Did you not read the title or the original post to which I was responding? I don't care if you like supercruise or not and I wasn't referring to what you like. I'll offer you this observation though... if it bugs you that much, don't go to systems where there's long cruises involved, and buy an interdictor and learn to use while in supercruise. As for all the things you want to do in supercruise but apparently can't, I manage to do them quite happily now, what's your problem?
I want auto pilot
- Thread starter Riekopo
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Did you not read the title or the original post to which I was responding? I don't care if you like supercruise or not and I wasn't referring to what you like. I'll offer you this observation though... if it bugs you that much, don't go to systems where there's long cruises involved, and buy an interdictor and learn to use while in supercruise. As for all the things you want to do in supercruise but apparently can't, I manage to do them quite happily now, what's your problem?
If you can't be bothered to fly about and / or land you spaceship then perhaps this is best for you: Elte trading in text only (hosted on Ian Bell's website) here
As an alternative you could simply lay in bed and imagine playing the game - You don't even need to move and you'll always win.
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They won't insure you if you fly with an auto pilot, too many people flying into an asteroid belt sideways and blaming it on the computer.
I definitely would use an auto pilot while exploring. Or at least a useful indication I'm getting close to the target before its too late. When the engine sound starts spooling up it's too late to brake and you have to fly around. Very annoying when you're studying the system map or looking for the next interesting destination in the galaxy map.
Exploring is a lot of fun, but the tedious point and wait is not part of it. It's space, it's big, I get it, pretty much nothing moves except the time to destination when flying somewhere. Auto stop would be very helpful so I don't end up 4000ls on the other side when I'm in the galaxy map, that for some reason even cuts of the sound.
Exploring is a lot of fun, but the tedious point and wait is not part of it. It's space, it's big, I get it, pretty much nothing moves except the time to destination when flying somewhere. Auto stop would be very helpful so I don't end up 4000ls on the other side when I'm in the galaxy map, that for some reason even cuts of the sound.
Still waiting for an explanation as to what the downside is, why the simple task of moving from point A to B in a straight line in supercruise is fun enough that giving an option to automate it would take anything away. All the arguments for it seem to boil down to "you should have to do every single little thing" (with no explanation as to why). I don't see it as any different from being able to automatically plot a route from star to star instead of having to manually choose a star at every jump.
Maybe there's some amount of status quo bias at play. At least the notion has not yet been ruled out by the responses to the attemts at reversal testing that I've seen in this thread thus far.
All those saying no to autopilot are really doing no more than telling everyone else, "this is the way I play it so you have to do the same".
Nobody is forcing you to use it if you don't want to. It's not like it's going to be hard coded to take over whether you like it or not.
Which is actually why I'd prefer the DC on a key instead of just slowing down to activate it. I want control over whether it kicks in or not, preferably not by having to manually turn it off from the modules pane, which is a bit long winded when you're in a crisis that the DC has actually caused, (like trying to smash you side on into the pad repeatedly).
Nobody is forcing you to use it if you don't want to. It's not like it's going to be hard coded to take over whether you like it or not.
Which is actually why I'd prefer the DC on a key instead of just slowing down to activate it. I want control over whether it kicks in or not, preferably not by having to manually turn it off from the modules pane, which is a bit long winded when you're in a crisis that the DC has actually caused, (like trying to smash you side on into the pad repeatedly).
An autopilot would be great.
After that's added maybe we can have an auto trader, auto miner, auto explorer and auto bounty hunter. Maybe after those can improve on it further and have one button that gives us triple Elite rankings, 100bn credits and then we can smile, job done and go play the next FotM game?
After that's added maybe we can have an auto trader, auto miner, auto explorer and auto bounty hunter. Maybe after those can improve on it further and have one button that gives us triple Elite rankings, 100bn credits and then we can smile, job done and go play the next FotM game?
Gilmour
Banned
and you won't be bothered by ludicrous posts like that one.
Riekopo, I assume you are a trader. I agree that for long distance travel it can get a bit bored. I would love to see them remove the fuel limit for jumps.
False premise. If you put in an "auto win" button it rapidly becomes the default.
Case in point: the auto stealth button. It USED to be that there were advantages to disabling modules and using FA Off to float into a station iced up which took time and skill, till it got nerfed during beta. You can still do it but now there's no advantage to it and the "silent running" button is just as good or even more effective. Now (practically) noone does it, and stealth has become boring, mundane, passe.
If you put in an "auto fly me there button" sure you could still do it manually, but why would you? If you make enough features automatic you end up with a screen saver.
