Elite Dangerous: Odyssey Questions and Answers

[ebbrell]

are there plans to utilise DLSS, Rtracing etc.
or just DLSS

 

[Inghram]

Greetings Commanders.

This Thursday, we'll be celebrating the 6 year anniversary of Elite Dangerous with a special anniversary stream! It's going to be an exciting stream and a bit bigger than our usual Thursday affair.

As a result of this bumper edition Thursday stream, we won't be able to do our weekly AMA with you today. Fear not though, we've sneakily been collecting all your Odyssey questions from the last few AMA sessions and have been gathering as many answers as we can from our development team! Here is a selection of some of the questions and answers we've been able to bring you!

1. Will powerplay see any changes in Odyssey?
   Powerplay will be discussed at a later date
   
   
2. Will there be a helmet HUD in odyssey?
   Yes please see our post here for more detailed information.
   
   
3. Will you have some kind of holographic personal display to read information when you are on foot?
   Yes your suit will have similar functions to your ship – more on this in the future
   
   
4. Will our avatars in Odyssey be more sophisticated than we have at present, in order to facilitate height and weight differences, so that we don't all appear the same ‘size’?
   There will be a vast amount of ways Commanders can customise their avatars in game to give themselves a truly unique experience. However height and weight are currently not customisable.
   
   
5. With regards to Odyssey, can you tease more if any BGS changes, e.g. uniforms for player factions on NPC's, custom logos on stations, or some other benefits that supports of a faction may take advantage of.
   BGS is always present in Elite and this will be evident in Odyssey with various planets and settlement appearing differently dependent on their current state.
   
   
6. In Odyssey, will our helmets have night vision mode same as the SRV and ship?
   Suits will have various functions player will be able to unlock and upgrade them with. Night vision is one of those functions.
   
   
7. Can the new terrain system generate overhangs?
   Unfortunately not, however we think you will enjoy the vistas that our planetary tech will provide!
   
   
8. What are the plans for networking in Odyssey? Will it be p2p or will it be server based for FPS gameplay?
   The underlying network structure is the same as the rest of ED i.e. p2p so that the experience is seamless for players
   
   
9. Could you elaborate on how high, low or lack of gravity will be handled by spacelegs on the ground or in stations)?
   We have an upper cap on high gravity worlds where it would not be safe for Commanders to deploy.
   For outposts, whilst we’re in Zero-G, we use magnetised boots to keep the player on the floor.
   On planets, gravity affects how high you can jump and particularly how effective your jump pack is – on Low-G planets you can get quite a lot of distance! Grenades also follow trajectories based on gravity which creates some interesting gameplay!
   
   
10. With Odyssey and with it new gear incoming in mind: Are there plans to increase the storage limit for modules?
    No plans for this at the moment.
    
    
11. Quick question about the lighting changes in the Odyssey Update: Is it going to be a sweeping change to all or most light sources, including ships interiors/exteriors and system stars? Or will it be limited to stations and the atmospheric planets?
    We’re revamping the lighting for the entire game!
    
    
12. Will there be a possibility of mining on the surface of planets in Odyssey?
    Whilst we are not looking at mining on foot at this time, you will be able to visit small mining settlements.
    
    
13. Will Fleet Carriers get interiors in Odyssey?
    We have nothing to add on this at this moment in time.
    
    
14. Can you tell us if Elite has had a large code refresh/overhaul in preparation for Odyssey?
    There is a lot of new code and systems being implemented/refreshed for Odyssey.
    
    
15. Are there to be any significant changes to the camera suite for Odyssey, on-foot or off?
    The original camera suite will be available in Odyssey. We are also in the process of adding the vanity cam for the on foot character. We are very excited to see what our community come up with at launch.
    
    
16. Will Odyssey have the same graphic impact as the current engine in terms of performance or will you need to upgrade your video card?
    Odyssey will be optimised to run on your current setting for Elite Dangerous.
    
