Docking Computer

cmdr milesred

cmdr milesred
Seeing as you went to the trouble of making a new advanced docking computer to aid in exiting stations but did not bother to make it any smarter as it is just as flawed as the standard docking computer in that on planetary bases used on large ships, it is still a dangerous module in that it has no common sense regarding boost.
Nothing more entertaining than having a large ship under DC control boosting into a structure, or the time waster of boosting straight up to just past 1km, then boosting down towards the pad....
In many of my ships the Boost is defeatable simply by disabling the distributor or deploying landing gear or cargo hatch, but sometimes it doesn't make a difference, depending on the ship or sometimes just because the DC is what it is and doesn't care what you do.

I normally only use the DC for once I am inside a station for space stations, if at all, but I do use it a lot at planetary bases.
You have gone to the trouble of adding an Auto Dock on/off switch under Ship, how about adding another control or two?
Disable Boost would be useful, do not retract deployed landing gear would be nice...I have used this also to disable boost, but it fails if the DC retracts it after I have deployed it... and lastly...do / or do not touch silent running...although I get why you wouldn't want to add that, as being sneaky is not part of what a DC is about..

Mainly...please either give us a boost enable/boost disable control, or make the DC smart enough to not boost when it is engaged, there is no reason to boost a conda or a cutter when trying to land, boosting a cutter anywhere near any type of landing pad or base or station is just stupid unless you are leaving..and even then is seriously questionable unless you are outside a station with a clear path ahead...boost on a cutter should strictly be manually controlled until you make a dc that is smart enough to be able to stop any ship on a dime.
 

Net-FX

Net-FX
When I've used the ADC in my cutter, I've often found that in order to avoid other ships inside a station, the ADC will fly my cutter into the station walls [no damage but still]... Definitely a WIP methinks. :)
 

dxm55

Banned
D
Stabby_Dave said:
Use the DC on all my ships. Never had a problem with it.
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Ditto.
Except maybe when it bumped some tower in a station while queuing and giving way to some other NPC that had the right of way first.

Otherwise, I just find that it enters station at an abysmally slow rate.
Sometimes when I've aligned myself with the slot, and am coasting in at 150, then cut the throttle, the stupid thing just reverses the direction for no reason at all then re-aligns itself again. And for what?

Mostly, I just fly my ship through the slot manually, and then cut the throttle just as soon as I go through. And the ADC lands it nicely.
This is useful for avoiding scans, but not using Silent running.

Just aim your ship in at above 200 through the slot and cut the throttle the moment you're in the slot.
 

777Driver

777Driver
cmdr milesred said:
yes...the dc will boost any ship when it wants to boost, regardless of the state of the distributor, landing gear or cargo scoop.
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Disabling the distributor will not disable boost, both under manual controller or the DC. All switching off the distributor does is save you some power and inhibit moving pips around.

Back to your issue, unfortunately in the latest patch the DC & ADC will auto retract the gear, prior to the patch you could lower the gear manually and inhibit boost. No idea why Sarah changed the DC logic.

Your only option is to not engage the DC until you are around 2km from the access corridor, so manually fly it, throttle down when close to the slot.

If you engaging the DC from far out in a heavy ship like a Cutter, make sure you are correctly lined up with the slot, the ship will boost but handle the approach perfectly.
 

cmdr milesred

cmdr milesred
I've been flying the various ships for long enough to know, and am more than experienced enough to be able to do it manually with ease...
My time in the game and experience is why I made this post, I have many videos of either cutter or conda or t-9 or t-10 doing fascinating things at planetary bases, for these ships I usually land manually as there is no point in letting the dc even attempt planetary landings.

for the following descriptions of the dc ai.....releasing control whilst under 1 km or anywhere between 7.5 and 1 km has allowed me to make videos of the ship pointing straight at the pad moving directly down towards it, then as it is finally near enough to level and lower, it likes to level and boost into the nearest tower, or boost straight up to 1.5km, then level and lower..
I am thankful we don't get fined for slamming into towers or walls

Or being as close as 300m to the pad, yet feels it should boost right into the ground beside the pad, the cutter loves this one, the conda can brake well enough for it not to be an issue...this one is very common


as for the change in the landing gear code, well aware, its also why I also include the cargo scoop...the best way to brake any of the big ships, especially the cutter is to deploy both cargo scoop and landing gear(and if you have the room and gravity is not a concern - FA off, rotate and boost), which is why I list them in my op. and is also why I mention and ask for a switch to disable the boost, because even prior to the code change even though the cutter would not retract the gear or close the scoop it was amazingly still able to boost with both cargo scoop and landing gear deployed....

As for those that feel it necessary to post about never having any issues, that's all good for you, but realize the faulty ai of the dc is what is most commonly responsible for belugas and t-9's and t-10's stuck in the mail slot at stations not to mention the incredible feat of having more than 1 beluga trying to land on the same pad at the same time, often a pad that already has a beluga on it that can't leave because other belugas are in its way....very common occurance in maia where oddly beluga's seem to thrive...
 

yianniv

yianniv
Well, I assume that both DC versions share the same landing code. For most of the time it's ok, where I find it fails is in asteroids where you take off from very close to the exit: it hits the support bars. Also, in COEUS, if I approach the Foster Terminal megaship from its engines side, it will crash on the ship, trying to go through it to reach the pads.
 

Kissamies

Kissamies
My experience with the DC is that it's well aware of the grand scheme of things, but doesn't see lesser structures that are on its path. In my case it has most dramatically been those bridges over/near landing pads on some of the Engineer outposts and the refinery towers inside stations. Though it hasn't happened to me, I can see it crashing into the central skyscrapers on surface bases if the pad is behind it.

Never had problems with the mailslot with it, though.
 

Dommarraa

Dommarraa
yianniv said:
Well, I assume that both DC versions share the same landing code. For most of the time it's ok, where I find it fails is in asteroids where you take off from very close to the exit: it hits the support bars. Also, in COEUS, if I approach the Foster Terminal megaship from its engines side, it will crash on the ship, trying to go through it to reach the pads.
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Hanging around outside the Gnosis watching NPCs fly at full speed into the side of it while trying to get to a pad on the other side, then spin off and explode is hilarious for 15 mins.
Glad it never happened to me.
 

Go'Gen

Go'Gen
Net-FX said:
.... I've often found that in order to avoid other ships inside a station, the ADC will fly my cutter into the station walls [no damage but still]... Definitely a WIP methinks.....
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Guess we can all confirm this. Good thing ADC puts pips in shields, tho'.

IMHO both ADCs (for in and out) are great modules once you learn to use them efficiently with Alt+TAB. If you are a trader, that can mean a lot of spare time during the evening for drinks or browsing the net or whatever you're multitasking.
 
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