Things to enable (a.k.a. Suggestions from the idea guy)

[Phrostbyte]

Enable Autopilot Docking with Behemoths (or at least a request that they cut their engines and come to a complete stop so that you can actually manually dock with them).

Enable Autopilot Docking with Rock Hermits (now, really, why wouldn't you?).

Enable a "match speed" command, which automatically adjusts your thrust to match the speed of the targetted craft/object so that you can maintain your current distance.

Enable a "request docking" command, which lets you dock airlock-to-airlock with other ships (and engage in trading with them). This might take alot of coding to accomplish.

Enable a traffic control system. Space Stations, Rock Hermits and Behemoths should all have some sort of "flight control bridge" which monitors traffic. Before a ship is launched, bright flashing lights surrounding the docking bay flash for about ten seconds to warn incoming ships not to try to dock.

Enable a comm system that tells Behemoths, Rock Hermits and Space Stations that you are about to dock (clear all approaches and do not launch craft).

Enable detection that prevents Rock Hermits, Behemoths and Space Stations from launching ships if there is another ship (or debris) in the "approach vector" funnel-shaped region of space in front of the docking bay.

This is because I just wasted about a half hour scooping Thargoid Robot Fighters in Witchspace, got to a system, lined up with a Rock Hermit's docking bay *perfectly*, and just as I was engaging thrusters, I caught a horrific split-second view of a FarStar popping into existence just outside the docking bay on a collision course with me.

Oh, what the heck....

Enable another feature of the advanced space compass which indicates the direction to the nearest Rock Hermit regardless of whether it's in radar range or not.

[tgape]

Enable Autopilot Docking with Behemoths (or at least a request that they cut their engines and come to a complete stop so that you can actually manually dock with them).

Shift-C. (I guess someone decided to make it nice and distinct, just in case you want to try to auto-dock with the station while the behemoth's also in range.)

Enable Autopilot Docking with Rock Hermits (now, really, why wouldn't you?).

Shift-C.

Enable a "match speed" command, which automatically adjusts your thrust to match the speed of the targetted craft/object so that you can maintain your current distance.

This has never been that much of a priority with me, but it is a logical control to have.

Enable a "request docking" command, which lets you dock airlock-to-airlock with other ships (and engage in trading with them). This might take alot of coding to accomplish.

Um, right.

Enable a traffic control system. Space Stations, Rock Hermits and Behemoths should all have some sort of "flight control bridge" which monitors traffic. Before a ship is launched, bright flashing lights surrounding the docking bay flash for about ten seconds to warn incoming ships not to try to dock.

Apart from letting the players in on the big secret, I believe this is already coded. The bright flashy lights would warn for more than ten seconds, if the witnessed behavior of the other ships is any indication.

Enable a comm system that tells Behemoths, Rock Hermits and Space Stations that you are about to dock (clear all approaches and do not launch craft).

Shouldn't take a comm system for most of the people here (I mean, we've got people who actually dock at less than full cruising speed!) That being said, it would be nice if there was some comm traffic with the tower, especially for those without a docking computer yet. (The docking computer does do some of this (although when the station decides to launch right at the last moment, the docking computer goes into 'collision avoidance.' So far, I think this code has only avoided a collision one time in my games (well, maybe twice.)))

Enable detection that prevents Rock Hermits, Behemoths and Space Stations from launching ships if there is another ship (or debris) in the "approach vector" funnel-shaped region of space in front of the docking bay.

I'm sensing a theme here...

This is because I just wasted about a half hour scooping Thargoid Robot Fighters in Witchspace, got to a system, lined up with a Rock Hermit's docking bay *perfectly*, and just as I was engaging thrusters, I caught a horrific split-second view of a FarStar popping into existence just outside the docking bay on a collision course with me.

Thrusters? With a Rock Hermit? The control for proper docking speed with rock hermits is 'j', not 'i'. The beauty of using 'j' is, quite simply, one never has to know if something launched, or if they just failed to line up perfectly.

HTH. HAND.

Enable another feature of the advanced space compass which indicates the direction to the nearest Rock Hermit regardless of whether it's in radar range or not.

I think I'd prefer the mass detector - it points to the largest (mass / distance^2); a filter removes any exceedingly massive objects (ie stars and planets), once you are close enough for their mass / distance^2 to be off its scale (VBS, such as Behemoths, would also be filtered out before they were within radar range. Most large ships would filter out around the time they entered radar range.) So long as we're just asking.

[winston]

Enable a "request docking" command, which lets you dock airlock-to-airlock with other ships (and engage in trading with them). This might take alot of coding to accomplish.

You can already trade with other ships! All you need to do is find a trader then shoot at him for a bit. OK, so the trading is just a wee bit one-sided, but hey...

[Alien]

I would very much like to be hired by other ships for escort mission.

Call of distress are sympatic, but I would like to have an escort mission possibility.

If it is not possible to make it inter-system (hyperspace jump), I would like to have an intra-system option "Help, we need an escort !".

And perhaps an intra-system mission with system wich have some problems with pirats ("Police don't make his hob, we need you to destroy somme pirate cove").
OK, I make such job as bounty hunter, but from time to time, I would like some "official" feedback ...

