Station Traffic control and a single way in/out.

[Net-FX]

With NPC's giving us landing/launch clearance and NPC's seemingly oblivious to said clearances, how much longer should we endure a single way in/out or space stations?

It's enough already with NPC's slamming into us human players only for us humans to be the one's fined... even when we are observing the speed limits... enough I say.

Can we not have docking pads outside the stations?... or better still, A dual entry/exit system?

/----------------\
/ [======] \ <- enter
| |
\ [======] / <- exit
\-----------------/

Simples.. {and yes, ASCII art is not my thing but you get the idea }

I'm pretty sure this would also help out Sarah Jane too given that the DC continues to attempt to slam my cutter into the toast rack from time to time.

 

[Alexandr]

Dual door ways use when the chemical/radiological/microbiological safety go first. Regarding space stations it really can be acute problem. So who knows maybe real-life space station of future do will require separate doors.

 

[Stellar Gambit]

this works right up until the people entering have to cross the exit flight path of those leaving the station, in order to get to their bay.

Has Ghostbusters not taught you people anything!!... Don't. Cross. The. Steams!.

 

[Lankspeed]

this works right up until the people entering have to cross the exit flight path of those leaving the station, in order to get to their bay.

Has Ghostbusters not taught you people anything!!... Don't. Cross. The. Steams!.

Ghostbusters, What is Ghostbusters ?

 

[kingbankai]

Ghostbusters, What is Ghostbusters ?

Well you sir are a Thargoid....

 

[MBaldelli]

With NPC's giving us landing/launch clearance and NPC's seemingly oblivious to said clearances, how much longer should we endure a single way in/out or space stations?

It's enough already with NPC's slamming into us human players only for us humans to be the one's fined... even when we are observing the speed limits... enough I say.

Can we not have docking pads outside the stations?... or better still, A dual entry/exit system?

/----------------\
/ [======] \ <- enter
| |
\ [======] / <- exit
\-----------------/

Simples.. {and yes, ASCII art is not my thing but you get the idea }

I'm pretty sure this would also help out Sarah Jane too given that the DC continues to attempt to slam my cutter into the toast rack from time to time.

Am I suspecting this suggestion is produced by another impatient pilot boosting his butt out of the station and failing when an NPC Beluga Commander is suffering from Mad Cow Disease?

I'll say this before, and I'll say it again.. and again... and again...

While it's true that the NPC Commanders of the Type 9s, Belegas, Orcas and even occasionally Anacondas might be a bit of an issue when you're trying to leave or come into a station, that slot is more than large enough to allow an Anaconda and a Corvette through without issue...

If you follow the greens.

The biggest problem going against a Player Pilot has to be the perspective from the cockpit that skews what you're seeing out the windows.

You also have 9 minutes to get into the station and 4 minutes to get out. If you're taking your time and ensuring that the Mad Cow NPCs aren't completely faffing around the entrance you should be able to get in or get out without even scratching your paint.

Because failing this -- you player-pilots with your impatience issues -- are the leading cause for not only rebuys, but the amount of suggestions that show up here about wanting more than one door into the barn.

The war outside will still be going when you come in to repair.

The stars will still be there to explore.

And the market isn't going to crash in the game because you paused for 30 seconds while NPC Captain Oblivious Pants in the Beluga that seems more interested in his pr0n collection than landing at/leaving the station

 

[kingbankai]

Am I suspecting this suggestion is produced by another impatient pilot boosting his butt out of the station and failing when an NPC Beluga Commander is suffering from Mad Cow Disease?

I'll say this before, and I'll say it again.. and again... and again...

While it's true that the NPC Commanders of the Type 9s, Belegas, Orcas and even occasionally Anacondas might be a bit of an issue when you're trying to leave or come into a station, that slot is more than large enough to allow an Anaconda and a Corvette through without issue...

If you follow the greens.

The biggest problem going against a Player Pilot has to be the perspective from the cockpit that skews what you're seeing out the windows.

You also have 9 minutes to get into the station and 4 minutes to get out. If you're taking your time and ensuring that the Mad Cow NPCs aren't completely faffing around the entrance you should be able to get in or get out without even scratching your paint.

Because failing this -- you player-pilots with your impatience issues -- are the leading cause for not only rebuys, but the amount of suggestions that show up here about wanting more than one door into the barn.

The war outside will still be going when you come in to repair.

The stars will still be there to explore.

And the market isn't going to crash in the game because you paused for 30 seconds while NPC Captain Oblivious Pants in the Beluga that seems more interested in his pr0n collection than landing at/leaving the station

I would agree but I have been rear ended by a Viper while I was exiting first in my Cobra. Also I have been wedged leaving in my Conda when a Type 9 came in after I started out and we grinded. And not the fun way where one of us ends up pregnant.

