Amen and indeed.
System to system autopilot module
- Thread starter Xanix
- Start date
Amen and indeed.
In my view the absolute core idea in Elite has always been 'Flying from one system to another'.
Then you add on a reason to travel... trading
Then you throw in some danger... pirates Thargoids intradicions
I will never support auto-pilot for flying, and to be honest I think auto-docking is just an Easter-egg because of the absolute need for one in the original game.
Then you add on a reason to travel... trading
Then you throw in some danger... pirates Thargoids intradicions
I will never support auto-pilot for flying, and to be honest I think auto-docking is just an Easter-egg because of the absolute need for one in the original game.
Cradle2Grave
Banned
Your ship'd still be flying from system to system.
Considering that we'll get an auto-pilot that will make our ship follow the buggy around when landing on planets... it's more baffling than ever, that there's no auto-pilot for super-cruise.
No one wants a "win"-button when they're asking for an super-cruise auto-pilot. To assume and argue such is immature sidelining and avoiding the discussion. If you don't think a super-cruise auto-pilot is a good idea, fine. You don't even have to bring any arguments, you're entitled to that opinion. But please don't bring cow-dung into the discussion either.
Speaking for myself, I'm all for an auto-pilot that, given a previously chosen destination, handles basic super-cruise navigation (speed, avoid planets), hyperjump, and disengage at destination. And that's all. Still would have to manage fuel, handle interdictions, handle launch and docking. Make it a module, make it expensive, make it hard to find, make it use lots of power, I don't really care. Just make it happen.
I fail to see where travelling manually in super-cruise, aiming for the next destination, setting speed to 75%, and pressing "J" occasionally could be considered essential game play. Maybe some people get some enjoyment out of this, but speaking for myself, I can't imagine anything more soul-crushingly boring as trading currently is.
And as other players have repeatedly posted, quite a lot of players aren't fully engaged in Elite: Dangerous while travelling long distances. They're not really playing ED, they're surfing the web, watching TV shows, playing on their phones, reading, anything else really.
Also, dear mods, please merge!
No one wants a "win"-button when they're asking for an super-cruise auto-pilot. To assume and argue such is immature sidelining and avoiding the discussion. If you don't think a super-cruise auto-pilot is a good idea, fine. You don't even have to bring any arguments, you're entitled to that opinion. But please don't bring cow-dung into the discussion either.
Speaking for myself, I'm all for an auto-pilot that, given a previously chosen destination, handles basic super-cruise navigation (speed, avoid planets), hyperjump, and disengage at destination. And that's all. Still would have to manage fuel, handle interdictions, handle launch and docking. Make it a module, make it expensive, make it hard to find, make it use lots of power, I don't really care. Just make it happen.
I fail to see where travelling manually in super-cruise, aiming for the next destination, setting speed to 75%, and pressing "J" occasionally could be considered essential game play. Maybe some people get some enjoyment out of this, but speaking for myself, I can't imagine anything more soul-crushingly boring as trading currently is.
And as other players have repeatedly posted, quite a lot of players aren't fully engaged in Elite: Dangerous while travelling long distances. They're not really playing ED, they're surfing the web, watching TV shows, playing on their phones, reading, anything else really.
Also, dear mods, please merge!
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You´ve forgotten to put in the freezing chamber for the start. Then an automatic pilot probably makes sense.
For me there´s always not much to do on my journeys but I enjoy my exploration trips to discover new worlds and systems. Make some deals here and there and fight some of those pirates who want my luggage.
Elite doesn´t need any more simplification. In fact I would enjoy some more complexity or a "hardcore" mode for longtime pilots. It is already in there speaking about the handling of the ships (flight assist).
Cheers,
Robin
For me there´s always not much to do on my journeys but I enjoy my exploration trips to discover new worlds and systems. Make some deals here and there and fight some of those pirates who want my luggage.
Elite doesn´t need any more simplification. In fact I would enjoy some more complexity or a "hardcore" mode for longtime pilots. It is already in there speaking about the handling of the ships (flight assist).
Cheers,
Robin
Well said Schrefu +1 
InMemoriamSirocco
Banned
Auto docking, auto supercruise, auto fighting and auto trading
Auto-Travel through supercruise, auto drop-out at destination and auto-docking merged into one module called autopilot would be sufficient, thank you very much.
There are people who would like to reach that 100.000 ls distant planet/star port, but without having to sit through it and make minimal course corrections from time to time. Contrary to popular belief, this is not as exciting gameplay as it sounds!
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I have to agree with that.
I'll probably not use an auto-pilot module very often because I don't trade, so I don't travel the same route over and over again, but even a bounty hunter has to travel long distances from time to time to collect bounties in the other factions.
And lets face it, after you've jumped thousands and thousands of times, and travelled millions of light seconds, the novelty effect wears off.
