Add a autopilot option.

[catloverjerrygarcia]

By this I mean add an option to allow the pilot/flight control to fly the craft with the user having options for what they wish to achieve.  I simply cannot pay money for this game when I cannot even achieve orbit on my own even after I got help to manage it when I was playing in early access.  This game is horribly impossible to enjoy without a simplification mode to allow the pilot of the craft to fly the craft, I am not a pilot I don't want to fly the craft, I wanna design the craft/rocket and then see if the craft can achieve the mission I designed ti to do.  I will not be paying money for this game until such a feature is implemented, it took me agonizing hours of game play in early access, frustration to the point where I was almost pulling my hair out in anger and all this for something that is supposed to be fun and enjoyable.  In early access I just barely managed to achieve orbit with the help of a very very patient individual, after seeing how agonizingly painful it was the achieve orbit I uninstalled the game and removed it from my steam library completely, I recently downloaded the demo to see if it had been made any less frustrating and it has not uninstalling the demo now since it's the same impossible game it was back during early access.

Edited November 23, 2016 by AdmFranzvonHippie
changed title

[Tyko]

I feel for ya. The game has a high learning curve and many things aren't easy the first time. I'll tell you though, when you finally succeed it feels really awesome to know you accomplished it. There are a ton of sources out there for help / tutorials and if you have specific questions the people on this forum are always willing to offer advice. Here are a few ideas -

• YouTube - Google "youtube kerbal getting to orbit" will give you a bunch of videos - this was incredibly helpful for me.
• Check out the in-game tutorials
• Try using the stock craft the first time
• If you're using your own design, post a screen shot of it along with the problems your facing and maybe we can help

Lastly, remember this is a simulation of (mostly) real rocket science, not a video game. It took real scientists/engineers decades to figure this stuff out.

 

Edited November 21, 2016 by tjt

[Jonfliesgoats]

Part of the fun of the game is learning to achieve orbit, designing your craft, etc.  What, specifically is giving you trouble with orbiting?  Also, there are tons of tutorials, videos, etc. for achieving orbit.

Right now, as pilots gain experience, they become more effective SAS devices, essentially.  I could see pilots being modified to reduce our dependence on repetitive, grinding task.  If I have to launch, dock and recover boosters seven or eight times for a particular orbital construction project, it would be nice for a level three or four pilot to simply be told "80km circular, equatorial orbit, please!". 

Players would still go through the learning curve to achieve orbit, and some of the repetitive launch/docking tasks would be reduced.

Edited November 21, 2016 by Jonfliesgoats
Spelling

[Signo]

It seems to me you are speaking about the mighty MechJeb. 

It does exactly what you are asking for. (and it provides several other features, kinda like the swiss knife of mods)

[Jonfliesgoats]

Yup!  Except I'd like to see MJ functions incorporated into experienced pilots.  This way players have to be able to fly their own maneuvers at least a few times before MJish pilots take over.  It keeps the rocket-flying component of the game part of the experience.

[Sharpy]

34 minutes ago, Jonfliesgoats said:

 it would be nice for a level three or four pilot to simply be told "80km circular, equatorial orbit, please!". 

Too low.

Level three pilot should remain as is.

Level four should be able to execute maneuvers.

What you're asking should be no less than five stars. That way the progress really matters, and these pilots become really valuable.

[Jonfliesgoats]

Fair enough.  A level five pilot would have the players get used to orbiting, docking, different transfers, etc.  As is, after the early game, pilots become rather useless.

Edited November 22, 2016 by Jonfliesgoats

[catloverjerrygarcia]

8 hours ago, Signo said:

It seems to me you are speaking about the mighty MechJeb. 

It does exactly what you are asking for. (and it provides several other features, kinda like the swiss knife of mods)

Thank you for this, and I am considering buying the game once more because of this.  For some flying the craft is fun, but for me with a data processing slowness in my brain due to my autism it's frustrating because I know how to do it and what to look for and such but I cannot process the data input fast enough to maneuver the craft in time to do what I desire.

[Signo]

8 hours ago, Jonfliesgoats said:

Yup!  Except I'd like to see MJ functions incorporated into experienced pilots.  This way players have to be able to fly their own maneuvers at least a few times before MJish pilots take over.  It keeps the rocket-flying component of the game part of the experience.

If you play a career that is exactly the way it develops - you start w/o any of the superpowers you will get further down the tech tree, so you must be at least a "skilled pilot" to get there.

It is more "science based" than "experience based".

