Oolite Bulletins

I'm having some hassle performing an automated docking with Behemoths and Dredgers. I get to within a few km of them, line myself up nicely with the bay and then hit Shift-C. I get the messages from the vessel saying that they're preparing for my arrival and then, as far as I can tell, they go evasive on me - looping and then simply flying away. Last night I saw a Behemoth heading away from a planet and requested, and was granted, a docking slot. Sure enough, my autopilot slammed on the anchors and the behomoth turned tail and ran back to the planet. Was it something I said? I'm clean, using version 1.65 (PC), flying one of the dream team Moray Medical Boats, good sense of humour...

Hi, Dunk!

The docking computer is not very reliable, I'm afraid. Often it's safer to dock manually.

You've heard of Murphy's Law?

Mr Murphy lives on, as a ghost lurking in the docking computer's operating system.

Manual docking is the best way, but takes a bit of practice. If you are a sadist, then try docking by parking yourself in front and let it swallow you whole. (it's easier head on, but if you want to be really flash point yourself in the same direction and use your rear view.)

I'm having some hassle performing an automated docking with Behemoths and Dredgers. I get to within a few km of them, line myself up nicely with the bay and then hit Shift-C. I get the messages from the vessel saying that they're preparing for my arrival and then, as far as I can tell, they go evasive on me - looping and then simply flying away. Last night I saw a Behemoth heading away from a planet and requested, and was granted, a docking slot. Sure enough, my autopilot slammed on the anchors and the behomoth turned tail and ran back to the planet. Was it something I said? I'm clean, using version 1.65

I have docked them several times with no problem. After docking request, they halt and start the docking sequence. So I looked at the Intelligence file of those ships. Both are identical. According to the script they halt if docked as you noticed, but they keep searching for enemies. If they see one they decide that your docking has no priority and first make sure the enemy is terminated. That is OK as this is the main function of these ships: Clear the space from offenders. You are just a little ship in his thoughts.

As said by others manual docking is saver as it is faster. And it is better for improving your flying skills. But start the auto docking sequence as it will bring those ships to a halt and then abort the auto docking and do it manually.

maybe adding a small commsmessage would be prudent...

"Enemy presence detected, docking requests suspended untill further notice"

...but I'm not sure whether the docking-state is accesible from the AI.

Is there a way to stop the docking computer sequence? You could turn the system off on the BBC version.

(What about instant-docking for other objects than space stations?)

C turns it off.

Ah thanks for that. I'd assumed that because the BBC version used different keys for turning the computer off and on, Oolite would do also.

Arexack_Heretic wrote:

maybe adding a small commsmessage would be prudent...

"Enemy presence detected, docking requests suspended untill further notice"

...but I'm not sure whether the docking-state is accesible from the AI.

Well, you don't need to access the docking-state. Just put it in all the ATTACKED- and INCOMING_MISSILE-message-states. Then the message is sent regardless if anybody actually attempts to dock, but, hey, it's just an automatized message.