Odyssey - Optimisation/Performance and UI (Galaxy & System Map) Feedback

[Khalarin]

Overall thoughts –
Setting a Carrier to Jump is now very cumbersome, often we do not just want to jump to the first available point we want to specify the target body within a system.
I keep having to cancel jumps, which I did not mean to set. Which is quite irritating after the 6th / 7th time in a row because the process is not very intuitive.

Suggested Fixes for the Issues –
Press & Hold opens an option panel with 2 buttons "open system map" button above the current "Set Carrier Destination" and suggest renaming said button to something like "Jump Carrier to Star/First open slot" because in my mind the way it is worded reads "hold to set destination within the target system" not Jump where-ever.

 

[Odi]

On a slightly different note.. I was worried on release day that I would not be able to run odyssey at all but as per a suggestion I uninstalled my hud improvements colour picker deleted. Y graphics folder contents and it takes a while to load transitions ship feet etc. But apart from it is in a window now it seems to be working OK. Xeon 550 6core 12 threads 24gb ddr3 triple Channel Radeon rx550 2gb.
Just incase not running voice attack or full screen..

 

[Ozric]

Overall thoughts

I like some of the new styling, I like the new search bar and I absolutely love the copy to clipboard option.

Galaxy Map

You can't see all your bookmarks in a list. If you are using them for a race, as an example, you would number them so they appear at the top of your list of bookmarks and then are easier to select. If you're racing over systems, planets and bases, then all your bookmarks are split between different windows. The fix for this would be to have an All tab.

The Galaxy Map doesn't replot your route when changing filters https://issues.frontierstore.net/issue-detail/32908 Why should I have to click at least two buttons to change a filter and then have to click another two buttons just to have my route adjusted to the new filter I've applied?

It takes far too many clicks to do most things. Deleting a bookmark is a prime example, in Horizons you click on the system and then click remove bookmark. In Odyssey, you click on Bookmarks, then on Bookmark Manager, then you have to know the name of the system you want to remove (which is very unlikely if you're using them for waypoint markers), then click that, then click remove.

The Galaxy Map doesn't keep focused on it's current position when you enter/exit a system's System Map.

All of the icons are now either Orange or Yellow. It is now really hard to distinguish between things when you have a lot of different type of markers close together. Engineers, Bookmarks, Fleet Carriers, Starter Systems. Ships and CGs. They were all easily distinguishable before and I don't see why the decision was made to change it.

There's a marker for 'Advanced Search' that has the same icon as Repairing Starports. What does it do? Nothing.

Why are there two pop up menus to show you your ship information? And why do they look so different?

Why are there two pop up menus to show you your mission information?

System Map

There are so many bugs in the System Map, nearly all of which were raised in the Alpha and ignored. Most have expired and had to be created again.

Why duplicate lots of unnecessary buttons in the System Map? Local Fleet, Active Missions, neither of these are necessary if you have Stored Ships and mission markers.

Once again forcing you to swap back and forth between windows to view information that was previously in one concise space, is a backwards step and not user friendly.

Some buttons are not shown if they are not necessary, some buttons are shown but are Whited? out if they can't be selected, some buttons can't have any information but are still in Orange and can be selected. Many inconsistencies that don't make much sense I'm afraid.

Conclusion

With so many things hidden behind multiple clicks and sub menus and popup menus, it does not make it user friendly. And that's the issue with me offering ways to fix things for you, it unfortunately feels like it's been built from the ground up to be more awkward. I don't want to say throw it out and get the old UI back because it isn't as bad as Outfitting, but there are too many fundamental issues that it will require a fairly big redesign to make it feel less frustrating and punishing.

One more rather big thing. This isn't the first or even the second time a lot of these issues have happened. There's only so many times we can go through the same thing year after year, providing feedback and creating bug reports/issues for the same things.

 

[Deleted member 115407]

I have to say, I do really like the new mission screen The navigation and filtering is done very well.

I don't like the intermediate screen, the one that displays "CG, Mission, Passenger" options? Those should each be on the main board as their own button.

The less clicks, the better, FD. That intermediate screen needs to go.

