External View [A definitive discussion]

[MrVibrating]

I have a theory that there's some kind of glitch causing players' ships to display what looks like a "buy Star Citizen!" decal when viewed from certain angles. Or maybe, a pair of boobies (possibly, bearing a swastika tattoo). Either way, the outfitting views are adjusted to keep it just out of sight, but a full-on 3rd person cam would blow the bug wide open, hence why they're dragging their feet.

I've every confidence they'll debug it, soon™ enough, but if i'm right then their reticence is perfectly understandable.

 

[Rog]

I have a theory that there's some kind of glitch causing players' ships to display what looks like a "buy Star Citizen!" decal when viewed from certain angles. Or maybe, a pair of boobies (possibly, bearing a swastika tattoo). Either way, the outfitting views are adjusted to keep it just out of sight, but a full-on 3rd person cam would blow the bug wide open, hence why they're dragging their feet.

I've every confidence they'll debug it, soon™ enough, but if i'm right then their reticence is perfectly understandable.

I seriously think that external views will be a purchasable (real money) only option now. Nothing else makes any sense.

 

[Nurmi]

Utility slot mounted telescope (not quite an external view)

Have a telescope module that goes into an utility mount.

Allow views through it that have a full FOV unlimited by the cockpit. Allow zooming as well. Allow scanning astronomical bodies from further away.

Disconnect ship controls when viewing through the telescope, so it has zero combat utility: throttle becomes zoom, with stick directing the telescope. Primary fire takes a hudless picture tagged with location information (coordinates & direction of the telescope in the EXIF data), secondary fires directional scan.

Something like this would definitely have a place on my exploration ship!

 

[Globusdiablo]

I seriously think that external views will be a purchasable (real money) only option now. Nothing else makes any sense.

Ah yes. I see it all clearly now...

Or maybe it's a perk reserved for the triple Elite prize?

 

[mortexic]

Does this game have an external view?

So this game seems like an amazing concept, but I have a simple question after watching a few youtube videos.

Is there an external view available while playing E ?

It may sound silly, but this is a bit of a deal-breaker for me, and I'm hopeful someone can let me know what the view/camera options are like before I shell out sixty bucks.

 

[Kalara]

In short: nope only cockpit view.
The only way to see your ship as of yet (dunno if external view is planned or not), is to go to the outfitting screen and look at it there, or ask a friendly player to screenshot you and send it to you.

 

[mortexic]

In short: nope only cockpit view.
The only way to see your ship as of yet (dunno if external view is planned or not), is to go to the outfitting screen and look at it there, or ask a friendly player to screenshot you and send it to you.

Truly a shame.
Thanks for the heads-up.

 

[Eagle Eye]

Nope. It's planned/being looked at, but the "hardcore" no-lifer PvP crowd are against it because it gives "advantage". I don't know what they are thinking but there it is.

 

[willowfan]

No it doesn't. Cockpit view only.

The only time you can see the outside of your ship is in the equipment outfitting screens.

External view is one of, if not the most frequently, asked for features. Frontier are being stubbornly resistant to implementing it, saying it would break immersion or some such nonsense.

 

[InMemoriamSirocco]

Not yet, but it has to come in some future update. Not on the priority list as of now, though.

 

[eachann]

This is one of the things I'm really hoping they will add later.

 

[Genar-Hofoen]

It's amazing isn't it?

All those gorgeous graphics, and more importantly FDEV sell skins - yet no external view, the main reason apparently that "it'll give some nebulous advantage during battle".

I have no doubt that FDEV realise that paint jobs would sell more if people could actually see their ships in an external view, but all we get is "we're looking into it".

So we're stuck with a limited view in most ships, looking out of a cockpit window. There's even no rear or side views as there was in the game's predecessors, which as an 84'er I used to play.

I've yet to read a decent, canonical reason, as to why external views aren't already in the game.

"Breaks immersion" isn't a good reason.

