External View [A definitive discussion]

[LCplCombat]

What is the point of buying ship skins if the only time you get to see them is when you are outfitting your ship?

 

[Hethwill_Khan]

Compromise ?

Enable external view orbit while disabling all other commands/controls.

Should make everyone happy smash any toes on the door slit.

 

[Antenociti]

It would be nice to have a hudless view for screenies. and an outside view for the times I take off from an external docking, (it would be nice to see the scorchmarks on the Landing pad, and perhaps a differnet type of mark if you used an external view to dock and did it badly )

I really don't think it would give you an advantage in fighting, unless you really don't understand the radar. Switching to an external view to see your enemy then switching back to fight once you've zero'd them, I think is alot less advantagious than figuring out that you can see their location relative to you using the radar, and the direction they're facing using the target, holographic, image, thing of them. Does that device have an official name btw?

edit: Actually, tower view on take off?

external view for combat would be pretty hideous to play with - much prefer the cockpit view.

 

[Kurgen]

Its pointless and not needed.

Who elected you "Galactic Spokesperson?"

 

[Helvellyn]

I'm old school, I played Elite the day it launched on the BBC Model B in 84, to me Elite is 'in cockpit' only. I can totally understand seeing around your ship whilst its docked but playing the game via an external camera would all-but ruin the game to me. its silly and there are FAR more important things for Frontier to work on, in my opinion. far far more important things.

Every other version has also had a rear view, including the BBC B version.

I've not heard any good objection to external views - the game looks very pretty at times, let us admire it! Shut it doiwn in combat if you're worried about advantages. It's not something for playing the game in some cheesy arcade style, just for firing up occasionally and admiring the views. Can't say it ever spoiled immersion in FE2 and FFE. And if Frontier want to make some money selling paintjobs they'll sell rather more if you can see them outside of outfitting.

 

[Nutter]

Record and Playback is all we need for screenys

 

[Yaffle]

Closing as a duplicate. At least.

For example - https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=12464

 

[WeirdWizard]

Bump, because there can be only one!

Also on the poll being broken. Its old and way outdated yeah, but wasn't broken it was just multiple choice. A more recent poll had a 60% majority in favor of a simple external views limited to solo or out of combat.

 

[Sir.Tj]

When a moderator closes a thread to allow things to cool down, immediately creating a duplicate thread to continue the argument, discussion is strictly against the forum rules and falls under moderator contestment.

Please do not do this in future.

 

[Helvellyn]

Can't say that it ever broke immersion, being able to admire the view with an external cam in FE2 or FFE. Play the game in first person, occasionally pop out to admire the view when there was nothing urgent going on. That's also what I do with just about every other game that gives me the choice.

And if Frontier want to sell more paintjobs they'll do more of that if you can actually see it beyond a glimpse during outfitting.

 

[NeilF]

Again, I think it is clear enough that we all want to keep playing the game FIRST PERSON ONLY. We just want a few tools, even super basic, to have a chance to appreciate our ships and decals and paintjobs. Even if only when docked. What's wrong or immersion-breaking about doing it when docked? Is this pilot supposed to be nailed to the seat, fused with it?

IMHO, if you could only use an external view while docked, I wouldn't even bother using it bar an initial moment of interest.

An external view is surely there to see the universe around you better, not the inside of a docking bay

 

[SirBaron]

Skins are useless if you can only see them in the outfitting screen.

 

[Vasea Azure]

The "ship spinning" view option in fitting window would make me buy the skins instantly.

 

[Falconeer]

IMHO, if you could only use an external view while docked, I wouldn't even bother using it bar an initial moment of interest.

An external view is surely there to see the universe around you better, not the inside of a docking bay

I agree with that, but it would be better than now. A start. I couldn't appreciate the stars but at least I could appreciate my ship and my paintjobs, and my decals, and my wear and tear. I LOVE SPACESHIPS, and I hate that I can't see mine. So a free rotation camera in the outfitting screen, while NOT solving the bigger issue, would be a start and I can't really even remotely imagine how could they overlook that.

Every single time I aim in the outfitting screen and I click on a hardpoint, my hand automatically starts right clicking and drag-and-dropping in order to rotate the view and appreciate my damn own ship. I still can't even remotely figure out how could they not even implement that.

- - - - - Additional Content Posted / Auto Merge - - - - -

The "ship spinning" view option in fitting window would make me buy the skins instantly.

Exactly. Seems silly but I feel the same way.

 

[curses]

Yep I'm gonna throw my hat in the ring and say the lack of an external camera is the reason I haven't bought any skins from the store. What's the point?

 

[Falconeer]

Skins are useless if you can only see them in the outfitting screen.

Skins are only useless if you can't see them at all, which is the case now. Sure, you get a fixed camera in the outfitting screen that shows you an authored frozen still of your ship. Yeah, well, for that we already have the FD store page, you can preview paintjobs and decals there if a still photo is enough for you.

No, I'd like to appreciate my ship and its colours and patterns from any angle, even if it's docked, thanks. Is it too much to ask? I mean, I AM TRYING TO GIVE FD MONEY HERE! PLEASE LET ME GIVE YOU MONEY!

 

[Ramjet]

Well astronauts have always been able to see the outside of their space shuttle from every possible angle via cams in real life ... it really stumps me that there was no external camera built in as part of the design of this game from the get go, notwithstanding the design choice of cockpit only.

Sorry but it just seems like a huge oversight as it is a fundamental expectation in any space simulation that the pilot would want to view his beautiful craft. It is a game after all and why not give choice when you are able as it doesn't have to unbalance the game at all if it is designed in the ways already stated.

Hopefully Frontier come through on this one eventually

 

[Kurgen]

To all the folks claiming that it would "break immersion", if that's the case for you... don't use it! ...and for those who might claim it invalidates the simulation aspect, have you ever "flown" a flight simulator, and if so, did you limit yourself to the cockpit view only?

 

[Deyn]

The poll itself is very misleading. A casual observer might think that the majority of people want an external cam because the Yes bar is the longest and it is listed as having 50.47% of the vote.

The first line in the first original post says what??? RIGHT!!!

"PLEASE IGNORE THE POLL! IT'S BROKEN!"

 

[Deyn]

Skins are only useless if you can't see them at all, which is the case now. Sure, you get a fixed camera in the outfitting screen that shows you an authored frozen still of your ship. Yeah, well, for that we already have the FD store page, you can preview paintjobs and decals there if a still photo is enough for you.

No, I'd like to appreciate my ship and its colours and patterns from any angle, even if it's docked, thanks. Is it too much to ask? I mean, I AM TRYING TO GIVE FD MONEY HERE! PLEASE LET ME GIVE YOU MONEY!

^^^^ THIS

PLease, let me buy the nice skins! Money is not the problem here... I would usually try all of them, just I won't buy something I can't use (see)!

Give me a simple external view (even in Solo play would be ok) and let me buy all the skins...

P.S.: didn't the arts department complain about that? I mean they worked hard to do these beautiful skins, right?