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Topic: Autopilot Could Be Better

I realize that the reality of Dev priorities means that this will never get looked at, but it is worth mentioning.

I'm sure many consider the Autopilot function a God send.  And it is very useful.  The problem is that is uses a rudimentary "follow the wall" algorithm that is oblivious to the high speed highways.  It is so oblivious, that frequently, your bot will be jogging along parallel to the high speed roadway and NOT utilizing it.  Also, by blindly using a "follow the wall" algorithm, it turns into every little pocket along the way, rather than sensibly maintaining a straight line toward the objective.  In short, it can't establish efficient pathways from start to end points.

So, if there is ever any Dev time, the autopilot path finding algorithm needs, at the very least, to be aware of high speed roads and use them.  Also, it needs a better algorithm to keep the bot in the middle of roadways and/or splitting the difference between obstacles as compared to skirting the perimeter of each obstacle the bot encounters.

Oh well.  I guess I should be glad there is ANY autopilot function at all.  I do remember when it didn't work or was very very flaky (way before Gamma destruction).  It certainly has improved since then and I'm using it as is.  But, it could be better.

  • JOKE
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Re: Autopilot Could Be Better

I think manual travel should always be more effective than using autopilot and currently it's so.

  • CIR
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Re: Autopilot Could Be Better

Burial is completely right. Manual travel > autopilot, always.

In EVE you don't warp to 0 on the gate - that's the price of autopiloting.

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  • CIR
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Re: Autopilot Could Be Better

Play this game without autopilot for three eyars and then re-evaluate where on the scale of importance this issue falls.

  • CIR
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Re: Autopilot Could Be Better

Tund Bungler wrote:

Play this game without autopilot for three eyars and then re-evaluate where on the scale of importance this issue falls.

Quoted for TRUTH!!!!

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  • PHM
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Re: Autopilot Could Be Better

I am going to say this, auto pilot is great, as is.

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  • BKK
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Re: Autopilot Could Be Better

it doesn't matter how bad it was in the past. the future matters
everything that is used to improve player autopilot can 1:1 used to improve NPC AI, and for such, i fully support it.

aside of that, i don't know many games that use the result from the pathfinding algorithm as directly as you can see it here, at least not as obvious. And while they do several optimisation passes after finding a route, they manage to make that work for multiple units and in realtime in RTS games.

i also would like to see the player autopilot beeing able to find a way throught the 45° gaps

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Re: Autopilot Could Be Better

kk - I hear what you guys are saying.  Your points are well taken.  And Tund's point brings it home quite clearly.

Thanks for the perspective guys !

  • -77-
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Re: Autopilot Could Be Better

yup

Burial wrote:

I think manual travel should always be more effective than using autopilot and currently it's so.

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