Instant ship transfer is ok, but Auto pilot is not.

First, I know that this is a touchy subject, however please bear with me.

We need to remove the repetitive tasks in Elite, to make the game more FUN to play. I'm sure all can agree that "flying" your ship in Elite is a huge part of the gameplay, and also why many of us enjoy playing in Elite Dangerous. The problem arrives when you need to do the same tasks over and over and over again. It's not fun and it kills the gameplay by 100%.

What is proposed, and this goes back to the very early days, is a autopilot that is very basic. It will not fight for you, it will not scope fuel for you, and it will not do anything other than keeping a set course or route. In other words as basic as it can possible get.

1.) Multiple Jumps, If the journey consists of more than one jump the hyperdrive automatically begins to charge for the next jump, the ship will align and jump out if nothing intervenes. (interdiction, gravity well's etc.) ---The player can cancel the journey at any point during the process

2.) The route planner will have a option where refuel points can be programmed. When the ship reach the refuel point, the ship will handover the controls to the player and he or she will scope the fuel, after refueling, the player engage the autopilot again, and the journey continues until next refuel point or destination is reached. If the ship is attacked during this process the AP will disengage.

3.) In System Navigation can be set as a straight line, if the destination can be set as a strait line without any obstetrical in the way, the NAV computer can keep the course to the destination, when the ship reach the planet or station within 100LY it will disengage and handover the controls to the player. If interdicted the AP will disengage.

4.) Jump to beacon, you can set the NAV computer to jump to a NAV beacon, if a system has a NAV beacon you can use it like you use a star, this way if the main star are very far away from the station, this can be set as a destination.

All these proposals was in the DDF before Elite was released. To me it will take away the boring part of pressing (J) 200 times to get to a place that is very far away, while you're traveling you can use the time to study the galaxy map and system maps for interesting thing, remember that we will have the new detailed system map where you can see the planets in detail.
We are playing Elite because we want to be space pilots and because Elite is set in a 400 billion Galaxy, traveling vast distances are a part of it. Sometimes this is not fun because nothing is actually happening, and you know that you will need to scan the systems you pass through by honking the horn (the AP will not do that for you).

In compares to sailing, you can also set a very simple course after the compass, and in more modern ship you can even plot a route. However you still need to look after the ship during the journey.
This will to me be one of the biggest Quality of Life improvements in ED by a long shot, it takes away the repetitive tasks for long journeys and add a bit of planning and strategic gameplay.
I would like to hear what you think, and please take into consideration that this will not make the game easier, just less repetitive in some aspects.

With the new instant ship transfer mechanic, I believe its time to ask the question again. If one mechanic is ok, why is a similar not? The Quality of Life are about removing repetitive tasks,
not adding them.


[video=youtube;FThGAb11l8o]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FThGAb11l8o[/video]
 
Last edited:
Not sure about this. What happens when interdicted? Auto-pilot kills them for you?

If you have to watch the whole time in case of disasters, isn't just watching more boring than flying?
 
Last edited:
I imagine this is going to get a lot of heated opinions in either direction.

Personally, I've never felt strongly either way. Basically, until there is more to do during long supercruise or, in this case, a long autopilot, I don't see it as much of an advantage or QoL improvement over not having autopilot. You are still left with long stretches of time where I would just keep Youtube up on my HUD.

- - - - - Additional Content Posted / Auto Merge - - - - -

Not sure about this. What happens when interdicted? Auto-pilot kills them for you?

If you have to watch the whole time in case of disasters, isn't just watching more boring than flying?

Read again, he said AP would disengage when an event occurs...obstruction, interdiction etc.

However, what you point out about just watching highlights my concern
 
Last edited:
Autopilot?? Why even play the game?

You can just sit there and say to yourself I am triple Elite and have been to Sag A, Beaglepoint and even Tring without having to even power up my PC, I am so carbon neutral its unbelievable!
 
Crikey LL, you have a very valid point and I like your posting style, but man, you are like a dog with a bone!
 
Autopilot?? Why even play the game?

You can just sit there and say to yourself I am triple Elite and have been to Sag A, Beaglepoint and even Tring without having to even power up my PC, I am so carbon neutral its unbelievable!

Ostensibly you would't be able to use a scanner during autopilot so the trip to triple Elite wouldn't happen unless you turned off AP on the way to Sag A*
 
Hello commander,

I vote YES for this kind of simplified AUTOPILOT. Autopilot is in capital letters, because it is a computer drivin... I can see no reason for voting NO, it does not in any way interfere with other players playstyle, just you and your decision to use it or not.

What I would love to see in the future is this: we are all called commanders, so let as be COMMANDERS...

Inevitably NPC crew members, spacelegs, personalised decorating of our cabins on the ship (hanging a picture of my kids above the bed in my cabin, etc.) are coming into play....

