Docking at space stations with capital ships.

[Xante]

As some of you may have noticed, docking at space stations with a capital ship often tend to be very tricky, like parking a cruiseship in a bathtub.

If you're a bit to much in hurry, you'll sure crash in the station. I don't even try to dock at outposts, mining bases or asteroid defense bases. Research stations can be a bit difficult too.

So my suggestion is, why don't place the docking square a bit further away from the station itself. Maybe you know the game "flatspace". There you have a square at some distance from the station where you drive your spaceship into, and when hitting the docking key the station takes control of your ship to engage an automatic and secure docking sequence. It could be the same in Vegastrike. Small fighter would still fly into the bay, but bigger ship would have to give controls to the station computer. This mainly for the safety of the station itself.

I'm tired of crashing into stations, or maneuvring capship for hours to get into a safe docking position. I'm begging you to do so

[()Alf]

I don't know if that is a bug, but on aera science-station (at least i think it was science) the docking squares are far away from the station

[Xante]

Maybe one can show me how I can change this in the source code?

[loki1950]

Not in the source code the docking pints are all defined in units.csv in the data4.x/units folder coordinates are relative to the base center point so you have to be able to get the model into blender or wings3D to get those coordinates.

Enjoy the Choice

[Culture20]

Perhaps some of the biggest ships should stay away from apace stations and planets. It would be nice if Clydesdales and the like came with a simple ferry to move cargo to stations, or if space stations had special "docking" areas for large ships, then the space stations sent out their ferries. Otherwise, I'm dreading the multiplayer capital ship crashing that happens when four Ox(en/es) try to land at a relay station.

[Xit]

I personally think that most larger installations should have some kind of framework where a capship can be docked. The use of multiple camera angles (maybe we need a new camera aligned to the docking port of capships) and 3 axis manuevering jets should be encouraged for this.

Smaller bases should be accessed by shuttle or other craft, but this requires the player to use their own capship (whilst piloting it) in the same way that docking with other capships works...

It seems a lot of work to me so I doubt much'll happen for a while yet...

[Coragem]

I really like docking, actually i often dock at max speed. unless i have to get into the station.

On the Big capital ships issue:

1: how you guys get 33 Billion credits for a Clydesdale anyway ?

2: I don't think BIG capital ships should be able to Dock at some space stations, only planets and maybe the "Shipyard Station". Since i THINK it was constructed in one, it should fit into at least 1 "special dock-your-capital-ship-here-docking-bay"

3: There could be a Auto-Dock key (1Km from stations) for users who don't like parking
(using the same system privateer has maybe?)

[ace123]

It should be easier to dock-- when you get near something like a base you will match speed with the target, and also hopefully the new collision system should make it easier not to get killed.

True, I like the idea of having a point where you automatically dock, such as outside the fighter bay.
The AI if you haven't noticed has (or at least used to have) a hack where it does not collide with units: it just goes directly through the mesh to the docking port, which is really nasty.

Anyway I don't think this will be solved anywhere beyond what we have with before release...
at least most units have external docking ports.

[Coragem]

Ace123 Said:

The AI if you haven't noticed has (or at least used to have) a hack where it does not collide with units: it just goes directly through the mesh to the docking port, which is really nasty.

I already saw a Gleaner Corvette with Half its hull inside the commerce center mesh. it looks terrible.

at least most units have external docking ports.

Yeah, most stations have one very easy docking spot. thats the one i use most. especially when i have to dock in a hurry.