Docking issue with small docking ports.

[magnemoe]

Having docking issues with the small docking port returning from visiting orge rock on Moho.
Found docking in KSP 2 easy with the standard docking port but the small one don't want to connect. It the pull force that much lower or is it an bug? 
I uses an separator between the ports and they docket then I staged, I then undocked. Separator as heard it was bugs if you docked parts in VAB.
Did my landing and came back to mothership, but is unable to dock to the small front docking port or the one midship. 
Large lander docked to the front standard port with no issues. 
I set control from here on both ports and set the other as target and everything looked smooth but they just bump.


Here is the other lander first was on other side. 

Its also some bug with dV readings,  I have two tanks with methane for the landers and two spark engines on stage 5 to burn off the reminding methane and give some extra dV and this confuses the game somehow. 

[BechMeister]

On 2/21/2024 at 8:45 AM, magnemoe said:

I uses an separator between the ports and they docket then I staged,

There is a known bug were if you place a decoupler on a port you will break it... What you can try do is to make a costume action for the docking ports that when pressed will "undock" - this some times unbreak the port.. but in general.. dont put decouplers on your docking ports - thats my advice with how the game is running right now.

[magnemoe]

1 hour ago, BechMeister said:

There is a known bug were if you place a decoupler on a port you will break it... What you can try do is to make a costume action for the docking ports that when pressed will "undock" - this some times unbreak the port.. but in general.. dont put decouplers on your docking ports - thats my advice with how the game is running right now.

Yes noticed this tried all sort of stuff like setting docking force to 0 and undocking but nothing work. I was able to do primary objectives. 
Solution is not to do this. Here I could use an small strut on the back of rover and put an separator on it.  My large science rover I put on top of an standard docking port with an separator and the engine of the lander. 
This worked flawless, I'm a bit afraid of launching stuff docked, as I understand this can also cause problems. 

[BechMeister]

If your worried that the vehicle will break, but want to strut it.. a "life hack" is that you can place a decoupler at another place between the two.. strut them together. Because as soon as you decouple, the struts will break.. regardless of the decoupler being between the two vehicles x)

But I found that since the For Science update.. docking ports lock in pretty tight. 

Edited April 28 by BechMeister