You are in your cutter using autodock at a station, in the letterbox you meet a CMDR in a big hurry, in a big ship going out what happens?
Autodocking and fines
- Thread starter Tarquin the bad
- Start date
Nothing, except a scolding from the traffic controller. Always a good idea to keep an eye on the scanner and go manual in those situations.
The cmdr going out takes evasive maneuvers. Has happened to me on occasion. I don't use autodock so don't know what you're options are.
Does this happen if the outgoing mothership is speeding?
The non-speeder will still be shot to bits, because it's not the speeding that gets you shot, it's the loitering in the airlock that gets you shot.
What's an Auto-dock?
Pretty sure the timer only applies to the ship exiting the slot.
A tool that sensible truckers have installed on massive freighters (especially at busy CG ports) And before you say it, yes I can dock my ship, doesn't mean I want to on every trade run.
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Only ships I have issues with are Beluga. Once got so stuck in its useless wings, even reverse didn’t work. Logged out real fast before station “handled” it. As for using auto, I use it my big ships but I watch it to take back control. Have had a cutter unsupervised try repeatedly to enter under the cage.
Do you have that diagram for the T10? I'm pretty sure you bounce back unless landing gear is stowed.
If your using the Docking Computer aka: Auto Dock or DC. There is no fine!
IF you get stuck for any reason release auto dock, if your landing gear is down, stow it immediately.
In the time allotted attempt to get your self free.
If your unable to get free you will have two option.
The first easiest and fastest is to do what is generally referred to as "Combat Log". It is not considered combat logging by FDev. If choosen, you'll respawn outside of the no fire zone, which you just try to land again.
The second is to continue to the end of the timer get blown up, submit a ticket and wait two or three days to be recompensated.
Based on the grounds that the DC was suppose to disengage from the landing process and return you to the cue and wait until the portal is clear for another attempt. Which it apparently didn't do, thus you can be recompensated.
If you by passed the DC by boosting which is a way of sneaking in without getting scanned. Well, you bypassed the DC and not eligiable for compensation.
I'm not sure if they (FDev) has fixed the issue, but auto docking and the large ships have or did have an issue where as the DC would cause the Conda, Cutter or the Vette to get stuck in the toast rack. I got tired in the beginning of requesting compensation and just did the Combat Log, which is consider leagle and recommended becasue of the time and effort when submitting a ticket.
I've since learned how to enter and exit without the assitance of the DC and haven't had an issue since.
IF your not speeding, and meet another ship, simply back out, when clear proceed.
If your rub, scratch, dent, anything while under a 100, there's no fine. Over 100 and not using the DC can get you a speeding ticket if involved in rubbing, scratching, or denting yourself and or others. And or a reckless driving ticket.
Once again, if under the power of the DC, there's no fine, if and when you rub, scratch or even dent yourself or others. Regardless of the speed the ship is doing, which generally is under 100, but not always. It's a fricken computer, don't trust it 100 percent.
IF you get stuck for any reason release auto dock, if your landing gear is down, stow it immediately.
In the time allotted attempt to get your self free.
If your unable to get free you will have two option.
The first easiest and fastest is to do what is generally referred to as "Combat Log". It is not considered combat logging by FDev. If choosen, you'll respawn outside of the no fire zone, which you just try to land again.
The second is to continue to the end of the timer get blown up, submit a ticket and wait two or three days to be recompensated.
Based on the grounds that the DC was suppose to disengage from the landing process and return you to the cue and wait until the portal is clear for another attempt. Which it apparently didn't do, thus you can be recompensated.
If you by passed the DC by boosting which is a way of sneaking in without getting scanned. Well, you bypassed the DC and not eligiable for compensation.
I'm not sure if they (FDev) has fixed the issue, but auto docking and the large ships have or did have an issue where as the DC would cause the Conda, Cutter or the Vette to get stuck in the toast rack. I got tired in the beginning of requesting compensation and just did the Combat Log, which is consider leagle and recommended becasue of the time and effort when submitting a ticket.
I've since learned how to enter and exit without the assitance of the DC and haven't had an issue since.
IF your not speeding, and meet another ship, simply back out, when clear proceed.
If your rub, scratch, dent, anything while under a 100, there's no fine. Over 100 and not using the DC can get you a speeding ticket if involved in rubbing, scratching, or denting yourself and or others. And or a reckless driving ticket.
