Patch Notes Update 2.3 The Commanders Beta - Changelog

[SoulScar]

•Power Distributor
•Non helm MultiCrew players now provide an additional single power distribution pip
•Players can distribute their pip where they want, as long as there is space for it
•FireCon defaults to weapons, FighterCon defaults to systems

Will this additional power distribution point apply to NCP AI crew as well? I understand emersion is a big thing in ED therefore "NPC" that get paid a decent % of your profits should offer the same benefits as player crew. An example would be if I give my Elite ranked NCP turret control and another NPC a fighter then surely these bonuses apply? If not anyone with an equally equipped ship will be at a huge disadvantage in any combat situation.

Don't get me wrong this update looks awesome and the DEV's have worked wonders IMO. It would just be a shame if more players migrated to solo play to avoid obvious OP pirate wings.

 

[Wylie28]

•Power Distributor
•Non helm MultiCrew players now provide an additional single power distribution pip
•Players can distribute their pip where they want, as long as there is space for it
•FireCon defaults to weapons, FighterCon defaults to systems

Will this additional power distribution point apply to NCP AI crew as well? I understand emersion is a big thing in ED therefore "NPC" that get paid a decent % of your profits should offer the same benefits as player crew. An example would be if I give my Elite ranked NCP turret control and another NPC a fighter then surely these bonuses apply? If not anyone with an equally equipped ship will be at a huge disadvantage in any combat situation.

Don't get me wrong this update looks awesome and the DEV's have worked wonders IMO. It would just be a shame if more players migrated to solo play to avoid obvious OP pirate wings.

No. NPC AI are technically separate from your two player crew members. You can use both the fighter role as a player and have an NPC fighter out at the same time. However the biggest problem would be the players control their extra pip. An NPC isn't intelligent enough to know where it would be best to put PIPs in a ship it doesn't control.

 

[Marc N]

Quick question as I read through this...

Dolphin is listed under Horizons -> General

Does that mean it is a ship restricted to Horizons only?

It seems so. In the Betas you can buy Dolphin in ED:Horizons only. If you own one, you can fly it also in ED

 

[thetiniestmouse]

Changing the value of HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout>Scancode Map to 00000000 00000000 02000000 00003A00 00000000 will cure that problem once and for all.
It remaps CapsLock to do nothing. It's one of the most delightful things that can be done.

I like it XKCD style, caps lock as control. Mapping space to caps lock just gets confusing though.

 

[Becky]

Multiwing Placement

Can you please move multicrew placement. I know it's new and shiny but for the most part it's in the way.

It should be under the these things which are current and present
- WING Activities: If I'm in a wing I don't want multicrew getting in the way of wing activities
-- eg enable wing beacon (which should be turned on and left on until turned off btw).
- interact with someone local.
- send a message to a friend
- invite someone to a wing, or multicrew for that matter

If I'm currently in a Multicrew ship, by all means have it at the top, but until then it's just in the way.

Please; move it to the bottom of the list or put it on a different page where it's not in the way (ps sorry for the cut & paste job)

 

[ChaosCloud]

Please; move it to the bottom of the list or put it on a different page where it's not in the way (ps sorry for the cut & paste job)

Not to mention that currently it screws up the controller menu usability, aka if I dare to switch to that tab I lose control over the whole panel, can't switch anywhere at all anymore.

Not sure if that is because the focus F's off into an invisible dead element (wouldn't be the first time) or if this is only because they were working on it and turned it off and it screwed up because of that, but either way, using that panel with a gamepad is broken for me.
I have to avoid ever entering that tab or I can close the whole panel (luckily atleast that keeps working) and then re-navigate whereever I wanted to get.
Good thing though that I as a foreveralone have little need in the first place to use the whole panel, still bothering to know it's unusable if I'd need to.


And something that's bugged with the new camera suite: the camera suite uses the old keybind for the debug camera, but you CAN'T change that one anymore because it's hidden (still works, but can't be rebound). You can only change the bind for the new debug camera.

 

[Becky]

Missions

• Massacre conflict and massacre skimmer missions limited to 3 per player at a time. Rewards increased slightly to compensate

This will not resolve mode switching problem. At the moment people mode switch to get their 20 missions; and they get the missions with the biggest payouts. But at the moment people will settle for mixing missions; eg take some that are +10mil and 90ships; and take other that are 20-40 missions that get restocked when they dock for ammo.

Now people will only going to have three slots you can bet your money safely that they will not settle for the "lesser" missions any more and will want to get 3 missions that have 90 ships each - and they'll keep mode switching until they get all three slots filled with the best missions. It'll might reduce it significantly; but the problem wont go away unless there's guaranteed 3 max payout missions on every mission board.

