Development Update 5 - October

[Cancelled Consoleer] boppa_

[Cancelled Consoleer] boppa_
Cmdr Nimineza said:
Because new consoles make up only 10% (read in some statistics somewhere) of the actual console player base due to semiconductor crisis, scalpers, yadayada.... won't change much until a while. I wouldn't expect a financially relevant new-gen console playerbase (willing to play the old ED game - nope EDOs graphics is not next-gen graphics... it's the same old ED in many many ways) before the end of 2023.
This is a financial decision. If they hold it back until then, ED as an old game will be forgotten amongst many many console players. Only few ED enthusiast would then return to this old game to play on their new shiny next-gen console an old ED game with a DLC which will have also grown old by then.
Leaving the old-gen consoles behind now (before the break even point) means actually leaving many wallets behind. Even big AAA titles (e.g. Horizon Forbidden west, coming in the next months) actually target also the last-gen. They have to financially, because when the break-even point is reached, all the hype of their new game now will be gone, and the sales will be low. Until 2023 (?) the old consoles will still be targeted, i would guess.
Click to expand...

Not addressing the console question for months on end in the lead up to the biggest retail period of the year I would say is a pretty bad financial decision. For example, Sony have just increased their net profits estimate for this year by 30 billion yen (about £200m).
 

Sbirch123

Sbirch123
Bruce G said:
Greetings Commanders,

Spooky season is here and with it the end of another month in our Earth-based calendar. As such, we are delighted to share with you the latest development progress from the team.

This week saw the release of Odyssey Update 8. This brought a number of new and exciting features into our galaxy, ranging from emotes and four-player multicrew to new social spaces in Megaships. We’ve been elated watching Commanders coming together to experience everything that Odyssey has to offer. If you would like to see some of the highlights from Update 8 you can watch our highlights video here.

As Update 8 has just arrived, we won’t be doing an issue breakdown as part of this post. Instead, you’ll be able to find more as Update 9 work progresses through our Supercruise News livestreams in November. That said, we want to provide you with some detailed insight on our optimisations for game performance, a number of which have arrived in Update 8 with more still to come.

Performance Optimisation

Engineers all across the team, from render, to AI, to low-level game systems, have been working hard on optimisation. As part of Update 8, extensive work has been carried out on Odyssey’s light and shadows, improvements to glass, skin, and particles, along with high-level rendering optimisations and further improvements to the Navmesh. These have delivered significant performance improvements to the on-foot experience in a number of areas. We have tested a number of different hardware configurations, and while not every system is identical, we have seen strong improvements across the board in areas such as planet port social spaces and planet surfaces more widely. That however is not to say our work is done.

Update 9 will see further improvement with optimisation already well underway for character animation, mid-far distance planet rendering, lighting, scatter rocks, object physics, AI and character models and much more, contributing to an ever better Odyssey experience.

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 or currently being developed. They are not final, so they are subject to change. We will keep you updated with news and details as they progress. 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 9

The team have been incredibly busy working not only on optimisation and fixes, but to bring new and exciting content to Odyssey. You can see a preview of some of the features slated for release in Update 9 below.

Twin-Seat Combat SRV

We are making fantastic strides towards releasing our new SRV and we’re almost ready for our full reveal. Stay tuned to our channels for more details and in the meantime we hope you enjoy the small teaser below…

View attachment 271683

Further Mission Additions and Improvements

We continue to expand player missions and their complexity, striving to make each mission more diverse and dynamic. As we previously mentioned we are continuing to work on this, below are just some of the examples of what mission features we will be adding for Update 9. Please remember this is only a snapshot of we have planned and will of course share more with you in the future!

Mission Contacts at POIs

Similar to the mission contacts recently added in Update 8, we'll also be adding new scenarios and related missions to help or meet individuals outside of the confines of settlements. Some of these individuals might need the player's help to get their ship running, or may be waiting for a courier to complete the next step of a sensitive delivery. Sometimes you may find you are just in time to save them from opportunistic raiders.

Settlement Mission-Providers

As we have in social spaces, some of the inhabitants at a settlement may also have requests they can make of the player. These missions are a lot more personal and will be granted by actual inhabitants who you visit again later to complete the mission.

Multi Limpet Controller

The multi limpet controller is a new module that works in addition to existing limpet controllers, allowing players to deploy multiple limpet types using a single module slot. This new controller is not intended to replace the existing dedicated limpet controllers and will be balanced against these within the game, allowing basic use of multiple limpet types without a dedicated slot for each.