"Gives advantage during battle" isn't a good reason either. I've seen people say something to the effect that "pilots would be able to peek around asteroids" - which is a nonsense reason because when you've got a ship targetted and there's an asteroid between you, you can see that ship's orientation and position via the HUD anyway.

 

[jabokai]

All those gorgeous graphics, and more importantly FDEV sell skins - yet no external view, the main reason apparently that "it'll give some nebulous advantage during battle".

I'd personally like external views, however that's not the case. In response to this -

You folks keep stating nonsense like this. The first person only view is premised on the idea that the player is in their body. It has nothing fundamentally to do with PvP.

Now I know it is easier to argue from a point of fiction and get wrapped up in side issues because the fundamental issue is black and white but all you are really doing is attempting to a score goal whilst ignoring the actual goal box.

Mike Evans said this -

Pretty much. The experience is the main issue and the reason we did it. The fact it has implications for multiplayer (those implications being that everything is conveniently fair) is a bonus really.

 

[mortexic]

So ... custom skins/visuals available for player ships ... but no way to see them during regular gameplay.

Philosophical objections about view controls "breaking immersion"

Silly ideas about giving everyone a feature will give an advantage for only-some, even though everyone has it.

Pardon me for saying this, but it sounds like one of the devs-and-or-managers just has some personal pet peeve with external views and doesn't want to fess up.
Thanks for the replies folks, sadly the fixed cockpit-only view is a dealbreaker for me. I'll take my $60 elsewhere for now.

 

[Genar-Hofoen]

I'd personally like external views, however that's not the case. In response to this -

You folks keep stating nonsense like this. The first person only view is premised on the idea that the player is in their body. It has nothing fundamentally to do with PvP.

Now I know it is easier to argue from a point of fiction and get wrapped up in side issues because the fundamental issue is black and white but all you are really doing is attempting to a score goal whilst ignoring the actual goal box.

Mike Evans said this -

Pretty much. The experience is the main issue and the reason we did it. The fact it has implications for multiplayer (those implications being that everything is conveniently fair) is a bonus really.

Thanks for that, jakobai

So from that I see the reasons given being;

1) "the player is in their body" - so basically "immersion" ?

and

2) "everything is conveniently fair" - so now E: D is all about fairness?

Did I get that right?

 

[Derpster Frey]

Thanks for that, jakobai

So from that I see the reasons given being;

1) "the player is in their body" - so basically "immersion" ?

and

2) "everything is conveniently fair" - so now E: D is all about fairness?

Did I get that right?

No.
The experience is the main issue. The fairness is a bonus.

 

[Genar-Hofoen]

No.
The experience is the main issue. The fairness is a bonus.

So can I get a definition of your use of the word "experience" in relation to ED and why external views would be bad for it?

I'd also like to know about "fairness" - fair to what and/or who?

 

[AH_ImADot]

If you can play by using an external view, then ship choice is meaningless except for loadouts. Why should everyone be able to see everywhere equally if the ship cockpits have vastly different window configurations? Flying a Viper compared to an Eagle is (and should be) a totally different experience based on what you can see from the cockpit. Why negate those differences by allowing third-person-view gameplay? By having cockpit-only gameplay, ship choice actually means something.
.
Sorry that some folks consider that not being able to play from an external view is a dealbreaker, but then that's the way it is. In the end, it's better to have not spent the money on the game than to spend it, find out you don't like it, and come to the boards and complain and say the game is poo.
.
Cheers

 

[commanderblackstar]

The if is a factor immersion or give advantage is relative to who has the opinion, it is not a given as absolute point. I personally believe and I need to see my engine and my skin, I do not want to see around or other players, that if I would give much more immersion in the game to be locked in the cabin forever.

 

[Grim Draken]

Easy fix, no hud at all externally, end of story.

Until there's an external view, they shouldn't waste ANY more time on bloody ship skins. Pull the webpage.