Newcomer / Intro Docking computer v. basic discovery scanner

[Red Anders]

Really the best advice I can give is practice docking. It's really not that difficult (put it this way, if you can fly your ship well enough to kill an npc you can definitely fly it well enough to dock it manually) and in a combat ship pretty much anything else that you can put in that slot will be of more use. There is only one ship that I currently use a docking computer on, my Type 9 and that's not because I find it difficult to dock manually, I just can't be bothered.

The best tip you'll get regarding docking is keep your pips balanced , or even put 3 pips in systems and weapons with none in engines (which will keep your speed down even if you max the throttle), drop your landing gear early which will also keep your speed down and don't panic. You get plenty of time to dock after requesting permission and it's not a race, so there's no need to go hurtling round the inside of the station. If you have difficulty spotting your pad (I sometimes find it hard to read the numbers on the pads in one of the stations where they're pink not orange) keep an eye on your target indicator with the little white dot:

and as soon as you cross the threshold and ennter the station the indicator will change to show you the direction your pad is in. If you spend 30 minutes working on it, tops, you'll probably never have a problem with it again.

Regarding the KWS, you will have been getting additional bounties with it if you've been using it because in any given system the ships at a res site will have bounties on them from more than one faction, often it will be one of the minor factions (i.e. the ones that are local to the system you're in) and a major power for example the Federation. You make lots more credits in res sites using one. On a combat ship there is absolutely no question as to which module is more useful between a docking computer and a KWS, one of them will pay for itself inside the first hour you own it and will ultimately make you millions of credits in res sites for no extra work at all, the other is basically dead weight that takes space you could be using for other things.

 

[Gator Country]

But I assume this will only occur when exploring?

Not really - if you have a BDS you can honk any system you jump to while making your way along your route. Any undiscovered objects within 500 ls (in terms of our solar system, any object within the orbit of the Earth) will be discovered. I've been doing this all along on trading runs and it's a nice little bit of extra income, plus it's been helping me rank up in exploration.

 

[Gator Country]

The best tip you'll get regarding docking is keep your pips balanced , or even put 3 pips in systems and weapons with none in engines (which will keep your speed down even if you max the throttle), drop your landing gear early which will also keep your speed down and don't panic. You get plenty of time to dock after requesting permission and it's not a race, so there's no need to go hurtling round the inside of the station. If you have difficulty spotting your pad (I sometimes find it hard to read the numbers on the pads in one of the stations where they're pink not orange) keep an eye on your target indicator with the little white dot:

The landings I really dislike are the ones where you're assigned to one of the pads right near the mail slot, and the pad is blocked from your field of view until you clear the slot. You then have to do an "elevator drop" maneuver (usually having to roll then drop) to avoid overshooting the pad.

 

[Joe Akeem]

I call the DC 'the party module'. I only ever use it when drinking. It's a perfect time to pour another drink or hit the toilet. ;D

 

[Chris Simon]

Never used a Docking Computer yet but might consider for the Anaconda if it does take offs, I often have more scares leaving a station than entering.

It's a docking computer, not undocking computer. You're on your own, mister Sulu.

I call the DC 'the party module'. I only ever use it when drinking. It's a perfect time to pour another drink or hit the toilet. ;D

That could be quite an expensive party. DC docks you automatically. But doesn't make you invulnerable, nor it is unerring.

 

[Joe Akeem]

That could be quite an expensive party. DC docks you automatically. But doesn't make you invulnerable, nor it is unerring.

Part of the thrill. Haven't had any accidents yet...knock on meta alloys. [up]

 

[Seneleron]

In all fairness, a lot of it depends on the coordination and skill level of the pilot when it comes to docking computers.

I have the incredibly good fortune to be married to a woman who is also a gamer. We spent two decades together between FFXI and WoW, lots of Diablo and HoTS, and recently her and our oldest son have teamed up to do fairly well in Overwatch.

At one point she looked at Elite and suggested she might like to try it, so I picked her up the game. . . . but KB/mouse was NOT cutting it.
I went out the next day and picked her up an X52 pro.

The next three hours consisted of me alternating trying not to laugh and not to rip out my hair in frustration.

This woman, this EXTREMELY SKILLED GAMER had actually never really played a flight sim. She'd never used a HOTAS, or really ANY kind of joystick.

I've seen things I never thought I'd see that night: I watched her lose her docking clearance and get blown up inside the mail slot. I watched her get blown up several times from trespassing from being IN the mail slot for so long. I watched her do laps inside the station to find her landing pad. And once, somehow, on her way out she did SOMETHING that caused system security to gang up on her and blow her up in seconds.

I suggested several times that there was a station nearby where we could pick her up a docking computer until she got used to the controls. To her credit, she fought the good fight and refused at first, but eventually relented. She has no problems with any other aspect of the game, but for some reason she just hasn't wrapped her head around docking yet.