After Update 9

Fleet Carrier Interiors

View attachment 271684

We previously announced that we are bringing interiors to Fleet Carriers just as we did for Megaships in Update 8. As you might imagine, this poses a greater challenge due to a number of variables. These include allowing players to transport multiple other Commanders and their ships while existing in the same social space. We are pleased to say that we are making strong progress towards this and more details can be seen below.

Fleet Carrier interiors will reflect some of the existing services you choose to add to your carrier. For example, adding a Shipyard will add the ability for players to buy ships while on foot.

New optional services will be available to carrier owners. We’ll share more on these closer to launch.

Fleet Carrier interiors will feature escape pods, meaning that any player stranded aboard another Commander’s carrier will be able to abandon ship.

Commanders will be able to experience a hyperspace jump seated inside a carrier and enjoy the view!

Further details will be announced soon - we hope you will join us for a very special VIP Fleet Carrier tour in December!

Narrative

We’re pleased to see you getting involved and enjoying the current ongoing narrative around the Azimuth Saga. Without giving anything away, we have a lot more planned for 2022!

More to Come!

We hope you’re enjoying four-player multicrew and Megaship interiors from Update 8, and looking forward to pairing up in the new SRV come Update 9. As always, this is just a small look at some of the content that’s on its way and you can expect further mentions of bug fixes, performance improvements, plus new content in January 2022.

Thank you as always for your continued feedback and support.

~ The Elite Dangerous Team
Click to expand...
Will the duel srv and the collector limpet module be coming to xbox?
 

Toe4

T
Cmdr Nimineza said:
Because new consoles make up only 10% (read in some statistics somewhere) of the actual console player base due to semiconductor crisis, scalpers, yadayada.... won't change much until a while. I wouldn't expect a financially relevant new-gen console playerbase (willing to play the old ED game - nope EDOs graphics is not next-gen graphics... it's the same old ED in many many ways) before the end of 2023.
This is a financial decision. If they hold it back until then, ED as an old game will be forgotten amongst many many console players. Only few ED enthusiast would then return to this old game to play on their new shiny next-gen console an old ED game with a DLC which will have also grown old by then.
Leaving the old-gen consoles behind now (before the break even point) means actually leaving many wallets behind. Even big AAA titles (e.g. Horizon Forbidden west, coming in the next months) actually target also the last-gen. They have to financially, since when the break-even point is reached, all the hype of their new game now will be gone, and the sales will be low. Until 2023 (?) the old consoles will still be targeted, i would guess.
Click to expand...
I absolutely get that and understand the company has to make money. I have no problem (albeit disappointed) if the decision not to release is made. My complaint is about the lack of information and in my opinion, contempt shown by the company towards a large number of customers. We were told the new communication policy was to give it straight even though it might not be what we want to hear. All I ask is we get told what the problem is, if they think there’s a solution and if they are going to bring the game to console, what timeframe they think they will need. Heck, I’d even settle for a statement around when they think the will be in a position to make a statement! 😂
 

LeoBartlet

LeoBartlet
boppa_ said:
Not addressing the console question for months on end in the lead up to the biggest retail period of the year I would say is a pretty bad financial decision. For example, Sony have just increased their net profits estimate for this year by 30 billion yen (about £200m).
Click to expand...

They're about to release another Jurassic game they'll be fine.

Hopefully, they do address the elephant in the room before years end.
 

Cmdr Nimineza

Cmdr Nimineza
boppa_ said:
Not addressing the console question for months on end in the lead up to the biggest retail period of the year I would say is a pretty bad financial decision. For example, Sony have just increased their net profits estimate for this year by 30 billion yen (about £200m).
Click to expand...
Yeah, but I am sure, I may not be able to put EDO under my christmas tree this year... Also: not assigning more human ressources (I hate this wording!) and parallelizing development paths or preparing stuff to fast track console development as soon as all enablers are there, is also a financial decision. There are many many console players. They are there right now. They maybe will not after another period of silence? Will they even notice, if EDO drops for them in many many months? Many may uninstall ED for some other game... and will a new-gen-player return to old ED? I doubt it. They will do some shiny new next-gen title with next-gen-playstyles and next-gen graphics not an old old refitted ED some day.... the time is now (and maybe still early next year...) but after that i doubt, the console playerbase will have taken serious unrepairable damage financewise.

So the clock is ticking financially. The mysterious ticking noise... :LOL: So i hope the performance issues will be defeated soon, so that they don't have to wonder, why EDO might not perform financially as expected, because they down-prioritized a whole part of the community communicarionswise too long and people ran away...
 
