External View [A definitive discussion]

[Enride]

AFAIK, its been debated and FD has not completely frowned upon the addition of some form of external view.

But if they do, I hope its in the form of a controllable drone that you can eject and control, maybe for assessing external ship damage and close inspection of asteroids (if they can make it useful ingame).
This way, you lose control of the ship while maneuvering the drone, and what we have is the posibillity to take those external view photos without implementing a true chase cam.

Chase cam/third person view is not suitable for a game that aims heavily for player immersion and gameplay atmosphere.

 

[Dweezil_Moon]

how about "postponed" external cameras ?

sorry to bump that topic, but while I was boosting my sidewinder between giant ice rocks in the second tutorial mission yesterday I thought to myself "wow.. I would really like to see what THAT looked like from outside" and had an idea which might be an alternative to the "external camera drones".

What if there was a way to store the happenstances of the last 2 minute (just parameters, not the actual pictures) or so to a file to be viewed from a free camera later on, similar to the way you can save whole missions in IL2?
People would be able to take amazing screenshots or even edit nice clips, given that they would have the opportunity to move the camera freely and play the clip for or backward until they have the perfect moment(s), and there would be absolutely no drawbacks whatsoever to the gameplay, as viewing/editing would only be possible offline.

Just a thought ...

 

[NeilF]

sorry to bump that topic, but while I was boosting my sidewinder between giant ice rocks in the second tutorial mission yesterday I thought to myself "wow.. I would really like to see what THAT looked like from outside" and had an idea which might be an alternative to the "external camera drones".

What if there was a way to store the happenstances of the last 2 minute (just parameters, not the actual pictures) or so to a file to be viewed from a free camera later on, similar to the way you can save whole missions in IL2?
People would be able to take amazing screenshots or even edit nice clips, given that they would have the opportunity to move the camera freely and play the clip for or backward until they have the perfect moment(s), and there would be absolutely no drawbacks whatsoever to the gameplay, as viewing/editing would only be possible offline.

Just a thought ...

Already been suggested & discussed a couple of times.

It would be a nice feature, but, for many it wouldn't fit the "see it now" requirement of an eternal view. ie: They don't want to faff about later revisiting a moment, they simply want to see it better now.

That's not to say this suggestion isn't a good one. It would be great to revisit battles and the like to see why your got your rear handed on a plate to you...

 

[SmileyMan]

That's not to say this suggestion isn't a good one. It would be great to revisit battles and the like to see why your got your rear handed on a plate to you...

I posted something similar. I'm fully on board with the the game balance and immersion reasons for not having an external view during the game, but equally I'd like to be able to see my own ship in flight sometimes, especially given how gorgeous the ED universe is.

The marketing potential of fan-made screenshots and videos would be worth it alone. For every ten players who wouldn't be bothered to go and review the footage, there would be one who would, and for every ten of those there would be one that took the time to set up sweeping camera tracks and perfect angles to create something amazing.

 

[Islata]

Hello,


Is there any way to look around the cockpit other than left or right?

Are there any external views yet?


Thank you.

Is there?


Thanks for a reply.

 

[Stoo]

No, there isn't...

 

[Sir.Tj]

Added to main thread

 

[Jon Graham]

Want.

It would be nice for the exploration side of the game to be able to take screen shots of a find. In my head I see fractal celestial formations being discovered and taking a screen shot to "sell" in a noticeboard type scenario

 

[Olrik]

I'm fully on board with the the game balance.

- Reread the opening post.
- Btw, it seems to me that people are not getting Oculus Rift (or voice communication) to have an advantage in combat.

 

[V3teran]

There has to be external views, Frontier and FE had external views. It was great taking off and watching your ship from outside. I really hope we get external views tbh.

 

[Vereena]

Yes, I think the external view is a great feature, the drone idea seems great, but I'd like to have option to use this for docking, navigating asteroid belts etc. Not for combat though.
This wouldn't be "immersion breaking" it would add to the experience.

 

[OGREMAN]

Nail on the head

Perhaps I made a poor choice of a word. I don't really see it as a problem as such, I'm just going off the premise established by the OP about being able to make machinima.
I think being able to recall occurred events with a variety of camera options, rendered in the games engine, would be a very handy tool whatever the intention and could potentially facilitate interaction between players if shareable.

EDIT: If shareable in-game that is, I feel that I should make that distinction.

You hit on the solution to the problems of gameplay advantage/abuse with the Idea of track file recordings as the primary means of enjoying external views.
The use of a track file recording that could be reviewed with unlimited external viewpoints AFTER The EVENT solves the problem of live in game advantage or abuse.
]Machinima fans would be able to make movies to their hearts content.
Beauty seekers too could review their exploits without fear or favour
Compulsive predators could study tactical advantage from as many view points as they wish. Were all happy!

Personally I feel that the wonderful world of Elite would be a much much reduced wonder without the external view facility.

 

[RuckBodgers]

Another vote for track files

... track file recordings as the primary means of enjoying external views ... Personally I feel that the wonderful world of Elite would be a much much reduced wonder without the external view facility.

Agreed. Thanks to the hologram in the cockpit, I have a rough idea of what shape my ship is. Thanks to the Outfitting section of space stations, I have a rough idea what color it is. I have no idea what it looks like in the full majesty of flight. That can't be an intended outcome. But with a track recording, I could find out, and also create beautiful YouTube videos that would surely bring Frontier another customer or ten, without upsetting the carefully balanced combat environment we all love so much.

