Autopilot thread

Until today i thought i have seen the most malevolent things humans are capable of...

I really thought i have seen them all in the last 50 years.
Then this guy came along and proposed the introduction of captchas into my fav game.

I don't know what he is upto and i doubt anybody could figure out but i wish i could permaban this type of peeps from the whole solar system. Seriously... captchas [blah] I can't believe what i've read in this thread. Doom may be near. This must be the end times crazy John talked about in that strange old book two thousand years ago.
 
Lazy way and no honking is enougth. Expensive and heavy parts are not needed imo. Nor should it take additional module. I do advocate abolishing all external scanners and making them integrated, as well as merging all limpet controllers into one "Limpet port". And check my previous post for ways it can deal with cargo.
I am ok with game playing itself for 20 minute bursts. And I'm ok watching game screen with one eye during said burts, in case something happens. This "sexual" analogy I had put inside OP fits it more than I've thougth. Circling star and pressing J maybe as entertaining as sex for some people, but sometimes you dont have enough strength in you to do your matrimonial duties. And I'm not sure that I'm the only one which feels some discomfort doing it 5th time in a row.
If you call it "not playing the game", let me decide whether I want to play jumping part or not :).


No. Now you're being greedy. You do not get cost without benefit, and you do not get benefit without cost.
And you certainly shouldn't get benefits of real-time travel by fast traveling. Those Taxi's take ages in GTA...

And your greed reminds me... I must now add to the list.

Because Machine Intelligence is ILLEGAL by Intergalactic Treaty in ALL factions and systems...

- The module should award an automatic 100,000cr BOUNTY on you for any ship that scans you.

That is of course in addition to this list:
- It should be an extremely EXPENSIVE module.
- It should be an excessively HEAVY module.
- It should have a HUGE power draw.
- It should INCREASE fuel used per jump.
- It should require you to manually plot Main Sequence stars or face the consequences.
- It should take a LONG time, and lap each star until the tank is FULL.
- It should AUTO-SUBMIT to any interdictions.
- It should NOT allow use of discovery scanner. If the scanner is honked, it should disengage the module immediately.


I am in favor of an auto-pilot module that can scoop and jump to next... But it must be exorbitantly costly to use.

The "I want it now!" crowd can turn themselves into blueberries and get Oompla Loompa'd off to "Make-the-Game-Boring Land" along with the "Uphill both ways barefoot in the snow Sidewinder" forum dads. Elite should be Dangerous. DANGEROUS I say!
;)
 
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Not read most of the thread, just wanted to quickly add my thoughts on the autopilot concept.

It's not a feature I'm looking for in a game I bought to let me fly spaceships, but I'd be okay with one being added provided manual piloting achieved the goal better/faster. For example the autopilot could stay at 75% throttle just as the NPCs currently do.

If an autopilot is implemented I look forward to the first complaint thread where an AFK player loses their ship :)
 
I think there might be some macho thing about doing jumps manually :D And if they have to suffer then the rest of us do. It is ridiculous, but it is what it is.

You may be right, but I think it can be a fair accomplishment in its own way. I go exploring primarily in a fully combat loaded Vulture and have been to most all of the known Nebulae in our quadrant of the galaxy in it. I don't race across it when I can help it, instead taking my time and exploring various interesting systems when I come across them. It can be a bit of a chore, but I think it qualifies as compelling gameplay in some respects at least – even a fully combat loaded Vulture can be quite capable in terms of systems explored per time with how things are now. You just have to have the taste for it and a bit of patience.

I'm not expecting everyone to play the same way as I do, but for getting around the bubble and the like, or even out to the Pleiades and back, I really don't think it's the issue that some people make it out to be. This is just my perspective, of course.

I don't think auto-jumping between systems would be very productive in the game, such as it is. I would prefer more compelling gameplay here and there between things; stop and smell the roses once in a while, if you know what I mean. That's how I approach the issue in general.

I think autopilot beyond what we already have in the game could potentially add to gameplay overall, but not really with what we have now and how we go about doing it. I'm honestly trying to be reasonable here and understand other people's perspectives, but for compelling gameplay as things are now, I'm not seeing much if any reason for it, and I think it would make this game even more of a "Netflix" type game than what it is now for some.
 