Last edited:

[VR] Trye

V
Guys, really, has someone figured out about the multi controller?
How long to wait until the same person gets about a multi-navigation-docking computer, weighing not 2-4-8 tons? Just a sewn-in set, okay, if you really need to sell, sell software for using extended functions, why sell Eniac?
 

Craith

Volunteer Moderator
Craith
A great list of features, looking forward to it. especially the multilimpet controller and the multicrew SRV.

Will the bridge of the carrier be VR compatible or will it be another feature that VR players won't get?

Generally, any update on VR for Odyssey? Not at launch is still the current status, and launch was a long time ago. (Unless you meant console launch - even clarification like "after consoles" would lift our spirits, and the spirits of the console players).
 

rootsrat

Volunteer Moderator
rootsrat
Bruce G said:
Greetings Commanders,

Spooky season is here and with it the end of another month in our Earth-based calendar. As such, we are delighted to share with you the latest development progress from the team.

This week saw the release of Odyssey Update 8. This brought a number of new and exciting features into our galaxy, ranging from emotes and four-player multicrew to new social spaces in Megaships. We’ve been elated watching Commanders coming together to experience everything that Odyssey has to offer. If you would like to see some of the highlights from Update 8 you can watch our highlights video here.

As Update 8 has just arrived, we won’t be doing an issue breakdown as part of this post. Instead, you’ll be able to find more as Update 9 work progresses through our Supercruise News livestreams in November. That said, we want to provide you with some detailed insight on our optimisations for game performance, a number of which have arrived in Update 8 with more still to come.

Performance Optimisation

Engineers all across the team, from render, to AI, to low-level game systems, have been working hard on optimisation. As part of Update 8, extensive work has been carried out on Odyssey’s light and shadows, improvements to glass, skin, and particles, along with high-level rendering optimisations and further improvements to the Navmesh. These have delivered significant performance improvements to the on-foot experience in a number of areas. We have tested a number of different hardware configurations, and while not every system is identical, we have seen strong improvements across the board in areas such as planet port social spaces and planet surfaces more widely. That however is not to say our work is done.

Update 9 will see further improvement with optimisation already well underway for character animation, mid-far distance planet rendering, lighting, scatter rocks, object physics, AI and character models and much more, contributing to an ever better Odyssey experience.

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 or currently being developed. They are not final, so they are subject to change. We will keep you updated with news and details as they progress. 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 9

The team have been incredibly busy working not only on optimisation and fixes, but to bring new and exciting content to Odyssey. You can see a preview of some of the features slated for release in Update 9 below.

Twin-Seat Combat SRV

We are making fantastic strides towards releasing our new SRV and we’re almost ready for our full reveal. Stay tuned to our channels for more details and in the meantime we hope you enjoy the small teaser below…

View attachment 271683

Further Mission Additions and Improvements

We continue to expand player missions and their complexity, striving to make each mission more diverse and dynamic. As we previously mentioned we are continuing to work on this, below are just some of the examples of what mission features we will be adding for Update 9. Please remember this is only a snapshot of we have planned and will of course share more with you in the future!

Mission Contacts at POIs

Similar to the mission contacts recently added in Update 8, we'll also be adding new scenarios and related missions to help or meet individuals outside of the confines of settlements. Some of these individuals might need the player's help to get their ship running, or may be waiting for a courier to complete the next step of a sensitive delivery. Sometimes you may find you are just in time to save them from opportunistic raiders.

Settlement Mission-Providers

As we have in social spaces, some of the inhabitants at a settlement may also have requests they can make of the player. These missions are a lot more personal and will be granted by actual inhabitants who you visit again later to complete the mission.

Multi Limpet Controller

The multi limpet controller is a new module that works in addition to existing limpet controllers, allowing players to deploy multiple limpet types using a single module slot. This new controller is not intended to replace the existing dedicated limpet controllers and will be balanced against these within the game, allowing basic use of multiple limpet types without a dedicated slot for each.

After Update 9

Fleet Carrier Interiors

View attachment 271684

We previously announced that we are bringing interiors to Fleet Carriers just as we did for Megaships in Update 8. As you might imagine, this poses a greater challenge due to a number of variables. These include allowing players to transport multiple other Commanders and their ships while existing in the same social space. We are pleased to say that we are making strong progress towards this and more details can be seen below.

Fleet Carrier interiors will reflect some of the existing services you choose to add to your carrier. For example, adding a Shipyard will add the ability for players to buy ships while on foot.

New optional services will be available to carrier owners. We’ll share more on these closer to launch.

Fleet Carrier interiors will feature escape pods, meaning that any player stranded aboard another Commander’s carrier will be able to abandon ship.

