Let's Revisit a Viable Autopilot Option

[TheExorcist]

Despite the many objections the developers of Elite Dangerous (and some players) seem to have regarding integrating an autopilot into the game, I would like to share my suggestion for how one could be implemented without breaking current game-play dynamics and also provide a few reasons for why an autopilot feature is necessary for many players.

WHY ELITE DANGEROUS NEEDS AN AUTOPILOT FEATURE

Reason 1: Most of us have lives outside of the Elite Dangerous universe and simply cannot spend countless game play hours manually jumping to hundreds of stars (one after another). The galaxy is unthinkably large and it is truly awesome that Elite Dangerous (as a game) includes this scale, but it also means that for people who play the game to primarily explore (like I do), there are distances in the galaxy I won't ever be able to reach because I simply don't have the real-world-time to get there. Not to mention, it can often be boring and repetitive as hell.

Reason 2: In canon, it's a thousand years in the future, for God sake! Today, in 2021, we have cars, planes, boats, and trains that can all drive themselves. How are we to seriously believe that FTL spaceships from a thousand years into our future cannot perform this basic task? What sci-fi story can you think of has the pilot of a ship coming in and out of hyperspace every ten seconds to get anywhere? For long-distance space travel, the pilot simply plots a course and the ship takes them there at warp or hyperdrive or whatever. I personally find the manual jumping mechanic in the game emersion-breaking. Certainly, the option to do it manually should remain, but the option to have the autopilot handle the travel should also be an option too.

A SUGGESTION FOR IMPLEMENTING AUTOPILOT IN ELITE DANGEROUS

I understand all of the suggested "game-breaking" issues that an autopilot feature could potentially create, so I have thought of a solution to this that I am fairly certain would satisfy most objections.

Simply make travel times on autopilot real-world correspondent, just like how the current system works to get your ships or modules transferred to a new location (whether you are logged in to the game or not). For example, if I want to travel 30,000 light years away in my exploration ship that can make 73 light year jumps at a time, have the computer figure the real-world time that would take and then let the player commit to this down-time to get there. If it takes days or a week, so be it. But also give the player the option to cancel the route and explore wherever they might be at that particular point in the journey.

Perhaps to make things more fun and even more "dangerous," random events could take place along the way that could disrupt the journey, and thus require players to log in from time to time to make sure they are still on course and there aren't any problems.

I fail to see why this isn't already a feature in the game.

 

[Bottom Hat]

Let's not. This is not school

 

[Para Handy]

Let's just not.

 

[CMDR_UKmouse]

Let me get this right.. You want to invest time in a game that you don't have time to invest in?
There are plenty of fleet carrier operators around willing to transport you to places around the galaxy.

 

[FX2K]

Sometimes, I wish there where 2 commander slots (no, I'm not paying for 2 games with DLC).
Then, I could live out in the black, as one Commander, possibly never to return, being an avid explorer.
But also be in the bubble for whatever takes my fancy / appeals to my mood of that evening, be it some hazrez, surface missions or whatever.

What I wouldn't want is to set my ship of to somewhere and then not play the game until it arrives, sure I get the "disrupt at any time" but meh, is it truly exploring if you bypass thousands of systems you have never visited. Going somewhere like to the centre or various black holes, is no longer an achievement, either.

Wanting to flit around willy nilly, well that's what space engine is for.

 

[TheExorcist]

Let me get this right.. You want to invest time in a game that you don't have time to invest in?
There are plenty of fleet carrier operators around willing to transport you to places around the galaxy.

I never said that I don't have time to invest in the game. What I said is that there are places in the galaxy that I would like to explore that my time does not permit me reach under the current system. Your fleet carrier suggestion doesn't always work. Sure, someone may take you out to somewhere you want to go, but they may not always be willing to wait for you to do everything you wanted to do and take you back.

 

[TheExorcist]

Let's just not.

Helpful. Thanks.

 

[TheExorcist]

Sometimes, I wish there where 2 commander slots (no, I'm not paying for 2 games with DLC).
Then, I could live out in the black, as one Commander, possibly never to return, being an avid explorer.
But also be in the bubble for whatever takes my fancy / appeals to my mood of that evening, be it some hazrez, surface missions or whatever.

