manual docking

scrufferpops

scrufferpops
I think this was mentioned in another thread but I really can't remember so i'll mention it here:

Will we be able to turn off autopilot and manually dock on stations/capital ships/planetary spaceports like the original games...I would really love that, it was intense fun ^^
 

FoxTwo

FoxTwo
Slawkenbergius said:
Yes. If the spacestation doesn't have an automated docking system, your only choice will be to manually dock, even if you own a docking computer! Check out the docking proposal.
Click to expand...

There was an "exploit" in the ZX Spectrum version of the original ELITE. If you exit the station, turn back to face it, target your destination planet, gun the engines (to approach the station) and then hit Hyperspace (or Witchspace), you will jump to the destination system and be safely docked in that station :)

Didn't need a docking computer nor matching rotation manually too! But you had to time it just right so you jumped just seconds before you enter the docking ports of the station, so that when you exited Hyperspace at your destination you'd be in the station.

The other exploit on the ZX Spectrum version was that as long as you were perfectly aligned with the centre of the spinning portal, you did not need to match rotation. You could just zoom straight in and you would dock successfully.

Never tried this on any other platforms though. Don't know if it was inherent in the original ELITE or just in the ZX Spectrum version.
 
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Davidtq

D
FoxTwo said:
There was an "exploit" in the ZX Spectrum version of the original ELITE. If you exit the station, turn back to face it, target your destination planet, gun the engines (to approach the station) and then hit Hyperspace (or Witchspace), you will jump to the destination system and be safely docked in that station :)

Didn't need a docking computer nor matching rotation manually too!

Never tried this on any other platforms though. Don't know if it was inherent in the original ELITE or just in the ZX Spectrum version.
Click to expand...

The spectrum manual referenced the bug as well, there was a picture of a pilots info screen and the comment said the pilot had racked up a surprising amount of credits given his clean status and harmless combat rating.

The same bug certainly existed in spectrum derived versions like that tatung einstein and the old Java elite. Dont think it did in pc elite or elite plus though.
 

Memnoch

M
If docking is going to consist of rotating along with a station I don't see it being as difficult as it may have seemed way back when because of the analogue controls we enjoy today, be it a joystick, gamepad or mouse.
 

Capt. Hook

Capt. Hook
Memnoch said:
If docking is going to consist of rotating along with a station I don't see it being as difficult as it may have seemed way back when because of the analogue controls we enjoy today, be it a joystick, gamepad or mouse.
Click to expand...

haha famous last words as far as Capt. Hook is concerned! Try aligning to a spinning object after a few glasses of wine; actually maybe that's not such a bad idea...
 

alan

A
I have to agree with the controller sentiment, I had many a bad time docking till I got a joystick for the BBC, then it was a lot easier
 

huwthomas

huwthomas
FoxTwo said:
The other exploit on the ZX Spectrum version was that as long as you were perfectly aligned with the centre of the spinning portal, you did not need to match rotation. You could just zoom straight in and you would dock successfully.

Never tried this on any other platforms though. Don't know if it was inherent in the original ELITE or just in the ZX Spectrum version.
Click to expand...

On the beeb version you had to match the angle, however iirc it was your instantaneous angle that counted, you didn't actually have to match rotation. That allowed for quick last minute recoveries! You didn't need to be axially aligned either, you just had to hit the central part of the docking rectangle. And there was no maximum docking velocity :)
 

huwthomas

huwthomas
Memnoch said:
If docking is going to consist of rotating along with a station I don't see it being as difficult as it may have seemed way back when because of the analogue controls we enjoy today, be it a joystick, gamepad or mouse.
Click to expand...

The BBC Micro had an analogue port as standard, so analogue joysticks were de-rigeur on that platform among flight/space sim enthusiasts. It might well have been harder to dock on other platforms that only supported microswitch-based devices.
 

Shoklar

Shoklar
scrufferpops said:
I think this was mentioned in another thread but I really can't remember so i'll mention it here:

Will we be able to turn off autopilot and manually dock on stations/capital ships/planetary spaceports like the original games...I would really love that, it was intense fun ^^
Click to expand...

Agreed, I loved the manual docking in Elite and Frontier. Looking forward to doing it again.
Shok.
 

trekman

trekman
alan said:
I have to agree with the controller sentiment, I had many a bad time docking till I got a joystick for the BBC, then it was a lot easier
Click to expand...

God I was the exact opposite. For some weird reason I just couldn't play the game with a joystick when I had my BBC. I actually found using the keyboard really easy to dock and if the new game is going to be anything like the original Elite as far as docking is concerned I guess I will mostly be using the keyboard to play it :D
 

The Space Pirate

The Space Pirate
Following on from this, when we have planetary landings, I'd love the ability to fly into the atmosphere and land on a runway. Remember Frontier? All Spaceports had what looked like runways. :)
 

Jason S

J
In Oolite I tried recently I found docking much easier than the original and I was using the keys.

I think it was because of the better reference points on entering compared to the original wireframe.

Or perhaps because I am 43 instead of a kid :)
 
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