Autopilot - a proposal for balanced in-game implementation

[PrelatePhoenix]

You should check the forum for the "FDEV please fix DC, running into other ships while docking and getting fines" threads. So expect the "FDEV please fix auto-pilot" threads as well.

Two referring not all autopilot even on the real world works 100% of the time without fail. You can just look into the history books for stories of airliners having faulty autopilot that causes catastrophic failure of an aircraft. So in a way the autopilot or even the docking computer in this case it's technically realistic in that it does fail on occasion and it's up to the user to catch the failure before any serious damage or fines are incurred. What you're describing above is essentially Pilots getting lulled into a sense of complacency.

 

[Blackcompany]

Realistically, there is no in universe way that long, multi jump travel routes DO NOT involve automation, up to and including auto pilot. This would not only exist in the Elite universe, it would be MANDATORY for the safety of passengers and crew.

Simply put, the human brain does not have the attention span to maintain high levels of focus over long periods of time in the face of abject boredom. We simply don't so it well, for the most part. This is why autopilot exists: so that long, monotonous flights do not need to rely on human attention for safety.

There is no good reason why we cannot program routes and let our ship handle multiple jumps on its own. Evn to the point of scooping fuel. These tasks are not meaningful game play, no matter what the developers Believe. They are sheer time sink repetitiveness for it's own sake.

It's time for autopilot. We would still need to watch pit ultra hot stars, pirates and destination systems, so we aren't talking AFK, just QOL.