Auto Pilot/Auto Maneuver would be nice

[mattinoz]

On 3/5/2021 at 5:43 PM, Brikoleur said:

Wow, there really are people who want to make flying optional in a game that’s about flying because MY FREEDOM TO PLAY AS I WANT. Takes all sorts I guess.

There is a flight sim has a mode you can sit in the back of the plane and relive the "joys" of long haul flying.

KSProgram is about more than flying or at least should and expanding the scope of the game for KSP2 team seems to be a big aim. To me that makes it important to make flying optional at times in the game. If the balance is right there will be both optional and non optional flying in the game.

Let you determine the scope of your own game based on how you want to use each type of flight (well drift given most of KSP is just drifting in space waiting to fly).

A monolithic autopilot like MechJeb* (oh the irony) that just unlocks at some point  to me would not be good fit. That still leaves a lot of room in the middle that could then be used to bring life to the game and reduce repetition. 

 

*Mechanical Jeb replicates all the pilot skills Jeb doesn't have in game.

[PlutoISaPlanet]

On 3/5/2021 at 1:43 AM, Brikoleur said:

Wow, there really are people who want to make flying optional in a game that’s about flying because MY FREEDOM TO PLAY AS I WANT. Takes all sorts I guess.

I also do not understand why people want to get rid of flying in a flying game. I have no problem with expending the scope of the game- but rendering the main gameplay feature useless is not "expanding the scope".

[paul_c]

I think the analogy of an aimbot in a shooting-game is a good one. Part of the core of KSP is that you sit there and fly/drive/whatever a rocket/vehicle you built. However we must also consider that KSP isn't a competitive player-vs-player game and that for some, it extends their enjoyment of the game, or gives them a route in, to use some kind of autopilot.

I agree too, that if there is a strong focus on 'flying', then they need to sort out joystick support properly, just like a flight simulator.

So I would agree that some kind of progression, starting out with a fairly narrow (to guide newbies in the right direction, excuse the pun) pathway of building a conventional rocket which goes up, gradually turns horizontal and eventually after a few iterations of design you can orbit nicely. And once some kind of experience is demonstrated in each aspect, then an automation feature is gradually opened up. Fairly similar to how the idea of pilots gaining experience and unlocking SAS controls ought to work (but is currently broken - there's going to be some wailing from newbies who started in 1.11.1 when that's turned off again!!!)

Make it too easy, too early on, and the depth of involvement is lost. 

[Bej Kerman]

On 3/3/2021 at 4:10 PM, Brikoleur said:

On 3/3/2021 at 3:43 PM, Arco123 said:

I don't like having to bother with commNet or anything more advanced in my casual play-through. Sure it's a space simulator but it's also a game.  Who cares if you make a unrealistic thing. Realism isn't always fun and nobody dictates what is fun and isn't fun. Some people are casual. 

I am very much not a member of the realism squad. KSP2 must be a fun game first and foremost, if realism gets in the way then realism has to move over.

Optional Commnet it is then,

33 minutes ago, paul_c said:

I think the analogy of an aimbot in a shooting-game is a good one. Part of the core of KSP is that you sit there and fly/drive/whatever a rocket/vehicle you built. However we must also consider that KSP isn't a competitive player-vs-player game and that for some, it extends their enjoyment of the game, or gives them a route in, to use some kind of autopilot.

 

I think autopilots should remain mods. You can still have an autopilot, but newbies will still have to learn how space flight works, as most of them to my knowledge don't immediately start the game getting mods. Usually that's saved until they can find their way around the game. Trying to horseshoe autopilots into the base game (and the career progression) won't prevent newbies playing in the sandbox mode from avoiding having to learn how orbits work.