What's all the buzz about docking?

[tutrakan4e]

I constantly see people saying that docking is really hard and using docking allignment systems/Mechjeb (Scott Manley for example, he always says that a docking takes him 30 minutes). When I'm sitting here, launching and docking with a space station for no more than 5 minutes . And I don't consider myself a pro, I have less than 150 hours of KSP gameplay. Why is docking so hard for people and not for me? Should I give the Russians a few tips maybe?

Edited April 25, 2014 by tutrakan4e

[godefroi]

It's hard the first few times, much easier once you get the hang of it. Using the docking alignment indicator, I can dock pretty much just as fast as MechJeb can (WHEN MechJeb can, that is, because it seems like it can't at least half the time...).

[NFUN]

I think it takes a little while before people even attempt to dock because of its infamy, so they might have less practice at it at a later experience level... I have another theory, but first, tutrakan4e, how adept are you at making spaceplanes, if you have tried to build one?

Edited April 25, 2014 by NFUN
There was an extraneous space between a comma and a word, at it was pissing me off!

[The Destroyer]

I'm with you. I mean, pre 0.18 with docking mods I sucked. But as soon as that beautiful "Target realtive velocity" and "closest approach" came along, I docked for the first time perfectly.

[qromodynmc]

I thought it was hardest thing on ksp,but after my first docking,I suddenly realizet everything,it was so easy.. "Navball is the god of docking,and learn how to use it.."

[Epthelyn]

(Scott Manley for example, he always says that a docking takes him 30 minutes).

With a space shuttle which wobbles uncontrollably in an environment with a framerate some people would consider unplayable

Docking isn't difficult if you're know what you're doing; you are clearly just fortunate enough to know pretty much what you should be doing before actually attempting it. If you attempt a docking by firing engines at random and hoping to get closer then you won't get anywhere, but if you move in carefully and have an idea of which direction you should be going it's relatively simple.

[regex]

Docking is quite easy once you can read the navball, perform a decent rendezvous, and can use the translation keys in conjunction with the rotation keys. No need for any special tools.

[boxman]

I constantly see people saying that docking is really hard and using docking allignment systems/Mechjeb (Scott Manley for example, he always says that a docking takes him 30 minutes). When I'm sitting here, launching and docking with a space station for no more than 5 minutes . And I don't consider myself a pro, I have less than 150 hours of KSP gameplay. Why is docking so hard for people and not for me? Should I give the Russians a few tips maybe?

It is very easy for most after they learn how it works. The problem is that for most people it is really hard to grasp the first time without alot of trial and error or by looking up a tutorial. It is so counter inuitive to anything we experience in real world.

First times most people for example do not realize that they have to slow relative velocitiy to 0 by the time they reach the closest approach to target.

[Moar Boosters]

I'm not very adept at docking. Getting close isn't a problem, I can setup rendezvous efficiently, I'm just bad at the fine control required for the final approach. I get there in the end, but it's a bit like watching giant tortoises mating.

[Jas1126]

I've pretty much mastered docking after a few tries, including launch approach. The game could seriously use a docking camera, however. I think people take the "I'll just wing it" approach, making it far more difficult than it has to be.

I avoid it if possible, though. Tired of dealing with the low frame rates. My recent playthroughs have been highly focused on interplanetary ships that don't need docking. Making for some massive builds in the end.

[Zylark]

Long time since I've done a completely manual docking. I'm kinda' lazy, so I do use Mech Jeb a bit, first to match velocities with target, and then as I get close to the wanted docking port, I engage Smart A.S.S. to keep me aligned parallel to the docking port. From there on in it's a simple matter of going up/down/left/right as needed. Lining up using Lazor Docking Cam, and come in for a nice smooth "pigs kissing in space" docking.

Going totally automatic with Mech Jeb is a bit unpredictable and in either case usually takes longer and certainly burns a lot more monoprop. But if handling some huge ungainly thing with a framerate in the low single digits, enabling Auto-Docking after you've done the grunt work of getting close and parallel to the docking port do have its use.

[Pecan]

What makes it difficult in stock is, on the night side, not having any idea which side of the target you are approaching from, which way to face for the docking port, etc. Yes, it's easy (once you know how) to dock with a ship if you can swing it round so the port faces you and you can see it. With uncontrollable objects (solar panels facing the wrong way again!) where the approach to the port may not be clear and no lights it gets a bit trickier. Much easier with an alignment indicator, because at least that shows you where the port is and which way it faces, not just "the target's over there".

BTW: I just used MJ for docking while I was cooking and it uses much, much less monopropellant than it used to. Bit more than I would, but then it decided the 'safe distance' was further than I would have gone.