On the one hand, it's kinda funny, listening to a tale like this, but as more experienced commanders I think we tend to take a lot of our capabilities for granted sometimes. Of COURSE we can land on just about any pad from any trajectory at any speed: we've done it HOW MANY TIMES? To us it does become the "party module", or when you're doing rep grinding in HIP 10716 or back and forth between CEOS and Sothis, that thing that saves your sanity after snapping from the 10,000th manual dock. Should you bother to learn to manually dock? ABSOLUTELY: but once you know HOW to do it, if you want to use auto dock [and I tend to, because mine drives faster than *I* do sometimes] by all means go ahead!

At the end of the day, if you're facing a choice between the docking computer and the discovery scanner, odds are your ship is small enough that you're really not in a position to really USE said discovery scanner. Yea, it's situational, and I'm sure several people will disagree.. . but the right component is the one you will get the most use out of at the time. If you're having trouble docking, from getting it through the mail slot to even FINDING the mail slot in some cases [Yes, I know the myriad of ways to do this.. but some do not] it's an invaluable tool to help smooth the learning curve that is Elite Dangerous.

 

[Touchwood]

In all fairness, a lot of it depends on the coordination and skill level of the pilot when it comes to docking computers.

I have the incredibly good fortune to be married to a woman who is also a gamer. We spent two decades together between FFXI and WoW, lots of Diablo and HoTS, and recently her and our oldest son have teamed up to do fairly well in Overwatch.

At one point she looked at Elite and suggested she might like to try it, so I picked her up the game. . . . but KB/mouse was NOT cutting it.
I went out the next day and picked her up an X52 pro.

The next three hours consisted of me alternating trying not to laugh and not to rip out my hair in frustration.

This woman, this EXTREMELY SKILLED GAMER had actually never really played a flight sim. She'd never used a HOTAS, or really ANY kind of joystick.

I've seen things I never thought I'd see that night: I watched her lose her docking clearance and get blown up inside the mail slot. I watched her get blown up several times from trespassing from being IN the mail slot for so long. I watched her do laps inside the station to find her landing pad. And once, somehow, on her way out she did SOMETHING that caused system security to gang up on her and blow her up in seconds.

I suggested several times that there was a station nearby where we could pick her up a docking computer until she got used to the controls. To her credit, she fought the good fight and refused at first, but eventually relented. She has no problems with any other aspect of the game, but for some reason she just hasn't wrapped her head around docking yet.

On the one hand, it's kinda funny, listening to a tale like this, but as more experienced commanders I think we tend to take a lot of our capabilities for granted sometimes. Of COURSE we can land on just about any pad from any trajectory at any speed: we've done it HOW MANY TIMES? To us it does become the "party module", or when you're doing rep grinding in HIP 10716 or back and forth between CEOS and Sothis, that thing that saves your sanity after snapping from the 10,000th manual dock. Should you bother to learn to manually dock? ABSOLUTELY: but once you know HOW to do it, if you want to use auto dock [and I tend to, because mine drives faster than *I* do sometimes] by all means go ahead!

At the end of the day, if you're facing a choice between the docking computer and the discovery scanner, odds are your ship is small enough that you're really not in a position to really USE said discovery scanner. Yea, it's situational, and I'm sure several people will disagree.. . but the right component is the one you will get the most use out of at the time. If you're having trouble docking, from getting it through the mail slot to even FINDING the mail slot in some cases [Yes, I know the myriad of ways to do this.. but some do not] it's an invaluable tool to help smooth the learning curve that is Elite Dangerous.

Well said that man! I CAN dock - I have docked - I've never lost a ship whilst docking (been close) but I HATE it - and though I accept that it's something I will have to learn sometime, at the moment I'd sooner invest my time on the other elements of the game I need to learn. Enough said, I think.

 

[m0rl0ck]

Imo the only positive thing the docking computer has going for it is that it plays strauss. If i could get one that only played strauss, id equip it np

 

[Para Handy]

Apropos the docking computer - one thing not mentioned and one of the main reasons I have one fitted (apart from laziness) in most ships from the python up - you don't get fined for incidents when over 100m/s if the docking computer is in action. When at a station with the horrible 10k no fire zone (i.e. speed limit) letting the DC hit 250m/s with no worries relieves a lot of boredom.



[alien]

 

[Chris Simon]

Apropos the docking computer - one thing not mentioned and one of the main reasons I have one fitted (apart from laziness) in most ships from the python up - you don't get fined for incidents when over 100m/s if the docking computer is in action. When at a station with the horrible 10k no fire zone (i.e. speed limit) letting the DC hit 250m/s with no worries relieves a lot of boredom.



[alien]

Interesting. First time I hear about that.
Still due to the fact, that having one on board would "cost" me 30k Cr per docking on profits, I still think I'll pass.

But I fully understand why someone would use it purely as a QoL feature.

 

[Red Anders]

That could be quite an expensive party. DC docks you automatically. But doesn't make you invulnerable, nor it is unerring.

First time I used the docking computer on my T9, it boosted me when I was about 2km from the station. If you've ever flown a T9 you'll know what happened next. Straight into the side of it.

Never used a Docking Computer yet but might consider for the Anaconda if it does take offs, I often have more scares leaving a station than entering.

Just remember, when you think you're too high in the slot in a 'conda, you're probably still too low.

