I can't believe the occupied docking pad bug still exists...

[XW_Ziggy]

Once or twice a week I'll either be granted docking permission and there's an NPC ship on my allocated pad, or I'll spawn in a station inside another ship.

It's a bug that has existed as long as the game has and at this point the only possible explanation is that it's never going to be fixed because FDev don't care.

 

[Jankules]

Is that your stuff? It's very well done.

No,not at all!

They are Door Monster!

 

[Saxon Kili]

What am I talking about?! Yes I can.

I just went to an engineer base, requested docking, and guess what I came up against? A ship already on my pad.

Why does this bug still exist?! It's been years, hasn't it?

I had to bash one out of the way recently to be able to land.

 

[Krash]

Does this happen in solo? When it happens to me, I relog into solo and I get an open pad.

 

[B1rdy]

Does this happen in solo? When it happens to me, I relog into solo and I get an open pad.

I guess it is not related to the mode. If you switch to a different mode, however, a new instance will be created. Therefore your previously blocked pad will be unoccupied most likely.

 

[Hossi]

In a way it is related to the mode.
In my experience (I get this bug about 2-3 times per week) this bug only happens if you join an existing station instance. Thats means that somebody (another player) was already there when you arrive. Obviously that can't happen in solo.
My theory is that this bug only appears when a station instance has been running for a very long time (several hours). Once a pad is blocked it stays blocked until the session is deletd (the last cmdr leaves). Thats probably also the reason its still around.
I guess sooner or later the game simply 'forgets' one of its NPCs. As long as he is still flying he will be detroyed after a few minutes for loitering (happens quite often) but once hes docked he can stay there forever.

 

[Aashenfox]

This has been FAR worse since 3.2 (yes, I mean 3.2, not 3.3) and is particularly prevalent at engineering bases, but also happens anywhere.

 

[Deadlock-3000]

Happened non-stop in the brief window I was playing post-patch pre-Xmas, only at planet bases though (not Engineers), didn't see it at starports.

You'd also have hilariously bad NPC takeoffs - Orcas standing on their tails, Belugas doing a 180 pitch and crashing upside down into the surface. I'm guessing some of those blocked pads are occupied by NPCs which have hit the L button and are now sitting 1mm above the pad trying to remember their keybinds.

Just another humdrum day in a broken universe.