Auto-Rocket?

[Xemina]

It would be cool if KSP added a part which auto-pilots a rocket. I know there's MecJeb, but I mean select body, select orbit height... etc. Also, there's a map after "select body" on which you can select landing spot and put "Orbit" or "Landing". What do you think?

[Jackaroo0505]

I dunno- That would be taking away from the devs of Mechjeb and would probably too hard for the Devs to program. This is a good idea though.

[mk1980]

but what would be the purpose? there's really not a whole lot of stuff to do once you arrive somewhere.

to me, the game is about how to get there. once i've landed on some moon or planet, i run the science experiments once, maybe drive around in a rover for a few minutes (if i brought one) and then i jump back into the rocket and start the journey back home. that's what the game is about, isn't it? 

[Xemina]

Yes, but this could add another experience. Try to build a rocket with good DeltaV, TWR, Etc...

[klesh]

Isn't building a rocket with good DeltaV, TWR, Etc already part of the experience?

[mattinoz]

Kerbal Co-pilots.

You don't get the skills unless you take them along.

[Xemina]

12 hours ago, klesh said:

Isn't building a rocket with good DeltaV, TWR, Etc already part of the experience?

Yes. But mostly you worry about the trip. But with this, you could put heart's content into making your rocket's aesthetics perfect.

13 hours ago, mk1980 said:

but what would be the purpose? there's really not a whole lot of stuff to do once you arrive somewhere.

to me, the game is about how to get there. once i've landed on some moon or planet, i run the science experiments once, maybe drive around in a rover for a few minutes (if i brought one) and then i jump back into the rocket and start the journey back home. that's what the game is about, isn't it? 

The game is a game. It can be whatever you think it is.

#LamePepTalk

[Rocket In My Pocket]

4 hours ago, DeltaVerb said:

The game is a game. It can be whatever you think it is.

Agreed, isn't that why we have mods though? To allow for features that wouldn't please everyone.

You've already mentioned MechJeb which is a fully functioning auto-pilot.

Is there some reason you can't or won't use it?

[Alpha_Mike_741]

Space is hard, Smart and flexible autopilots are much, much harder. Sure people can dig in and try to come up with some logic,code,whatever to cover as many different designs and scenarios as possible. But that ends there. If we want the ultimate flight automation (in KSP, of course) we need something in lines of a self-improving AI. This is why mods like mechjeb don't satisfy my automation needs .(And OP's, I guess)

But that's just my opinion

 

 

[Geonovast]

You could always use the built in transporter.

[Xemina]

23 hours ago, Rocket In My Pocket said:

Agreed, isn't that why we have mods though? To allow for features that wouldn't please everyone.

You've already mentioned MechJeb which is a fully functioning auto-pilot.

Is there some reason you can't or won't use it?

You can't just select a planet with it can you? 

[Gaarst]

On 06/09/2017 at 9:35 AM, DeltaVerb said:

Yes. But mostly you worry about the trip. But with this, you could put heart's content into making your rocket's aesthetics perfect.

Debatable. I personally spend more time designing my missions and spacecraft than flying them, and I've never touched MechJeb.

Edited September 7, 2017 by Gaarst

[Rocket In My Pocket]

2 hours ago, DeltaVerb said:

You can't just select a planet with it can you? 

Couldn't tell you, never used it. (I'm in the MechJeb is cheating camp...no offense to those that use it.)

Maybe you should give it a try? It's the only autopilot you're ever going to get.

Combine it with Astrogator and that's as close as you are gonna come to what you are talking about.

 

Edited September 7, 2017 by Rocket In My Pocket

[sevenperforce]

The only thing I could get behind would be a function for timed ignition of solid fuel stages.

[Spricigo]

On 06/09/2017 at 4:35 AM, DeltaVerb said:

Yes. But mostly you worry about the trip. But with this, you could put heart's content into making your rocket's aesthetics perfect.

The game is a game. It can be whatever you think it is.

So just put your heart in the aesthetics (or whatever you want). You don't  need a autopilot for it.

In any case, I feel that such extensive automation is conflicting with squad's vision to KSP. While the players can do a lot of different things, piloting is supposed to stay in the core of the game. Otherwise we would have at least the option to execute planned maneuver by now.*

Fortunately there is MechJeb, it may take a few more steps than what you suggest, but certainly a very effective autopilot. 

*which IMHO would be a good 'accessibility option' along with auto-land.

[qzgy]

10 hours ago, sevenperforce said:

The only thing I could get behind would be a function for timed ignition of solid fuel stages.

This. I support this idea.

But personally, no mechjeb for me. Never found the need for it. I mean, in a 6.4x game, I have a gravity turn autopilot for efficiency, since space is hard, but that's as close as I wanna go to mechjeb.

[sevenperforce]

10 hours ago, qzgy said:

This. I support this idea.

But personally, no mechjeb for me. Never found the need for it. I mean, in a 6.4x game, I have a gravity turn autopilot for efficiency, since space is hard, but that's as close as I wanna go to mechjeb.

The only thing I would ever want MJ for would be plotting pesky transfers and executing the burns. It's tiresome and I'm not sure I'll ever be good at it. Personally, I like flying gravity turns by hand.

Timed ignition of solid-fuel stages would be pretty easy to implement, really. Just add an advanced tweakable to each SRB called "Ignition Delay" and allow players to either move a slider or input a number of seconds manually. Then when you stage that part, it waits the predetermined number of seconds before actually igniting. It's identical to what is available in real life.

