Well, exactly what it says on the tin. How would it work?
1. Player plots the route from point A to point B in the usual manner
2. Players prepares to engage supercruise in Autopilot mode. Instead of pressing the usual key for jump player presses separate key to initiate autopilot for hyperspace travel.
3. Upon reaching the first point on the route, autopilot flies away from the system's sun to a certain distance at 50% engines power, after which it alligns with the next point on the route, initiates the next jump and boosts when the FSD charging bar is full.
4. Procedure is repeated by the autopilot for as long as it has enough fuel for the next jump or until the ship gets interdicted.
In case it runs out of fuel, it cuts off the engines and the commander has to refuel manually, either by scooping or by being refuelled by another ship.
In case of an interdicition the autopilot will not attempt to avoid it, which means it is likely to get interdicted. After which it will try to follow it's procedure: 50% speed, align with the next destination, wait for the FSD to cool down, initiate FSD, boost when it's charged - this of course means that its chance for not being blown into space dust after an interdiciton is relatively slim, anless the ship is well armoured, has good shields and the attacker flies a Sidewinder... The commander however can make a decision of submitting to interdiction in an usual manner - this cancels the autopilot sequence until initiated again.
Of course, there is also a chance, that left to itself and without the commander making sure it does its job, the ship may as well get destroyed either by jumping out next to a white dwarf or due to enemy fire.
Because there is a big chance people will want to write below arguments like: "you would like the game to play itself", I will save the naysayers' time and say two things:
1. I'm not suggesting this option to be the only mode of hyperspace travel, current mechanics would and should stay in place. Therefore giving players the possibility to not change their ways should they have no desire for that.
2. I would like a possibility of having one repetetive ingame task automated for people who would like to automate it. I get it: witchspace is awesome, but after seeing one loading screen I have seen them all. There will be nothing different with the next few million of them and the gameplay is outside of the loading screen. Another thing is that this sort of autopilot would give me the opportunity for a quick dash to the kitchen to grab something to drink. Or to make a phonecall. Or to check my notes.
So in no way it affects the gameplay experience of a person who doesn't want to use the autopilot feature.
My suggestion would be to make it an ingame feature as opposed to yet another module, however it could be a good way of expanding functionality of an existing system, namely Standard Docking Computer (in such case definitely there should be a key binding allowing commanders to disable it).
1. Player plots the route from point A to point B in the usual manner
2. Players prepares to engage supercruise in Autopilot mode. Instead of pressing the usual key for jump player presses separate key to initiate autopilot for hyperspace travel.
3. Upon reaching the first point on the route, autopilot flies away from the system's sun to a certain distance at 50% engines power, after which it alligns with the next point on the route, initiates the next jump and boosts when the FSD charging bar is full.
4. Procedure is repeated by the autopilot for as long as it has enough fuel for the next jump or until the ship gets interdicted.
In case it runs out of fuel, it cuts off the engines and the commander has to refuel manually, either by scooping or by being refuelled by another ship.
In case of an interdicition the autopilot will not attempt to avoid it, which means it is likely to get interdicted. After which it will try to follow it's procedure: 50% speed, align with the next destination, wait for the FSD to cool down, initiate FSD, boost when it's charged - this of course means that its chance for not being blown into space dust after an interdiciton is relatively slim, anless the ship is well armoured, has good shields and the attacker flies a Sidewinder... The commander however can make a decision of submitting to interdiction in an usual manner - this cancels the autopilot sequence until initiated again.
Of course, there is also a chance, that left to itself and without the commander making sure it does its job, the ship may as well get destroyed either by jumping out next to a white dwarf or due to enemy fire.
Because there is a big chance people will want to write below arguments like: "you would like the game to play itself", I will save the naysayers' time and say two things:
1. I'm not suggesting this option to be the only mode of hyperspace travel, current mechanics would and should stay in place. Therefore giving players the possibility to not change their ways should they have no desire for that.
2. I would like a possibility of having one repetetive ingame task automated for people who would like to automate it. I get it: witchspace is awesome, but after seeing one loading screen I have seen them all. There will be nothing different with the next few million of them and the gameplay is outside of the loading screen. Another thing is that this sort of autopilot would give me the opportunity for a quick dash to the kitchen to grab something to drink. Or to make a phonecall. Or to check my notes.
So in no way it affects the gameplay experience of a person who doesn't want to use the autopilot feature.
My suggestion would be to make it an ingame feature as opposed to yet another module, however it could be a good way of expanding functionality of an existing system, namely Standard Docking Computer (in such case definitely there should be a key binding allowing commanders to disable it).