What I wouldn't want is to set my ship of to somewhere and then not play the game until it arrives, sure I get the "disrupt at any time" but meh, is it truly exploring if you bypass thousands of systems you have never visited. Going somewhere like to the centre or various black holes, is no longer an achievement, either.

Wanting to flit around willy nilly, well that's what space engine is for.

And I can totally understand why some may not want to play this way for the reasons that you mentioned, but many of you should understand that not everyone plays this game with the same intent that you might choose to. Having this as a feature in the game has absolutely no impact on you. Simply don't use it if you don't like it.

First-person shooter combat zones are now in the game. I personally have absolutely no use for this. I would have preferred that the time was spent making all planets in the game landable, but they did this instead. While I may not like that it was put into the game at the expense of something I would have preferred, I'm also not upset that it's now a feature. I simply choose not to use it.

 

[TheExorcist]

Let's not. This is not school

Insightful. Great job.

 

[Northpin]

For example, if I want to travel 30,000 light years away in my exploration ship that can make 73 light year jumps at a time, have the computer figure the real-world time that would take and then let the player commit to this down-time to get there. If it takes days or a week, so be it. But also give the player the option to cancel the route and explore wherever they might be at that particular point in the journey.

The ship is the player and the player is the ship.
When you are not in the game, the ship isnt either.

What you seem to want is that someone else (the AI?) play your game when you cannot play.
Well, this is not some sort of browser game where you issue orders and wait for them to be carried away (of pay for fast forward)

And i'm not even discussing the potential risks (getting stuck or destroyed along the way, logging in to see a rebuy screen and the ship back at the start line).
So no thank you.
The game is meant to be played.

 

[TheExorcist]

The ship is the player and the player is the ship.
When you are not in the game, the ship isnt either.

What you seem to want is that someone else (the AI?) play your game when you cannot play.
Well, this is not some sort of browser game where you issue orders and wait for them to be carried away (of pay for fast forward)

And i'm not even discussing the potential risks (getting stuck or destroyed along the way, logging in to see a rebuy screen and the ship back at the start line).
So no thank you.
The game is meant to be played.

Using that logic, you should then manually have to go pick up your other ships and modules at another station instead of having them delivered.

Maybe "playing the game" to you is jumping in and out of hyperspace every ten seconds for days at a time. To me, that isn't game play. Game play for me is setting a course to a distant region of space and then exploring once arriving. Let's also keep in mind the story of immersion. Are we to seriously believe we are commanding these large ships by ourselves and nobody else on the ship is qualified to fly it when the captain is away?

Also please keep in mind, I did not suggest the manual system be removed or the current system changed in any way, I am merely suggesting an alternative to long-distance travel for those who find value in it.

 

[Northpin]

Also please keep in mind, I did not suggest the manual system be removed or the current system changed in any way, I am merely suggesting an alternative to long-distance travel for those who find value in it.

Yea, you are merely suggesting that you want to play the game without playing the game.

This week, In the bubble. You log in a week later and your ship is at Beagle
Another week later you are back in the bubble. And you explored half the galaxy by logging in the game for 5 minutes.

Maybe "playing the game" to you is jumping in and out of hyperspace every ten seconds for days at a time. To me, that isn't game play

It's a space game in a 1-on-1 sized galaxy.
And all you want from it is... not to travel?

It's been suggested already, take a spot on a carrier, but then you'd be at the mercy of the carrier's owner.
you may even end up 499 ly from the closest star, with suicidewinder as the only option out.

 

[Bottom Hat]

Insightful. Great job.

Well it beats repeating an argument really

 

[Para Handy]

...... Game play for me is setting a course to a distant region of space and then exploring once arriving. Let's also keep in mind the story of immersion. Are we to seriously believe we are commanding these large ships by ourselves and nobody else on the ship is qualified to fly it when the captain is away?

.........

Buy or hitch a lift on a fleet carrier.

In the real world I can assure you that the captain of a vessel is always on call and they catch the jobbie if anything goes wrong.