 

[Quester91]

I still think that the multicrew session report under the transaction tab is one of the worst and most illogical hud design choices I've ever seen yet in this game right after putting Galnet news under the navigation tab.

Do they roll a dice to decide in which tab new features have to go?

 

[Ralph Vargr]

I still think that the multicrew session report under the transaction tab is one of the worst and most illogical hud design choices I've ever seen yet in this game right after putting Galnet news under the navigation tab.

Do they roll a dice to decide in which tab new features have to go?

Yes. A D 1.414 die.

 

[S3B4ST13N]

I still think that the multicrew session report under the transaction tab is one of the worst and most illogical hud design choices I've ever seen yet in this game right after putting Galnet news under the navigation tab.

Do they roll a dice to decide in which tab new features have to go?

I suspect it's down to not planning far enough ahead with their UI design and all the features they need to implement. They just keep slotting things into random places ( *snorts¹* ) because there's nowhere else to put it. I suspect we'll get a massive UI overhaul farther down the line.


1 I'd use the correct word here, but the anti-naughty word algorithm on this forum is a little over enthusiastic.

 

[Drat]

Not a beta player, but will the new Vanity cam have separately bindable controls? I'm using a Hotas T-Flight Hotas X for flight, but would like to use my F710 gamepad for the new cam. On that note, it would be nice if the main menu controls screen distinguished which controller a given bind corresponded to. Perhaps automatic colour coding, with a key, if more than one controller is detected? It distinguishes in the binds file, so why not ingame?

http://imgur.com/2ANyxFe <- Rough mockup of idea. The hatswitch on the stickl was bound to move the SRV turret, but I added one of the pad sticks as an alternate for analogue control.

 

[Voz]

I suspect it's down to not planning far enough ahead with their UI design and all the features they need to implement. They just keep slotting things into random places ( *snorts¹* ) because there's nowhere else to put it. I suspect we'll get a massive UI overhaul farther down the line.

1 I'd use the correct word here, but the anti-naughty word algorithm on this forum is a little over enthusiastic.

I would like to think slightly more positively here. I would like to believe that they know exactly where the final locations for some of these options are but the final parts of the UI are dependant on future content. Current locations are therefor placeholders until they can be moved as part of the great design.

And that's my positivity for the day all used up.

 

[Winterwalker]

I would like to think slightly more positively here. I would like to believe that they know exactly where the final locations for some of these options are but the final parts of the UI are dependant on future content. Current locations are therefor placeholders until they can be moved as part of the great design.

And that's my positivity for the day all used up.

Keep that spent positivity in your pocket, you're in credit I'd say. All things are subject to development, as someone posted this earlier, the alpha 4 sidewinder HUD (take note where the compass is for eg.) "Too much" pre-planning can be limiting sometimes; evolution (iterative development) can be powerful too.

 

[S3B4ST13N]

I would like to think slightly more positively here. I would like to believe that they know exactly where the final locations for some of these options are but the final parts of the UI are dependant on future content. Current locations are therefor placeholders until they can be moved as part of the great design.

And that's my positivity for the day all used up.

It's not that I'm being intentionally negative, but as a developer it does come across as if there wasn't that much planning involved for the UI beyond a certain point, a case example would be the location of the GalNet. I'm sure they had a reason for putting it where they did, but to me it doesn't make much sense.
GalNet to me, doesn't belong on the ship interface at all. My personal choice would have been something similar to SC's MobiGlass interface ( and this before I'd even heard of SC ).
A HUD that is mounted on a wrist band, or perhaps part of the RemLock suit.
[video=youtube;oBuvL450rg4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBuvL450rg4[/video]

It's not that Elite HUD is bad, it's just that it doesn't seem very flexible. Look how they had to redo two whole panels when they revamped the station services.

That's the nice thing of on-going development projects though, things change.

 

[Winterwalker]

a case example would be the location of the GalNet

Actually think the Galnet left panel link is in the right place, only I think it should be relabelled 'Galnet' (and not Galactic Powers). A small but signifying, tempting/tantalising thing, that I've thought for a while.

("Slow Down" should also, I think, say "Overspeed", but another story)

 

[S3B4ST13N]

The Galnet, left panel link, is in the right place imo, only I think it should be relabelled 'Galnet' (and not Galactic Powers). A small but signifying thing that I've thought for a while.

("Slow Down" should also, I think, say "Overspeed")

I respectfully disagree.

Related functions should be easily accessible, and I include logical deduction. Nobody would look under Galactic Powers for the GalNet button; and I know someone who has been playing for a long time and had no idea he could access GalNet whilst in his ship purely because he's never accessed a menu item he believed only pertained to an aspect of the game he never plays. I kid you not.