Commanders will be able to experience a hyperspace jump seated inside a carrier and enjoy the view!

Further details will be announced soon - we hope you will join us for a very special VIP Fleet Carrier tour in December!

Narrative

We’re pleased to see you getting involved and enjoying the current ongoing narrative around the Azimuth Saga. Without giving anything away, we have a lot more planned for 2022!

More to Come!

We hope you’re enjoying four-player multicrew and Megaship interiors from Update 8, and looking forward to pairing up in the new SRV come Update 9. As always, this is just a small look at some of the content that’s on its way and you can expect further mentions of bug fixes, performance improvements, plus new content in January 2022.

Thank you as always for your continued feedback and support.

~ The Elite Dangerous Team
Click to expand...

Thanks, this is all great news! Looking forward to it!
 

Cmdr Nimineza

Cmdr Nimineza
boppa_ said:
I think you meant next year... Even a bit of news by this year is a pipedream ;)
Click to expand...
I think, we made the point concerning the kinda insulting lack of communication to console players clear. I really really hope Bruce and the other CMs take this to the management meeting and take communicationswise a U-turn, before nobody on console will be there anymore. Time is running out (almost all of my ED friends on console sent the game to the shelf, due to feeling abandoned. And I know, they are wanting to play EDO, but will not in a year from now, since their interests shift and they rarely come back to a game once abandoned...)
 

SasaThargoidsHunter

S
Cmdr Nimineza said:
I think, we made the point concerning the kinda insulting lack of communication to console players clear. I really really hope Bruce and the other CMs take this to the management meeting and take communicationswise a U-turn, before nobody on console will be there anymore. Time is running out (almost all of my ED friends on console sent the game to the shelf, due to feeling abandoned. And I know, they are wanting to play EDO, but will not in a year from now, since their interests shift and they rarely come back to a game once abandoned...)
Click to expand...
After today, I have deleted it, will wait till something happens. When this point is reached, I will comeback. But for now, no elite for me on the consoles.

not childish or something else, it’s just pure disappointment. My hope is fading with every day. And after today, it’s seems to be, that critic, will be ignored.
 

StuartGT

StuartGT
Toe4 said:
I absolutely get that and understand the company has to make money. I have no problem (albeit disappointed) if the decision not to release is made. My complaint is about the lack of information and in my opinion, contempt shown by the company towards a large number of customers. We were told the new communication policy was to give it straight even though it might not be what we want to hear. All I ask is we get told what the problem is, if they think there’s a solution and if they are going to bring the game to console, what timeframe they think they will need. Heck, I’d even settle for a statement around when they think the will be in a position to make a statement! 😂
Click to expand...
Here you go:
David Braben said:
As you may remember in our recent development article, the significant amount of updates and development effort that has been done to fix and improve issues since the launch of Odyssey has meant work on our console release has not progressed as quickly as we had hoped. What’s more, we can see that the strides we have made through the last five major updates are positive, but we must continue on with this progress to give the experience that you and we expect on PC.

With those things in mind, we have spent a lot of time discussing and re-evaluating our previous plans and we have made the decision to prioritise the core PC experience for Elite Dangerous. Ultimately, we believe it is right to focus our efforts on the core Elite Dangerous Odyssey experience for the platforms that we have released on, before opening up to more. We know that the work that we do to improve players’ experiences of Elite Dangerous Odyssey on PC will benefit other platforms in the future, but the dates and details of the console platforms are going to change. We do not want to rush into confirming any dates or changes this has on our console release, as we must remain fully focused on the core Elite experience. Only when we feel that the foundation of the PC release is solid, will we be able to re-lay our console roadmap on top.
Click to expand...
Or more recently:
https://twitter.com/x/status/1450473204502470670
Source: https://twitter.com/EliteDangerous/status/1450473204502470670

https://twitter.com/x/status/1451175057477226501
Source: https://twitter.com/EliteDangerous/status/1451175057477226501

https://twitter.com/x/status/1452627445199347722
Source: https://twitter.com/EliteDangerous/status/1452627445199347722

Or search the forum posting history of the wonderful Sally for her many dozens of similar comments.
 

Tikanderoga

Tikanderoga
I'm really looking forward to the FC bridge and interiors, considering I spend most of my time on my FC these days.

Could we get engineers for limpet controllers? Like... increase the number of limpets it can control?
a 2T computer controls 1 lousy limpet (and we watch it crash into stuff).
an 8T computer is needed to control 2 limpets. I'm very certain a smartphone today can accomplish the same computing power.
32T of gear and equipment to watch 3 limpets crash into rocks?
Please let us engineer these.
 
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