Newcomer / Intro Why am I so hit-and-miss when it comes to docking?

Crazy Jedi

Crazy Jedi
I'm not at all sure what I am doing wrong here....

Sometimes I can swoop down on to a landing pad and clunk!! docked first pass, and with some style I might add :D

Other times, I line her up, get her in position ..... and then spend about five or more mins going back and forth and round and around over the pad moving in tiny increments waiting to hear that clunk and be told "docking successful!"

I'm not doing much different each time I dock so how come my apparent skills at docking come and go all the time :S
 

krysohmyz

K
There is a section in controls menu called "Landing overrides"
It will activate upon lowering the landing gear.
You can set the controls less sensitive for the landing or even map a completely different scheme ;)
 
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Kuroshio

Kuroshio
Well, as Master Bruce (Lee, not Wayne) once said, "I don't fear the man who has practiced ten thousand kicks at one time, but the man who practiced one kick ten thousand times."

It's simply a matter of training. Everyone can do perfect landings some of the time, but only practice leads to the point where you can do it nearly all the time. Different ship handling characteristics matter, as well, from changes of weight due to other modules or cargo, to another ship type. I had to re-learn docking my Cobra smoothly after two weeks in an Asp.

Besides, every landing you can walk away from... :)
 

Feldspar

Feldspar
Learn to dock hard. You get no points for elegance. How do they know you've docked unless you hit the pad with a resounding clang?
 

Crazy Jedi

Crazy Jedi
Feldspar said:
Learn to dock hard. You get no points for elegance. How do they know you've docked unless you hit the pad with a resounding clang?
Click to expand...

I have noticed that my first pass "perfect" landings seem to occur when I approach with a little bit more throttle on approach.
This isn't possible on some of the smaller platforms and mining stations though which is invariably where I get the most frustrating landings

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krysohmyz said:
There is a section in controls menu called "Landing overrides"
It will activate upon lowering the landing gear.
You can set the controls less sensitive for the landing or even map a completely different scheme ;)
Click to expand...

Yes I have had a look through those setting but I was a bit worried that I'd make things worse if I fiddle too much.
I'll give it a go tonight.

Wish me luck
 

Loon

L
A wise man once told me to land like a F18 and not a Harrier. So I come in gear down on approch aiming for the front of the pad at 50%. Level out at the lamp post and cut engines to 25%. Stop the engines at the two chevrons and do last bit on thursters.
If the pad is far enough back in the station and I am in the ASP I do tend to go 100% and roll a couple of times as the sounds id just great. Might have got those wrong once or twice :) but it does make for exciting times.

Loon ;)
 

Dommarraa

Dommarraa
A man with too many spare slots once said, "get thee the finest computer of docking, doing it thyself is for the serfs"
 

Kuroshio

Kuroshio
Request permission to dock, and you'll safely dock once. Forget to ask for permission, and you'll remain in the dock for the rest of your life.
 

Starnr

Starnr
I used to try for a perfect landing, but now it just comin in at diferent angles and speeds and try to reach the button without sweeping:):)
 

Hudsonn

Hudsonn
Nose down, head for the centre circle and level out at the last second, might need a few thrusts left or right but does the job!
 

Kuroshio

Kuroshio
Throttle and thrust down with the tower at the edge of the cockpit panel, then stop and thrust down at what would be the 'flare' moment in atmospheric flight. Internal East German judge to criticize overshooting, undershooting, too early flare or general untidiness.

Hitting the crane just in front of the pad or the station struts at No. 1 pad optional.
 

Crazy Jedi

Crazy Jedi
DoubtOutLoud said:
Throttle and thrust down with the tower at the edge of the cockpit panel, then stop and thrust down at what would be the 'flare' moment in atmospheric flight. Internal East German judge to criticize overshooting, undershooting, too early flare or general untidiness.

Hitting the crane just in front of the pad or the station struts at No. 1 pad optional.
Click to expand...

I used to have a novel approach in my sidewinder......... approach upside down and aim at the front edge of the pad and then flip a few seconds from the pad and ole!

the cockpit visibility in the adder does not allow for this so .....

I just dont understand how the more careful i am on approach .... the worse it is???
 
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