The Docking Computer thread.

[to_boldy_go]

No, let's stick with The Blue Danube.

But I've been saying all along, you should never leave it unattended while it is operating. You wouldn't leave an airplane auto-pilot unattended. At least I hope, for your sake, you wouldn't.

I agree. I dock I make tea come back hull at 3% in my Keelback and I lose 2 million credits in fines and cargo. Ouch!

It is bugged to hell - it gets stuck saying traffic but no ships on scaner and often flies me into ships (2.2) so I now have have it on hand. I can dock manually but fed up with it usually. I use as a DC as do other things like look at the galatic map etc. I might go back to manual docking. THe DC should be a utility slot! or not a slot. It is obviously based on a ZX81 and takes no space up at all.

 

[KellyR]

I agree. I dock I make tea come back hull at 3% in my Keelback and I lose 2 million credits in fines and cargo. Ouch!

It is bugged to hell - it gets stuck saying traffic but no ships on scaner and often flies me into ships (2.2) so I now have have it on hand. I can dock manually but fed up with it usually. I use as a DC as do other things like look at the galatic map etc. I might go back to manual docking. THe DC should be a utility slot! or not a slot. It is obviously based on a ZX81 and takes no space up at all.

Sorry. I have to disagree. It's not buggy. I had one on my T-7 and it always performed flawlessly. Of course I never went and made a cuppa or took a bathroom break. I always sat there and supervised it like you're supposed to do. And I've got to say, docking computer phooey! When I bought my Python, i did NOT buy a docking computer. I like docking manually. The autopilot takes all the fun out of it. But a T-7 is such that you need to be dead nuts into the slot; not much room for error.

 

[Zakalwe469]

Hi all. I'm a forum newbie. I operate a Vulture and a Type 6 and I'm a Master / Broker.
Re docking, I wonder if the developers (all hail!) plan to facilitate crash landings at stations.
I'll elaborate. A few days ago, I went on a combat-spree to secure my promotion to Master. My Vulture got mauled by a deadly Fed Gunship and his Imperial Eagle sidekick, but I managed to flee to a Coriolis station. My thrusters and controls were badly damaged and I had no way of repairing them. This meant that the ship had virtually no attitude or thruster control.
Despite this, I managed to get inside the station after half an hour of sweat and swearing. I even reached my designated pad. But because I couldn't zero or balance the power or control the roll, I couldn't make good contact with the pad and eventually had to self-destruct.
One fine day, will the game's AI be able to cope with controlled crash-landings? I'd have cheerfully paid a steep fee to have my ship magnetically grabbed or towed, and the hardest landing makes less of a mess than a self-destruct (including the 1.1m credit hole in my finances).
To be fair, it was the first time I'd experienced anything like this. Is it enough of a problem to become a development issue?
Now I've made space for an auto-fabricator for this kind of problem.
Thoughts welcome.
Thanks again.

 

[fennster]

Hi all. I'm a forum newbie. I operate a Vulture and a Type 6 and I'm a Master / Broker.
Re docking, I wonder if the developers (all hail!) plan to facilitate crash landings at stations.
I'll elaborate. A few days ago, I went on a combat-spree to secure my promotion to Master. My Vulture got mauled by a deadly Fed Gunship and his Imperial Eagle sidekick, but I managed to flee to a Coriolis station. My thrusters and controls were badly damaged and I had no way of repairing them. This meant that the ship had virtually no attitude or thruster control.
Despite this, I managed to get inside the station after half an hour of sweat and swearing. I even reached my designated pad. But because I couldn't zero or balance the power or control the roll, I couldn't make good contact with the pad and eventually had to self-destruct.
One fine day, will the game's AI be able to cope with controlled crash-landings? I'd have cheerfully paid a steep fee to have my ship magnetically grabbed or towed, and the hardest landing makes less of a mess than a self-destruct (including the 1.1m credit hole in my finances).
To be fair, it was the first time I'd experienced anything like this. Is it enough of a problem to become a development issue?
Now I've made space for an auto-fabricator for this kind of problem.
Thoughts welcome.
Thanks again.

