Entering and Exiting station: pass on left or right?

[Pembs]

What do you think the convention should be if you meet an on coming pilot whilst moving through a station airlock? Pass on the left or pass on the right?

Also, it the two ships are too big to pass each other in the airlock then who should have right of way? The incoming or outgoing ship?

These maybe things we have to decide for ourselves as the game probably won't enforce any rules around this.

EDIT: several people have made the very valid point that ships maybe upside down relative to each other in space. On that basis, how should we conduct ourselves in airlocks to avoid accidents!?

 

[Lee Storm]

Same rules for boats.
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/following-rightofway-boating-rules.html

 

[Susimetsa]

Same rules for boats.
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/following-rightofway-boating-rules.html

This ignores rowing boats, in which case it is the motored vehicle that is usually responsible for keeping things safe.

But which ship class might take the role of rowing boats in space...? Should crippled and almost destroyed ships be given the right of way?

 

[popuptoaster]

This can't work, if someone has moved over to one side but you are upside down compared to them you will both be trying to go to the same side.

it works on the roads and on the ocean here because we are all the same way up.

needs nav lights on the entrance then it does not matter which way is "up"

 

[Marak]

What if one ship is upside down in relation to you?

*edit* Ninja'd

 

[Spiggs]

What if one ship is upside down in relation to you?

*edit* Ninja'd

Indeed, Left or Right, Port or Starboard have no relevence when approaching a rotating space station unless we are all orientated the same way!

Edit: Perhaps we need one of these stuck on the front of all the Stations!!!

 

[Iskariot]

What do you think the convention should be if you meet an on coming pilot whilst moving through a station airlock? Pass on the left or pass on the right?

Also, it the two ships are too big to pass each other in the airlock then who should have right of way? The incoming or outgoing ship?

These maybe things we have to decide for ourselves as the game probably won't enforce any rules around this.

I have been thinking about this also.

In real-life docking would be the most dangerous, accident prone part of space flight.

I feel big stations with high traffic throughput would have separated entrances and exits, because otherwise accidents are bound to happen.
Some more modern variants on the alpha 3.0 featured magnificent Coriolis station could have an exit opposite the entrance for example at the opposite side of the docking area.

If there is only one airlock the regulations would have to be very strict. Overtaking other pilots like was possible in Frontier (if I remember correctly) would be very severely punished.
And I feel there would be official regulations in place to make sure Pilots know what to do in Federation or Imperial space. There would be no misunderstanding these rules and pilots would not be allowed to make them up as they go.

I think stuff like this should be part of the game and there should be an on board pilot manual with information like this.
Also the traffic controller might remember approaching pilots of the most basic docking rules on approach.

 

[Stoo]

Just blast in winner takes all!

 

[Hamerstein]

At the moment we don't appear to have speed restrictions (though the station announcer talks about them), in the final version I'd expect the restriction to be severe enough that it would be relatively easy to anticipate other pilots and evade accordingly. As pointed out, it's difficult to define relative passing protocols when ships can be oriented in multiple ways.

 

[stephen_usher]

Does, "Steam gives way to sail" help?

 

[popuptoaster]

The busiest stations are likely to be the ones with auto docking equipment anyway, i wouldn't worry to much about it.

 

[Winterwalker]

Just blast in winner takes all!

Speaks ... a Paris / Mexican driver !!
+1 !!

 

[Iskariot]

What if one ship is upside down in relation to you?

*edit* Ninja'd

Yes, one would not use designations like left or right.
But the station might use colored lights to indicate on what side of the airlock the approaching vessel has to stay. The orientation of the ship would not matter.

Also traffic control might not even allow two ships at the same time in the airlock.

 

[Iskariot]

Just blast in winner takes all!

I think station management might confiscate your ship or have you destroyed.
Or only give you a lifetime ban if you are lucky.

 

[Slythe]

The general principle should probably be; the smaller &/or more agile craft give way to the larger/less agile craft. Of course that doesn't solve the issue of what to do if two identical ships are trying to use the gate at the same time.

 

[Zak Gordon]

This is a very good question, and the way it was dealt with in Frontier and FFE was that if another ship was docking/taking off, all other permissions to land were rejected until that ship was clear.

And without the docking permission you just couldn't dock. So maybe that 'one at a time' rule would solve the issues mentioned in the thread so far?

Having said that in a huge station that was a hub of activity and a main dock in an important part of space it might be a good idea to come up with systems for multiple ships docking, and rules for all that. Simple rules that are easy to grasp and probably aided with signs/lights on the actual Station etc.

If you really wanted to have fun with it, and keep a version of modern day history to it, you could have a difference in rules for Imperial space and other places, like how we drive on the left in the uk, but most other places drive on the right etc.

 

[Iskariot]

At the moment we don't appear to have speed restrictions (though the station announcer talks about them), in the final version I'd expect the restriction to be severe enough that it would be relatively easy to anticipate other pilots and evade accordingly. As pointed out, it's difficult to define relative passing protocols when ships can be oriented in multiple ways.

That is another good point.

I propose that every ship has a build in speed limiter that can be used inside stations. This limiter could be set on automatic or it could be manually activated/deactivated.

 

[Commander Thane]

I think the current voters are incorrect to favour right of way for ships exiting spacedock. Bear in mind that incoming ships may be battle-scarred, low on fuel and racing to complete mission objectives. Outgoing ships will be in the strongest position they will be at any point in their journey. Incoming ships will consider docking and landing an emergency.

Please note this is the same right of way I apply for holding the doors for people in shops. People outside coming in are in the cold; people inside are in the warm and can wait.

 

[Iskariot]

If you really wanted to have fun with it, and keep a version of modern day history to it, you could have a difference in rules for Imperial space and other places, like how we drive on the left in the uk, but most other places drive on the right etc.

Exactly my thoughts! I feel that is a great idea. Variations like that make the game feel alive and real.
I would love this.

 

[Ixnatifual]

Don't care too much whether it's left or right (as long as we know which one), but outgoing should have priority to prevent ships from clogging up the inside of the station.