Instant ship transfer is ok, but Auto pilot is not.

[sbdags]

If you want to make a boring game go ahead and add an autopilot to it.

 

[777Driver]

If you want to make a boring game go ahead and add an autopilot to it.

I completely disagree, long range trips would be much more interesting, even if the devs implemented a tiny fraction of the automation available in ships/aircraft and spacecraft in 2016.

Am sure many here enjoy nudging the HOTAS or pedas every now and again, tiny course corrections to keep the ship on course whilst in SC.. Personally I would rather have an in depth navigation computer, plotting optimal paths, managing systems on the ships, issuing helm commands & taking over when necessary.

Has always seemed bizarre to me, am flying a billion credit 2000 tonne futuristic machine that has less automation than a single seat prop.

 

[lysan]

I completely disagree, long range trips would be much more interesting, even if the devs implemented a tiny fraction of the automation available in ships/aircraft and spacecraft in 2016.

Am sure many here enjoy nudging the HOTAS or pedas every now and again, tiny course corrections to keep the ship on course whilst in SC.. Personally I would rather have an in depth navigation computer, plotting optimal paths, managing systems on the ships, issuing helm commands & taking over when necessary.

Has always seemed bizarre to me, am flying a billion credit 2000 tonne futuristic machine that has less automation than a single seat prop.

Actually ultralights are more automated than our ships

[video=youtube;EcjOqLP7bAM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcjOqLP7bAM[/video]

 

[SatansMittens]

I wonder if any of the people here against the idea of Autopilot also refuse to use the cruise control on their cars for long road trips because they "enjoy highway driving"

 

[Minecraf345]

I was on the No autopilot side, then i remembered, If I want to walk around my ship( when it is implemented) while super-cruising, who will fly it? AFAIK, exploration data and/or cargo canisters cannot fly a ship...
I would want an auto pilot that can take you to a station and drop out, or do a jump while I explore the insides of a Anaconda or Cobra!

 

[lysan]

I don't know if this is hard to program, maybe someone who actually knows about programming could tell us if its easy or not.
I do know that there are hacks out there that will make your ship fly automatic from place to place, so I guess that its doable.

FD got some serious talented coders, so maybe they can do some magic, cast some spells what do I know

 

[SqualZell]

i would say simplified autopilot like the OP described, yes.... but with conditions

1- like the docking computer it has to take up a module spot.

2- the space legs need to be fleshed out. I don't want to simply sit and watch my screen for 2 hours

There needs to be things to do
a) astrometrics - plot course changes, scan for anomalies, scan celestial bodies
b) comms - View Market Data, Bounty charters, political/socio-economic data,
c) Ship Maintenance - conduct manual repairs, or temp performance enhancements
d) multi-passenger socializing. (think Star Wars Ep 4 with chewbaka playing that chesslike game with C3PO)

 

[Karlos Ploryman]

i would say simplified autopilot like the OP described, yes.... but with conditions

1- like the docking computer it has to take up a module spot.

2- the space legs need to be fleshed out. I don't want to simply sit and watch my screen for 2 hours

There needs to be things to do
a) astrometrics - plot course changes, scan for anomalies, scan celestial bodies
b) comms - View Market Data, Bounty charters, political/socio-economic data,
c) Ship Maintenance - conduct manual repairs, or temp performance enhancements
d) multi-passenger socializing. (think Star Wars Ep 4 with chewbaka playing that chesslike game with C3PO)

I am not thinking about this idea as "autopilot module"... The whole idea is more about having a NPC co-pilot (seated next to you in the cocpit). The co-pilot seat is already there, so I do not think one should need to outfit anything special into internal slots in order to let NPC co-pilot drive...

Maybe on one-seaters like sidewinder, eagle, imp.courier etc... These do not have co-pilot seat - so if you wanted to use this feature (autopilot), you might have to outfit some new module ?

Things to do? well... there are allready things to do... study the system map, study the galaxy map, read galnet news, micromanage your materials (I must decide what is to be discarded all the time, because of the 1000 pieces limit), module power management, fiddling with AFM to repair modules, chatting with a friend
OR
just freelook around the cocpit, enjoy the beauties of the universe.

There is surely much much more to come - walk around the ship and do whatever fun activities doable (maybe decorate your cabin?).




