I would love a NPC Helmsman

[TheNut]

There's a reason Asps and Anacondas top the traffic charts

I've always loved the way the X-universe did traveling, especially in X-Rebirth. Although the highway lane mini-game was kind of a weird thing, you always had a sense of scale in the game. Never traveling so fast that planets looks like tiny spheres rather than large celestial objects. Part of me would have loved to have a community driven gate system in ED. Having commanders help transport personnel and construction materials over large distances to build connecting gates (we're supposed to have that with space stations, but that sort of fell off the radar at one point). Alas, we shall settle for 3, 2, 1.. woooshh.. 3, 2, 1.. whoosh.. 3, 2, 1..

 

[-VR- Max Factor]

If exploration is nothing but pressing 'j' every fourty seconds, it already made a mockery of itself. I am all for adding stuff to it, but lets not pretend that pressing that button is amazing gameplay or requires any kind of skill, ability, experience or anything. Its the most trivial nonsense conceivable, and as such exactly what automation is for in a game.

Well we don't want to make it worse by not doing anything at all. But I would like to think that the new scanning/exploration mechanics will change that and they will be a lot more intereting.

 

[Namsel]

When exploration get its overhaul by the end of the year and we have a reason to explore, land on planets, search for things and such, the trip itself will have much more importance than just the "honk and jump" that it is now. So, when we really want to travel long distances with a destination in mind, it would be great to have a way to auto-travel.

 

[lysan]

So let's not make it any lesser, eh?

Exploration should not be who can withstand the pain the longest time, you got that one upside down.
Explores should actually explore and not honk the horn and press (J) a 1000 times.

Pointing your ship at a star and say "I want to go there" is not exploration, I can tell my GPS to go to any city on the planet, however the real exploration begins at my destination.

In Star Trek no one is sitting at the helm and manually guide the ship to it's destination, they monitor, and when the SHTF Cap. Kirk
slides in and saves the day.

"Ok Sulu, stay here and press J until we arrive" that would be a silly line would it not?

 

[Jenner]

I'd rather more ACTIVE gameplay in traveling, than more PASSIVE gameplay of having automatic-[anything]
(aka - not playing the game)

Want to make a 30 system jump? — put in a skillbased navigation flight gameplay inside hyperspace. Do it right = end up 3 systems closer.
Do it wrong or do nothing = only 1 jump

Supercruise mechanics could make even more use of gravity wells.

I agree. If I had my choice I'd made navigation/jumping be more skill based as a solution to that problem, not just enable something like 'auto-walk'.

 

[Ian Skippy]

Well we don't want to make it worse by not doing anything at all.

But if it is worse to you, then you can do it manually. I completely fail to see why you'd care if others think it would be better to automate it. The only reason I can think of is if some folks think is is an achievement to go to Beagle Point, and they feel others should also press the 'j' button 15000 times to get there. There is no 'advantage' to be gained, no impact on others, its one of those rare "I demand others do what I do!" situations.

I like docking. I have done it tens of thousands of times. If others want to grab a DC asap and never dock manually, that is fine with me.

 

[S3B4ST13N]

For me the requirement is simple ..

If I can jump 25 individual systems in 25 minutes with no refuel needed, why can I not just select System 25 and do it in a single jump with no refuel needed in the same time?

 

[Rob At Work]

I've had a few similar ideas that I've been meaning to forward to the design team for consideration, but I'm not a design or dev so maybe there's an oversight here that I'm not considering. Feedback will, of course, be noted and passed on as always.

You are in the perfect position to sort this, you could tie them all up remove their shoes and socks, and burn them with tea spoons dunked in tea or coffee (dependent upon preference) until they agree.

just an idea - but you would be a hero and quite famous around these parts.

 

[GreyAreaUK]

Exploration should not be who can withstand the pain the longest time, you got that one upside down.
Explores should actually explore and not honk the horn and press (J) a 1000 times.

Pointing your ship at a star and say "I want to go there" is not exploration, I can tell my GPS to go to any city on the planet, however the real exploration begins at my destination.

In Star Trek no one is sitting at the helm and manually guide the ship to it's destination, they monitor, and when the SHTF Cap. Kirk
slides in and saves the day.

"Ok Sulu, stay here and press J until we arrive" that would be a silly line would it not?

Ok, but we're not playing Star Trek, we're playing Elite. And I do actually agree that what we're doing isn't exploring per se (it's more like cataloguing) but I'm 100% against automating flight outside the bubble.

 

[Ian Skippy]

"Ok Sulu, stay here and press J until we arrive" that would be a silly line would it not?

Star Trek: Beagle Point.
[Episode 27]
Plot summary: Sulu is still pressing 'j'.
Full plot: Sulu is still pressing 'j'. After 10 minutes he grabs another cup of tea. He proceeds to press 'j'. Cliffhanger: will the 'j' button break?

