Return to dock function

[Achriel]

We have ship AI and can even launch them (like fighters) but alas, getting them back is a pain. I was hoping we might get a 'Return to Dock' function and here's how I think it could work:

• A dock is marked (using the beam we already have) and the core of the ship belonging there is also marked while docked (this ensures it'll actually fit).
• Dock linked ships modified when undocked should 'forget' their linking. Dcoked ships should retain their linking if changed (this stops 'too big for docking area' problems to some degree).
• The dock is then added as usual to the weapons control (or possibly even an activation module to launch many docked ships thereby conserving weapons control space). Perhaps a new control block for docks would be more appropriate (using the same system weapons are linked together).
• When activated if there is a docked ship it leaves, the AI (assuming it's enabled) takes over and it goes out and does it's AI thing.
• Afterwards the empty dock is again activated and the linked core starts to head back and re-docks if it is in range (say within 1 sector radius or something reasonable).
• Ships unable to dock (perhaps the dock was damaged) get close and simply wait for someone to manually dock them, but at very least they are close to their base.

I know some pathing problems might arise but with the AI pathing already working to some degree most ships should be able to find their way home.

Future changes pending this could be the basis for making automated shipping lanes to move materials from location to location (adding piracy to the growing list of professions). Admittedly it would be more than a small change in that we would need multiple destinations and some functionality to occur after docking (dock, unload, reload, undock, travel).

Kick it around and post your ideas.

 

[Mariux]

That was suggested numerous times, and I'm quite sure it'll be implemented, but I thinnk devs have some other priorities right now, like shipyards.

 

[Andir]

It's quite complicated though. Return to dock needs to know if there is a door in the way. Not all docks are exposed to the outside of a ship. What if you have a docking bay inside your ship and there's only a door in the back of the ship to enter/exit? What if another AI is trying to exit? How do you know that the AI tasks are done to return to dock?

 

[Sha3es]

Perhaps you could even have the AI test if the dock is obstructed by a door? If it is then you have it inform you while you are still flying the ship to open the doors to the dock. Or if there is a way to do it make the AI open the door and the report to you when it is docked so that way you can close it.

In theory I love this idea, hopefully someone can sort out the technical aspects of it.

 

[Achriel]

It's quite complicated though. Return to dock needs to know if there is a door in the way. Not all docks are exposed to the outside of a ship. What if you have a docking bay inside your ship and there's only a door in the back of the ship to enter/exit? What if another AI is trying to exit? How do you know that the AI tasks are done to return to dock?

Collision rules would apply normally in pathing (just as it already work in MOBS) but even in a 'worst case' scenario I would simply have the ship stop and message the player/mothership it's unable to dock due to an obstruction. Let the player figure it out, the benefit of just having your drones come even close to the main ship will save a bunch of flying around and dragging them back manually, saves a lot of time.

 

[Magrim]

What about manually establishing an egress and ingress route for your drones to follow through waypoints? I would imagine the route plan would be tied to the docking module of the mothership and linked to the drone that was last docked there. After setting the path, the last waypoint in the egress line would "release" the drone to do whatever. When you call your drone back, the first waypoint in the ingress line would act as a beacon for it to head toward untill it is "captured" and brought in. As for doors, any closed door in the path of an active route would be opened, and possibly closed once the drone was either docked or released.

 

[Achriel]

The complexity in a relational routing/pathing and keeping it sane if the ship changes/rebuilt would be more trouble than it's worth (though it would be pretty darn cool in stations). Though one never knows what magic scheme could devise.

 

[Magrim]

Huh, i thought it would simplify things. No more having to worry about ai pathing through the ship because you set the route yourself. The drone paths should be displayed in build mode so when you refit your ship any obstruction would be conspicuous.

But what do i know, your frickin face is binary code

 

[Achriel]

The drone paths should be displayed in build mode so when you refit your ship any obstruction would be conspicuous.
But what do i know, your frickin face is binary code

LOL, you might be right with the pathing thing I was just considering the complexity of matching the path to the size of the docking area and how it might intersect other docking areas, doors etc. and turning angles are kinda complex (especially with rotations). Then again we could have it get close and if undisturbed for 30 seconds it jumps to the dock (if in range) 'auto-magically' as long as it can fit (the magical docking beam of penetrating walls and stuff).

 

[kiddan]

It's quite complicated though. Return to dock needs to know if there is a door in the way. Not all docks are exposed to the outside of a ship. What if you have a docking bay inside your ship and there's only a door in the back of the ship to enter/exit? What if another AI is trying to exit? How do you know that the AI tasks are done to return to dock?

1. Ships docking beam opens doors, make the AI open doors in it's flight path.
2. If other ships are in the way let the game choose who moves first/which ship gets out of the way depending on nearby obstructions.

 

[Achriel]

Here's an idea..
Perhaps have the returning ships get close but the final docking process is completed FROM the docking module to the vessel. Think of it like a docking beam FROM the mothership. If in range it's docked, if not (or blocked docking) then it fails to dock the vessel. Simply don't worry about doors and the like we only need those considerations during launching.. but the returning your get a 'pass' for having already paired the docking module and ship core.

An added bonus of this is fixing ships where interior modules are docked (like shield and power enhancers) and become 'unstuck' or lost. The ship can now be fixed without tearing it to pieces.

 

[DivineEvil]

Here's an idea..
Perhaps have the returning ships get close but the final docking process is completed FROM the docking module to the vessel. Think of it like a docking beam FROM the mothership. If in range it's docked, if not (or blocked docking) then it fails to dock the vessel. Simply don't worry about doors and the like we only need those considerations during launching.. but the returning your get a 'pass' for having already paired the docking module and ship core.

An added bonus of this is fixing ships where interior modules are docked (like shield and power enhancers) and become 'unstuck' or lost. The ship can now be fixed without tearing it to pieces.

I personally think all pathing is meaningless load.
- Add this feature as a separate AI function (Ship-Turret-Drone).
- Engaging a Drone's docking port will trigger the usual AI targeting range.
- Drone cannot extend further beyond parent ship's highest dimension multiplied by 10.
- If drone reaches it's maximum flight range or no enemy is found in AI range, Drone automatically returns to the docking port it has been docked to last.
- Drone simply dock into the port when reaches a certain distance (parent highest dimension or docking beam range whichever is higher), ignoring all obstacles.

This is the only way to avoid wild collisions. Several dozens drones trying to figure out the way to land into carrier's hangar while bumping it and each-other is not good for a server.

 

[Jegan Reavus]

I agree somewhat with the points already brought up, but I'm not sure letting drones jump to a dock is the best way to handle the scenario. For example: I have a 1600m ship I want to eventually add drones to. This ship is long and skinny though, and allowing drones to simply hop to a dock from a mile away seems unreasonable to me.

The manual pathing idea seems like a nice one, and I've even got a simpler solution that fits with the game mechanics: make the path nodes into blocks. We already have transparent blocks for area sensors. Why not use a similar type block for defining a done flight path. They could then be linked like any other support block to either the docking module, or a sperate "docking computer" of some kind. Either that, or have them work like logic blocks, and you just have to link them together manually. Then you "pair" a done to a particular dock similar to how warp gates are paired, and there something workable. If the drones collide, so be it I say. It can already be a problem when simultaneously launching a bunch of them, so it should just be up to the operator to design properly to avoid collisions.