POLL: Should ED have an Auto Pilot?

[Ziggy Stardust]

TL;DR: If FD implements an AP or even an NPC AI, they will have to include a great deal more logic into the programming beyond simply align with target, throttle up and press J. It would have to mimic a flight management system with a lot of decision making and ship system inputs. I don't believe this is a trivial task.

I agree with what you posted, but wouldn't it be grand when FD would implement the AP exactly as requested here? Just to go: you sure you want this? Ok.

And after implementation, fire up the forums with a nice batch of fresh popcorn and enjoy the show.

 

[Matt Harpring]

Complaining of having your point of view misrepresented while misrepresenting the opposing view isn't cool. There is a variety of things to do in the game, of which long-distance multi-jump trade/exploration is just one. Some things are more exciting than others, and there's usually a tradeoff between easy/profitable for all of them.

Apologies for mischaracterizing the opinions of others. I'm not trying to contribute to a forum war (although I kinda just entered guns blazing). More tact and nuance is always a good thing for discussion and I'll try use both of them more effectively going forward (I hope we all will). It's just a little frustrating sometimes.

I can't concede that I'm totally wrong here though. Hyperbolic, absolutely, you got me there. But even in this thread there's at least one poster (I'd bet numerous, but please don't make me fact check) that honestly argued in the way that I was mocking.

My opinion didn't come out of thin air. I exaggerated, sure (perhaps obnoxiously so), but I'm not necessarily wrong.

Also, to actually respond to the point you made: the variety of things in this game is entirely dependent on moving between systems, regardless of the final activity upon destination. Travel is a thing you're always doing regardless of what activity you actually want to be doing.

 

[SatansMittens]

My point to not having an AP is very simple: its a waste of developers time, time that could be very well spent in adding new content and improving existing gameplay, instead of supporting playing AFK. Another point is that I want the travelling gameplay to be improved and made more involving, not less.

The devs would need to waste time implementing AP flight, would need to create an inteface to specify routes and destinations, and later waste even more time fixing bugs and fine tuning, plus having to deal with the predictable "boohoo my ship dropped into a quadruple star system an burned up / got stranded without scoopable stars in range / etc while I was on AP watching TV, want my ship back boohoo".

I am not fundamentally against having in the future some degree of flight automation (certainly not things like auto fuel scooping or pad-to-pad "no-hands" flight). But implementing features to support "playing the game while not playing the game" should be at the very rock bottom of the priorities list.

Considering some amateur programmer has already written the script for a simple autopilot like two years ago with less than 100 or so lines of code i dont think this would be big time investment for FDev. They could probably whip one up in a day or 2. Example below

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=huEXWsRptGY

Its called fsd navigator, google it if ya like

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Why not just angle for long-distance hyperspace jumps then? I can't help but think that if FD nerf SC and multi-jump long-distance travel, people will be clamouring "Why do I have to sit here and watch my ship fly itself for 20 jumps at a time? Why can't I just jump directly to Sothis? I have a wife and kids."

Theres the old slippery slope argument, geez

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Disagree. We have been told, traveling is just pressing some button. So that is exactly what an autopilot should do. Travel the way it has been portrayed by the lesser lights.

If the autopilot autopilots you to the core of a happy F class star because it tries to reach the next jumppoint it is working as requested by the forum.

Aiming then pressing a button, aiming then pressing a button.....

 

[Codger]

We're on page 26, and I see a number of posts asking people, why would you vote no?

Since quite a few people took the time and effort explaining why they did, would reading the thread and addressing the posts not be a way to figure this out?

That makes too much sense. You should delete that post. It's not how forum wars is played.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Aiming then pressing a button, aiming then pressing a button.....

Do you read things when you reply to them, or do you just aim and press a button?

 

[bonalste]

Really? So many people here don't want an auto-pilot?

I try to undertand the arguments and reasons but I fail to understand. No one is forced to use auto-pilot. It's only a quality of life feature to take away some repetitive and "empty" tasks in the game.

