Landing pads are wrong in space
Landing pads in natural gravity make sense, they do not in space.
Artificial gravity is limited in coverage on a station base.
Vessels will approach from all directions and can not see past the giant marker hexagon until quite close.
Once a landing pad is visible, a vessel can orientate itself for approach to the pad.
Why ?
The vessel is unaffected by artificial gravity, my engineer uses a jetpack all of the time in space.
Something different from the traditional landing pad aligned to station gravity could be imagined.
At the moment there is no up or down for a vessel in space.
I have two suggestions, not a complete idea.
1. Station landing approach guide markers
2. A braking(decelerating) field across the path of approach to slow vessels down to a safe speed.
I like this feedback
I have suggested both of these before in other posts, does this suggestion make any sense to anyone?
I have suggested both of these before in other posts, does this suggestion make any sense to anyone?
Another thought, a second field across the path of approach could rotate the vessel to a desired angle.
Another thought, a second field across the path of approach could rotate the vessel to a desired angle.
May be you could use something similar to the big green box thing, but a different colour to act as a landing approach guide.
May be you could use something similar to the big green box thing, but a different colour to act as a landing approach guide.
personally, i like crashing into safe zones at full speed and bouncing around like a pinball. but yeah.... as far as realism goes. it makes a lot more sense to have approach vectors and markers for orientation before you get within 1km
the only thing i can really think of would be adding marker bouys.... but thats more static grids that you have to keep aligned with another static grid (if they are all indeed static, we might have orbital grids using event controllers to stay in orbit. which is fun to try and do manually, but tedious. i did one complete orbit of verdure and was like. yeah, nah.)
i can see us having "nav computers" that can help calculate speed/vectors and range to location. then it would be a matter of event controllers using nav comp info to stop us where we want.
personally, i like crashing into safe zones at full speed and bouncing around like a pinball. but yeah.... as far as realism goes. it makes a lot more sense to have approach vectors and markers for orientation before you get within 1km
the only thing i can really think of would be adding marker bouys.... but thats more static grids that you have to keep aligned with another static grid (if they are all indeed static, we might have orbital grids using event controllers to stay in orbit. which is fun to try and do manually, but tedious. i did one complete orbit of verdure and was like. yeah, nah.)
i can see us having "nav computers" that can help calculate speed/vectors and range to location. then it would be a matter of event controllers using nav comp info to stop us where we want.
I don't like gravitational field generators. They are physical nonsense.
Landing fields/pads, on the other hand, do make sense—especially in space. When they consist of magnetic coils, in conjunction with magnetic landing legs, they can ensure a smooth, “soft” touchdown of the spacecraft on the landing pad by simply changing the polarity of the magnetic fields, and subsequently “anchor” the spacecraft in place. Thus, they elegantly solve the problem of the “last meter” of the landing maneuver and achieving the correct touchdown speed.
I don't like gravitational field generators. They are physical nonsense.
Landing fields/pads, on the other hand, do make sense—especially in space. When they consist of magnetic coils, in conjunction with magnetic landing legs, they can ensure a smooth, “soft” touchdown of the spacecraft on the landing pad by simply changing the polarity of the magnetic fields, and subsequently “anchor” the spacecraft in place. Thus, they elegantly solve the problem of the “last meter” of the landing maneuver and achieving the correct touchdown speed.
Landing pads are essentially optional. Most landing pads have a connector that allows you to connect to the base and exchange stuff. That connector doesn't need to be part of a landing pad, it can just stick out from a conveyor or less usefully from the base grid. I have acquired several ships in SE2. My current base in space has one landing pad with a connector and a "tree" growing out from the bottom. The tree is a set of conveyors with branches ending in connectors. As I acquire ships with blocks I don't have access to yet they get added to the tree for future use. Their batteries are kept charged and their storage, including battery power, is accessible as needed. I haven't looked into transplanting blocks from one ship to another but it is a mechanic used in SE1.
The other thing to consider is that currently our suits don't run out of Hydrogen. Its like SE1 in creative mode. I would expect that at some point in the future that will change in survival mode. Having a bunch of cockpits that you can jump into at the last moment for O2, H2 or power is something that some people find handy.
Landing pads are essentially optional. Most landing pads have a connector that allows you to connect to the base and exchange stuff. That connector doesn't need to be part of a landing pad, it can just stick out from a conveyor or less usefully from the base grid. I have acquired several ships in SE2. My current base in space has one landing pad with a connector and a "tree" growing out from the bottom. The tree is a set of conveyors with branches ending in connectors. As I acquire ships with blocks I don't have access to yet they get added to the tree for future use. Their batteries are kept charged and their storage, including battery power, is accessible as needed. I haven't looked into transplanting blocks from one ship to another but it is a mechanic used in SE1.
The other thing to consider is that currently our suits don't run out of Hydrogen. Its like SE1 in creative mode. I would expect that at some point in the future that will change in survival mode. Having a bunch of cockpits that you can jump into at the last moment for O2, H2 or power is something that some people find handy.
>> Vessels will approach from all directions and can not see past the giant marker hexagon until quite close.
I think much of this issue would be solved by shrinking or hiding these hexagon markers when you're within, say, 200 m of the target and have an unobstructed view. Or perhaps have the marker strobe on/off when you get close, so you can at least see what it is you are approaching.
I have this same problem approaching an unknown signal; the marker covers up the item at a distance too. Is it an asteroid? Ship debris? Damaged ship with guns pointed in my direction? One can't know until you get too close for comfort.
>> Vessels will approach from all directions and can not see past the giant marker hexagon until quite close.
I think much of this issue would be solved by shrinking or hiding these hexagon markers when you're within, say, 200 m of the target and have an unobstructed view. Or perhaps have the marker strobe on/off when you get close, so you can at least see what it is you are approaching.
I have this same problem approaching an unknown signal; the marker covers up the item at a distance too. Is it an asteroid? Ship debris? Damaged ship with guns pointed in my direction? One can't know until you get too close for comfort.
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