Less fog in the mail slot. Give us a view of what's coming in.

[Tryst]

When you're leaving a station, it really annoying to find a huge great big T9 coming in just as you're almost halfway through the mail slot. If it was over slightly more portside, there would be room to get a T7 out as well but they come in directly central which means most of the larger ships are screwed going out. If you hit reverse to go back into the station you don't have time before the timer runs out to allow the T9 to come in and then for you to get out again so you ALWAYS end up with a fine. Once you are in the mail slot, your timer is instantly reduced to 1 minute regardless of how much undocking time you had left, reversing back into the station is not really a viable option.

I have just done a long run, visiting 12 stations with my T7 and it has happened to me 4 times, (at T9 EVERY time), the last time getting me stuck in the exit grid. Only by pure luck and spamming the boost was I able to get out and avoid getting blown to bits by the station defences.

If there was less fog in the mail slot, we could actually see things coming in and how big they were. What's more annoying is that you can see in perfectly from outside but you can't see out as well from inside.

If it must stay, either allow a wider slot so two large ships could pass inside it, providing they stick to their allotted side or give us undocking as well with the DC and make the DC standard on all ships with a keybind to activate it rather than just slowing down. It really does make more sense that ALL ships are fitted with it as standard to undock as well as dock. With a keybind, you don't HAVE to use it and it won't just activate if you stop and turn to get into position.

 

[sqzbox1]

I dunno - I rather like it. It makes me take more notice of my radar too, which can't be a bad thing. But I take your point about being able to see IN with no trouble - seems a little disconnected doesn't it?

 

[Argyris]

[...]But I take your point about being able to see IN with no trouble - seems a little disconnected doesn't it?

Try looking out of an illuminated room's window at night. You'll hardly see anything else than reflections in the window. That's just the way it works.

Back on topic: Don't rush to the mail slot without carefully checking your radar first.

 

[Magic Man]

Nope. 'Fog' is fine as it is. As above, check around you, take your time, no need to game it and race out at full speed.
Nope to DC being fitted as standard. If you want one you can get one.

 

[Rosenkranz]

Agreed. Always check your radar and fly carefully.

Though it would be nice if incoming and outgoing NPC actually obeyed the green light and go through the slot with the correct offset. Most, I've noticed come and go right down the center. There is a green light there for a reason and your docking comp seems to know the rules, so NPCs should know it too.

It would also be nice if you go to the trouble of fitting a DC, it could also get you out as well as in.

 

[CMDR Pantsu]

Seems like most people have accepted that the green light is the right "lane" when passing in and out of the docking port. I would like to see Frontier change the AI's behavior to use that system too, so that people could fly out of the station without risking colliding with smaller craft. Big ships like T9 should trigger warning lights around the port, like 4 yellow blinking lights to warn you that something big is coming in or out of the station.

We basically need a few traffic rules in space.

 

[Xavier Young]

What about the station intercom announcing large ships entering the dock?
"Caution, large freighter entering docking bay"

 

[Tryst]

Back on topic: Don't rush to the mail slot without carefully checking your radar first.

Radar tells you something is there but not how big it is. The smaller ships stay on one side so you can still get a T7 out easily, it's only the big stuff like Anaconda's, T9's and Clippers etc that take up the whole slot. However, there's no indication of the size of what's coming in.

I do like the idea of having a flashing amber warning light to indicate something big is entering. If it remains static, it's small, if it flashes, it's big. That would allow those with big ships to see if anything is entering and smaller ships to see if big ships are entering.

 

[Tryst]

Quite honestly, I would love to see a software upgrade sold for the DC that allows undocking as well. Buy a DC and that allows you to dock on auto, buy the software upgrade for it and it undocks you as well and turns off once you are clear of the mail slot. Even if the upgrade costs twice as much as a DC does to buy.

Outposts are easy you don't need the DC for docking or undocking, it's stations that can be a PITA.

 

[Jens]

Shields to maximum and full speed ahead. Flying a 'Conda has it's priviliges