OP, I get it. It's also not a crime to get wound up and write in a tone that reflects your annoyance. It's interesting reading some of the comments on this thread that seem to suggest that wanting clearer instructions in the game is somehow intellectually lazy. 'Back at launch I had to spend hours navigating the forums to realise I had to raise the landing gear before I could make a jump. Although it was effortless mouse clicking, I feel the time was well spent because for that to be explained in the game would insult my intelligence and thus I have earned my colours'. It's as if they think that trawling the forums or watching youtube videos rather than playing the game is some kind of time served right of passage.
Imagine a school child asking their teacher about something they struggled to understand, and the teacher saying 'google it' whilst the kids in the upper year point and jeer saying, 'We had to do it, so why shouldn't you' whilst the teacher nips outside for a cigarette.
I went through the combat tutorial just now and tried to do it as if I were a newcomer. On the second attack, the voice instructor recommends shifting all power to weapons. There's no graphic, such as an arrow, to illustrate where to look on the HUD. If I was a new player, I think a small detail like an arrow would be useful, and get me into the game quicker. Whereas some people might describe that as 'hand holding', I fail to see how it is more skillful to log out, go on the forums spending ages to find an answer, then log back into the game until something else crops up, then back to the forums again.
Is Elite Dangerous .exe an extension to the forums?
When people talk about the satisfaction of finding out about a certain mechanic on their own without external assistance, as if it were an amazing achievement, it makes me think that there are varying degrees of satisfaction from person to person. Personally, I think the sooner you get out in your space ship knowing how all the controls work and where to locate them, the better. That's when you can get on with it. I was taught how to use the clutch and gears on a Lambretta (GP 200 (225 rebore), orange to those in the know; 'Loads Of Chrome Won't Get You Home, But At Least You Look Good When You Break Down'). I would have probably sussed the gears out (or maybe not) eventually after flooding the engine numerous times, turning the headlights on and off, attempting to use the back brake as a clutch and stinking the street out with two stroke. I'm glad I was shown, as it got me on the road straight away, which was the purpose of the scooter. The latter would have got me on the road too, but a lot later. I can't imagine being smug that, although I was a day late to the job interview, at least no one held my hand and I worked out the gears all by myself (what a clever boy), unlike those 'show me how to ride it and I'll get riding' lazy types.
I think it likely that I got more out of typing this, than anyone would reading it.