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The position of asteroids is fixed. The position of the nearest point on a surface of any target can be achieved through GetTargetDistance() and practically any asteroid inside targeting range can be selected through radar.SetRadarSelection(2,x), because they have unique integers assigned in place of x. By being clever and intrepid, someone could theoretically chart the positions of surfaces of asteroids, and get an accurate estimate on their relative, three dimensional coordinates. I personally did a little bit of this, until I could consistently dock at a station, after jumping in from a designated sector. The same tactic could be used to approach WH points, and doing this would be fair simpler, because you have a 1000m sphere to fudge on, as opposed to a 20x10m column--a docking bay.
The Lua system in VO is intelligent as to what sector you are in; a database could be constructed that delegates the appropriate asteroids identities and coordinates for the sector in question. In this way, a modular autopilot system is theoretically possible, and lightweight to boot.
Because the distances between capital ship turrets is constant, and relatively spherical, these too could be used for accurate coordinate readings, if they can be reliable targeted, intentionally. Coordinating this information with at least 3 allies would allow someone to find the relative position of any target mutually within their targeting range. From position, one could theoretically derive velocity, and acceleration of any target. Knowing this, and the behavior of equipped weapons (and especially missiles), one could form firing solutions to several variables, or to coordinate cooperative salvos into doing the same. Additionally, from this information, one could finally have an instrument for revealing their own approximate velocity, regardless of facing.
There are myriad ways to breaking this system, that practical auto piloting would be incapable of docking, or warping. The former can be rendered impractical by decreasing the accuracy of target distance estimating, or releasing this tool from the Lua repertoire. The latter can be broken through randomization of asteroid position. (Disallowing the targeting of specific asteroids would not be sufficient, as with appropriate wandering and charting, one can find the asteroids desired.) Additionally, triangulation would not be possible without the wait timer, as non-zero displacement is needed to achieve meaningful angle. The process involves thrusting in each of three unique directions, and pausing to observe the new distances.
The Lua system in VO is intelligent as to what sector you are in; a database could be constructed that delegates the appropriate asteroids identities and coordinates for the sector in question. In this way, a modular autopilot system is theoretically possible, and lightweight to boot.
Because the distances between capital ship turrets is constant, and relatively spherical, these too could be used for accurate coordinate readings, if they can be reliable targeted, intentionally. Coordinating this information with at least 3 allies would allow someone to find the relative position of any target mutually within their targeting range. From position, one could theoretically derive velocity, and acceleration of any target. Knowing this, and the behavior of equipped weapons (and especially missiles), one could form firing solutions to several variables, or to coordinate cooperative salvos into doing the same. Additionally, from this information, one could finally have an instrument for revealing their own approximate velocity, regardless of facing.
There are myriad ways to breaking this system, that practical auto piloting would be incapable of docking, or warping. The former can be rendered impractical by decreasing the accuracy of target distance estimating, or releasing this tool from the Lua repertoire. The latter can be broken through randomization of asteroid position. (Disallowing the targeting of specific asteroids would not be sufficient, as with appropriate wandering and charting, one can find the asteroids desired.) Additionally, triangulation would not be possible without the wait timer, as non-zero displacement is needed to achieve meaningful angle. The process involves thrusting in each of three unique directions, and pausing to observe the new distances.
So you just figured out what someone tried to explain to you years ago?
You are absolutely correct Slime. I waited these years to publish these specific findings because I wished for the wide world to realize how dazzlingly brilliant I am, and require an audience to appreciate my snarky remarks. I most definitely did not do so, because I wished for others to have the knowledge I have scrapped together, and could not care less how it is used, or abused in the future any longer.
No doubt you did not make this system out of moral obligation, and not due to a lack of intelligence. I applaud your spirit.
No doubt you did not make this system out of moral obligation, and not due to a lack of intelligence. I applaud your spirit.
Do people realize they're on the internet?
I could do far more interesting things with a db of every roid in the game than saving me the hassle of moving the mouse whilst going from A to B :-)
Let's let the developers make an autopilot when they have time.
i have a pretty good auto pilot its called point mouse at desired direction put heavy object on tab wait 10 seconds hit enter.
ok its not quite auto but it gets the job done.
actually i support this cutting off a bunch of auto piloting moths in grey would by quite lulzy
ok its not quite auto but it gets the job done.
actually i support this cutting off a bunch of auto piloting moths in grey would by quite lulzy
...and in no way different from killing an NPC convoy.
