ANNOUNCEMENT Elite Dangerous: Odyssey Announcement

[encrypted]

All these people who complain about VR absence need to turn their brain on think a little. I played ED in VR too and lets be honest it's completely different experience, but it's core is around the fact that you are seated. As in any other simulator.

If new update assumes competitive fps combat, npc & pvp (and it does) it's kinda naive to think it can be done in both 2D and 3D at the same time. How do you want to build a gameplay around VR folk who what ... teleport on a legde like in Half-Life: Alyx? Teleport or slide on few km surface on a planet? ... Riiiight.

Think multicrew, 2 people: one in VR, and second one with K+M landing on a station and decide to go to the bar to get drunk. While VR guy will struggle to get out of the ship for a few minutes, hitting walls, rotating head, choosing where to teleport, etc. K+M guy will be long drunk in a bar. The speed + precision of things you can do with these two fundamentally different approaches to movement / playing are just too different.

Those types of issues are just unsolvable since VR is quite experience for 1) the seated 2) or between VR and VR player only.

 

[govny]

VorpX anyone?

VorpX is not that good.
May be someone will add VR like in GTAV. A basic VR implementation should not be too difficult to add since VR support is already built into cobra engine.

 

[Andy Gee]

So a lot of fuss about space legs…haven’t read a single line about space toes.
Will we be able to move our toes when we relax our bare feet on the desk of Councillor Cianna Underwood of Bursch Enterprise while listening to her when she says ‘I’m pleased to welcome you to Bursch Enterprise, Commander.’

This has to be clarified by Frontier asap! Not investing my money in animated legs without moving toes.

 

[govny]

Since when does Elite Dangerous classify as a AAA Game???

since the beginning

 

[londonx]

You are delusional

Says the Virtual Reality guy

 

[Daxius]

Is Elite Dangerous: Odyssey coming to VR?

Currently, Elite Dangerous: Odyssey will not be VR-compatible at launch. We’re big fans of VR and we are truly proud of the amazing experience that we currently offer in Elite Dangerous. However, the new gameplay, mechanics and features that will be introduced with Elite Dangerous: Odyssey means that we had to re-examine if we could deliver that same experience without compromise, which, for launch, means Odyssey will not be VR-compatible.

My disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined. But at least we'll get to build our own bases and start expanding the bubble! ....Right?

Will there be Base Building in Elite Dangerous: Odyssey?
Base building is not currently on the roadmap for Elite Dangerous, however we have plenty of new features planned instead such as on-foot exploration, new planetary tech, social hubs, combat as well as more to be shared later on! We’re looking to put our best foot forward with Odyssey and if you’d like an overview of what to expect, you can check out the website or Steam page.

Well... I guess I won't be buying this expansion.

 

[Lightspeed]

The Steam Website says

Does this mean that the base game will be assimilated into Horizons and the combination called Elite Dangerous ?

 

[Katie Byrne]

Knowing that VR remains in Horizons is a big help. And the more I look at the info about Odyssey, the more I'm getting the impression this is basically a separate game, an FPS, that can be accessed through ED.

Same really. I remember the level of SRV content available on Horizons launch. If people are excited for it i'm happy for them. I just cant imagine playing ED on a monitor full time anymore. I think the lack of VR has added a lot of clarity to this that I would otherwise have been fangirling about otherwise. I dont need the FPS addition to Elite to enjoy it. No aspect of the game would be worth giving up VR for.

 

[InFlickWeTrust]

All these people who complain about VR absence need to turn their brain on think a little. I played ED in VR too and lets be honest it's completely different experience, but it's core is around the fact that you are seated. As in any other simulator.

If new update assumes competitive fps combat, npc & pvp (and it does) it's kinda naive to think it can be done in both 2D and 3D at the same time. How do you want to build a gameplay around VR folk who what ... teleport on a legde like in Half-Life: Alyx? Teleport or slide on few km surface on a planet? ... Riiiight.

Think multicrew, 2 people: one in VR, and second one with K+M landing on a station and decide to go to the bar to get drunk. While VR guy will struggle to get out of the ship for a few minutes, hitting walls, rotating head, choosing where to teleport, etc. K+M guy will be long drunk in a bar. The speed + precision of things you can do with these two fundamentally different approaches to movement / playing are just too different.

Those types of issues are just unsolvable since VR is quite experience for 1) the seated 2) or between VR and VR player only.

Ever heard of Onward? Or VRChat?

 

[[PS5] sound-fx]

It's interesting the PS4 and Xbox are still supported there with no PS5 and Xbox X mentioned, I thought they would become the base spec (while higher than a low-end PC), raising the lowest common denominator for all for 'the Next Era' - better graphics all round etc. Maybe that will happen later when the new consoles are established.

 

[CMDR Yates]

I suspect the problem may lie in doing NPC path-finding across procedurally generated terrain (and add in variable gravity and surface grip). Adding hovering skimmers was an easier way out. They probably could get it working so-so with minimal effort, but seeing NPCs getting stuck on a rock or in a hollow or driving off cliffs after a while might get more negative feedback than not having them in there at all.

But I'm 100% with you. Unmanned drones might make logical sense, and be easier to code, but aren't nearly as fun as Mad-Max-esque combat across planetary surfaces.

Agree completely.

With regards to the difficulty of pathfinding on variable terrain, gravity, etc. Frontier had a job advert up for several months looking for an AI programmer specialising in exactly this problem. A few months back, the posting disappeared. So I'm wondering if they've actually found someone and are working on it as we speak.

It's possible they ditched the idea, or they didn't find anyone and the job posting was taken down due to Covid. But they have continued to recruit for other developer roles (including ongoing rolling adverts), and the description for the update does specifically namecheck SRVs... so I have to wonder...

