History Main / GameplayAutomation

Turning controls over to the computer. This ranges from simple orientation aids to optimization and maintenance tasks being automated to automatic travel that fast-forwards until something interesting comes up. For {{Driving Game}}s, this can include not only automating gear changes (i.e. automatic transmission), but also the brakes or even steering to a certain extent (usually just enoguh to keep the player from going off-course). For travelling without crossing the intervening space, see WarpWhistle.

* In ''VideoGame/MarioKart Wii'' the player is allowed to select "Automatic" or "Manual" drifting around corners, with the former intended primarily for first-time players (as only manual drifting features mini-turbo boosts).
** In fact, it was sometimes a lot easier to use a kart or bike with low drift stats if one uses the auto drift options.

* ''VideoGame/MarioKart8'' has Smart Steering to keep the player from driving off-course and Auto-Accelerate, which takes over the gas pedal.

Turning controls over to the computer. This ranges from simple orientation aids to optimization and maintenance tasks being automated to automatic travel that fast-forwards until something interesting comes up. For travelling without crossing the intervening space, see WarpWhistle.

* ''VideoGame/{{beatmania}}'' has the Auto-Scratch modifier, which automatically hits turntable scratch notes for the player. However, doing so reduces the player's maximum score and [[EasyModeMockery marks the chart played with an Assist Clear]] status, and older versions of the game simply don't count scores achieved with it.
* ''VideoGame/{{GITADORA}}'' allows players to automate some of the note lanes (such as the last one, two, or three lanes for guitar and the pedals, cymbal, and/or hi-hat for drums), and for guitar, the player can opt to automate either the fret buttons or strumming. However, doing so reduces the player's maximum score, may disqualify the player from reaching Extra Stage and/or Encore Stage, and imposes a penalty multiplier on the amount of Skill Points earned, with the penalty being higher for more assists, all the way down to x0.

* "Auto Chess" games work like this: Each round, the players build a team of units, using limited resources to obtain stronger units over time, and adjusting their composition and positioning for the battle phase, where you team fights the opponent's team to the death, and players can't do anything to affect the outcome of the actual battle. This process repeats until a player wins enough times.

* ''VideoGame/{{Stellaris}}'' goes further than most and forces the player to assign most of the star systems they control to AI governors. Not only does this reduce the income from them, but the AI is not exactly great at its job. Unfortunately, modding this out to allow the player to control everything demonstrates exactly why this trope is popular, since having to micromanage 100 planets or more can quickly get frustrating.

* The 1997 ''VideoGame/BladeRunner'' video game helpfully gives the player a choice in the options menu of whether to automatically choose which dialogue options to explore, or to let the player decide this for him/herself. The dialogues chosen can affect the ending of the game.

* ''VideoGame/KingdomOfLoathing'' has a [[http://kol.coldfront.net/thekolwiki/index.php/Combat_Macros combat macro script language]]. It's quite limited, lacking such things as variables.

This may seem to run counter to the entire point of video games, but the medium is not just about poking at stuff -- it's about poking at fresh and interesting stuff. The player who cheerfully clicks through a lot of controls to found a moonbase will be a lot less enthusiastic about clicking through the same controls 50 times over to resupply and expand it. Once he's progressed to forging the [[TheEmpire Great Galactic Empire]] of [[BigFuckingGun Really Big]] [[EnergyWeapon Laser Guns]], optimizing planetary shuttle schedules will just be a nuisance.

Games with a strong focus on building a complex infrastructure, such as those of the FourX genre or the [[ConstructionAndManagementGame construction and management simulation]] genre, or complicated RealTimeStrategy games, will often provide the player with the option to hand off certain menial tasks to the AI, such as exploring or building roads. The efficacy of this varies greatly between games and the nature of the task; sometimes, the AI will simply be programmed to perform the task randomly if the player would have been unable to do it much better, and other times the results will depend on the in-game attributes of the "governor" assigned.

