Micha wrote:All valid points.. As for the C64 version, yes you could activate the autopilot from the witchpoint and yes it was totally dumb - it flew you towards the planet until in range of a station and then it docked you there. I can't recall asteroids spawning directly in front of you (they usually had a speed) but it certainly didn't care either and would fly you straight into it.
I can confirm this on the C64. I also regularly switched on the docking computer from far away and start doing other business in my room.
It's not possible by oxp but changes in the core game would be small I guess. Currently you have to target the station you want to dock. In this case the computer puts the player in an
dockingAI.plist. It is exactly the same AI.plist that is used by docking NPC ships.
You could add an equipment
long range docking computer. When the player has it, the current docking computer first checks if a station is targeted. If yes and it is dockable, do it the old way. If no, set target to the object in the compass and start a
longRangeDockingAI.plist. This is just an AI that guides the player until 15000 meters from the target object and than switches over to the normal dockingAI.
Avoiding asteroids will be easy as this is simply done with the normal AI instructions. The player is just put in a kind of traderAI.plist.
It is the responsibility of the player to selects a compass symbol that has a station nearby. e.g. when you select witchpoint, the AI script will bring you to the witchpoint and than docks at the closest station (what could be the main station)
Alternatively you could skip the docking part and just leave the player idle when reaching destination and there is no station around.