Noob Question: Dock at stations only?

[pnboogie2]

So, can I only dock at stations? Is there some way to land on/trade with planets? Seems like sort of a waste if the only real point of interest in the system is the one station that I can interact with?

Thought about trying it first (landing on the planet) but figured I'd ask before plummeting through the atmosphere as a flaming fireball .

 

[Crumbs]

For now you can only dock in stations. In later releases you will be able to land on planets and other things.

 

[Pyros]

So, can I only dock at stations? Is there some way to land on/trade with planets? Seems like sort of a waste if the only real point of interest in the system is the one station that I can interact with?

Thought about trying it first (landing on the planet) but figured I'd ask before plummeting through the atmosphere as a flaming fireball .

Currently (as in for this release) you will not be able to land on planets. Planetary landing will come in a future expansion (probably the first).

While one may say "Why not on release???", there was no time (and budget) for developing interesting planetary landing experience. A not very interesting experience (meaning no distinct from landing in any given space station) would be feasible (it was already present in a not very interesting way in Frontier).

One thing that should come are different station types (factories, ...) besides the trading station.

 

[forger]

So, can I only dock at stations? Is there some way to land on/trade with planets? Seems like sort of a waste if the only real point of interest in the system is the one station that I can interact with?

Thought about trying it first (landing on the planet) but figured I'd ask before plummeting through the atmosphere as a flaming fireball .

Walking around ship interiors, landing on planet surfaces, big-game hunting etc. - that all is coming after initial release

 

[Kernel Kwatz!]

Yeah, this game has long term development plans. (Much like Star Citizen.) It simply wont be possible or desirable for frontier to implement that all before launch (at least from their perspective). If nothing else look upon it as a promise of keeping the game fresh.

 

[pnboogie2]

Glad I didn't try it. I try to avoid the whole plummeting fireball thing. Thanks all.

 

[Kernel Kwatz!]

I don't think you will die. You'll just bounce off the atmosphere. Maybe in later releases they will make planetary approaches more... dangerous.

 

[Commander Mad Mags]

Yeah I expect you just pull an emergency stop of some sort like when there's a prox warning near a sun.

I do wonder about planetary approaches. Any planet with an atmosphere (I love a party with one of them by the way) would require you to enter it at the right angle or burn up surely? Anyway.. I expect that's been thought of/disregarded as too faffy by someone clever in FD.