Navigation Computer needed ?

[MAUXUS]

IMHO, I don't think that we should "dumb" the gaming experience, just to make game play more "involved": no autopilot for navigation and not making the plotter auto select scoop-able stars are two examples that come to mind. It doesn't really make sense that we can manage to travel thousands of LY away in 3302 but ships don't have an autopilot and the plotter can't plot scoop-able routes (i know this is coming in 2.2, just using it as an example). Now that ED is more evolved, I'd rather have those two "challenges" replaced with something else that is actually real game play challenge (fdevs are pretty good at coming up with these).

 

[veryinky]

Body Exclusion Zone, not gravity well.
I'm Triple Elite, only time I've hit the body exclusion zone is when I've fallen asleep or that one time I fell inside a black hole because it was orbited by two neutron stars. Was placed 30km from the black hole's core. Even then the entire 10,000ly 1500 jump trip through a neutron field only brought my Asp down to 98% hull. I am very familiar with the mechanics of jumping from star to star. Line up, press j, wait 10 seconds, press x, wait 4 seconds after the "boom" noise and press j to completely drop out of supercruise, line up to next star, press tab, press j, repeat. The only time the ship will ever hit the body exclusion zone is if the player has fallen asleep or the game has bugged due to too many exclusion zones within the destination area. This last bug was fixed in 2.2 beta which only leaves "player has is so bored they have fallen asleep" problem.
Even my cat can successfully perform a jump, press x and then press j 10 seconds after the jump guaranteeing the ship never hits the exclusion zone. Took only 2 tries.
So, you do not object to a navigation computer that simply does the act of navigating between stars along a plotted route because that limited of a task is too simple to bother automating? I disagree. There's hundreds of little tasks within ED that could use automation:

Display distance from arrival star in mission briefings.
Allow plotting route to transactions in transaction menu on left monitor.
Automatically shut off fuel scoop when fuel tank is full.
A turn off gimbal but keep target locked key.
A target powerplant key (given what I hear on voice coms, "powerplant powerplant powerplant" everyone already just uses voice attack for this one)
Indication that this mission takes place in the same system, or additionally at the same location as an existing mission.

And this is just stuff I thought up while I'm busy jumping from star to star on a 20 jump trip. Alt tabbing between every single jump.

 

[veryinky]

IMHO, I don't think that we should "dumb" the gaming experience, just to make game play more "involved": no autopilot for navigation and not making the plotter auto select scoop-able stars are two examples that come to mind. It doesn't really make sense that we can manage to travel thousands of LY away in 3302 but ships don't have an autopilot and the plotter can't plot scoop-able routes (i know this is coming in 2.2, just using it as an example). Now that ED is more evolved, I'd rather have those two "challenges" replaced with something else that is actually a real game play challenge (fdevs are pretty good at coming up with these).

I'd replace the entire fsd loading screen with a witchspace tunnel the player has to navigate, and at every star along the plotted route the player has to fly around the next star and follow the "tunnel" along it's new direction or fail and fall out into whatever star system that was. Actually require the player to interact with the game, and reduce the amount of star systems the game has to load. Could have ships at those stars able to interdict the witchspace echos as they fly past the star, would look like normal echos but streched into a very long line bending at the star, following the path the player in the tunnel would take.

This would easily be 100x more interesting than point ship to new star, press j, wait for system to load, repeat.

And I say this as someone who just completed a 85,000ly trip around the galaxy this week. Jumping between stars is not compelling or challenging gameplay. It's what's at the destination that's compelling or challenging.

 

[MickyG1982]

What's the point in "playing" the game, if the game does everything by itself?

Anyway, what you want already exists. It's called Twitch. You can see all kinds of games playing themselves.

I do believe I just spat out my tea, all over my screen!

 

[Lendri]

Don't you want to fly your ship?

 

[veryinky]

Don't you want to fly your ship?

Try to fly your ship while it's jumping (loading the next system) and get back to us with your experience.

 

[Hanz Sorensen]

Don't you want to fly your ship?

yes, like a ship in the year 3302, with all the advanced technology and navigation computers that would be available.

 

[askavir]

I ask that myself every day I "play" ED, when most of my time is spent watching movies on my 2nd monitor.

Well, why are you launching ED then?

Wouldn't be better to just watch the movie ininterrupted?

