Docking-Clamp/Magnet

[Goblin]

So in general (as far as i could see), with the new rail system, there will also be a new way of docking. BUT:
By now there is no way to lets call it "force-dock" something.

Im thinking about some block, which will dock a target to it or dock its self to a target.
The general purpose: Cranes/Transport-plattforms (in combination with the new rails), boarding capsules, tow lines, scrap-gatherers, starwars like force-docking (in combination with the allready existing push and pull beams) etc.

In my opinion it shouldn't be free of use:
You have to provide constant energy to keep what-ever docked.

What do you think?

 

[Megacrafter127]

This is supposed to become the standard from what I know, the current beams are just a placeholder, because we know it works, so we can test the system.

 

[Valiant70]

You mean like a tractor beam and a grabber so you can grab smaller ships like the beginning of Star Wars: A New Hope?

 

[NeonSturm]

This should not be the only way to dock something.

Maybe to catch something and attach it to a dock...

 

[Goblin]

Megacrafter127 As far as i know, the upcomming way is to dock to a predefined position/block on a ship or station via a block defined on your ship.
What i mean, is a block on your ship, capable of docking everywhere on a ship. The major difference: Docking to a predefined spot or docking anywhere on an object.

Valiant70 Yes or the other way round: To dock onto another big ship.

I also thought about energy cost. The should be defined by the smaller mass: So if you want to dock a small ship onto a large ship (or a large onto a small), you have to pay lets say 2000 energie per tick (just a number) but if you want to dock a big ship to a big ship this would cost 1 mio energy per tick. So you wont have a star destroyer docking onto another battleship and just holding it and additionally having extrem damage posibilities.

So in addition i could also think about not able to dock, if the ship is an enemy and has shield. So you would have to take the shield down (and hold it down) if you wont to force-dock to it (optional)

 

[Megacrafter127]

What i mean, is a block on your ship, capable of docking everywhere on a ship. The major difference: Docking to a predefined spot or docking anywhere on an object.

So that's what you want. Good to know, and my statemtne doesn't apply anymore.

 

[Byamarro]

This is supposed to become the standard from what I know, the current beams are just a placeholder, because we know it works, so we can test the system.

I hope so. Support +1

 

[Ithirahad]

Hm, so more of a grappling clamp then. Would be kinda neat...

 

[Dikoto]

(Neutral Docking Blocks)Two blocks (C)@(C) that have a pull effect toward each other and wish to be aligned with one another before touching and snapping together.
When docking in this method, Both entities become a (Shared Entity). This way they are still technically two entities but inertia, gravity, thrust, are applied to both.
(Slaved Docking) Two blocks (A)@(B). (B) wants to align to block (A) and (A) wants to pull block (B) before touching and snapping together.
Entity (B) becomes part of entity (A) a (Slaved Entity) while (A) is the (Master Entity).

You could have clamp blocks that stick to any block they touch
And magnet block that pull other magnet blocks. There can be an (A)magnet and a (B) magnet. The (A) magnet pulls and (B) pushes.

This is just some of what I put together while reading you ideas.
To have block like this would and some awesome possibilities for the game. Can you imagine? A small scout fly's up to its mother ship. The pilot presses a button. Lights on the mother ship come on. The hanger door slides open and an arm is extended from the mother ship. The pilot activates his docking module and brings is ship in toward the arm that has extended. He brings it in close enough for the two docking modules to do there thing. The ship smoothly slides into place and locks. The pilot then presses the same button and the arm along with the ship is pulled back into the hanger and the hanger door closes.

 

[Krougal]

(Neutral Docking Blocks)Two blocks (C)@(C) that have a pull effect toward each other and wish to be aligned with one another before touching and snapping together.
When docking in this method, Both entities become a (Shared Entity). This way they are still technically two entities but inertia, gravity, thrust, are applied to both.
(Slaved Docking) Two blocks (A)@(B). (B) wants to align to block (A) and (A) wants to pull block (B) before touching and snapping together.
Entity (B) becomes part of entity (A) a (Slaved Entity) while (A) is the (Master Entity).

You could have clamp blocks that stick to any block they touch
And magnet block that pull other magnet blocks. There can be an (A)magnet and a (B) magnet. The (A) magnet pulls and (B) pushes.

This is just some of what I put together while reading you ideas.
To have block like this would and some awesome possibilities for the game. Can you imagine? A small scout fly's up to its mother ship. The pilot presses a button. Lights on the mother ship come on. The hanger door slides open and an arm is extended from the mother ship. The pilot activates his docking module and brings is ship in toward the arm that has extended. He brings it in close enough for the two docking modules to do there thing. The ship smoothly slides into place and locks. The pilot then presses the same button and the arm along with the ship is pulled back into the hanger and the hanger door closes.

I like this. It also allows grabbing another ship with a pull-beam (beginning of New Hope example) and docking it without re-working the pull beam mechanics (which I'm sure most of us want anyway, proper tractor beams) since once you got it close enough the docking blocks would take it from there.

The big issue I see which would need to be addressed is how this works in multi-player. While I'd like to see all the docking block mechanics in general work towards the "meta-ship", and when all the parts are just parts of your own ship, there is the issue of who has control of what when there's a pilot in each ship core. So the PVP aspect of it is very relevant.

A partial solution to that would be faction block of a hostile faction would be the dividing line, but I doubt that it is that simple.