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You probably don't understand the fact that any almost every captcha breaker have to be build specificaly to the task in hand. Most of them work by the means of brute force image comparing against ones from libraries. And most which you can download are made for browsers. And basically by creating new set of data, let alone new type of data, to intelligently solve, you create a need for making new captcha breaker almost from scratch.

You probably don’t understand is that all it takes is one: one player with the necessary skills, a desire to remove the captcha, and a willingness to share it with others. It doesn’t necessarily have to be for a botter. It could be a player annoyed that the autopilot is behind a captcha wall; a player who likes a challenge; an ex-player who wants to stick it too Frontier; it doesn’t really matter to motive, just the result.

And then Frontier has to develop a new one, which, as I said above, would mean that Frontier would have to go into the captcha developing business.

All the programs necessary to bot were made for other reasons other than botting. They just make it easier to do so. I’ve been playing MMOs for nearly 25 years now, and computer games for most of my life. The days of security through obscurity are long behind us.

One
player during the Alpha, deciding the game needed better trading tools, and sharing it the community, managed to wreck the games’s nascent economy, to the point where Frontier caved in to player pressure and nerfed their Economc Sim until it is no longer relevant outside of CGs or certain heavily trafficked systems. There are at least nine out there today, of varying quality, some of whom rely on the use of programs made for other purposes.

I am constantly amazed by the size, skill, and passion of the modding (I use this term very loosely) community, both of this game, and of games in general. Just like almost every other game company, they have chosen to embrace this. But the increased accessibility, thanks to being able to change how a game plays, comes at a cost: a larger tool set for bad actors.

And you seem to ignore that "traceable" aspect completely.

Not so much “ignore,” as of the opinion that Frontier’s been pretty lax to date when it comes to cheating. If after three years they’re still not monitoring players accounts for unusual credit increases, something that would far easier to do than monitoring for unusual patterns of behavior, edit (forgot to complete thought) I sincerely doubt thay’ll do that with the autopilot.

Lets clarify one thing. Botting is a threat only to BGS simulation and Powerplay.

In other words, the entire game. The BGS runs everything. It determines what missions generate, and what the rewards will be. The BGS isn’t a mini game for handful of players, like Powerplay is, easily ignored by other players, and BGS manipulation isn’t necessarily about grinding influence. One player, who knows what she’s doing, can shape a system to generate the type of missions she enjoys. If you don’t enjoy those missions, too bad for you.

And botting in those things only is abuseable by focusing multiple bots on a single spot.

I disagree, especially in the case of affecting the BGS. It’s all about the net results. Unless the players who call a system home are organized, they tend to cancel each other out, unless one player is either a lot more active than the others, or is focused on results other than credits or reputation. One bot player, thanks to effectively being active 24/7, can change the entire character of a system, deliberately or not.

And, as in game functionality is in use, it would be ... well just scroll a couple of posts above. Or check updated OP. If there are no GMs, we already do need them. If there are no tools to manipulate BGS midweek, they already need them. Autopilot or no.

On this we agree. I’ve come to the conclusion that Frontier, for all they’ve done right in this game in regards to player killing, doesn't understand that cheaters can destroy an MMO just as easily.

And by the way, it is not a big stretch in terms of immersion to forbid autopiloting with some wares. Thus making you transmit your shipping manifest to every nav beacon you pass. And when opposing PP faction learns that there are some Cutter moves on autopilot through their space and carries 750 tonnes of Aisling softcore mags, they would immedieately tell their ATR to go and atomize it :D.
Imagine now what will happen with some multiboxer then.

Now that is an idea I can get behind, not only for an autopilot, but for the entire game. It would certainly make smuggling more interesting. But I doubt it would have an effect on multi-boxers. The only difference between them and a player who “plays” this game while watching Netflix is what’s on the second screen.

As for bot traders and explorers, they do not harm anyone but themselves. External additions to autopilot being illegal is disincenifying enough. Captcha of any sort is enough of a technical barrier for them. If those things wont stop them, nothing will.

