Newcomer / Intro Docking bug in recent update

[disorganise]

Hi,
I've been playing for almost a week now so an old timer LOL.
Aside from the random 'drunken' type of spasm control of the ship, I originally had no real issue with docking (aside from bouncing of stuff occasionally).

On 27th Jan an update came down. Now I seem to have difficulty docking. Not with my control, that's gotten a lot better, but with the detection of docking. It seems to be with the "outside" docks. I get in place and start lowering, buy my main scanner never trips over into docking mode. I end up having to slide around the deck in all directions and pivoting in a bid to get the station to acknowledge I'm there and docking is complete.


So.....either the update has done something, or I'm doing something wrong. Maybe the face I'm no longer bouncing of stuff also coincidentally means I'm not triggering a detection point.

Is anyone seeing this? Fwiw I haven't seen it with internal docks.

 

[disorganise]

Also, am I missing directions inside the large stations to show you your dock?

Last night I saw a big ship being fired upon by station lasers. Presumably for loitering or something.
I managed to squeeze past into the station but couldn't see bay 28 anywhere. The lasers are going off everywhere and I'm sat there trying to figure out where is my bay.
Boom. The big ship is evidently toast. And all I can see is bay 1 in the far distance and a smattering of 30 somethings. Where's the 20s? The lasers are still going off and I'm thinking I'm going to be next.
Boom. Ok this is getting a real worry.

Anyway, I fly a round a while trying to avoid stray laser fire and eventually spot 28 with about 2 mins to run. Phew.

Surely there's a better way? Some logic to the numbering scheme would help.
I'm seriously wondering what I can safely swap out for a docking computer to eliminate both these issues, even though I think manual landing is part of the fun.

 

[Ian Skippy]

The blue navigation dot points at the appointed pad. Outpost pads occasionally bug-out with the docking mode. Yo can usually still land though, shouldn't be too hard.

 

[Jakspratt]

Had this issue just once (so far) on an outpost and I confirmed I was facing the correct direction etc. Seemed easier to cancel the docking permission and request permission (hopefully to a different pad - which it did) and then landed without issue. At least on an outpost you would not have to leave the station, just hover up a bit.

 

[Negative Entropy]

The blue navigation dot points at the appointed pad. Outpost pads occasionally bug-out with the docking mode. Yo can usually still land though, shouldn't be too hard.

even when docking mode does not switch on then compass can be used to pinpoint landing point. when it is pointing at 6oclock and just changed between solid and hollow use vertical thruster down. you might have to scrape your belly a tiny bit using the laterals till you find the exact point.

 

[cmdr lowest]

I don't think this issue was new to the latest patch.

There has been a known bug since launch about pad numbers disappearing and also on occasion the landing computer not engaging. It seems to happen when there is activity with other ships docking in the same vicinity.

If you pad's number has disappeared it is still safe to dock on it. It's just a graphical glitch and doesn't mean your docking request is cancelled. Things to do are a) always keep a beady eye out for your pad when you start to fly through a slot and memorise its location in case the number goes away b) if the number disappears use the compass to locate your pad as others above have described and c) if you can't see your pad and have no idea which one it is wait for a minute. The number normally comes back on.

If the docking computer isn't coming on again it is safe to land normally but it makes it a little trickier. Locate your pad as above and give it a go but don't be worried about flying back out through the slot and cancelling docking permission then requesting docking permission again. That will clear it. Just don't cancel your docking request when you are still inside the station - world of hurt.

Hopefully the devs will get this one fixed soon eh?