Newcomer / Intro Docking for newbies is a nightmare (dev's U need to do something)

[NeoMorph WTH]

I think you misunderstand. 75% in supercruise doesn't mean 75% of possible speed- it puts you in the middle of the blue zone. In supercruise, this has a special meaning- the ship automatically manages your speed to arrive at the destination slow enough to drop SC safely. If you watch your actual speed (to the right of the scanner), you can see this happening.

The easiest way to deal with SC is to bind a button to 75%. Then head for your destination full throttle. When the countdown timer hits 7 seconds, hit the 75% bind. This will give you a very low effort and accurate approach- reasonably fast, but with no need for micromanagement. For bonus points, approach non-outpost stations (ones with a letterbox) from the planet side, where available, and you'll already be more or less lined up with the letterbox too.

I don't misunderstand why it does it but do not understand why the game doesn't explain why it happens. I went through the tutorials and it left out a lot of explanations. A proper manual would have helped because even the Wiki can be confusing to new pilots, even to experienced pilots of the original Elite... especially to them in fact.

I've been using the 75% button since day 2 of playing the game and the 25% one for going through the slot.

Oh and regarding the slot facing the planet... it used to be true in the original Elite but not true for all stations in ED.

I seem to remember the original Elite showed your orientation to the station in the left holo but ED doesn't. Another reason I hate those octagon cube stations... trying to find the entrance!

 

[Dommarraa]

Finding the entrance soon becomes 2ns nature.
1. Target the station, the holo will have arrows pointing at it
2. The entrance goes anti clockwise

I just use 2 nowadays

 

[willowfan]

I 100 % agree docking is a dam nightmare I will be perfectly aligned have the blue circled and be flat on deck and NO DOCKING IT JUST SITS THERE its completely broken and totally random as to wether or not it works you NEED A AUTO LAND FEATURE or fix this crap. so dam frustrated right now.

You can buy a docking computer module to do this if you really want to, though be warned it's as likely to kill you as dock you.

 

[Roblex]

I find that in ED it is stupidly easy to get into the station compared to the original elite. As for docking on the pad, after years of flight sims I always land by diving towards the pad at 45 degrees and pulling out just above the ground at about 10% so the docking clamps grab me.

 

[Uvelius Sång]

I find that in ED it is stupidly easy to get into the station compared to the original elite.

Exactly. Since we have got lateral thrusters and even vertical ones, docking really isn't that hard. Of course, you have to train a bit, but not too much, and a good game should be at least a bit demanding, shouldn't it? I would hate having it even more simplified. Better hone the tutorials if they are not teaching enough.

 

[Deleted member 38366]

--- Deleted ---

 

[Commander Jameso]

Once you get the knack, docking is ok, but I agree with you, it's extremely annoying to learn.

Some of the responses are odd though, aren't they? I mean, what are some of the posters here doing on in the beginner forum?

My tip, mentioned about, learn to use the thrusters up down left and right (on my keyboard 5, 6, 7 and 8). They make it much easier.

 

[iofhua]

I didn't play the first Elite and I got the hang of docking after doing the docking tutorial a bunch of times. Maybe 6 times? About a half hour. It's not that bad.

Make sure you use ALL of your maneuvering thrusters. You have up/down, left/right, forward/back maneuvering thrusters. If you are trying to use your throttle you will have a hard time. Turn your throttle to zero so your ship isn't moving, let down your landing gear, and use only your maneuvering thrusters to bring it in to land.

Make sure boost is bound to a button far away from your maneuvering thrusters - you don't want to boost on accident. If you are pancaking your ship you are doing it wrong. Take it slow and careful. Putting a couple pips to shields also helps absorb any damage from knocking into something.

 

[Ancipital]

I don't misunderstand why it does it but do not understand why the game doesn't explain why it happens. I went through the tutorials and it left out a lot of explanations. A proper manual would have helped because even the Wiki can be confusing to new pilots, even to experienced pilots of the original Elite... especially to them in fact.

I've been using the 75% button since day 2 of playing the game and the 25% one for going through the slot.

Oh and regarding the slot facing the planet... it used to be true in the original Elite but not true for all stations in ED.

I seem to remember the original Elite showed your orientation to the station in the left holo but ED doesn't. Another reason I hate those octagon cube stations... trying to find the entrance!

I shall leave aside the issue of what you do or don't understand, as we will have an ugly argument Just as an FYI, if looking on the planet side isn't a useful option to you, remember that the face with the docking port is also rotating anticlockwise. If all else fails, this will allow you to to locate the port. Moreover, if you target the station, the model on the target display will have little arrows pointing towards the entrance (though they could be clearer, way too easy to overlook).

 

[.Stu.]

Docking in the original elite took practice too. I could do it at 3/4 speed after a fair bit of practice.

Quite often going through the box at > 200 ms in me python, good job it slows down fast !!

I played Elite years ago and docking without the auto docking was a nightmare.

This version is worse. If you are a newbie like me it's frustrating to the point i just can not be bothered after spending 6 hours going back and forth getting to a new station and trying to land. It is and will drive your customers away. The game is supposed to fun, not about spending a day or more trying to learn how to do this. Landing your ship should be reasonbably easy, make the combat hard, but something as basic as this for a game should be 10 times easier at least.