Did you try a reboot/repair?

It's on the left hand panels on the last tab called "functions", near the bottom on all ships. It can fix a multitude of problems. It will even reboot your shields to 50%. Don't try using it in combat tough as it will shut down your ship for a few seconds, including shields.

 

[Mystixx Foxx]

Sorry. I have to disagree. It's not buggy. I had one on my T-7 and it always performed flawlessly. Of course I never went and made a cuppa or took a bathroom break. I always sat there and supervised it like you're supposed to do. And I've got to say, docking computer phooey! When I bought my Python, i did NOT buy a docking computer. I like docking manually. The autopilot takes all the fun out of it. But a T-7 is such that you need to be dead nuts into the slot; not much room for error.

If I activate the DC on my type-7 whilst 7km away and approaching from the side or some other angle that is not straightforward, It has on several occasions botched the last boost maneuver, and ends up booping into the station wall just outside of the toast rack doesn't happen with any other ship I own

 

[Mikey2305]

I get this with my new cutter. Doesnt seem to get properly lined up and has two or three goes at it. Rather like my wifes parking (joke). Never with any other ships...

 

[fennster]

I get this with my new cutter. Doesnt seem to get properly lined up and has two or three goes at it. Rather like my wifes parking (joke). Never with any other ships...

My Anaconda often over boosts and ends up under the toast rack, I think it forgets about the grade 5 dirty drives it has sometimes.

 

[Stealthie]

I get this with my new cutter. Doesnt seem to get properly lined up and has two or three goes at it. Rather like my wifes parking (joke). Never with any other ships...

Do you, by any chance, still have feeble thrusters on your Cutter?

I noticed that the DC was hopeless on my T9 when it was still fitted with the E-grade thrusters. As soon as I upgraded the thrusters the DC started doing much better.
I dunno if it's a bug or if it's deliberate but it's as if the DC is designed to "expect" a certain amount of available manoeuvrability and if that isn't available it gets confused.

I also notice that my DC seems more reliable when docking when my T9 is empty than it is when it's full of cargo.
Again, that would seem to suggest the DC is operating right on the "edge of the envelope" with regard to manoeuvrability and it can't always compensate for the extra mass of cargo.

I've found the best solution is to request docking and then manually get the ship roughly lined-up and just use the DC to drop my wheels, get me through the slot and find my landing pad.

 

[777Driver]

My thrusters and controls were badly damaged and I had no way of repairing them. This meant that the ship had virtually no attitude or thruster control.

Since when was this ingame? Thruster damage has always been simplified in elite.

Three separate states.

100% - functional
Below 75% - Intermittent thruster fault, will occasionally revert to a partial FA-Mode for a few seconds
0% - No thrusters, requires a reboot.

Been out of the game for 8 weeks, haven't read any notes or seen any updates to ship failures mentioned anywhere.

 

[Zakalwe469]

TVM fennster & 777driver.

I tried reboot/repair a few times, as well as deactivating and re-activating thrusters. It improved things very slightly but didn't cure anything. I even tried reverting to 'real' handling, to no avail.

It did persuade me to invest in a basic auto-fabricator.

It was very odd and not something I've experienced before. I'd typically expect those systems to work predictably or not at all.

Hopefully it was a unique experience.

 

[SeaFireliv]

I really like manual landing. using a docking module would kill the fun out of it for me. However, it should be an option..Which it is!

 

[KellyR]

If I activate the DC on my type-7 whilst 7km away and approaching from the side or some other angle that is not straightforward, It has on several occasions botched the last boost maneuver, and ends up booping into the station wall just outside of the toast rack doesn't happen with any other ship I own

Yeah, it does that on occasion. Which is why you need a shield. It's collided with the side of the station several times, but never lost more than half a ring of shielding. So maybe it's still a bit buggy, but not all that much. Flying in space without some kind of shields is just plain suicide if you ask me.

