Sorry i'm in a bit of a hurry so i only skimmed all the pages of this thread (though i didn't just jump straight to reply), but i'm pretty sure that and surprised no one has (or seems to have) brought up the standard use of autopilot in Egosoft's X series.
(And why people don't compare more things in this game to the X series, which alongside Age of Empires iii are the only PC games i've put a large, and frankly silly, amount of time into
.)
While in several ways the X games are more forgiving and easier than this game, no one could ever accuse them as being easy, forgiving or hell even arcadey (they have a similarly steep learning curve), but the ships in that series all have autopilot by default, though it is quicker and generally more fun to fly yourself and you've to monitor your ship's autopilot flight to ensure it doesn't try to fly you into another ship, station* or asteroid.
(One upgrade you can buy which would seemingly make many Elite players balk is that series' docking computer, which i guess in one way is kind of cheating. Installing and activating it while within five kilometres of a regular station and within about eight kilometres of a large station like a shipyard, instantly jumps you to being docked at the station - though when you're under fire or when you're trying to beat other traders to the best deals, i feel no guilt in using it
.)
On this game i've seen plenty of discussion about autopilot and in particular the docking computer and there are many, likely several years old comments about how terrible the docking computer supposedly is, flying people into things etc, but since i've fitted docking computers to my ships about two weeks ago, they've docked me flawlessly every time, so well in fact, i'm happy to tell my ships to dock while i do other things.
(I general play this game late at night and setting a ship to dock automatically can be a nice chance to close my eyes for a minute or two, 'til i have to take control again, but even when i'm wide awake, it's nice to be able to take my "hands off the wheel", while i perhaps switch through the various camera angles in the game or look at the scenery in freelook mode, without worrying the ship will crash into something
.)
On the docking computer in this game, i'm really glad it exists, but i wish it didn't take up a module slot :_ .
While i can dock in this game and some times i can do it flawlessly, but in general, i hate the "X marks the spot" nature of it.
If landing anywhere on the landing pad and on any landing was allowed, i might not even use it (since it takes up a slot), but since if you're a little too far left, right, forward or behind the docking point you've to fuster around, often up to ten times trying to get back in position.
Also while finding your landing pad inside a big station in this game is relatively easy, particularly in the "long" type of stations, but in the "ball" type of stations, it can take an age to actually find the entry slot in the first place, while at small stations, your landing pad might be on the opposite side of the station to which you're facing, but the docking computer takes away the effort of searching for the entry slot and landing pad as it knows exactly where they are
.
In general in the X series it's quicker and more engaging to simply fly yourself, but there are times when you might be eating or talking to someone etc, when it's nice to be able to sit back and let the ship fly itself while you of course monitor it, to make sure it's not about to crash you into something.
In this game, like Old Duck mentioned, i'd really like it for use in supercruise, in particular to easily and reliably exit supercruise in spitting distance of my target.
I really dislike the way you've to exit supercruise in this game.
If you don't do it perfectly, you either find yourself shooting way passed your target or if you slow down too soon take an age to speed back up to get to your target :_ .
(In particular i'd really like autopilot for planetary landings as if you drop out of supercruise too soon, it might take you five minutes to fly to your destination :_ .)
(*In particular the autopilot in the X series is notorious for trying to fly you THROUGH solar power plants
.
Which actually makes me think of one of the few ways this game is fairer than the X series.
In this game, while insurance is expensive, general repairs are really cheap.
I was recently flying an upgraded to 6 to 8 million value Viper mark iv, when i got badly mauled in a battle. I managed to limp back to a station with less than 30% hull remaining, but the 70% plus ship repair job only cost me 30,000 credits.
In the X series damage repair costs are proportional to the cost of your ship, at least the purchase cost, though i think too to the equipped cost of your ship - if your ship cost a couple of million to buy, heavy damage will cost you a couple of million to repair
.)
