The Docking Computer thread.

[Thunderguts]

Yep. It's having problems. Just tap your throttle to break out of it. Right now folks using the DC are just traffic hazards. I can manually dock in a tenth of the time with the keyboard.

Sometimes it works ok, but other times its next to useless! Took over the alotted time, flew up the butt of a heavy, I aligned for entry and it took me in a circle before hitting the grates. Hence I've opted not to install it again. Noticed tho its a basic docking computer maybe there will be others coming, so you get what you pay for lol.

 

[Ghastous]

think im going to do the same thing and take it outa my ship

 

[kb_Nomad]

Docking Computer

For Anyone still using the docking computer:

Has it been working for you?
Has it been tweaked?
Is it still crashing ships?

Thanks in advance for your help;
KB

 

[Caledonian]

It has never crashed me yet after 100s of uses.

 

[Matt]

Has worked ok for me - never crashed a ship although it does some pretty weird flying (e.g. "crabbing" over to the landing pad rather than flying straight there, and then smashing down onto the pad at full speed)

 

[rayvon]

First time I used it, I nearly crashed, I never used it again.

 

[Caledonian]

First time I used it, I nearly crashed, I never used it again.

Nearly doesn't count.

 

[noodle]

Nearly doesn't count.

Yeah. I nearly won the lottery the other week

 

[Sir.Tj]

Merged a bunch of posts on the Docking computer.

 

[Richard Voorhees]

It's never crashed me.

Did have one brown-trousers moment when I was cruising into the docking slot and an Anaconda floated into view inside the station getting ready to leave. I was changing batteries in my control pad at the time so had to watch horrified as the 'Conda entered the docking slot at the same time as me.

Fortunately, it must have breached some station regs as the defences opened up on it and blasted it into scrap just as I floated serenely through, nudging 'Conda spare parts out of the way.

 

[Darkwolf]

Damn thing has tried to kill me twice in a Lakon Type-9. Got itself caught sideways in the slot one time and got jammed up amongst the pylons outside the station another time. IMO it should cut engines and turn off if it hits anything.

 

[Antoon]

It got my ship shot twice by the station because it got stuck at the gate.
Don't start the computer to close and to the side of the entrance. When in front of the gate at a distance of more then 5km you'll be fine.

 

[kb_Nomad]

For Anyone still using the docking computer:

Has it been working for you?
Has it been tweaked?
Is it still crashing ships?

Thanks in advance for your help;
KB

Thanks for the move 'TJ'
OK guess I'll give it a try in my L-6. Line it up about 5KM out and let it go, while watching out for any L-9's or Anaconda's
Thanks folks;
KB

 

[Jackobite]

I have only used it about 5 or 6 times but its never killed me, Its just too slow and silly to be of any use. (atm)

 

[Mysturji]

Tried one, just for the music.
Too slow!
And you can't deactivate it. If you try to dock manually, the music goes all noisy and buzzy until you stop fiddling with things.
I sold it after 2 jumps.

 

[Anthony Jones]

I think a poll asking the following would be good if it could be added to the top of this thread. I'm not starting a new thread as there are millions at the moment and TJ might hit me with the ban stick

Questions for poll

Do you use a docking computer.

1, yes
2, no I have never even added it to a equipment slot.
3, tried it out but no longer use it


I am option 2. I have never even tried it.

 

[ChrisT]

It seems to be a WIP, a very rough one at that. Odd thing is, since it was introduced ALL npcs dock in the same manner, i.e. very slowly and badly.

Looking forward to a code jump on this system, right now, its probably killed more ships than all the pirates in game.

 

[raorgen]

observations on the DC

First, I love it I bought mine just as I had mastered manual dockings, but still, it's nice to have it do the work, and the nostalgia impact is admittedly there.

I've seen several people talk about it taking too long, some even saying that it has gone past their allotted docking time. I'm really surprised by this. It's always landed me with plenty of time to spare. I wonder if in some of those cases, folks are starting the DC much farther away than I do. I line myself up as though I'm going to make a manual entry, pointing at the portal, about 10 km away and start from there.

I'd really love to see the activation process more manual. In previous versions of Elite, you would hit a key to activate or cancel the docking computer. I'd like to see that again.

I can see the point someone made, saying that the DC should also be able to handle the process of launching from the station. That would be nice to have.

 

[Jemtac]

It can sometimes get stuck at Aulin no matter how you approach the station.

If it does I just switch the module off and manually dock. It's great for the Lacon type 6 but not really needed for the Cobra and below as it is slow and I love docking manually anyway.

I had a collision with a Hauler in a Lacon type 6 as I was entering the station and lost the first shield ring but it has only happened once.

It would be nice if you could turn off the music though, I play with my own tunes and the blue Danube combined with whatever is playing is not good.

Don't get me wrong the first time I fired it up it brought back great memory's.

Love this game, thank you DB for making this game, it's much better than the Acorn Electron version I had.

 

[Jane Turner]

I have and use the docking computer... I do line up 1st as though I was going to dock myself and let it take over if I feel the need to slow down. Never had a problem with it.... had many a cuppa while listening to the Blue Danube.

It better than me at noticing ships in my blind spot inside the station - consequently I'd quite like one to get me off the pad and not up into a Anaconda!