 

[Dirtbird]

I've been thinking about the whole docking computer thing, and it'd be nice if it was similar in one aspect to a Elite in 1984, I that you could activate it as soon as you got in system and it'd fly you to your chosen station and land. Assuming you didn't get intercepted and blown to bits while you were away cooking dinner or whatever. Combine that with an optional 'out of ofiice' message on the Comms, and that'd be great.

 

[K2k4]

I've been thinking about the whole docking computer thing, and it'd be nice if it was similar in one aspect to a Elite in 1984, I that you could activate it as soon as you got in system and it'd fly you to your chosen station and land. Assuming you didn't get intercepted and blown to bits while you were away cooking dinner or whatever. Combine that with an optional 'out of ofiice' message on the Comms, and that'd be great.

Oh yeah, an autopilot module would be nice. Maybe have it do more based on slot size.
Size 1 (basic docking computer): Docks at station when throttle at 0 and permission granted
Size 2 (standard navigation computer): Will fly from current location to designated target within system when throttle set to 0 in supercruise and route is selected (also can be bound to key within menus)
Size 3 (advanced navigation computer): Will attempt to follow the current route you have set for navigation. Will not scoop stars for fuel. Activated via bound key only.

 

[Stealthie]

I really like manual landing. using a docking module would kill the fun out of it for me. However, it should be an option..Which it is!

On the plus side, they create the perfect opportunity to eat hobnobs and light a ciggy. [where is it]

 

[Patrick_68000]

On the plus side, they create the perfect opportunity to eat hobnobs and light a ciggy. [where is it]

Yes, do not reject the comfort

 

[BL1P]

On the plus side, they create the perfect opportunity to eat hobnobs and light a ciggy. [where is it]

Ahh the good old "Auto brb making a coffee computer".

 

[Genar-Hofoen]

Here's what I've found when having a peek at the 2.3 beta...

Goodbye docking computer!

I liked using the DC for when I'm feeling lazy. It's not that I can't dock without one, I'm perfectly fine docking manually, but one reason why I got tired of docking manually was being unable to come out of supercruise in front of the station at a convenient position - it was usually always at some weird angle, orientation and location relative to the station which meant time was wasted in getting to the letterbox.

2.3 has sorted out this problem! Now we can aim for being right in front of the station/letterbox due to the station's orientation being properly displayed whilst in supercruise! It's awesome! No more need for the DC to take the strain!

So for myself at least, goodbye, docking computer

 

[lysan]

The docking computer should be in a utility slot and not in a optional slot.
the 1 ton of mass should be reduced to nothing, I like to have it with me, but I don't always use it.

 

[KellyR]

Here's what I've found when having a peek at the 2.3 beta...

Goodbye docking computer!

I liked using the DC for when I'm feeling lazy. It's not that I can't dock without one, I'm perfectly fine docking manually, but one reason why I got tired of docking manually was being unable to come out of supercruise in front of the station at a convenient position - it was usually always at some weird angle, orientation and location relative to the station which meant time was wasted in getting to the letterbox.

2.3 has sorted out this problem! Now we can aim for being right in front of the station/letterbox due to the station's orientation being properly displayed whilst in supercruise! It's awesome! No more need for the DC to take the strain!

So for myself at least, goodbye, docking computer

I never had a problem with that (unless I got distracted and overshot). I always approached the spinners by pointing at a point about halfway between the station to the planet with the planet on bottom and the station on top. When the bubble in the compass reached the top of the ring, I would pull up, align with the station and hopefully have enough time to make some adjustments so the orbit lines would look flat instead of curved. At the worst the station would be at an 80 degree angle, but usually less than 30 degrees. I would just point perpendicular to the station, full thrust, request docking when in range and then using flight assist off, stop the ship as I was crossing the corridor of the mail slot. Very simple and very fun; imo anyway.