 

[Ian Skippy]

MalicVR said yesterday Horizons was the same, until close to release. To paraphrase his stream yesterday: calm down people

DONT TELL ME TO CALM DOWN!!!!


Ok, I'm good again.

 

[Halfcard]

I mean, if you think about it: what's the chance you can even fly your ship onto the planet? Imagine ganking like that, flying around with a large hardpoint shooting players as they run around on the surface lol.

This is pretty much how Star Citizen is doing it and I think they'll need to start sweating over at CGI if Frontier pull off the same kind of immersion in years to come.

All I want is Freelook in VR. I'm more than happy using a standard (non-vr) controller, or mouse and keyboard as I do with Horizons and my Odyssey+. IMHO the 'full' VR experience in games like No Man's Sky is pretty limiting and awkward.

If the Freelook element is easier to implement (which we know it is) then I'd love that to be prioritised.

 

[[VR] Orodruin]

All these people who complain about VR absence need to turn their brain on think a little. I played ED in VR too and lets be honest it's completely different experience, but it's core is around the fact that you are seated. As in any other simulator.

If new update assumes competitive fps combat, npc & pvp (and it does) it's kinda naive to think it can be done in both 2D and 3D at the same time. How do you want to build a gameplay around VR folk who what ... teleport on a legde like in Half-Life: Alyx? Teleport or slide on few km surface on a planet? ... Riiiight.

Think multicrew, 2 people: one in VR, and second one with K+M landing on a station and decide to go to the bar to get drunk. While VR guy will struggle to get out of the ship for a few minutes, hitting walls, rotating head, choosing where to teleport, etc. K+M guy will be long drunk in a bar. The speed + precision of things you can do with these two fundamentally different approaches to movement / playing are just too different.

Those types of issues are just unsolvable since VR is quite experience for 1) the seated 2) or between VR and VR player only.

Sorry, but this post is just too full of prejudice about what you can and cannot do with VR.

 

[Kellan Fell]

Is Elite Dangerous: Odyssey coming to VR?

Currently, Elite Dangerous: Odyssey will not be VR-compatible at launch. We’re big fans of VR and we are truly proud of the amazing experience that we currently offer in Elite Dangerous. However, the new gameplay, mechanics and features that will be introduced with Elite Dangerous: Odyssey means that we had to re-examine if we could deliver that same experience without compromise, which, for launch, means Odyssey will not be VR-compatible.

Will Elite Dangerous: Odyssey be included in my Lifetime Expansion Pass?
While Elite Dangerous: Odyssey is a paid expansion, we're happy to confirm that yes, this expansion will absolutely be included in the Lifetime Expansion Pass for free.


Stay Safe, Commanders o7

So I get the expansion I never asked for with my lifetime pass, but it breaks the way I play and enjoy the game?
As one of the commanders who couldn't give a flying Fig about space legs, this is a "step" too far. Will we still be able to fly the ships in VR, just not bothering to come out of them, or will we have to sacrifice all aspects of VR just for the chance to walk around?

Given that ED has always prided itself on the support for VR, this seems like a strange step to me. Obviously I'll download it (I get it for free), but getting out of the cockpit is not important enough to me to lose that feeling of actually being in the cockpit...

I bought my entire VR set-up just to play Elite, I guess now I'll have to find something else to use it with. I don't know if I can go back to a flat screen. VR made the endless grind and the lack of content livable because at least it felt like you were there...

 

[Ian Skippy]

Fair enough, but again it wouldn't be hard to pop in, like they did about the LEP question, to say "yes of course this works in VR."

Like I said, just concerned about being able to fully enjoy one of my favorite games.



Yes, obviously, it's shown in the trailer.

Then again, there are dozens of questions they can easily answer, guess they'll have to draw a line somewhere.

 

[CMDR Dahak]

Is Elite Dangerous: Odyssey coming to VR?

Currently, Elite Dangerous: Odyssey will not be VR-compatible at launch. We’re big fans of VR and we are truly proud of the amazing experience that we currently offer in Elite Dangerous. However, the new gameplay, mechanics and features that will be introduced with Elite Dangerous: Odyssey means that we had to re-examine if we could deliver that same experience without compromise, which, for launch, means Odyssey will not be VR-compatible.

Well, between this and fleet carriers, I'm done.

 

[Ganogati]

Think multicrew, 2 people: one in VR, and second one with K+M landing on a station and decide to go to the bar to get drunk. While VR guy will struggle to get out of the ship for a few minutes, hitting walls, rotating head, choosing where to teleport, etc. K+M guy will be long drunk in a bar. The speed + precision of things you can do with these two fundamentally different approaches to movement / playing are just too different.

rofl My god man... when was the last time you played VR? The oculus dev kit 1? Walking/locomotion based VR experiences have come a LONG way since then. I haven't seen an experience like what you described since 2017. Moving around in VR games now is as smooth, if not moreso, than KB+M. Hell, look at HL Alyx. Even simpler games like Rec Room- people literally play VR sports games like paintball with ease. The top VR games are all non-seated experiences.

 

[Plaid_unicorn]

It's interesting the PS4 and Xbox are still supported there with no PS5 and Xbox X mentioned, I thought they would become the base spec (while higher than a low-end PC), raising the lowest common denominator for all for 'the Next Era' - better graphics all round etc. Maybe that will happen later when the new consoles are established.

No games are openly using the ps5 icon right know even though we know they are going to be released for that system.

 

[Dagwit]

If they roll atmospheric planets and graphic improvements generally into Horizons and leave Odyssey to be a pure FPS expansion, this might not be a disaster.

Also, if wishes were horses then beggars would ride.