I not only disagree, I vehemently disagree. Bot traders and explorers can do a lot of harm to others. Bot traders can sour a system for others just by existing, and both an be used to essentially print credits. IOW, they’re another form of credit exploit. These credits can be used for anything: evading C&P, fast tracking merits in Powerplay, or manipulating the BGS.

And I’ve said before, any captcha that is robust enough to provide friction against botting, is robust enough to provide friction against using the autopilot in the first place.
 
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You lost my respect of your experience at about point 4. However: I read the rest and the way I see it is this: You want to make a game that you find boring; even more boring by basically having 'cut scenes' to cut out the apparently boring stuff.

Point 5: You are doing it wrong, everything should be profitable.

Point 6: How about you get what you want, but it takes 30 seconds to re-gain ship control, if you are attacked etc..

Point 8: You have to jump, to change instances, therefore systems.

Point 9: 400billion systems? If that is lacking, put on your Buzz Lightyear outfit and try to find something else.

Point 10: Auto-pilot only works for short hops. Very short hops, when you look at the scale of things. Today tech, can land a plane maybe, but only with a dozen satellites helping it and over very short hops; again.

I have read it, given it some thought and feel that there is no valid arguments I have seen; here and before this thread, to warrant a fast forward button in the game.

This.

Only thing I'd mention is I'd lost respect at point 1. "Cheating happens, therefore we should condone cheating and implement easy ways of doing it".

Not to mention that any form of AP would NOT be allowed to be faster/skip anything compared to standard supercruise and nor could it dissuade even NPCs, let alone CMDRs, from interdicting you - and you just know that a week after release the forum would be bursting to the brim with people insulting FD for creating a feature that let them be killed when AFK.

Simple rule: if you want to play ED, then hot damn....you play it. And if traveling is too much for you? Well, don't spend all your time traveling!

Blaze your own trail, folks ;)
 
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Having trawled though the thread I would just like to say:


The game as is = Space is Big

with autopilot = Space is not so big



My choice = keep space big.

(If you don't want to play in a game with a galaxy that is big - you need a different game.)

I know what you are trying to convey, but knowing that I can switch ships in order to get to my destination 10 times faster hurts sence of scale way more (yes, 10 or 15 even, as shorter jump range makes you stop to circle star more, which is the longest part).

And the fact that I have no logical alternatives except haluling my combat ship behind be for surreal 30 mil cost to making those 30 jumps hurts my immersion and enjoyment from the game.

And I don't belive that having slower but hands-free way to get somewhere hurts sense of scale at all. Imagine that when you came home from work and started ED you could plot your route, click start, relaxing music starts to play, and your ship starts to slowly proceed to its destination while you sit back and watch the screen. Fact that there is 1% chance that autopilot, for example, can just take closest route to circling the star (through it's core :D), not to mention existing things which require your attention, would make you not simply leave.

Until today i thought i have seen the most malevolent things humans are capable of...

I really thought i have seen them all in the last 50 years.
Then this guy came along and proposed the introduction of captchas into my fav game.

I don't know what he is upto and i doubt anybody could figure out but i wish i could permaban this type of peeps from the whole solar system. Seriously... captchas [blah] I can't believe what i've read in this thread. Doom may be near. This must be the end times crazy John talked about in that strange old book two thousand years ago.

If you wont be using autopilot, you wont see said captchas. If you would use, you would see them only if you will use it too much. Don't overreact please. By the way, I don't want to play medieval space game. Captchas in space make sence.

No. Now you're being greedy. You do not get cost without benefit, and you do not get benefit without cost.
And you certainly shouldn't get benefits of real-time travel by fast traveling. Those Taxi's take ages in GTA...

And your greed reminds me... I must now add to the list.

Because Machine Intelligence is ILLEGAL by Intergalactic Treaty in ALL factions and systems...

- The module should award an automatic 100,000cr BOUNTY on you for any ship that scans you.

That is of course in addition to this list:


I am in favor of an auto-pilot module that can scoop and jump to next... But it must be exorbitantly costly to use.

