Docking: Difference between revisions

The 45 landing pads (verification required) of a starport are grouped in 12 lines on the inside of the docking bay. Assuming that one flies into a Starport with the green lights on the right side of the ship, Landing Pad 01 is the bottom-center landing pad closest to the [[Access Corridor|access corridor]]. The remaining pads are numbered in this pattern: increasing first through the same line going away from the access corridor, then continuing to the next clockwise line starting with the pad closest to the access corridor. Thus, pads numbered in the teens are on the left, those in the 20s on the top, and those in the 30s on the right.

The compass will indicate where your assigned landing pad is ''once you are through the access corridor'', but remembering the above will help to avoid last-second panic when trying to locate a landing pad, especially if the pad is nearest to the access corridor within its line of pads, which is generally not visible immediately after entry.

Landing gear should be deployed at this point. Slowly approach the designated pad - the pad should have a holographic number displayed above it and the [[HUD#Compass|compass]] also helps navigate to the appropriate pad. Once the ship is close enough to the landing pad the radar will be replaced with a diagram showing the ship's position relative to the landing pad. Make sure that the ship is facing forward like in the image on the right (cockpit far and engines close to the pilot). In the diagram there will be a line extending from the ship to the pad (ending in a dot) - to dock the player must maneuver the ship so that the dot is centered in the pad's inner circle. Side thrusters (Q and E by default) as well as forward thrust (W and S by default) can be used to fine tune the ship's orientation and positioning. Once the dot is centered within the ship's inner circle slowly thrust down (F key by default) to complete the landing. If everything in the diagram has turned blue and the ship has "touched down", the docking is complete (generally the AI will notify the player).

You can also use the forward and backward translation thrusters (I and K keys (possibly by default)) to more precisely align your ship without overshooting.

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