Galnet is a newspaper that contains PowerPlay information as well as normal news information. Placing it beside PowerPlay features doesn't make sense from a UI design perspective purely because of GalNet's general use. If it was focused only on PowerPlay, it would make sense.
UI design principles encourage you to group related features; but Frontier chose to place the button right beside two Powerplay related buttons, which are only reachable when you hit the Galactic Powers button, which in turn is only accessible from the Navigation menu; a menu, I might add pertains to actual ship navigation, not menu/feature navigation.

I'll use an example from our medical software, because that's the field I work in: I'm not going to put the Billing link under the EDI menu. Billing is a high-level financial feature, whereas EDI relates to claim request/response information only used if there are request/response concerns; the financial information of EDI data is extrapolated and displayed in the Transactions frame, which is beside Billing. Whilst EDI documents include financial information, they are not pertinent from a Billing perspective, and neither is Billing pertinent to EDI data, hence why they have their own locations on the programs workspace.

Edit: This is why I feel the UI design hasn't had as much love in design and planning as say, ships or planets.

 

[Winterwalker]

Related functions should be easily accessible, and I include logical deduction. Nobody would look under Galactic Powers for the GalNet button; and I know someone who has been playing for a long time and had no idea he could access GalNet whilst in his ship purely because he's never accessed a menu item he believed only pertained to an aspect of the game he never plays. I kid you not.

Yes, however here's my thinking. Firstly your friends' experience shows. Galnet is not labelled in the ship, because the button says Galactic Powers. So there's one reason to rename, he didn't know Galnet was there.

Secondly, if thinking about hierarchies, Galnet is more 'all encompassing' and seems reasonable to me it might be Galnet that provides information on Powers, as a Galnet sub menu. (the Sports pullout, so to speak)

Now Powerplay, in my opinion unfairly maligned, is I believe intended to be an alternative BGS to play. To a new player it's probably not the first thing you go to (before learning about major/minor factions etc) so I don't think there should be a second in-ship button for 1. Galnet and 2. Galactic Powers (plus it's UI cluttering).

Powerplay is specialist. It takes some getting into and for reasons above about being a secondary BGS (ie. not primary) I think it's more interesting from a psychological point of view to 'stumble upon' it (when exploring the in-ship UI for Galnet). With an 'inquisitive mindset', my feeling is that you're more likely to find interest in unravelling PP which you need to because it's not very straightforwardly presented. I don't actually think it's a bad thing as such, to have a kind of intricate game there, but curiosity is a driver that helps PP imo.

Why I think left and not right panel, is because Galnet is Galaxy (News Navigation) level and not Ship / Commander Systems level.

o7

and edit ---
One (1) reason for 'Overspeed' (not Slow Down) is .. "Slow Down" (please) .. "I CAN'T!!"

 

[wstephenson]

Actually think the Galnet left panel link is in the right place, only I think it should be relabelled 'Galnet' (and not Galactic Powers). A small but signifying, tempting/tantalising thing, that I've thought for a while.

Oh yes please. Just label it Don't Panic and 85% of the user base will know that it's the entry point to all knowledge about the galaxy. Then whack Holo-me and Engineers behind it too

• GALNET
  • GALACTIC NEWS
  • HOLO-ME
  • ENGINEERS
  • POWERS
  • ALLEGIANCE

 

[Winterwalker]

Oh yes please. Just label it Don't Panic and 85% of the user base will know that it's the entry point to all knowledge about the galaxy. Then whack Holo-me and Engineers behind it too

• GALNET
  • GALACTIC NEWS
  • HOLO-ME
  • ENGINEERS
  • POWERS
  • ALLEGIANCE

Hmm. Holome is 100% definitely in the right area where it is (imo)
Allliegance / Engineers is more debatable, however they are "local level" (of navigation) and if you like detail information that your ship has about its local standing (aliegance) and toolbox (engineers). Personally I wouldn't suggest moving those even in a blue blue sky, intuitive thinking exercise (ie, forgetting the actual developer's job of moving them). eg. you don't need to know your local alliegance when you've got red wing of FDL's on your six?

Galactic Powers, renamed Galnet (a button name change to higher level) is all that I'm suggesting

 

[fennster]

Actually think the Galnet left panel link is in the right place, only I think it should be relabelled 'Galnet' (and not Galactic Powers). A small but signifying, tempting/tantalising thing, that I've thought for a while.

("Slow Down" should also, I think, say "Overspeed", but another story)

But "slow down" means just what everyone doesn't think it means, it means you are being slowed down. When you pass any body in SC that decelerates you, even with no target selected, it will tell you that you are being slowed down. Not that you should reduce your speed.