[Jonfliesgoats]

Yeah, except right now the pilots don't do anything that drone cores with avionics can't do.  Granted, that is a lot.  I would see the pilots having a little more capability, like MJ, which allows launching to specific orbits, docking or at least orbital rendezvous, etc.  This would only be available with the most experienced pilots so players learn to do these things reliably but dont get bogged down in repetitive tasks.

[razark]

I'd be happy if the pilots could just execute a maneuver node, with precision based on level.

[Jonfliesgoats]

I think they can right now.  Experienced pilots can hold a maneuver, so all you have to do is throttle.

[razark]

3 minutes ago, Jonfliesgoats said:

I think they can right now.

Not in a meaningful way.  I'd much rather they be able to carry out a node without needing a babysitter.

 

3 minutes ago, Jonfliesgoats said:

Experienced pilots can hold a maneuver, so all you have to do is throttle.

If they're so experienced, one would think they could work the throttle at the same time.  And how much training does it take for a pilot to notice a blue marking on the navball?

 

Neil: I'm at the foot of the ladder. The footpads are only depressed in the surface about 1 or 2 inches, although the surface appears to be very, very fine grained, as you get close to it. It's almost like a powder. Down there, it's very fine.
I'm going to step off the LM now.
That's one small step...

Buzz: Hey Neil!  You'll never believe...

Neil: Not now, Buzz!  Uh.  Yeah.  One small step for man...

Buzz: Neil!  Something just appeared on the instruments!

Neil: ... one giant.  What?  Buzz, what the hell are you talking about?

Buzz: As soon as you stepped off, some strange blue marking appeared on the 8-ball!  Houston, do you copy?

Capcom: Tranquility, we did copy that.  It's expected.  Walking on the moon was actually just part of your training.  Now that you can see more of your instruments, we'll be able to keep pushing further and further into the ocean of space, with nothing to stop us.  Oh, but don't tell anyone about it.  They don't get to see it until they go to the moon, too.

Neil: Houston, that's, well, kinda screwy way to do things, really.

[Jonfliesgoats]

Agreed.  At some point, pilots should be able to do pilot stuff.

[The Optimist]

On 11/21/2016 at 6:04 PM, AdmFranzvonHippie said:

By this I mean add an option to allow the pilot/flight control to fly the craft with the user having options for what they wish to achieve.  I simply cannot pay money for this game when I cannot even achieve orbit on my own even after I got help to manage it when I was playing in early access.  This game is horribly impossible to enjoy without a simplification mode to allow the pilot of the craft to fly the craft, I am not a pilot I don't want to fly the craft, I wanna design the craft/rocket and then see if the craft can achieve the mission I designed ti to do.  I will not be paying money for this game until such a feature is implemented, it took me agonizing hours of game play in early access, frustration to the point where I was almost pulling my hair out in anger and all this for something that is supposed to be fun and enjoyable.  In early access I just barely managed to achieve orbit with the help of a very very patient individual, after seeing how agonizingly painful it was the achieve orbit I uninstalled the game and removed it from my steam library completely, I recently downloaded the demo to see if it had been made any less frustrating and it has not uninstalling the demo now since it's the same impossible game it was back during early access.

The game is not difficult if you know how to play it. I could help you, but your attitude and your wish for a "easy mode" makes me feel as if you don't really want to learn.

[catloverjerrygarcia]

2 hours ago, The Optimist said:

The game is not difficult if you know how to play it. I could help you, but your attitude and your wish for a "easy mode" makes me feel as if you don't really want to learn.

And your attitude is just the sort of attitude I hate, my attitude has nothing to do with it, my capabilities do.  But you don't care about me as an individual only yourself.  Grow up dude.  Seeing that there are players like you on this forum after all the other helpful advice just makes me not want to buy this game.  Hope you're happy you just drove off a customer for Squad.

Edited November 23, 2016 by AdmFranzvonHippie
spelling correction and more

[Green Baron]

@The Optimisthas a point. It is not difficult. What remains to do if maneuvers like orbit, landing and docking are done automatically ? The game is already pretty repetetive. MechJeb is the perfect mod for the OPs needs, and it should stay a mod imo. Automatisms bear the danger of making it pretty boring.

A new player will never have that feeling of accomplishment when the first kerbal stands on the ladder on mun or minmus. Soon enough there'll be that "oh no, not again a mun landing ..." sigh to rescue, readout temp., plant flag, visit monolith.

The Optimist offered his personal help, i'd take it, just to prove him wrong :-)

On 22.11.2016 at 8:49 AM, AdmFranzvonHippie said:

Thank you for this, and I am considering buying the game once more because of this.  For some flying the craft is fun, but for me with a data processing slowness in my brain due to my autism it's frustrating because I know how to do it and what to look for and such but I cannot process the data input fast enough to maneuver the craft in time to do what I desire.

