Cutter autopilot

If you could stop slamming my unshielded hauler into the wall, that'd be great. Cutter...the ship that handles so bad even the computer can't handle it.
 
Using the AP on the Cutter is pretty much a waste of time. Whether entering or exiting through the slot. Whether it be slamming into the outside of the station (cause someone else was exiting), or getting caught in the toaster grid (without oncoming traffic), or doing the back/forth/up/down dance inside the station while waiting to exit, its pretty useless in any case.

I mostly fly my Cutters (2) if I'm out to do anything "productive" and the AP is a real detriment! The Cutter is actually pretty easy to hand fly once you get comfortable with her dynamics. Certainly much more reliable and faster to hand fly an exit or entrance in any case!
 
Auto-dock seems to work just fine on my Cutter. The majority of the time, at least. There have been occasions when it thrusts forward into the spot below the exit corridor, but that kind of thing is why I have shields installed. It's also relatively painless to get it to snap out of it when it decides to dance the pavane instead of leaving the docking bay; just stick its nose into the access corridor before zeroing the throttle and it will get the idea.

Even with such rare hiccups, it still beats docking the blasted thing manually while hauling large amounts of cargo. Maybe having max pips in engines is the key? Seems to work for me.
 
I really only want the auto-dock for two things - to cruise to get sort of in line with the mailslot, or to find the landing pad inside of stations (or even find them on the outside of smaller stations when using smaller ships or landing on planets). I'm find to take off and to pilot inside. If there were better 'here is your pad!' Indicators I'd probably use it less.

Also your hauler could maybe use better thrusters for stopping? I know some people build for lightest weight/farthest jump, but that sometimes also means slowest stop.
 
I fly it shieldless but with 8A Dirty/Drag thrusters maxed out on 5. They do the job, autopilot works just fine at the stations / land bases.

(Only gets confused at Orbital Build sites with lowered landing gear tangling into structures)
 
Computers can't anticipate The Drift. Only well-trained humans can--and you'll eat a lot of dirt in lithobrakings before you get the grip. But once you do, and learn it takes 20 kilometers to come to a stop exiting a meager 700 m/s speedbowl, and you can't do a sharp turn without falling out of the sky on a >0.2 g planet with throttle over the blue, and that it's easy to tailstrike when landing, you can pull maneuvers a novice wouldn't believe. Coming in at full throttle and 792 tons in hold, flying over the site, pulling a fast split S and coming to a stop smack dab at the center of the landing pad feels so damn good. Though you'll still eat dirt every once in a while😉

Also, even with standard lightweight alloys, a fully engineered and beefed with HRP-s in military slots shieldless Cutter can take a lot of punishment🤪
 
I fly it shieldless but with 8A Dirty/Drag thrusters maxed out on 5. They do the job, autopilot works just fine at the stations / land bases.

(Only gets confused at Orbital Build sites with lowered landing gear tangling into structures)
Computers can't anticipate The Drift. Only well-trained humans can--and you'll eat a lot of dirt in lithobrakings before you get the grip. But once you do, and learn it takes 20 kilometers to come to a stop exiting a meager 700 m/s speedbowl, and you can't do a sharp turn without falling out of the sky on a >0.2 g planet with throttle over the blue, and that it's easy to tailstrike when landing, you can pull maneuvers a novice wouldn't believe. Coming in at full throttle and 792 tons in hold, flying over the site, pulling a fast split S and coming to a stop smack dab at the center of the landing pad feels so damn good. Though you'll still eat dirt every once in a while😉

Also, even with standard lightweight alloys, a fully engineered and beefed with HRP-s in military slots shieldless Cutter can take a lot of punishment🤪
It's definitely The Drift! I use the 8A dirty/drags too but the AP definitely has trouble with The Drift. I go manual to anticipate it and reverse tri-chording to slow down faster. I even use a cutter for core mining! Surprisingly nimble once you get used to it. I still like use AP while space trucking so I can more easily watch the Youtubes. But many times I've gotten annoyed watching the ship dance in front of the mail slot and I gotta take over. Or post a sillly rant on the forums :p
 
Back about 9 years ago the Docking Computer was widely believed to be homicidal either parking near the pad till the timer ran out and the station started shooting, or boosting into the rear wall of the station.

I really only want the auto-dock for two things - to cruise to get sort of in line with the mailslot, or to find the landing pad inside of stations (or even find them on the outside of smaller stations when using smaller ships or landing on planets). I'm find to take off and to pilot inside. If there were better 'here is your pad!' Indicators I'd probably use it less.

Also your hauler could maybe use better thrusters for stopping? I know some people build for lightest weight/farthest jump, but that sometimes also means slowest stop.
You should just fit the standard Docking Computer as unlike the advanced it doesn’t do takeoffs, of course you would lose the ability to Autoland on planets without a pad
 
mine always head butts the letter box its not shielded but no damage prob 1% , landing np.cant be botherd with manual any more,im in the right place to repair it.increase you hulll reinforcement. better then it was and only happens now and again,its youre AI you know never trust a computer lol.
 
, or to find the landing pad inside of stations (or even find them on the outside of smaller stations when using smaller ships or landing on planets). I'm find to take off and to pilot inside. If there were better 'here is your pad!' Indicators I'd probably use it less.
I can't remember what companion app it is (if anyone can please post) but I used to have an app which when you requested docking it would say
"bay 3 is at 3 o'clock at the front of the station near the entrance" (or wherever)
I liked that app it was immersive and informative esp with the bug that the bay docking text does not always light up right away
 
Last edited:
I can't remember what companion app it is (if anyone can please post) but I used to have an app which when you requested docking it would say
"bay 3 is at 3 o'clock at the front of the station near the entrance" (or wherever)
I liked that app it was immersive and informative esp with the bug that the bay docking text does not always light up right away
After almost 5000 hours I have almost memorized where the landing pads are. But I haven't landed on pad 3 in ages for some reason so I had to cheat and look it up:
station_pads.jpg

And yes, I do have favourite landing pads: 08, 07, 38, 10, 25, 40 :p

PS. The navigation compass shows the direction of your assigned landing pad once you're past the mailslot. I can line up my ship using only that, without ever seeing the pad before I'm right on top of it and the holo shows up.
 
I actually find it hilarious, something to spice up the hauling stuff. I don't want to fly Cutter without it, rather get up from the chair and do something healthier while it's waltzing the ship into dock. Most of the time stuff happens when launching from a station with mailslot, not at arrival. You do need some protection, even if you don't want to sacrifice a slot for shields. With a fully hardened hull the damage has always stayed below 20%, never got near dangerous levels. This can be quite different with more nimble ships, which seems counterintuitive, but try it for yourself. With a shieldless Mandalay launching from inside a station, the computer slammed me full-on into the next tower or whatever is protruding close to the landing pad, and hull is >60% gone (also engineered), and not just once. Cutter is great for being so robust.
 
That's just not true. Don't you have a bridge you should be lurking under?
I do, but it's a nice day for a walk.
But you're of course right, the autopilot's competence is not base on the pilot using it. Which is lucky; becaus if it was the re-buy premiums would skyrocket. 😁
 
the auto pilot is AI nothing to do with skill level.press the button and computer takes over.manual landing/take off is practise of course.
I don't think the statement responded to was meant literally, rather a thinly veiled derision of anyone who uses the assistant at all, like in every thread the thing is mentioned.

Just ditch the autodocking computer and embrace the two additional tons of cargo you get in return.
Or use it and embrace the additional time you get afk instead of doing the same dumb thing again and again.
 
Back
Top Bottom