Difficulty Docking

merphkif · Post by **merphkif** » Sat, 14. Mar 15, 09:42

I'm finding it impossible to dock. I've found stuff describing how, but it still isn't clear.

Post by **Tamina** » Sat, 14. Mar 15, 09:58

Fly to a docking port (I guess you know how it looks like) and click on the port icon above it, then either press Shift + D or double click on the icon again and press the "dock" icon.

You have to be near enough the docking port to make it work.

Post by **X2-Illuminatus** » Sat, 14. Mar 15, 09:59

It's actually pretty straight forward:
1. You fly to a platform marked with one of the platform symbols/icons. For example a cocktail glass for the bar, a Credits symbol (CR) for the trade port or a wrench for the Spacecraft Workshop.
2. Once you're pretty close to the platform, the platform icon should be highlighted when you face your crosshair towards it.
3. Doubleclick on it and select the 'Dock' option.

Post by **Tamina** » Sat, 14. Mar 15, 10:22

That is what I call cat like reflexes. Watch out Illu!

merphkif · Post by **merphkif** » Sat, 14. Mar 15, 11:11

Maybe I lack glial cells, but I still can't figure this out. Maybe some pictures of what things look like would help. I already looked up a video but it left me confused still.

I'm beginning to wonder if things are curved and backwards rather than straightforward with the docking procedure...

I'm not sure what I'm double clicking on exactly.

Post by **X2-Illuminatus** » Sat, 14. Mar 15, 11:42

merphkif wrote:I already looked up a video but it left me confused still.

If you watched a video explaining the docking procedure already, I'm not sure how screenshots could make it more clear, but here you go.

1. Locate a platform with a docking icon. The three I mentioned above are:
Trade/Commercial port
http://www.mediafire.com/view/268h278m3 ... -28-10.jpg#

bar
http://www.mediafire.com/view/x9wetxh3e ... -29-40.jpg#

Repair workshop
http://www.mediafire.com/view/hvhia2aj9 ... -30-03.jpg#

2. Fly towards the choosen docking icon. Once you're close enough for interaction, it will be highlighted:
http://www.mediafire.com/view/eljijwm55 ... -29-15.jpg#

3. Doubleclick the highlighted docking icon and interaction options appear. Click on the Dock option.
http://www.mediafire.com/view/bl99gaqnh ... -29-21.jpg#

Luanda · Post by **Luanda** » Sat, 14. Mar 15, 12:18

this is a game of learning, not a game of playing. the point is that ego wanted us to admire their "beautiful" and "huge" stations so to find anything like docking port you have to fly so close you nearly bump into the stations. when you see icons like "i" and "CR" and cocktail glass and bullet and other little craps you would have to find out which one of those means a docking port. they look exactly the same just have a different mark in it. if you find a dockable icon, like the "CR" or a wrench or the cocktail glass, fly so close you nearly bump the station. then the icon becomes slightly highlighted, you have to watch to notice the difference. when it happens just doubleclick on it and choose "dock" from the appearing menu. only one thing is more stupid and its docking on a rahanas as you can fly around it day and night and you will not figure it out, but you have to fly inside the ship on its front to find the docking port... good luck

Vandragorax · Post by **Vandragorax** » Sat, 14. Mar 15, 12:39

You know what would REALLY help with this problem, especially for new players.

When you press F to open the menu on some icon you've highlighted, why does the "Dock" option not show in the upper-right, but GREYED OUT?

And then... as if by magic, when you approach, it becomes active! Not having to re-press F twice to have the 'dock' option appear randomly because you got closer.

I really really hate when options are artificially hidden from the player, as it makes their life so damn difficult

I guess their UX (user experience) guy was on holiday when this button got designed xD

merphkif · Post by **merphkif** » Sat, 14. Mar 15, 22:16

Thank you! That did the trick! The video didn't have a voice-over explaining how to get the menu, now I got it, so easy.

donzi · Post by **donzi** » Sun, 15. Mar 15, 10:33

Hehe. I know exactly what the OP was feeling I think.

I figured, clocked 4 digist in X games so far, don't need no stinking guide or video (actually I do not have flash installed so unless it's webm..) lol.

Tips on double clicking the target icon (didn't know about the "F" key..) and trying to manually dock was a sight. Ended up wandering into the mine and getting gang banged by the reds that showed up while flying around in the hole.

I really was hoping for manual docking to rebirth too, but oh well.

Feeling like a noob again is humbling.

PleXD · Post by **PleXD** » Sun, 15. Mar 15, 15:15

Maybe we need to be able to buy software for your ship to be able to double the distance to be able to dock.

M.Kessel · Post by **M.Kessel** » Mon, 16. Mar 15, 20:10

But ... but their goal was "complicated=bad".

How could this go so wrong ...

I have to admit, I failed badly in the cam"pain" at this point, simple by trying the most basic thing, docking at a station. The totally useless copilot said "Dock at the station!", but gives you no ****** clue, how to do it.

The station is 15 km long, and 5 km wide, and has multiple ports, icons, and whatnots. And as new player of this game, you have not the slightest hint, what to do now, to get docking permission. Btw. common sense demands, that you have to ask for docking permission first.

Communication does not work, if you haven't targeted the port, Double click does not work, because you have to stand in vanilla game, 2.5 cm near the icon. And if you are standing 2.5 cm before the icon, double click does not work, becaause you were not fast enough in doubleclicking. This is beyond annoying.

If that is an example, how normal players should get easier acess to the game ... congratulation, you failed. Big time. And don't let me start about joystick support.

Game Version V 3.5.

donzi · Post by **donzi** » Tue, 17. Mar 15, 13:45

As far as I can tell the double-click is misconstrued to do more than it actually does.

The pop-up hints and instructions I've read kind of indicate that double-clicking should do more than it does.

AFAIK,

2-click (maybe even 1-click once registerd in the ship computer) will put the chevrons around the docking port glyph -- basically select it for further interation.

EG: goes from looking like : O
..to : >O<

at this point if you want to use a mouse or controller then press "F" to have a menu pop-up by the selected glyph then pick the option.

Personally that's all a PITA since I use mouse steering.. The menus which need a click are nothing but a hassle and I don't want hit spacebar anymore than I am required as it is..

so.. just use SHIFT + D once you're some 500 meters from the selected glyph. Might actually work from up to 999 meters -- seems 1K is too far though.

Best I can figure is maybe 2-clicking on stuff was useful in a different way at one time, but no longer. IMO all the tips need to be audited for the current state of the game.. If the objective is to make the UI easier then the tips could use a bit of consideration.

Vandragorax · Post by **Vandragorax** » Tue, 17. Mar 15, 14:09

I still stand by my comment that it would be much more "newbie friendly" to just have the "Dock" option on the radial menu greyed-out until you approach to the 750m or whatever you need to actually be able to dock. At least then when randomly searching around clicking on things people would actually find the option instead of it being completely hidden!

DiArmada · Post by **DiArmada** » Tue, 17. Mar 15, 15:57

BlackDemon wrote:I still stand by my comment that it would be much more "newbie friendly" to just have the "Dock" option on the radial menu greyed-out until you approach to the 750m or whatever you need to actually be able to dock.

sounds good indeed

egosoft.com

egosoft.com

Difficulty Docking

Difficulty Docking