A drone image - IMHO - just means a nerfed regular external view. ie: It's an external view, but with a logical explanation of how you get it (ie: you're not God), and it also allows logical nerfs to prevent it being a combat/game advantage. eg: a 3-4 second delay deploying/docking it etc.
External View [A definitive discussion]
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A drone image - IMHO - just means a nerfed regular external view. ie: It's an external view, but with a logical explanation of how you get it (ie: you're not God), and it also allows logical nerfs to prevent it being a combat/game advantage. eg: a 3-4 second delay deploying/docking it etc.
Fair enough. I don't think they gave a schedule for that feature's inclusion, so I wouldn't get too indignant if it's not in the game by Dec 16. (Unless you want to kick up a fuss about nothing that is, in which case, go ahead.)
I don;t see how it can't be in release, its such a fundamental features of the genre. I really expected it was going to be one of the surprises in gamma. I guess if it isn't I'll just have to add it to my evangelizing list and keep on singing its praises and pointing out why its such a great thing to include and hope I get through to someone at Frontier.
They're aware of it
From three months ago...
Yes, yes I see that.. But I can't help but think that in 3 months it should of easily possible to find time for one of the developers to get this in game. Depending on how much of the "caveats" you actually bothered with it wouldn't take long at all. At its simplest its adding a key mapping and a some code to move the camera and disable some of the effects (like head movement due to acceleration). I've no idea how their engine is put together but if that's anymore than a dozen lines of code then there is something wrong with it.
Given how simple it is to do in a normal way the that leaves us with the impression that if it makes it in game at all then it will be some sort of drone system with part fitting and cargo space requirements and a fancy interface.. But why? why go to all that bother? Especially if it means you can't actually find the time to do it.
The best external camera system would be simplest. Press a button and the hud disappears and the camera either zoom out to wherever or just switch instantly. Its simple, its fast, it doesn't take any extra assets or resources, its simple to program. If you must it can be "contextualized" as your computer projecting a simulation through the same holographic interface that does everything else but honestly I don't think you need to contextualize it at all, let the player do it if he feels its important. Why? Because if you contextualize it then you either have to limit its use in various ways or your introduce a logical fallacy into the lore of the game.
Finally I just want to point out that Elite Dangerous in its current form is very much a space spectacle game. Without external views it is very much less spectacular than with them... At least for me.
The most simple solution would be to simply give us the external camera Frontier developers obviously use to produce the awesome marketing videos and teasers... or does anyone actually think, they have another guy sitting in a Sidewinder looking through the roof window???
To restrict it, well, the game now shows you in the in game menu that you are in Solo mode. Simple line of code for the camera action:
"If mode=solo then activate externalView else do nothing" after you press the bound key...
No effort to pull up a drone. No integration with the loadout system. No testing and balancing. No artwork, drone model to be developed. Just quick and dirty and everybody could enjoy the game his way.
I guess the fuss is about "pushing more players into solo mode" opposed to the "vision", albeit as solo play is the most stable,with the least disconnects, server waits etc. It is quite popular anyway.
To restrict it, well, the game now shows you in the in game menu that you are in Solo mode. Simple line of code for the camera action:
"If mode=solo then activate externalView else do nothing" after you press the bound key...
No effort to pull up a drone. No integration with the loadout system. No testing and balancing. No artwork, drone model to be developed. Just quick and dirty and everybody could enjoy the game his way.
I guess the fuss is about "pushing more players into solo mode" opposed to the "vision", albeit as solo play is the most stable,with the least disconnects, server waits etc. It is quite popular anyway.
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I know FD are working on a drone version for 3rd person views or something more convoluted and complicated that prevents us from using it to control the ship in 3rd person with caveats and so on to make things complicated. My take on this is the clear message that FD is trying to spread:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Z8wudlqC5Y
Cheers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Z8wudlqC5Y
Cheers
I'd also much prefer a simple straightforward external view like any other game without all the self-conscious neurotic 'contextualizing'. Like the PC and peripherals, it's part of the real-world user interface, not part of the internal 'gameworld'... it's a simple conceptual confusion they're making.
Still. maybe as a compromise, upon activation, Frontier could send round some moody heavies to breath down your neck giving you dirty looks until you switch back to first-person mode. Nothing too neurotic, but still a little bit neurotic.