 

[Martind Forlon]

Overall thoughts:
New UI have much clearer interface but its functionality is highly reduced due critical missing info in some parts and a completely unnecessary number of clicks needed to complete some of regularly used operations.

Specific Issues:

• Galaxy_map: left menu items (bookmarks, bases, planets etc.) should have option to directly plot route to them
• Galaxy_map: quick search menu should have option to directly plot route to found object (station, settlement, system, planet)
• Galaxy_map: selected system should have displayed overview automatically without need to additionally click on something
• Galaxy_map: plotting route with holding mouse button should not need to recenter chosen system (which nows resets ploting route and is needed hold mouse button again)
• Galaxy_map: system info should show among other things actual security rating (because some of station services like for example Interstellar Factor are disabled when system security changes. In some cases it happens frequently.
• Galaxy_map: plotting route to mission area is completely unnecessarily lengthy
• Galaxy_map: filter for systems with services is not always showing correct results (mainly due system security changes).
• System_map: selected planet or station/settlement should have basic info shown without need to additionally click on something.
• System_map: basic info MUST have information about target distance to entry star ... this is missing here and it is serious issue
• Outfitting: is completely missing info about engineered modules (this is serious problem)
• Outfitting: is not possible replace mounted module with module in your storage
• On_foot: very low amount of keyboard shortcuts for regularly used functions

Suggested Fixes for the Issues:

• add possibility to directly plot route to all objects in galaxy/system UI found in left menu or quick search menus
• add possibilty to directly zoom to object found via left or quick search menus
• add automatic show of chosen object basic info
• add distance from entry star to chosen object in system map (basic info)
• update filter in galaxy map for services in system in regard to system actual security state (which allow or disallow presence of some services)
• add possibility to plot (one click or hold mouse button) route to chosen mission area
• add detailed info about engineering of chosen module into outfitting menus
• add functionality to directly replace chosen mounted module with module in your storage in outfitting
• add (PLEASE) more keyboard shortucts to on foot UI functions. For example radar info showing contacts, restore energy or heal, actual Missions list etc.

 

[Faramir]

It takes far too many clicks to do most things. Deleting a bookmark is a prime example, in Horizons you click on the system and then click remove bookmark. In Odyssey, you click on Bookmarks, then on Bookmark Manager, then you have to know the name of the system you want to remove (which is very unlikely if you're using them for waypoint markers), then click that, then click remove.

I fully support this gentleman! On all counts. Dear developers! Why do you break something that worked well and offer a bunch of unnecessary button-clicking actions instead? We kindly ask you to discuss changes to the interface before changing it. And a strong request to the developers of the interface - to play a couple of hours in the game, after your changes. Make long flights with routing and scanning systems. Then you will understand whether this change is good or not. And at the moment, it seems that the interface was invented at best on paper, in isolation from reality.

 

[Unfettered Might]

I'm sorry but galaxy map and system map should not be the UI priority here. Outfitting should be.

Agreed. Outfitting felt intuitive before, it's just clunky now.

 

[Vrenshrrg]

Overall thoughts

While the added categorization is appreciated, everything is too hidden away or hard to reach.

Specific Issues

1. Hidden information: In the previous iteration of the map, hovering over systems/bodies displayed information about it in the sidebar or a tooltip. Now it always requires at least one additional button press and it must be actively focused first.
2. Needless nesting: Galaxy filtering options are too nested to be easily accessible and thus they cannot effectively serve as a legend while viewing the map. Such nesting is not required on a screen that is large enough to play Elite on.
3. Excessive inputs required: While it is less bad with a mouse, with a controller or a HOTAS many many more directional inputs are required to reach the desired button. The previous version of the maps got around this by making use of the pages/riders and tooltips to combine multiple dimensions of input. The only positive of the new system is holding the target button to plot a route, but even that causes issues with the mouse on the orrery mode.
4. Lost functionality: Directly routing to bookmarked locations is impossible. This was a widely used feature and though it doesn't technically add too much, it is a quality of life feature that is sorely missed.
5. Performance issues: The system map loads very slowly and after that still "loads simulation" for a while. I have found it necessary to exit to the game menu to continue playing because it simply doesn't allow me to exit otherwise for up to twenty seconds.
6. Bookmark organization: The added bookmark organization is a welcome feature, but it doesn't go far enough to be helpful. It is unclear what a "favourite" bookmark does, as it doesn't seem to put the bookmark at the top of its category or into a new one.

