Stupid Docking.

[koshelenkovv]

Why is docking always such a long, boring pain in the ass?

Because you still didn't learn how to use the Navball.

Plain Navball is enough for docking - no docking mode or target marks are ever nessesary.

Or your ships just too heavy and sluggish. Add more rotation power or RCS.

It's laggy as hell, too.

KSP lags inevitably when one docks several hulky 500-parts ships. Build ships with smaller part count.

[Gary_P]

That's right. The blue marker on the nav ball should help you, yes?

I'm not the greatest docker. Mostly because of the keys.

[regex]

Docking is easy. Match orbits, reduce relative velocity to 0, move in close and get oriented,, set the docking port as target and gently bring the ships together. It's hardly rocket science and the navball is all you need.

As for lag, I couldn't help you there. My laptop renders docking with @250 parts in the scene pretty well.

[bonyetty]

Hammering this nail in is just too hard and taking too long. Oh and what's with all the claw marks either side of my nail?

[Geschosskopf]

Yes, I found that too. Mechjeb uses a ton of fuel. When I use Mechjeb to dock I always make sure to overload my RCS fuel tanks with twice the amount of fuel. Yes this is a cheat but...

I use Mechjeb now for plotting courses to get my ships closer, then I dock myself. Stupid jklhn keys get me crazy. I'm going to hook up my joystick, or change them to the keypad.

If you bravely turn on the RCS Balancer function despite it's big orange EXPERIMENTAL warning label, it'll save you a ton of RCS during the actual docking, at least if you turn the "Overdrive" off. You'll still see a constant flicker of RCS exhaust puffs all during the docking, but they're VERY low power so mono expenditure is almost nothing, even if it has have to rotate the ship a lot to line the ports up.

NOTE, however, that if you leave RCS Balancer on with the Overdrive set at 0, your RCS won't have the power to rotate your ship fast enough to point it at upcoming maneuver nodes before you pass them. So it's a good idea to turn it all off as soon as you finishing docking (or maybe put the Overdrive back at its default of 100%).

Where I see MechJeb2 wasting HUGE amounts of RCS is in just holding the ship at a constant heading (when RCS Balancer is off). It fires full power puffs, which are overcorrections for what it needs, so it has to puff back the other way, but again overcorrects, repeat until RCS tank runs dry. Otherwise it will never stop puffing RCS unless you manually turn RCS off. So say you've got the rendezvous autopilot running. To save RCS during the various burns needed to synch orbits, turn RCS off when the ship drops out of warp just before the start of a burn. Leave RCS off all through the burn until like 1 second left, then turn it back on. MechJeb2 will then make some final, low-power corrections at the end of this burn, then immediately RCS to the heading for the next burn. At this point, warp kicks in and RCS stops being used even though it's still on. So just wait until the warp stops and shut it off again.

It could be that the RCS Balancer (with default 100% Overdrive) is intended to fix this, but documentation is scant so I just don't know. Still, if you limit MJ2's access to your RCS to just where it really needs it (always turning it off during burns and once coasting) and use the RCS Balancer when letting it dock your ship, you really don't use much more RCS than if you fly manually.

I do agree with Triffid_Hunter, however, in that the rendezvous system is rather extravagant with LFO. But the way it does it always works, which is more than I can say for my manual flying. Getting the orbits and velocities matched up is no problem, but I have no clue how to synch the orbits up so we both get in the same place at the same time. So rather than mess around, get lost, and end up using more fuel from my ineptitude than MJ2 would, I just let it do the math on the synching.

[AntonioAJC]

1. 
   
2. Use only the number of RCS jets you really need. More RCS does not mean more control.
   
3. 
   

My whole life has been a lie...

[jwenting]

Yes, I spent so much time whining about how I couldn't do it, but when I actually tried, it went flawless and took 10 mins.

and now you brag and belittle those who can't make it work... So nice of you.

Tried docking and rendezvous several times a day for months, unsuccessfully, before resorting to having MechJeb fly them for me. Just got sick and tired of being stuck in a rut for that long.

