Will somebody please fix the Auto-Pillok !!!!

[apricotslice]

This call for help was brought to you by the Apricot Mapping Service.

We at Apricot are so frustrated at the suicidal nature of the so-called auto-pilots currently fitted in ships, that all ship movements have been cancelled until further notice.

Further, we recommend extreme caution to anyone attempting to use them and seriously recommend you rip the god-damned thing out of the ship altogether and only fly manually until the problem is rectified and the perpetrator brought to justice.

Have a nice day.

[Kitch]

Customers are reminded that autopilots bought with ships from this station are sold without warranties...

Maybe consider purchasing the best-selling info manual:

"Autopilot and You, How to have an Easier and Longer life."

In summary the passages of particular relevence are in the "Do's and Don'ts of automated space flight" section:

Do make things easier for your autopilot. As it mainly comprises an Argonian Gerbil in a box with a rough sketch of the sector, some bits of string and a Sinclair Spectrum ZX81, anything you can do to ease your flight will help. Good examples are to head up above the ecliptic plane thus avoiding the majority of other traffic and spaceborne hazzards such as the fearsome Huge Magnetic Rocks of Death.

Don't ask your autopilot (gerbil) to navigate a dynamically changing asteroid dense area at full throttle whilst avoiding incoming pirate laser fire. Not that you can't, just you shouldn't as the gerbil will throw a wobbler and he has a better union than you.

Do remember, the autopilot disables for a reason. When it cuts out as it approaches a gate or other large object, this means that manual control is advised for greater accuracy and not, as some believe, a cause to sigh and hammer the "autopilot on" button again.

Do try and simplify the route. You can autopilot to near objects and use them as "stepping stones" to your intended destination which may provide a clearer, more trouble free path. The straightest route isn't always the best and is rarely the safest. Your gerbil has no windows in his box, so may not be aware that there are several large asteroids with spaces between that a smaller than the beam of the ship you're in.

Do bear in mind that gerbils as a race have no fear. They also believe that as alien races such as the Xenon and Khaak have not waged war against gerbil-kind that travel through their sectors will be uneventful.

Don't forget to feed and maintain you autopilot (gerbil) and replace every 2 jazura maximum.

[apricotslice]

That was wonderful

Exactly what my post needed to be followed by !!!

[philip yarde]

Gerbils?, Gerbils?

Thats where your going wrong, the Boron use Hampsters

[666Villain666]

there's your problem right there. Using gerbils as navigators. Perhaps you misunderstood the man who sold you the rodents when he said with a evil smile: "Yeah, gerbils are good for getting to dark places..."

[Dungeoncrawler]

DC

[liquidthunder]

i love auto pilot, it feels like being on some trippy roller coaster, when it get 10m from a station before trying to avoid it,

as the ai use the same auto pilot its so funny to see a wing of pirate novas chasing me plow in to a astoroid.

[Darth Malice]

I wondered what that smell was in the cockpit, nobody mentioned that you have to feed the auto pilot. I have been somoking all those little black pellets thinking they were space weed, no wonder those pirates laughed when I tried to sell them some. Anyway I am off to Tkr's Deprivation to buy another auto pilot from Richard Gere's Petshop

[apricotslice]

I think we should demand the end of gerbil servitude immediately and get them relaced with a proper computer.

[Chips]

lmao at whole topic.

Is the issue that the autopilot is the same as it ever was, just that a lil more physics has been brought in? This way, when it turns, the ship keeps "sliding", and autopilot is incapable of taking this into consieration?

[philip yarde]

It all depends on what "size" ship you buy

S: Dung beatle
M: Gerbil
L: small yapping dog

[apricotslice]

[Hppswzd]

oh yeh, a fix would be nice. I can see that big astriod there, why can't the computer. But the autopilot aims straight for it, THEN does a u-turn, straight at the same astroid again. THEN again, again, again, untill it slowly inches its way around the damn thing.

Meanwhile all other ships traveling in formation are going haywire, some even hit me or other ships. With all the time and damage wasted on autopilot, It's only used when I know it's a straight shot.

[Kitch]

Hmmm... does anyone think it might be intentionally bad? You know, in a way to make people fly manually more. Was there a perceived problem that people would flawlessly fly around the whole universe on autopillok (tm - great phrase apricot) ot that good path plotting was too risk free or too time / resource / gerbil intensive to include?

I can't see why, as mentioned X2 had it much better under 1.4, here's hoping X3's 1.4 does the same.

If it is intentional, what justification is there for it? Those interested in exploring will fly manually out of preference so as not to miss things. Those who like a little more risk will spend more time in less friendly space, or just trust the current autopilot... in an Elephant... in Savage Spur...(you're tempted now, I can see, go try it )

"Hey! Mr Egosoft... this gerbil's BIOS is out of date!"

[Fun-X]

I thought it was odd that I was only having a problem with my Boron Super Freighter. Then I figured it out. The gerbil is having trouble with the Boron ship, because the I think the Boron ship is filled with water or some other fluid, and thus the gerbil drowned.

I tried to contact one of the Boron ships to find out if that was the problem, and they kept saying, "The Boron don't require communication."

Sheesh, you would think the Boron would wise up and use a goldfish instead of a gerbil.