Suggested Fixes for the Issues

1. Hidden information: Please bring back a sidebar, tooltip or both which should display information while merely hovering over a system/body, not just while focusing it. Primarily distance, economy type, government type, allegiance, factions states and star type of a system are important to be viewable at a glance, as well as things like gravity and controlling factions/station services for planetary bodies and stations.
2. Needless nesting: These options should stay open in a sidebar to serve as a legend even while using the map for other functions. Using a dropdown menu as before instead of nesting also conserves space while keeping important information on screen.
3. Excessive inputs required: This is a large issue with no easy solution beyond a complete redesign. Each important button should be available with no more than three directional inputs, not at the risk of getting "stuck" in a scrollable window and clearly labeled. Making use of page controls is probably key.
4. Lost functionality: Instead of focusing the system it is in, clicking a bookmark should bring up a small menu as previously, allowing you to plot a route or edit it.
5. Performance issues: While I don't know how to improve system map loading times, it should be easy to allow the user to at least cancel any loading animation or process by backing out of it.
6. Bookmark organization: This is a step in the right direction, but please let us create custom categories beyond the standard stations/systems/settlements. The ability to choose different colours/symbols for bookmarks or entire bookmark categories would be hugely appreciated as well.

 

[Puzzlers100]

Good things about the UI
- searching for a station rather than system
- Click and hold to route path
Bad things about UI
- Click and hold replaces the flag with information.
- The new icon-based layout makes the map confusing to use
Recomendation
- Revert to the horizons UI, but bring over holding to route path and searching for a station rather than system

 

[RazNaRok]

------------------
System Information
------------------
Time of this report: 5/28/2021, 17:31:33
Machine name: DESKTOP-E3LDO4O
Machine Id: {CAE6566E-68CE-496B-A2E1-1F69AA4B5FB1}
Operating System: Windows 10 Home 64-bit (10.0, Build 19042) (19041.vb_release.191206-1406)
Language: Polish (Regional Setting: Polish)
System Manufacturer: LENOVO
System Model: 80EJ
BIOS: 9ECN43WW(V3.03) (type: UEFI)
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4700HQ CPU @ 2.40GHz (8 CPUs), ~2.4GHz
Memory: 16384MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 16296MB RAM
Page File: 4125MB used, 14603MB available
Windows Dir: C:\Windows
DirectX Version: DirectX 12
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
User DPI Setting: 96 DPI (100 percent)
System DPI Setting: 120 DPI (125 percent)
DWM DPI Scaling: Disabled
Miracast: Available, with HDCP
Microsoft Graphics Hybrid: Supported
DirectX Database Version: 1.2.3
DxDiag Version: 10.00.19041.0928 64bit Unicode


Card name: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M
Manufacturer: NVIDIA
Chip type: GeForce GTX 860M
DAC type: Integrated RAMDAC
Device Type: Render-Only Device
Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_1392&SUBSYS_397817AA&REV_A2
Device Status: 0180200A [DN_DRIVER_LOADED|DN_STARTED|DN_DISABLEABLE|DN_NT_ENUMERATOR|DN_NT_DRIVER]
Device Problem Code: No Problem
Driver Problem Code: Unknown
Display Memory: 12203 MB
Dedicated Memory: 4055 MB
Shared Memory: 8148 MB
Current Mode: 1920 x 1080 (32 bit) (60Hz)

(Full DxDiag attached)

Where were you in-game, and what were you doing? (Solo/Open, in Wing/group or not etc.)

Tested in Solo, Private and Open Play. Low, Medium and High graphics settings.
Framerates consistently tank below 30 while in settlements and below 16 while in settlement conflict zones.

Are you running Odyssey in borderless/fullscreen/windowed?

Fullscreen

Are you running Odyssey in VR?

No

Do you have any other apps running at the same time?

Steam Launcher

Are you running any third-party shader suites?

No

 

[Grimeripe]

A general reflection about user interface, now that I have tried some trading and a decent amount of exploration.