The "I want it now!" crowd can turn themselves into blueberries and get Oompla Loompa'd off to "Make-the-Game-Boring Land" along with the "Uphill both ways barefoot in the snow Sidewinder" forum dads. Elite should be Dangerous. DANGEROUS I say!
;)



With piloting automated as it is already (or you get out of your cockpit to spool FSD manually or something?), no one would need an AI for an autopilot. i486 pc is enough. What would you be hauling in that excessively heavy module, 1950's supercomputer? :D

Not read most of the thread, just wanted to quickly add my thoughts on the autopilot concept.

It's not a feature I'm looking for in a game I bought to let me fly spaceships, but I'd be okay with one being added provided manual piloting achieved the goal better/faster. For example the autopilot could stay at 75% throttle just as the NPCs currently do.

If an autopilot is implemented I look forward to the first complaint thread where an AFK player loses their ship :)

Exactly how I want it, and don't see other ways to it than it being less effective than manual. Don't want to be trolled with it being disfunctional like docking computer though.

You may be right, but I think it can be a fair accomplishment in its own way. I go exploring primarily in a fully combat loaded Vulture and have been to most all of the known Nebulae in our quadrant of the galaxy in it. I don't race across it when I can help it, instead taking my time and exploring various interesting systems when I come across them. It can be a bit of a chore, but I think it qualifies as compelling gameplay in some respects at least – even a fully combat loaded Vulture can be quite capable in terms of systems explored per time with how things are now. You just have to have the taste for it and a bit of patience.

I'm not expecting everyone to play the same way as I do, but for getting around the bubble and the like, or even out to the Pleiades and back, I really don't think it's the issue that some people make it out to be. This is just my perspective, of course.

I don't think auto-jumping between systems would be very productive in the game, such as it is. I would prefer more compelling gameplay here and there between things; stop and smell the roses once in a while, if you know what I mean. That's how I approach the issue in general.

I think autopilot beyond what we already have in the game could potentially add to gameplay overall, but not really with what we have now and how we go about doing it. I'm honestly trying to be reasonable here and understand other people's perspectives, but for compelling gameplay as things are now, I'm not seeing much if any reason for it, and I think it would make this game even more of a "Netflix" type game than what it is now for some.

No one would forbid you from stopping if you see something noteworthy.
As for the reasons for an autopilot, read OP again. It should be there.
And again, fact that there is 1% chance that autopilot, for example, can just take "closest" route to circling the star, not to mention existing things which require your attention, would make you not simply leave.


Maybe you should read Automation and Scripting - An investigation into further abuses of BGS and Powerplay I just found it due to another topic about Bots on suggestion forums.

Here a lave radio At 48:00 They start talking about bots.

I did read through this post very closely, and prior to opening this thread at that. It gave me a lot of arguments.

You probably don’t understand is that all it takes is one: one player with the necessary skills, a desire to remove the captcha, and a willingness to share it with others. It doesn’t necessarily have to be for a botter. It could be a player annoyed that the autopilot is behind a captcha wall; a player who likes a challenge; an ex-player who wants to stick it too Frontier; it doesn’t really matter to motive, just the result.

And then Frontier has to develop a new one, which, as I said above, would mean that Frontier would have to go into the captcha developing business.

All the programs necessary to bot were made for other reasons other than botting. They just make it easier to do so. I’ve been playing MMOs for nearly 25 years now, and computer games for most of my life. The days of security through obscurity are long behind us.

One
player during the Alpha, deciding the game needed better trading tools, and sharing it the community, managed to wreck the games’s nascent economy, to the point where Frontier caved in to player pressure and nerfed their Economc Sim until it is no longer relevant outside of CGs or certain heavily trafficked systems. There are at least nine out there today, of varying quality, some of whom rely on the use of programs made for other purposes.

I am constantly amazed by the size, skill, and passion of the modding (I use this term very loosely) community, both of this game, and of games in general. Just like almost every other game company, they have chosen to embrace this. But the increased accessibility, thanks to being able to change how a game plays, comes at a cost: a larger tool set for bad actors.



Not so much “ignore,” as of the opinion that Frontier’s been pretty lax to date when it comes to cheating. If after three years they’re still not monitoring players accounts for unusual credit increases, something that would far easier to do than monitoring for unusual patterns of behavior, edit (forgot to complete thought) I sincerely doubt thay’ll do that with the autopilot.



In other words, the entire game. The BGS runs everything. It determines what missions generate, and what the rewards will be. The BGS isn’t a mini game for handful of players, like Powerplay is, easily ignored by other players, and BGS manipulation isn’t necessarily about grinding influence. One player, who knows what she’s doing, can shape a system to generate the type of missions she enjoys. If you don’t enjoy those missions, too bad for you.



I disagree, especially in the case of affecting the BGS. It’s all about the net results. Unless the players who call a system home are organized, they tend to cancel each other out, unless one player is either a lot more active than the others, or is focused on results other than credits or reputation. One bot player, thanks to effectively being active 24/7, can change the entire character of a system, deliberately or not.



On this we agree. I’ve come to the conclusion that Frontier, for all they’ve done right in this game in regards to player killing, doesn't understand that cheaters can destroy an MMO just as easily.



Now that is an idea I can get behind, not only for an autopilot, but for the entire game. It would certainly make smuggling more interesting. But I doubt it would have an effect on multi-boxers. The only difference between them and a player who “plays” this game while watching Netflix is what’s on the second screen.



I not only disagree, I vehemently disagree. Bot traders and explorers can do a lot of harm to others. Bot traders can sour a system for others just by existing, and both an be used to essentially print credits. IOW, they’re another form of credit exploit. These credits can be used for anything: evading C&P, fast tracking merits in Powerplay, or manipulating the BGS.

And I’ve said before, any captcha that is robust enough to provide friction against botting, is robust enough to provide friction against using the autopilot in the first place.

With all the research you make me do, you making me a good bot-maker and desecrate my pure mind. [blah]
First, please meditate on the fact that adding autopilot in-game lowers anti-bot plank less than adding captcha for the said autopilot raises it. Is it easy to find a good, let alone free bot as things are now? Not so. I am certain I can get external autopilot to work in 3 days. And I'm not so sure I can do so with captcha breaker.

Also, don't forget the fact that it would be about 50% less efficient than manual travel by default. 30% for jumping, 50% for SC, 80% for docking (if latter 2 are implemented at all, and don't take existing docking computer seriously). No one would use it for serious abuse, IMO. Let alone take money for hacks which are using it.

By the way, it's enough for said captcha to appear at all after like 3rd AP activation in an hour, reducing counter by one when game made you to stop the sequence. Most of the people will never run into it.

Also meditate on the fact that any in-game function is easier to adjust and track than any external one. How do you think situation with bots will progress? Disappear by itself? It would be wise to release autopilot without limitations to bait botters into using it and patch in pre-planned limitations and obstacles each week. Without a word in patch notes, of course.

Also you lost me on the part where application doen't have to be focused. Please explain, and don't forget that all you can do is to haul something indefinately.

That example about ATR and softcore mags. It could be extended to high-value goods and used as an immersive way to either adding sort of captcha (more annoying pirates exclusive for autopilot users, with, let's say, Pack-hound FSD rebooters), or a way to block its use for trading or PP (them just interdicting you with 8A G6 Fast Capture interdictor as soon as you high-wake and evaporating you before FSD cools down). Good luck getting rich on bot-hauling biowaste.

Or add some mentioned above 1% chance for an autopilot to take "closest" route to circling the star. That would make it unacceptable for honking. Imagine how more of those surprises can be patched in and how long it can take to determine them all.

Belive me, I know how big botting is. Also I do certainly know that coding is fun. But I'm certain that abuse is preventable, and such prevention won't take too much resources (other than creativity), especially when you have control on main part. That just look too much as an excuse to me.
And don't think I do not care about bots, I've took a lot of moral damage from undercutting bots in WoW.


This.

Only thing I'd mention is I'd lost respect at point 1. "Cheating happens, therefore we should condone cheating and implement easy ways of doing it".

Not to mention that any form of AP would NOT be allowed to be faster/skip anything compared to standard supercruise and nor could it dissuade even NPCs, let alone CMDRs, from interdicting you - and you just know that a week after release the forum would be bursting to the brim with people insulting FD for creating a feature that let them be killed when AFK.

Simple rule: if you want to play ED, then hot damn....you play it. And if traveling is too much for you? Well, don't spend all your time traveling!

