Been playing since beta, still don't know this one...

Kael Maliai · Apr 20, 2015

What is the point of the flap things at docking pads? I get the whole, spinning around thing, keeps you from having to turn your T9's ass inside the station. But what are the flap things doing? They aren't protecting the tower from thrust, because they're in front of us. Nor are they doing anything else that I can think of. Anyone got an idea? I'm just curious, and this is the biggest problem I have with the game atm. So, all in all, I love this game.

Kyudos · Apr 20, 2015

You might also argue that since the pad can turn you around - why do you have to land a facing a certain way....

Nauht · Apr 20, 2015

IMO they're to stop you going forward and thus damaging the station itself. You're forced to go up to clear the station structure.

Imagine the loss of virtual lives if you accidentally dinged the station and created a hole, sucking virtual kiddies spinning out into space. You murderer.

Nonya · Apr 20, 2015

They're directing the engine blast away from the platform itself when you're landing.
Every time you take off you kill everyone inside the tower. We're all ruthless murderers.

Kael Maliai · Apr 20, 2015

Nauht said:
IMO they're to stop you going forward and thus damaging the station itself. You're forced to go up to clear the station structure.

Imagine the loss of virtual lives if you accidentally dinged the station and created a hole, sucking virtual kiddies spinning out into space. You murderer.

Nonya said:
They're directing the engine blast away from the platform itself when you're landing.
Every time you take off you kill everyone inside the tower. We're all ruthless murderers.

Lol +rep to both. Also, murder isn't really a bad thing right?! >.> <.< Right? ... Oh... oops... I'mma go sell my guns now.

Nagual · Apr 20, 2015

I personally believe they are a remnant from when FDev needed /wanted to slow down our take offs. I'm sure there was a reason they are there, and the reason isn't quite so valid anymore, but can I recall the actual reason. No I can't. I'm a muppet.

Scrat · Apr 20, 2015

I use them as an indicator for my approach for landings without vertical thrust. I go down in the angle of the flaps and then pull up so I have the correct height above the pad.

Whiterose · Apr 20, 2015

They are manually raised up and down with a crank handle, one each side, its to make sure that there is gainful employment throughout habitable space. It actually would be a good idea to use them for advertising space, prime viewing when you are just sitting there.

Hellhawk666 · Apr 20, 2015

Truth?

Someone at FD thought "Ooh, animated blast panels would look cool on the landing pads - lets put them THERE"

And there they are.

The dumb thing is, if these gizmos elevated to the vertical, were in front of the tower, and operated on landing and takeoff, they would make some sense

Tinman · Apr 20, 2015

Nagual said:
I personally believe they are a remnant from when FDev needed /wanted to slow down our take offs. I'm sure there was a reason they are there, and the reason isn't quite so valid anymore, but can I recall the actual reason. No I can't. I'm a muppet.

The station entrance actually has blast doors that can open and close. Someone noticed this way back when a bug had them opening and closing constantly in a loop. In the current implementation they are simply open at all time since they probably realized that having doors opening and closing like that with an airlock took to long when docking and created issues with multiple ships going in and out at the same time. That's why we now have a shield in place instead.

I'm guessing the blast shields did also have a function at some point in time, but it is no longer valid.

[VR] Mad Mike · Apr 20, 2015

Tinman said:
The station entrance actually has blast doors that can open and close. Someone noticed this way back when a bug had them opening and closing constantly in a loop. In the current implementation they are simply open at all time since they probably realized that having doors opening and closing like that with an airlock took to long when docking and created issues with multiple ships going in and out at the same time. That's why we now have a shield in place instead.

I'm guessing the blast shields did also have a function at some point in time, but it is no longer valid.

That being said tho, I can imagine a use for them in future. Maybe in the future the standard "at peace" setting will be as is now, however if we ever get full scale fights around stations the station can enter "under fire" mode and go into lock down, possibly with very tight windows for entrance and exit.

Mephane · Apr 20, 2015

Whiterose said:
They are manually raised up and down with a crank handle, one each side, its to make sure that there is gainful employment throughout habitable space. It actually would be a good idea to use them for advertising space, prime viewing when you are just sitting there.

I never thought of that, but now after I heard your idea it seems strange to me why that this isn't the case already.

Lord_Crazy · Apr 20, 2015

Kyudos said:
You might also argue that since the pad can turn you around - why do you have to land a facing a certain way....

Always wondered. OK for stations but annoying in outposts.

Zplintz · Apr 20, 2015

Nonya said:
They're directing the engine blast away from the platform itself when you're landing.
Every time you take off you kill everyone inside the tower. We're all ruthless murderers.

They are not blast doors. If they were you would have them behind the ship when you take off, not behind you when land.

Pilot in red shirt · Apr 20, 2015

According to the pilot's manual you are supposed to position yourself vertically above the pad and lower yourself on thrusters, thus making the blast ramps extra useless. Admittedly everyone who has been playing the game for more than 5 minutes starts screaming in like a carrier pilot on speed with no arrester cable to hook but what the hell.
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Couple of other points:
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1) Has anyone else noticed that the blast ramps are always already down and you release immediately when you are flying from large (3 barrier) pads? On small and medium you have to wait for them to flatten before being released.
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2) Has anyone else noticed that when landing on large pads the vertical measurement hits zero when you are level with the top of the tower? You can quite happily dock when still a long way above the pad. For small and medium ships you have to scrape it along the pad to activate docking.
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Just wondered if it was only me.
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Also don't RES farm in asteroid belts in the shadow of the planet - makes it real hard to see the asteroid you are about to face plant your ship into when boosting to catch the latest anaconda to appear!
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lovely lovely · Apr 20, 2015

Would be great to have them retract a lot quicker.

unite · Apr 20, 2015

I had assumed these where some sort of holding device (maybe magnetic) that locked your ship to the pad stopping you from taking off hence why they have to retract before you can take off. In that sence they also control the automatic centering of the ship on the pad when you land.