'Confirm launch' button

[JuanCudz]

Not for the first time last night I landed at a station, went to make a cup of tea, came back and blasted off, forgetting to do my trading. I got so frustrated I hit the boost button in an attempt to exit and re-dock as quickly as possible. Well I think you can guess how that ended.

So I would like a 'Confirm Launch' button for all the times you nudge the space-bar without thinking. I would hope that it could be enabled/disabled in settings, for all those CMDRs who are far more sensible (or sober) than me.

 

[Winterwalker]

I'm not fully sure about "confirm" .. To get the same effect, might be preferable to see an (optional) ten second engine warm up. During which time you get a chance to "cancel" launch, rather than have to confirm by second button push. At the end of this time your ship contacts the dock, which releases the ship (or traffic control hold you for a couple of extra seconds, here and there).

Ten seconds is long, enough to think, "have I done everything", whereas an extra button push, I think might (a) be clunky and (b) you'd just end up confirming launch, more or less on automatic anyway, so there's minimal benefit? In reality, the station would be in charge of the docking clamps ... ?

Please try to be more careful next time Commander?

 

[Riedquat]

I do like the 'Engines on' idea.

 

[Iskariot]

Not for the first time last night I landed at a station, went to make a cup of tea, came back and blasted off, forgetting to do my trading. I got so frustrated I hit the boost button in an attempt to exit and re-dock as quickly as possible. Well I think you can guess how that ended.

So I would like a 'Confirm Launch' button for all the times you nudge the space-bar without thinking. I would hope that it could be enabled/disabled in settings, for all those CMDRs who are far more sensible (or sober) than me.

In all this time I have been playing Elite, taking of many, many hundreds, or even thousands of times this has happened to me 2 or perhaps 3 times.

FD should be really careful to implement delays and/or button presses for situations that almost never happen.
I think it would be enough if we would be able to break off the launch procedure during the time the elevator was taking us up to the surface.

 

[Psycho Romeo]

If you hit the button by accident, you should be more careful next time. I see no reason why the game should cater to small mistakes like these.
.
If you had to hold the launch button for a second before it actually confirmed, that would help with menus suddenly closing (happens a lot with headlook) and hitting launch by accident. I see no need to add anything further than that.

 

[JuanCudz]

In all this time I have been playing Elite, taking of many, many hundreds, or even thousands of times this has happened to me 2 or perhaps 3 times.

FD should be really careful to implement delays and/or button presses for situations that almost never happen.
I think it would be enough if we would be able to break off the launch procedure during the time the elevator was taking us up to the surface.

I agree cancelling the launch would be more effective but you would still have to push/click somewhere? A button on the screen while you spin on the pad? Oh and a small fine for wasting the traffic controllers time would be appropriate I think. And do note I asked that the feature could be toggled in settings for you. Funny how rare things happen rarely, until they happen ...

 

[Janichsan]

I think a "cancel launch" option would be less intrusive and wouldn't add more (often pointless) clicks.

 

[Robbie Rocketpants]

I think a "cancel launch" option would be less intrusive and wouldn't add more (often pointless) clicks.

This would be good, I've had my fair share of "oh, wait!" moments. Rep to thee and the OP for the original train of thought.

 

[DocLooshkin]

This is not the first time this has been asked for. On its own, it's not worth the bother: the issue affects almost everyone at some point, but far too infrequently - and most of us are content just flying out and returning sensibly. ED can't successfully protect us from own own idiocy, whether induced by exhaustion, Alzheimer's or alcohol - the crowning moment of stooopid will always find a way to win, eventually.

That said, Winterwalker's idea of a proper launch sequence is an excellent one - and this idea does fit right in there. I suggest a set of pre-launch checks, each one optionally toggled on or off from the right-hand panel:
first, the control-checks we have now;
second, a systems check, which can quickly list out ship and module integrity (and ideally ending in our paintwork percentage, just for the hell of it);
third, a power-groups check, listing out which modules are unpowered, or become unpowered when hardpoints are extended;
and finally (or perhaps concurrently), the engine warm-up, which should only take a few seconds, otherwise it will likely become too annoying to leave on.

-1, for the thing on it's own.
+1 for some kind of launch sequence incorporating it.

 

[PiLhEaD]

I'm not sure about adding a further delay to launch, but an option to cancel the launch during the time it takes to lower the blast shields would be quite welcome.

It's on my nice-to-have list, albeit towards the bottom of that list.

However, adding in the sound (and light flickering) of coming off station-fed power and the engines starting up would be very cool!

For the mean time - I have a handy swear box you're welcome to put into... just send the money to me... cheque, postal-orders and so on all accepted...