Once again, if under the power of the DC, there's no fine, if and when you rub, scratch or even dent yourself or others. Regardless of the speed the ship is doing, which generally is under 100, but not always. It's a fricken computer, don't trust it 100 percent.
You turn off the DC and manually maneuver out of the situation.
The DC IS NOT an Auto-Pilot. It is BLIND to human players, so if you want to risk using the DC in Open at a popular high traffic station, filled with human pliots, you better pay close attention to what is going on.
While the DC does recognize the positions of NPCs within the station and around it, human players are not on its radar in a truly literal sense. Why? I have no idea, but that is a fact in the current version of the game.
The only folks that are running into issues using the DC in 3.0 are those who are confused over what the DC is actually capable of and also how FDEV intended it to be used, and lastly what ships it can actually see, and thus avoid if the need arises.
FYI: Frontier has stated many times in the past when people submit complaints about DC related Rebuys and such that the DC was not designed to be used as an Auto-Pilot within the bounds of a busy StarPort. You still need to be watching and being prepared to take over if a human pilot decides to do something stupid while you are on final approach.
Bottom line... If you get fined, or loose your ship as the result of using the Docking Computer... You're using it wrong.
Simple as that.
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No diagram, have a video though. All ships can fit through the slot with the gear down, not 100% sure on the Beluga but am fairly certain I've done it. I tend to put the gear down early when the DC is used, prevents boost or rapid pitching or rolling. Vid is manual control though, it is the same deal with the DC.
It is much harder on a normal monitor, looks like there is barely any room to fit when I watch the vid, inside VR there is a massive drop below me while in the slot, I feel comfortable with plenty of room above and below me.
You just gotta keep telling yourself there is nearly 180 feet in total from the bottom of the slot to the top. The leaning tower of pisa could almost fit in there.
[video=youtube_share;wDq5vVSgkSI]https://youtu.be/wDq5vVSgkSI[/video]
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Nope, the autodock can also speed on approach, which is one of the reasons why it is handy in Open at busy CG's in a heavy ship.
Keep in mind you won't get fined during manual flight if you maintain the speed limit and get involved in a collision, not hard to stay below the limit in a fully laden T9.
it doesn't matter if you go in or out, if you blocking the mailslot you have 1 minuten and 30 seconds to get out or the station will blow you up
Makes sense, was just something I read.
I have to chime in on this one.
For the first couple of years I played I always retracted my landing gear after I lifted off from the space station pad when exiting the station. At the time, in my mind I thought retracting the landing gear made my ship "shorter" and thus gave me more clearance moving through the slot.
I always got a Proximity warning but I thought that was the way it worked. After I got a Beluga many moons ago, I found out if you don't retract your landing gear I would not get the Proximity warning. The Beluga's rear fins retract a little when gear is down.
Then I found out via experimentation any ship that has its landing gear Retracted gets that Proximity warning and sometimes an Impact warning. But when the gear is down, no Proximity warning. I don't understand. But I learned.
So yes, I pass through the slot with my Beluga gear down, all the time with no impact or Proximity warning. (but not always, I'm not perfect and I scrape sometimes or get a momentary bump with minor shield damage)
This whole thing just sound counter-intuitive to me. But then, I'm just a lonely worker bee in the real world and Elite world.
GL HF
PS: but I have to say the DC gets away with both speeding and passing thru the slot with gear UP and no Prox warning. idu
For the first couple of years I played I always retracted my landing gear after I lifted off from the space station pad when exiting the station. At the time, in my mind I thought retracting the landing gear made my ship "shorter" and thus gave me more clearance moving through the slot.
I always got a Proximity warning but I thought that was the way it worked. After I got a Beluga many moons ago, I found out if you don't retract your landing gear I would not get the Proximity warning. The Beluga's rear fins retract a little when gear is down.
Then I found out via experimentation any ship that has its landing gear Retracted gets that Proximity warning and sometimes an Impact warning. But when the gear is down, no Proximity warning. I don't understand. But I learned.
So yes, I pass through the slot with my Beluga gear down, all the time with no impact or Proximity warning. (but not always, I'm not perfect and I scrape sometimes or get a momentary bump with minor shield damage)
This whole thing just sound counter-intuitive to me. But then, I'm just a lonely worker bee in the real world and Elite world.
GL HF
PS: but I have to say the DC gets away with both speeding and passing thru the slot with gear UP and no Prox warning. idu
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