You should use auto-dock

[imwithdummy]

It really speeds things up...and allows you time to maybe hit the bathroom real quick...or to stir whatever's on the stove, maybe let the cat out.

Its the perfect little 15-25 second break that you need to get some little stuff done. Like to alt-tab to the discussion forum here and ask about that thing you need help with. You're not going to figure it out on your own and its what this place is here for, so...thank god for auto-dock, you know?

I get the need for street cred, and that there's some sort of wuss-factor involved here, but its also a little wussy to be drudging through landing procedures while your neglected girlfriend cries herself to sleep.

There's a lot you can do in twenty seconds...everything from planting a quick kiss on the cheek to taking out the garbage. Squeeze in a quick spanking for your child refusing to empty your ashtray...call 911 after noticing that you or someone you love has gone into cardiac arrest...

Lol sorry, got silly with it some, but my roommate here doesn't use auto-dock and announces it the same way someone would announce that no, they don't even OWN a TV.

What is that about? Do people think its hard to learn how to land? Because...in a game that's as much about taking off and landing as it is about anything else...its a skill that virtually anyone can learn sooner or later. Some more later, sure, but its not any kind of a "feat" as much as its just a skill you'll eventually pick up.

Genuinely curious here...is there a decent reason for landing your own ship? Anything other than for being able to say that you do?

Because there's all sorts of good reasons for auto-docking. Enough that I think we should have some kind of mini revolution here that ends up with us making fun of the people who don't use it. Those dopes have had it too good for too long!

Seriously, why not use auto-dock?

[Heisenburger]

Because you can do it 4x faster yourself.

[Lagi Schwer]

And even supercruise assist risk of being interjected when your off on toilet break... Happened time and again for me

Also we need the extra internal for something

[Josey Wales]

Because the game is about piloting space ships and it's more fun to play the game than to watch it play itself.

[JuanPa]

AutoDock is perfect for me when Im holding my baby on my arms hahaha and it's much faster than doing on my own.

[Team Triss]

Docking computers are acceptable only on Type 9s, and even then it's only marginally acceptable.

It's like buying a pony car with an automatic transmission, deserving only of scorn and derision because it's just not something that you do.

[imwithdummy]

Originally posted by Bruce Lee Inc.:

Because you can do it 4x faster yourself.

Can you though?
Personally, if I'm in a hurry...I'll gun it straight through the mail slot and THEN let auto dock take over. You've skipped past all the puttering to the gate and are instantly pivoted into position and sunk into spot.

Now that's fast. If you can dock yourself faster than that...then....yeah, you can't dock yourself faster than that. Come on. COME ON!

[Chro]

useless module

[imwithdummy]

Originally posted by LoR Team Triss:

Docking computers are acceptable only on Type 9s, and even then it's only marginally acceptable.

It's like buying a pony car with an automatic transmission, deserving only of scorn and derision because it's just not something that you do.

What if you're missing a leg, Mr smart guy, huh? Lol okay maybe a bit extreme, but I don't really agree with the analogy. You can take it to mean that only people who want to save time should buy a type 9, that its mandatory on all other ships to drudge through the landing procedure.

Because?
"Well because that's just how it's done, dammit."

And that answer is exactly what led to this mouthful in the first place. Because you're wrong...I guess is what I'm saying. Because it's NOT just done that way. I'm saying, "nuh uh!"
And also that its time that us wusses took back our mojo or whatever and all that.

[Bubba Fett]

I find docking and taking off to be fun, although I play in VR with a hotas. Even if you don't like landing yourself and want a break, you're landing. Once you're on the pad you can take as much of a break as you want.
It's kind of like pumping your own gas and wanting someone else to put the gas cap on for you afterwards.

With ships that are slow and a tight fit through the slot like a type 10 or anaconda I could maybe see using one, but for anything else I'd rather use the slot for something useful like a collector limpet controller or surface scanner.

[brooklyncontrivance]

Docking computers are handy. The time you spend landing is time I just used plotting my next course, checking EDDB or inara, or just plain watching the scenery while listening to the blue danube waltz. After 1600+ hours in the game it's not like I'm going to experience something new while manually docking, and it's not like manually docking is a hard skill or something you forget how to do. I just landed in a burning station in the witch head nebula yesterday for the sole purpose of collecting the decal that's currently being given out from that, easy peasy.

It's also useful as a judge of character. When you mention you use a docking computer to someone and they give you any sort of attitude, it's convenient that such a simple test can determine that someone isn't worth talking or listening to.

If you want to use a docking computer, use a docking computer. If you don't want to use one, don't use one.

I do kind of miss the days when the docking computer would randomly try to kill you, though.

[Crimson Echo]

It can be useful, but can get you into trouble if a station is too busy. If it leaves you in the undock queue too long (as can happen with too much traffic the station will open up on you for loitering in the station . Remember loitering is a crime punishable by death (even if the loitering is a result of station OTC directed auto-docking...)

It would be nice if the timer on undock did not tick down when auto-undock was active to avoid these sorts of issues...

[PlutonArioch]

Originally posted by imwithdummy:

It really speeds things up...and allows you time to maybe hit the bathroom real quick...or to stir whatever's on the stove, maybe let the cat out.

What have you been smoking? Its way faster when I dock myself, and as soon as I have docked I have all the time in the world to do bathroom breaks, prepare dinner, bring out trash, or whatever else I need to do. There is nothing that can happen to my ship while I am docked. Why squeeze those things into the few seconds it takes the AI to dock? Also, if I really need a break to do all the things you listed, then I should just quit the game for as long as that all takes anyways.

Why even risk it? The docking computer is stupid, and can not deal with anything unexpected, while I can react. This is more important to those playing in open but still not negligible.

I wont call you names for using it, but how can you even ask why one would not want to use it? The reasons are obvious and plentiful, here are just a few:
I usually fly my ship better than the autopilot. Flying my ship is what I enjoy doing, that's what I bought this game for, to fly a virtual spaceship - not to have a computer fly it. If I have enough of flying a spaceship, I quit the game and do something else. I would rather have a more useful module in that slot, instead of wasting it so I can say "look my ship flies itself" and take my hands of the controls a few seconds earlier. If something happens in real life that requires my immediate attention, I don't have time to fly to a station to dock anyways, or if I do its not that important that I have to get up those few seconds earlier - so its no use in that case either.

[Arc]

Auto dock is faster for those with larger ships or those who do not yet know what they can do to do it faster themselves.

Though i'm using auto-docking on all my ships because i'm tabbing out of the game an unholy amount :3
That is unless i'm not doing some illegal mission.

[Capt. Carrot]

i think that, in general, the antipathy toward auto-dock is basically a form snobbish ♥♥♥♥ waving and bullying (i,e i am a BETTER player than you because i land my ship myself and by using auto-dock you are just a pathetic LOSER who should not play the game).

From a lore point of view it does not actually make any logical sense that, in the future, pilots would be allowed to fly their ships either IN or OUT of a station under their own steam. the potential for damage to stations and other ships would mean that auto-dock would be mandatory.

From a personal point of view, i use the docking computer because i have arthritis that limits my gaming time and ANYTHING that makes it easier for me to game for as long as i possibly can is VERY welcome.

[Khavarum]

If you dock frequently (trader), then docking computer is very useful, if you do not (explorer), then it is a wasted space. It really depends on what you're doing in game.