It would be cool if we could have a copilot feature for our offline/solo flights that can basically manage AP and handle communications with ATC, especially for longer flights when we tend to take care of other things. If I were Asobo I would take that feature into consideration, and include it because it can come in handy for a lot of people. 

29 minutes ago, EKRA01 said:

It would be cool if we could have a copilot feature for our offline/solo flights that can basically manage AP and handle communications with ATC, especially for longer flights when we tend to take care of other things. If I were Asobo I would take that feature into consideration, and include it because it can come in handy for a lot of people. 

An advaced interactive virtual crew for ground and air could add a role playing dimension to the simulator. 

We saw the ground staff in the latest Airport video but no idea what is the level of interaction implemented in this concept.

As for the air, the virtual humans could be copilots, instructors, captains you fly with them as 1rst officer or the opposite or students you play the role of their instructor. They could be cabin crew etc.

Asobo previewed in one of their videos a smart checklist system I thought it was great. So such features are something that they already thought about most probably...

Edited February 25, 20206 yr by Claviateur

The Soundscape Feature Discovery video hinted at this when one of the settings files was shown and it has entries for "shared cockpit". I suspect we'll find out more in the next Feature Discovery video when multiplayer will be the topic.

4 minutes ago, Bottle said:

The Soundscape Feature Discovery video hinted at this when one of the settings files was shown and it has entries for "shared cockpit". I suspect we'll find out more in the next Feature Discovery video when multiplayer will be the topic.

I think shared cockpit is human vs human and this is a great feature no doubt. But since the days of FSX I wondered if after AI aircraft traffic, cars and ships, we will get AI crew 🙂

 

 

Edited February 25, 20206 yr by Claviateur

Are you talking about the visual representation of virtual crew members sitting next to you resp. entering the cockpit from time to time - or about the functionality of AI crew handling aircraft systems and ATC resp. doors and ground services?

The latter we already have with Multi Crew Experience and to some extent with FS2Crew and I would be fine if this would still be provided by 3PD.

 

12 minutes ago, Claviateur said:

we will get AI crew

Ooops, I didn't read the OP fully. I need another coffee. But I agree, the most intimidating thing about flying to me (real and virtual) is the learning curve to understand the comms and navigation. MS says it wants MSFS to be the most accessible it can be, so having this "solved" by AI and letting the humans have the fun of just flying and sightseeing will surely be something they try to address.

As an aside, the videos of ATC interaction I've seen, it's not so much the content that's bamboozling, but the speed at which everything is spoken.

11 minutes ago, Bottle said:

Ooops, I didn't read the OP fully. I need another coffee. But I agree, the most intimidating thing about flying to me (real and virtual) is the learning curve to understand the comms and navigation. MS says it wants MSFS to be the most accessible it can be, so having this "solved" by AI and letting the humans have the fun of just flying and sightseeing will surely be something they try to address.

As an aside, the videos of ATC interaction I've seen, it's not so much the content that's bamboozling, but the speed at which everything is spoken.

Yes for beginners the tasks and interactions in the training process are overwhelming. One gets used it as far as my cousin used to tell me...

But I agree, an AI human in a simulator taking these roles can put the user into a situation with more pressure than if it's a human only solo free for all self forgiving flight.

Edited February 25, 20206 yr by Claviateur

31 minutes ago, RALF9636 said:

The latter we already have with Multi Crew Experience and to some extent with FS2Crew and I would be fine if this would still be provided by 3PD.

 

Yes these addons are always welcome but when I saw the Asobo Airport video with all the goodies featured out of the box I felt good.

Installing and setting dozens of addons and plugins for all these can be tiring and not always user friendly.

A default feature such as AI Crew, just like interactive jetways or ground service and that is part of the simualtor usability / GUI is always better in my opinion.

Edited February 25, 20206 yr by Claviateur

2 minutes ago, Claviateur said:

Installing and settings dozens of addons and plugins for all these can be tiring and not always user friendly.

A default feature such as these that is part of the simualtor usability / GUI is always better in my opinion.

Totally agree with that in principle.

Nevertheless when it comes to a copilot he would need to have different capabilities for every aircraft. Different aircraft have different systems, different checklists etc. It would have to be adapted for every addon aircraft.

Maybe a basic functionality can be included in the sim which could then be build upon by 3PD with more specific functionalities.

 

6 minutes ago, RALF9636 said:

Totally agree with that in principle.

Nevertheless when it comes to a copilot he would need to have different capabilities for every aircraft. Different aircraft have different systems, different checklists etc. It would have to be adapted for every addon aircraft.

Maybe a basic functionality can be included in the sim which could then be build upon by 3PD with more specific functionalities.

 

Ah! I supposed (in my head) all this can be customized just like we do with AI Traffic 🙂 We could program traffic routes schedules etc.

22 minutes ago, RALF9636 said:

Totally agree with that in principle.

Nevertheless when it comes to a copilot he would need to have different capabilities for every aircraft. Different aircraft have different systems, different checklists etc. It would have to be adapted for every addon aircraft.

Maybe a basic functionality can be included in the sim which could then be build upon by 3PD with more specific functionalities.

 

Which might lead to reduced development costs if a basic co-pilot feature built within the sim.

1 hour ago, RALF9636 said:

Are you talking about the visual representation of virtual crew members sitting next to you resp. entering the cockpit from time to time - or about the functionality of AI crew handling aircraft systems and ATC resp. doors and ground services?

The latter we already have with Multi Crew Experience and to some extent with FS2Crew and I would be fine if this would still be provided by 3PD.

 

Not virtual, just an “assistant” tool that can do checklists, ATC Coms and technically take over the plane for you if you need to. 

I'd like an automated flight engineer (for those aircraft that require them, A2A already does this on the Stratocruiser and Connie), an automated co-pilot to handle some of the workload, and an automated pilot so I can play either co-pilot while I'm learning or flight engineer.

When I bought the A2A Connie I sure wished I could have made a few flights as co-pilot to learn the aircraft, similar to how it's done in the real world.

I don't care about seeing anyone in the cockpit.  Just need their voices and actions.

Hook

Personally, I'd be happy to see this feature provided by the developer of Multi Crew Experience, either as an add-on much the same as the present MCE software is, or by striking a deal to have it included for a royalty fee. There's a good reason for that too...

MCE is a very mature product which works pretty much flawlessly with a great many flight simulators and with every add-on or default aeroplane I've ever tried it on in FSX or P3D, so I don't really see the point of Asobo wasting a huge amount of their resources trying to re-invent the wheel when FS++ have already done an absolutely stunning job of creating this feature already. It also works in XPlane as well although I've rarely been inclined to try it with that sim.

For those of you not familiar with MCE, it works with any aeroplane from a Piper Cub to a Boeing 747, it will add a co-pilot, mechanic, purser and a flight engineer. These virtual people (whom you can name and add any voice you like for) can do all manner of things: monitor stuff, run through checklists (including custom ones you can easily create for yourself if you like), fly the plane, act as a co-pilot (with several levels of interactivity), act as a check pilot, act as an instructor, handle the ATC for you etc, etc. It's one of the best add-ons ever created for a flight sim and I seriously doubt Asobo could improve much on it unless they basically made a clone of it, then added the ability for it to make you a nice cup of tea.

Copilot can be of many good uses. I'd very much like to learn from my copilot who should know much more than I do about aviation. In the meantime I'd like him to do some work and I can relax and enjoy the view now and then. It's so cool and handy.