Multiple changes to the behavior of docked entities

[OfficialCoding]

This post will contain multiple suggestions for the behavior of docked entities. If I am incorrect in any of my assumptions, please point it out.

The current way that docked entities behave limits ship and station construction, gameplay, and usability. Therefore, a complete overhaul of the docking system is needed.

Docked ships should have the ability to deactivate power and shield pull from the entity to which they are docked. Many of my ships are very large in proportion to the station to which they are docked. Furthermore, many times I have a ship that just barely has enough energy regeneration; and if I docked some stock fighters to it, I would get power instability. Moreover, if a massive fighter that has millions of shields is docked to a station that only has a couple hundred thousand, the fighter will be in jeopardy. Therefore, docked ships should be able to run off their own power and shields.

//apparently this is already in the game, so you can ignore this
Docked ships should also have the option to contribute their thrusters to the thrust of the ship to which they are docked. Many times I have desired to create modular ships and have the ability to dock more modules to it at any time. However, the docked modules would not be able to contribute their thrusters to the main ship. Hence, people cannot build modular ships. Thus, docked entities should have the ability to donate their thrusters to the main ship.

The power and stabilization of docked entities should be taken by the ship or station to which the entity is docked. Modular ships do not work not only because of the thruster issue, but also because ships do not pull power from ships that are docked to them. Therefore, the reactor and the stabilizers must be in the main ship. Thus, the main part of the ship must be gigantic; and the docked modules are useless. Hence, the main ship should be able to pull power and stabilization from docked ships.

In conclusion, the docking system should be reworked to allow for more build types and more realistic docking situation. Docked ships should be able to keep their power and shields while docked. Thrusters of docked ships should be contributed to the entity to which the ship is docked. Docked ships should give their power to the entity to which they are docked. The implementation of these ideas would greatly expand the construction possibilities of ships and stations, and by extension the diversity of builds.

 

[Deleted member 678402]

Docked Entities can already contribute thrust to the mother entity. Go to radial menu>ship>thrusters>big huge button that says inherit thrust from docks

 

[OfficialCoding]

Docked Entities can already contribute thrust to the mother entity. Go to radial menu>ship>thrusters>big huge button that says inherit thrust from docks

thx

 

[Nosajimiki]

This post will contain multiple suggestions for the behavior of docked entities. If I am incorrect in any of my assumptions, please point it out.

The current way that docked entities behave limits ship and station construction, gameplay, and usability. Therefore, a complete overhaul of the docking system is needed.

Docked ships should have the ability to deactivate power and shield pull from the entity to which they are docked. Many of my ships are very large in proportion to the station to which they are docked. Furthermore, many times I have a ship that just barely has enough energy regeneration; and if I docked some stock fighters to it, I would get power instability. Moreover, if a massive fighter that has millions of shields is docked to a station that only has a couple hundred thousand, the fighter will be in jeopardy. Therefore, docked ships should be able to run off their own power and shields.

//apparently this is already in the game, so you can ignore this
Docked ships should also have the option to contribute their thrusters to the thrust of the ship to which they are docked. Many times I have desired to create modular ships and have the ability to dock more modules to it at any time. However, the docked modules would not be able to contribute their thrusters to the main ship. Hence, people cannot build modular ships. Thus, docked entities should have the ability to donate their thrusters to the main ship.

The power and stabilization of docked entities should be taken by the ship or station to which the entity is docked. Modular ships do not work not only because of the thruster issue, but also because ships do not pull power from ships that are docked to them. Therefore, the reactor and the stabilizers must be in the main ship. Thus, the main part of the ship must be gigantic; and the docked modules are useless. Hence, the main ship should be able to pull power and stabilization from docked ships.

In conclusion, the docking system should be reworked to allow for more build types and more realistic docking situation. Docked ships should be able to keep their power and shields while docked. Thrusters of docked ships should be contributed to the entity to which the ship is docked. Docked ships should give their power to the entity to which they are docked. The implementation of these ideas would greatly expand the construction possibilities of ships and stations, and by extension the diversity of builds.

Agreed. With stabilizer distance, I see no reason a docked ship should not retain its own power generation and shields for its own systems and child entities. Power growth is linear now and damage is shared between effected shield bubbles, so there is nothing left to exploit in self powered turrets or docked armor that I know of.

 

[JNC]

Yeah, some basic send/receive options for our ships/stations would be nice. Perhaps these could be a part of the faction module? Such as send power to docked, receive power from docked, send/receive thrust (maybe someone docks that doesnt want to contribute their thrust).... cant really share shields cause of how they currently work... Has that even been addressed for stations? Do station shield bubbles reach docked ships?? Maybe just an option to accept mother shields (if able) or reject mother shields entirely. Allow/reject teleporters, or maybe require a teleporter password? (maybe you dont want some "friendly" ships sending players to you). If we ever see physical ammo associated with weapons; allow/reject reloading of docked.

 

[EricBlank]

Shields do protect docked entities, ive seen that in play. As far as im aware allowing docked objects to use their own power or even contribute it to the parent ship is planned or at least likely to happen in the future, the devs are going to wait until the new weapons update and chambers are balanced to let more reactors function simultaneously, or something like that. So its a "itll probably happen eventually" sort of deal. Like rail docked entities are supposed to not undock from and collide with the parent craft in the future, just become disabled or something, to reduce collision calculations.

 

[NaStral]

One of the reasons why docked entities can't utilize their own power was because of complaints from various players about docked armor and self powered turrets, and how it was contributing to server and client instability in multiplayer situations. I never really agreed with the method to control these issues myself (That would have been better served by a hard limit config option limiting the total number of allowed entities docked together to create a single meta entity). Regardless, here we are.

 

[Kelpaz]

Unshielded, unpowered docks makes all my modular station plans useless, and while I can alter the config for bigger shields it's not something I want to rely on.

If anything I would like to see the return of shielded docks.

 

[Nosajimiki]

Unshielded, unpowered docks makes all my modular station plans useless, and while I can alter the config for bigger shields it's not something I want to rely on.

If anything I would like to see the return of shielded docks.

Agreed. Shielded docks would have worked just fine if they did not do that 75% coverage for turrets thing. 75% coverage was the real issue that made docked armor exploitable, it meant that you could be shields down on your armor and shields up on your hull which was the source of 90% of docked armor exploits.