Docking to / leaving from a station

[James Son]

Already posted it in another subforum but since this is the suggestions subforum...

From what i've noticed in all stations i've docked so far (and i'm not playing the game for too long), there is at least 1 ship destruction by the station (probably due to violation of some code) every 3-5 minutes. I think that's too much. It's like having a 1/1000 drivers arrested by the police because they cannot park their cars. Perhaps Frontier should work on this too. When a driver is given permission to dock and tries to pass through the entrance of the station in order to enter into it, no other drivers should be permitted to enter or exit at the same time. As is today, the risk of crashing into another ship while docking/leaving a station is rather big. There should be a "only 1-ship allowed to pass the gate" rule, which could last for about 20-30" for each player in order to not wait forever for some newbie. Also, maybe the station rules could be more realistic (i.e. neutralize the ship with some kind of beam and tow it away, not destroy it and just leave all the bits and parts lying around making the life of other pilots harder).

 

[carlisle]

The underlying problem is the ability of the AI to pilot properly... I've never witnessed a CMDR get stuck but the AIs are horrific at docking. No wonder the docking computer gets so many complaints, you're asking an AI to dock for you.

They need to improve this, but in the meantime they needed to address the problem that could arise from AIs being stuck in airlocks or over pads. They could have done as you suggested and implement some kind of neutralise and tow method, but perhaps they just saw the current mechanic as a quick-fix until they could improve AI docking. Nevertheless it would be good if they had alternative methods to execution for docking offenses, and being neutralised and towed out of the way sounds like a good one... as long as it didn't take too long and wasn't required too often.

I quite like being able to fly in through the port at the same time as someone else though, adds to the excitement of the game. I think that should be left as-is.

 

[James Son]

I quite like being able to fly in through the port at the same time as someone else though, adds to the excitement of the game. I think that should be left as-is.

OK, i wouldn't disagree on that, but just one other. At some point, while i was exiting a station, i had someone else exiting too, just in front of me and to my right and in front of me i had debris of a ship just killed by the station. Recipe for disaster...

 

[Comenius]

I used to just land on the pad then turn around and take off again but one time the station attacked a ship and debris fell on my ship doing hull damage. Now I always go below decks after I land!

 

[Net-FX]

When a driver is given permission to dock and tries to pass through the entrance of the station in order to enter into it, no other drivers should be permitted to enter or exit at the same time.

Totally agree with this. Given the AI tracking is not entirely flawless, it does seem somewhat unrealistic to have entry and departures happening at the same time. I doubt any of the worlds airports would resort to the same. Its bad enough having to use a single aperture for entries/exits. At least most airports have separate landing/take off strips.

 

[Citraka]

The thing with real airports, which mostly in fact have only one runway, is everyone lands and takes off in the same direction, still room for disaster but not of the FD head on type

Game Ai if you can even call it AI is dire, if you sit on the pad and watch traffic alot of the time it seems like nothing much is happening BUT hit LAUNCH an watch the traffic arrive,

NPC pilots also have a very annoying habit of slamming on the brakes immediately after passing through the entry/exit as if its their first landing every time, I left the shields on my T7 so must admit to just ramming people who stop for no apparent reason,

 

[Tryst]

I have never had any problems with Autodock but I have had one ship destroyed while I was leaving. I ran into a huge freighter coming in that appeared from nowhere and got bounced back into the station by it. Since I had just exited the airlock, I was now trespassing despite it being only 1 minute or so off my 5 minutes allowed to undock. By the time I re-orientated to get out again, the guns were already firing on me, bouncing me around in all directions from the impacts and I stood zero chance of survival.

The trespass timer should be longer to allow you to get out and the mail slot should be a little bit wider to allow two way traffic. That would be the logical approach, use the left side for in and out so you have effectively a two lane road. Since DB is British and we drive on the left (because we are civilised ), I propose docking also drives on the left.

 

[Bierkoerier]

I have never had any problems with Autodock but I have had one ship destroyed while I was leaving. I ran into a huge freighter coming in that appeared from nowhere and got bounced back into the station by it. Since I had just exited the airlock, I was now trespassing despite it being only 1 minute or so off my 5 minutes allowed to undock. By the time I re-orientated to get out again, the guns were already firing on me, bouncing me around in all directions from the impacts and I stood zero chance of survival.

The trespass timer should be longer to allow you to get out and the mail slot should be a little bit wider to allow two way traffic. That would be the logical approach, use the left side for in and out so you have effectively a two lane road. Since DB is British and we drive on the left (because we are civilised ), I propose docking also drives on the left.

At least i can fly upside down and dock from on the right side

 

[Tryst]

At least i can fly upside down and dock from on the right side

Barbarian!

Arrows above, one pointing down to the mailslot for IN and the other pointing up and away from it for OUT. That means, as you look at the slot, the two arrows pointing toward each other show the way IN and the two pointing away from each other is OUT, that shows the respective side you want, maybe even a divider down the middle and a fine for going the wrong way. This wasn't a problem with the early games since, just entering the mailslot meant you were docked, there was nothing inside the station. Now it seems we have to contend with a lot more traffic and it makes sense they would allow for two way traffic.

 

[demo]

Its bad enough having to use a single aperture for entries/exits. At least most airports have separate landing/take off strips.

Just wait.. eventualy we build Airports in real life with one strip also, to get more excitment on deaths.

 

[Net-FX]

Just wait.. eventualy we build Airports in real life with one strip also, to get more excitment on deaths.

I was just given permission to exit a station in my type 9, despite there being another AI type 9 jammed inside the aperture thus, blocking my way. I tried 'ramming' him out the way, got stuck myself but managed to get free and reverse back inside the station where I was them treated to the AI getting destroyed by the station and then, as the exit was cleared for me, I then received a 400c fine for loitering.... lovely!!!.

......

On another note, is it just me or does the game feel rather clinical, with little interpersonal feeling about it?... more voicing for things like 'no fire zone entered' as opposed to a small red line of text.... maybe add CGI faces to messages and / or missions... just generally 'put a face' to some things. I know this was massively knocked in FFE but, I still loved it, even if the acting was a little dodgy lol.

I have high hopes for 1.1. I like the idea of assiting with building cap ships however, I wonder, do we get paid for the goods we deliver or, are we having to source and fund the items ourselves?... that may well exclude many players that have opted to go the combat / explore route who will doubtless not have the funds to assist to the degree a pure trader would thus, they'd have no hope of ever naming a cap ship.