Time spent for the traveling will remain the same. We are only not forced to be glued with our hands to the controls in the time traveling.

What is there not to like about this option?

Why don't we have a combat autopilot too? And a trading autopilot? Why don't we just start up our PCs in the morning, fire up Elite and set off our ships with their autopilots running, when when we get back home we can see how much we have increased in rank and wealth, and turn off Elite, happy in the knowledge that "I have a wife and kids and a life to live" and didn't waste time doing things like playing the game? I mean it'll be optional to use, right? Nobody will force me to use the autopilot module. I know great idea - let's make the ranks of Explorer, trader, CQC and combat manually adjustable slider bars, and make the credit balance a text input field? I mean, I won't have to use it, but for those who want to make playing the game quicker and less burdensome, they just just use those new features. Surely we shouldn't be expected to work at it to be able to get an A-Rated Anaconda, so let those who want it have one without forcing them to be glued to the controls. It'll save on electricity bills too.

 

[SatansMittens]

Why don't we have a combat autopilot too? And a trading autopilot? Why don't we just start up our PCs in the morning, fire up Elite and set off our ships with their autopilots running, when when we get back home we can see how much we have increased in rank and wealth, and turn off Elite, happy in the knowledge that "I have a wife and kids and a life to live" and didn't waste time doing things like playing the game? I mean it'll be optional to use, right? Nobody will force me to use the autopilot module. I know great idea - let's make the ranks of Explorer, trader, CQC and combat manually adjustable slider bars, and make the credit balance a text input field? I mean, I won't have to use it, but for those who want to make playing the game quicker and less burdensome, they just just use those new features. Surely we shouldn't be expected to work at it to be able to get an A-Rated Anaconda, so let those who want it have one without forcing them to be glued to the controls. It'll save on electricity bills too.

Everything you said has already been said in this thread. If you actually read backbthru even half this thread youd be feeling mighty fookish for posting what you did. To be brief nobody here is suggesting anything close to what you said and this debate has moved way past your input.

 

[Brian of Ardagh]

Considering some amateur programmer has already written the script for a simple autopilot like two years ago with less than 100 or so lines of code i dont think this would be big time investment for FDev. They could probably whip one up in a day or 2. Example below

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=huEXWsRptGY

Its called fsd navigator, google it if ya like.

As I mentioned in my post, FD would never implement something so basic. If they did as a QoL measure how long do you think it would be before we would have threads with 100s of posts arguing back and forth about it needing one or another feature or that it goes to far.

Just look at instant ship transfers or the neutron star FSD boost threads. Implementing a basic QoL feature like that FSD navigator would be another minefield and would end up being a much larger development cost than originally conceived.

 

[SatansMittens]

As I mentioned in my post, FD would never implement something so basic. If they did as a QoL measure how long do you think it would be before we would have threads with 100s of posts arguing back and forth about it needing one or another feature or that it goes to far.

Just look at instant ship transfers or the neutron star FSD boost threads. Implementing a basic QoL feature like that FSD navigator would be another minefield and would end up being a much larger development cost than originally conceived.

True... but if this guy can make one that works as easily as he did i don't buy the excuse that it will take considerable development time. I fully expect fdev to make a better one. But if you watched the video i dont know how you can't be at least somewhat impressed with how well it worked for something so simple.

 

[Matt Harpring]

Why don't we have a combat autopilot too? And a trading autopilot? Why don't we just start up our PCs in the morning, fire up Elite and set off our ships with their autopilots running, when when we get back home we can see how much we have increased in rank and wealth, and turn off Elite, happy in the knowledge that "I have a wife and kids and a life to live" and didn't waste time doing things like playing the game? I mean it'll be optional to use, right? Nobody will force me to use the autopilot module. I know great idea - let's make the ranks of Explorer, trader, CQC and combat manually adjustable slider bars, and make the credit balance a text input field? I mean, I won't have to use it, but for those who want to make playing the game quicker and less burdensome, they just just use those new features. Surely we shouldn't be expected to work at it to be able to get an A-Rated Anaconda, so let those who want it have one without forcing them to be glued to the controls. It'll save on electricity bills too.