For us older guys who played Elite back in the day we now don't have days on end to practise mundane stuff like this, we have lifes and families and can pick the game up for a few hours at most.

It looks such a great game and it's such a shame so please change this, thanks.

 

[laz001]

Well maybe it's me being a dumb so and so then , but i can get threw the doors no problem, i can find the number, i hover over it and nothing happens, then i get shot down for loitering, watched about 4 you tube's and the schematic of the ship does not come up

DId you 'request' docking?

 

[who?]

I shall leave aside the issue of what you do or don't understand, as we will have an ugly argument Just as an FYI, if looking on the planet side isn't a useful option to you, remember that the face with the docking port is also rotating anticlockwise. If all else fails, this will allow you to to locate the port. Moreover, if you target the station, the model on the target display will have little arrows pointing towards the entrance (though they could be clearer, way too easy to overlook).

For me the easiest way is to look at the station itself. The dock is on a square face with white lights at the four corners. The opposite face is a square with red lights at the four corners. Since the lights stick out a bit, there isn't really any place where you can't see the white or red lights, once you know what to look out for.

 

[Ancipital]

DId you 'request' docking?

Finding the number implies docking was requested. The landing "schematic" not appearing is more a symptom of forgetting to lower landing gear.

 

[azdour]

Finding the number implies docking was requested. The landing "schematic" not appearing is more a symptom of forgetting to lower landing gear.

+ symptom of a certain bug that I still see from time to time

 

[dayrth]

I 'm 51, played the original, found docking easy then and no more difficult now.
However I knew a lot of people then and there are clearly a lot of people now, who have real problems. Don't know why this should be, but it is.
It can be overcome with practice, but thankfully the docking computer works a lot better now than it did, is available everywhere and is cheap.

It's probably been said already, (but I've not seen it): Once you enter a station the compass, (small circle top right of your scanner with a bright spot in it), switches from showing you the way to the station, (or whatever you have targeted), to showing you the way to your assigned landing pad.

 

[who?]

It's probably been said already, (but I've not seen it): Once you enter a station the compass, (small circle top right of your scanner with a bright spot in it), switches from showing you the way to the station, (or whatever you have targeted), to showing you the way to your assigned landing pad.

Top left maybe? Unless it's different from ship to ship. I call it "the ball" because of its similar purpose to the pilot aids in (naval) carrier landings, not sure what Frontier call it.

Good point though, it's very helpful, particularly in ships that don't have visibility down low (Sidewinder, Adder, Viper..). It tells you which side of the station the pad is on, if it's in front or behind you, and how far in front or behind it is (if the ball is at the edge of the circle then you're close, it it's closer towards the centre then it's a good distance ahead or behind, depending on whether it's solid or hollow dot respectively.

Once you get the hang of it, it's a real help. Before, I'd have to spin my craft around to spot the pad, then spin it back the right way and dock.

 

[Elsenor]

Docking for newbies

How exactly is it hard? I never played the original, and was brand new to this game, and have never had an issue with docking. What exactly are you having problems with?

Oh, I also forgot to mention, I'm older as well... if 50 counts as being older...

Hi Wizaerd, I have played on a PC and docking was not a problem but i did take it slowly. the exiting was easier i felt. At 50 you are young try 72. I found that getting near to the green light was a help. Others whoare faster can then pass and you do not receive a warning from the station. Hope this helps someone.

The old man

 

[Ancipital]

Hi Wizaerd, I have played on a PC and docking was not a problem but i did take it slowly. the exiting was easier i felt. At 50 you are young try 72. I found that getting near to the green light was a help. Others whoare faster can then pass and you do not receive a warning from the station. Hope this helps someone.

The old man

Right on, Commander! I don't think it matters as long as you're an old commander who has knows how to use lateral thrusters- you have full control at all times. You've still got it, clearly.

 

[Roblex]

I never did any practicing. I found it easy to go through the slot on my first attempt...and it was a few days before I even realised there were extra thrusters to make it easier! Maybe it is because I remembered how it was done on the BBC version that did not have thrusters which is to fly parallel to the face of the station with your head facing the slot then 'pull up' when you reach the centre. This puts you more or less aligned with the slot, enough that you just need to make a couple of small adjustments to be better centred as you slowly approach then start rolling to match the roll of the station and keep moving making a vertical adjustments as necessary.

Basically once you are roughly in the centre and start rolling at the same rate as the station then you have reduced the problem to 'Flying towards a stationary slot that might be slightly too high or slightly too low' so all that you need to do is lift or lower the nose until you are flying straight at it. If you messed up that first attempt at getting roughly centred and find yourself to near to one side of the slot then all you need to do is stop rotating so the slot is now vertical then lift the nose until you are nearer the center at which point you can rotate again until the slot is horizontal again and continue as before. With the addition of thrusters that allow you to go up, down and sideways while still pointing your nose in one direction then the exercise is trivial. Actually, I still dont use the vertical & lateral thrusters much.

 

[Brieus]

In only use the vertical & lateral thrusters when I'm in the landing final approach. But yeah, from my memories docking on this version is a lot easier than the original was. And I even had a joystick for my Apple //e so it wasn't just keyboard krappiness.