How safe is autodock?

[bamber]

Sarah has done a good job on the Docking computer.

Knowing how good the docking computer is? well its the same as when it was first introduced - watch the NPC's docking.....when the docking computer was introduced they didn't know there thrusters from the cargo scoop and the docking computer was the same

Now the NPC's are much clever and so is the docking computer - not much of a surprise the NPC's no doubt use the same code as the docking computer

Basically - I see it like this a bigger ship I dump shield and install a docking computer - it does less hull damage than I do

 

[MarcusKross]

There were times that it was like as safe as setting your house on fire then going to take a nap in the bedroom but nowadays i don't know.

 

[Theutus]

I had to stop using it, every time I passed the mail slot threshold it would spaz out start reversing and bouncing around in the mail slot. I had to get rid of it for my nerves.

 

[Privata]

Autopilock all over again

 

[Zplintz]

Do you not hamper the docking ai's ability to control your ship by putting all in shields instead of all in eng?

 

[FuzzySpider]

Do you not hamper the docking ai's ability to control your ship by putting all in shields instead of all in eng?

Not really. Less engine power means less speed, which means more control for an AI. Not only that, but the added power to shields makes AI docking safer, because collisions (either with other ships or the station) is less likely to be catastrophic.

 

[rightsideupsidedown]

Worked great the first two times I used it... but then the horror as it almost crashed my ship twice. It was as if Regan from the Exorcist was piloting my ship. I was like, "Oh Hell no and no." Manual control all the way after that.

 

[Kael Maliai]

I've used auto dock in nearly every ship I've ever had, and I've never had a single problem with it when used on a larger station. It sucks for outposts, but with starports, it has never so much as scratched my paint. (Excluding the bump at touch down XD) I always manually line up my ship about 4k out though, before letting it go automatic. But this remains true since beta for me. Maybe I'm just lucky.

 

[Roninpaul]

I have been killed several times at the hands of the auto dock but recently things have got better always make sure you have shields when using it as it tends to scrape the space stations, landing pads etc and if you are returning with damage it can be enough to destroy the ship ( have lost 2 asps 1. Vulture 1 cobra ) the cargo ships seem to be best with the auto dock tried type 6 and 7 both great.

use auto dock but have a minimal shield, and keep an eye on it

 

[Zplintz]

Not really. Less engine power means less speed, which means more control for an AI. Not only that, but the added power to shields makes AI docking safer, because collisions (either with other ships or the station) is less likely to be catastrophic.

Surely the AI sets a target speed not a target throttle though?

More pips to shields (ai or player controlled) means less power to thrusters which means less control.

Personally I would rather stay in control and not hit anything in the first place.

 

[cheekibreekisuka]

safer than having your money in a bank account this days

 

[Troa Barton]

Wow speak of the devil.
I just got interdicted for the first time by an anaconda!
I thought screw you and hit the boost on my T9
1 sec later - boom you are dead
How did I get one hitted??? I mean I had no shields but I should've lasted longer than that right??

Nope that sounds about right. When you get one loaded up you'll see.

 

[kail]

It seems to me that the docking computer is fairly much like the previous incarnations of Elite. Most of the time it works. Sometimes it acts oddly (drunk), but still ends up working. Other times it looses its mind somewhat and starts getting very friendly with the nearest large mass. And very occasionally, it tries to kill you.. usually by excessive use of the throttle and/or boost within the confines of the space dock.

 

[Olrik]

I never had a problem.

 

[CMDR RAY-ZOR'SHARP]

I use the DC all the time it does do some weird thing now and again, I would always have some form of shielding regardless, helps for friendly fire (never had that prob myself) but even small shields will save you from small scrapes.

 

[Dreich]

I've let the docking computer dock for me many hundreds of times (probably well into the thousands, tbh). I've used it on Cobras, Asps, Type 6/7/9s and on a trading Anaconda build and I have never had any problem with it, other than it once getting a Type 7 stuck between an exiting NPC and the grid outside the slot - and that was months ago.

I've also never noticed it having any trouble docking from anywhere as long as you've passed the "Approach" stage and reached the "Slow Down to Auto Dock" stage of the process (i.e. I don't feel the need to line it up or anything). If I'm using the kitchen laptop to do some trading whilst I cook I can drop out of SC on the correct side of a station, request docking and then hit X to kill thrust and then go chop some veg or make coffee or whatever, and it has never, ever, failed to dock me safely. I've never yet actually left the room whilst it's in charge of my ship, but I suspect that I could.

It is a hell of a lot slower than docking manually, as well as being a lot less fun, but I have never found it in any way unsafe.

(This post will, of course, come back and bite me soon... the gods of the RNG will have noticed, and I'll probably pancake on its next docking attempt, but such is life... my soul is prepared )

...

EDIT: I should add that I always have shields on all my ships, and that it used to always scrape my Anaconda along the top of the slot on entry, every single time, but it's nothing that the shields couldn't cope with and a patch seems to have fixed that, too.

 

[Jellybear]

I've used it about 13 times or so and twice it almost got me stuck in the slot and blown up

 

[rhooker78]

I have found it to be safe... However it is slightly bugged that if you Alt-Tab out or use the free camera it will stop functioning and rub your ship into the station wall... I use it 100% with my anaconda simply for the relaxing classical music and because I am lazy.

 

[kail]

In retrospect, I guess the simple answer is: Watch the AI dock. Are they always successful? Simple answer: No.