Blaze your own trail, folks ;)

This point was took as a postulate for a number of conclusions. Do I speak about adding BOTS in-game? Please think before posting, I've asked for g-ds sake.

No one had said about faster and/or non-interdictable. And who cares about those whiners.
I sometimes do not want to play jumping part when I'm tired and when it is too excessive.
Do I play the game which I've paid for or this game is an FTP where you pay with energy generated by J button clicks?
Or jumping in this game have competitive value to it? (ill add this to op)
So I have to drop the game now? Because some people get sexual pleasure from circling stars and clicking J button?
 
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If you wont be using autopilot, you wont see said captchas. If you would use, you would see them only if you will use it too much. Don't overreact please. By the way, I don't want to play medieval space game. Captchas in space make sence.
I don't have to see them to know you are proposing them and that is enough to show unbridgable differences between you and me. In earlier times those would have been sorted out sunday morning at sunset because no galaxy could ever be big enough for both of us!

And BTW i love to overreact. To be honest: Overreaction is my second first name.
 
This topic is a rant one? Are you or just stupid? Sorry to ask, but seriously?

It is when you adamantly insist that EVERYONE must listen and consider your OPINIONS, yet flagrantly dismiss ANY PRIOR DISCUSSION/VIEWS on the topic. You have stated that since this was discussed before you decided it was a brilliant windmill to attack, all other discussions and decisions are IRRELEVANT simply because they did not agree with your preconceived notions.

Bottom line, rather than do the homework and actually put in the research to educate yourself, and then present factual arguments that are not blatantly dismissive/demeaning/condescending/rude you just come here and bleat like a wounded sheep (across every thread you can hijack) about a feature that would REMOVE the need for a Human Pilot at the controls - IN A SPACESHIP GAME. Maybe if you were coming up with suggestions to improve gameplay during flight, again in a respectful manner, your ideas would be worthy of consideration. Maybe. But to just REMOVE parts of the game - because you deem them too boring/grindy/unnecessary goes to a deeper problem - one that exists solely between chair and computer.
 
It is when you adamantly insist that EVERYONE must listen and consider your OPINIONS, yet flagrantly dismiss ANY PRIOR DISCUSSION/VIEWS on the topic. You have stated that since this was discussed before you decided it was a brilliant windmill to attack, all other discussions and decisions are IRRELEVANT simply because they did not agree with your preconceived notions.

Bottom line, rather than do the homework and actually put in the research to educate yourself, and then present factual arguments that are not blatantly dismissive/demeaning/condescending/rude you just come here and bleat like a wounded sheep (across every thread you can hijack) about a feature that would REMOVE the need for a Human Pilot at the controls - IN A SPACESHIP GAME. Maybe if you were coming up with suggestions to improve gameplay during flight, again in a respectful manner, your ideas would be worthy of consideration. Maybe. But to just REMOVE parts of the game - because you deem them too boring/grindy/unnecessary goes to a deeper problem - one that exists solely between chair and computer.



I've jammed into op most of the reasons I've seen against while advocating for AP in this game for 2 years and dismiss them one by one, using logic. By the way most of those contain "SPACE GAME" and "PLAYING" in those, spelled with CapsLock on. So much logic, wow. Space and autopilot, they sure do not come together.

Attacking windmills means doing something useless. Trying to shift opinions of people which had voted poorly at some point is not such an activity. They see it too much as a personal attack, which it is not. Not all of the cards were laid down and shown at that point. I'd voted same probably.

So adding unefficient but hands-free way to travel in this game removes need in a pilot? Removes parts of this game? It adds some.
 
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With all the research you make me do, you making me a good bot-maker and desecrate my pure mind. [blah]
First, please meditate on the fact that adding autopilot in-game lowers anti-bot plank less than adding captcha for the said autopilot raises it. Is it easy to find a good, let alone free bot as things are now? Not so. I am certain I can get external autopilot to work in 3 days. And I'm not so sure I can do so with captcha breaker.

*sigh*

I really don't think you understand. Captcha doesn't create friction against using bots, whether simple or complex. Captcha creates friction against using the autopilot. If the captcha is good enough to deter bots, then it's annoying enough to deter humans. If the Captcha is simple enough not to deter humans, then its simple enough to defeat with a macro... and macro programs are ubiquitous these days.

