ED and the Oculus Rift DK1 Discussion Thread

[Garn]

Personally I'd like them to implement some way to control the game with the Razor Hydra, taking advantage of the interactive holographic 3D MFDs, but instead of using the mouse to "touch" the buttons on the holo displays you could actually touch them with your hand. This might be difficult to get used to, since unlike in real life the Hydra wouldn't allow you to control your fingers, rather your player character would have to have his index stiffly stretched out, but I imagine it might just work with some getting used to and when stuff like the galaxy map aren't too fiddly.

Of course they'd have to make it so virtually everything could be controlled by touching holographs in your cockpit. You could still have reaction control on your real-life thumbsticks, plus speed control and weapons fire with your triggers on the Hydra controllers, everything else would be controlled through your MFDs in the cockpit.

I would love such a control scheme together with an Occulus Rift.

 

[JackalHeadGod]

Given your experience what do you think about neck strain, nausea or general fatigue of using one over a traditional monitor setup?

I didn't use it long enough to say anything about neck strain. I will say it's surprisingly light and you don't really notice the weight while wearing it but then I've got a neck like a tree stump...

I did feel nausea from one of the demos, two of my friends did not. The dev kit is using a lower res screen and missing some of the more advanced head tracking (it can rotate but not sway I believe) that the retail model has so I'm hopeful that will be better come retail.

The big thing that none of the demonstrations or videos about Rift can really show you is how nice it is to have some amount of peripheral vision in the game. The lenses in the rift headset give you an incredibly wide field of view compared to any monitor. Its not perfect but its far better than you'd think even to the point where you can look around with your eyes inside the headset and still see things.

I'd take Rift (or something like it) over a multi-monitor setup quite happily especially for a cockpit game (flight sim, racer, giant mech etc.) not so sold on it in an FPS (that's the one demo that made me queasy).

 

[Kerrash]

The nausea is virtually gone for myself now after using my dev kit for a couple of weeks.
FPS games in particular are the worst kind for inducing simulation sickness, cockpit games are much better.

 

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

I watched several impression videos of people playing games (mostly driving games) and indeed cockpits give better expierence. Some guy with Eurotruck simulator 2 gave me best expression so far http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipbtMJagv5o

 

[Kerrash]

I watched several impression videos of people playing games (mostly driving games) and indeed cockpits give better expierence. Some guy with Eurotruck simulator 2 gave me best expression so far http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipbtMJagv5o

I really must dig out my steering wheel now

Personally I have been getting into WarThunder with the Rift and my X52 flight stick; all I can say is wow, I cannot wait to try Elite with this.

 

[JKF]

I really must dig out my steering wheel now

Personally I have been getting into WarThunder with the Rift and my X52 flight stick; all I can say is wow, I cannot wait to try Elite with this.

That Eurotruck video really shows what's possible with the OR and the right controller setup. Since Saitek has yet to release a space combat yoke system, if ever they do, it certainly looks like a decent combat joystick/throttle combo will be the best equipment to use with the OR. Can't really see an X-Box game pad having anywhere near enough buttons to make the keyboard redundant.

 

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

That Eurotruck video really shows what's possible with the OR and the right controller setup. Since Saitek has yet to release a space combat yoke system, if ever they do, it certainly looks like a decent combat joystick/throttle combo will be the best equipment to use with the OR. Can't really see an X-Box game pad having anywhere near enough buttons to make the keyboard redundant.

In the end no one is forbidden to create custom USB keyboard with few keys required for managing ED while using OR.

P.

 

[Kerrash]

In the end no one is forbidden to create custom USB keyboard with few keys required for managing ED while using OR.

P.

Challenge accepted!
Now where is my soldering iron... :S

 

[JKF]

In the end no one is forbidden to create custom USB keyboard with few keys required for managing ED while using OR.

P.

A small keyboard strapped to your leg, like a flight board, might just do the trick. As long as you know where it is at all times you'll be sorted and we all generally know where our legs are Think it even has a name, knowing where your body parts are.

But I would be surprised if players didn't lose track of their desktop keyboards during combat.

