Oolite Bulletins

Greetings

After observing discussions about what has become known as the 'suicidal' autodock and becoming a combateer of considerable experience I have a suggestion to offer for the autopilot. If it be possible for the autopilot to yaw in addition to the pitch and roll that may solve a lot of its suicidal tendencies. Sometimes it wants to roll at the last second which crashes into the docking port. One can already yaw with manual control which I do with manual docking. Perhaps enabling the autopilot to yaw when guiding a ship into the port will restore its will to live.

Solonar of Esceso, Galaxy Chart 2

Welcome to the friendliest forum this side of Riedquat!

You're correct in that it would solve a lot of AI flight problems, but as far as I know the AI flight dynamics are still governed by the restriction to Roll and Pitch only that Oolite inherited from Elite.

Adding AI Yaw, while on the surface seems simple, would require a rewrite of the AI flight dynamics which is not an easy task.

But, if you have the chops for it, have at it!

I thank you for the welcome and the reply. Unfortunately I don't have that kind of technical knowledge to write an AI. However if one of the techies ever comes up with something I would be happy to test pilot it. I can dock manually with no problems, but a less adept pilot might appreciate an improved docking AI.

They might.

There is a school of thought that regards docking a ship in Elite/Oolite with Pitch/Roll to be a (literal) rite of passage - an indicator that one has mastered the skills required to pilot a Cobra in a hostile universe. This would be in-keeping with the lack of the sophisticated flight-controls in the low-tech (some would say 'fantasy') version of sci-fi that is the Ooniverse.

There are some pilots who never use the yaw, and wish that it wasn't enabled at all! Welcome aboard, Solonar!

I guess I passed the rite a long time ago then.

Thank you for the welcome..