Station
Stations are built in space to provide living space for humans, and are specialized to produce certain goods. Ships can dock at them, allowing access to the station services. Station services include accepting missions and passenger contracts, buying new ships or outfitting for ships, clearing and collecting bounty, paying fines, refuelling, repairs, trading (legally and illegally), and hiring crew. They are also equipped with their own defence systems in place to deal with criminals and smugglers. Defensive turrets are very powerful and can destroy a small size ship (Hauler, Cobra) in a matter of seconds.
Some stations rotate to provide centrifugal force simulating the pull of gravity. The exterior appearance of a station is an accurate depiction of its specialized economic output, although there are several variants of each model. For example, towns and farms are clearly visible in agricultural hubs, or Orbis models.
The number and quality of services available at a station can vary. Under certain extreme conditions, such as when a large quantity of Unknown Artefacts has been sold on a station's black market, most or all services, including refuelling, may be disabled. Two station types, Capital Ship Docks and Installations, offer no docking facilities or services.
Lore
Starports such as the Coriolis, Orbis and Ocellus are a safe haven for pilots amid the vastness of space. They’re also very big; an entire city floating in space and slowly rotating to create artificial gravity for the traders, pilots, tourists and citizens aboard. Millions of people live and work there. Gravity differs between each tower's floors. For many residents real daylight is a rare privilege. The landing hub is pressurized with an atmosphere. The docking hub is a safe zone, because no firing of weapons is permitted. Defensive turrets protect it and uphold the law.[1]
Nearly all ships and stations are standard fitted with the GalNet system for market information, galactic news and communication.[2][3]
Features
Station Type
The station type and interiors are determined by star system type, economy, and population. There are Tourism, Refinery, Agriculture, Tech, Regular, and Wealthy station interiors.
Docking
- Main article: Docking
To dock with a station, pilots must first request docking permissions by accessing the navigational terminal's "Contacts" tab. Pilots farther than 7,500m from a station will be automatically denied access and asked to approach to said distance first. In heavily populated or lagging instances, all ports may be occupied and a permit will be denied. Once granted, the pilot will be assigned a landing pad number to approach and land on. If the pilot does not land within the allotted time slot [usually 10 minutes], the pilot will have to exit the station and request additional permissions. Attempting to dock without permissions will trigger a lethal response within 60 seconds. This includes docking on the incorrect landing platform.
If docking control responds with a generic "docking request denied" message, then it's likely all landing pads are occupied. One can circumvent this by logging out of the open play and into solo play will usually fix this. Once docked, you can switch back to open play.
Upon undocking from your landing platform, you will have 5 minutes to exit the station before you are considered a loiterer and a 60-second hostility timer begins.
To either side of the docking port are lights coloured green and red. Pilots should approach on the side with the green lights to reduce the chance of a collision.
Ship Storage
Players can purchase and store additional ships at each station and switch freely between them when docked. These can be accessed from the shipyard section of the starport services screen.
No Fire Zone
All stations have an area surrounding them designated a no fire zone. You are notified each time your ship enters and exits this area. You will also receive a message when your ship enters this zone to retract your weapons, should they be deployed at the time. If you should fire any of your weapons within the no fire zone you will be fined. Station defences will activate and open fire on your ship if your weapons hit the station or any ship that is not wanted in that jurisdiction. Using any scanner within the no fire zone is perfectly legitimate and legal.
Dumping any cargo within the no fire zone will get you fined, except while docked in the station.
Travelling faster than 100 m/s in a no fire zone will give you a reckless flying fine if you are in a collision with another ship, however this does not apply for speeds under 100 m/s. If a collision, no matter the speed, results in a ship being destroyed you will be charged for murder and have the station open fire on you.[nb 1]
Emergency Protocol
Coriolis, Ocellus, and Orbis stations activate emergency protocols in the event of a direct attack that renders them too dangerous to inhabit. Attacks on this scale were apparently rare until December 14, 3303, when a number of stations in the Pleiades Nebula were devastated by Thargoids.[4]
Stations that have activated the emergency protocol have Refueling, Maintenance, Contacts, Universal Cartographics, and the Crew Lounge disabled. The Missions panel is accessible, but no missions are on offer. The Passenger Lounge offers several contracts to transport refugees to safety. The Commodities Market is damaged, and only accepts certain emergency supplies. Standard Docking Computer functionality is also disabled, forcing pilots to use manual controls if they wish to dock. If the player was docked at a station that activates the emergency protocol, they and their ship will be transferred free of charge to a Pilots Federation Rescue Ship nearby.[4]