Without it, there'd be no reason for me to continue playing KSP as I'm at the limit of what I can do without it, and that limit is pretty much putting a single Kerbal on Minmus.

[Fried]

just listen to robbaz play ksp as you dock. it makes everything hilarious when your launching your ship and you hear "look at that sexy bastard"

[AceMgy]

There's also a very cool little mod you can get that gives you graphic feedback on RCS placement in the VAB. Kudos to Elian Hanisch for making it!

http://kerbalspaceprogram.com/rcs-build-aid-v0-2/

Thank you so much! This is so much easier than the method I posted.

[Flixxbeatz]

Mastering the Navball and fine controls will make you rethink of your views about docking.

[Gary_P]

Yes you are correct. It chews through RCS like I do a pizza.

[joppiesaus]

I am always 10 cm away from my screen if I dock. Soo entertaining.... It's awsome

[MockKnizzle]

Learning basic orbital mechanics will help you with matching orbits and getting close encounters (if you're ahead of your target, enlarge your orbit and it will catch up to you; if you're behind it do the opposite) and learning to use the navball will help you with getting your ships together and docked.

I find that Scott Manley's method is the easiest:

Step One - Get close. Something in the realm of 2 or 3 km is fine.

Step Two - Switch the navball to relative velocity mode. Orient retrograde and burn to bring your relative velocity down to zero.

Step Three - Orient towards your target (the pink prograde marker) and burn to close the distance.

Step Four - Repeat steps 2 and 3 until you're like right there, then orient your ships +NML and -NML.

Step Five - Translate and dock. Easy mode.

[jwenting]

we all know the theory, Knizzle. No need to belittle those who can't make it work by claiming "if only you do this it's easy", as we all know that and it's not.

[saczva]

Blasphemy, docking for the first time is better than sex, I'll always remember the first and second time I docked, the intense levels of concentration combined with the panicky, fidgety micro-adjustments that always seemed disastrously wrong and then that growing sense of satisfaction and joy when the 2 docking parts are aligned without horizontal movement just gradually moving closer and closer until you dock and that moment, is amazing.

Afterwards though it's just a bit of a time consuming chore which is why I now mostly use mechjeb to do it for me.

[SDIR]

we all know the theory, Knizzle. No need to belittle those who can't make it work by claiming "if only you do this it's easy", as we all know that and it's not.

What's up with that attitude? He was just laying out some basic steps to dock. And if you can't do it yourself, get Mechjeb to do the first couple dockings then watch and mimic Mechjeb.

[triffid_hunter]

I do agree with Triffid_Hunter, however, in that the rendezvous system is rather extravagant with LFO. But the way it does it always works, which is more than I can say for my manual flying. Getting the orbits and velocities matched up is no problem, but I have no clue how to synch the orbits up so we both get in the same place at the same time. So rather than mess around, get lost, and end up using more fuel from my ineptitude than MJ2 would, I just let it do the math on the synching.

OK here's how I rendezvous:

1) align orbits and ensure AP and PE are similar. They don't need to be identical, we're going to mess with them anyway

2) If you have an encounter show up, drop a maneuver node there.

If you're AHEAD of your target, burn PROgrade, if you're BEHIND your target burn RETROgrade- ie burn AWAY from the target along your orbit. This causes you to have a lower:faster orbit if you're behind, and a higher:slower orbit if you're ahead

If you were within about 100km of your target you should be able to get an encounter within 0.2km after a full orbit without dangerous (ie sub-70km) or extreme excursions.

If you're further than 100km do the same as what mechjeb does- push your AP and PE higher or lower than the target, drop a maneuver to go back to the target's orbit and drag it around until you get an encounter

3) execute maneuver

4) at the encounter, burn to match target velocity

5) go to docking procedure

Using timed launch with launch phase angle I generally end up within about 30km of the target from launch, then only use 5-10m/s dV to tweak an encounter within 200m

[AceMgy]

The best way to learn how to dock is to buckle down and build a space station. Make a concept in the VAB, look up the numerous docking guides, then practice docking from assembling the first piece onwards. By construction's end you'll have nearly mastered it.

