External View [A definitive discussion]

[Lorenzo]

I know we can't have a 3rd person view while in combat (which I completely agree with) but is there a way to see the ship in 3rd person view while out of combat?
I'm tempted to check out the paint jobs but can't see the point if I can't see the ship in space.

I agree why would i buy paint jobs or other cosmetic items for my ship with real money when i can't even admire it.

 

[Swan]

Why don't they just have 'press F keys for external views'. But that's not realistic! Oh but yes it is, for the F keys allow you to access your avatar's imagination.

 

[Starlight]

At the moment the fitting window is the only option.

They should seriously up their game regarding the shipyard option, showing a 3D model of each ship when selected, with hard point data, cargo hold info etc etc, and the ability to apply paint schemes to the model and rotate it around before you buy.

I guess in the future you will be able to link directly from the in game menu to a paint scheme purchase rather than separately at the moment.

There is a lot of information missing from some of the sections at the moment and I hope that add to it as it progresses.

 

[Kastor]

Honestly I just think there should be a extra screen shot option. If it's a screen shot it's already out of the game so doesn't break immersion.

 

[Tinman]

They have quoted something like "drone cams" which will allow an exterior view. Possibly purchased?
Why they seem to think it has to be that complicated is beyond me but there ya go!

Because one of the main design pillars is that the game takes place from "the eyes of the commander". Similar to what you see in games like Mirrors Edge, Far Cry and Half-life. Having the ability to magically leave your head float around and see yourself goes against this. It would also diminish the impact of when we later get the ability to get out of our pilot chair, walk through our ship, exit it and see it (and all the other stuff) from the outside in a first person view.

The reason is not a technical one and that this approach has some benefits on terms of removing some advantages in a multiplayer game is just a side effect.

 

[Tek]

What way is FDEV leaning now? Will we get an external view? I bought the Sidewinder Blue Sonoran skin and I don't really get to appreciate it

 

[SAB380]

You might want to have a quick read here:
http://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=12464

By merging the threads we've created an infinite loop !

 

[Lorenzo]

Because one of the main design pillars is that the game takes place from "the eyes of the commander". Similar to what you see in games like Mirrors Edge, Far Cry and Half-life. Having the ability to magically leave your head float around and see yourself goes against this. It would also diminish the impact of when we later get the ability to get out of our pilot chair, walk through our ship, exit it and see it (and all the other stuff) from the outside in a first person view.

The reason is not a technical one and that this approach has some benefits on terms of removing some advantages in a multiplayer game is just a side effect.

They will add third view may be not now but they will, they need to keep making money and if they want to sell only cosmetic staff most of the people won't buy if you can't see it. For me i won't buy any ship cosmetics or paint jobs if i can't look at my ship wile flying.

 

[Arindor]

They should seriously up their game regarding the shipyard option, showing a 3D model of each ship when selected, with hard point data, cargo hold info etc etc, and the ability to apply paint schemes to the model and rotate it around before you buy.

Absolutely spot on. I'd like a detailed spec. of the ship I'd like to purchase too. I'll mention that this is an unfunished game (to lots of yawns), but I hope that the shipyard will be tweaked before general release.

The problem with paint jobs at the moment is that each skin is mapped for each ship specifically. So one couldn't map a sidey paint job to a 'conda (and it wouldn't make financial sense for FD not to cash in on those who want to collect everything by forking out for MTs ... but that's another topic entirely, and mentioned on loads of other threads).

 

[Tinman]

They will add third view may be not now but they will, they need to keep making money and if they want to sell only cosmetic staff most of the people won't buy if you can't see it. For me i won't buy any ship cosmetics or paint jobs if i can't look at my ship wile flying.

Lots of the cosmetics will probably be inside the cockpit. Bobble-heads, fluffy dice, color options for HUDs, alternate texture and so on...

Some sort of third person view has been mentioned, but it will most likely be done so that you still will be looking out of the eyes of your commander. Camera drones is the most commonly mentioned example by FD.
Maybe you launch one and your character then leans in towards a screen inside your ship so it fills up your view...maybe a holographic projection comes up similar to how the station UI appears now. Maybe VR googles comes down over your head...

 

[Rog]

Existing thread here:

http://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=12464

 

[wstephenson]

Lots of the cosmetics will probably be inside the cockpit. Bobble-heads, fluffy dice, color options for HUDs, alternate texture and so on...

Some sort of third person view has been mentioned, but it will most likely be done so that you still will be looking out of the eyes of your commander. Camera drones is the most commonly mentioned example by FD.
Maybe you launch one and your character then leans in towards a screen inside your ship so it fills up your view...maybe a holographic projection comes up similar to how the station UI appears now. Maybe VR googles comes down over your head...

This is the latest from the horse's mouth (Wednesday's stream)

MB QUESTION Will there be external camera views so we can admire our ship skins and amazing views. ANSWER There's certainly a desire to have some method for showing different views besides the in-cockpit view. There certainly won't be playable 3rd person external views.

 

[Tinman]

This is the latest from the horse's mouth (Wednesday's stream)

Yep...which is perfectly in line with what they have said before and what I wrote above.