 

[S3B4ST13N]

Star Trek: Beagle Point.
[Episode 27]
Plot summary: Sulu is still pressing 'j'.
Full plot: Sulu is still pressing 'j'. After 10 minutes he grabs another cup of tea. He proceeds to press 'j'. Cliffhanger: will the 'j' button break?

...will the 'j' button break, or Mr Sulu?

 

[lysan]

I agree. If I had my choice I'd made navigation/jumping be more skill based as a solution to that problem, not just enable something like 'auto-walk'.

With a huge, massive game world like in Elite, a NPC Helmsman who can get your ship to destination is the only solution, you
can't make it interresting enough in a game at this magnitude. However you can make the automation interresting by adding a few features. I don't understand why people like to stare at the monitor and press J for hours, is that fun? do you feel entertained?
is it challenging?

 

[GreyAreaUK]

But if it is worse to you, then you can do it manually. I completely fail to see why you'd care if others think it would be better to automate it. The only reason I can think of is if some folks think is is an achievement to go to Beagle Point, and they feel others should also press the 'j' button 15000 times to get there. There is no 'advantage' to be gained, no impact on others, its one of those rare "I demand others do what I do!" situations.

Because getting to Beagle Point is an achievement! I have nothing but respect for the Commanders that have done so, and I'll be heading that way myself in about a month on my PS4 account.

But if all you have to do to get there is highlight the destination and select "take me there" then you remove any achievement or sense of accomplishment from it. It just becomes a glorified Ship Transfer.

 

[Nick Sticks]

That horse ride through Egypt is impressive but I cannot see how it would work in ED.
I mean how will the horse be able to hold a joystick?

 

[Magic147147]

There's neigh way that would work.

 

[GreyAreaUK]

That horse ride through Egypt is impressive but I cannot see how it would work in ED.
I mean how will the horse be able to hold a joystick?

Engineers.




*teeth grinding noise*

There's neigh way that would work.

I've repped you but I would also quite like to shoot you. Just so we're clear on that

 

[rootsrat]

First the good stuff, I love the Chieftain, wonderful ship, almost perfect in my opinion.
The Engineers seems to be great too, I only did a few upgrades however the system where you can't go back, is good because you need to grind less. Material broker great = less grinding=more freedom.

And that is what it is about, having fun, less grinding more gameplay. There I was, toddling around in the galaxy, doing stuff, having a good time testing the new features. Then I decided to travel a bit further away from my spawn point, and I remember why I gave ED a pause.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcYYQDaNgqQ

Turn ship towards star, press (J) to jump repeat and raise 30 time until arriving at destination!
NO WAY MAN, i ain't gonna do that, it's just horrible.

No I don't mind the time to travel, in fact I love the long traveling times, I don't mind the distance in the game, in fact i love the 1:1 galaxy. What I don't like is why I simply can't ask my NPC helmsman to follow my plotted course and tell me when I arrive, and if attacked by pirates tell me, so i can do something, or if we run out of fuel, tell me so i can do something, but for christ sake, don't make me jump manually as it can bring any sane person close to insanity. So I logged out, and played a game where I ride a camel or horse in a huge world to explore, and it got auto camel/horse.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zg0hic8d-HY

Some sort of automated system would be good, I admit.

Perhaps only for the systems that have Nav Beacon in it?

 

[lysan]

For me the requirement is simple ..

If I can jump 25 individual systems in 25 minutes with no refuel needed, why can I not just select System 25 and do it in a single jump with no refuel needed in the same time?

Beauce that is a strawman argument!

Me: I had Eggs and bacon for breakfast this morning...

You: so you're saying kill all vegans?


The traveling time is not an issue, the distance is not an issue, the repetitive mechanics of getting there is.

 

[Winterwalker]

But if all you have to do to get there is highlight the destination and select "take me there" then you remove any achievement or sense of accomplishment from it. It just becomes a glorified Ship Transfer.

Can't argue with that being a significant problem. I've suggested a couple of limited apilot ideas myself in the past, some of them might work out, even avoiding that kind of exploity-exploitedliness, but ultimately .. I can wait, and happily.

Now then .. when can I attempt to supercruise between star systems please, to avoid permit locks and etc.

o7 OP. I reckon we'll get it all .. in time.

 

[lysan]

Star Trek: Beagle Point.
[Episode 27]
Plot summary: Sulu is still pressing 'j'.
Full plot: Sulu is still pressing 'j'. After 10 minutes he grabs another cup of tea. He proceeds to press 'j'. Cliffhanger: will the 'j' button break?

Kirk arrives, "Are we there yet?"