This is all since 2.4

 

[RaSenche]

i was about to say but there is already an in/out side to the envelope...
then i remembered what i saw earlier today... about 10 Beluga liners waiting in front of Jaques station till a docking pad opened up and then proceeding to block the entire envelope for a lil bit.

 

[MBaldelli]

I would agree but I have been rear ended by a Viper while I was exiting first in my Cobra. Also I have been wedged leaving in my Conda when a Type 9 came in after I started out and we grinded. And not the fun way where one of us ends up pregnant.

This is all since 2.4

The next I'm in the bubble I'll give this a go, to confirm. If this does happen, I'll definitely be putting in a bug report as the NPCs are often mis-coded after any major updates. I suggest doing the same.

I know that since the "sound improvements" there are times when I'm going in and out of the mail slot I get this momentary panic that there's some wacky NPC trying to put my exhausts into my cockpit, but fortunately for me, it's just the sound improvements *touch wood*.

 

[Para Handy]

With NPC's giving us landing/launch clearance and NPC's seemingly oblivious to said clearances, how much longer should we endure a single way in/out or space stations?

..................

SJA already coded the AI to use the green side of the slot - if you do too then you should have less issues.

However, the fact that the AI think you are not there (or that you are invisible) is really annoying.

The whole docking and undocking sequence could be given a brush-up for sure - like the queuing for exiting the slot or the fact that belugas and T9s come swanning out as you are entering with docking permission.

 

[Lankspeed]

Well you sir are a Thargoid....

Look the fact I come from Planet THARG and that I do not no what Ghostbusters are is not the point. I follow the Greens. Easy. When I 1st started Elite D. I was Trashed by a TYPE 9 rear ending me. Frontier Gave the the ship back As I did not understand about Rebuy. Yea Nerd brain I know. But The system has got better in some ways and Worse in others. The NPC's seem to have No Brains at times. It really does come down to TAKE YOUR TIME when flying In and Out.

 

[Ben Sevil]

<snip>

I agree with pretty much everything you wrote (except for T9s), but I'd prefer a system like the one the DC uses in Solo.

If the DC is docking you in Solo, the ships in the queue behind and those coming out of the station wait for you - 99% of the time.

So, let us have actual flight control and not immediate authorisation for entry and egress.

And I fully agree with the OP's notion that the current system is completely wonko. The next time you take a plane and have started your takeoff, note that there aren't planes trying to land coming at you from the opposite direction, nor are there other craft trying to take off next to you. In those (very rare) cases where this does happen, you get a disaster.

Second, with no rear-view mirrors, all you can hope is that if you do get hit from behind is that you will be able to recover in time to make it out without being pushed into the walls, squeezed in the slot or killed by the station. I once had an NPC somehow latch onto me while exiting, go through the slot with me, and only release just before jump became available.


My solution would have been to have slots on either side of the tube, but EDev hasn't done that, nor do I think that's possible at this stage. Which brings me back to actual traffic control.

 

[MBaldelli]

And I fully agree with the OP's notion that the current system is completely wonko. The next time you take a plane and have started your takeoff, note that there aren't planes trying to land coming at you from the opposite direction, nor are there other craft trying to take off next to you. In those (very rare) cases where this does happen, you get a disaster.

You mean queuing for take-off/landing? Oh yes definitely! It's been suggested, on numerous occasions. We still have... what's that phrase again... Belugas, Orcas and Type 9s swanning trough the mail slots.

I don't think that the devs have worked out how fully code ATC queuing into the game. Even working on Hanlon's Razor I can't see the devs being that malicious.

Second, with no rear-view mirrors, all you can hope is that if you do get hit from behind is that you will be able to recover in time to make it out without being pushed into the walls, squeezed in the slot or killed by the station.

I'm wondering if anyone else is using the same two second rule in driving as they do in flying a ship. Given the way people drive in real time (read; They clearly don't use the two second rule), I'm beginning to think we're seeing more of this issues within the game.

 

[Ben Sevil]

You mean queuing for take-off/landing? Oh yes definitely! It's been suggested, on numerous occasions. We still have... what's that phrase again... Belugas, Orcas and Type 9s swanning trough the mail slots.

I don't think that the devs have worked out how fully code ATC queuing into the game. Even working on Hanlon's Razor I can't see the devs being that malicious.

I'm wondering if anyone else is using the same two second rule in driving as they do in flying a ship. Given the way people drive in real time (read; They clearly don't use the two second rule), I'm beginning to think we're seeing more of this issues within the game.

