Docking Module Proposal?

[Sand-Viper]

Yes, this subject again. I'll try to keep this short and sweet!

Currently, as most of us know, Docking Modules are useless as the plugin for them is bugged and seemingly un-fixable. Recently, I caught myself wondering just how the server handles a player ship having an internal "base" inside of it. Is the base created temporarily by the server, or is it something that transports the player "elsewhere" while docked with a player ship? Then it hit me: What if docking modules were tied to a specific, stationary base?

This concept came to me when playing around in Single Player. When warping to another base in another system, no matter how far away it is, the transfer is nigh-instantaneous, with (usually) no load time. Now, this might be caused partly by the fact that it's Single Player vs. a Multiplayer server, but I would imagine that admin warping works in a similar manner, with no jump-sequence occuring.

To my knowledge, the current bug caused by docking modules is that whenever the "mother ship" jumps to a new system with smaller ships inside of it, the game initiates the "infinite jump sequence," which causes the player to resort to disconnecting mid-jump or (I think?) even crashing the server.

In order to solve this, would it be possible for docking module-capable ships to link a certain npc or player owned base to their vessel? My idea is that, from an ooRP perspective, the ships would be "warped" to the linked base, be capable of repairing and re-stocking, and when they launch into space again, their ship would be "warped" back to where the mother ship is located. This might solve the infinite warp issue, as when the mother ship jumps from one system to the next, the actual base the players are docked upon does not move anywhere. The main issue then would only be to ensure that the game would recognize the new location of the mother ship and properly have any players that undock show up in the new system, next to the mother ship.

If the mother ship is destroyed, then either of the following could work, whichever is easier to code into FL Hook:
A: The ships on-board the dead ship would undock from the actual npc/player owned base linked to the mother ship, or,
B: The ships on-board the dead ship would undock above the plane of the system the ship died in/the system of the linked base.

Potentially, this system might require docking players to utilize a /launch command, rather than clicking on the standard launch icon in the docking bay within the base interface. Also, if the linked base were to be an npc base, then perhaps the docking modules could be sold directly from that base which are "attuned" to said base. This may make things easier from a coding stand point, but then I'm not an FL Hook Dev, so for all I know, it could be harder this way.

TL;DR
Link Docking Modules to a specific player/npc base so that when docking with the mother ship, the game "warps" them to the linked base, then back to the mother ship when the player launches with a /launch command. The hope is to avoid the "infinite jump bug" associated with current docking modules.

Thoughts?

[Vulkhard Muller]

Seems interesting, though a very quick Thought comes to my power trader mind, how can this be abused to make mega bucks? Though I suppose they could utilize the invisible base like when a pob gets blown up. Also I cannot imagine this being much different coding wise from the /Conn /return commands. Though as you said I am not an flhook coder and they, though similar, could be very different

[Alley]

This is what it currently does

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Alley was right.

[JorgeRyan]

Hmm.. conn might be a useful point here? Player docks on mothership, and is transported to conn, then when they to go to /return, they are placed near the mothership

This could also let people still play (in conn) while they are docked on thr mother ship

Also seems like it'd be easy to implement than trying to get specific bases for individual ships

[Nerva Regis]

You dock, you go to conn. And when it's needed just pop out with the /return.
That would be nice.

[Sand-Viper]

This is what it currently does

RIP. I can't believe I guessed at how it works and got it right.

Maybe having everyone default to the base in Connecticut would fix things? If not, I guess it's back to the drawing board!

[WesternPeregrine]

Hmm.. conn might be a useful point here? Player docks on mothership, and is transported to conn, then when they to go to /return, they are placed near the mothership

This could also let people still play (in conn) while they are docked on thr mother ship

Also seems like it'd be easy to implement than trying to get specific bases for individual ships

Conn doesn't allow cargo, so it would either not allow people carrying cargo to dock on modules, or break Conn restrictions.

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