Docking on ground

[MathmoRichard]

I've tried my best for a while searching for an answer to no avail.

I have just gone to great effort landing two vessels next to each other on a fairly flat piece of land on the Mun. I managed to successfully dock them using a sky crane (I was pretty chuffed). Whilst bringing in the third module I knocked the existing bit sideways. I don't know if they had already been technically undocked before I knocked them apart but they now are. Ok fine... but no matter what I try I just can't re-dock them. The one part is controllable and even has a good engine with Valentina, I've tried the obvious thing which is to fly away and go back in close. Still can't dock. Here's two pictures, one the general situation and the other is showing how close they can be made to align.

Edited May 26, 2015 by MathmoRichard
Answered!

[Engineer of Stuff]

I don't know what is wrong, but pull in your panels before trying again. They might break.

[mckamx]

one of the hacks in http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/78863-FIX-Dock-Undocking-Bug-in-0-23-5 may fix the problem. Docking ports can get into strange states were they don't work as expected.

[JTpopcorn]

There may still be a thing in which they must go out of "range" of each other so that they can reset. Try moving one away and then attempt docking again.

[MathmoRichard]

There may still be a thing in which they must go out of "range" of each other so that they can reset. Try moving one away and then attempt docking again.

As I said I already tried (about 4 times).

one of the hacks in http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/78863-FIX-Dock-Undocking-Bug-in-0-23-5 may fix the problem. Docking ports can get into strange states were they don't work as expected.

Thanks I'll have a look!

I don't know what is wrong, but pull in your panels before trying again. They might break.

Definitely at the stage where I don't care about the solar panels, I just want it to dock!!! I have loads of gigantors on the other side waiting anyway.

Edited May 26, 2015 by MathmoRichard
Something reordered my quotes...

[Wanderfound]

For next time: leave the docking ports at home, take a Klaw. Grounded docking is a nightmare.

[MathmoRichard]

one of the hacks in http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/78863-FIX-Dock-Undocking-Bug-in-0-23-5 may fix the problem. Docking ports can get into strange states were they don't work as expected.

YESSSSS! That fixed it! So happy, thank you.

- - - Updated - - -

For next time: leave the docking ports at home, take a Klaw. Grounded docking is a nightmare.

Yeah, it was a hard lesson and was learned, thanks. I do think it's a bit ridiculous with the klaw, it's completely unrealistic. I know the default answer is "use KAS then" but I'm all vanilla (but slowly turning).

[Snark]

Yeah, the whole "try to dock stuff while sitting on the surface" is a notoriously ugly problem in KSP. It makes base assembly an incredible hassle, which is a shame, because "let's build a big base on the surface" is exactly the kind of thing that's fun to do. Among the complications are having a perfectly flat place to work with, the lack of controllable vertical positioning, and the mushiness of leg suspensions (e.g. two things that "ought" to be the same height due to construction end up being slightly different because one of them's heavier and sags more on its legs).

I've sunk a lot of time into this game, and have never been able to make it work, at least without such an ungodly amount of frustrating fiddling that the game stops being fun and is just a chore. Here's the closest thing I've seen to a workable solution in stock KSP:

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/48876-The-art-of-modular-base-building

...a brilliant tutorial, great job Temstar , but even this is at a fun-to-chore ratio that's below my personal threshold. It's not that I can't build a base... just that it's so much of a hassle that there are other things to do that are way more fun, and I end up never doing it.

Yeah, I can't make myself use the claw either... it's sufficiently unrealistic that it breaks the whole "willing suspension of disbelief" thing that lets me live happily in the kerbals' world. Also, be warned that the claw is notoriously buggy and kraken-prone; if you use it, save early and often, it can literally destroy the universe.

KAS is the other approach, and fun, but you've already looked at that so 'nuff said.

Edited May 26, 2015 by Snark

[MathmoRichard]

Yeah, the whole "try to dock stuff while sitting on the surface" is a notoriously ugly problem in KSP. It makes base assembly an incredible hassle, which is a shame, because "let's build a big base on the surface" is exactly the kind of thing that's fun to do. Among the complications are having a perfectly flat place to work with, the lack of controllable vertical positioning, and the mushiness of leg suspensions (e.g. two things that "ought" to be the same height due to construction end up being slightly different because one of them's heavier and sags more on its legs).

I've sunk a lot of time into this game, and have never been able to make it work, at least without such an ungodly amount of frustrating fiddling that the game stops being fun and is just a chore. Here's the closest thing I've seen to a workable solution in stock KSP:

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/48876-The-art-of-modular-base-building

...a brilliant tutorial, great job Temstar , but even this is at a fun-to-chore ratio that's below my personal threshold. It's not that I can't build a base... just that it's so much of a hassle that there are other things to do that are way more fun, and I end up never doing it.

Yeah, I can't make myself use the claw either... it's sufficiently unrealistic that it breaks the whole "willing suspension of disbelief" thing that lets me live happily in the kerbals' world. Also, be warned that the claw is notoriously buggy and kraken-prone; if you use it, save early and often, it can literally destroy the universe.

KAS is the other approach, and fun, but you've already looked at that so 'nuff said.

Thanks for the pointers. That is a fantastic tutorial, I think I'll do exactly that. It also crushed my overly pedantic way of insisting that everything should be upright. The tanks will go sideways so everything might as well do. I won't even continue the Mun base upright, I'll make two adapters which make it all the 'standard height'.

As for my current situation, check this out! I can't believe how close the nukes came to the solar panels!