Fleet Docking Order and New Pickup Point Block

[Lone_Puppy]

*UPDATE - Exploit Avoidance*
Today I read this suggestion by GalactusX and is similar to things I have wished for in the past.
TDP system or best know as Travel-Dock-Point for stations

The crux of this idea is to give the player the ability to preset a docking destination where the ship would automatically dock to without any flight control by the player. Pretty much what the fleet recall order does for docked drones etc.

I believe this can be implemented using the code/mechanic built into fleet recall, with the following modifications.
The user interface component could be integrated into navigation, to operate either the same as or similar to the sector coordinate plotting system. In this case or instance, it would be docking coordinate plotting.


Fleet Docking Order

• My preferred option would be to use the existing Move order, and a modified navigation system would take care of the rest
• Otherwise, a new order like "Dock Fleet" or "Dock Fleet Member" could be employed. This would assist greatly when you have multiple pickup points/rails on a fleet carrier and 2 ships/drones accidently connect to the same point. You could relaunch and order one of them to the docking point that was missed.
• Having fleet docking orders would also simplify automated transport delivery for factions wanting to resupply remote outposts, stations or even carriers, ships or planets. When the ship and destination is unloaded, the server would simply have the ship registered as docked upon entering the destination sector.

New Pickup Point Block

• A new pickup block that has a preset dock or rail address.
• You could integrate it into the logic system for automated station docking to have ships mooring at particular berths/docking ports/landing pads or whatever. It would have embedded presets to order the ship to dock at a specific rail.
• With logic integration the new block would be able to have docking coordinates applied to it manually or by sending from a Display module or other mechanic like the current rail swapping, where we swap the pickup block with another that has preset coords to a rail.

Other considerations

• Selection of the docker on the ship. Not sure how you would implement this, but it does appear to be registered in the game for fleet recall. So I would expect we should be able to allow for manual entry, preset selection. Perhaps added to the navigation control also.

Exploit Avoidance
In response to concerns over existing and another potentail exploit I just thought of, I though I'd add this here as an update although it being a posted reply below.

To address the existing exploit of steeling ships using pickup points and an exploit I just thought of for this suggestion.
There is a potential exploit, where if somebody learns of a ship inbound to a particular docking port could essentially setup their own pickup point to steel the ship.

My suggestion is faction control or some kind of pre-shared key system where you could toggle this function with either logic, hotbar or modification of the cargo transfer method.

• Logic would give us a number of useful function
• Hotbar component would be the actual docker presenting a lock/unlock/friend/foe option
• Cargo docker type menu applied to the docker. Giving us greater protection. This would be my preferred option

Ideally, a menu system on our docker similar to the new cargo docking blocks would go a long way to securing ships.

What you think guys?

 

[Dr. Whammy]

I like the concept but both your thread and GalactusX's thread need to address the following.

1) We need to get rid of the exploit being used to steal ships by using a pickup point to force another factions ship to dock to yours. As it stands now, it's not worth the risk to have any rail dockers on fleet craft on a PvP multi-player server.

2) We need better AI path finding. Otherwise, any ship attempting to dock to a TDP will slam into your station (or any other ships attempting to dock nearby) and start spinning in place, just like the current formation commands. As was mentioned above; lag fest.

Other thoughts;
- Station fleet recall docking using pickup points should be implemented.
- Each ship will need to record all TDPs that are linked to each on board rail docker. These settings will need to persist through server resets.

If you're interested, we can discuss in this thread or the other.

 

[Lone_Puppy]

I like the concept but both your thread and GalactusX's thread need to address the following.


If you're interested, we can discuss in this thread or the other.

A)I cover my rail dockers in PVP with no issue. I either use a rail based cap that covers my USD completely or I just use logic controlled plex doors with inner ship remote for my hotbar.
B) I totally agree, but even with it's numpty capabilities now it could still be applied until the AI is fixed. Plus the unloaded scenario would negate many situations unless there is a player near by waiting to intercept. In that case, it's likely to be lost anyway.

There is also another exploit, where if somebody learns of a ship inbound to a particular docking port could essentially setup their own pickup point to steel the ship.

My suggestion is faction control or some kind of pre-shared key system where you could toggle this function with either logic, hotbar or modification of the cargo transfer method.

• Logic would give us a number of useful function
• Hotbar component would be the actual docker presenting a lock/unlock/friend/foe option
• Cargo docker type menu applied to the docker. Giving us greater protection. This would be my preferred option

 

[Dr. Whammy]

A)I cover my rail dockers in PVP with no issue. I either use a rail based cap that covers my USD completely or I just use logic controlled plex doors with inner ship remote for my hotbar.

B) I totally agree, but even with it's numpty capabilities now it could still be applied until the AI is fixed. Plus the unloaded scenario would negate many situations unless there is a player near by waiting to intercept. In that case, it's likely to be lost anyway.

There is also another exploit, where if somebody learns of a ship inbound to a particular docking port could essentially setup their own pickup point to steel the ship.

My suggestion is faction control or some kind of pre-shared key system where you could toggle this function with either logic, hotbar or modification of the cargo transfer method.

• Logic would give us a number of useful function
• Hotbar component would be the actual docker presenting a lock/unlock/friend/foe option
• Cargo docker type menu applied to the docker. Giving us greater protection. This would be my preferred option

I was told that capping your rail docker is ineffective since pickup points/rails are intangible. Did they fix that?

If not, The best way to fix this once and for all would be to require public permission blocks adjacent to your rail docker to allow docking on out-of-faction structures. So basically, two permission blocks would be needed; one for the docking ship and one for the receiving entity.

Everything else sounds pretty solid. I'm hoping they add something like this in the new updates.

 

[Lone_Puppy]

I was told that capping your rail docker is ineffective since pickup points/rails are intangible. Did they fix that?

I'm not sure. I've been using this method for a while now and haven't had issues, but will investigate to be sure.
It definitely needs to be addressed, although steeling ships can be done a number of different ways.
I would love a flexible option where we can also leave the dockers completely open for cargo container transfers.