Now your only problem will be finding a parking space. I swear I cover my stations in docking ports and they always end up like this:

[Fel]

NOTE, however, that if you leave RCS Balancer on with the Overdrive set at 0, your RCS won't have the power to rotate your ship fast enough to point it at upcoming maneuver nodes before you pass them. So it's a good idea to turn it all off as soon as you finishing docking (or maybe put the Overdrive back at its default of 100%).

Oh Bullocks, it only takes a pinch of mono prop to fully rotate a ship of any mass. (This will become more noticeable when the devs allow rotation during timewarp).

People really are just far too impatient in this game. You may spend a month "failing at docking", but if you stopped mashing the buttons and just took it slowly; you'd find it much easier than you could ever imagine.

Edited July 1, 2013 by Fel

[Flixxbeatz]

For those who still have some trouble docking, check this out. This might help you.

I always do two burns during docking:

1) Inclination match burn (to get both spacecrafts at the same plane)

2) Rendezvous burn (to get as close as possible to the target craft, ideally around 300m at closest point)

You can do the IMB in advance while waiting for a rendezvous window.

The node mastery is evident during the burn planning and observing if there's a direct rendezvous window available. Navball and control mastery can be observed at around 36 seconds of the video until the docking - note how I've reduced my speed to less than 3 m/s and used the RCS to get the prograde marker (yellow circle) always pointing to the target vessel (pink circle with a dot on the center). This is an tediously slow process (video was at 8x speed), since you must maintain your speed at a constant low v to make prograde marker adjustments easy. Reduce speed further if you now only have 100m to clear, but still do the adjustments. Keep it like it until you came closer and have the forces kick in. The inclination burn you've did before was to prevent your spacecraft from being above or below the target vessel when it arrives (which require further and more complicated adjustments again).

Oh - and turn ASAS off while docking when the RCS is turned on, especially when the forces start to kick in. Learned it the hard way before.

People really are just far too impatient in this game. You may spend a month "failing at docking", but if you stopped mashing the buttons and just took it slowly; you'd find it much easier than you could ever imagine.

And guess what, spacecrafts docking at the ISS are much, much slower compared to the "slowest "safest" approach that we can do in-game primarily because ISS doesn't have quicksaves since there are some stops and system checks needed at some intervals (but we don't have such things)

Edited July 1, 2013 by Flixxbeatz
Added some valuable information in...

[Fel]

And guess what, spacecrafts docking at the ISS are much, much slower compared to the "slowest "safest" approach that we can do in-game primarily because ISS doesn't have quicksaves since there are some stops and system checks needed at some intervals (but we don't have such things)

Correction, we can do it... you're just too lazy to do it ;p

*Seriously now, KSP'rs fly all crazy like. There is no reason why they cannot fly not crazy like.

[Flixxbeatz]

Correction, we can do it... you're just too lazy to do it ;p

Most of us are lazy to do it*

[espm400]

Had a rendezvous of a most bizarre nature last night (which also made me wish I had some capture software). Got myself lined up with my refueling station and time warped to close the gap quickly. Well, accidentally hit the '.' key instead of the comma whist in the map view (was checking on a separate mission). Jammed on the comma about a dozen times, hit 'm,' and my ship was docked. Luckiest mission ever, as I was doing 3m/s when I hit time warp... Have no idea how nothing blew up.

[Rickenbacker]

Most of us are lazy to do it*

Agreed! I always dock at the lowest possible speed (thought I might rush the initial approach). I just cringe when i see people on YouTube docking at 1m/s - looks like they're going to break the whole thing in half! KSP is a lot more forgiving than real life, luckily.

[kantastisk]

Why is docking always such a long, boring pain in the ass? It's laggy as hell, too.

The only way I could see it sped up is by simplifying gameplay which in turn would make the game easier to play. That's probably not what players want. It took me days to get to the point where I could dock one ship with another and it felt all the more satisfying. How would you speed up docking?