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yes, like a ship in the year 3302, with all the advanced technology and navigation computers that would be available.

So you'd also rather just watch as the game plays itself?

 

[Saltyseadog]

Quite happy piloting/navigating the ship by myself but an in game onboard app/tool to work out the most efficient/effective route for a bunch of missions/trades would be a boon.

 

[veryinky]

Well, why are you launching ED then?

Wouldn't be better to just watch the movie ininterrupted?

I like doing something while I watch movies, usually I run on the treadmill. I play ED when I'm too tired to run.

Even distracted by movies and half heartedly playing ED, I'm apparently vastly superior to the average ED pilot who somehow manage to hit the exclusion zone of stars.

 

[jacozilla]

Some - not all, not most, not saying anything other than some people - seem to fall into the same 'I don't like/want it, so I don't want others to have it either' camp of so many other possible feature discussions like this.

Agree with reasoning or not, I totally get and makes sense if the position against nav comps as described or similar to OP was:

*not all dev features displace other features, but if this did, then yea - would prefer other things get priority first {this is the not against others having it, just prefer other priorities argument - makes sense.}

*I will never use it, and don't want it as mandatory or even default on otherwise don't care {this too makes sense, if you're forced to use it, I'd see why you're against it. same for if it were optional feature like docking comp but somehow enabled automatically}

*I like it, don't care, and/or see the logic of it only as long as consistent with other QoL features that have some trade off (e.g. DC with slot used to enable it) {this too makes sense to me, I'd understand the position of someone against the freebie inclusion of auto nav ability without trading off a slot used like docking computer}

Other examples may apply but all are in similar vein - my .02 cents is I like and use DC, don't care about and prob wouldn't use an auto nav, but would be kinda cool to use a nav comp installed every now and then, and totally don't mind if it made it into game long as other features get priority first (e.g. better storage, better BGS, more ship diversity, etc)

What I shake my head at is the specific sub-type of player who freely admits they won't use this nav comp idea, but also seem to be against other players voluntarily wishing to use it. In essence, I don't like it, hence forbid other players from having it either. If it were mandatory for all, or even default on, or a freebie without module slot, I'd understand the resistance.

But some players in this thread are basically saying because they'd find ED pointless to play if a ship auto piloted enough things for them, they seem to insist that same stance for all players. Sorry, but my cup of tea isn't yours.

 

[lysan]

So I'm thinking that by the year 3302 we should have the option to upgrade to an Advanced Navigation Computer that would allow us to plug in a route and it would fly/navigate the entire route from Launch to Docking.
Nav Computer that can do multiple jumps, as soon as you arrive it points ship away from star used to navigate and aims towards next destination. No hands, launch to land. Make the Grind better.

Agree , however I'm ok with manuel only in SC, if just I could set all the star jumps on autopilot i would be a happy pilot.

 

[SatansMittens]

While I disagree with the OPs idea.

I also find travel rather... Not dull..i don't know what the word is. . Lol

But, if I want to make a long journey, I have to remain at the controls, despite not actually doing a great deal. But just enough, that I can't get up to pee or make a coffee. Because I'll just jump in to the next system and foolishly crash directly in to the star. Lol

Making a coffee on a long trip involves the following procedure:
• Line up to target system, full throttle, and engage FSD.
• Run to the kitchen
• Trip over cat, who is excited you're running to the kitchen
• Fill and Put kettle on.
• Run back to the controls hopefully just in time to steer away from the star.
• Honk, Wait for cooldown, scoop if necessary, align to destination, and charge for hyperspace again.
• Get up, and run back to the kitchen.
• Avoid cat
• Get mug
• Add coffee, and sugar
• Run back to controls.
• Honk, scoop, align, charge FSD.
• Run back to kitchen, avoid cat, again.
• Pour hot water in coffee.
• Stir vigorously.
• Rinse spoon.
• Carefully run back to controls.
• Sip coffee, burn mouth.



If there was an "autopilot", I'd like it to only, only only, handle lining up and jumping. But not using the best methods either.
No scooping.
Disengages if interdicted.
Disengages at 10% fuel.
Disengages at 100%+ heat.
Zeros throttle at destination.

