Greetings Commanders,
As we reach the end of another month, we are delighted to share the latest development progress from the team.
Last week saw the release of Odyssey Update 7 which brings big changes to Conflict Zones such as anti-air defences, rocket troopers, and dogfighting. If you missed last month’s Development Update, you can check out the turrets in action
here or you can jump into Odyssey right now to try it for yourself!
Issue Watch
We’ve had a lot of feedback since our August post and have been hard at work tackling your most pressing issues: not just from the Issue Tracker, but from all corners of our community. We’re pleased to report that with Update 7 we tackled a number of pertinent bugs and those issues have now been closed on the tracker.
You can see Update 7’s full release notes
here for more information.
To kick things off, we would like to update you on the key issues as voted for by our community on the Issue Tracker. Remember, you can visit the
Issue Tracker any time to vote for your top issues or make a report.
1. FPS performance in Odyssey
With the bulk of our navmesh optimisations now in place with Update 7, alongside a number of other changes, our code team is now looking at further optimisations with an immediate focus on lighting, slated for release in Update 8. Further work is also underway for Update 9.
2. Anti-Aliasing on Foot
In Update 7 we improved anti-aliasing on planetary terrain in close-up. Further improvements will arrive in Update 8 and we will be looking at other areas for improvement in future updates.
3. FPS stuttering at on-foot settlements, apparent after Update 5
We have identified further improvements to the navmesh to be made in Update 8 which we believe will substantially improve instances of stuttering upon disembarking at a settlement.
4. Ship-Launched Fighter Potential Exploit
We made changes to address this issue for Horizons in this month’s 3.8.5 release. We’re pleased to confirm these will be coming to Odyssey in Update 8.
Additionally, we hope to address a number of other issues in our Update 8 development. Keep an eye on our channels for regular updates!
Upcoming Updates and Content
Please note: These are at varying stages of progress. This is not an exhaustive list of everything that is being considered. They are not final, so they are subject to change. We will keep you updated with news and details as they progress, and we expect the content to release over the coming few updates. With that said, here’s a look at just some of the features and content in consideration, to go alongside the other development work required for future updates.
Update 8
The team have been incredibly busy working not only on optimisations and fixes but to bring new and exciting content to Odyssey. You can see a preview of some of the features slated to release in Update 8 below:
Emotes
You asked for them! Update 8 will bring a new way to not only express yourself, but also physically communicate with a series of emotes coming to the game. The full set features the following emotes: Wave, Applaud, Point, Agree, Disagree, Stop, Go and of course Salute. These emotes are context sensitive so can be directed towards fellow Commanders. The ‘point’ emote will also provide in-world makers to highlight points of interest/objectives to other Commanders in your Team.
Let us know in the comments what you think of these new emotes!
Four-Player Multicrew
As mentioned in Development Update 3, we are pleased to confirm that the following ships will all receive an extra seat to enable four Commanders to board them: Anaconda, Beluga Liner, Federal Corvette, Imperial Cutter, Type 9, Type 10, and the Alliance Crusader.
Odyssey Engineers in Colonia
For those far from the bubble in Colonia, the release of Update 8 will add four new Engineers for Commanders to visit, offering various ways to enhance your weapons and suits.
Megaship Interiors
With Update 8, Megaships will receive interiors for Commanders to visit once they have docked. These interiors will offer various services that can be found on stations such as Vista Genomics and Frontline Solutions. Rescue Megaships will not feature interiors at this time.
Horizons Cosmetics in Odyssey
We’re pleased to confirm that this work is now complete! From Update 8 you will be able to use your flight suit cosmetics with Odyssey’s suits.
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Mission Additions and Improvements
Missions in Odyssey will receive additional features in Update 8. These include hostile agents attempting to intercept you while en-route, contacts you can meet at settlements, and NPCs attempting to use shuttles to flee to Hyperspace!
Content In Future Updates
We are pleased to announce the following features are currently in development and will be released in updates beyond Update 8:
Twin-Seat Combat SRV
We’re thrilled to announce that a new twin-seat combat SRV is in advanced development! A full reveal including a deep-dive into its features and capabilities can be expected closer to release.
Further Mission Additions and Improvements
We also have exciting plans to further extend Odyssey’s mission set. This will add further mission variety and elements, making the gameplay experience much more dynamic.
Fleet Carrier Interiors
Following the incredible reception to the announcement of Megaship interiors, we are delighted to confirm Fleet Carrier Interiors will be coming to Odyssey in the coming months! You can expect more details on these very soon.
We hope that this update has given you plenty to be excited about as bring new and exciting experiences to the Elite galaxy. What we’ve shared today is just a snapshot of what we’re working on and more details will come on all of the above in future monthly development updates and across our other channels!
Thank you as always for your continued feedback and support.
-Arf