As mentioned - autopilot is creeping into the game too much already - it is space travel in a model of the real galaxy - if you can't stand the travel aspect then maybe somewhere else is more suited to your idea of "game play".

 

[Northpin]

Sometimes, I wish there where 2 commander slots (no, I'm not paying for 2 games with DLC).

it's 6 Euros to get Horizons on Steam erm.. it was like 1-2 days ago.
And in the autumn you'll get an unified client so you can easily switch between a full EDO account and a Horizons one.

 

[TheExorcist]

Yea, you are merely suggesting that you want to play the game without playing the game.

This week, In the bubble. You log in a week later and your ship is at Beagle
Another week later you are back in the bubble. And you explored half the galaxy by logging in the game for 5 minutes.



It's a space game in a 1-on-1 sized galaxy.
And all you want from it is... not to travel?

It's been suggested already, take a spot on a carrier, but then you'd be at the mercy of the carrier's owner.
you may even end up 499 ly from the closest star, with suicidewinder as the only option out.

I would really like everyone here to stop telling me what I am suggesting instead of giving consideration to what I am specifically suggesting.

So no, I am NOT suggesting that I want to play the game without playing the game. How could I log in for five minutes, as you suggested, and explore half the galaxy? My suggestion only included a more realistic way to travel to distant places so that I CAN explore those regions and PLAY the game. I don't find star hopping game play because there is virtually no inherent risk to it. No random events ever happen. It's just hours upon hours of sitting there doing almost nothing.

But that being said, I am also not suggesting the data collection should be automatic too. I am speaking only of the travel experience and time-wise, it would be the same if I were there commanding the ship myself or the autopilot (or NPC copilot) was doing it.

If this feature is not for you, simply don't use it. I fail to see the objections held against those who would rather play the game this way.

 

[Para Handy]

.... I fail to see the objections held against those who would rather play the game this way.

... The objection is that they are not actually playing the game if the ship is automatically making a series of jumps. Plain and simple, autopilot to have a ship fly a route through hyperspace jumps is something that many of us would not want to see implemented.

I fail to see why people cannot accept that others have a right to object to that being introduced.

 

[TheExorcist]

Buy or hitch a lift on a fleet carrier.

In the real world I can assure you that the captain of a vessel is always on call and they catch the jobbie if anything goes wrong.

As mentioned - autopilot is creeping into the game too much already - it is space travel in a model of the real galaxy - if you can't stand the travel aspect then maybe somewhere else is more suited to your

And yes! In the real world the captain does need to be available, that's why I suggested random events that would still require regular logging in to check status, etc.

But to your other comment, I find it flawed. Just because I find this ONE aspect of Elite Dangerous monotonous does not render the entire game unplayable to me. Am I to seriously believe you [personally] like everything about Elite Dangerous as it currently is? There are no features you would like to see that don't currently exist in the game? That your way of playing it is the only right way to play it?

I didn't make this suggestion to be told I need to find a new game to play that is more suitable. I made it because it is a valid mechanic that would help some people enjoy the game more and would not personally impact anyone who doesn't like it.

Step outside of the box a little.

 

[TheExorcist]

... The objection is that they are not actually playing the game if the ship is automatically making a series of jumps. Plain and simple, autopilot to have a ship fly a route through hyperspace jumps is something that many of us would not want to see implemented.

I fail to see why people cannot accept that others have a right to object to that being introduced.

I didn't say you didn't have a right to object to it. But I don't find the objections reasonable.

Why do you care if they are not "playing the game" the way you want them to or think they should?

It doesn't impact you. Don't like the feature? Simply don't use it.

If it does impact your game play, then explain how. Don't tell me that I need to find another game. Explain to me why this feature (as I suggested it) is a problem.

 

[TheExorcist]

Well it beats repeating an argument really

I understand that now, seeing that it would seem this 'suggestion section' should probably be removed from the forums, as nobody is really interested in having a constructive discussion. They would rather interpret the meaning behind your suggestions [for you] and then tell you to go play another game. Almost as if using this forum section for what it was designed for is an attack on the spirit of the game itself.

But I digress, clearly their way is the only "right way" to play the game and my way is clearly just one of many wrong ways.

Truly sorry I posted here.

Peace out.