Docking in Elite
I was going to post this to the "games featuring relevant bugs" thread, but after tinkering with Klive I'm more confused than before.
As a kid I used to love Elite. I had the 128K version on a compilation called Supreme Challenge. I remember reading that docking was very very hard. So the first time I had a go I thought "eff it" and just lined up with the docking port and flew in at top speed. Without trying to line up.
And it worked, I docked straight away. In fact this continued to work throughout the game; I just had to line up roughly with the port and power in at top speed. I can't check the original release of Elite 'cause I don't have a Lenslok, but the same trick works on the Joystick Club version (which I note has a different font and a slightly different interface than the 128K version - it doesn't ask you to load a new commander at the start for example).
It seems that just hitting the docking portal automatically docks you with the station, no matter how the port is aligned or how close you are to the edge, or your speed.
Was this something that was toned down for later releases of the game, or is the docking only difficult on the original BBC version?
As a kid I used to love Elite. I had the 128K version on a compilation called Supreme Challenge. I remember reading that docking was very very hard. So the first time I had a go I thought "eff it" and just lined up with the docking port and flew in at top speed. Without trying to line up.
And it worked, I docked straight away. In fact this continued to work throughout the game; I just had to line up roughly with the port and power in at top speed. I can't check the original release of Elite 'cause I don't have a Lenslok, but the same trick works on the Joystick Club version (which I note has a different font and a slightly different interface than the 128K version - it doesn't ask you to load a new commander at the start for example).
It seems that just hitting the docking portal automatically docks you with the station, no matter how the port is aligned or how close you are to the edge, or your speed.
Was this something that was toned down for later releases of the game, or is the docking only difficult on the original BBC version?
Post edited by Ashley Pomeroy on
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I think I played a fairly early version, certainly it was 48k, the big box release and not a rerelease. I'd have had it within a month of it's Crash Smash, since those were all instabuys.
I think I posted a quick vid on youtube, I'll have to check, :)
EDIT: It kinda went wrong a little, but IIRC I was drunk at the time, lol
Don't forget, leaving a station, turning around and docking while hyperspace will leave you docked at the planet you were hyperspacing to, :D
I didn't know about the hyperspace bug. I must try this one again.
Until about a year ago it never even occurred to me to match the entrance rotation at the final approach, to keep it horizontal. I just tried to time it so that it was.. :rolleyes:
I could be wrong but I believe you can 'catch' the entrance with part of the ship as you enter, destroying most of your shields, but still dock..? Or if I'm wrong, perhaps I hit another ship on its way out...
Yeah, that tends to happen to me if I'm rushing or drunk, or sometimes both lol
Don't know about the speccy version, but on the BBC version you can get that when docking badly. On the BBC using the standard non-homing analog joysticks it was simply a matter of matching the rotation speed and flying into the slot. Quite easy.
In fact the docking computer was unreliable and could make you crash while docking. I always used to dock manually BITD.
Slightly more up-to-date version... Some high speed docking action from Elite dangerous (@7:45 onwards for the actual dock run)
You're lucky that the Vipers aren't fitted with breathalysers. :smile:
I'll see if I can knock up a quick video to show you what I mean.
Still cannot for the life of me work out how to operate that game (ED - 2014). And I mean move the ship or work out how to contact the shipyard. The controls are hopeless!
So back to the original or oolite, I think.
Um. Of course it was easy. You left the station and turned around. You're automatically lined up for it. Bit harder to come in from out of system and line up on the station at full speed without ever slowing down ;)
From elsewhere, off that line, I never get it quite lined up perfectly; but close enough. I never tried the full speed method though - except when, as you did here, leaving the station and looping back along a perfect line. (I used that hyperspace cheat /so/ often)
Oh ye of little faith! You're talking to the uber-gamer here! The one man who beat both Rally Driver and Rally Fever before anyone else - both possibly the hardest completable games ever made for the humble Speccy!
Do you really think that something as mundane as leaving a space station, hyperspacing it to another planet, arriving and docking the station at full speed would pose a problem for me???
You are sadly mistaken if you thought it would!
Never drink and fly a plane, mate.
Anyway, I remember it used to be easy back then but I've been trying to dock the spaceship to no avail lately, in the Speccy, Archimedes and BBC versions. Still trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong but probably something as simple as thinking things are aligned while they're not.