News Content Recap: Beyond - Chapter Four Livestream - Exploration and the Codex

[who?]

This would constrain them from ever adding new controls again though.

I think it makes more sense to have an ergonomic frame of mind when assigning new bindings, so that similar actions in different contexts use the same bindings and are easily learnable, reducing pilot workload. For example, sensor zoom vs galactic map zoom vs analysis mode zoom. These should be bound to the same controls by default, with a held switch if necessary if the control is usually bound to something else due to frequency of use. But we have (on a gamepad):

Spaceflight sensor zoom: L/R bumper + B
Galaxy map zoom: L/R trigger
SRV sensor zoom: L/R bumper + A

Which is hard to imprint upon muscle memory.

I'd also like to see an icon font referring to the axes and buttons on the top 5 HOTAS on the market, and use these in game UIs as prompts, as we see when a gamepad is connected. And (this is very important) have a toggle to disable these UI prompts. I hate the [Hold AXIS to take off] when landed.

Hah, yeah, I realised that as I wrote it. Hence the 'wacky'.

I'm looking at buying a Virpil throttle now just to see if that helps. Having the left/right in the spectrum tied to a , then using a hatswitch for aiming the FSS sensor seems like a natural map.

Your context-sensitive suggestion above makes sense, but there are obviously situations too where that's not possible (i.e. you might want both uses of that control to be possible at the same time).

Some day, we'll have controls with on-control displays, downloadable from the PC/console, to auto-label the controls; and we could get rid of the 'Press L trigger + X' or 'Press HOTAS 15' hints.

 

[[VR] Deggial]

Oh, and completely off-the-wall-suggestion that occurred to me after watching last night...The keybinds in this game are getting crazy. Even with a HOTAS I'm struggling.

Contextual key use for the win.

We don't need all those keys at the same time. Just use the same keys for multiple activities. (We don't need - and can not - shoot while scanning planets. Plenty of free triggers! )

 

[wstephenson]

I'm looking at buying a Virpil throttle now just to see if that helps. Having the left/right in the spectrum tied to a , then using a hatswitch for aiming the FSS sensor seems like a natural map.

I hope the spectrum tuning works like sensor zoom with an axis in absolute mode, so it can be assigned to knobs and trim wheels, as well as in relative mode, so mouse wheels work. I'm afraid that small absolute analogue controls may not be sensitive enough to nail spectrum points accurately. Think about the gearing on a radio tuner ...

 

[wstephenson]

Did anyone notice whether stars and nearby large bodies occlude distance objects while in Analysis mode?

 

[JonesTheFilm]

Probes.

A lot of people seem to have a problem with the probes being unlimited. I managed to solve that problem in my head by adding the word 'effectively' before 'unlimited' - Maybe Frontier could just add that word in and make everything okay.

In the early talk of probes (back at Lavecon I think) I'm sure I heard Sandro or someone refer to them as 'micro-probes'. I quite liked that idea (nano-probes might have been even better) it helped me get over the problem of how fast they'd have to go in (presumably) supercruise to get to the planets. Very low mass presumably means very high speed. It also helps with the idea of there being hundreds (thousands?) of them packed in whatever kind of projector they're fired from.

One thing that looks odd to me is the very long persistent trail they leave. Is that intended to be 'real', or is it just something projected by the HUD for information purposes I wonder? Either way it looks a bit ... er ... No Man's Sky? Not that I mind No Man's Sky, I'm playing it a lot at the moment - but it's a very different aesthetic from Elite Dangerous.

 

[Iron Body]

I'm glad you have maintained the payout for "honk and go" and thought of explorers already in the black, with unlimited probes and the use of existing scanners.

The rest of it I want to try myself, especially in VR.

Honk and Go should only pay for the star - or else NOTHING. As others have said, FD have completely missed the point, and seem to have changed exploration into a board game.

 

[Atlas]

I really love the new exploration mechanic. FD has done it completely right, to give the player the possibility to crosscheck the whole system BEFORE you travel to a specific destination.

it is the ABSOLUTELY right way for me and makes ED to a way better exploration game.

 

[rp198419]

Fact of the matter is, the POIs need to be the thing that has to carry our interest for a long time. They will become the driving force. Time will tell whether they'll be able to do that.

Very true.

+1

 

[keith_p]

I have a question around the statement.
Points of Interest - When using the Full System Scanner you will be able to track signals that are not stellar bodies. These other signals will display the location of Unidentified Signal Sources, Conflict Zones, and more.

does this mean that you need an FSS to be able to take part in combat activities and wars etc... if so then that means existing combat ship build s will need to drop a combat related module as they very rarely incorporate exploration releated modules.. any chance of the traditional combat ships being given an extra size 1 slot to fit the FSS in now? like you did for the platentaery approach package in horizons.

eg looking at the corvette, the smallest slot is a size 3, seems a waste of a slot just to be able to find out where the combat zones are in a system.......

