It's what I describe as a nose-cam. ie: A screenshot without any of the cockpit and hud in the way. Quite why we don't have at least that feature is a total mystery to me! Infact I'm bemused so much I've even ticketed it!
External View [A definitive discussion]
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almostpilot
Banned
Michael Brookes
Game Director
Not at the moment, but that might change in the future. We're aware of the desire for an external view, but it's not integral to the game so has a lower priority for now.
Michael
almostpilot
Banned
thanks!...just a matter of waiting!
I've been thinking it would be cool if the game just went into a bird's-eye view on the ship when you are docked. Make it a nice little transition so it feels like "this is when my guy gets out of the ship to go about his business" and present the station menu from that vantage. It might actually feel more "immersive" than pretending you'd do all those things from a menu without ever leaving the pilot's chair.
Bonus: It might give an even better view of the station traffic. :3
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In other words, "you`ll be able to see your ship once we let you step out the airlock". Got it.
Though I'm very much in favour of external views, I would not like to see some sort of automatic view switching, unless it was optional, of course.
Thanks for the post, Michael, it is good to know that the team is aware of the desire of at least a part of your customers. I certainly have no qualms with it being on the back-burner for now.
Some comments from a work colleague who was watching me play on the weekend (he's not a gamer, but was fascinated watching me play):
He: "What does your ship look like?"
Me: "Can't show you an outside view at the moment, that may come in a future update of the game, but I can sort of show you if I dock at a station".
I dock at an outpost.
He: "Where are the people?"
Me: "No people in yet, coming later"
He: "Are you going to get out and go into the station?"
Me: "Can't do that yet, hopefully coming in a future update"
Some good questions I guess.
He: "What does your ship look like?"
Me: "Can't show you an outside view at the moment, that may come in a future update of the game, but I can sort of show you if I dock at a station".
I dock at an outpost.
He: "Where are the people?"
Me: "No people in yet, coming later"
He: "Are you going to get out and go into the station?"
Me: "Can't do that yet, hopefully coming in a future update"
Some good questions I guess.
Mr B: It doesn't take many people to make alot of noise about an isssue, so I'd be a bit wary of the demand for an external view. If you do decide to implement it in some form, please god no floating space cams - or at least give the option to switch that particular feature on/off. In fact, any external vanity shots of one's ship should be an option (in my humble opinion).
Yep! That is exactly what all this thread is about, a simple button you can bind to an external view IF you like it. If you DONT, just don't bind the function to a key... same as mouse control, it is optional, people can use a Joystick or even a gamepad if they like.
Just that nice feature the devs use for their promo videos and screenshots. No fancy additions necessary, no changes to the game, no additional HUD and 3rd person view... plain and simple external cam and may be cinematic fly by, like in any other Sim...
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I pretty sure that the majority of the players right now are favorable to an external view. Some may not be as passionate as we are about it, but would gladly welcome the feature.
As for it being an option, it -always- is. No game like this forces you to use an external view. You actually have to press a key to access the view(s). So the only thing that could go wrong if you don't want to use it is... well, you, pressing the key. But if the option is given to us at some point, you'll never do such a thing, I'm sure. Unless you too are tempted to look at the beautiful models and fine details in all their glory, shaping an awesome image along with the brillant background. The kind that makes people dream they could actually be in space
New poster.
Was just doing a good when I came across this topic, as was browsing the store, and saw I could buy skins/paint jobs.
Cool, I thought, surely this must mean there is an external view - awesome! Had been wondering about that.
Don't remember seeing an option in controls for using an external view however. Google, found this thread.
Hmmm, so they sell skins that the buyer can't ever really see? Have people fallen for that?
Anyway, personally, would like the option. Don't need a hud or flight controls in this mode. Just be nice to have while cruising about, get a different perspective on things.
To be honest, I was a little surprised to discover there was no option whatsoever...
Was just doing a good when I came across this topic, as was browsing the store, and saw I could buy skins/paint jobs.
Cool, I thought, surely this must mean there is an external view - awesome! Had been wondering about that.
Don't remember seeing an option in controls for using an external view however. Google, found this thread.
Hmmm, so they sell skins that the buyer can't ever really see? Have people fallen for that?
Anyway, personally, would like the option. Don't need a hud or flight controls in this mode. Just be nice to have while cruising about, get a different perspective on things.
To be honest, I was a little surprised to discover there was no option whatsoever...
Join the club
Hopefully over the coming months we'll get it. But to be honest, there's so much depth and content that desperately needs adding to give the game more depth, I think that needs addressing before external views. IMHO.And as I've said before, even more amazing/confusing is the fact we don't even have a nose-cam. ie: A way just to take a screenshot straight ahead without any cockpit/hud at all. I'm bemused how that isn't in the game!
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I appreciate that some are passionate about it, and that's absolutely fair enough, but suggesting that the majority of players would like 'an external view' is pure speculation. Before pointing to the poll as evidence, please consider that, even if the player base was 40,000 the poll participants represent less than 1%, and those that favor a non-combat external view represent half that.
Good luck to those that would like 'an external view' (as a game option), but please don't make unsubstantiated claims about what the majority of the player base would or would not like.
Speak for yourself - i want a button that switches Marc Alexander into external view, whether he likes it or not, and even if he isn't playing.
Yes, I'm speculating. But that was only to counter your own ("It doesn't take many people to make alot of noise about an issue"). And I bet mine is still more accurate. Not only based on the many broken polls (that always showed a majority on the pros side), but also on pure deduction: despite my best efforts I can't think of any other game in the genre and in the sim genre in general that confines the player to the cockpit view (maybe there are, but I haven't played them so if you have some examples, I'm sincerely curious. Point is, they are very few, if any). So I think that most people used to the genre and willing to play Elite will expect without any question external cameras. As a natural ingame feature for the genre.
The ability of a few people to make a lot of noise about an issue is not a speculative guess, its represented in many forum threads (yes, including this one).
You are entitled to your personal views of course.
True... But I do think given the nature of the game a lot of folks would like/expect ED to have an external view feature of some sort. I'm in no way of course implying numbers, but I don't think it would be insignificant
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