Darth Bovine
Most of my MCC (in a fixed base "737 type" at Simtech) was done with autopilot off. The only times I had the autopilot engaged was during the en-route phase of the LOFT and a few times to demonstrate capturing the ILS.
That's the rub. A MCC is about working together as a team, not handling a jet aircraft. With autopilot off, you will spend most of the time trying to fly the dammed thing.
Still those of us in the industry know nothing.