# How bad is autopilot and how to know if someone is using it **URL:** \ **Category:** New Citizens Q&A\ **Created:** [July 25, 2020, 4:48am UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/how-bad-is-autopilot-and-how-to-know-if-someone-is-using-it/256745 "2020-07-25T04:48:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Random\_Rick](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/random_rick/32/258426_2.png) [@Random\_Rick](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Random_Rick)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2020, 4:48am UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/how-bad-is-autopilot-and-how-to-know-if-someone-is-using-it/256745/1 "2020-07-25T04:48:49Z")
I recently saw this post about autopilot, people say its really bad and unreliable. but its quite vague and not specific. so I just want to know how bad autopilot is and how to know is someone is using it. thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Felix\_Isimazu](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/felix_isimazu/32/387885_2.png) [@Felix\_Isimazu](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Felix_Isimazu)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2020, 5:56am UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/how-bad-is-autopilot-and-how-to-know-if-someone-is-using-it/256745/2 "2020-07-25T05:56:55Z")
Autopilot is not unreliable, but it lands you 15km away from your destination, and you have to go at maximum subwarp speed there. This leaves you wide open to people who want to gank you. You can see someone using autopilot when their ship lands a distance away from the destination (usually a stargate), and they slowly start coasting towards the stargate. ---
**Author:** ![Random\_Rick](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/random_rick/32/258426_2.png) [@Random\_Rick](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Random_Rick)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2020, 5:58am UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/how-bad-is-autopilot-and-how-to-know-if-someone-is-using-it/256745/3 "2020-07-25T05:58:10Z")
oh but I am a new player, only have a destroyer, nobody want to rob me right? ---
**Author:** ![Felix\_Isimazu](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/felix_isimazu/32/387885_2.png) [@Felix\_Isimazu](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Felix_Isimazu)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2020, 6:02am UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/how-bad-is-autopilot-and-how-to-know-if-someone-is-using-it/256745/4 "2020-07-25T06:02:52Z")
Yes, in 99.99% of cases an autopiloting destroyer would be ignored, simply because a destroyer is almost always worth feck all and has feck all cargo in its belly. However, if you run into a very bored gank fleet who has been seeing nothing but tanked deep space transports, uncatchable blockade runners and bulkheaded freighters for the last hour and a half, your destroyer might just provide some fun content for them. ---
**Author:** ![Random\_Rick](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/random_rick/32/258426_2.png) [@Random\_Rick](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Random_Rick)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2020, 6:36am UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/how-bad-is-autopilot-and-how-to-know-if-someone-is-using-it/256745/5 "2020-07-25T06:36:02Z")
ok thanks I better watch out. ---
**Author:** ![Uriel\_the\_Flame](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/uriel_the_flame/32/490165_2.png) [@Uriel\_the\_Flame](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Uriel_the_Flame)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2020, 6:45am UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/how-bad-is-autopilot-and-how-to-know-if-someone-is-using-it/256745/6 "2020-07-25T06:45:30Z")
![1165272880_preview_guidelines_autopilot](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/original/3X/1/d/1d6f488d35539ac18280248eecc95b8d7a1de6ef.png) > **[Steam Community :: Guide :: Quick guide to EVE Online](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1165272880)** > > This is a quick guide to EVE Online for new players. It is as short as possible while still being as informative as it can be. It is just your reference to learn the absolute basics and serve as your ---
**Author:** ![God\_Emperor\_Kane](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/god_emperor_kane/32/399336_2.png) [@God\_Emperor\_Kane](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/God_Emperor_Kane)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2020, 6:46am UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/how-bad-is-autopilot-and-how-to-know-if-someone-is-using-it/256745/7 "2020-07-25T06:46:03Z")
or join them… ---