The landings I really dislike are the ones where you're assigned to one of the pads right near the mail slot, and the pad is blocked from your field of view until you clear the slot. You then have to do an "elevator drop" maneuver (usually having to roll then drop) to avoid overshooting the pad.

They can be a pain depending on what ship you're in but there's plenty of room inside a station to fly round if you overshoot. Or just put the brakes on and back up

 

[Ankor Grammaten]

When I equipped an exploring ship, I didn't fit a DC, because I felt that I wouldn't be docking very often. For everything else, I won't fly without one. I can dock perfectly well if I need to, but it's really booooring, and I prefer not to. I sometimes dock manually just to keep my hand in, probably less than I should.

My wish would be to have the DC as an app that was automatically loaded in my main computer, then I don't have to worry about how much space it uses. By the way has anyone else come across that rude controller with the Scottish accent who says something like "next time learn to handle the controls"? I'd put in a complaint about him if I knew how.

I don't like launching much, but it's soon over. For some reason I keep getting told (not every time and I'm still trying to work out why) that I'm trespassing soon after I clear the dock, even though I haven't collided with anything and I'm still within the time limit.

Now, in EVE you ask to dock and they come out and tow your ship in. Just sayin'.

 

[aRJay]

When I equipped an exploring ship, I didn't fit a DC, because I felt that I wouldn't be docking very often. For everything else, I won't fly without one. I can dock perfectly well if I need to, but it's really booooring, and I prefer not to. I sometimes dock manually just to keep my hand in, probably less than I should.

My wish would be to have the DC as an app that was automatically loaded in my main computer, then I don't have to worry about how much space it uses. By the way has anyone else come across that rude controller with the Scottish accent who says something like "next time learn to handle the controls"? I'd put in a complaint about him if I knew how.

I don't like launching much, but it's soon over. For some reason I keep getting told (not every time and I'm still trying to work out why) that I'm trespassing soon after I clear the dock, even though I haven't collided with anything and I'm still within the time limit.

Now, in EVE you ask to dock and they come out and tow your ship in. Just sayin'.

As i understand it the countdown is for the whole manoeuvre from Pad release to clearing the toast rack, the trespassing one is triggered by going to slowly whilst exiting the toast rack where there is an exclusion zone for ships without docking permission. If you are slow enough going through this region your station privileges expire because you have completed exiting the station and the station detects you as a ship in the entrance flight path without docking permission so it starts to warm up the guns.

I get a verbal and written warning with a fast countdown to clear the area before shooting starts and almost immediately a written notice I am clear mostly with my Anaconda which I have practice related issues with.

 

[CMDR Mr. Boombastic]

If you think docking is boring you could always try risky docking (not my video I hasten to add):

Spoiler

[video=youtube_share;N_47HgrF5AU]https://youtu.be/N_47HgrF5AU[/video]

I do find docking with thrusters (not throttle) much quicker than the DC. Although in the past I could use that time the DC sequence takes productively, e.g. to plan my next move/jump.

 

[JetsonRING]

Very early in my Elite playing experience I decided I needed a docking computer - it's not that I can't dock, it's just that I find it difficult and very time consuming. I'm still toying with the idea of putting in some serious time practising to take the pain out of docking, and doing away with the docking computer, but I'm waiting for delivery of my HOTAS before I do that as there's no point I think in practising with KB and mouse only to have to repeat the process with the HOTAS.

I've found with small ships it's necessary to lose the basic discovery scanner in order to outfit the docking computer - and that really is my main question; what am I losing by not having a discovery scanner? I haven't yet tried exploration (and when I do I'll do it in my Cobra, not my Eagle, so I can have both DC and scanner) so my assumption that I'll need the scanner for that is untested - I've noticed I can't use the inventory tab in the LHS UI panel but I don't need to, I can check inventory in the RHS UI panel. I notice also that when I go to the "Contacts" tab in the LHS UI panel and select a ship, it says "scan needed" - but I don't know what, if anything, I'm missing out on apart from this?

Whilst on the subject - my biggest problem with docking has been finding the damn slot on the stations that have multiple faces - any tips for this?
I'm aware also that having the DC on my Eagle gives me some power management problems - this promises to be the main driver for getting rid of it. I can't run the kill warrant scanner and the DC at the same time, I have to disable them in turn or I go over 100%

The docking computer is a great tool for learning how to line up properly for transition through the mail-slot, especially when moving up from a smaller ship like the Cobra to a larger one like the Anaconda. It is also very convenient once inside a station for final docking. You will find however, that once you yourself are good at lining up and moving through the slot, the docking computer sometimes gets in the way, kicking in unexpectedly when you cut throttle to 0% for any reason. At first I just disabled it when I went to ground stations but forgetting to do that (and forgetting to re-enable it) was getting me into some annoying landing situations so I finally removed it and fitted an advanced discovery scanner.

So the answer is not "which one" but "which one at what time"? Fit the docking computer until you do not need it anymore then remove it to fit the scanner.

 

[Robin of Spiritwood]

There's a Docking Tutorial. It's worth learning to do it effortlessly.

In Options, there's a setting to change your inputs while landing. I mapped the up-down thrusters to an unused joystick axis, on my game controller. It lets me come down very gently once lined up. great for high G landings too.