Still. maybe as a compromise, upon activation, Frontier could send round some moody heavies to breath down your neck giving you dirty looks until you switch back to first-person mode. Nothing too neurotic, but still a little bit neurotic.
I would prefer to have an external view only on the landing platform of stations.
I would prefer to have a 'normal' external camera in solo mode only, so no one can start whining cheater, as I honestly won't do much combat anyway and specifically not in external view.
I got a trackIR and a HOTAS + MFG rudders, I usually am keeping an opponent in view will dogfighting anyway, yet nobody complains how unfair and cheating it is to players with mouse keyboard or a simple joystick... funny.
I got a trackIR and a HOTAS + MFG rudders, I usually am keeping an opponent in view will dogfighting anyway, yet nobody complains how unfair and cheating it is to players with mouse keyboard or a simple joystick... funny.
You've got trackIR.... Cheater! A clear unfair advantage in multiplayer combat. Should only be available in solo mode.
Honestly I'd be fine with external views only in Solo because that's were I plan to spend most of my time but I think its silly none the less, the idea of multiplayer balance in this game is redundant. So what if someone might get a tiny advantage by using an external camera... Is it a problem if someone has a better ship and weapons? What about a better flight stick, trackIR or rift?
Its just a bit silly to worry about it and at the end of the day the advantage of allowing people to play the way they want and enjoy the game and its visuals more (I think they would be jumping at anything thats easy and adds enjoyment right now) totally outweighs any balance issues you might create in the rare player on player encounters.
External view please!!!
Some of us have been spending quite a bit of $$ pimping our ships with our favourite skins and it comes as quite a dissapointment to us that we are quite unable to take a picture of our ship next to, say the latest K-class start we have discovered being eclipsed by the moon hosting our latest pirate haunt. Let alone the fact that we can only have glimpses of the beauty of our ship in the dark and narrow confines of the pad basement.
If we are allowed to customize our ships, there must be a way for us to admire them!
I can understand all the gameplay issues involved with 3rd person view, but surelly there is a way to get over this, whether this involves restrictions on what one can do while using a camera outside, possible introduction of this option as gameplay by outfitting with a camera rover, or simply by being able to press a button and record state and then be able to come back and play back a scene from outside camera angles.
Before I get any answers on dev priotities etc, what I would like to hear is some commitment from FD that this will eventually be introduced. Otherwise, for me at least, there is no point in spending any more $$$. Any such purchases were made with the assumption that one would actually be able to make use of them at some point and by make use of them I do not mean having the NPCs admire the great artwork.
Some of us have been spending quite a bit of $$ pimping our ships with our favourite skins and it comes as quite a dissapointment to us that we are quite unable to take a picture of our ship next to, say the latest K-class start we have discovered being eclipsed by the moon hosting our latest pirate haunt. Let alone the fact that we can only have glimpses of the beauty of our ship in the dark and narrow confines of the pad basement.
If we are allowed to customize our ships, there must be a way for us to admire them!
I can understand all the gameplay issues involved with 3rd person view, but surelly there is a way to get over this, whether this involves restrictions on what one can do while using a camera outside, possible introduction of this option as gameplay by outfitting with a camera rover, or simply by being able to press a button and record state and then be able to come back and play back a scene from outside camera angles.
Before I get any answers on dev priotities etc, what I would like to hear is some commitment from FD that this will eventually be introduced. Otherwise, for me at least, there is no point in spending any more $$$. Any such purchases were made with the assumption that one would actually be able to make use of them at some point and by make use of them I do not mean having the NPCs admire the great artwork.
Which twitch stream? Do you have a link? Has it been recorded?
I think they officially released the twitch stream. Definitely lots of awesome visuals that include external views in the video sequences. If that isn't the best argument for adding an external view mode I don't know what is
[video=youtube;0GxJbOMaXa0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GxJbOMaXa0[/video]
[video=youtube;0GxJbOMaXa0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GxJbOMaXa0[/video]
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Was thinking earlier than I'd quite like a rear view monitor, like they have in X. Configure to switch it on or off of course. That would be nice.
If you will buy without thinking, then yeah, joke's on you. Ha ha.
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