Newcomer / Intro Vessel keeps bouncing off the landing pad while docking

Rongor · May 5, 2015

I so far do have no real problems to settle my vessle with safest minimum speeds onto the correct landing pad in the docking training. But when my landing gear touches down (no matter how slow), the pad repels me and I hear my shields also reacting on it. As there is no step in the tutorial video that tells me to disable shields, I have no clue what to do. The manual also doesn't address such case. Any ideas?

Shouldn't have called it bouncing maybe, it simply keeps me off, like being antimagnetic...

Philip Coutts · May 5, 2015

Are you able to land eventually? It sounds a bit like you might be trying to land facing the wrong way round but if you can eventually land then it's not that.

Dommarraa · May 5, 2015

Yes, sounds like wrong pad or wrong orientation to me

Rongor · May 5, 2015

Ok it faced wrong. Wasn't that obvious by watching tutorials or reading the description. I tried to land facing the hangar exit. The launch training lesson causes some confusion in achieving the perception of parked ships face towards station exit, so I tried to land that way. But yes, the center symbology also gives hints to guide to one single correct direction.

Thanks!

Surly_Badger · May 5, 2015

Rongor said:
Wasn't that obvious by watching tutorials or reading the description.

The big arrows painted on the landing pad are a hint.

From a distance you can tell which direction is correct by looking for the baffle; it goes in the back.

This game's got a lot of moving parts. At first it'll frustrate you. Then, uh, you'll either learn to love it or it'll frustrate you more!

Blaubart · May 5, 2015

little side note: I think the orientation thing is very unnecessary as well as the "turning" (if you don't go into the hangar but the station turns you around 180° before you can launch anyway) on outposts.

Philip Coutts · May 5, 2015

Glad you got it sorted out, it's easy once you get the hang of it.

cmdr lowest · May 5, 2015

Blaubart said:
little side note: I think the orientation thing is very unnecessary as well as the "turning" (if you don't go into the hangar but the station turns you around 180° before you can launch anyway) on outposts.

Yes, parked ships are pointing to the exit. But that's after then have been down to the hanger, turned 180deg. and brought back to the surface.

You always land in the orientation you enter the slot.

Outposts, on the other hand, are slightly trickier...

Juby · May 6, 2015

When landing on a pad both in a station and at an outpost your scanner should change to an orientation and alignment indicator and a beeping sound should be heard when you get close enough. If you can see the back end of your ship in this then you are facing the correct way - if not spin it round and try it again.

Hope this helps.

Brinksman · May 6, 2015

I've noticed that my Imperial Clipper seems to have a slightly fuzzy center of mass. In previous ships I could accurately drop right on top of the landing zone, but in the Clipper, I have to constantly fudge it backwards and forwards a bit, which if I'm being indelicate with the controls, can cause some bouncing and hopping as you describe.