 

[Kerrash]

... Think it even has a name, knowing where your body parts are.

But I would be surprised if players didn't lose track of their desktop keyboards during combat.

Self-awareness? :S

Yes I did lose it a few times, which is why I now use the HOTAS

 

[JKF]

Might be called Proprioception if I've read, and understood, correctly

 

[Jenner]

Might be called Proprioception if I've read, and understood, correctly

I think they can treat that nowadays...

 

[Commander Regel]

So, Oculus Rift... (post-EliteMeet)

So it appears there was an Oculus Rift headset at Elite Meet and I guess a number of people got to have a go on it. Perhaps those folk would be kind enough to give some detailed feedback...

Are you now planning on getting an OR to play Elite Dangerous?

If yes, did you plan on getting an OR anyway before you tried it?

If no, why not? (cost? Not *that* impressive?)

Do you have any concerns about it? (headaches, eye strain, latency issues...)

Did anyone who wears glasses have a go? If so, how did that work out?

Thanks!

 

[Kerrash]

To start you off:

It was my dev kit that was there and I am still planning on buying the consumer kit too

 

[Alien]

I don't need glasses (and I am very thankful I have good eyesight), but many who need them did have a go, and Kerrash was swapping lenses all night.

I played the house demo, and I found it very weird. It felt like I was sitting in an electric wheelchair, yes, I actually felt like I was moving. It's a sensation you have to experience as describing it, doesn't really do it justice.

Others tried other demos, but I didn't, so I can't comment.

I was not a fan of OR before last night, and while I am impressed by it, I am still not convinced enough to buy one, especially at the moment with the price so high.

 

[Darren Grey]

I played the house demo. It really blew me away. Was a fantastic experience!

How it will be for Elite I don't know. It seemed to more suit slow and thoughtful play, admiring the view, that sort of thing. Would definitely suit explorers

Would love to buy one, but I'm not yet sure on cost. Before trying it I wasn't sure at all, but now it's definitely on my wishlist.

 

[Frank]

>Are you now planning on getting an OR to play Elite Dangerous?

Not specifically for E D. That's just the icing on the cake

> If yes, did you plan on getting an OR anyway before you tried it?
> If no, why not? (cost? Not *that* impressive?)

I've been a fan of the technology ever since I saw it on "Tomorrow's World" a few decades back. Cost is a big factor for me. Not so much for the headset. I imagine the consumer version will be around the £300 mark, but I will need quite a major computer upgrade to do VR justice.

Kerrash, what's your computer spec?

> Do you have any concerns about it? (headaches, eye strain, latency issues...)

The games and demos that Kerrash brought weren't taxing his system much. It was basically where-you-look-is-what-you-get. I have no concerns about eyestrain. If anything, it's easier on the eye than 3D tellies. But then there's not really a lot you can focus on with this developer's kit version. The resolution is quite low.


The thing about the OR is the instant immersion of it. Bung anyone's head up inside one and you'll hear shrieks of delight. Psykokow was kind enough to bring his head tracker to the Meet. It's easy to see how good head tracking could be, but an effort has to be made to get used to the system. The Oculus Rift has no such learning curve. It's as big a game-changer as the Wii.

 

[Sparticus]

The thing about the OR is the instant immersion of it. Bung anyone's head up inside one and you'll hear shrieks of delight.

Sounds Awesome...

 

[psykokow]

I was unsure about it before... now im certain..

Im getting me one of those bad boys...

The Track IR is great as a controller, but Oculus puts you STRAIGHT into the game..

 

[jabokai]

It's really good to hear, as someone who's been banging on about the Rift so much (too much), that so many of the people who tried it at Elitemeet finally saw what all the fuss is about. It's one of those things - you can rant and rave about it, but until someone's actually tried it, it's just so much hot air.

I know not everyone will have fallen in love with it, it's not the be all and end all of gaming of course, but it is such a big step into a completely new level of immersion.

I hope Kerrash demoed Titans of Space, and maybe Dreadhalls too (for the laughs) as well as Tuscany. Oh, and Riftcoaster, standing up, is always good for a giggle.