Why do L/XL ships waste so much time at gates?

[LameFox]

When L or XL ships pass a gate they seem to want to stop, sloooooowly turn around, fly back toward the gate for a bit, then sloooooowly turn around again, and fly in the direction they were headed all along. It's so incredibly annoying. Even in low-attention you can see them doing this on the map. Not only do they waste time and make their entire class of ships less useful for moving cargo, but in high attention it also increases congestion as new ships arriving may smack into the one that is sitting there taking 6 years to turn around, often sending both ships spinning wildly.

What is the point? Why can't they just fly forwards? I have tried reporting it as a bug long ago but it still happens even now. Surely there is some reason for it?

[Buzz2005]

how much will they collide if they all just go forward, L/XL ships don't go trough gates anyway
the logic is probably when they pass a gate they try to move out of the way for other ships going trough in and out of the gate

[LameFox]

how much will they collide if they all just go forward, L/XL ships don't go trough gates anyway
the logic is probably when they pass a gate they try to move out of the way for other ships going trough in and out of the gate

That's what I thought it was at first but it doesn't make much sense when you watch them... not only they do it OOS when there's no collision, but their turning is so slow, it keeps them in the way longer than flying ahead.

[dtpsprt]

how much will they collide if they all just go forward, L/XL ships don't go trough gates anyway
the logic is probably when they pass a gate they try to move out of the way for other ships going trough in and out of the gate

That's what I thought it was at first but it doesn't make much sense when you watch them... not only they do it OOS when there's no collision, but their turning is so slow, it keeps them in the way longer than flying ahead.

If they just shoot forward how are we going to board them with 100% hull and no rep penalty? On the other hand their jump drives are too slow loading. Mostly the "collision danger" is not between L/XL ships but with S/M that breese through the gates I suppose...

[LameFox]

how much will they collide if they all just go forward, L/XL ships don't go trough gates anyway
the logic is probably when they pass a gate they try to move out of the way for other ships going trough in and out of the gate

That's what I thought it was at first but it doesn't make much sense when you watch them... not only they do it OOS when there's no collision, but their turning is so slow, it keeps them in the way longer than flying ahead.

If they just shoot forward how are we going to board them with 100% hull and no rep penalty? On the other hand their jump drives are too slow loading. Mostly the "collision danger" is not between L/XL ships but with S/M that breese through the gates I suppose...

Can't say I really see M ships hit much going through gates. They don't hang around themselves, and now that L and XL don't travel through the middle, they aren't usually likely to hit those either.

A notable exception being when some big ships like constructors have a pile-up, throwing each other around and blocking smaller traffic.

[TREXINATUX]

It's like the AP/AI pilots target the jump gate itself instead of an imaginary point just before the gate. You have to line up an approach in them big 'ole tuna boats.

[flywlyx]

There was a delay on the front of the gate in the capital ship's AI code, lower level pilots will delay longer.
I am not sure if this is what you witnessed, you could try a higher-level pilot.

[LameFox]

There was a delay on the front of the gate in the capital ship's AI code, lower level pilots will delay longer.
I am not sure if this is what you witnessed, you could try a higher-level pilot.

The thing I'm talking about is when they travel through a gate, appear on the other side, then turn around and fly back to a position roughly beside or behind it, before turning around again and continuing with their orders. A better pilot would probably do it faster but I don't think they stop doing it. I've seen my >3 star free traders doing it on the map.