Inverse docking

[Merddyn]

Not sure if this one has been mentioned yet, but I'd like a way to basically... Pick up things, rather than have them dock with you. "Well, what's the point?" you might ask. And in the case of two ships under your control, there isn't one, although not having to get out and go to the ship to be docked and dock it would be nice. However, lets say we're not working with that. Lets say you want to build a station, or a colony, but you don't want to, or can't, build it on site. As far as I know, there is no way to move a non-ship object once it is created. But if you can pick it up (or rather, dock it your ship from outside of it), then you can have a ship designed to do all the heavy lifting of taking, say, colony buildings from your construction facility, and carry it to the planet for colonization.

Also, if you have a block for such, instead of having to have a build block, you could have it so that ships dock at a different point than at their ship core, if applicable (because I thought of this while writing the previous paragraph). This would allow you to have it set up so that your ship docks to a space station from an airlock on the side of the ship, rather than floating above wherever the ship core happens to be. You could also have a facing set on it, like with docking modules, so that your ship docks to the station on its side, instead of its bottom, but on the top of the station (since docking modules already have facing.).

 

[K10wN]

It is possible for an admin to move a station. Get in the build block (which you position at the middle of the station) and use the /change_sector (to move to a new sector) or /teleport_self_to (to move to a new location within the same sector) commands.

I really hope that the ability to move stations like this is not a bug, because it is a very handy feature to correct when someone builds their station in the wrong place (like over a sector edge), or relocate a base to another sector.

A 'dock position location block' is a good idea though for the very reasons you describe.

 

[jayman38]

Being able to pick things up would be a great way for a carrier ship to grab deployed AI ships. It would be a good, relatively quick workaround until AI is implemented to have an AI child craft return to and dock with its mother, which can be a long, drawn-out programming effort.

 

[Top 4ce]

Spoiler: Dock

I want to be able to dock my fighters from the top. Undocking drops the into space like a bomber dropping bombs.

 

[Saber]

I'd like a way to basically... Pick up things, rather than have them dock with you.

I've been hoping for this for quite a while, other than the obvious "grab ships I released from my carrier" we could do things more easily, like space sports! :D BlitzCore anyone? But really though it would be great to be able to do this, maybe make it so docking modules shoot a beam out (like a ship core, with the opposite functionality. It could be controlled from the hot bar, just like the docking beam is.

I want to be able to dock my fighters from the top. Undocking drops the into space like a bomber dropping bombs.

Hopefully some day, but for now you can still dock them there, you just get to do a sweet barrel roll after launching! :D

 

[jayman38]

... But really though it would be great to be able to do this, maybe make it so docking modules shoot a beam out (like a ship core, with the opposite functionality. It could be controlled from the hot bar, just like the docking beam is.

Great idea! I would think it would be really easy to do this in the current code.

Concept:
1. The dock is added to the hotbar as normal. (nothing new here)
2. Activating that hotbar option launches whatever is docked there as normal. (nothing new here)
3. Activating that hotbar option when nothing is docked there activates your docking beam, but instead of trying to dock with something else, as if you were activating the ship core, it would fire your docking beam which would basically teleport the target to that docking area, if it fits. (new functionality that would re-use existing concepts.)

 

[Saber]

Great idea! I would think it would be really easy to do this in the current code.

Concept:
1. The dock is added to the hotbar as normal. (nothing new here)
2. Activating that hotbar option launches whatever is docked there as normal. (nothing new here)
3. Activating that hotbar option when nothing is docked there activates your docking beam, but instead of trying to dock with something else, as if you were activating the ship core, it would fire your docking beam which would basically teleport the target to that docking area, if it fits. (new functionality that would re-use existing concepts.)

I'm afraid I have to interject on that one, if something like this is implemented it definitely shouldn't use the same docking beam "block" that goes in your hot bar, it would have to be a separate one, I'll explain why in a second. Currently though we can undock all entities through the structures menu, which I think is efficient enough when you're talking about every single thing docked to you.

I think that the system would need it's own "capture beam" or something like that, instead of using a variable of the docking beam. If you have multiple things docked to your ship, and want to "capture" something then it would undock all other entities while docking that one. Instead I think it should be used only for docking, where if there is an open module, it will shoot a beam straight out from it and any core (or potential future docking block) that's hit would then be docked, as long as it fits within the docking area.

It would be far easier to implement that way, and would cause way fewer headaches for people who haul around multiple ships, with docking spots to spare. You would basically just have two icons at the end of your hot bar, one would be the docking beam, the other would be solely for docking other things to your ship.

 

[FunnyBunny14]

I think the problem here is that people will use it to capture unwilling players.

 

[jath]

I think the problem here is that people will use it to capture unwilling players.

Although, that COULD work with my crime and punishment idea.

 

[FunnyBunny14]

Although, that COULD work with my crime and punishment idea.

But ultimately it would just lead to loads of frustration.

 

[NuclearFun]

I think the problem here is that people will use it to capture unwilling players.

Easy fix: Faction restriction.
(and overheating cores.... Star Wars anyone?)

 

[Saber]

I think the problem here is that people will use it to capture unwilling players.

Assuming it worked like normal docking, it wouldn't work on ships of different factions, but I'd say if it's an unfactioned ship, and it's occupied, just have it display a little icon somewhere on the hud, and you press a key to dock up. That way it isn't a pop up, and couldn't be used as a distraction during combat. Or maybe it could be a setting in a menu "Always dock" "Ask before docking" that way it's pilot's choice.

It would take some testing, but I think something like it could work out.

 

[FunnyBunny14]

Assuming it worked like normal docking, it wouldn't work on ships of different factions, but I'd say if it's an unfactioned ship, and it's occupied, just have it display a little icon somewhere on the hud, and you press a key to dock up. That way it isn't a pop up, and couldn't be used as a distraction during combat. Or maybe it could be a setting in a menu "Always dock" "Ask before docking" that way it's pilot's choice.

It would take some testing, but I think something like it could work out.

If it worked like normal docking you could use a permission module to capture the players. That is my biggest concern.

 

[Saber]

If it worked like normal docking you could use a permission module to capture the players. That is my biggest concern.

It's a beam that would project out, affecting another entity, so it's not likely that a permission module would allow it to capture anyone, it would only let anyone dock there who hit it with their own docking beam.

 

[jath]

It would only work on unoccupied ships of your faction, and players who have a bounty you are chasing.

 

[NeonSturm]

It would only work on unoccupied ships of your faction, and players who have a bounty you are chasing.

Should a pirate care whether a bounty is put onto his victim?

I'd say it should be handled as "a request to dock into this slot"

The emitter is a dock while active
entity-> for this one entity
dock-> redirecting the dock action to one dock (nearest fitting of linked/usable docks? nearest to the computer or array output?)​

You also have the option to force somebody letting himself get docked with disabling weapons (EMP, Ion, Stop, Capture, ...)

 

[jath]

I'm looking to make bounties less of a"see if I can get away with it" game mechanic and more of a useful solution to a problem. Making it so the docking grab worked on bounties would make it just a Little bit harder to get away with the crimes.

 

[Ghent96]

left click in hotbar = dock/fire , right click on ship core in hotbar = pickup target

 

[FunnyBunny14]

Wouldn't it be better if we had a multifunctional new tool? I would call it a tractor beam (I know, sonnot orignal). You could use it to pull floating items to you or, when linked to a docking module, pull ships to you and then dock them.

 

[Ghent96]

Nah, keep it simple... don't need a new tool for this. Use the existing core icon in the hotbar, as said above, left click & right click different actions.