Docking Clamps!

[therimmer96]

Perhaps a new tag in the block config that allows you to define if a block is "magnetic", so you can only clamp onto something like hull and not just random stuff like terrain.

 

[lio_oVo_oil]

Getting off topic... my bad.

 

[ltmauve]

Perhaps a new tag in the block config that allows you to define if a block is "magnetic", so you can only clamp onto something like hull and not just random stuff like terrain.

Any have docking clamps (now docking ports) be activatable like doors, so if you have a small ship you can have the docking gear on the carrier if you want to.

 

[Saber]

I apologize if this has already been mentioned, I haven't had time to read through the entire thread.

I think as far as the enhancers and the docking boxes go it's one of the more logical ways to go about it, and best controls what things can dock where. However I wouldn't mind seeing something like a partnered docking module system. Essentially adding blocks which will dock in place of the core.

For example, let's say you have a door on the side of your ship, and your station has a tunnel and airlock extending out of it to dock with that door. Instead of hitting the docking beam and your core pops over the docking module instantly, you would switch to your docking cam above your ship's door and activate the docking module on your ship. The 4 modules around your ships door fire a beam straight out from them, and after some careful aligning, the beams are connecting with the 4 modules around the stations airlock/tunnel. After holding it there for a second or so your ship gently moves into a docked position, where the docking blocks are all against one another (or reaaaally close).

It would need some tweaking, but it would allow you to dock any part of your ship on something else, at the point you desire. I think it would be nice to be able to link the modules, so that all linked modules have to be activated at once to allow the entity to dock there. (almost like a lock system, no compatible docking configurations on your ship? No docking there.)

It's not perfect, but it's just a quick idea.

 

[NeonSturm]

Would really like this, but I think it should require (optionally) more than 1 docking clamp based on mass.
maybe 5%+, a ships footprint (5%x 5%y)




AFAIR the main issue was how to stop the master ship building blocks into the docked ship.

 

[therimmer96]

AFAIR the main issue was how to stop the master ship building blocks into the docked ship.

You cant do that already. If something is in the way, it wont let you place blocks there. This includes players and ships.

 

[jstenholt]

I think we can all agree, no matter how the issue of docking size is fixed, we desperately need a change to the current system, yes?

 

[Saber]

I'd say a change would definitely be nice, however I wouldn't say "desperately", it could definitely be on the list for future attention, but I wouldn't place it at a particularly high priority yet. I think about 75-80% of stuff we mention here on the forums is probably stuff that @schema has planned. That being said it's always nice to see additional ideas, and different ways of going about a common goal, but we'll just have to wait and see what happens. =)

P.S. I'm not saying we shouldn't be posting threads like these, I'm just saying that we need to consider the game as a whole and it's various stages of priorities as it continues to develop.

 

[jstenholt]

I agree. It's certainly difficult to put one's own desires on hold without remembering that the game as a whole should come before a small facet of it, no matter how important that facet is to your play experience.

 

[Saber]

I know what you mean. I think though that there are definitely a number of ways to expand current docking modules to accommodate a more flexible system. The original idea I posted would maintain the majority of the features from the current docking module so no blocks would become obsolete, it would just add a secondary block to pair up with it. Again though these are all just ideas, I'm sure @schema has something crazy planned, he's pretty much a mad genius.