There has to be a way to make autopilot moves instantanous.

This is unfortunately one of the design flaws of the game. To speed up the movement process you can try changing the "Main System Display Icon Move Speed Points Per Second Very High := 20000.0" setting in Settings.txt ( located in the Data folder inside the SEV main folder, or if you're playing a mod you'll find it in the mod's Data folder ), try changing it to 100000.0 to see if it makes a difference.

You can also switch to Simultaneus Turn mode, although this requires you to start a new game. The game also behaves quite a bit differently in this mode. Personally I would have prefered to play it in this mode if it wasn't for the somewhat longer turn processing times, since the game reloads all data for each turn it processes. On the other hand, you'll certainly gain alot of time compared to having to wait for 3 minutes after turn processing finishes, like you do now. It also lets you skip the warnings I think, although I could be wrong about that.

Don't think there's any way to disable those warning messages as of yet. Nor do I think there's any way to turn off the annoying warp point animations. I'd strongly advice you to download a mod, however, to get a much better experience out of the game. If you just want an improved stock game then try the Balance Mod. Better AI( and thus better ministers, and probably less of those pesky warnings, and no giving away all your tech ), more balanced components, etc.

In short: Download the Balance Mod and try a new game with Simultaneus Mode activated.

Turning off movement lines helps speed up the movement phase.

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Space Empires Depot | SE:V Balance Mod

I believe it's covered under display options in the empire options menu.

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Space Empires Depot | SE:V Balance Mod

Pretty sure the hard cap is decided by the speed of your CPU, though. It does take a fair bit of CPU power for each hex you travel; the game has to update the sensor-covered area, check for enemies, alter supplies, etc.

That already exists; its called simultaneous movement mode, selectable when you start a new game.

SpaceEmpires.net | Space Empires Wiki

Fyron, do you think it would be possible to get Aaron to have a look at the Simultaneous Mode's turn processing system? When you end your turn in this mode now, you'll get the following:

Loading Data Files( 4~ seconds )
Loading Bitmaps( 1/2 second )
Loading Game( 2++ seconds depending on size of save-game etc.)

Processing Turn( Highly variable )

Loading Data Files( 4~ seconds )
Loading Bitmaps( 1/2 second )
Loading Game( 2++ seconds depending on size of save-game etc.)

It should be obvious that there's something wrong here. The Data Files have already been loaded; after all, you're already in the game and playing it. This goes for Bitmaps too. I should think that this also goes for the '(Save-)Game', since, again, you're already in that particular save-game. This process can take quite a while. In fact, in the first, say, 30-40 turns or so, it can actually take longer than the Processing Turn part. When it's finished processing, it reloads the game again, also this time reloading the data files and bitmaps.

I can see how this might be useful for out-of-game processing, for PBW for instance, but it's a big inconvenience when playing solo/single-player Simultaneous Mode games. Is this an issue that has been brought up? I would have thought it an easy matter to resolve, by simply putting in a check to see if the relevant Data Files, Bitmaps and save-game is already in memory.

There should just be an option added to the section that controls this speed to not animate it at all. Problem solved?

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Space for rent - please contact owner

Personally, I'd rather not have Aaron spend time making a 3rd version of game processing, when there are lots of other issues and bugs that need to be addressed...

SpaceEmpires.net | Space Empires Wiki

There's that. I don't know, though. I still think turn processing time is the biggest issue with the game at present, with the possible exception of AI( but modders are far ahead of stock there anyway, and the game should be finished before the AI is polished, I think; with all the small changes being made in this patching process, the AI would have to continually be updated too ). The smaller bugs and issues will annoy the player from time to time as he stumbles into them, but long turn processing will annoy the player *all the time*.

If you are comparing 6-8 seconds for the extra data file loading and such to 30-60 seconds (or more) of watching ships move around needlessly, doesn't simultaneous movement still come out ahead?

SpaceEmpires.net | Space Empires Wiki

That's true, but it's only in late-game situations that you'll have such waiting times though, and even these can be avoided by simply not moving dozens of ungrouped units/ships at the same time over long distances. For the first 20-30 turns or so you probably wont even have any waiting times at all.

Anyway, I see your point, it's just that it appears to be a rather minor modification needed to change it. If it was something that required days to change then I definitely wouldn't press the issue, and that's why I wondered if Aaron had said anything about it.

Strange though, that SEV should make the process so complicated, while in SEIV it just processes the turn immediately, without any reloading of resources.

I guess it was a quick fix, because 1.52 has:

14. Fixed - Simultaneous Turn Hot Seat games will no longer reload the graphics and data files each turn.

SpaceEmpires.net | Space Empires Wiki

Yah, just lovely. Only simultaneous mode for me now then. Turn processing will actually be much faster than the other mode, I believe, and you'll avoid the long wait for your ships to finish moving.