Also, don't forget the fact that it would be about 50% less efficient than manual travel by default. 30% for jumping, 50% for SC, 80% for docking (if latter 2 are implemented at all, and don't take existing docking computer seriously). No one would use it for serious abuse, IMO. Let alone take money for hacks which are using it.
"Playing" the game 24/7 at 50% effectiveness is still far more hours than the average human being can. About eight times longer, in fact.

By the way, it's enough for said captcha to appear at all after like 3rd AP activation in an hour, reducing counter by one when game made you to stop the sequence. Most of the people will never run into it.

And I just thought of a way to get around it: have the macro log off after completing each leg of the preprogrammed route.

Also meditate on the fact that any in-game function is easier to adjust and track than any external one. How do you think situation with bots will progress? Disappear by itself? It would be wise to release autopilot without limitations to bait botters into using it and patch in pre-planned limitations and obstacles each week. Without a word in patch notes, of course.

THAT's a way to annoy your legitimate player base, as if the captcha wasn't enough.

Also you lost me on the part where application doen't have to be focused. Please explain, and don't forget that all you can do is to haul something indefinately.

I assume you're talking about the BGS or Powerplay. The former is much more complex than "hauling stuff," the latter not so much. In either case, its fairly trivial to create a macro to do everything but pilot your ship to its destination. An ingame autopilot solves that problem.

That example about ATR and softcore mags. It could be extended to high-value goods and used as an immersive way to either adding sort of captcha (more annoying pirates exclusive for autopilot users, with, let's say, Pack-hound FSD rebooters), or a way to block its use for trading or PP (them just interdicting you with 8A G6 Fast Capture interdictor as soon as you high-wake and evaporating you before FSD cools down). Good luck getting rich on bot-hauling biowaste.

*insert face palm meme here*

You do want players to use this autopilot of yours, don't you? With all these sources of friction you're adding to it, nobody will be willing to use it. Players complain enough about NPC interdictions as it is.

Or add some mentioned above 1% chance for an autopilot to take "closest" route to circling the star. That would make it unacceptable for honking. Imagine how more of those surprises can be patched in and how long it can take to determine them all.

You haven't explored at all, have you? Or by "closest," do you mean the autopilot will randomly try to dive into the sun?

Belive me, I know how big botting is. Also I do certainly know that coding is fun. But I fail to see how abuse is unpreventable, nor such prevention taking too much resources, especially when you have control on main part. That just look too much as an excuse to me.
And don't think I do not care about bots, I've took a lot of moral damage from undercutting bots in WoW.

Allow me to boil down the essence of this whole thread: fun, fair, or cheap - choose two.

Keep in mind, that when it comes to dealing with cheating, Frontier has repeatedly chosen cheap, and I don't see that changing any time soon.
 
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I've jammed into op most of the reasons I've seen against while advocating for AP in this game for 2 years and dismiss them one by one, using logic. By the way most of those contain "SPACE GAME" and "PLAYING" in those, spelled with CapsLock on. So much logic, wow. Space and autopilot, they sure do not come together.

Attacking windmills means doing something useless. Trying to shift opinions of people which had voted poorly at some point is not such an activity. They see it too much as a personal attack, which it is not. Not all of the cards were shown at that point. I'd voted same probably.

So adding unefficient but hands-free way to travel in this game removes need in a pilot? Removes parts in this game? It adds some.

Then you didn't do your homework as the discussions started back in the DDF days...

Just because others did not agree with your opinion does not mean they "voted poorly" - which is in and of itself making a personal attack.

You can lead someone to culture, but you can't make them think...
 
*sigh*

I really don't think you understand. Captcha doesn't create friction against using bots, whether simple or complex. Captcha creates friction against using the autopilot. If the captcha is good enough to deter bots, then it's annoying enough to deter humans. If the Captcha is simple enough not to deter humans, then its simple enough to defeat with a macro... and macro programs are ubiquitous these days.

Witch captcha in browsers, you can just click "reload". With captcha in game, all you can click is "accept rebuy". Nor can captcha appear in many forms at random, as it can have many forms. Time to develop breaker goes through the roof. While all it would take for the player to solve it is simply watching his ship.

