Docking Computer

[DrakeSpyker]

The simple thought I had for this is when it's activated, it talks to a ship's Bobby AI and tells it to re-dock wherever it was last docked. Link this together with the wireless logic and you have a mothership which can launch and recall drones.

Naturally, if the ship in question has never been docked before , and doesn't have a Bobby AI, this block does nothing.

 

[testkil]

problem would be pathfinding

 

[GRHayes]

problem would be pathfinding

Which is why I suggested the drone docking beacon http://starmadedock.net/threads/drone-beacon-block.21284/
It would require the AI to fly to a single point in space aligned to the docking beacon. It would target the docking beacon which would then feed it onto a rail and would be parked by your system.

 

[Mork2]

A addition and work around idea but it has a exploitable flaw.

Block required
You would need a drone block that designates the entity its attached to as your personal drone not just a faction drone. Unfortunately for this to work with a turreted drone you would have to add this block to every part of all the turrets. Can't be placed on a station, asteroid or planet. Owner should be wiped if the owner dies and re-spawns to get stop possible exploitation. The person that jumps into a core takes personal ownership of all drone blocks down the chain.

Command required under structure tab
Then an available command under the railed entities to recover all undocked drones. The command would retrieve all blocks from all your undocked not attached to the structure your in, personal drones and put it into your personal storage. Only problem I can see is this being abused to instantly salvage all damaged drones unless you can't do this to overheated drones.

Recovering lost ships advantage
This would allow you to recover a lost ship assuming you didn't die.

Replacing the drones
You could then go to a shipyard to repair to have the drones replaced into there racks. You should have all the blocks from the surviving ones and it avoids the whole path finding issue. You could say the drones need to be reconditioned for use which is why they had to be re built and refitted back at the shipyard.

Possible exploitation and required limits
The problem is I think someone will figure out a way to exploit this.... and I just thought of a couple ways how and some fixes.

Instant salvage issues
Overheat a ship, reset it and add a drone block then auto salvage...... Though you would only salvage the entity with the drone block. I can't think of a way around this exploit. But couldn't someone just put a build block down and do the same thing so it shouldn't be to much of an exploit.

If you die you re-spawn at station and use its structure tab to recover all drones including your main ship which also has a drone block on it before the person that killed you can salvage much. To get around this the drones would have to reset who owns them when that person dies.

I can't figure out how to make this work with multiple people running around in the same ship though.

 

[Magrim]

Which is why I suggested the drone docking beacon http://starmadedock.net/threads/drone-beacon-block.21284/
It would require the AI to fly to a single point in space aligned to the docking beacon. It would target the docking beacon which would then feed it onto a rail and would be parked by your system.

I like this idea. I suggested something similar a long time ago, before rails where a thing.

basically there would be a new block, only visable in build mode, slaved to a docking module and placed in a path you want your drone to follow / fly in while exiting your ship or station.

The last block in the path will act like your drone beacon, recalling the drone. When the drone reaches this block it locks the drone onto the path to be followed and docked when it reaches the rail docker at the end.

I like your idea because it incorporates rails but I also want the ability to have my drones "fly" into the ship and dock without using rails. I see no reason why we can't have both.

 

[GRHayes]

I like this idea. I suggested something similar a long time ago, before rails where a thing.

basically there would be a new block, only visable in build mode, slaved to a docking module and placed in a path you want your drone to follow / fly in while exiting your ship or station.

The last block in the path will act like your drone beacon, recalling the drone. When the drone reaches this block it locks the drone onto the path to be followed and docked when it reaches the rail docker at the end.

I like your idea because it incorporates rails but I also want the ability to have my drones "fly" into the ship and dock without using rails. I see no reason why we can't have both.

Not sure how familiar you are with path finding algorithms this page should give you help you understand how they work if you don't already know. https://qiao.github.io/PathFinding.js/visual/

The what you asking is possible but what you are asking is taking those algorithms and adapting them to a moving map. One in which blocks may not actually be in a block location or lined up in the same angle and so on. Which means they would have to adapt it to a bounding box of each wall then build a map from that instead. The good part is they already have bounding boxes to determine hit location and stuff as it is and collision. It would be easier if you could put in some invisible blocks that a drone or fighter could follow as a path into a ship and then select a landing location. If you don't do that you are talking a lot more CPU usage especially considering that each craft will need to run its own path system to find its way in. An restriction could be made requiring a ship to be parked/stopped before issuing a recall command and it cancels if the ship moves. That also would make it a lot easier. then a single path could be built and shared for all craft. It would need to simply find an entry point and work inwards then find a landing point. The ships would simply select an alternate landing point but could use the same entry path. They still would need active avoidance of each other though.

 

[Magrim]

Not sure how familiar you are with path finding algorithms this page should give you help you understand how they work if you don't already know. https://qiao.github.io/PathFinding.js/visual/

The only thing i know about pathfinding algorithms is that they must be difficult to get right, seeing as how few games do get it right.

The what you asking is possible but what you are asking is taking those algorithms and adapting them to a moving map.

Not at all. What I'm asking for is to completely do away with the algorithms upon reaching the "drone beacon" and have the drone follow a string of these invisible blocks all the way to the rail docker. To give the illusion of pathing into or out off the bowels of your ship or station.

It would be easier if you could put in some invisible blocks that a drone or fighter could follow as a path into a ship and then select a landing location.

Exactly

An restriction could be made requiring a ship to be parked/stopped before issuing a recall command and it cancels if the ship moves.

Not a fan of that one. I want to be able to tactically scoop up my drones on the move and since the pathing blocks will be a part of the ship and move with the ship, as long as the drones reach the beacon they should have no problem docking.

I agree with your other points.

 

[GRHayes]

The only thing i know about pathfinding algorithms is that they must be difficult to get right, seeing as how few games do get it right.



Not at all. What I'm asking for is to completely do away with the algorithms upon reaching the "drone beacon" and have the drone follow a string of these invisible blocks all the way to the rail docker. To give the illusion of pathing into or out off the bowels of your ship or station.



Exactly



Not a fan of that one. I want to be able to tactically scoop up my drones on the move and since the pathing blocks will be a part of the ship and move with the ship, as long as the drones reach the beacon they should have no problem docking.

I agree with your other points.

If you ever did any moding for games like unreal they used to have path nodes they put in. You still have a need for some path finding though. Then if even if you just go with the blocks acting as path nodes then you still need a means for it to recognize when a bay or parking spot is blocked or in use.

I meant the parked ship as an option to cut down on the high CPU use you will get one way or another by not having it.

Implementing path finding can have its challenges. It is much easier if you are a on a system that is purely grid based. When you step outside of that you are left to come up with different measurement means and other issues. Simply doing a 3D grid adds a lot more potential paths to check. Now take the grid out and dump it into a game like this and you are looking at object detection and avoidance, you could add in threat level assessment to avoid the most dangerous path or maybe you want a path having higher rates of interaction, it depends on the ships current state or task is it fleeing, avoiding, attacking, docking.... In short the path system has to adapt to the task at hand.