As I posted in another thread, I would love the game to allow us something like the following story:


I am looking forward having a holografic menu on my forehand, anywhere i am having similar info as on my ships left hand pannel...


For example while inside my ship, the commands menu might look in a way to allow following story / usecase...

Navigator: plot route to <named tag from galaxy map>, scoopable every <number>. jump
Response: Aye captain, i`m on it!
.
.
INTERCOM: Navigator to captain, route has been ploted, we will make it with a full tank at the last star.


Pilot: take over


Pilot: take us to the route destination
response: Aye captain, initiating hyper drive!

Pilot: Try to evade interdictions for me!
Pilot: If you fail the interdiction (which is most likely going to happen ) go into <RUN AWAY!!!! | DEFENSE | AGGRESIVE | WAIT > mode
response: Don`t worry captain, ship will be safe with me.
.
.
.
.
I took the nearest elevator to the deck 5, had a quick look on the shiny weapons we were smuggling, looked over the hangar bay with the fighters and polished the front "windshield" of my beloved imperial fighter.
I played around with some paint and sprayed a - not very nice looking, but for me perfect - name of my reallife hometown. I smiled inside my VR helmet

INTERCOM: Pilot to captain, enemy interdiction iminent! It`s a python sir!

As I was just standing by my favourite killing machine, I said to myself: well why not, fun has found us! And I jumped inside the cocpit.

Pilot: submit interdiction
response: Aye sir!


And then it came... Wild spin sent everything, that was not attached to the hull, flying around the hangar bay like crazy :-D

I lauched in my fighter when the ship was still spinning, targeting the python right away... I shot the full capacitor of fastlaser salvo into the pythons shield, almost half of its shieldring disappeared...

Pilot: evade to safe distance
response: Yes sir!

I took a quick turn and looked up on the pythons hardpoints, suddenly pointing in my direction. A beam of energy melted my shields instantly and I boosted.....

Pilot: I am in trouble, need assistance.
response: Targeting greatest threat!
response: Engaging!


I was 2,9 km away from the python and my shield was quickly recharging... WHEN I SAW ANOTHER SHIPS EMERGING FROM THE HYPERSPACE... Cant be cops, they are slow like snails, it must be other pirates!

.
.
.
.
.



You reading me?

o7 Karlos
 
Not sure about this. What happens when interdicted? Auto-pilot kills them for you?

If you have to watch the whole time in case of disasters, isn't just watching more boring than flying?

Stuff you could (potentially) do with autopilot:

- plan the next route
- read galnet
- talk to your passengers/crew and play space chess with them
- chat with other CMDRs
- repair/tune your ship
- walk around your ship
- go to your cabin, sleep, wake up because of alarm and flashing red lights, adrenaline...

I think it's worth it.
 
If you have to watch the whole time in case of disasters, isn't just watching more boring than flying?
Pretty much this.

and for those with the argument "if you don't like it just don't use it", I still say no because I'd like the devs to focus their efforts elsewhere.
 
Stuff you could (potentially) do with autopilot:

- plan the next route
- read galnet
- talk to your passengers/crew and play space chess with them
- chat with other CMDRs
- repair/tune your ship
- walk around your ship
- go to your cabin, sleep, wake up because of alarm and flashing red lights, adrenaline...

I think it's worth it.

Now that is EXACTLY what is in my mind... I am a COMMANDER, the boss on my ship...

Piloting? I have a paid NPC crew memeber for that! And I can pilot myself when seated in the pilots seat of course...
Repairs and maintenance? I have a paid NPC crew member for that!
Navigation? I have a paid NPC crew member for that!
Flying my fighters? I have a paid NPC crew member for that!


Finally somebody understands my point ! Thank You!

o7 Karlos
 
Didn't we have this thread already? Err anyway yes I support autopilot, in fact its one of those missing features that has me flummoxed as to what they were thinking from the outset. Add onto that the option to hire an NPC copilot who would be more useful than a wet paper bag when it comes actually reacting to threats and defending the ship (over a basic autopilot) and we have a winner.

While we're at it, external cameras.... again.... please... pretty please.... with an instantly transferred cherry on top.
 
Pretty much this.

and for those with the argument "if you don't like it just don't use it", I still say no because I'd like the devs to focus their efforts elsewhere.

Ok I get your argument of FDEVs focusing on other things... BUT I also think that in the future - especially when spacelegs come - NPC pilot or autopilot will be a MUST.

... and I feel its coming, the Ship Launched Fighers are just the beginning... NPC will be able to pilot our ships (motherships) in 2.2 allready!

Karlos
 
Hello commander,

I vote YES for this kind of simplified AUTOPILOT. Autopilot is in capital letters, because it is a computer drivin... I can see no reason for voting NO, it does not in any way interfere with other players playstyle, just you and your decision to use it or not.

What I would love to see in the future is this: we are all called commanders, so let as be COMMANDERS...