Games with a strong focus on building a complex infrastructure, such as those of the FourX genre or the [[SimulationGame Simulation]] genre, or complicated RealTimeStrategy games, will often provide the player with the option to hand off certain menial tasks to the AI, such as exploring or building roads. The efficacy of this varies greatly between games and the nature of the task; sometimes, the AI will simply be programmed to perform the task randomly if the player would have been unable to do it much better, and other times the results will depend on the in-game attributes of the "governor" assigned.

Turning controls over to the computer. This ranges from simple orientation aids to automatic travel that fast-forwards until something interesting comes up. For travelling without crossing the intervening space, see WarpWhistle.

Games with a strong focus on building a complex infrastructure, such as those of the FourX genre, or complicated RealTimeStrategy games, will often provide the player with the option to hand off certain menial tasks to the AI, such as exploring or building roads. The efficacy of this varies greatly between games and the nature of the task; sometimes, the AI will simply be programmed to perform the task randomly if the player would have been unable to do it much better, and other times the results will depend on the in-game attributes of the "governor" assigned.

* ''VideoGame/GalacticCivilizationsII'' has planetary governors that will automatically decide what to do on particular planets for you.

** In the DS version of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'' the player can toggle "Auto-battle" on and off at any time, where all characters will perform a specific action as their turns come up.

* ''Franchise/StarWars: Rebellion'', a Star Wars themed FourX game, gave you the option to take control of fleet battles yourselves in the form of a 3-D RTS, or let the computer handle it for you.
* ''Franchise/StarWars: Empire at War'' has auto-battle for both space and land battles. Space battles are far faster and more interesting. Fortunately land units are cheap, so the player can throw those at problems and focus on space!

* Games in the ''VideoGame/TalesSeries'' allow you to set your characters to Auto, so you can watch your AI party members battle AI opponents. Usually, this is not sufficient against bosses, unless the party is severely overlevelled, but can work against normal or low-level enemies.

* ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'' doesn't have any built-in automation, but it's easy for the player to build their own automatic or one-button devices to collect certain resources, up to and including "mob grinders" that spawn monsters, kill them and collect the loot all by themselves.

[[folder:General examples]]

* ''VideoGame/{{Xenoblade}}'': Characters will use a default attack every few seconds a command isn't issued. For most of them, this also raises their Talent gauges, which must be maxed before using [[SignatureMove Talent Arts]].

* Similarly to Dungeon Crawl, ''VideoGame/TalesOfMajeyal'' features an autoexplore command as well. In addition, it allows automatic use of any talents when certain conditions are met (e.g. when the talent is available or when a creature comes into view).

* ''Videogame/KantaiCollection'' has sorties of your [[MoeAnthropomorphism ship girls]] largely being automated, both in navigating between the nodes and during encounters with enemy fleet. During this, the only control the player ("Admiral") has is to decide whether to continue to the next node(s), or to retreat, after each battle finishes.

* ''VideoGame/DragonQuestBuilders2'' has this as a form of GameplayAndStoryIntergration where townsfolk will begin doing things like harvesting crops or cooking meals without need for the player's input as they awaken their hearts to the joys of building. They'll even build predetermined mega-structures near the end of each chapter and the player can unlock a tool for creating custom blueprints for them to follow (provided they have access to a chest with the necessary materials).

* The 1986 videogame adaptation of ''Film/TheGreatEscape'' has an autopilot feature. If the prisoner is not in a forbidden zone and does not perform any action for a while, the player character will go on with his daily, rule-abiding rutine.

* ''VideoGame/SaGa3'' features an "Auto" option, which lets you toggle on/off AI controlling the characters.

This may seem to run counter to the entire point of video games, but the medium is not just about poking at stuff -- it's about poking at fresh and interesting stuff. The player who cheerfully clicks through a lot of controls to found a moonbase will be a lot less enthusiastic about clicking through the same controls 50 times over to resupply and expand it. Once he's progressed to forging the [[TheEmpire Great Galactic Empire]] of [[BigFuckingGun Really Big]] [[FrickinLaserBeams Laser Guns]], optimizing planetary shuttle schedules will just be a nuisance.