Same tweakable for decouplers. It would make it way, way more straightforward (but still just as challenging/rewarding) to build a "fire-and-forget" solid-fueled rocket, either for orbit or no. Would also help with designing optimal gravity turns because you could replicate a launch sequence perfectly.

[linuxgurugamer]

On 9/6/2017 at 8:40 AM, Alpha_Mike_741 said:

Space is hard, Smart and flexible autopilots are much, much harder. Sure people can dig in and try to come up with some logic,code,whatever to cover as many different designs and scenarios as possible. But that ends there. If we want the ultimate flight automation (in KSP, of course) we need something in lines of a self-improving AI. This is why mods like mechjeb don't satisfy my automation needs .(And OP's, I guess)

But that's just my opinion

 

 

You can always try writing your own autopilot using KoS

4 minutes ago, sevenperforce said:

 

Timed ignition of solid-fuel stages would be pretty easy to implement, really. Just add an advanced tweakable to each SRB called "Ignition Delay" and allow players to either move a slider or input a number of seconds manually. Then when you stage that part, it waits the predetermined number of seconds before actually igniting. It's identical to what is available in real 

Try looking at Smart Parts

[sevenperforce]

17 minutes ago, linuxgurugamer said:

22 minutes ago, sevenperforce said:

Timed ignition of solid-fuel stages would be pretty easy to implement, really. Just add an advanced tweakable to each SRB called "Ignition Delay" and allow players to either move a slider or input a number of seconds manually. Then when you stage that part, it waits the predetermined number of seconds before actually igniting. It's identical to what is available in real life.

Try looking at Smart Parts

Native solutions by adding tweakables is always preferable to mods.

Adding advanced tweakables is great because it doesn't make things messy for new players, but it's also easy to implement and doesn't require new parts or anything.

[linuxgurugamer]

1 hour ago, sevenperforce said:

Native solutions by adding tweakables is always preferable to mods.

Adding advanced tweakables is great because it doesn't make things messy for new players, but it's also easy to implement and doesn't require new parts or anything.

Not disagreeing, but until then, these are some possible solutions

[Pand5461]

7 hours ago, linuxgurugamer said:

You can always try writing your own autopilot using KoS

That would be my ultimate answer to all "we need better autopilot mods" whines but almost no one ever actually considers it, alas.

What I absolutely love about kOS it that it encourages you to learn the "rocket science".

Because "I want to fly like Scott Manley but don't want to learn the maths 'cos it's just a game"... Well, that people might as well try making an omelette without breaking eggs.

OK, I'm starting to insult people at this point...

I perfectly understand if the OP is tired of the same "Get to orbit - Plot a transfer - Execute maneuver - Do midcourse corrections - Do the capture burn - Land" routine and would like to automate it but that's making an omelette without breaking eggs again. You need to invest either your time (either coding that autopilot or convincing someone else to do it) or money (supporting a person who would code this).

[tseitsei89]

12 hours ago, linuxgurugamer said:

You can always try writing your own autopilot using KoS

 

This so much!

You learn a lot and you get to design exactly the autopilot you want/can design currently...

[Spricigo]

15 hours ago, linuxgurugamer said:

You can always try writing your own autopilot using KoS

It sound  kinda like the opposite he asked to me. It add even more to consider than If simply going with MJ.

I may be wrong,  given I dont use autopilot *.  But seems that KoS can make a bigger omelette,  and thus need to be break more eggs. 

*some exceptions but not relevant for the discussion.  Pretty oblivious about what MJ or KoS full potential is.

15 hours ago, linuxgurugamer said:

15 hours ago, sevenperforce said:

 

Timed ignition of solid-fuel stages would be pretty easy to implement, really. Just add an advanced tweakable to each SRB called "Ignition Delay" and allow players to either move a slider or input a number of seconds manually. Then when you stage that part, it waits the predetermined number of seconds before actually igniting. It's identical to what is available in real 

Try looking at Smart Parts

Odd as it sound,  partless Smart Parts seems not enterirely without merit.  I don't mind the cost/mass but part count sometimes annoys me. 

But let me guess: KoS can do it? 

 

[Pand5461]

2 hours ago, Spricigo said:

It sound  kinda like the opposite he asked to me. It add even more to consider than If simply going with MJ.

True. But consider an Apollo-style mission. How is a generic autopilot supposed to know you need to redock on the TLI trajectory, ditch the stage and use spacecraft propulsion to capture in the Moon orbit?

Interplanetary trips are even more complicated. There may be multiple gravity assists on the way, or you may want to depart at one of the nodes and wait several revolutions around the Sun before encounter, or you want to launch to an intercept trajectory rather that Hohmann because you have some dV to spare and want to just get there faster...

Bootom line is, writing generic autopilots is hard. The reason some of them are available for free may be that completing such a task is a reward by itself. But there is a limit to what a program can do without the need to read player's mind.

3 hours ago, Spricigo said:

But let me guess: KoS can do it?

Yes it can, if we speak of eliminating the need for manual input on launch. And no it can't, if we speak about the delay between activating the stage an SRB is in and actually lighting said SRB.

[Kerbal101]

I agree with what @Pand5461 said. MJ is basically "half-cheating" yourself into the orbit and writing machine instructions is realistic approach to how autopilots work. Realistic, because its like the cleaner - cleaner of cleaner bot dilemma: