[BUG] [v1.14] Derpy pathing for Traders trying to dock

lasmori · Post by **lasmori** » Wed, 20. Nov 13, 15:09

Even with several ports open, in a busy system I've noticed that they can spend 25 minutes or more moving back and forth... and back... and forth, repeatedly... before finally docking.

This can be seen by loading up my save_003 from http://xrebirth.nexusmods.com/mods/124/ and asking the trader to purchase Energy Cells. It will spend a very long time moving around before it finally docks with the station.

Is there no queue system for trade ships? It seems almost like it decides to use a port, then for some reason decides that this would not work out.

EDIT:
Please see my second update to this thread for an explanation on why the pathing is so derpy for trade ships. :/

http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=351822

malolotja · Post by **malolotja** » Wed, 20. Nov 13, 15:46

The pathing seems to be a bit.... off

As far as I can see from outside, the following happens:

- Move the ship to the edge of the system (where no traffic is happening)

Takes forever :/

- Calculate a spline to move to target location
- Phase the ship out of the normal space, so it does not collide (ships will fly through geometry, ships on a spline path cannot be attacked)
- Once it reached the destination, phase out
- "Park" the ship

Quite awkward. On the other hand, they seem to save some CPU time by calculating the spline once and sticking to it 'til the very end.

lasmori · Post by **lasmori** » Wed, 20. Nov 13, 16:40

malolotja wrote:Quite awkward. On the other hand, they seem to save some CPU time by calculating the spline once and sticking to it 'til the very end.

Except it seems to repeat the entire process multiple times on occasion before finally deciding to do whatever it was doing. Literally have watched my trader perform it's dance going out away from the station and then curve it's way back in to the station tens of times in a row.

Each time it makes an abrupt course change and seems to repeat itself but on a slightly different path.

Silly derpy ships

lplates · Post by **lplates** » Wed, 20. Nov 13, 16:49

It was said in one of the DEV videos that the smaller ships still calculate their pathing every split seconds like the old Games, where as the CAP ships now use the spline system.

Don't quote me, this is just what I remember hearing.

malolotja · Post by **malolotja** » Wed, 20. Nov 13, 17:00

In the dev video they said the new pathing system was designed in a way, which removes the necessity to be recalculated ever so often.
It seems like they found out, that those static splines (they are also stored in the save file) lead to too many ships colliding. Hence the phasing/no-clip workaround.

Well, this is just my guess xD

pirke123 · Post by **pirke123** » Wed, 20. Nov 13, 17:12

My trade ship was going to sell the 100 energy cells, and flew right through the asteroid. Literally. I was riding it's gravity wake, but I kept bumping into the asteroid

lasmori · Post by **lasmori** » Wed, 20. Nov 13, 18:14

Please see my second update to this thread for an explanation on why the pathing is so derpy for trade ships. :/

http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=351822