Affected stations also exhibit severe external damage, and approaching the main reactor module on Orbis and Ocellus stations will disrupt ship HUDs due to electromagnetic interference. The docking bay is lit by red emergency lights and littered with floating debris, but a hazardous internal heat level can easily overwhelm any ships that lack Heat Sinks. Ships do not take damage from the heat while they are docked.[4] Lastly, penalties for violating a station's No Fire Zone are partially reduced for the duration of the crisis; firing weapons, either into space or at a wanted CMDR, results in only a fine, but targeting the station or a clean CMDR still triggers a lethal response from the station's defense batteries and security forces.[5]
Types
| Coriolis File:CoriolisStation 001.jpg |
Landing Pads | Small | 15 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium | 18 | ||
| Large | 9 | ||
| Rotation Time | 90 sec. (89.714 exactly) | ||
| Gravity (G) | Docks: 0.1 Lower decks: 1.0 | ||
| Dimensions (KM) | 2 km in Radius | ||
| Ocellus File:OcellusStation 001.jpg |
Landing Pads | Small | 15 |
| Medium | 18 | ||
| Large | 9 | ||
| Rotation Time | 90 sec. | ||
| Gravity (G) | Docks: 0.1 Equatorial trench: 0.7 Lower decks: 1.0 Ring: 1.2 | ||
| Dimensions (KM) | |||
| Orbis File:OrbisStation 001.jpg |
Landing Pads | Small | 15 |
| Medium | 18 | ||
| Large | 9 | ||
| Rotation Time | 120 sec. | ||
| Gravity (G) | Docks : 0.1 Middle Ring : 0.5 Outer Ring : 1 | ||
| Dimensions (KM) | Big Torus is 4 km in radius Small Torus is 2 km in radius | ||
| Outpost File:Outpost 001.jpg |
Landing Pads | Small | 2-4 |
| Medium | 1 | ||
| Large | 0 | ||
| Rotation Time | N/A | ||
| Gravity (G) | N/A | ||
| Dimensions (KM) | Varies | ||
| Asteroid Base File:Asteroid Base 2.3 beta.png |
Landing Pads | Small | 4 |
| Medium | 8 | ||
| Large | 6 | ||
| Rotation Time | 300 sec. | ||
| Gravity (G) | N/A | ||
| Dimensions (KM) | N/A | ||
| Capital Ship Dock File:Capital ship dock.png |
Landing Pads | Small | 0 |
| Medium | 0 | ||
| Large | 0 | ||
| Rotation Time | N/A | ||
| Gravity (G) | N/A | ||
| Dimensions (KM) | N/A | ||
| Installation File:Elite Dangerous Installation.png |
Landing Pads | Small | 0 |
| Medium | 0 | ||
| Large | 0 | ||
| Rotation Time | N/A | ||
| Gravity (G) | N/A | ||
| Dimensions (KM) | N/A | ||
Construction
While Outposts (and possibly Coriolis stations) are constructed in orbit where they are needed, Ocellus and Orbis stations are partially constructed elsewhere, transported to their destinations, and then completed. The Ocellus and Orbis dock enclosures are built first, then attached to an engine assembly that allows them to jump to the final build site. Upon arrival, the docks are opened to the public for docking, but remain stationary. The engines are eventually detached, and a spire built along the dock's rear axis to accommodate habitation rings, solar panel arrays, and other modules. Once the station's modules are completed, the station is rotated and is considered fully online.
Damaged Station
Stations can be in the state DAMAGED. This is supposedly the result of a Thargoid attack. Locations of damaged stations will be reported in Galnet articles titled "Startport Status Update". In the System Map a red/orange icon will appear above the station. Station is urgently looking for help, issuing lots of rescue missions (with cargo and material rewards).
Effects:
- Station is burning. The inside of the station is highly dangerous. Temperature is very hot, debris is flying around, explosions shift your ship off track. Besides that, other evacuation ships will recklessly try to escape the station.
- A rescue ship is parked nearby. All evacuation missions have the rescue ship as drop off location. The evacuation ship has proper equipment for the missions.
- Loads of evacuation missions are generated.
Recommended Equipment
- Heat Sinks (temperature causes your modules to malfunction)
- Shield (collisions due to high traffic, debris, explosions)
- Passenger Cabins (for the refugees)
- Cargo Rack, min. size 4 (for the rewards)
Notable Stations
- Jameson Memorial, orbiting Founders World in Shinrarta Dezhra, has all ships and modules available for purchase at a 10% discount. You must reach the rank of Elite or be a Kickstarter backer in order to get a permit to access Founders World.
- Attilius Orbital is located in the permit-locked CD-43 11917 system, and the permit is only given to pilots who achieve "prestige" rank in CQC. The station also offers all ships and modules at a discount, with a special 20% discount on the Fer-de-Lance.
Notes
- ↑ If the ship is player controlled and has Report Crimes Against Me turned off, no fines or bounties will be issued
Videos
Gallery
- An Ocellus station at the initial phase of construction
- An Ocellus station's habitation rings under construction
- An Orbis station at the initial phase of construction
- An Outpost
- Kohl Terminal in Liaedin
- Close up of the interior of a Orbis or Ocellus station's large diameter ring
- Another close up on the interior of a large diameter ring
- A rare Coriolis station variant with two polar "arms"
- Cavalieri in Electra, a Coriolis with four "arms"
- Close up on the buildings in the trench of an Ocellus type station
- Pre-version 2.2 alternate station interior
- Pre-version 2.2 alternate station interior
- Pre-version 2.2 alternate station interior
- Pre-version 2.2 alternate station interior
- Pre-version 2.2 alternate station interior
- Orbis station traffic
See Also
- Category:Stations - automatically populating list of documented stations
- Influence - Information about faction ownership of stations
- Megaship - A class of ships with on-board docking facilities for smaller ships
References
- ↑ Official The Art of Elite Dangerous art book, August 17 2016
- ↑ Newsletter #22 http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=dcbf6b86b4b0c7d1c21b73b1e&id=f72c0f91b2
- ↑ Tourist Beacon 0249
- 1 2 3 /r/EliteDangerous: So the Thargoids(?) Attacked a Station. Images Courtesy of CMDR Bad_Player
- ↑ Frontier Forums: PSA re: Damaged Station Defenses