When I'm not hunting, I just point my ship in the right direction, put the thrust in the blue zone, and go get some coffee or check the forums while listening for any interdiction notice.
It's not that I don't enjoy playing Elite, I do, but travelling from system to sytem is like taking the subway in a big city : once you've seen 3 stations, you've seen it all, and now you don't have anything to do but check your phone and wait until you get to your stop.
Cradle2Grave
Banned
Great argument there mate...
That point is complete .. I Love flying these ships, have been flying real and virtual machines my entire life. I still find it ridiculous that an Autopilot is not included in a game set in 3301.
Here's a little something for ya, 99% of the anti Autopilot brigade don't even understand how a true flight management systems works, an autopilot in ED could add a massive amount of depth to flying these space ships. Just a simple google of 'Flight management guidance system' will give you a tiny glimpse into what could be added ingame. Autopilots are not about pressing a single button and going to make some coffee
Then why are you doing it?
Really? Throttle down as your hyperspace jump starts. You come out of hyper and slow to a crawl.
And much like we do in Elite, we don't want to do it like you do in EvE.
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This is also my take. In a real space ship, a pilot wouldn't sit for hours on end looking out at empty (or near empty) space. you'd go round the bend. You'd have tasks to do to make use of the time, or just simply use it as downtime and catch up on Galnet or other equivalents of TV, radio or books. I see no harm having an autopilot available to purchase, if it's what you want. I have the docking computer installed and I use it when I'm not smuggling, simply because it allows me to go to the toilet and come back without seeing my ship splattered on the side of a station. no harm, no foul if you ask me.
I'd prefer the ability to jump between stars within a system (or maybe even planets?) rather than sit through tedious long intra-system jaunts. Still have to pilot between star/planet and destination. Just seems daft that a ship can travel light years in seconds but a thousand light seconds takes far longer!
Good argument, properly done it will actually put more content and things "to do" in game.
Cradle2Grave
Banned
Let's just have one please, that can be switched on or off. Then the people that want AP are happy and those that think pressing J is some kind of brilliant space-driving skill will be happy too!
Vivé le differénce and all that what
Vivé le differénce and all that what
Just because I don't like brussel sprouts, doesn't mean I should give up eating food altogether.
You don't like the idea, and you're not really making any point here at all. Instead you're suggesting it's all on those who want an auto-pilot to change their attitude and find enjoyment. Instead you're suggesting it's unreasonable to ask for one. I just don't get responses like yours. If you enjoy super-cruising and hyperjumping, then you obviously wouldn't buy an auto-pilot.
I enjoy docking even though I've done it hundreds of times. I don't care that there's a docking computer doing it more reliably and faster than I can. It doesn't diminish my enjoyment in the least.
Why would you care if there's one or not? What do you gain by there not being an auto-pilot?
I enjoy using the Galaxy Map and filtering, looking for interesting markets. I enjoy comparing prices, finding trade routes. I enjoy RES, flying around asteroids. I enjoy PVP. I enjoy reading GalNet, I enjoy looking at the PowerPlay Map. I enjoy course plotting, checking for scoopable stars. I enjoy idling in super-cruise, waiting for signal sources and entering them. I enjoy idling in super-cruise waiting for interesting NPCs. I even enjoy the interdictions.
There's loads of engaging and enjoyable things to do in game.
Trading, for all it's travelling isn't one of them.
Relocating ships over hundreds of lightyears isn't one of them.
These activities aren't rewarding either, as much as walking to and from the grocery store isn't rewarding - while munching on the food you bought is.
Point being, there's loads of more engaging things in game to do, than to reorient, press "j", press "75% thrust", then do nothing more but do minor course corrections and stare at the screen for several minutes, until I can finally press "J" again.
What on earth makes you think they'd stay in open to do it?
I personally don't buy the "we need autopilot coz SC is boring" argument, because unless you're going to Hutton Orbital or somewhere similar SC usually takes a minute or less and how much of anything else can you expect to have done in that time? However, to humour those who apparently have such incredibly short attention spans... if we "need" an autopilot because supercruise is boring that indicates that there's not enough to DO in supercruise to hold your attention and keep you interested. The fix is not giving us a way to do LESS in supercruise - the goal of a games programmer is to keep players engaged with the game rather than encouraging disengagement. The fix is to put more content INTO supercruise so that it remains engaging and interesting.
Trust you to find a flaw in my cunning rebuttal lol
But don't forget, those nasty NPC's have been known to interdict the unwary Commander even in Solo, if an autopilot is introduced expect a lot of posts from Commanders who come back from whatever they were doing in real life to find an insurance screen flashing
I do like your suggestion about something more to do in supercruise. Maybe having other planetary bodies dramatically pull your ship off course would make things more interesting. And don't forget that once the Thargoids arrive, we will have the added fun of waiting for them to pull us out of witch space as well (if they stay true to the Lore).