Distance to dock

[royfalk]

When getting very close to the dock (1k-5k?) of a planet, the distance from the dock disappears. This should not happen.

[evertvorster]

Agreed.
In my play testing I would hang around that area for a little while, and the numbers would then become visible again. Sometimes for longer, sometimes for shorter periods. What always stays the same, is the time that the numbers are gone.

This is also a similar time that when you try to land at a base, and some other ship pops into the dock before you, making that dock unavailable.

This leads me to think that the game engine currently has only one dock assigned to a planet, and when a ship is using it, it is not available to you. We should just modify the dock code for planets to always accept a docking request when you are in range, and the chances are that this change would also clear up this issue.

[royfalk]

That is potentially very helpful. I did not notice that. To be fair, I haven't actually been playing the game the last couple of years, except when testing.

[BenjamenMeyer]

I don't know that it necessarily disappears; it's just that you're so close to the planet and the dock rectangle is so large you have a hard time seeing it.

[royfalk]

I don't know that it necessarily disappears; it's just that you're so close to the planet and the dock rectangle is so large you have a hard time seeing it.

It's not the rectangle that disappears. It's the distance to it in the hud.

[BenjamenMeyer]

I don't know that it necessarily disappears; it's just that you're so close to the planet and the dock rectangle is so large you have a hard time seeing it.

It's not the rectangle that disappears. It's the distance to it in the hud.

ahh.. yeah I see that very often. I'd also like to increase that distance for planets so that the rectangle remains in easy view when it kicks off the dock instead of requiring you to be so close to the planet.