The problem is there's not enough to DO in supercruise... you don't solve this by taking away the need to do anything in supercruise, you solve it by making supercruise more entertaining and involving. Personally I look for wanted ships, interdict them, and collect bounties if I'm on a long sc. If there is no ships I can still check the map and plan trade routes etc... all WITHOUT an autopilot, just by paying attention.
No you can't atm. The only clue you have you are getting close is the engine sound, which is muted in the maps. So unless you have the exact time memorized for each journey to where you have to cut throttle, then no, you can't check the map. It's better to alt-tab than to use the system or galaxy map, at least then you can still hear what's going on.
While exploring I frequently end up further away from my target than I was, because I'm paying attention to the game maps and information instead of looking at a timer countdown like a trained monkey.
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An autopilot, meaning auto slow down and stop at x distance would only open up more time to plan ahead or study what you're exploring.
Well sorry, but I -do already-, even if you don't like it. Got a short jump that's only gonna take 30 seconds? You don't have time to play with maps even if you had an autopilot. Got a long 2-3 minute cruise? Go spend a minute and a half in the map then go back to flying your ship. What you CAN'T do is "go to sleep at the wheel" while plummeting through a solar system and heading toward a planet at multiples of lightspeed & go browsing through the maps for half an hour. Sorry, but you're actually required to PILOT your ship, pilot!
Are you telling me you can't guess roughly how long the trip will take and spend less time than that in the map?
So you are really asking for a way for the game to play itself while you do something else? Would you prefer if they just gave you an anaconda and you stop playing and we all pretend you earned it?
Watch the timer, monkey.
So yes, you want an "auto fly me there button". Next would be an "auto escape interdiction button" then an "auto fight button". How about an "auto trade button" and "auto explore button" too?
If you want to play the game then do so. If you find it boring and don't want to play it then don't. Don't break it for those of us who still enjoy it though.
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Something that is mentioned in the Oolite Saga that sounds promising to cut down a little of the tedium that is involved in travelling long distances (especially in fighter class vessels), is putting the witchdrive into overdrive allowing you to travel really long distances in just one jump. This includes the downside of it being on a cool-down (can't do it back to back) and have to be headed toward a high-tech system that will replenish / repair some of the damage caused to the drive. I could see this being a balanced way to cut down a little of the tedium when you're trying to meet up with friends for instance, or get to a major event just announced on the galnet.
Repped!
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Lets just turn in into a text adventure:
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?> ED get commodity --palladium --450t
Cargo filled with 450 tonnes of Palladium worth 58 millions
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?> ED undock && ED hyperspace --Q%20Eridani && ED dock station --avoid_interdictions=on
Hyperspace jump complete
Supercrusing to station
dismissed interdiction attempt
docked
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?> ED sell commodity --palladium --450t
Commodity Palladium sold: 450 tonnes with profit 1.5 mill.
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Works great while watching "Better call Saul" on Netflix.
Roughly indeed, yet the galaxy map has the annoying habit of resetting the current position when you exit to check.
Plus the Anaconda (have it already, didn't need an I win button) is very slow to turn around when the timer hits 5 seconds.
I would if it was visible in the system map and galaxy map.
Nope I just want the game to auto stop the ship while I'm organizing my notes, fact checking, looking up info etc while adding to this:
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=132053
Pretty much all done in the dead time in game.
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How does it break your game if there is the option to use an autopilot that simply stops the ship at the next target instead of flying of into infinity.
Even aiming precisely and setting the throttle in the blue, the ship still happily flies off into the distance at max speed.
It doesn't have to be as efficient as 100% cut to 75% at 6 sec out. When I was trading I didn't do that anyway, more efficient to cork screw and use planets for braking.
Unfortunately with exploring you have to aim directly at your target or the scanner aborts and restarts.
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I enjoy exploring, enjoy looking at maps, creating maps, finding routes, finding new things, finding out how all the systems work, I do not enjoy watching a timer count down.
I would chat to friends in the game but I can't do that on shorter trips. The AP would be useful for that, no need for me to worry about tracking into the station and then exiting SC at the right time if the AP was doing that for me. I could keep chatting until I am needed to deal with an interdiction, dock the ship and so on.
For pirates, it makes life easier. The AP flies in a straight line from A to B, unlike a player who can fly up and over and then dive toward the station and so on. Also a pilot flying it would see you approaching to interdict and could try some evasive moves to get you off his tail to avoid getting interdicted, the AP won't. If the AP auto powers down the engines and submits automatically, if the player isn't watching, it's a pretty easy target so it still requires some involvement. For those easily distracted, it's actually an automatic "I LOSE" button and not the "I Win" button you propose it to be.
As I said before, nobody is forcing YOU to use it if you don't want to.
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