    
17. How does Odyssey deal with ship kits in regards to hit boxes? Will a raider ship kit’s spikes provide additional cover for example?
    Hit boxes for ships will accurately reflect their design in Odyssey, including any ship kits players have attached.
    
    
18. Will we be able to fly other CMDRs' ships in Odyssey? Whether if it's by multicrew or stealing?
    No, only the Commander that owns that ship can fly their ship. However, players will be able to deploy in that Commander’s SRV or SLF with physical multicrew.
    
    
19. Will we be able to hire NPCs in places normally reserved for multi-crew?
    No this will not be a feature in Odyssey.
    
    
20. What level of customization will players have over their FPS weapons in Odyssey? Will we be able to change/add sights, scopes, attachments, skins, etc.?
    Weapons will be able to be customised in a variety of ways both internally and externally, from sights and suppressors that suit the players playstyle to weapon skins that are purely aesthetic. More on this in the future.
    
    
21. Will we have the possibility to have our CMDR Names marked on planets in the style of: "First landed on by CMDR X"?
    Yes, we will log first footfall on a per CMDR basis
    
    
22. Will a Horizons user on a SRV be able to meet an Odyssey user on foot on a planet with no atmosphere?
    We are looking at this at the moment - more to follow soon.
    
    
23. Will Odyssey space suits get kits?
    The flight suit is the base suit, on top of which Commanders will be able chose how they will want to specialise.
    
    
24. In Odyssey, when transitioning from ships to (breathable?) space stations, will my character be in the selected outfit I bought from Holo-Me or in one of the new suits?
    Whichever you chose to equip both are viable
    
    
25. Will Odyssey bring more mysteries and codes similar to that of the Thargoid Probe Spectrogram?
    Narrative is a big part of the Elite Dangerous galaxy – we expect to continue this in the future.
    
    
26. Will we be able to use our current clothing in Odyssey?
    Yes, everything you own is usable in Odyssey.
    
    
27. If a player isn't into FPS combat will that part of the expansion be optional?
    Elite Dangerous has always been about allowing you to blaze your own trail, this will continue in Odyssey. Combat will always be optional for Commanders.
    
    
28. Any plans to introduce improved anti aliasing in Odyssey?
    We are not changing this engine, we are however looking at any issues and fixing them ready for launch.

We'll be taking a break from the AMA's over the festive period so we can spend more time with our turkey...I mean family. We'll be back with more in the new year!

Join us 17 December 12:00 UTC on www.twitch.tv/elitedangerous and www.youtube.com/elitedangerous/live for our Anniversary stream. We'll have activities, Twitch drops and Developer Gareth Hughes will be answering your Elite Dangerous: Odyssey combat questions!

o7

Will devices with more than 32 buttons be supported in Odyssey? I'd really like my new Virpil Throttle to work 'fully' with Elite Dangerous.

Can we expect Space Stations to have less 'menu's' and instead transition to a FPS experiance with physical shops/locations?

 

[Wimmer]

9. Could you elaborate on how high, low or lack of gravity will be handled by spacelegs on the ground or in stations)?

[...]
On planets, gravity affects how high you can jump and particularly how effective your jump pack is – on Low-G planets you can get quite a lot of distance!
[...]

Ohhhh. Base jumping on Pomeche 2c!
Ohhhh. Nice!

 

[ThatGuyOmega]

Damn not a single one of my questions got answered rip, to be expected though, I had a lot of high detail ones.

 

[ThatGuyOmega]

In regards to question 17. Are you implying it would be advantageous for a commander to buy a ship kit from the ARX store for extra cover/shielding.

Hitbox sizes are larger, making it pay to lose in space combat, but pay to win on planetary surfaces because of the greater protection. So in that sense yes, it will be advantageous but also not at the same time

 

[Miko]

* dies from cringe *

I think they just proved they NEVER play their own game. Bye bye, Odyssey!