In general:
Think about the tasks we as players are going to perform, and make those tasks easy.

Example:
Exploration, system map:
I want to be able to see, at a glance, for each body:
What type of body it is
If I can land on it
What biological and geological sites there are.
What dockable settlements and nondockable installations (did I get those right?) there are.
Surface gravity.

Not so interesting:
atmospheric composition
percentages for various materials


Navigation using bookmarks:
Should be one click at the bookmark, not one click to move the map, then one click to open the system map, then one click to open the planets map, then one click to select what I had bookmarked in the first place.


Trading:
Felt like it was hidden under one more layer of menus.

The layout that you used from carriers is confusing and inconsistent.

I don't have a complete list of tasks to give you currently, but I am sure there are others than can give you actual use cases for your design process.

You need to look at interface design in game with the same care that Apple and Microsoft does when it comes to their flagship products, and remember that they still get it wrong sometimes.

 

[Burstar1]

Overall thoughts – In general, the theme and direction you are going with the UI changes in the SM and GM are ok by me. I like where you're going with them. I do wish more data was provided however.

Specific Issues –

• Cursor focus should be automatic after selecting a search target and when hovering over a possible target for both SM and GM. This would fix...
  • Long press to navigate doesn't necessarily work when prompted. You need to move the cursor after searching for example to give it focus again
• Planet data such as Bio 3, Geo 4 should actually list the distinct classes somewhere (are there 2 bacteria species on this planet, who knows Bio 5 is all you get)
• The Plot course and Select Target commands should both be the first and second commands on the right bar respectively. That is 98% of what you're doing in these windows.
• Lose the Category Stops that delay and force additional wear and tear on input devices
• The search bar results do not put exact matches first in some cases (I have a ticket in for this with details)
• It would be nice if searching was fluid enough to not examine first letter only matches (Want to search for Drya Flyouearejkl;ad Ex-1 723? It would be nice to just type '723' and possibly get lucky)

 

[VR Lucian Arkright]

I eventually found how to plot a route to an in-system bookmark.

By accident.

When I was trying to delete a bookmark.

Why the fudge is the option to plot a route to an in-system asset (Station, etc.) buried in the 'manage bookmarks' menu?

I had tried all the intuitive options - right clicking, long clicking, clicking on the 'plot route' icon, hovering over the bookmark - but no, to plot a route to a bookmark, I have to go to the same place as I delete it.

 

[M_Biscotti]

UI Feedback

Horizon + current Odyssey could give that : (unless you plan to give us all atmo in near future obviously then blue discs would be missing on heavy atmos)

 

[Aurican]

One issue that bothers me...

Hitting ESC once to close the Galaxy/System Map will also bring up the Menu to exit game.

 

[Cmdr Orpheus]

Hi Frontier, this one is all about the UI...

First of all I would like to compliment the old UI!
Clearly a lot of thought was put into it, & that made it easy to navigate effortlessly (Once you actually got to know your way around).

I am mainly going to talk about two main issues with the UI.

The first is navigation.
Both on the Galaxy & system map.
One of the things that makes the new UI so painful, is the fact that the old UI had Mouse over/Hover previews, which we could quickly scan for basic information, that meant we make good decisions very quickly.
On the new UI you have to click everything!
The ammount of clicking is really, very wearing...
This was clearly designed by someone that had never seriously played Horizons!
Any regular player would have spotted what a nightmare scenario this would be immediately...

The second massive issue.
Ship outfitting.

Most of the player base, has spent so much time engineering, engineering & engineering some more...
So why can we not see the modifications on specific modules when moving them around?

Why is the default action when removing a module set at sell?
I can only imagine the ammount of tickets you have recieved from people that have hit sell by mistake, in the clickmare that is Odyssey?
Not to mention the ammount who did not submit a ticket about it, who are probably still raging about it...

Thankfully, I spent a very painful few hours in the Alpha trying to outfit a ship.
This meant that I personaly spent the last week before release, making every ship I had, how I wanted it before Odyssey dropped.
Yes I did submit feedback then to...