I am glad I can feel some shift in the posted opinions (towards autopilot / NPC co-pilot being acceptable) uffffff

o7 Karlos

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I don't know if this is hard to program, maybe someone who actually knows about programming could tell us if its easy or not.
I do know that there are hacks out there that will make your ship fly automatic from place to place, so I guess that its doable.

FD got some serious talented coders, so maybe they can do some magic, cast some spells what do I know

NPCs are allready roaming the galaxy with us, they are able to navigate in SC, jump between systems, dock, fight... I am not expecting my NPC crew to be totally dumb... ? The code must have been allready written no?

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If it doesn't auto-honk before jumping I have no use for it.

If the NPC crew did the ADS honk for us, that would maybe a little bit resemble the "i win button"... I am not sure about this...

 

[Cosmo]

Autopilot is fine with me, because it already exists in real life and the pilot must pay attention or he could get interdicted.

Instant ship transfer is bad, because it breaks immersion, is exploitative and has deep implications for how the Elite universe works. I prefer to hire an NPC, delivery should take a short time, have capital freighters deliver it to stations.

 

[Karlos Ploryman]

Autopilot is fine with me, because it already exists in real life and the pilot must pay attention or he could get interdicted.

Instant ship transfer is bad, because it breaks immersion, is exploitative and has deep implications for how the Elite universe works. I prefer to hire an NPC, delivery should take a short time, have capital freighters deliver it to stations.

You got a point.

You are on your ship and if you dont pay attention to what your crew is doing with it, you may end up stranded fuelless in nowhere, or cooked close to the star, or KABOOMed by a pirate... OR you may end up safely in your final destination without any harm

 

[Patrick_68000]

No automatic pilot in 3200 ? This game is totally unrealistic. They have the technology of instant transfer and not the autopilot ? Weird

 

[micky1984]

First, I know that this is a touchy subject, however please bear with me.

We need to remove the repetitive tasks in Elite, to make the game more FUN to play. I'm sure all can agree that "flying" your ship in Elite is a huge part of the gameplay, and also why many of us enjoy playing in Elite Dangerous. The problem arrives when you need to do the same tasks over and over and over again. It's not fun and it kills the gameplay by 100%.

What is proposed, and this goes back to the very early days, is a autopilot that is very basic. It will not fight for you, it will not scope fuel for you, and it will not do anything other than keeping a set course or route. In other words as basic as it can possible get.

1.) Multiple Jumps, If the journey consists of more than one jump the hyperdrive automatically begins to charge for the next jump, the ship will align and jump out if nothing intervenes. (interdiction, gravity well's etc.) ---The player can cancel the journey at any point during the process

2.) The route planner will have a option where refuel points can be programmed. When the ship reach the refuel point, the ship will handover the controls to the player and he or she will scope the fuel, after refueling, the player engage the autopilot again, and the journey continues until next refuel point or destination is reached. If the ship is attacked during this process the AP will disengage.

3.) In System Navigation can be set as a straight line, if the destination can be set as a strait line without any obstetrical in the way, the NAV computer can keep the course to the destination, when the ship reach the planet or station within 100LY it will disengage and handover the controls to the player. If interdicted the AP will disengage.

4.) Jump to beacon, you can set the NAV computer to jump to a NAV beacon, if a system has a NAV beacon you can use it like you use a star, this way if the main star are very far away from the station, this can be set as a destination.

All these proposals was in the DDF before Elite was released. To me it will take away the boring part of pressing (J) 200 times to get to a place that is very far away, while you're traveling you can use the time to study the galaxy map and system maps for interesting thing, remember that we will have the new detailed system map where you can see the planets in detail.
We are playing Elite because we want to be space pilots and because Elite is set in a 400 billion Galaxy, traveling vast distances are a part of it. Sometimes this is not fun because nothing is actually happening, and you know that you will need to scan the systems you pass through by honking the horn (the AP will not do that for you).

In compares to sailing, you can also set a very simple course after the compass, and in more modern ship you can even plot a route. However you still need to look after the ship during the journey.
This will to me be one of the biggest Quality of Life improvements in ED by a long shot, it takes away the repetitive tasks for long journeys and add a bit of planning and strategic gameplay.
I would like to hear what you think, and please take into consideration that this will not make the game easier, just less repetitive in some aspects.

