Standard Docking Computer
A standard docking computer is a ship module that automates docking with a space station. The process can be slow so it is not recommended for pilots who need to dock quickly.
-Warning- Docking Computers have been reportedly buggy resulting in the destruction of player ships. Use at your own risk.
Uses
They are unreliable in the current version of the game.
Docking computer can be used with any ship and might be especially handy for players who find the docking process to be hard or don't want to keep doing it every time they dock. It is very useful to dock larger ships too, as those require more precise maneuvering.
The docking computer is automatically activated when docking permission is granted. If the ship is moving a message will appear to slow down before the docking computer will take control of the ship. When the throttle is set to zero or if the ship was initially stopped, the docking computer will begin maneuvering the ship. To cancel the auto-docking computer sequence and hand control back to the pilot, put power to forward thrusters.
Note: Docking computers are generally significantly less efficient than a pilot with some experience. They also tend to have trouble if anything bumps you, especially as you pass through the docking port. Generally they are reliable, but will sometimes cut out once inside the station leaving you to manually traverse to your pad.
Specifications
| Class | 1 |
|---|---|
| Rating | E |
| Weight (T) | 0.0 |
| Power Draw | 0.390 |
| Value (CR) | 4,500 |
Purchase Locations
| System | Station | Date Seen |
|---|---|---|
| HIP 27417 | Blair Port | Jan 29 2015 |
| Eravate | Cleave Hub | April 17 2015 |
| Wolf 906 | Herbert | April 12 2015 |
| Lave | Lave Station | May 02 2015 |
| ETA Serpentis | Haipeng Point | May 17 2015 |
| Rabh | Friedman Terminal | June 11, 2015 |
History
Docking Computers first appeared in the original Elite game. They were costly, but worth the investment as docking was - for the time - a complex process, during which even experienced players occasionally crashed their ship. Automated docking also was faster.
During automated docking, the computer would play "The Blue Danube" by Johann Strauss II, a reference to the (very slow) docking scene in movie 2001: A Space Odyssey by Stanley Kubrick which was set to the same piece.
Trivia
- First appeared in Standard Beta 1