Inevitably NPC crew members, spacelegs, personalised decorating of our cabins on the ship (hanging a picture of my kids above the bed in my cabin, etc.) are coming into play....

As I posted in another thread, I would love the game to allow us something like the following story:


I am looking forward having a holografic menu on my forehand, anywhere i am having similar info as on my ships left hand pannel...


For example while inside my ship, the commands menu might look in a way to allow following story / usecase...

Navigator: plot route to <named tag from galaxy map>, scoopable every <number>. jump
Response: Aye captain, i`m on it!
.
.
INTERCOM: Navigator to captain, route has been ploted, we will make it with a full tank at the last star.


Pilot: take over


Pilot: take us to the route destination
response: Aye captain, initiating hyper drive!

Pilot: Try to evade interdictions for me!
Pilot: If you fail the interdiction (which is most likely going to happen ) go into <RUN AWAY!!!! | DEFENSE | AGGRESIVE | WAIT > mode
response: Don`t worry captain, ship will be safe with me.
.
.
.
.
I took the nearest elevator to the deck 5, had a quick look on the shiny weapons we were smuggling, looked over the hangar bay with the fighters and polished the front "windshield" of my beloved imperial fighter.
I played around with some paint and sprayed a - not very nice looking, but for me perfect - name of my reallife hometown. I smiled inside my VR helmet

INTERCOM: Pilot to captain, enemy interdiction iminent! It`s a python sir!

As I was just standing by my favourite killing machine, I said to myself: well why not, fun has found us! And I jumped inside the cocpit.

Pilot: submit interdiction
response: Aye sir!


And then it came... Wild spin sent everything, that was not attached to the hull, flying around the hangar bay like crazy :-D

I lauched in my fighter when the ship was still spinning, targeting the python right away... I shot the full capacitor of fastlaser salvo into the pythons shield, almost half of its shieldring disappeared...

Pilot: evade to safe distance
response: Yes sir!

I took a quick turn and looked up on the pythons hardpoints, suddenly pointing in my direction. A beam of energy melted my shields instantly and I boosted.....

Pilot: I am in trouble, need assistance.
response: Targeting greatest threat!
response: Engaging!


I was 2,9 km away from the python and my shield was quickly recharging... WHEN I SAW ANOTHER SHIPS EMERGING FROM THE HYPERSPACE... Cant be cops, they are slow like snails, it must be other pirates!

.
.
.
.
.



You reading me?

o7 Karlos

Why wouldn't the "immersion heads" be all in for this? I guess because you can't walk around your ship yet. Just wait, once we can I'll bet they will be calling for something exactly like this.
 
Not sure about this. What happens when interdicted? Auto-pilot kills them for you?

If you have to watch the whole time in case of disasters, isn't just watching more boring than flying?

As the OP says, the autopilot disengage, so you need to take them out yourself. :D
 
Stuff you could (potentially) do with autopilot:

- plan the next route
- read galnet
- talk to your passengers/crew and play space chess with them
- chat with other CMDRs
- repair/tune your ship
- walk around your ship
- go to your cabin, sleep, wake up because of alarm and flashing red lights, adrenaline...

I think it's worth it.

This. Once we get space legs, an autopilot feature might become a way to actually inject interesting gameplay* into the game, rather than taking it away.
And as usual, if there is an autopilot and don't like it, one is not forced to use it.

*To me, flying in SC 400Kls is not interesting gameplay, nor is crossing 1000lyr as fast as possible to a POI.
While I get that some find jumping 40 times in a row, or flying 400Kls in SC to be thrilling gameplay, please
realize that this feeling is not shared by all.
 
I imagine this is going to get a lot of heated opinions in either direction.

Personally, I've never felt strongly either way. Basically, until there is more to do during long supercruise or, in this case, a long autopilot, I don't see it as much of an advantage or QoL improvement over not having autopilot. You are still left with long stretches of time where I would just keep Youtube up on my HUD.

- - - - - Additional Content Posted / Auto Merge - - - - -



Read again, he said AP would disengage when an event occurs...obstruction, interdiction etc.

However, what you point out about just watching highlights my concern

Actually it will be as it is now, if you are in the galaxy map and someone interdicts you, you will be pulled back into the controls. It only means that you can use the time to actually study the systems you're traveling through in the system map.
 
No objection at all. I would make it very optional though, like the Docking Computer (a module on your ship), fit it or not and have it activated or not.
Not sure if I would use it much, but it would be neat to have the option anyway.
 
Why wouldn't the "immersion heads" be all in for this? I guess because you can't walk around your ship yet. Just wait, once we can I'll bet they will be calling for something exactly like this.

I think so too...

And I would love to have at least some tiny bit of information from the development team regarding their plans - once we get spacelegs, what will be possible to do when we are not piloting?

I can imagine endless possibilities...

Karlos
 
Back
Top Bottom