and the visuals and music usually are enough to distract the other person ;)
 

Albadaran

Albadaran
Docking computer is still making senseless rolls while flying to the station. I suggest to make it fly straight (in 1 line) to the green docking lights and make the final roll to enter there.
 

bvw103

B
Sarah Jane Avory said:
I've made some more changes recently, namely navigating much, much, (and I mean like 1000%) much better at outposts (as well as other stations), a fix for an occasional orientation freeze, a bit more speed during inside docking, a new holding pattern, plus various other orientation improvements to make everything look a bit slicker. Not sure when these changes will go live, but I'm still working on bits and pieces (as well as trying to make the combat AI kill you all a bit better... ;) )
Click to expand...

Well the problem only happens at outposts, I never had any problems with the docking computer before.
I think you do great work it must be hard to think of every little thing that can go wrong when docking :D
 

cherbert

cherbert
Sarah Jane Avory said:
I've made some more changes recently, namely navigating much, much, (and I mean like 1000%) much better at outposts (as well as other stations), a fix for an occasional orientation freeze, a bit more speed during inside docking, a new holding pattern, plus various other orientation improvements to make everything look a bit slicker. Not sure when these changes will go live, but I'm still working on bits and pieces (as well as trying to make the combat AI kill you all a bit better... ;) )
Click to expand...

What would be cool as a little easter egg is if you could code it so there is a random chance that an NPC pilot will flash his lights at you to thank you for giving way at the docking port.
 

louthelou

L
How to fix the docking computer - only one fix

Ok, I know. The various problems have been talked about and talked about, and it's not a high fix priority, as it shouldn't be (there are other, far more important things to work on, like Wings not working properly until you've been in-game for a few minutes). However, not all of the perceived problems with the docking computer require fixing, imo. In reality, there is only one thing that really needs to be fixed, whenever there is time to do so.
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It's the extra time docking at Outpost-type stations that I'm speaking of. In a Type-6 at an Outpost-type station, auto-docking takes an additional two minutes, and for no good reason. The ship approaches fine, orients fine (most of the time) - but then takes two whole minutes to "climb" something like 100 meters in 5 or 6 small spurts - accel up slightly, coast to 0, accel up slightly, coast to 0, repeat 3-4x more, then accel up slightly faster, then descend, deploy landing gear, and land. This issue affects Cobras and Type-6s, so I can only assume it affects all ships (the larger the ship, the longer this extra time is; a Cobra only takes 30-40 seconds or so, I think). Other types of stations don't have this problem, or at least I haven't run into it.
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The only fix the docking computer needs is the elimination of this extra time docking at Outpost stations. Everything else I happily accept as "risk of use".
 
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Simi Kusoni

Simi Kusoni
louthelou said:
Ok, I know. The various problems have been talked about and talked about, and it's not a high fix priority, as it shouldn't be (there are other, far more important things to work on, like Wings not working properly until you've been in-game for a few minutes). However, not all of the perceived problems with the docking computer require fixing, imo. In reality, there is only one thing that really needs to be fixed, whenever there is time to do so.
.
It's the extra time docking at Outpost-type stations that I'm speaking of. In a Type-6 at an Outpost-type station, auto-docking takes an additional two minutes, and for no good reason. The ship approaches fine, orients fine (most of the time) - but then takes two whole minutes to "climb" something like 100 meters in 5 or 6 small spurts - accel up slightly, coast to 0, accel up slightly, coast to 0, repeat 3-4x more, then accel up slightly faster, then descend, deploy landing gear, and land. This issue affects Cobras and Type-6s, so I can only assume it affects all ships (the larger the ship, the longer this extra time is; a Cobra only takes 30-40 seconds or so, I think). Other types of stations don't have this problem, or at least I haven't run into it.
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The only fix the docking computer needs is the elimination of this extra time docking at Outpost stations. Everything else I happily accept as "risk of use".
Click to expand...

Dock manually at outposts?

Pathfinding on outposts needs some work though, it's far too common for one pad to be taken up by an NPC that's just spinning randomly in space.
 
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