**Author:** ![Black\_Pedro](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/black_pedro/32/257285_2.png) [@Black\_Pedro](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Black_Pedro)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2020, 6:50am UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/how-bad-is-autopilot-and-how-to-know-if-someone-is-using-it/256745/8 "2020-07-25T06:50:31Z")
> [@Random\_Rick](#): > > I recently saw this post about autopilot, people say its really bad and unreliable. but its quite vague and not specific. so I just want to know how bad autopilot is and how to know is someone is using it. thanks. It lands you actually only 10km now, but yes, what Felix said is largely correct: it is slower and more dangerous than piloting actively. It’s also not just players, but NPCs like Triglavians can also explode you. Maybe some simple, general rules to avoid being bad. Never autopilot a hauler. Never autopilot a pod/shuttle/corvette when you have implants or need to be somewhere on time. Avoid autopiloting through 0.5/06 systems (and of course lowsec!). Avoid autopiloting through trade lanes and hubs. That doesn’t leave much for autopilot to do, so the best and often given advice to new players is not to use it at all. Certainly, the course plotting feature of the autopilot is very useful and you should use it all the time to efficiently and safely move around New Eden. But until you know the game better, and understand the risk associated with flying a certain ship in a certain place, it is better to just actually play the game and stay at your keyboard to fly your ship instead of letting the auto-pilot do it. ---
**Author:** ![Random\_Rick](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/random_rick/32/258426_2.png) [@Random\_Rick](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Random_Rick)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2020, 11:01am UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/how-bad-is-autopilot-and-how-to-know-if-someone-is-using-it/256745/9 "2020-07-25T11:01:18Z")
> [@Black\_Pedro](#): > > Avoid autopiloting through 0.5/06 systems (and of course lowsec!). Avoid autopiloting through trade lanes and hubs. I am still doing SOE epic arc missions, all missions in High Security, so I will be safer. I guess. ![Screenshot 2020-07-25 at 7.02.51 PM](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/original/3X/5/2/52553354e0e31bf32f4c4f9b6b88d8e7e6cc3519.png) what is ALT? never mind I found it on EVE UniWiki, ---
**Author:** ![Knowledgeminer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/knowledgeminer/32/422883_2.png) [@Knowledgeminer](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Knowledgeminer)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2020, 11:35am UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/how-bad-is-autopilot-and-how-to-know-if-someone-is-using-it/256745/10 "2020-07-25T11:35:30Z")
> [@Random\_Rick](#): > > oh but I am a new player, only have a destroyer, nobody want to rob me right? Wrong. You may be ganked in high sec for the sole reason that you appear to be AFK, even if you’re not worth robbing. Note that there is nothing wrong with using autopilot if you don’t care that you may be ganked, what is wrong is assuming you won’t be ganked… ---
**Author:** ![Terak\_Romaller](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/terak_romaller/32/374271_2.png) [@Terak\_Romaller](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Terak_Romaller)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2020, 12:26pm UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/how-bad-is-autopilot-and-how-to-know-if-someone-is-using-it/256745/11 "2020-07-25T12:26:51Z")
OK. The rule is simple: Using Autopilot to fly the ship is bad. Bad as in “the idiot pointlessly threw away the nice ship someone gave him” disrespectfully bad sort of way. You’ll normally get away with it in a small ship, but it’s easily spotted - because a manually flown ship warps to zero and immediately jumps on arriving at a gate. A bored ganker will kill you _for the pleasure of your misery_ and the possibility that you are unwisely carrying a valuable cargo since you are obviously new and don’t know any better. This is a good example: > **[Sunesis | Spyro Beldrulf | Killmail](https://zkillboard.com/kill/85884898/)** > > Spyro Beldrulf (People of the Saiya) lost their Sunesis in Madirmilire (Domain) Total Value: 120,033,638.04 ISK That’s a Sunesis - a Society Drestroyer - killed on a gate by a Tornado, a typical ganking ship. Madirmilire is a 0.6 system on the route between Jita and Amarr, the two biggest trade hubs, and hence a good place for gankers to operate. Another: [https://zkillboard.com/kill/85883155/](https://zkillboard.com/kill/85883155/) - someone was trying to be clever… There’s quite a lot really. ---
**Author:** ![Mira\_Vajus](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/mira_vajus/32/223875_2.png) [@Mira\_Vajus](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Mira_Vajus)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2020, 9:46pm UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/how-bad-is-autopilot-and-how-to-know-if-someone-is-using-it/256745/12 "2020-07-25T21:46:37Z")
> [@Random\_Rick](#): > > I am still doing SOE epic arc missions, all missions in High Security, so I will be safer. > > I guess. Atleast two systems are trade hubs (Hek and Dodixie) and I think you also travel through some known gank systems. Systems on your route might also suffer from Triglavian invasions, when I did the SOE arc two Ammatar systems I had to travel through where being invaded. ---