 

[FrozenGimlet]

Lots of the cosmetics will probably be inside the cockpit. Bobble-heads, fluffy dice, color options for HUDs, alternate texture and so on...

I'd rather wish FD would focus the cosmetic stuff on the inside first. Changing the color of the HUD being number one for me. And I wished the didn't separate the cosmetic per ship model but I guess that would be a bad business model .

I can see it's logical to sell cosmetics per model, or even per ship, for outside changes like the paint job but for inside customizations there is no logical gameplay reason to limit them that I can see. All ships have the same HUD system as an example and there for the connectors would be the same standard, USB 5000.

We'll see soon enough I guess.

 

[Frobitz]

What way is FDEV leaning now? Will we get an external view? I bought the Sidewinder Blue Sonoran skin and I don't really get to appreciate it

"There's certainly a desire to have some method for showing different views besides the in cockpit, there certainly won't be playable camera views so you won't be able to play the game in third person"

About 44 minutes into the last stream:
http://www.twitch.tv/elitedangerous/b/555198866

 

[4verse]

to be honest, this discussion is at a point where i call the devs stubborn.

this1 and this2 and about 3300 other reasons clearly are "indicative" FOR a 3rd person view and WHY 3rd person view is SO MUCH FUN.

since the usage of 3rd person view would (obviously) be optional to everyone the only gameplay related counterargument is PVP, which the devs themselves have stated will be rare AT BEST due to the vastness of space. i do see the issues with pvp and 3rd person view. BUT there are of course BETTER ways to deal with this issue than simply abandon this feature.

abandoning (or restricting it artificially) is like:
patient: "oh, doctor i have cut my thumb a little bit."
doctor: "then we have to amputate the hand, i am sorry."

this1:

What way is FDEV leaning now? Will we get an external view? I bought the Sidewinder Blue Sonoran skin and I don't really get to appreciate it

this2:

It's the early 1900's, Ford have released the Model T. It has 20HP and no doors. The Model T evolves, eventually getting doors and windows enclosing the occupants while still allowing a near full view around the car.

It is the late 1900's, cars now have larger windows allowing a large view (especially the rear) and a review mirror to reduce the strain of looking behind. Even basic cars can produce upward of 80-100HP.

It is now, cars have cameras which allow the driver to see directly behind the car. More expensive models have cameras that can see all around the car. Renault even presents a concept car which has a built in quadcopter to fly off and check why the traffic queue has happened (http://www.cnet.com/uk/news/renault-kwid-concept-car-has-its-own-drone-we-kwid-you-not/) - even I have a quadcopter at home that allows me to see through a video camera on the front (thus allowing me to see me in the 3rd person).

I don't understand after only what 100 or so years of development, we have got to a point where looking out of a car window is not our only source of visual information about the world around us, that after 1000 years we would have gone backwards to only being able to look out the front of a space vehicle?

Today cameras are cheap and the computers that control the systems are getting cheaper and more powerful. I don't see it as far fetched that a ship from the 34th century (which is capable of superluminary travel no less) would be covered in cameras, giving it a 360 view of its surroundings in both planes. Nor do I see it as far fetched that between that view of its surroundings, and a 3D simulation of itself, that it couldn't create a live 3D external view of the ship in the space it currently occupies.

NASA gave the arm on the Shuttle a camera so it could check the underside of the vessel for damage during take-off. They have also been looking at having Smartphone powered 'flying' robots for the ISS. Having an external view can be important in real life on a space-vessel (damage assessment), is it so far fetched that in 1,200 years time a space ship would have an upgraded ability to view itself?

What do we want? Realism? Because we would have to be rid of the superluminary travel for one, or maybe the artificial caps on top speed, or the artificial gimping of the yaw axis. Or do we want believability? As long as an external view is done in a believable fashion (external drone, 3D computer simulation etc), then why not have it?

 

[Olrik]

Sidewinder Blue Sonoran[/URL] skin and I don't really get to appreciate it

In fact, why should I buy something I can't see?

 

[Frobitz]

Maybe this needs to be a bit easier to read? :S

Elite devs in the last official twitch stream:

Quote:
"There's certainly a desire to have some method for showing different views besides the in cockpit, there certainly won't be playable camera views so you won't be able to play the game in third person"

About 44 minutes into the last stream:
http://www.twitch.tv/elitedangerous/b/555198866

 

[Olrik]

Maybe this needs to be a bit easier to read? :S

Elite devs in the last official twitch stream:

Quote:
"There's certainly a desire to have some method for showing different views besides the in cockpit, there certainly won't be playable camera views so you won't be able to play the game in third person"

About 44 minutes into the last stream:
http://www.twitch.tv/elitedangerous/b/555198866

Read again, slowly,
"there certainly won't be playable camera views so you won't be able to play the game in third person"

What we want: a none-combat third view. Is that so hard to understand? no third view- no skins.

 

[Frobitz]

Read again, slowly,
"there certainly won't be playable camera views so you won't be able to play the game in third person"

What we want: a none-combat third view. Is that so hard to understand? no third view- no skins.

Then you bought the wrong game. Sorry.