Did it hurt when you landed at the bottom of that slippery slope? I'm wondering if all that hyperbole provided adequate braking on the way down.

 

[SatansMittens]

Did it hurt when you landed at the bottom of that slippery slope? I'm wondering if all that hyperbole provided adequate braking on the way down.

I'm pretty sure it hurt our brains more after reading it

 

[Kaltern]

Disagree. We have been told, traveling is just pressing some button. So that is exactly what an autopilot should do. Travel the way it has been portrayed by the lesser lights.

If the autopilot autopilots you to the core of a happy F class star because it tries to reach the next jumppoint it is working as requested by the forum.

Your replies to mine and various other posts are somewhat pointless and without anything constructive. Is there any particular reason?

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

I fully expect fdev to make a better one.

As I read your posts, you expect FD to make an autopilot that aims and press a button.

And I for one sincerely hopes that FD does just that and gives you guys what you asked for.

 

[bonalste]

Everything you said has already been said in this thread. If you actually read backbthru even half this thread youd be feeling mighty fookish for posting what you did. To be brief nobody here is suggesting anything close to what you said and this debate has moved way past your input.

Oh by Jesus, almost this entire thread could be summed up by taking a selection of 2 posts from either side of the argument, so don't you go singling me out for it. Or was this the first time someone said, "But you're not being forced to use it!!!!"? I seem to recall making thy very argument about 3 pages back, as had people right at the start of the thread, so you are doing exactly the same thing. Maybe if you go back and read even half the thread you wouldn't feel so - what was it? 'Fookish'? - right now.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Your replies to mine and various other posts are somewhat pointless and without anything constructive. Is there any particular reason?

Yep. When I post something constructive it gets ignored and paraphrased ridiculously pages down the line. So I decided to spare myself some wasted effort.

I disagree they are pointless though.

 

[SatansMittens]

Oh by Jesus, almost this entire thread could be summed up by taking a selection of 2 posts from either side of the argument, so don't you go singling me out for it. Or was this the first time someone said, "But you're not being forced to use it!!!!"? I seem to recall making thy very argument about 3 pages back, as had people right at the start of the thread, so you are doing exactly the same thing. Maybe if you go back and read even half the thread you wouldn't feel so - what was it? 'Fookish'? - right now.

Yes... fookish

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Your replies to mine and various other posts are somewhat pointless and without anything constructive. Is there any particular reason?

Constructive reply:

You can't complain when you (universal you, not you specifically ) typify traveling a certain way and I suggest an autopilot that behaves exactly like some portray what travel is like. If my suggestion of an autopilot, based on other people's description on travel, doesn't seem adequate, blame other people's description of travel in Elite. I'm only going by the specification.

 

[SatansMittens]

Constructive reply:

You can't complain when you (universal you, not you specifically ) typify traveling a certain way and I suggest an autopilot that behaves exactly like some portray what travel is like. If my suggestion of an autopilot, based on other people's description on travel, doesn't seem adequate, blame other people description of travel in Elite. I'm only going by the specification.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=huEXWsRptGY

All it really needs to do... just watch

 

[bonalste]

Did it hurt when you landed at the bottom of that slippery slope? I'm wondering if all that hyperbole provided adequate braking on the way down.

I'm pretty sure it hurt our brains more after reading it

You stated the exact same thing - slippery slope - a few pages back, but now that someone who agrees with you has just done precisely what you chastened me for, that's okay and in fact you will quote him to provide a derisive and childish comment rather than adding any argument to the thread. At no point have you argued counter-points constructively in this thread.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=huEXWsRptGY

All it really needs to do... just watch

As I asked earlier:

Do you read things when you reply to them, or do you just aim and press a button?