While playing in an Itani Critical HS mission, I noticed two tridents in the sector, both active, in the group and doing what they do best, but in Serco or Gray Space Critical HS missions, I only find one trident this includes Central HS missions.

However, I noticed that since I have neutral (did) Itani standing, I could not dock with the tridents. Now either this is intended or not, I find being unable to dock with the HS mission capships perplexing since it allows me to take the mission in the first place yet denies the use of HS 'equipment'.

Intended or not?

EDIT: Are 200% shielded HS Hive Queens really necessary?

I have been doing Critical Hive Skirmish mission for a couple weeks pretty much everytime I log in. I have noticed Surbius's remarks too, and have a few more questions about critical HS missions.

I have found the two Trident HS in Serco space once, and in gray space once. So I am guessing that the presence of two tridents is sort of random.

I could not dock with any Serco trident until I got my standing with Serco into the "Admired" zone. Initially, I thought the problem was that in trying to dock I crashed into the ship so much they thought I was an enemy, so blocked access. However, after attaining 800+ faction standing, docking weas no more difficult than with any other Trident. I am guessing that the need for high faction standing in order to dock in a nation's Trident is intended, though I question whether the security should be necessary. After all, you have had access to the nations station, you have signed up for the nation's mission. Would self-destructing in the docking bay do anything to harm the Trident's health?

Is there some way to make it easier to dock with a moving Trident? I think there should be some skill required to dock with Trident, however, currently, It seems too difficult. In the interest of realism, perhaps make it so you have to request docking permission and then a "Tractor Beam" or some such guides you in. Or just make the docking zone bigger than the actual bay. I imagine the type of ship being driven affects the ease of docking, too. I always fly a Ragnorak in the critical HS and Rag's don't handle like a Warthog or Vulture. It would just be nice to not have to return to a station to get more missiles if the first run or two doesnt drop the Queen's shields. EDIT: Possibly make the dock a "Targettable" area so when you are lining up the auto-aim reticle turns from yellow to red.

I view my role in the mission as solely to take out the queen's shields. I have developed a method whereby I stack Gems and Chaos from a Ragnorak so that in one load I drop the shields on just about every Queen I meet. I say almost because, there always seems to be one queen, in the list of "Critical Hive Skirmish" missions, that seems particularly resistant to my missiles. I am wondering if all Queens' 200% shields are equal? In particular, the Critical HS in Initros M-9 is one that I can never take out the Queen's shields. I have joined the mission several times, and don;t think I do anything much different from missions where i drop the queens shields in one load of missiles.

When I first started doing these missions I thought I saw my stats on Queen kills increasing if stayed in sector until a Queen whose shields I dropped was taken out by the rest of the group. If I tried to return to a station to get a ship with energy weapons and go help kill the Queen, without exception, the Queen was killed while I was out-sector and I only got weapons xp, not combat (that might be backwards) and I got no credit for the Queen kill. In the last couple days I have been in three critical HS missions where I took out the Queens' shields, stayed in-sector until the Queen was taken out, but didn't get any credit for the Queen kill in my stats. Is this the correct outcome of a Critical HS (no queen kill credit) and my earlier impression was incorrect? Or is something wonky in how Queen kills in a Critical HS are added to a player's stats?

Please don't misunderstand, I'm not pulling a Lecter here and meaning to whine about some "very public" issue like stats. I just want to know how this works, and what to expect. If Critical HS queen kills don';t add to one's stats, its no big deal, I enjoy joining the mission and being the one who makes the rest able to kill explode the Queen.

Is there some way to make it easier to dock with a moving Trident?

Fly a more agile ship, or, learn to fly your rag better. The game doesn't need to be nerfed because you're a sloppy noob of a pilot.

Docking a MGC with a moving Trident is quite doable.

Once again, Lecter, your superior intelligence and insight clarifies all. Thanks so much.

Now, if you don't mind, butt out while people who play the game often work to make it a better place to play.