AUTOPILOT
Keywords: AUTOPILOT, AUTOP
=== USER MANUAL ===
Usage: autopilot
Description:
Toggle the ship's autopilot from the cockpit. Each invocation
flips the current state -- there are no on/off arguments.
Autopilot holds the ship's current course and speed and takes
over combat. It is a cruise + combat AI mode, not a navigator:
plotting a new destination still requires course or calculate
with autopilot disengaged.
What Autopilot Does:
Ignore gravity ..... The ship no longer drifts toward nearby
stars, planets, or stations; you hold your
vector cleanly.
Auto-fire ......... If a target is locked and in range and arc,
the ship's best primary weapon fires every
cooldown.
Retaliate ......... Incoming hits that land on a nothing-targeted
ship cause autopilot to snap-target the
attacker.
Interceptors ...... If equipped, interceptor fighters launch
against the current target automatically.
What Autopilot Does NOT Do:
- Navigate to a destination -- set heading with course before
engaging, or plot a jump with calculate + hyperspace.
- Track a target's position (that's autotrack).
- Fire the whole weapons package (that's autocombat from the
gunner's chair).
Blocked While Engaged:
Autopilot holds the helm, so these manual commands refuse to
run until you toggle it off:
accelerate, course, calculate
Each returns "You'll have to turn off the ship's autopilot first."
Requirements:
Cockpit ............ Must be in the ship's cockpit/pilot seat.
Pilot access ....... Must own the ship or be a listed pilot
(addpilot).
Notes:
- Every toggle echoes "$n flips a switch on the control
panel." to the room.
- NPC ships permanently behave as if on autopilot (they are
always autoflying), regardless of the flag.
- Pair with autotrack (from the pilot seat) and autocombat
(from the gunner's chair) for hands-off dogfighting.
Related Helpfiles: AUTOTRACK, AUTOCOMBAT, COURSE, ACCELERATE, CALCULATE, TARGET, SHIPSTAT
=== END MANUAL ===