Can we have Base Vectoring - Please???

[Bannok]

I've been an Elite fan since having played the original Elite on my Apple ][ at age 15 - and since then this issue has been driving me nuts: lining up with the base is unnecessarily difficult and annoying. Back then (unless you had a docking computer) it meant you risked your entire ship. Nowadays this has luckily been reduced to some unnecessary and frustrating manoeuvring that takes away form the game.

Here's what I propose: when you request docking permissions and receive the go-ahead, you should automatically switch to a new (personalized) nav-point that either sets you up for a docking run on the main gate (large stations) or (much more important) for a final run on the landing pad on smaller stations. Not to be too subtle about this: I have a pilot license, and love almost everything else about Elite - but docking procedures stick out like a sore thumb. Why can't we have simplistic vectoring in Outer Space, when we have had this since WWII? Flying elite is almost as much fun as flying planes - except for a crucial bit: landing/docking.

Please? With cherry on top??

Thanks for listening
-Bk

 

[Dr Wookie]

I've been an Elite fan since having played the original Elite on my Apple ][ at age 15 - and since then this issue has been driving me nuts: lining up with the base is unnecessarily difficult and annoying. Back then (unless you had a docking computer) it meant you risked your entire ship. Nowadays this has luckily been reduced to some unnecessary and frustrating manoeuvring that takes away form the game.

Here's what I propose: when you request docking permissions and receive the go-ahead, you should automatically switch to a new (personalized) nav-point that either sets you up for a docking run on the main gate (large stations) or (much more important) for a final run on the landing pad on smaller stations. Not to be too subtle about this: I have a pilot license, and love almost everything else about Elite - but docking procedures stick out like a sore thumb. Why can't we have simplistic vectoring in Outer Space, when we have had this since WWII? Flying elite is almost as much fun as flying planes - except for a crucial bit: landing/docking.

Please? With cherry on top??

Thanks for listening
-Bk

So what I'm hearings is that you're fine when there's nothing to hit within a million miles !

In all seriousness, your compass does point at the landing pad when you're close enough (it switches when you're through the entrance of the station, and I think it always points to the pad on an outpost). I appreciate that this isn't a vector, but then you have rather more free movement than a plane, with 6 axes and the ability to "stop" without falling out of the sky. Practice makes docking easy

 

[simo2003]

I don't think docking needs to be made any easier. It's pretty easy to manage with a bit of practice.

 

[Magic Man]

I've been an Elite fan since having played the original Elite on my Apple ][ at age 15 - and since then this issue has been driving me nuts: lining up with the base is unnecessarily difficult and annoying.

You've been an Elite fan since the beginning and still have difficulty docking?
"lining up with the base is" not "unnecessarily difficult and annoying" at all, it's really rather easy considering what you are meant to be doing. It takes nothing more than a little practice like any game that requires flying and landing some sort of vehicle.

Back then (unless you had a docking computer) it meant you risked your entire ship. Nowadays this has luckily been reduced to some unnecessary and frustrating manoeuvring that takes away form the game.

Back then you simply reloaded your commander if you failed but, by the time you could afford a docking computer, you bought it simply to make the process quicker, you'd already mastered the technique - and back then that was with just the keyboard and no yaw let alone thrusters.
" unnecessary and frustrating manoeuvring" - what is unnecessary and frustrating about the manoeuvres required to dock? And the option of the docking computer is still there.
The act of requiring a little skill to dock takes away from the game? Really?

Here's what I propose: when you request docking permissions and receive the go-ahead, you should automatically switch to a new (personalized) nav-point that either sets you up for a docking run on the main gate (large stations) or (much more important) for a final run on the landing pad on smaller stations. Not to be too subtle about this: I have a pilot license, and love almost everything else about Elite - but docking procedures stick out like a sore thumb. Why can't we have simplistic vectoring in Outer Space, when we have had this since WWII? Flying elite is almost as much fun as flying planes - except for a crucial bit: landing/docking.

Nothing stopping you flying a wider approach, you don't really need vectors to do that, it's really not that hard whether you fly wide and line up from some way away or simply skirt the perimeter of the station and pull it in from the immediate vicinity - far easier actually than the original because of the addition of yaw and thrusters.

It would be a nice addition to have them alongside 'proper' landing control, holding patterns for queues etc. but the majority would complain that it took too long if enforced and would simply just fly in and dock as they currently do anyway.

 

[Bannok]

In all seriousness, your compass does point at the landing pad when you're close enough (it switches when you're through the entrance of the station, and I think it always points to the pad on an outpost). I appreciate that this isn't a vector, but then you have rather more free movement than a plane, with 6 axes and the ability to "stop" without falling out of the sky. Practice makes docking easy

My apologies for not being clear about this. What I meant to convey is this:

Most airfields in the world today have a reporting point or approach point. The location of this is known, and can be programmed into your gps (or approached using good old radio navigation). The idea is that when you are at this point, you know that all you need to do is to turn to heading yxz, and you'll hit the runway. This dramatically simplifies landing procedures.

I want something similar for ED: for large bases I want a reporting point set up a couple of k in front of the main gate: approach it, and you are set up for a straight-in. this is especially helpful for the 'buckyball' type stations that resemble the stations from the original elite. Once I'm through the main gate, I have no problems approaching the correct pad - that's pretty much akin to taxiing to your parking position on a normal airfield. No problem.
For outposts, however, the situation is different. Their pads are all over the place. For these bases I want an approach point for every pad. Once I'm cleared to land on Pad 03, I want a navpoint to approach from where I can clearly see, and approach the Pad in a straight line.

Btw, the base/navpoint indicater *is* pretty much a vectoring tool, it works very similar to good old radio nav instruments.

Cheers,
-bk

 

[Bannok]

You've been an Elite fan since the beginning and still have difficulty docking?

No, I'm saying I find it unnecessarily annoying. Big difference. I love Elite, and I want to make it more fun. To me. I'm selfish in that way. But maybe others would agree.

"lining up with the base is" not "unnecessarily difficult and annoying" at all, it's really rather easy considering what you are meant to be doing. It takes nothing more than a little practice like any game that requires flying and landing some sort of vehicle.

Look, if there is something that can easily help you with a task, and that something is not available, it *is* unnecessarily difficult. Why do you think you have a targeting reticule? I'm sure some would argue that 'Considering what you are meant to be doing' it's not necessary. That quote can be applied to anything. If you don't want base vectoring, don't use it. I usually don't use GPS when flying a plane VFR, but it's great to have nonetheless when I'm approaching an airfield I don't know.

The act of requiring a little skill to dock takes away from the game? Really?

No, once you have mastered docking it's becoming a chore to manually set your ship up for final. Especially if all that it takes is one lousy nav point straight in front of the gate. That's what I want. I appreciate the skill required to fly the ship. But there's very little skill involved in finding the gate, just a lot of unnecessary manoeuvring.

Nothing stopping you flying a wider approach, you don't really need vectors to do that, it's really not that hard whether you fly wide and line up from some way away or simply skirt the perimeter of the station and pull it in from the immediate vicinity - far easier actually than the original because of the addition of yaw and thrusters.

Indeed. But flying a wider approach is, by definition, an unnecessary chore. That's all I'm saying. I'm the kind of guy who likes driving a car with automatic transmission. A friend of mine frowns on that. She continues to tell me that that's not real driving. Perhaps. But I like it that way.

It would be a nice addition to have them alongside 'proper' landing control, holding patterns for queues etc.

Good heavens, no. I've enough of that in real life. Holding patterns and queues? More chores. No, I want an easy line-up. That's all I'm asking for.

-BK

 

[Psycho Romeo]

Honestly I think this frustration is crucial to the game, especially the new player experience. Everyone should smash their sidewinder (or better, larger ship) into the grate. Everyone should bounce around the airlock. Everyone should circle the station a few times until they figure out how to tell which end is forward.