Yep, I agree, queueing. And I also agree it's because it's difficult to implement, and not a decision to sit back and chuckle at our misfortunes.

On the second subject, well when I got my licence, it was the three-second rule, so I'm quite careful. But I too would prefer to edge up close to the commander in front of me (whom I can see) because I always assume there's an overeager NPC character (not a human) behind me.

I even started a diary of my mishaps in my T9.

 

[MBaldelli]

On the second subject, well when I got my licence, it was the three-second rule, so I'm quite careful. But I too would prefer to edge up close to the commander in front of me (whom I can see) because I always assume there's an overeager NPC character (not a human) behind me.

I even started a diary of my mishaps in my T9.

Hello Fellow Middle-ager!

Not surprisingly I come into stations sideways. No way to get rear-ended although occasionally I end up with a Type 9 barreling out the mail slot as I'm coming in. I slow down and get closer to my side of the mail slot. Even when I brace at the thought I'm going to get my ASPX scraped it never happens. It's because of pilot perspective from the cockpit.

 

[Net-FX]

Am I suspecting this suggestion is produced by another impatient pilot boosting his butt out of the station and failing when an NPC Beluga Commander is suffering from Mad Cow Disease?

Moooooo

He he... and no, not impatient. Sometimes, manual docking is a must [for various reasons] and, even sliding WAAAAAAYYYY over to the green side, it's a real toughie when your also having to dodge NPC ships darting all over, not to mention beluga's hogging the middle of the toast rack.

All I'm saying is, in the year 3303, surely at least one of the large station planners considered the whole traffic situation.

Has Ghostbusters not taught you people anything!!... Don't. Cross. The. Steams!.

Well, they actually did in the end and it worked out well [god how old are we lol]... however, i'm pretty sure the results wouldn't be so wonderful if we crossed streams in cutters, T9's ect... though, the light show would likely be as spectacular

 

[sandkid]

The point that NPCs basically ignore player commander existence is probably the best explanation for this problem.

Thing is, programming the NPCs to acknowledge you only gets them to fly around you - which is rarely a good idea inside the station, let alone the mail slot. They won't stop and, even if programmed to do so, now you've created a REALLY big problem of actual traffic jams.

Programming docking and egress to recognize player ships are coming and going would be very helpful for large ships. Except for maybe the Asp E, most mediums tend to fit pretty swell pending the NPC large ships aren't hogging the mail slot...which large ships ARE supposed to do.

 

[Daish]

Well you sir are a Thargoid....

Whos Ghostbusters?? OMG OMG whos he gonna call now Lol.

My understanding of playing since beta I directly have any issues docking yes I've had fines for bumping on "odd" occasions speeding but doesn't that add to immersion which let's face it Elite is lacking in that department in some areas. However back to "Mind the gap" Ref https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind_the_gap just in case.
I do feel with the advent of newer and bigger ships coming I'm not gonna say the word or even remotely mention the ship we have all been waiting for "panther clipper"

getting these bigger ships through the slot I understand is still fresh on frontiers mind, so I would say that they have large ship docking stations in game however we can only look at them sadly !! so much like the spaceports whereby the largest ship to dock is a python if my information is correct so why not simply have these larger ports next to or incorporated into space stations it would kind of solve the issue, if we are getting fed up of using the slot. Just a thought

 

[MBaldelli]

Moooooo

He he... and no, not impatient. Sometimes, manual docking is a must [for various reasons] and, even sliding WAAAAAAYYYY over to the green side, it's a real toughie when your also having to dodge NPC ships darting all over, not to mention beluga's hogging the middle of the toast rack.

I always manually dock. I always have since I started the game last year. The only time I ever scraped the paint on another ship (NPC) was because I made the wrong judgment call to speed ahead of the Orca. Ended up getting a 200 credit fine for it and a chastisement from the FTC.

All I'm saying is, in the year 3303, surely at least one of the large station planners considered the whole traffic situation.

Sure, I couldn't see why not. While we're at it, we should have cleaner interiors and not something looking like the inside of a World War II bomber cockpit in some of these ships. Not to mention even more state of the art navigations and not something feeling and looking like fly-by-wire. Did I mention the thought of the cockpit HUD not being dependent on it not working when the canopy's broken?

I have a laundry list on this, but remember that we all need to make due with what we have instead of ling for something that simply can't be programmed without seriously breaking things worse. I think the problem has to do with the fact that the NPC pilots need to be tweaked going in and leaving stations more first.

 

[Para Handy]

....... Did I mention the thought of the cockpit HUD not being dependent on it not working when the canopy's broken?

............

That annoys me too - I mean we have this emergency helmet which deploys over our heads when the canopy is breached - why can't it incorporate a "smart screen" and have the hud info on it?