Other than dealing with the cat.... what this guy said^^^^^^

 

[AdmiralFloof]

Autopilot in system from high wake dropping into safe disengage distance would be fine. But no auto plotting and jumping to another system.

 

[SatansMittens]

I can't see a point I made that wasn't under the heading of Navigation. In Elite navigating between systems includes more than just movement. It includes the risks faced along the way. Your post is quite off the mark.

You may note, that we already have a computer system to 'Accurately ascertain one's position and planning and following a route'. What it doesn't do is fly for you. I think this points out a nice compromise. Don't you?

Traveling really isn't as involved as you make it seem. Mostly its point and push "j", arrive at next star point and push "j", repeat, repeat, repeat... get interdicted, run or fight, point and push "j", fuel scoop, point and push "j", repeat, repeat..........arrive at destination.

Sure things happen while traveling, most things aren't that dangerous at all. Hell try ramming into a star.... not possible. Sure you'll overheat and die after awhile... a long while.

A navigation computer could be a module just like docking computer. You should have to actively pay attention while using it as it wouldn't avoid any of the dangers of traveling. You would have to be ready to take command in the event of something happening. Theres your downside. Get to lax behind the stick while using the navigation computer and you die.

 

[lysan]

Traveling really isn't as involved as you make it seem. Mostly its point and push "j", arrive at next star point and push "j", repeat, repeat, repeat... get interdicted, run or fight, point and push "j", fuel scoop, point and push "j", repeat, repeat..........arrive at destination.

I've made a few threads regarding this, we need a autopilot at least to take care of the star jumps.

One of my friends got a ultralight airplane that can fly complex flight routes, even take the airplain right down to the runway.

So let's have one in the year 3302 McKay.

 

[Mohrgan]

Traveling really isn't as involved as you make it seem. Mostly its point and push "j", arrive at next star point and push "j", repeat, repeat, repeat... get interdicted, run or fight, point and push "j", fuel scoop, point and push "j", repeat, repeat..........arrive at destination.

Familiarity breeds contempt. I believe it's all part of the Jump mechanic. I can be put off by multiple jumps to get to an activity but, that doesn't mean I consider 'easier, or faster' as enough incentive to change one of the game's base mechanics like you propose. If all the change you can justify is to press one key for you, what would be the worth? How much time would it save? All it would do is to let you watch more of your movie at one clip than you can now. I feel no sympathy.

 

[SatansMittens]

Familiarity breeds contempt. I believe it's all part of the Jump mechanic. I can be put off by multiple jumps to get to an activity but, that doesn't mean I consider 'easier, or faster' as enough incentive to change one of the game's base mechanics like you propose. If all the change you can justify is to press one key for you, what would be the worth? How much time would it save? All it would do is to let you watch more of your movie at one clip than you can now. I feel no sympathy.

Just because you dont want it doesn't mean others don't. There are many who don't use the Docking computer right now. I don't use it as i would rather have that module space for other things. If it ever was to be implemented I'd imagine it would be very similar to the docking computer. If you don't like the idea that is fine, you can just not purchase that module for your ship, just like the option you have now to not use the Docking computer.

 

[Mohrgan]

Just because you dont want it doesn't mean others don't. There are many who don't use the Docking computer right now. I don't use it as i would rather have that module space for other things. If it ever was to be implemented I'd imagine it would be very similar to the docking computer. If you don't like the idea that is fine, you can just not purchase that module for your ship, just like the option you have now to not use the Docking computer.

Yup, that's the default position. I say, what about the time and treasure it would take to create? I would rather those resources went to other more pressing matters. If it were a matter of pressing a button, why not have everything under the sun? I just argue that the effort isn't worth the result.

 

[SatansMittens]

Yup, that's the default position. I say, what about the time and treasure it would take to create? I would rather those resources went to other more pressing matters. If it were a matter of pressing a button, why not have everything under the sun? I just argue that the effort isn't worth the result.

Well i don't know about the development time thing. Npcs can now fly your ship while you're in a fighter. Npcs also navigate in supercruise right now. Having your ship fly with a navigation computer probably isnt too different than letting an npc take control, hell I'd almost think it'd be simpker. The nav computer wouldn't have any lines of code for evasive maneuvers or anything.

I can agree that I'd rather them fix other things first, but i dont see this as a huge development undertaking. Simpler than adding crappy looking gysers to planet surfaces even.