Multiplayer - docking

[Caspar]

I'm trying to figure out how docking will work in the Multiplayer scenario.

Traditional Elite forces manual docking for new starters. Can you imagine what that would be like in an unstructured manner around starter systems.

I'd imagine that docking would need a more formal approach.

a) Join queue
b) Get docking number
c) Dock when called - with docking computer as standard to help smooth the process through.

Docking computers could be a damageable aspect of the ship - forcing manual docking for repairs.

Each active docking window should be time limited. Failure to dock would result in the person re-joining the queue. Docking outside of your queue results in a fine or penalty.

Reading the above - I think I'd make an excellent bureaucrat. I'm sure there are better ideas out there and I'd be keen to hear them.

 

[Abysinth]

I hope there is a separate docking port and a launching port. I will become seriously irritated if some dopey pilot collides with me when I'm trying to dock.

 

[Sir.Tj]

Ban all docking computers forever The carnage would be hilarious. think of the money you could make in salvage!!!

It will probably be on a time slot basis and if you're too slow you will have to wait your turn again.

 

[Capt. Hook]

I've said it before, but any queue of ships in space is going to be a boon for pirates. Perhaps multiple landing and exiting platforms on stations will reduce the need to queue. Although this is a british based game so the love of queuing is no doubt an essential part of play

 

[Abysinth]

Oh, I don't imagine a queue of ships waiting to dock at a space station is going to be very tempting to Pirates. The Pirates would just become Viper Bait

 

[Bromley86]

Yep, 2 port minimum. Easy to do.

The real question is how do you get more than 2 ports in? Straight away, I can see a way of leveraging the basic 2 port solution - simply have one port dedicated to manual docks, one to launches and allow the station to allocate either of those to docking computer docks as necessary.

DS9 ring docking would be very difficult on manual, but presumably doable for docking computers. So that opens up some capacity in the core systems. Of course, if there are grav plates in the Elite universe, you wouldn't have to spin these stations, so ring docking would become a whole lot easier.

Perhaps that's the answer - grav plates are expensive, so poorer systems have rotating 2 port stations, whereas more prosperous systems can afford big, flat stations with multiple berths on the top or rim.

If grav plates don't float your boat, you could have a number of Coriolis stations daisy-chained by non-rotating limbs. Wierd, but it would allow you to have as many ports as you need.

Of course, docking with a Dyson sphere would be pretty easy, but best if that sort of thing is reserved for the Thargoid homeworld or similar.

 

[Abysinth]

What happens if a space station is Full?

You have to wait, but what if you have perishable cargo?

 

[Jokester]

Having off axis docking ports would make manual docking... interesting.

 

[Sir.Tj]

What happens if a space station is Full?

You have to wait, but what if you have perishable cargo?

It's going to be great fun if the perishables start to go off or when you left with a hold full of live animals and they start to get nervous.

 

[Abysinth]

It's going to be great fun if the perishables start to go off or when you left with a hold full of live animals and they start to get nervous.

Yes, this reminds me of the Firefly episode with the Cows. Perhaps space stations could charge a fee for... erm... "valeting"

 

[Nordoff]

Go for the Watford Gap method.
Everyone parks outside and walks in while someone blocks your ship in with a dodgy watch kiosk.

 

[Sir.Tj]

Yes, this reminds me of the Firefly episode with the Cows. Perhaps space stations could charge a fee for... erm... "valeting"

Or they could add shovels and nose clips to the stock list

 

[Caspar]

In fact - to stop people camping in inconvenient places, you'll probably need a no fly zone around the entrance / exit points on the station (save when you're green lit for launch or landing and in your window).

 

[Cmdr Sharky]

In fact - to stop people camping in inconvenient places, you'll probably need a no fly zone around the entrance / exit points on the station (save when you're green lit for launch or landing and in your window).

Maybe the space station docking bays should have magnetic repulsors that kick campers out.

 

[insanephoton]

Oh, I don't imagine a queue of ships waiting to dock at a space station is going to be very tempting to Pirates. The Pirates would just become Viper Bait

I think that depends on good the police vipers are and how many of them are patrolling. On the original Elite I used to take down Pythons coming in to dock for fun, though the trick relied on missiles being one hit kills.

A lone wolf pirate could use the docking queue as an excuse to get very close to his chosen victim and then just smash and grab and use the remaining queue as cover for his escape.

However the more important point is that it's a multiplayer game and players tend to form groups an co-operate. So I imagine a pirate gang could use all sorts of tactics. A big enough group could simply overwhelm any opposition, but there are other more subtle options such as using a decoy to lure the Vipers away. Another option is to have 'innocent' traders that just happen to be in the area to salvage any jettisoned cargo so the attackers don't have to worry about the stuff up and could just hit and run.

 

[Kipper]

Well make it a crime to pick up 'stolen' cargo pods that are released from a clean ship when it blows up. If you blow up a fugitive though, you get to keep the spoils.

 

[Giskard]

I love the whole 'docking' aspect of Elite. I don't know about others, but I was vaguely disappointed when I had enough money to buy a docking computer...but despite that disappointment, once I had it, I still used it virtually every time!

I think the idea of having separate 'entry' and 'exit' ports on the stations (perhaps not all) - is a great solution to the frustration of hitting an exiting ship.

Maybe there will be some kind of 'air traffic control' scheme which manages the queuing aspect. "Commander Giskard, you are cleared for docking."

I would imagine that several ships would be given clearance at the same time though. And if you try and dock without clearance, you can still do it, but it affects your legal status or something.

 

[Jason S]

I have a number of times flown a cessna plane solo and ended up many times circuling often over a land mark which happened often to be a reservoir before being given a specific instruction on how to proceed to land which often was after a larger aircarft and of course I had then to be sure to keep a proper distance from the preceding aircraft.

So would it work in Elite in that there would be AI air traffic control. And if you did it wrong you would get fined. Could add extra interest to the game.

Of course given that it is in the future it could all be AI auto controlled too.

Edit: Ah, preceding post mentions similar, while I was writing this post

 

[Cthulhus]

I have a number of times flown a cessna plane solo and ended up many times circuling often over a land mark which happened often to be a reservoir before being given a specific instruction on how to proceed to land which often was after a larger aircarft and of course I had then to be sure to keep a proper distance from the preceding aircraft.

Same here Fine to see another pilot !

If no place left on the station, you could use the "taxi" service. Stop your ship on a dedicated safe area close to the space station and a taxi will dock to you and bring your crew (or a part of them) to the station.

For the cargo, that could be the same concept. Some dedicated cargo ships will load/unload your ship.

The only "bad" thing will be the delay. Doing this will force you to stay a bit more longer.

 

[MrJealousy]

I'm hoping that the queue/no queue, docking problem varies depending on the system you are visiting. So a rough station in a pirateish sector would rely on everyone for themselves bumping and nudging to get to the docks, where as a civlised sector would rely on everyone forming an orderly line and waiting for their number to come up.