You're probably doing too much during ascent.

Main thing is the rocket design in VAB, especially TWR and staging, and a little balance and drag. You have all the time in the world for design. If it's long and pointy with payload at the top then it'll probably work.

A typical manual launch to orbit involves space bar, the D key, watch and do nothing, stage and throttle, eventually more D key pressing to tweak the ascent, a coast phase and throttle to circularization (or just flip AP and PE in the beginning).

You'll make it ;-)

Edited November 23, 2016 by Green Baron

[catloverjerrygarcia]

10 hours ago, Green Baron said:

@The Optimisthas a point. It is not difficult. What remains to do if maneuvers like orbit, landing and docking are done automatically ? The game is already pretty repetetive. MechJeb is the perfect mod for the OPs needs, and it should stay a mod imo. Automatisms bear the danger of making it pretty boring.

A new player will never have that feeling of accomplishment when the first kerbal stands on the ladder on mun or minmus. Soon enough there'll be that "oh no, not again a mun landing ..." sigh to rescue, readout temp., plant flag, visit monolith.

The Optimist offered his personal help, i'd take it, just to prove him wrong :-)

You're probably doing too much during ascent.

Main thing is the rocket design in VAB, especially TWR and staging, and a little balance and drag. You have all the time in the world for design. If it's long and pointy with payload at the top then it'll probably work.

A typical manual launch to orbit involves space bar, the D key, watch and do nothing, stage and throttle, eventually more D key pressing to tweak the ascent, a coast phase and throttle to circularization (or just flip AP and PE in the beginning).

You'll make it ;-)

Your encouragement is welcome but as I stated in a previous post I have Autism which means I process data more slowly than a neurotypical individual thus what is difficult for an NT is much much much harder for me.  So while you feel help is needed I know what help is needed and it is an Autopilot option, as I've said the fun for me in this game because of knowing my limitations is building the rockets and not flying them.  As for @The Optimist he burned the bridge with me when he complained about my attitude without reading the whole thread.

Edited November 23, 2016 by AdmFranzvonHippie
Additional thoughts added

[Green Baron]

Well, MechJeb will be your willing co-pilot.

All the functionality you're looking for is implemented there. 40 funds could be spent worse ... :-)

 

[The Optimist]

Look, if you want help, you can find it. If you don't want it, then go play something easier.

[James Kerman]

@AdmFranzvonHippie Please don't lose heart or interest in the game.

It is quite common for people to post without reading a complete thread.

There are other players here who have physical limitations that also use mechjeb out of necessity and there are a great many more who use the mod to cut down on the grind factor after thousands of launches.  There is also a mod called kOS that adds a scriptable autopilot function (It's not updated to 1.2.1 but I'm sure it will be).

If you love to build there are many advanced techniques that you will discover and hopefully you might invent some of your own.  The creativity of other players never ceases to amaze me.

KSP is a single player game and as such is an individual experience for every player so no-one should be telling you how to play your game.

 

[catloverjerrygarcia]

2 hours ago, The Optimist said:

Look, if you want help, you can find it. If you don't want it, then go play something easier.

Where did I ever say I wanted help?  Why must everyone assume that someone offering a suggestion wants help, what I need is understanding and compassion.

Edited November 24, 2016 by Red Iron Crown
Toned down a bit.

[Clockwork13]

IMHO, autopilot doesn't have a place in the stock game, but if you want autopilot you can use MechJeb.

[Red Iron Crown]

Please keep the discussion to the suggestion itself and not the person making it or the people responding to it. You can disagree without making insinuations about each other.

[monstah]

I also don't think the stock game should have such an extensive auto-pilot. For the kind of game it purposes to be, and for the challenge level it poses, just the SAS modes seem fine to me. But, like I said, that is my opinion for stock.

You have a different need there, and it is a real problem for you. It has been suggested here already, but it may have been drowned in the off-topic noise: MechJeb seems to be pretty much what you want. It is a mod that adds plenty of autopilot features: launch, landing (click on the map where you want to land and it calculates the maneuvers for you), rendezvous, docking. It creates maneuvers, and it also executes them, so you can create your own maneuvers manually and have the autopilot do them for you.

Unfortunately, the released version isn't ready for KSP 1.2 yet, but there is a developer's version which works (although it may have some problems, being a developer's version). If your game is career, you will need to unlock the various MechJeb capabilities on your techtree. If you want them from the beginning of the game, you can either play sandbox mode, or install this configuration for it, that will enable it in career and science modes from the start.

Hope that helps!