Edited April 25, 2014 by Pecan

[Jouni]

Depending on what you have played before KSP, your first docking attempt may be easy or hard. I had played X-Wing, TIE Fighter, Star Control II, and similar games enough in the 90s, so the whole idea of matching speed with the target and slowly approaching it was obvious to me.

[Vanamonde]

Every player is good at some aspects of the game and not so good at others.

[NecroBones]

I was terrible at my first docking. It took a long time, and I was really sweating it. Now it's no big deal, after having had some practice. I don't even bother with MechJeb for it. It's just a matter of having a good eye for relative alignment (rotationally) and then using the nav-ball with the translation keys. Not everyone will be good at it, of course, but I think most people can at least do it with some practice.

[Kerbonautical]

I found it really hard until I found the option in the corner to switch to docking controls. I have no idea what I thought I was using my RCS on before that. It's just like flying a Kerbal though, which I'm pretty used to thanks to runaway ships. I suppose if you like to mess around a lot in EVA you might have an advantage when it comes to docking. Either that or some people maybe forget to switch targets, that makes the world of difference.

[TerLoki]

One thing I've noticed recently is that location means everything when it comes to docking. Rendezvous and docking with an asteroid flying past Kerbin? Easy, just catch it on the way out. Docking over the Mun or Minmus? Easy, gravity is so weak out there you can practically point and shoot in a medium orbit once you're a kilometer or so away. High Kerbin orbit? Pretty simple. Low Kerbin orbit? Tricky. Really low Kerbin orbit? I think I hear

playing in the background, because this is just a dizzying ballet whacko if you're not ready for it, and a good way to waste a lot of RCS fuel if you start out far apart.

[G'th]

Personally I don't find the actual process of docking all that hard. All the times I ever did Apollo style Mun transfers made that part easy.

The hardest part for me is just doing the rendezvous. So tedious to set up that maneuver node if I'm not in the perfect position from the start, which isn't always possible (or astronomically hard) depending on the situation.

[Tortoise]

Docking is easy once you understand orbital mechanics.

But when you're new to docking, it's something that's really hard and you want to have a lot of discussion about.

I don't like when people use tools like mechjob to do stuff for them, people need to know how to do stuff manually.

[bobcook]

What makes it difficult in stock is, on the night side, not having any idea which side of the target you are approaching from, which way to face for the docking port, etc. Yes, it's easy (once you know how) to dock with a ship if you can swing it round so the port faces you and you can see it. With uncontrollable objects (solar panels facing the wrong way again!) where the approach to the port may not be clear and no lights it gets a bit trickier. Much easier with an alignment indicator, because at least that shows you where the port is and which way it faces, not just "the target's over there".

When I'm within shouting distance of the target, I switch to that vessel, set its docking port as the "control from here" point, and set the docking port of the incoming vessel as the target. Then rotate around until the navball indicates I'm pointing in the right direction. Finally switch back to the original vessel and complete the docking procedure. As long as the rate of approach isn't very high, this is easy.

Obviously this is easy with vessels that can rotate easily. For situations where the target is a gigantic space station that doesn't rotate, I simply bring lots of lights.

[Random Tank]

I think my record for docking was launching a ~15t ship into LKO and managing to dock it with a station using just a tad over 4 units of Monoprop; I might stop adding any monoprop tanks to my ships and just use the stuff that comes in the command pod!

Also, for docking at night I just put lights on the station docking port to illuminate the ships port, and Z100 batteries on the station's docking port to use as docking lights to show where the port is.

Edited April 26, 2014 by Random Tank

[jfull]

I can very nearly dock in my sleep at this point

I have lots of station and interplanetary ship building to thank for that.

[AustralianFries]

Once the two vessels I'm docking are within 500 meters, I don't even look at them until they are connected. I'm having a bad day if it takes more than ten minutes to dock with a target.

Watch the navball. Be the navball.

>Navball is love.

>Navball is life.

[EuSouONumero345]

Docking once was something only mods could do....

And then, when it got added as an official feature of the game, it was hard, really hard I mean, hardcore, really close to impossible (lol just exaggerating)

Later, Squad added the stuff that really helped, and then docking became easy ( for people who have been playing the game for some time)

And now I can easily dock like you, it's really easy with all these things helping, and some mods (Docking Alignment Indicator, I'm looking at you) really makes it even easier (and immersive).

[SkyRender]

Docking is really quite easy as long as you know how and are not spatially challenged. I even wrote a brief tutorial on it with the tagline "How I learned to stop worrying and love the navball".