That is basically what I call the "Hybrid" landing technique.
The Dolphin gets pretty significantly manhandled by the current DC as well. I will often see it get slammed onto the pad hard enough that I loose a ring of shield.
Even if you hate the Docking Computer...
- Thread starter IndigoWyrd
- Start date
That is basically what I call the "Hybrid" landing technique.
The Dolphin gets pretty significantly manhandled by the current DC as well. I will often see it get slammed onto the pad hard enough that I loose a ring of shield.
I have also been doing this for awhile, especially for cargo CGs, and adding bookmarks helps make things even faster.
I do wish we had an list of our last 10 destinations in the left nav panel - that would speed up plotting routes too - but it seems the plotting routine is loading with the map itself (since we have to reload the galmap to replot), and if that's the case it's likely we won't get that feature :-(
Oh, and why not put the number of "jumps left" under the destination on the bottom left of the forward looking hud? I hate having to keep looking over at the left panel just to see the number of jumps left.
And while I'm on a roll, it would also be nice to have an auto pilot for multi-system-routes/jumps with a hotkey to pull up a copy of GalNet so we could read the news in hyperspace when on trips of several jumps/minutes, versus waiting to mash buttons every 60 seconds like we're in the pre-automation days of manufacturing (pre-70s/80s)
But back to your point - yes - the docking computer is pretty awesome even in its limited implementation
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A round trip Cutter Trade, under 5 minutes. No stupid Docking Computer!
[video=youtube_share;u5S-1Siz28A]https://youtu.be/u5S-1Siz28A[/video]
I could mistake that for a Video of me doing Trade Runs LOL
So?
I have a route that I can do in 6 minutes in a Cutter using the DC. So what? It's not a race. Well maybe it is for you.
I use the DC in a similar way... but, if I get a good alignment with the starport mailslot upon exiting supercruise, I usually pilot it through the mailslot manually and then throttle down to have the DC do the landing part only. During this time, opening the Galaxy map to plot the new course, is done in less then the time it takes for the DC to do the landing part, since I usually have the trade route bookmarks at the top of my bookmarks list.
The Coriolis starports, can sometimes be a bit of a hassle to get to the enterance, so then I just let the DC figure it out.
The Coriolis starports, can sometimes be a bit of a hassle to get to the enterance, so then I just let the DC figure it out.
Wow... a little confrontational out of nowhere. Calm down.
Wasn't your point that DC gives you wings? So, you don't really need a DC to save the route plotting time. DC does you no good, unless you need help in docking. But your original point was DC saves you time.... not really. Deep Thought gave you the procedure, I showed you what he meant.
And no, it's not a competition. However, in trading, efficiency is the name of the game, which you know already. I am sure there are a few things in my procedure that I can shave off a few seconds here and there. You are welcome to critique and provide improvements. I am always open to improvements. However, I find that after certain point, improvements are a bit of diminished return. It's too exhausting to chase the last few seconds. I usually fly a bit more relaxed... 10 seconds longer than optimal, so what? The point is to enjoy the flight.
A bit of a quick tip. If you compare your and my approach, you'd find out that I did full throttle at about 1.2 speed (for more agile ships like Python, you can do 1.3). That gives me about 5 to 10 seconds earlier drop than your no change of throttle and wait until drop signal. It's free 10 seconds saving!
Well, if you had removed "stupid" from the scentence, I think it might have read a bit better?
Because, when saying like that, you might, indirectly, say that "anyone who uses a DC is stupid, learn how to dock". I didn't read it as that, but... small things like that can possibly affect some people in a negative way.
Well, if you had removed "stupid" from the scentence, I think it might have read a bit better?
Because, when saying like that, you might, indirectly, say that "anyone who uses a DC is stupid, learn how to dock". I didn't read it as that, but... small things like that can possibly affect some people in a negative way.
Thank you.
I use a DC in all of my ships (from Eagle to Vette), just out of principle. If I want proper landings, I rather play DCS. ED landings are just dead easy by comparison and nothing to brag about. YMMV.
O7,
[noob]
O7,
[noob]
I fitted one on my T9 to finish off the recent trade CG, the reason was that I had found a good source of Superconductors not too far away but they were at a planetary base and it was a 2+g world and my T9 is not very stable when trying to land in that sort of gravity. Not saying it wasn't nice to have at the station but it was to make safe hih g landings that I got it.
This and the main reason why I never let my NPC crew fly my Corvette. It's an asteroid and stop playing bumper cars with it.....
Well, if you had removed "stupid" from the scentence, I think it might have read a bit better?
Because, when saying like that, you might, indirectly, say that "anyone who uses a DC is stupid, learn how to dock". I didn't read it as that, but... small things like that can possibly affect some people in a negative way.
The adjective "stupid" describing the Docking Computer, NOT you! Don't tell me you react like that because I call Docking Computer stupid.
I never bothered learning how to land. The docking computer is just so damn convenient and since I am a trader my preferred ships always have a spare slot for a DC.
Its nice to just drop out of Supercruise and then just AFK while I dock. I use the extra time to check out the forums for threads that interest me or even just to check twiiter.
Its nice to just drop out of Supercruise and then just AFK while I dock. I use the extra time to check out the forums for threads that interest me or even just to check twiiter.
Why thank, Arthur Dent, now I know the significance of "42".
Now do the same thing in a Type-9, not a Cutter.
And what thrusters are you sporting? I'm running D-grades, DD5'd.
Been doing that with several ships... Python, T9, 'Conda, and Cutter. Those are my trade ship progression.
I originally fitted an A7 G5 clean drive to my Cutter, and found the "clean" part didn't really do me much good. I mean, 'Cutter's good at two things, 1. Speed, 2. cargo space (I have been thinking about spending $1B getting another Cutter to explore its shield tanking potential, but tank NPCs???? No fun.) If you have speed, you don't need to be quiet! So, I fitted an A7 G5 DD to get even more speed for escaping and an A7 G3 Over Charged Power Plant. I could up it to an A8 DD, but I found it a bit too powerful for trade runs. If you look carefully, as soon as I drop out of SC, I immediately boost, and turn and roll to align with the station, and immediately throttle down to like 95%. The drop of thrust of 5% is critical to reduce the speed to just about right for turning in/align, and throttle down for the right speed of final approach, yet still not wasting time with slow approach. Without the 5% power reduction (100% thrust), it would get a bit too fast for turning into/aligning with the final leg, particularly when you are assigned a front row landing pad; the new Queen of Slip would come out and play. With A8 G5 DD... boost, and you'd have to immediately full reverse throttle... gets a bit hairy at final approach (too little margin of error for my taste), or, you don't boost at all (and waste time).
Of course, this is by no means the best configuration. Everybody has different reaction time, reflex... skill level etc. etc. and would thus prefer different configurations.
This all assumes that the NEW, IMPROVED Docking Computer doesn't try to kill you by slamming you into the station wall or hanging you up on the toaster grid...
"SOMEBODY" needs to fix this. Not like it hasn't been said a hundred times before...
In a player group I'm part of we jokingly refer to the Docking Computer as the "Kill on Site Module".
Not that we actually do, it's just banter and we're a friendly bunch who collectively PVE with the occasional (with fair warning) PVP.
Not that we actually do, it's just banter and we're a friendly bunch who collectively PVE with the occasional (with fair warning) PVP.