[Issue] Docking Port doesn't work well enough

Round ID:

I replicated this numerous times on local test, and this is a well known issue on live. No round ID.

Testmerges:

Tested on local without any testmerges, and easily found on rounds without any test merges.

Reproduction:

Ports do not work as they should, or they do not work in a way that is understandable or consistent. The Docking Port map helper that you place on your ship's port controls 3 things with 2 values. It uses the two values of "port_direction" and "preferred_direction", which control port direction, preferred direction, and the direction moving space flows. No amount of fiddling with these values can consistently make a ship not turn. A ship that is equal to or less than 40/40 will have an issue with turning right or left when they land. Making a ship x >= 41 will prevent it turning sideways, and in most cases prevent the ship from turning whatsoever. But if the ship faces any direction but north, or has thrusters facing any direction but south, is prone to having unresolveable issue with turning and space movement. Let alone if the port and thrusters face the same direction. Setting the port and preferred direction to opposites sometimes lets the ship not turn, but if the ship faces south then either the ship must flip upside down permanently, or make space flow in the wrong direction. If that same ship has an x<=40, it will turn sideways, and cannot be made to not turn under any circumstances. Unwanted shipturning on landing is the most well known issue on shiptest by the average player, and is usually the first one people notice. Shipturning is caused by the fact that docking ports just do not work properly or well. They need an additional value, and they need to not force a sideways turn on small ships.

If you would like an easy way to reproduce this issue, just fiddle with the docking port of the Ranger-Class, along with its x value.

shiptest-ss13 / Shiptest