[SCR] Docking Lockup Fix + Upgrade (v6 - 13.06.09)

[Gazz]

I do not have problems with ships being destroyed, only with being sent into the void when trying to fly the docked the TS myself.
It looks like I am outside and the ship still is landed (internally). After that I can only restart TC.

I don't think that this script is responsible because it always aborts the "auto docking" when used on the playership.

But your idea with turning of collisions while undocking might be a good thing anyway.

Yah, but it's only an idea and leads to... different issues. =)
A TS undocking from a complex needs to fly away from it. With collisions off it would not evade the complex hub but directly fly away from the docking clamps ignoring the hub structure.
So it might just as easily fly straight through the hub or another station... at which point the collision avoidance would come back on and it turns into a pretty but brief fireball.

So while the idea itself has merit, it will take a lot of brain sweat to secure it against all possible eventualities and turn it into a working concept.

[paulms1980]

hey gazz will this script stil work when using 2.5?

[Mystery00]

Unfortunately I still get the lockups when trying to dock with my Magnetar. It doesn't happen as often(maybe?) but it still happens enough to be annoying.

Also sometimes the ship will try to fly through the Magnetar while trying to get to the docking "lane", dying in the process.

Thanks for trying though.

It docks at stations just fine strangely. How difficult would it be to simply make the ship appear inside the Magnetar once it gets within 500m or so?

[Gazz]

That's all the "docking computer upgrade" does so if you give your ship one...

Doesn't work properly, though. Since the ship does not land, it cannot know where it would have landed. So it doesn't show up on ships with external docking like a TM.
Also, an M1 using this DC doesn't know, either. It may try to launch from small docking clamps or even an internal hangar...

[Mystery00]

Buying docking computers for all ships I want to land on my Magnetar is a bit of a silly workaround for a stupid game design decision.

From a programming point of view they should fix the bug that causes this, but from a design point of view the bug shouldn't be there in the first place because it doesn't desperately need to show that tiny landing "animation".

Also the vanilla scripts don't use the docking computer when auto-docking.

I think my point is that the best solution to the docking problem is to simply not do a complete docking simulation; magically teleporting into the docking bay when 200m from the Magnetar will not only completely fix the whole docking issue forever, but it won't even be noticeable.

[Argonaught.]

Can the script be altered to allow the playership to autodock when in range and has a docking computer installed?

Would be interested in a script that could do that while on auto pilot to a station to save all those key presses...I'm a bit lazy while flying around when not in combat.

[Gazz]

Can the script be altered to allow the playership to autodock when in range and has a docking computer installed?

No.

[BlitzIn4]

Unfortunately I still get the lockups when trying to dock with my Magnetar. It doesn't happen as often(maybe?) but it still happens enough to be annoying.

Also sometimes the ship will try to fly through the Magnetar while trying to get to the docking "lane", dying in the process.

Thanks for trying though.

It docks at stations just fine strangely. How difficult would it be to simply make the ship appear inside the Magnetar once it gets within 500m or so?

I had the same issue, but not with Gazz's mod. In vanilla, if you order a ship to dock with your Magnetar that's too close to a station, that ship will either freeze right next to it, or make several fly-by's before it gives up and freezes.

[Lord Dakier]

Gazz I hope your sending this to be signed as it really needs to be.

How does this react with 5 ships surrounding the carrier? I have some thought that it would be like the assassination missions where the larger ships appear as they have jumped out the sector.

[LucidSurreality]

This script is fantastic; the lack of AI docking computer use was one of the first things I noticed, and I'm glad you found a solution. As mentioned previously, it doesn't seem to work with CLS/CAGs due to their unique travel routines. I haven't delved into editing yet, but I was wondering how difficult it would be if I wanted to enable them to utilize the docking computer. Would it be as simple as copy/pasting some code from this into those scripts?

[Happyblue]

Gazz
I was looking for a solution to my fighters playing humpfest to my carrier and this seems like a good fix. I Love the MARS scripts but I see this hasn't been exaclty updated in awhile.

Two question before I overwrite the stock scripts with these:

Is this 2.71 Compatable?

Any conflicts with carrier mods such as Serial Kicked's ADS?

Thanks for your excellet scripts

[Serial Kicked]

Any conflicts with carrier mods such as Serial Kicked's ADS?

It's compatible with ADS.

Btw ADS uses its own method to work around this bug and also support the transporter device, so you won't notice any difference on my automated carriers/stations.

[Happyblue]

Ahh, I never put transporter devices on my carriers. I must have missed that tid bit.

Thanks SK. Love your scripts as well

[texallbwt]

Excuse me for a noob question but does the script editor ( instant modified status ) need to be turned on to use this fix?

I was thinking about a Steam X3 TC 3.1 vanilla install.

Thankx for your work,

tex.

[Sam L.R. Griffiths]

Excuse me for a noob question but does the script editor ( instant modified status ) need to be turned on to use this fix?

I was thinking about a Steam X3 TC 3.1 vanilla install.

Thankx for your work,

tex.

No, but you will get a modified status anyway as the script is not signed.

[garrry34]

gazz are these ok to use with AP?

[dblade]

Anyone using this mod on the latest version of TC? I'm having issues with AI docking at the Xenon Hub and hoping that this will fix it. Either way the AI using docking computer sounds pretty darn nice because it means I wont be waiting an age every time!

The only other mod I know of that using the docking computer is cycrows advanced nav script but I haven't tried that one either.

[Vayde]

Yes it works fine on the latest update to TC. Works equally well on playership or any of those you own even OOS. It can give you the upper hand in trading though as it docks from about 4.5k out so your ships will usually beat the competition in a close race. I can't confirm that this is so if the competition also have a docking computer on board

[dblade]

Thanks for the confirmation.

I think I see what you are saying about playership in that if I tell auto pilot to dock somewhere then it will teleport when I get in range instead of me having to hit shift-D under 5k again to get it to quick dock. Sounds great!

Yea about that OOS advantage... I mainly need this fix for IS, but I guess that's the way it has to be then since this is the only solution If NPC ships could have and make use of docking computers I would not mind.

EDIT:
I tested the script last night and it works for my ships both IS an OOS, but I don't see anything different for the playership? It quick docks (teleports) just like before by me having to hit shift-D while under 5k distance. This is not a big deal though. I think I may have just misunderstood what you meant.

[batolemaeus]

I just looked into the code to check if this fix could break AP jump beacon behaviour, and it looks like it doesn't. I'd still recommend backing up your original files. ;)