Docking request denied

[Ragnacock]

Hi
so im a fairly new player with barely 100h in the game.
a couple of weeks ago, once every few days i got this docking request denied problem in a station, until i reentered with fsd.

today, this is happening in multiple stations multiple times in the same playthrough.

and eventually at fraser settelment i just cant land to finish my mission because of this problem, no matter how many times i reenter with fsd, or restart the game.

so.....

is there some joke im not in on? what up with this?

[ShelLuser]

Most likely the other pads are taken by NPC's. So.. patience is a virtue. If at first you don't succeed...

You could also try to relog (log off, wait a moment, get back in), this should put you in a different session which might have less traffic. But yes, this can take a while, I once waited 2 - 3 minutes before I finally got my landing permission.

[Dolphin Bottlenose]

If you play in Open, that landing pad might be occupied by another player. And those might sit on it for dozens of minutes, if not an hour. Being in a hangar wouldn't free that landing pad. In this case you might want to temporarily relogin to a Solo or a Private Group mode, to change the instance and get a free pad.

[Banjo_Mel]

I normally encounter the 'Docking denied' message when an NPC is ready to leave from the pad that I am supposed to land on. Just zero your throttle and look at your radar - there should be a flashing (unresolved) NPC ship very close to the station. When it gets to the surface the radar image stops flashing and you are able to scan it. When it takes off wait for the pads perimeter beams to retract and then ask for docking permission. It should then be given - this is a handy way of finding your pad if its on the opposite side of the station.
Regards,
Mel

[JL::Jose-Juan Kenobi]

Only seen than on Outposts when they are full, especially mid size pads.

Or when I'm too far from outpost/station.

[clif9710]

I run into the denied thing fairly often at small places with only a couple or three pads. When it happens, I move up close enough to clearly see the pads and then watch for whatever NPC ships are present to leave. You will sometimes see a ship come up from below deck, or you will see one land, go below, come right back up and leave. It's fun to watch.

[Agony_Aunt]

Yeah, only experienced it at outposts.

As long as it is NPCs and not players, just request docking and if it says all pads are busy, just wait a minute, an NPC will free up a pad fairly soon.

[ShelLuser]

Originally posted by Agony_Aunt:

Yeah, only experienced it at outposts.

As long as it is NPCs and not players, just request docking and if it says all pads are busy, just wait a minute, an NPC will free up a pad fairly soon.

True, but sometimes it can take a while if you're unlucky.

[Purple Sauce]

Most of the time the base is just full so just wait or even better go into solo mode and an NPC will move generally withing 3-5 mins max as stated above.

[Ragnacock]

i was hovering close to an empty dock getting access denied, eventually i moved, and when i came back it worked.

and today i even got it at station, not just settelments, seems like it has something to do with me alt tabing the game and being idle for a time

[Purple Sauce]

You have to require docking and it will tell you which dock to go to. You don't just fly up to an empty dock you ask for permission.

[Agony_Aunt]

Originally posted by ShelLuser:

Originally posted by Agony_Aunt:

Yeah, only experienced it at outposts.

As long as it is NPCs and not players, just request docking and if it says all pads are busy, just wait a minute, an NPC will free up a pad fairly soon.

True, but sometimes it can take a while if you're unlucky.

Never had it take more than a minute or two.

[Angry Antz]

Just to check... are you within 7.5 km of the station(s) when you make the request? If you are making the request as soon as you enter the station area then this may be your problem (you usually enter the area at about 9 km out).

[Dolphin Bottlenose]

Originally posted by zeekius:

i was hovering close to an empty dock getting access denied, eventually i moved, and when i came back it worked.

The dock may look empty, but a ship might be sitting in a garage, below the landing pad. Such docks are still occupied.