"Playing" the game 24/7 at 50% effectiveness is still far more hours than the average human being can. About eight times longer, in fact.

Yet it is enough to reconsider using it as a building block, as well as the fact that you don't know what is in the box. And again, building AP from scratch is not too hard.

And I just thought of a way to get around it: have the macro log off after completing each leg of the preprogrammed route.

By restricting its effectiveness to 3 trips per hour? It is an adjustable variable.

THAT's a way to annoy your legitimate player base, as if the captcha wasn't enough.

By them getting rekt when they go AFK? The fact that you transmit you cargo manifest when using autopilot can be delivered to players.

I assume you're talking about the BGS or Powerplay. The former is much more complex than "hauling stuff," the latter not so much. In either case, its fairly trivial to create a macro to do everything but pilot your ship to its destination. An ingame autopilot solves that problem.

Still not getting the point. Missions, trade, combat, donations. What do I miss? Parking a ship in a station for it to spam donation missions can be done manually.

*insert face palm meme here*

You do want players to use this autopilot of yours, don't you? With all these sources of friction you're adding to it, nobody will be willing to use it. Players complain enough about NPC interdictions as it is.

And again, not using it with valuable cargo and not going AFK is enough. It should be conveyed.

You haven't explored at all, have you? Or by "closest," do you mean the autopilot will randomly try to dive into the sun?

I had for a week. And yes, I mean just that. Or any unforeseen surprise which will make no issue when you supervise its operation closely enough, yet destroy it's use for botting.

Allow me to boil down the essence of this whole thread: fun, fair, or cheap - choose two.

Keep in mind, that when it comes to dealing with cheating, Frontier has repeatedly chosen cheap, and I don't see that changing any time soon.

Yes, unfortunately. But main goal of this topic is not "giff autopilot naow". It is to show an error in the statement "it never should be implemented", which is currently in effect in heads of some players and developers.



Then you didn't do your homework as the discussions started back in the DDF days...

Just because others did not agree with your opinion does not mean they "voted poorly" - which is in and of itself making a personal attack.

You can lead someone to culture, but you can't make them think...

I've read most of it long ago.

You see explaining people their mistakes as forbidden? If it is personal attack anyways, they take it too personal. I don't know since when being unable to percive your own mistakes is a good trait.
And it is not "mine-with-capslock" opinion only.
 
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So I have to drop the game now? Because some people get sexual pleasure from circling stars and clicking J button?

Like a lot of people who want the game to be adapted to suit them rather than themselves adapting to the game, you have descended into trying to insult people who accept that the game requires you to actively pilot your space-ship.

Stick to your argument in support of your position and refrain from attempting to belittle people with opposing views.

You are entitled to make suggestions, you are not entitled to think that anyone who doesn't support you must be dismissed.
 

Lestat

Banned
Then you didn't do your homework as the discussions started back in the DDF days...

Just because others did not agree with your opinion does not mean they "voted poorly" - which is in and of itself making a personal attack.

You can lead someone to culture, but you can't make them think...

I like to point out this. The people from DDF did not pay $20 $50 for a game. They paid more than $300 to get into design discussion forum to help make the game and to support the game. Our Voices do count. If they add Autopilot. I think many people would leave and quit the game.

I did read through this post very closely, and prior to opening this thread at that. It gave me a lot of arguments.
Here a question. You read through a topic or listen to Laveradio. Why have you not express questions like? If they add Autopilot would it help or hurt bots and what if anything could combat those issues? We can see their reactions. So far I don't see you asking questions and maybe get some of their views.

Now the point on captcha in other 2 threads. in a resounding no. It had nothing to do with Autopilot.
 
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Autopilot is another game, the crying room is down the hall on the left, exit on the right. Another fail thread again and again, on and on. Railway Empire has automation, try that. :)
 
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Yeah, it would reduce the desire of people to bot, and could be a module or something to limit but not destroy its uses for trading, that and a docking computer and the bot not moving as fast as a player + the bot losing to interdiction more would reduce the earnings, meaning you should probably fly the ship if you have the time.

But yes auto pilot, why not game is repetitive lets reduce a little of that.
 
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