We need two different "dock" blocks, one for connecting ships/stations together, and the other for the landing lights for interacting with stations

[OmegaConstruct]

The game needs to separate active and passive docks. Passive docks for docking ships and connecting two stations together to make station complexes, and a separate block for stations that will illuminate lights for trading vessels and the tractor beam. 

Stations change which docks are active and passive with seemingly no rhyme or reason and you end up with landing lights projecting through connected stations and dumb NPC traders parking on the other side of the connected station trying to dock with the blocked port. Meanwhile, the docks that built FOR THEM TO DOCK TO stay dark and passive.

It's been like this since docking was introduced.

Please split the two functions of the dock block into two separate blocks. Keep "dock" as it is on ships, and make a new "landing block" for stations that emits the lights and tractor beams. 

Alternatively, add some code to the dock block that will check if there is something connected to the dock. If something is connected, it won't create the landing lights or try to use it as an active station runway dock.

Edited February 8, 2022 by OmegaConstruct

[AvorionCraft]

Totally agree. 

I had built a station complex with 44 stations. Something happened. It was a nightmare. I had put something like 8 hours into just getting everything docked and producing  only to have this chaotic dance of docks pushing stations away from one another. Took me a week to put it all back because it was such a mess.

Either a landing block or a factory dock, where the factory dock will NOT automatically tractor beam something away when something happens. Knowing that would allow for complexes to have mistakes or mishaps and not turn into total craziness.

Also Omega, there's a mod by void catgirl rglx that stops the docking blocks from automatically coming back for similar reasons.

[FramFramson]

Agreed. Would love some of that variety.