You'd get PK's.
As for navigating by roids, having that idea is the easy part.
Tho making it doesn't seem too hard either, but it's usefulness would be limited.
As for navigating by roids, having that idea is the easy part.
Tho making it doesn't seem too hard either, but it's usefulness would be limited.
Right, the PKs. I could kill newbs for that, though.
If I was an evil developer, I would wait until you had completed this system that is based on the static locations of asteroids...
... and then I would move all the asteroids around, just slightly, but enough to make you unable to dock or find specific good 'roids.
Muwaaaha ahahaha aha haaaa!
... and then I would move all the asteroids around, just slightly, but enough to make you unable to dock or find specific good 'roids.
Muwaaaha ahahaha aha haaaa!
And I'd do it just for fun...
I've toyed around with docking in dullbot a while back. I did things a bit simpler than you though.
With the targeting functions you can also target station parts .. so I used a rock that was sort of in front of a docking bay as reference point, flew to it, targeted the nearest docking bay and then flew towards that.
The biggest problem I had was that the bot liked to smash into the side of the bay even if the reference rock was dead in front of it. It's because the center/target point of docking bays is at the back of the model.
The turn commands are pretty inaccurate, so the bot tends to kind of home in on a target, which works for traveling and mining but makes trying to fly into a narrow tube a bit of a lottery.
I think the best solution would be to try to keep the bot lined up with both the docking bay and the reference rock instead of just the bay. But I couldn't be arsed to try that yet. :P
It would also not be quite as universal as I like it to be.. since the reference rock must be recorded or whatever first. The main goal for dullbot was to be fully automatic.
I guess it could find the rock by trail and error but that'd be slow.
With the targeting functions you can also target station parts .. so I used a rock that was sort of in front of a docking bay as reference point, flew to it, targeted the nearest docking bay and then flew towards that.
The biggest problem I had was that the bot liked to smash into the side of the bay even if the reference rock was dead in front of it. It's because the center/target point of docking bays is at the back of the model.
The turn commands are pretty inaccurate, so the bot tends to kind of home in on a target, which works for traveling and mining but makes trying to fly into a narrow tube a bit of a lottery.
I think the best solution would be to try to keep the bot lined up with both the docking bay and the reference rock instead of just the bay. But I couldn't be arsed to try that yet. :P
It would also not be quite as universal as I like it to be.. since the reference rock must be recorded or whatever first. The main goal for dullbot was to be fully automatic.
I guess it could find the rock by trail and error but that'd be slow.
This is twitch-based, not auto-based. A.k.a: this is VO, not EvE.
They are talking about autopilot for those long boring trips from system to system where you dont expect anything interesting to happen. You dont need twitch skill for that.
As a pirate, I am FULLY behind an autopilot for VO.
Please, Gods, let them add it.
Please, Gods, let them add it.
Man, I pray for a "thump your chest" forum.
Isn't that what 100 is for?
I thought that was B8..
oh.. you said "Thump your own chest" I thought you'd said "Thump someone elses chest" as in. *shoves you* cmon.. cmon.. *shoves you* hit me sucker!
oh.. you said "Thump your own chest" I thought you'd said "Thump someone elses chest" as in. *shoves you* cmon.. cmon.. *shoves you* hit me sucker!
Your Dullbot can only visit points that happen to be the center of targetable objects. However, if you used this triangulation, and wit, you could visit points not targetable by mandating that the angle of several targetable points be such a combination, based on their subjective distances. I would be happy to work out the logic for you, as the angular issues are what is missing entirely from my method.
Visiting a point, say, 50 meters in front of a docking bay, and then approaching it is a measure for the kind of successful docking only Slimey can do. Because your method of using the radar for angular measurements allows a ship to achieve estimated premeditated angles, they could then utilize their turbo in the proper directions.
Visiting a point, say, 50 meters in front of a docking bay, and then approaching it is a measure for the kind of successful docking only Slimey can do. Because your method of using the radar for angular measurements allows a ship to achieve estimated premeditated angles, they could then utilize their turbo in the proper directions.