Panets and Docking Rings.

[SigCorps]

I always thought the docking rings were there to give specific entry and exit vectors for ships. These corridors prevent any collisions from happening. Either from other soace craft or the local terrestrial air transports.

I do think the there should be separate docking areas for unlawfuls in planets. Makes a bit of sense that they could have some way of approaching a planet and landing. They would lead to a seedier side of the planet with a new bar, equipment dealer and comodaties broker. Although I think the problem with that is the planets can only be set to one faction owner. So...kills that idea

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Formerly Sam Nichols, creator of OSI

[Lenny Bruce]

Rings are out, make no sense.

Docking moors need to stay. Makes sense to off-load crews and cargo onto space elevators and lower to the surface, keeping bulky ships from clogging spaceports.

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<span style="font-family:Comic Sans Ms">I love the smell of carbon emissions in the morning...</span>

<span style="font-family:Comic Sans Ms">It smells like... WIN! Or something.</span>

[farmerman]

Stuttgart's docking rings should be on the top of the planet!

Would look cool, too.

Or the bottom! You have to land at either of the poles, of course. I suggest this change at least.

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Faction info links: Samura Heavy Industries : LWB : Watchers

[Cellulanus]

WARNING: Do not attempt planetary landing without using a Docking Ring.

A Docking Ring is part of an orbital elevator system invented by Ageira Technologies. Through the use of super strong crystalline polymers and frictionless bearings, Docking Rings assist the smooth atmospheric entry and exit of interstellar vessels with landing capability.

There, the docking rings info card.

[Rudo]

Freelancer is full of these little scientific impasses that you need to gloss over to keep the illusion going.

The fact that ships have the endurance to withstand repeated bombardment from particle blasters and sun coronas but can't handle the stress from re-entry is but one of them.

To me, docking rings are in place to allow ships that can't handle said re-entry access to the planet. They also make getting off-planet easier as there is no massive energy burn needed to attain exit velocity.

The fact that they also provide a means of controlling access is just the icing on the cake for Ageira, and those that control said planets.

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[Cellulanus]

Come to think of it, when criminals do want to head to a planets surface, they probably either use an unmarked generic freighter or hitch a ride with a Junker.

[ioha]

I do think the there should be separate docking areas for unlawfuls in planets. Makes a bit of sense that they could have some way of approaching a planet and landing. They would lead to a seedier side of the planet with a new bar, equipment dealer and comodaties broker. Although I think the problem with that is the planets can only be set to one faction owner. So...kills that idea

Ever went to Planet Marne in Champagne? Two docking rings, two entryways to the planet. One is Council-owned, the other belongs to the Brigands. (though I don't get why the Brigands get their own docking ring... I'm no Gallia expert though...)

On the one hand, I'd appreciate the possibility of a 'shady' way of landing on a planet, on the other hand, as Rudo mentioned, this is how Digital Anvil presented the Freelancer universe to us, and Discovery pretty much sticks to vanilla when it comes to such things.

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Sebastian Goldig | Carlos &quot;Coyote&quot; Wells | Joshua Cooper
Colony News Service | Bretonian Royal Court | Characters &amp; Biographies | Signatures &amp; Designs

[DeathsOverture]

Docking rings are a poor implementation of a space elevator (it's in the infocard), an efficient method of lifting a payload into orbit. That being said, the taking off animation doesn't look anything like "a space elevator," and I'm sure many would prefer effortless takeoff as seen in Star Wars and Firefly.

So we're sorta mixed between Science-fiction plausible and outright ignore-it-for-teh-arpee.

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[SigCorps]

Ever went to Planet Marne in Champagne? Two docking rings, two entryways to the planet. One is Council-owned, the other belongs to the Brigands. (though I don't get why the Brigands get their own docking ring... I'm no Gallia expert though...)

On the one hand, I'd appreciate the possibility of a 'shady' way of landing on a planet, on the other hand, as Rudo mentioned, this is how Digital Anvil presented the Freelancer universe to us, and Discovery pretty much sticks to vanilla when it comes to such things.

I forgot about that...then again I have spent all of 3 hrs in Galla. So....double docking rings for all.
Jeeze the work it would be to add a second docking ring to every inhabited planet...ug the developers would revolt.

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Formerly Sam Nichols, creator of OSI

[Cellulanus]

Docking rings are a poor implementation of a space elevator (it's in the infocard), an efficient method of lifting a payload into orbit. That being said, the taking off animation doesn't look anything like "a space elevator," and I'm sure many would prefer effortless takeoff as seen in Star Wars and Firefly.

Not necessarily, since the camera just shows the ship at most a few meters off the ground, the ships probably move into the atmosphere higher up.