**Author:** ![Random\_Rick](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/random_rick/32/258426_2.png) [@Random\_Rick](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Random_Rick)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2020, 4:01am UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/how-bad-is-autopilot-and-how-to-know-if-someone-is-using-it/256745/13 "2020-07-26T04:01:12Z")
> [@Terak\_Romaller](#): > > the idiot pointlessly threw away the nice ship someone gave him I really really value my new ship so I will never go AFK and autopilot on it. guess I should only use autopilot when I am flying my old frigates for travel then. ---
**Author:** ![Wyk\_Bathana](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/wyk_bathana/32/374287_2.png) [@Wyk\_Bathana](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Wyk_Bathana)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2020, 5:04am UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/how-bad-is-autopilot-and-how-to-know-if-someone-is-using-it/256745/14 "2020-07-26T05:04:43Z")
no, you should NEVER use autopilot. NEVER. Don’t take the habit to use it. ---
**Author:** ![J\_Poll](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/j_poll/32/228940_2.png) [@J\_Poll](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/J_Poll)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2020, 9:26am UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/how-bad-is-autopilot-and-how-to-know-if-someone-is-using-it/256745/15 "2020-07-26T09:26:03Z")
How bad is autopilot and how to know if someone is using it A. It is bad. A.1 It is slower then manually flying from gate to gate as it skips the slowboating part completely A.2 It is more dangerous as during the slowboating part, anybody who wants to can kill you. And as this is EVE, it doesn’t have to be for profit either. B. You can tell by looking at ships, if they warp in on a gate or station at around 12 km and then slow boat to said gate/station ---
**Author:** ![Random\_Rick](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/random_rick/32/258426_2.png) [@Random\_Rick](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Random_Rick)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2020, 11:36am UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/how-bad-is-autopilot-and-how-to-know-if-someone-is-using-it/256745/16 "2020-07-26T11:36:55Z")
> [@Wyk\_Bathana](#): > > no, you should NEVER use autopilot. NEVER. Don’t take the habit to use it. ok I get how bad it is now. ---
**Author:** ![Xuxe\_Xu](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/xuxe_xu/32/464660_2.png) [@Xuxe\_Xu](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Xuxe_Xu)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2020, 4:08pm UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/how-bad-is-autopilot-and-how-to-know-if-someone-is-using-it/256745/17 "2020-07-26T16:08:40Z")
> [@Random\_Rick](#): > > I really really value my new ship… Don’t be emotionally attached to any ship. Consider them as expendable tools you the player simply use to accomplish the task of you having entertainment. o7 ---
**Author:** ![Terak\_Romaller](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/terak_romaller/32/374271_2.png) [@Terak\_Romaller](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Terak_Romaller)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2020, 4:22pm UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/how-bad-is-autopilot-and-how-to-know-if-someone-is-using-it/256745/18 "2020-07-26T16:22:45Z")
> [@Xuxe\_Xu](#): > > Don’t be emotionally attached to any ship. Consider them as expendable tools you the player simply use to accomplish the task of you having entertainment. o7 While I’d normally agree with that, the particular ship being discussed was a gift of friendship and help. Just loosing it through being careless would be a bit… I have many things in my real life that have no or little intrinsic value, but they are gifts from friends and loved ones and I treasure them more for that emotional value than just the physicality of what they are. Yes, Eve is a cold hard game, but it is played by people. ---
**Author:** ![Xeux](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/xeux/32/428022_2.png) [@Xeux](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Xeux)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2020, 4:29pm UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/how-bad-is-autopilot-and-how-to-know-if-someone-is-using-it/256745/19 "2020-07-26T16:29:25Z")
There are some unreliable things about autopilot, too. There are times when it will warp you to your destination station and just leave you there, floating in space, never docking. I have seen the same thing happen on gates - autopilot just sits there and does nothing. The autopilot is on, destination is set, and the ship just sits there indefinitely. ---
**Author:** ![Random\_Rick](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/random_rick/32/258426_2.png) [@Random\_Rick](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Random_Rick)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2020, 2:31am UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/how-bad-is-autopilot-and-how-to-know-if-someone-is-using-it/256745/20 "2020-07-27T02:31:45Z")
> [@Xeux](#): > > never docking ok so that’s very bad. > [@Xuxe\_Xu](#): > > Don’t be emotionally attached to any ship this ship I fly now is not any other ship. its like a gift, its different from all the other ships I have. but for other ships I have, they are just normal. [Next page](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/how-bad-is-autopilot-and-how-to-know-if-someone-is-using-it/256745.md?page=2)