[Sushi]

What I want: the ability for ships to "enter" a mission docked. Specifically, the ability for respawn waves to enter a mission docked (so that when the second wave appears, they appear attached to a dockpoint on some other ship). For example, Diaspora could really use this functionality with raiders, so that they (and future waves) launch from racks on a basestar.

1. Is there currently any way to accomplish this? At all?
2. Would anyone else be interested in being able to do this?
3. What would be the best way to make it work?

I suspect the answer to #1 is No (although I would love to be wrong) and the answer to #2 is Yes. As far as #3 goes, I see two main options that seem attractive: add a new "Docked" arrival type, or add the ability to dock ships via SEXP (in that case, you'd just warp ships in as normal off-camera, then SEXP them into their docked positions).

[Reprobator]

This works already.
In the wing menu, you set the arrival location option to docking bay.
You can restrict the arrival path too.
But you 'll have to set path with $bay name that would start from the dockpoint location.

Anyway a sexp that would be like : 'setdocked' would be great (a sexp that overide objecttype restriction about docking) would be very handy
for exemple for
when speed 'alpha /target = and when distance alpha /docking point of the target <1 : set docked (the ship will be considered as docked )

That would be really handy

[Droid803]

They wouldn't start docked even if you make their arrival path the dockpoint path >.>
They'd just *appear* and fly out along that path.

[Sushi]

This works already.
In the wing menu, you set the arrival location option to docking bay.
You can restrict the arrival path too.
But you 'll have to set path with $bay name that would start from the dockpoint location.

Like Droid said, that doesn't work. They don't arrive docked.

[Droid803]

A force-dock SEXP would be cool, since you can force-undock via jettison-cargo (IIRC).

If I can get stuff to start docked than I can have Funnels that actually start attached to your ship before you send them off to kill ****
Wait. I can already do that. Why haven't I? This just allows me to have them replenished

[Reprobator]

Ah yes i see , i misunderstand the point, and yes having "start docked" in the wings wave option in addition to the actual arrival path and having the "set docked" sexp would be great.

[LoneKnight]

Hmm....you could fake it? Give the docker + dockee have invisible textures, make them stealth, invisible to radar, etc. So the player can't see them, target them, or sense them.

Then when you want them to appear, create a SEXP that:

1. Creates a warp effect at dockee's x,y,z
2. Swap textures from invisible to standard (is there a SEXP that does that?)
3. Turn off stealth, invisible to radar, etc
4. Profit.

[Reprobator]

That won't replace a eventual "set docked " sexp ^^

[Sushi]

Hmm....you could fake it? Give the docker + dockee have invisible textures, make them stealth, invisible to radar, etc. So the player can't see them, target them, or sense them.

Then when you want them to appear, create a SEXP that:

1. Creates a warp effect at dockee's x,y,z
2. Swap textures from invisible to standard (is there a SEXP that does that?)
3. Turn off stealth, invisible to radar, etc
4. Profit.

Doesn't help respawn waves. The first wave may start docked (invisibly, if you want), but the second wave won't be. 

[LoneKnight]

Easily solveable. Have them warp in without any subspace effect. They have invisible texture on. Set their initial orders to dock. Then just do the SEXP I listed above to switch the texture and strip it of its "stealth" abilities and create the warp.

As far as the Player is concerned, each new wave jumps in docked. You just don't see that they are arriving earlier, docking, and then appearing. The only reason that wouldn't work would be if you wanted waves to arrive instantly after the previous wave was destroyed. And doing that would just be poor level design so I don't think you'd worry about that.

[Sushi]

Easily solveable. Have them warp in without any subspace effect. They have invisible texture on. Set their initial orders to dock. Then just do the SEXP I listed above to switch the texture and strip it of its "stealth" abilities and create the warp.

As far as the Player is concerned, each new wave jumps in docked. You just don't see that they are arriving earlier, docking, and then appearing. The only reason that wouldn't work would be if you wanted waves to arrive instantly after the previous wave was destroyed. And doing that would just be poor level design so I don't think you'd worry about that.

Actually, that's a pretty clever idea that just might work, as long as you're willing to live with the extra delay. Instead of having a set-docked SEXP, you just take the time to dock everything "normally."

I'll have to give that a shot.