A really frustrating aspect of outfitting in Odyssey, is that when you click on a module on the the ship outfitting screen.
You can NOT select any of the modules in storage as you used to be able to do.
Now, you have to specifically go into storage. (Just this one particular bit, is so annoying)
Try to work out which module you want to fit?
Which is NO easy task, as you can not see the modifications the modules have...
Then fit it to the ship.
Only then can you see the modifications!

If you put the wrong module on?
(Being very careful not to hit "SELL", if you remove it)

You then have to go back into storage.
Use a Crystal ball to select the module you hope is the right one???
Fit it, then go back into the outfitting to see if it is the correct one?
As remember... you can not see any of the modifications, until it is on the ship!
Then Hallelujah! you have managed to successfully managed to transfer "a" module.

Do bare in mind, that if the module is at a different station?
You will need the Crystal ball again, to stand any chance of selecting the correct one to transfer across to the station you are currently at.
Unless you only happen to have only one, of those modules in your storage across the whole of the Galaxy?

You really need an enthusiastic employee, that has spent a lot of time actually playing the game because they really chose to!
To sit down with your UI people, & explain to them how terrible the new system is & why unfortunately...

Yes, I appreciate that due to there being more to Odyssey than Horizons, then there has to be more navigation through menu's.
However the ammount of clicking that is needed to get around things, needs to be looked at seriously.
It is so very tedious.

I think the best advice would be;
Have two people at two computers, sitting next to each other.
One on Odyssey, one on Horizons.
Fully outfit, a fully engineered Corvette, with all the nessesary "fully" engineered modules at a different station, with multiple options to pick, when transfering across.
A station that is only 5 min away will do fine for this.
However make sure there are multiple modules engineered to different specs to choose from, to transfer, put them in the same situation as your average player...
Pick a loadout, then try to recreate it on Odyssey & Horizons.

Just be aware that if the person doing the loadout in Odyssey has any hair?
They probably will not have any left, at the end of this process...

Cheers

 

[Screemonster]

My main issue with the galaxy/system map is that I can no longer just mouseover a body/system to get its info, I have to actually click on it to bring up the right-hand menu.

Being able to browse stored modules by type is great, but while I'm looking at the ship's outfitting and select a module, the old transfer option appears to have vanished, which makes it pretty inconvenient to select a module that's already fitted and compare it with items in storage.

When I was in the tutorial I spent an extraordinary amount of time trying to figure out how to use the terminal because for some godforsaken reason the default binding is space instead of E.

 

[FoxWits]

UI Feedback

hey Bruce,

• Toss this new (completely out of style) first person UI & HUD.
• Create a brand new one, similar to ship & SRV UI & HUD.
• Make it adjective, also like ship & SRV UI & HUD, so it moves slightly when looking around to prevent OLED burn-in after hours and hours of playtime.
• Gief orange UI & HUD back, pretty please.
• Let us buy UI & HUD color with ARX PLEASE, for the love of … our galaxy! (cha-ching)

o7

edit: p.s. I am disappointed and dissatisfied about Odyssey. But I still <3 the game and the lot of you

 

[Dagwit]

In the old Galaxy Map's bookmark editing textbox, the text would not immediately clear when you clicked on it.

The text would be selected when you clicked on it, but you could click right arrow to deselect it, then use left arrow to move to the beginning of the text. This was very useful as, often as not, I would be editing the bookmark name to add a sorting prefix.

Now the existing name disappears as soon as I click in the text box, and after I type the prefix I have to retype the name - assuming I can remember it, the names of star systems in particular not all being equally memorable.

I would welcome the return of the old text box behaviour.

 

[Úlfhéðnar]

hey Bruce,

• Toss this new (completely out of style) first person UI & HUD.
• Create a brand new one, similar to ship & SRV UI & HUD.
• Make it adjective, also like ship & SRV UI & HUD, so it moves slightly when looking around to prevent OLED burn-in after hours and hours of playtime.
• Gief orange UI & HUD back, pretty please.
• Let us buy UI & HUD color with ARX PLEASE, for the love of … our galaxy! (cha-ching)

o7

Everything except that last point. The way it is now with the color changing is WAY more individual. I would rather have that as an actual ingame feature editor than smth fixed. Maybe just maybe I could accept paying for that editor if it wasnt much really