The problem with auto-pilot is not with the idea itself. But the forums are littered with similar-but-different suggestions. Which leads to the question, where do you draw the line; where does it stop?
So, you have auto-pilot for whatever, in-system jumps or in-bubble jumps or known-space jumps. But then there are equally valid (?) arguments for fast-travel/in-system jumps from the entry point to other stations/stars. And just the other day I saw a request for the ability to auto-honk on entry to a system. And from Day One there have been suggestions/questions about why we need to dock when in reality the cargo could be flown from the station to the ship.
So if you take all of these suggestions at face value, and implement all of them, you end up with a game that plays itself - the human player sets the route, but then everything happens automatically: the route is plotted, jumps happen, discovery scanner auto-honks, ship fast-travels to any station, cargo automatically transfers to ship, and repeat until suicide. There's no game there.
One solution is that FD evaluates all of the suggestions and picks, maybe, one. Or, alternatively, FD evaluates all of the suggestions and picks none of them, we stick with what we have, and pilot/commanders have to fly the damn ship between systems, between entry point and station, and dock with the station, and transfer the cargo, and just play the game.
And you know what, I know which I prefer. I bought the game, I want to play the game. I don't want to play some other game. Thanks!