 

[Zaphod Beeblebrox IV]

No, I don't think so. I don't want to share anything until such time as I dock.

The exploration data does not get shared until you sell it.

The high value cherry picker explorers should love it though. Heck, you can just suck up those high values from 200kls out now! Yep, that part will be much quicker indeed.

Who really cares if the high value cherry picker explorers can pick their cherries a bit faster.

 

[Zaphod Beeblebrox IV]

<insert interesting="" thing="" of="" your="" choice="" here="">

Livestream 1: Don't worry honkers, you still get paid for just honking systems!
Feedback: Don't care about being paid, we care about information. :|
Livestream 2: After listening to your feedback, we went back to the drawing board and decided you will get paid for just honking systems!

</insert>

I think they stuck with it to avoid the flack from travellers, you honk you get credits (more credits than you used to) but no system info that is not already in the codex. You can imagine the "Fdev nerfed it" posts if they had taken it away.

 

[Micha]

I have a question around the statement.
Points of Interest - When using the Full System Scanner you will be able to track signals that are not stellar bodies. These other signals will display the location of Unidentified Signal Sources, Conflict Zones, and more.

does this mean that you need an FSS to be able to take part in combat activities and wars etc... if so then that means existing combat ship build s will need to drop a combat related module as they very rarely incorporate exploration releated modules.. any chance of the traditional combat ships being given an extra size 1 slot to fit the FSS in now? like you did for the platentaery approach package in horizons.

eg looking at the corvette, the smallest slot is a size 3, seems a waste of a slot just to be able to find out where the combat zones are in a system.......

First of all, welcome to the Club; us Explorers have been asking for dedicated exploration slots for years now. Or a combined scanner. We've had to sacrifice 2 bigger slots for Size 1 modules for years unless flying the smaller ships.

Secondly, no, you have alternatives. Scanning the NavBeacon for one, and, I -believe- (but not sure whether it's been officially confirmed), you'll still be able to just fly around a system and encounter USS's / Res's, / etc when you get close to them.

The FSS is just another way to get at the same info.

 

[who?]

I hope the spectrum tuning works like sensor zoom with an axis in absolute mode, so it can be assigned to knobs and trim wheels, as well as in relative mode, so mouse wheels work. I'm afraid that small absolute analogue controls may not be sensitive enough to nail spectrum points accurately. Think about the gearing on a radio tuner ...

Good point, I hadn't thought about the sensitivity (though if in absolute mode the entire range is covered, it might be very 'twitchy' which actually could make it a bit realistic and interesting - as you say like tuning into a weak signal on a radio.

 

[Marc_Hicks]

One thing I am curious about, though, is how the new mission mechanics will work in relation to less persistent PoI's, especially Mission Specific PoI's-like those for Surface Salvage, Planetary Scan & Surface Liberation. Stuff like, will PoI's be as persistent as USS's? Will they be plottable like persistent PoI's are supposed to be?

See, I would almost be willing to overlook the ability to directly plot persistent PoI's, once you've probed the planet......as long as FDev considered giving us search zones for Procedural Generated PoI's.....though I'd prefer Search Zones for *all* PoI's.

 

[Ralph Vargr]

Certainly! Have loads of sympathy for anyone playing this with a gamepad!!

Solution: make the ED HOTAS available on all platforms!

I had my controls wiped a while back, had to set them up from scratch. Yikes. It's a surprisingly difficult and tedious task - even knowing the game pretty well after 3 years playing it. For a newbie it must be a nightmare. Ideally, there should be a tutorial for this "Press the button/axis you want to use for pitch up, Press the button/axis you want to use for roll left" etc..

Happened to me, too. Learning those controls is one of the biggest newcomer challenges.

 

[Ralph Vargr]

First of all, welcome to the Club; us Explorers have been asking for dedicated exploration slots for years now. Or a combined scanner. We've had to sacrifice 2 bigger slots for Size 1 modules for years unless flying the smaller ships.

Secondly, no, you have alternatives. Scanning the NavBeacon for one, and, I -believe- (but not sure whether it's been officially confirmed), you'll still be able to just fly around a system and encounter USS's / Res's, / etc when you get close to them.

The FSS is just another way to get at the same info.

Might as well free all those slots then, and just do straight hauling. Depressing. But Penny The Python will get more cargo room, or a hull/module pack.

 

[Ralph Vargr]

Honk and Go should only pay for the star - or else NOTHING. As others have said, FD have completely missed the point, and seem to have changed exploration into a board game.

Power Play?

 

[Codger]

I'm really looking forward to getting my hands on this stuff. Nice job, FD!

 

[ebbrell]

every time i play this, im still blown away.... its cool

 

[Jigsaw]

I really love the new exploration mechanic... a very nice astronomical/scientific approach! Can't wait to try it myself!