Second choice for me would be a tethered drone, with three rotational degrees of freedom. It could work a bit like towed-array sonar systems. It lets me peek around a little, but I can't do anything dramatic until I've reeled it back in. If deploying it renders a ship helpless to fight or navigate, and retracting it takes several seconds, then there's no problem with unbalancing fights.

 

[Quill]

My dream camera drone

I know that external views has been discussed at length in other threads. And I know that FD are going to be putting something together as far as external views go, but what I want to discuss is a camera drone purely for taking photos and making movies in ED.

In my view an external camera needs to have functions like a basic DSLR;

A great zoom lens; from a wide-angle (for those Star Wars overhead starship opening shots) to a zoom (Battlestar Galactica dogfight sequences) all the parameters animatable over time, so you can zoom while filming, and then repeat the zoom exactly as you had it, giving you the option to rehearse camera zooms and moves.

The ability to dolly, track and rotate, again all animatable over time.

The ability to target the lens to items, (your ship, a station, an asteroid, someone else's ship etc,)

The ability to deploy the camera anywhere you want, but still within a set range from your ship (so you can do high speed fly-bys)

The ability to “parent” the camera to objects (attach it to a station to film yourself docking for example)

The camera drone could be a purchased from a station as an upgrade for all those budding filmakers, and then players can go out with their chums to make a film if they like, or just have it with you to snap some wondrous sights.

I think the operation of the drone would have to give you a full screen viewfinder view, so you can switch from cockpit to camera view by a quick press of a button, the viewfinder will have all the necessary functionality as a basic DSLR has, with a timeline at the bottom for keyframing camera moves/zooms etc.


The camera drone should in no way give you any advantage in combat, it should/would be like putting a camera up to your eyes while driving a car, not recommended.


Other dream functions:
Depth of field.
Outputting a Z-buffer for depth information for post processing.
Alpha channel support, for separating elements from the background.
Motion blur
speed control.



Of course this level of functionality for a camera drone is no doubt well beyond what we will get in the release, but maybe a future filmakers upgrade camera drone pod might be something FD will consider if enough people want to make films or take photos.

 

[DaHunn]

i thought this was a game of flying space ships not controlling camera's in space.....

 

[Quill]

i thought this was a game of flying space ships not controlling camera's in space.....

Well yes...In fact you can just fly your ship to your hearts content without ever having to trouble yourself with all that camera nonsense. But just maybe other people might want to record there progress/their adventures/snapshot their ship or friends ship/film a galactic event etc, you never know

 

[Saliddry]

i want the DEV OUTSIDE VIEW !!

we get newsletter with screens all over the place but the cam is DEV ONLY

this game can be played solo without meeting other players!!! there no reason why it shouldnt at least be enabled in solo play..

why dont we get the outside ship cam ??? able to move the cam around your own spaceship LIKE IN EVERY other space game


only cause a handfull of ... cry about imersion breaking???

those ... dont have to use it NOONe forces them to use the outside ship cam

i cant understand why we dont get the freelook outside DEV cam its allready build in.. and working

dont expect me to pay any more money on that game as long as we dont have an external view i allreay regret that i have payed for the founders pack..

 

[Saliddry]

DEV-cam outside view and system chatt

We speak about elite dangerous as an multiplayer game ..

there have been multiple topics about the external view the devs are using for there newsletter pictures..

a handfull .... cry about immersion breaking..they dont have to use it !
a handfull cry about advantages other players get when they use it..

WE DONT talk about an external view like warthunder or world of tanks with crosshairs.. we talk about outside ship ciea freely rotadeable and zoombable around your ship to make videos and screenshoots

selling ship skins??? lol what for? i cant even see my own ship

theres NO reasons the dev-cam still isnt avarible for the players...

and even less reason why is isnt enabled in solo play where NONE of the points of the cryers makes sense


2nd)there have been topics about an system chatt to at least make it feel like an multiplayer game

again a handfull cryes NO bla bla blup ... NOONE forces them to follow the chatt!
maybe make it 1.99$ for 30 days chat server access or something like that
it would hold the game and server alive

 

[Dinbar]

I've been an advocate of an external view for a very long time and sound a bit like a broken record tbh ( The alpha forums are testament to this ).

I have now seen the other side of the fence so to speak. Now that i've been playing on the OR for a bit I can see how immersive it is and how having an external view may be detrimental to this. So at last I can understand some of the arguments against.

That said, I'd still love an external view just to admire how wonderful this game looks and the potential it brings for all those fan movies not to mention the majority of people who don't own a OR yet.

 

[Armour]

selling ship skins??? lol what for? i cant even see my own ship

You can't see the outside of a submarine when you're in one, but they are still painted.

theres NO reasons the dev-cam still isnt avarible for the players...

U mad bro?
The developers on this forum indicated that they will go with the drone mechanic as it has positive effects upon both gameplay and IMMERSION compared to any alternatives.
Lobbying for a change, therefore, is like a broken pencil.
When someone resorts to swearing, insulting those with opposing viewpoints, and posting angry faces, it just makes that person seem like an infant having a little tantrum.
If you really want to play the debug build, why not get a job at Frontier Developments Ltd? I hear they're hiring!

avarible

"Sorry, the position was just filled."

solo play where NONE of the points of the cryers makes sense

cryers

Hear ye! Hear ye! Hear ye! External views are not happening except in the context of drones!
Er....anyway...you're still a human pilot in the solo game AFAIK. Since any form of EVA is currently not in the game, it makes logical sense that you can't get out and look around. And of course, you can't just stick your head out of the window - it's not a minicab.

chatt

"Did I mention that the position was filled? Good day sir!"