Nowadays, self driving cars are controlled by powerful computers with dedicated graphic cards for AI processing. They weight something along 2~20kg, and require about 0.01m3 of volume. 1286 years from now, a self-piloting ship computer weights 1000kg or need volume equivalent to a cargo space able to hold 1000kg? Really? The sensors are mostly already installed on the ship anyway. What happen along those 13 centuries that computer technology regressed this much?
It is known that computing in space is based on redundancy and voting, usually 3 or more equal computers perform the same tasks and they vote on the result, as to avoid random variations due to radiation in space altering data flow. Still, a couple computers and their shielding should not take as much space as a cargo hold able to store 1000kg......
Nowadays, we can automate many repetitive tasks quite easily. I can't really stomach that 1286 years from now we weren't able to automate the following procedure:
- open the galaxy map
- select a system within jump range of the ship while minimizing the distance between the selected system and a line connecting your current coordinates with another set of coordinates (your end destination). this is simple algebra
- check for fuel, if fuel is not full, calculate how much is needed and fly along the star while scooping and controlling distance as not to overheat while also aiming for the system selected
- engage friendship drive
- wait for it to charge, wait for the hyperspace travel
- repeat
Why can't long distance traveling be automated by the computer, which again, either weighs or occupies equivalent of ONE TON!
I suggest adding auto-docking, supercruise assist and hyperjump charting computers to all ships by default! Repetitive is exactly what we were VERY good at automating over a millennia ago. Did we forget how to do that?
Trading and exploring won't be affected in any negative way by this, it'll make the game feel better situated technologically and get away with boring repetition. The explorer will likely not use that, as they'd be interested in the system itself. But for people who just want to travel, it's a hard swallow it can't be automated, again, 1200+ years in the future. The hardcore trader will also be doing it all manually anyway, as to speed up docking and supercruise at max speed. But still, the OPTION to have all of this turned on should be in all ships by default.
Elite Dangerous is fantastic, truly. One of the games I've spent most hours in. I'm complaining/suggesting because I care. Get away with repetitive things like long distance traveling without exploring, that can be very very easily automated, it's totally nonsensical as it is.
One last idea grew from the NPC Piracy thread, as that's one of the activities I enjoy most in game, and one of the ones I care most about. I'm not getting into revamping spawn of ships with valuables, which is needed for a more competitive pay, but rather on the mechanics of pirating itself. As we all know, the ship being robbed must be stopped or at least slowed down considerably, otherwise cargo will be spilled all over the place or limpets won't even manage to keep up, as they travel quite slowly. This is a big problem. Either make limpets much faster than now, or give us a proper method of slowing down ships!!! Right now that can be done either by attacking it with weapons that transfer inertia such as cannon with force shell, or by careful positioning and bumping which, again, is repetitive and utterly nonsensical...
The suggestions brought up were:
- a new limpet controller: they could attach to the target ship and slowly bring it to a halt using their own thrusters. The more limpets used, the faster it'd slow down.
- cable / grappling hook: launched by a dedicated module, or attached to limpets, or attached to a missile. You'd be able to slow down both ships once the cables are attached and positioning is correct
- guardian tether technology: in style of a tractor beam used unite the target ship to your own, making it act as a single body (see how guardian fighter wings are attached to the core), you'd then be able to use your ship's thrusters to stop the other ship.
Once again, it's 1200+ years from now. Hard to swallow people would still be using projectiles and bumping to stop other ships.
I could go on, but I guess this is already too long. Thanks for reading and feel free to add other ideas!
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