[Arexack_Heretic]

good ideas.

I want an external view of your own vessel when autodocking.

external view might not be possible in-play, but why not in the autodock state?

[aegidian]

Enable Autopilot Docking with xxx

As has been pointed out, use shift-C to 'autodock with target'.

Enable detection that prevents Rock Hermits, Behemoths and Space Stations from launching ships if there is another ship (or debris) in the "approach vector" funnel-shaped region of space in front of the docking bay.

That's already done and working too.

[rexpop]

In all fairness I've never got the SHIFT-C method of docking with a Behemoth to work. Sure the docking computer and auto-pilot activate, but it just seems to continually try positioning itself and never gets round to docking, so it would be nice if the Behemoth accepts the request to dock that it slows down to make it easier.

Incidentally the WIKI claims that using docking computers with a Behemoth isn't supported so I'd always assumed that was the reason why I could never get it to work.

[Murgh]

does the wiki say that?

it's been a while, but back in the day it worked. not while it's in aggression mode of course, but during peace-time..

[hoqllnq]

i'd like to be able to mark my current direction as a dot on the compass.
its easy to lose your sense of direction in space. in the 3d scanner thread
it was suggested to put some xyz axis in it. that would help too.

the idea of mass detector sounds like the ultimate pirate gadget. !-)

[Rxke]

In all fairness I've never got the SHIFT-C method of docking with a Behemoth to work. Sure the docking computer and auto-pilot activate, but it just seems to continually try positioning itself and never gets round to docking, so it would be nice if the Behemoth accepts the request to dock that it slows down to make it easier.

Would that be after a pitched battle in Thargoid territory? I've mentioned this too, and Giles said he's working on it, asked me to do an AI dump if it happened again, but since then, I never saw a Behe in Thargoid territory, so couldn't do it...

Discussion is here: https://bb.oolite.space/viewtopic.php?t=1277 So, as Giles points out:

Next time, try pausing the game and pressing '0' (zero), this'll dump a list of entities and their AI states to the console. Then email me the output - it may help.

[rexpop]

does the wiki say that?

it's been a while, but back in the day it worked. not while it's in aggression mode of course, but during peace-time..

From the Wiki Behemoth page in the section "Docking with a Behemoth":

"The starship also does not carry a civilian docking beacon, so your docking computer will not help you. Only manual docking is possible."

[rexpop]

In all fairness I've never got the SHIFT-C method of docking with a Behemoth to work. Sure the docking computer and auto-pilot activate, but it just seems to continually try positioning itself and never gets round to docking, so it would be nice if the Behemoth accepts the request to dock that it slows down to make it easier.

Would that be after a pitched battle in Thargoid territory? I've mentioned this too, and Giles said he's working on it, asked me to do an AI dump if it happened again, but since then, I never saw a Behe in Thargoid territory, so couldn't do it...

Nope it was in a perfectly clear system with only the Behemoth and the witch-point beacon in radar range. Did the Shift-C thing, the Behemoth acknowledged that I was allowed the dock, then the ship spend the next 15 or so minutes (I went off to make a cup of tea) trying to position itself to no avail.

In the end I aborted the docking sequence and headed off to the station to sell my cargo.

Now that I know about the AI dump state command if it ever happens again I'll do this and forward the file.

[Cholmondely]

Enable Autopilot Docking with Behemoths (or at least a request that they cut their engines and come to a complete stop so that you can actually manually dock with them).

Enable Autopilot Docking with Rock Hermits (now, really, why wouldn't you?).

Enable a "match speed" command, which automatically adjusts your thrust to match the speed of the targetted craft/object so that you can maintain your current distance.

Enable a "request docking" command, which lets you dock airlock-to-airlock with other ships (and engage in trading with them). This might take alot of coding to accomplish.

Enable a traffic control system. Space Stations, Rock Hermits and Behemoths should all have some sort of "flight control bridge" which monitors traffic. Before a ship is launched, bright flashing lights surrounding the docking bay flash for about ten seconds to warn incoming ships not to try to dock.

Enable a comm system that tells Behemoths, Rock Hermits and Space Stations that you are about to dock (clear all approaches and do not launch craft).

Enable detection that prevents Rock Hermits, Behemoths and Space Stations from launching ships if there is another ship (or debris) in the "approach vector" funnel-shaped region of space in front of the docking bay.

This is because I just wasted about a half hour scooping Thargoid Robot Fighters in Witchspace, got to a system, lined up with a Rock Hermit's docking bay *perfectly*, and just as I was engaging thrusters, I caught a horrific split-second view of a FarStar popping into existence just outside the docking bay on a collision course with me.

Oh, what the heck....

Enable another feature of the advanced space compass which indicates the direction to the nearest Rock Hermit regardless of whether it's in radar range or not.

With ILS (and Dybal's updates) we have almost all of these now...

But this:

Enable a "request docking" command, which lets you dock airlock-to-airlock with other ships (and engage in trading with them). This might take a lot of coding to accomplish.

would be nice.

I think that GalCop Missions has something slightly similar (but if I recall, it is just a case of sending messages... but as I get older and the brain cells die away...), and some of the hundreds of OXP's I've never tried might also have something...