Ok, first test. I was between planets and pressed Ctrl-F12 to generate an opponent. Very impressive! This is the kind of performance I'd expect from hiring a co-pilot with a good combat rating. My 2mw rapid fire cannon was overheated and my one shield generator was almost depleted but the enemy was destroyed with no damage to my ship. I did nothing. I just watched!

:girlimpossible:  Oh noes! I was fighting it wondering what was happening with the ship handling, next time I will leave the mouse alone :girlsigh:

Geraldine, were you able to add your inputs to the autopilot, or did it just ignore you? It makes me wonder if the player can work with it and nudge it in the right direction if need be, although in my limited experience it didn't seem to need it.

I did a second test, this time with two opponents. The autopilot dispatched the first ship quite efficiently. I got a message stating that my combat level had improved. I didn't feel that I deserved it. The second ship just flew off. I told my autopilot go to its vicinity but when I got there it didn't initiate hostilities so I ended the game at that point. I probably should have attacked to see what would happen.

Walterar, is it possible to toggle the automatic fighter pilot on and off? If it's not possible, it should be. I think that players like Geraldine might prefer to make their own kills. :spiteful:

As for me, I'll leave it on so I can continue to fly drunk and still kick ass! :beach:

The combat autopilot reacts when struck by a impact of   hostile ship. The first shot is safe for your ship, but helps the system to identify the attacker. This is especially useful when the hostiles are more than one. Very frecuent in danger missions, in Scout+. But, if you is a Champion, can switch to manual combat, pressing F5    :hunter:  :gaming:

@Marcel, I kept over correcting, but it is a handy tool nevertheless.

My first 'real' combat report. I was running G16F. I took a mission at GJ 1224 to bring some sensitive documents to San Francisco. I was told it was dangerous, but my tests of the new combat computer seemed successful so I was confident of success. The jump to Sol was uneventful, unlike the jump to GJ 1224 where I arrived in the middle of a dogfight and decided to leave. There were no other ships in the system, however and I made a fair amount of money with package deliveries. I didn't see anyone while I was on route to Earth until I was at the last waypoint above the pad. I could see the ship coming, but my ship ignored it. My nose pointed down and as I was heading to the pad I was attacked and hit. My ship turned and fired a volley that destroyed the attacker in about two seconds. By the way, the new explosions are nice! Unfortunately, my ship then plowed into San Francisco sideways, making for a very bad day for the people who had to clean it up. I tried again, this time going to speed control to gain altitude in which to manoeuvre. I let the other ship catch up then the combat began. In spite of the fact that I had two shield generators I received a bit of damage before the ship was destroyed. The laser cooling booster was a big help. I then saw the other two attackers. I manoeuvred to evade them until my shields were fully back online, then took them on one by one. I was fighting the last one manually when the autopilot took over and made the kill. The job paid about $5000 but I incurred about $3000 in damage to my ship. I also bought another shield generator.

This makes me wonder where the police were while this was occurring. When I landed, there was a police ship on a nearby pad. I know what the police would do if I fired a weapon that close to a station! 😀

@Marcel

"I know what the police would do if I fired a weapon that close to a station!"

Worst of all is that you run out scanner due to the accumulation of messages from the police in the screen. Something that will be resolved in G18f. 

Hi Walterar,

I think the auto combat is a FANTASTIC feature. It will really help new pilots ease into the outstanding Newtonian Flight Model.

Thanks Styggron, really I'm having so much fun creating new combat scenes.    :dwarf:    :mail:

Combat report:

I went on a mapping mission to a planet with probable pirate activity. I was on the lookout while travelling through the system until my ship was settling into low orbit and began mapping. I don't know how the Constrictor was spawned, but one appeared and taunted me.

"Are you going to die by your radar mapper?"

His syntax was strange but his meaning was clear, but I had a mission, and a plan.

I targeted his ship and was surprised to see a pirate with no bounty on his head. No shields either. I could take him easily, but that wasn't what I was there for.

I went to speed control and set the velocity beyond what I thought I'd reach and pointed my nose just above the horizon.

I had to survive for ten minutes.

I thought if I went around the planet as fast as I could I could stay in mapping range and evade my pursuer.

My plan had a flaw. He managed to hit me. The combat auto-pilot tried to engage but I pressed F5 and put it back on course. This happened a couple more times but my shields were holding up. Every time I pressed F5 I heard in the back of my mind the chatter from the Death Star attack, "Stay on target! Stay on target!"

As I built up speed the terrain was moving by very fast, and I was very low. I'm not entirely sure what happened next, but I saw a lovely explosion off the starboard bow. It was so close that at first I thought it collided with me, but my shields were at about 70%. I think he crashed into the planet. I was credited with the kill. I set the autopilot to low orbit and finished the mapping.

I see two issues here. One is a pirate with no bounty on his head, and the second is a combat autopilot that tries to wrest control from you every time you get hit. Is there a way to disable it until you want to enable it again?

:pioneer:

 

His syntax was strange

I'm sure was a Klingon!  :haha:

 

Is there a way to disable it until you want to enable it again?

For now, the only way I can identify an attacker is when you get your shot. But soon will be activated/deactivated with a key. For that, I need a new "event" that detects if you've pressed a key. This should be done in cxx.

 

My plan had a flaw.

That's good advice. At the time I was fully occupied with keeping my nose above ground. I'll try to do better next time. 😀

While I was testing for the bug reported here, http://spacesimcentral.com/ssc/topic/4211-things-related-to-scout/page-6

I encountered a rather surly fellow in an uninhabited system.

"This is my domain!" he said.

He attacked me and hit my shields. That's when I realized that my combat autopilot was off by default in G18, and I didn't know the key to activate it. I hit speed control and sped away, and he taunted me! That was so cool! :biggrin:

I looked up the key [Y] and enabled the autopilot. The guy was in an Eagle and was faster than me. When he caught up with me and hit me again my ship made short work of him and I had no damage.

Then I received  a message stating that all the money in his account at the Central Galactic Bank was transferred to me!

It's a pity that it was only a test. :pioneer:

 

I looked up the key [Y] and enabled the autopilot.

I have it set to "CapsLock" instead of "Y", that way, the "led" tells me the state. 🙂

 

It's a pity that it was only a test.

In the space of Scout happen very funny and / or dangerous things outside the solar system. Sure you'll have another chance to take on these crazy characters.  :hunter:  :pilot: