AutoPilot for KSP2

[Devblaze]

Hey everyone, I wanted to jump in a share my personal take on the topic of a mcJeb for KSP2.

In my opinion McJeb Is hands down one of the most valuable mods ever created for Kerbal space program. If this mod were to be officially integrated into the game or adopted as a native feature, it would bring an incredible amount of freedom to new players.  Some of you may be surprised to know, but after hours of reading through the discord of Kerbal space program Reddit and the intercept games Discord. I came to the conclusion that veterans and newbies took Kerbal space program Struggle to pilot their crafts. There are various reasons behind this challenge, making mistakes during docking or achieving a stable orbit On a regular basis, can be quite demanding. having some form of automation to assist in achieving a perfect equatorial or polar orbit becomes almost essential, especially for a game that revolves around space flight and exploration.

Now I understand that many experienced KSP players might immediately argue that piloting is one of the most important aspects of the game, and I respect that perspective. however, I belong to the 1% who actually prefer to focus on building and engineering rockets, rather than piloting them. I never signed up to be a pilot - I lack the skills and interest to navigate the spacecraft myself... If anyone is out there capable of creating this mod, I want you to know that you would personally enhance my experience with Kerbal Space Program tremendously. while it may not mean much to others, it means the world to me. I struggle to Enjoy KSP because I'm a mid-tier pilot who often makes mistakes.

And this is more targeted to KSP staff. if you are reading this, please put the word out, it is worth highlighting that in real world space exploration virtually all rockets have some form of automated guidance system or autopilot. This fact further emphasizes the significance of incorporating native autopilot controls within kerbal space program. by introducing features like synthetic guidance, orbit guidance and docking guidance, the game would not only enhance the overall user experience, but also mirror the practices and technologies utilized in actual space missions. this alignment with real life autopilot systems would add a layer of authenticity and realism to the gameplay, allowing players to immerse themselves in a more accurate representation of space exploration.

Edited May 23, 2023 by Devblaze

[Kerbin Launch Coalition]

On 5/23/2023 at 9:10 AM, Devblaze said:

Hey everyone, I wanted to jump in a share my personal take on the topic of a mcJeb for KSP2.

In my opinion McJeb Is hands down one of the most valuable mods ever created for Kerbal space program. If this mod were to be officially integrated into the game or adopted as a native feature, it would bring an incredible amount of freedom to new players.  Some of you may be surprised to know, but after hours of reading through the discord of Kerbal space program Reddit and the intercept games Discord. I came to the conclusion that veterans and newbies took Kerbal space program Struggle to pilot their crafts. There are various reasons behind this challenge, making mistakes during docking or achieving a stable orbit On a regular basis, can be quite demanding. having some form of automation to assist in achieving a perfect equatorial or polar orbit becomes almost essential, especially for a game that revolves around space flight and exploration.

Now I understand that many experienced KSP players might immediately argue that piloting is one of the most important aspects of the game, and I respect that perspective. however, I belong to the 1% who actually prefer to focus on building and engineering rockets, rather than piloting them. I never signed up to be a pilot - I lack the skills and interest to navigate the spacecraft myself... If anyone is out there capable of creating this mod, I want you to know that you would personally enhance my experience with Kerbal Space Program tremendously. while it may not mean much to others, it means the world to me. I struggle to Enjoy KSP because I'm a mid-tier pilot who often makes mistakes.

And this is more targeted to KSP staff. if you are reading this, please put the word out, it is worth highlighting that in real world space exploration virtually all rockets have some form of automated guidance system or autopilot. This fact further emphasizes the significance of incorporating native autopilot controls within kerbal space program. by introducing features like synthetic guidance, orbit guidance and docking guidance, the game would not only enhance the overall user experience, but also mirror the practices and technologies utilized in actual space missions. this alignment with real life autopilot systems would add a layer of authenticity and realism to the gameplay, allowing players to immerse themselves in a more accurate representation of space exploration.

I would support the idea of automation with regards to docking being a baked in feature *however* not right off the bat. It should be unlocked through a progression system, full on manual being the first step. Then progressing to a limited autopilot system before progressing to full on hands-off docking.

 

But I absolutely think learning to dock is one of the fundamental skills that needs to be encouraged rather than 'modded around'. It's how we did it in the real world, the guys on Gemini and what no didn't have the same automation as Crew Dragon for example.  The game needs progression in that respect to reward players for learning.

[cfloutier]

I'm currently creating a docker autopilot.

I totally agree with you. the game needs progression. i'll try, like mechjeb did, to forbid some pilot in campain mode at the beginning. it should be available only after success in manually doing maneuver and docking. 

i'll try to add this in the tech tree