 

[Kiloren]

Do you have any plan to put back the possibility to gift store content to other players? We don't really understand why you removed this with the ARX update.

 

[Ozric]

I'm under the impression that physical multicrew means the commanders that are in the crew have to be in the same location (planet, bar, station, etc) when the crew is formed. You can't just 'Beam' in like the Holo Me Projections (or whatever the handwavium that was used to explain the multi-crew).

Yes, but what's the difference other than needing to be in the same place when you start? Also if you join in person does that mean you're bound to that ship until it docks again and you can run away? If the person who owns the session logs off, are you forced to as well? What happens if the person who owns the multicrew session takes an extended break. Are you stranded, or do you somehow learn previously unknown technology and teleport yourself back to your ship.

We discused this on Last nights Lave Radio. I'd imagine that when we're all together in our ships and SRVs, Odyssey and Standard Players (because everyone is a Horizon player now) will be able to interact. However, I don't see a Horizon player being able to see people on the ground, even on the airless worlds. I would like to be proven wrong about that but it wouldn't be a huge loss if it didn't happen.

Yes that's how I sort of see it too, I don't expect them to be able to be together. I hope that there will be layers, but say you have three people Person A (without Odyssey in an SRV), Person B (with Odyssey in a ship), Person C (with Odyssey on foot)

Persons B and C are playing together, Person A comes along. Are they in the same instance as B and C just unable to see C, or are they forced into a different instance because C is there? If an instance already has a bunch of people like A and B in it happily playing together, will people like C be able to join?

 

[Rat Catcher]

I think they just proved they NEVER play their own game. Bye bye, Odyssey!

Wouldn't, being pedantic of course, that just be "Say NO to O"?

 

[Zer0cool]

Greetings Commanders.

This Thursday, we'll be celebrating the 6 year anniversary of Elite Dangerous with a special anniversary stream! It's going to be an exciting stream and a bit bigger than our usual Thursday affair.

As a result of this bumper edition Thursday stream, we won't be able to do our weekly AMA with you today. Fear not though, we've sneakily been collecting all your Odyssey questions from the last few AMA sessions and have been gathering as many answers as we can from our development team! Here is a selection of some of the questions and answers we've been able to bring you!

1. Will powerplay see any changes in Odyssey?
   Powerplay will be discussed at a later date
   
   
2. Will there be a helmet HUD in odyssey?
   Yes please see our post here for more detailed information.
   
   
3. Will you have some kind of holographic personal display to read information when you are on foot?
   Yes your suit will have similar functions to your ship – more on this in the future
   
   
4. Will our avatars in Odyssey be more sophisticated than we have at present, in order to facilitate height and weight differences, so that we don't all appear the same ‘size’?
   There will be a vast amount of ways Commanders can customise their avatars in game to give themselves a truly unique experience. However height and weight are currently not customisable.
   
   
5. With regards to Odyssey, can you tease more if any BGS changes, e.g. uniforms for player factions on NPC's, custom logos on stations, or some other benefits that supports of a faction may take advantage of.
   BGS is always present in Elite and this will be evident in Odyssey with various planets and settlement appearing differently dependent on their current state.
   
   
6. In Odyssey, will our helmets have night vision mode same as the SRV and ship?
   Suits will have various functions player will be able to unlock and upgrade them with. Night vision is one of those functions.
   
   
7. Can the new terrain system generate overhangs?
   Unfortunately not, however we think you will enjoy the vistas that our planetary tech will provide!
   
   
8. What are the plans for networking in Odyssey? Will it be p2p or will it be server based for FPS gameplay?
   The underlying network structure is the same as the rest of ED i.e. p2p so that the experience is seamless for players
   
   
9. Could you elaborate on how high, low or lack of gravity will be handled by spacelegs on the ground or in stations)?
   We have an upper cap on high gravity worlds where it would not be safe for Commanders to deploy.
   For outposts, whilst we’re in Zero-G, we use magnetised boots to keep the player on the floor.
   On planets, gravity affects how high you can jump and particularly how effective your jump pack is – on Low-G planets you can get quite a lot of distance! Grenades also follow trajectories based on gravity which creates some interesting gameplay!
   
   
10. With Odyssey and with it new gear incoming in mind: Are there plans to increase the storage limit for modules?
    No plans for this at the moment.
    
    
11. Quick question about the lighting changes in the Odyssey Update: Is it going to be a sweeping change to all or most light sources, including ships interiors/exteriors and system stars? Or will it be limited to stations and the atmospheric planets?
    We’re revamping the lighting for the entire game!
    
    
12. Will there be a possibility of mining on the surface of planets in Odyssey?
    Whilst we are not looking at mining on foot at this time, you will be able to visit small mining settlements.
    
    
13. Will Fleet Carriers get interiors in Odyssey?
    We have nothing to add on this at this moment in time.
    
    
14. Can you tell us if Elite has had a large code refresh/overhaul in preparation for Odyssey?
    There is a lot of new code and systems being implemented/refreshed for Odyssey.
    
    
15. Are there to be any significant changes to the camera suite for Odyssey, on-foot or off?
    The original camera suite will be available in Odyssey. We are also in the process of adding the vanity cam for the on foot character. We are very excited to see what our community come up with at launch.
    
    
16. Will Odyssey have the same graphic impact as the current engine in terms of performance or will you need to upgrade your video card?
    Odyssey will be optimised to run on your current setting for Elite Dangerous.
    
    
17. How does Odyssey deal with ship kits in regards to hit boxes? Will a raider ship kit’s spikes provide additional cover for example?
    Hit boxes for ships will accurately reflect their design in Odyssey, including any ship kits players have attached.
    
    
18. Will we be able to fly other CMDRs' ships in Odyssey? Whether if it's by multicrew or stealing?
    No, only the Commander that owns that ship can fly their ship. However, players will be able to deploy in that Commander’s SRV or SLF with physical multicrew.
    
    
19. Will we be able to hire NPCs in places normally reserved for multi-crew?
    No this will not be a feature in Odyssey.
    
    
20. What level of customization will players have over their FPS weapons in Odyssey? Will we be able to change/add sights, scopes, attachments, skins, etc.?
    Weapons will be able to be customised in a variety of ways both internally and externally, from sights and suppressors that suit the players playstyle to weapon skins that are purely aesthetic. More on this in the future.
    
    
21. Will we have the possibility to have our CMDR Names marked on planets in the style of: "First landed on by CMDR X"?
    Yes, we will log first footfall on a per CMDR basis
    
    
22. Will a Horizons user on a SRV be able to meet an Odyssey user on foot on a planet with no atmosphere?
    We are looking at this at the moment - more to follow soon.
    
    
23. Will Odyssey space suits get kits?
    The flight suit is the base suit, on top of which Commanders will be able chose how they will want to specialise.
    
    
24. In Odyssey, when transitioning from ships to (breathable?) space stations, will my character be in the selected outfit I bought from Holo-Me or in one of the new suits?
    Whichever you chose to equip both are viable
    
    
25. Will Odyssey bring more mysteries and codes similar to that of the Thargoid Probe Spectrogram?
    Narrative is a big part of the Elite Dangerous galaxy – we expect to continue this in the future.
    
    
26. Will we be able to use our current clothing in Odyssey?
    Yes, everything you own is usable in Odyssey.
    
    
27. If a player isn't into FPS combat will that part of the expansion be optional?
    Elite Dangerous has always been about allowing you to blaze your own trail, this will continue in Odyssey. Combat will always be optional for Commanders.
    
    
28. Any plans to introduce improved anti aliasing in Odyssey?
    We are not changing this engine, we are however looking at any issues and fixing them ready for launch.

We'll be taking a break from the AMA's over the festive period so we can spend more time with our turkey...I mean family. We'll be back with more in the new year!

Join us 17 December 12:00 UTC on www.twitch.tv/elitedangerous and www.youtube.com/elitedangerous/live for our Anniversary stream. We'll have activities, Twitch drops and Developer Gareth Hughes will be answering your Elite Dangerous: Odyssey combat questions!

o7

Once again zero questions in relation to Odyssey in consoles.

I'm starting to think Odyssey is a PC only expansion. Can you imagine that?

 

[Miko]

Wouldn't, being pedantic of course, that just be "Say NO to O"?

Honestly, in relation to the guy I responded to there, the fact Frontier think calling P2P seamless is beyond unacceptable. Elite has been a shoddy network experience since day one with ridiculous instancing, lag and disconnection issues. I really hoped Odyssey wouldn't be much and such the same. Here's hoping the code changes iron some of it out.

 

[CMDR_Raikkonen]

Will other Commanders be able to see my cockpit decor when they enter my ship?

At present they can't. If I multicrew someone in they can't see my bobblehead.

And I REALLY like showing people my bobblehead.

Thanks.

 

[Rubbernuke]

And I REALLY like showing people my bobblehead.

I was really fed up with FDs Powerplay can kicking, but this made me laugh because I have a damaged sense of humour.

 

[Bob McBobblehead]

Lots of new GPUs have come out since Elite Dangerous was first released, will we get more graphic options above ULTRA settings on PCs?
I'd really like a higher/better LOD as seeing the ship noticeably change into a lower quality model when you pan out is jarring.

 

[Rat Catcher]

Honestly, in relation to the guy I responded to there, the fact Frontier think calling P2P seamless is beyond unacceptable. Elite has been a shoddy network experience since day one with ridiculous instancing, lag and disconnection issues. I really hoped Odyssey wouldn't be much and such the same. Here's hoping the code changes iron some of it out.

Well, p2p is the option the game backers opted for against a monthly subscription (I gather) and remains the 'free' option for players.
In the most selfish way possible, it has no major impact on my gameplay (apart from the odd coloured snake) so I don't experience the issues others may see.

A paid server/client service for those who demand superior networking performance is a possible option, but would only serve to fragment the playerbase even more as it would need to be a fourth mode solely for the paying clients - which, of course, would defeat the need for some to have 'organic PvP' as only those willing to pay for the service would be visible to each other.

 

[CMDR_Raikkonen]

I was really fed up with FDs Powerplay can kicking, but this made me laugh because I have a damaged sense of humour.

Glad you got a giggle - Merry Christmas!

Stay safe in the black!

 

[VR Golgot]

However, players will be able to deploy in that Commander’s SRV...

Sweeet

Gravity games sound fun too

 

[Rat Catcher]

Gravity games sound fun too

Higher-G world... Cmdr fires grenade.... PLOP!.. lands a few feet away... Can he run? (or is the Jetpack fast enough?)

 

[Skizomeuh]

Higher-G world... Cmdr fires grenade.... PLOP!.. lands a few feet away... Can he run? (or is the Jetpack fast enough?)

Will only have time to say "SHAZBOT!", methink.

 

[Miko]

Well, p2p is the option the game backers opted for against a monthly subscription (I gather) and remains the 'free' option for players.
In the most selfish way possible, it has no major impact on my gameplay (apart from the odd coloured snake) so I don't experience the issues others may see.

A paid server/client service for those who demand superior networking performance is a possible option, but would only serve to fragment the playerbase even more as it would need to be a fourth mode solely for the paying clients - which, of course, would defeat the need for some to have 'organic PvP' as only those willing to pay for the service would be visible to each other.

I am aware of the history, but it simply will not work with Odyssey. If they have severe lag and instancing anomalies with FPS in Odyssey then it will sink like a stone! CQC style. Elite is a disaster for networking. It is the most frustrating game I have ever played with regards to it where CG's and PvP are concerned.