With the new instant ship transfer mechanic, I believe its time to ask the question again. If one mechanic is ok, why is a similar not? The Quality of Life are about removing repetitive tasks,
not adding them.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FThGAb11l8o

All fine and dandy untill you lose you cutter /conda /corvette then imagine the posts on here yapping about how they lost there ship ITS not a good idea at all, and i dont think its going to be instant ship transfers either it will take some time to keep in line with immersion and so it should

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[nosscar]

Now that is EXACTLY what is in my mind... I am a COMMANDER, the boss on my ship...

Piloting? I have a paid NPC crew memeber for that! And I can pilot myself when seated in the pilots seat of course...
Repairs and maintenance? I have a paid NPC crew member for that!
Navigation? I have a paid NPC crew member for that!
Flying my fighters? I have a paid NPC crew member for that!


Finally somebody understands my point ! Thank You!

o7 Karlos

+1 Yes i agree with this completely.
maybe one day ED could evolve in to having this as a profession, one of bridge commander.
I would love to be able (as well as existing stuff) to go to a command room, and have a holographic tactical map display, where i could give orders to my crew for travel and engagements, controlling my own large ship, a squad of fighters and directing my wingmen and their squads too.
This is the stuff of dreams in sci fi games right now.

 

[Lucius-Darcia]

Oh, heck - let's just be able to jump to any system anywhere at any time regardless of distance! Do away with the jump range limitation and make every known system immediately reachable. I mean, it's where the game is heading anyway...

Nice idea, but only if system has a nav-beacon. All systems without beacon or a compromised beacon needs to get reached via the oldschool way. This would be really exciting.

 

[Vasious]

Auto Pilot as an Specialised Engineering Mod to a Docking Computer, requiring an AI Relic

Network all your ships systems to a GAI at your own risk

 

[777Driver]

All fine and dandy untill you lose you cutter /conda /corvette then imagine the posts on here yapping about how they lost there ship ITS not a good idea at all.

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That is a very weak argument

We already have Cmdrs posting about losing Cutters,Anacondas etc, generally due to the most rediculous reasons (Docking computer/Poor piloting/no idea what a PIP is, can barely fly there new ship manually, no insurance)

The only bad idea would be to hold back on features purely because some cmdrs are complacent or downright idiotic.

 

[Karlos Ploryman]

The only bad idea would be to hold back on features purely because some cmdrs are complacent or downright idiotic.

HAHAHAHAHA Repped!

 

[lysan]

You got a point.

You are on your ship and if you dont pay attention to what your crew is doing with it, you may end up stranded fuelless in nowhere, or cooked close to the star, or KABOOMed by a pirate... OR you may end up safely in your final destination without any harm

True, just like the docking computer, it too make some weird thing that is for sure, so the issues would be the same.

Regarding if it should be a module or a hired NPC, well I like both options, the NPC option would be the most interesting, because you need to hire, and pay a monthly salary to keep,
just like the fighter pilot. I like the idea of having my own NPC crew because it will bring life to the game in a new way.

That being said, if they make it a module I'm also ok with that, my main point is to get it into the game because it will take the receptive tasks away and truly give the players options how they play the game.

I do long distance hauling in a T9 it take a huge amount of jumps just to get 200LY away, it's not fun just sitting and press J and if there was an interdiction at each star it would be irritating too.
There need to be some balance regarding that. If the small fighters are so hard hitting as it seems, I don't even thing I would use a Vulture to hunt with, just release the fighter and take out the target, so the ship transfer is not for me, again I will not block how other people play their game, and therefor I ask, why not the AUTOPILOT?

 

[Dillontheman]

Yep, great idea, should be fairly easily implemented considering AI already has the scripts for traveling in SC at least already, would subtract nothing from anyone's experience or detract from the integrity of the game's theme (ala instant ship transfer)

but people will try to shoot down a good idea just for the sake of it. Welcome to dev forums

 

[Agony_Aunt]

PvP Pirates everywhere will rejoice at the introduction of an autopilot.

You just know some people will fly in open while AFK using an auto-pilot.

It would be like taking candy from a baby.