Questions about Carriers, and how to actually set one up.

[Zeorik]

So, I've been fiddling around for a while now, and since I'm rebuilding a newer, "bigger" ship (pfft... still puny compered to the norm for StarMade) I was wanting to ask a few things.

1: !s it possible to "split" a rail reliably? I was hoping to use 1-2 rails to guide drones into a docking area, which then split off into separate rails.

2: is it more effective to just make drone 'sticks' for combat drones, and... how exactly would you launch the drones from docked sticks???

3: I've done a little searching, and one thing I've found was a drone 'regulation' system for rails. I'm currently on a server with collisions off, but in the even I play on one with them on... Would drones just ram into each other on the rails if I didn't have a system like this?

4: In the event of 2 being possible, would it be do-able in reverse? Taking the rails and reversing them through logic (I already know rail replacement is a thing) and launching them back out through those singular rails?

5: ? (Any useful tips/links/suggestions would be ADORED, as I haven't played with the game long enough to know 'everything'. ^^)

 

[Jojomo]

This by Bench might be useful:

 

[DrTarDIS]

So, I've been fiddling around for a while now, and since I'm rebuilding a newer, "bigger" ship (pfft... still puny compered to the norm for StarMade) I was wanting to ask a few things.

1: !s it possible to "split" a rail reliably? I was hoping to use 1-2 rails to guide drones into a docking area, which then split off into separate rails.

Yes, if you have the right "in use" detection logic.

I've experimented with a couple variants of this. one where everything just "lines up" , and one where it "fills" docking areas off a main line. I think you're looking for the latter.

The key bit of logic I needed for that was the [or] block. putting an [activator] touching a rail(or these days, also pressing "c" on the rail and "v" on an activator) toggles the [activator] "blue" when a docker is on/passing over that rail. connecting each of those [activator]s to an [or] block has the [or] block stay blue while any one of those is in use. your single "docking feed rail can conver-belt style run past a bunch of these "in use" detectors, and on any one that's not "in use" be turned to "fill" it, or "continue past" when it's "full."

2: is it more effective to just make drone 'sticks' for combat drones, and... how exactly would you launch the drones from docked sticks???

The ultimate drone R&D thread

3: I've done a little searching, and one thing I've found was a drone 'regulation' system for rails. I'm currently on a server with collisions off, but in the even I play on one with them on... Would drones just ram into each other on the rails if I didn't have a system like this?

4: In the event of 2 being possible, would it be do-able in reverse? Taking the rails and reversing them through logic (I already know rail replacement is a thing) and launching them back out through those singular rails?

5: ? (Any useful tips/links/suggestions would be ADORED, as I haven't played with the game long enough to know 'everything'. ^^)

@ 4, yes, totally possible. I use a "state signal" that's controlled from pilot-seat hotbar, each section has 2 logic chains. I use an [and] to decide which logic chain(and thus rail type green/red and orientation) is to be in use. Drone-rack

@ 5 the link above, and jojo's link.
bench's whole series is worth watching,
it's worth it to get a pencil and paper to "draw out" a diagram of what each circuit does and how it interacts with other ones if you have a branching logic like a sorted/reverseable docking system.

Ed: oh, and related to that pencil and paper. use diplay modules to document what each section of logic does, and how it's connected to do it. If you do not do this, in a week, moth, or year, you'll go back and scratch your head at exactly what kind of insanity your past-self had.

 

[StarWars1981]

Steps to Building a Carrier:
1. Stay organized
2. Know either your carrier or the drone beforehand but not both if you can help it, this makes it easier to fit drones. Of course you can fit any drone to any carrier (assuming a large enough size difference) but the right drones will look better, more natural with it, and also fit better in the space you want to build. Or build the space for them, of course.
3. Know your logic circuits before you load with real ships ... Stuff Will Fly. I'm one of many people who have successfully created the nearly-patented ClipDrives while attempting to create a carrier.

 

[DrTarDIS]

Steps to Building a Carrier:
...I'm one of many people who have successfully created the nearly-patented ClipDrives while attempting to create a carrier.

Oh hell ya, and universal slide-shows if you do the wrong exactly right. Have you managed to send stuff into the future yet?
-still shows up on nav, but distance is NULL
-no HUD nav markers, even when selected.
-will show up again as if nothing happened when you unload sector (save to disk) and then reload sector X minutes later.

Carriers are a science.

Spoiler: Science is cool

 

[StarWars1981]

Nope. But I have chucked a 50k mass incomplete, 250m long hull across space once. Oops. Took a while to haul it back ... xD