External View [A definitive discussion]

[Barns]

That's exactly when you do need to have it, imagine looking at your awesome ship in it's custom skin showing your elite decals hovering over an ice ring with a star and a glowing gas giant in the background... WHO ON EARTH WOULD NOT WANT THAT!! (that wasn't directed at you, just the forum in general)

Also, the external view will not have a reticule so it will be USELESS for external combat and the scanner gives me a hell of a big advantage than panning around in an external camera. This IMHO is a priority feature, not a low priority one which some people seem to gleefully declare. I'd be so happy I'd spend possibly days exploring looking at my ship and also not having the dashboard in every screenshot I take :-(

Agreed. I haven't played ED for weeks and an external camera would go a loooong way to getting me playing again. I'm not interested in PvP, the trading was broken (fixed yet?), the rep system was broken (fixed yet?), but I'd have continued playing just for the pretty views if we had that external camera. Exploring just for the beauty of it. I wouldn't care so much if the underlying mechanics were imbalanced or broken if the visuals were the reward in themselves.

But no, it's all about PvP and balance and multiplayer features atm. Pants.

 

[psefergr]

i agree with Daisuke Ido and as far as to what Brenin Madarch says i would like to say that i am the absolute first person view fan and i wouldn't change it for nothing but it would be nice for those who paid for the paint jobs and those who 'd love to take snapshots with external views to have the ability to do it.Just that. I am sorry if you misunderstood me.

 

[NeilF]

Like I said, and as you probably remember, I am not against it, hell, there are times I would maybe even use it.... AND I am not interested in PvP personally either BUT, I just accept it is a low priority for FD and if it is to be done I want it done well.

if it happened tomorrow, but with nerfs in place to stop people using it as the defacto combat view I would be happy... but equally I realise from FDs viewpoint they see it that they have more important stuff to do 1st. Its not that I am against it..... more that I am against slagging off FD for not suddenly making it a priority despite them saying from the get go that it isnt one.

Agreed... and agreed

I do think a nose cam screen shot feature (with no cockpit and HUD) would be a nice compromise in the meantime! The game really needs a better way to capture stuff, and that to me would seem an easy win!

 

[almostpilot]

Agreed. I haven't played ED for weeks and an external camera would go a loooong way to getting me playing again. I'm not interested in PvP, the trading was broken (fixed yet?), the rep system was broken (fixed yet?), but I'd have continued playing just for the pretty views if we had that external camera. Exploring just for the beauty of it. I wouldn't care so much if the underlying mechanics were imbalanced or broken if the visuals were the reward in themselves.

But no, it's all about PvP and balance and multiplayer features atm. Pants.

With this i completely agree

 

[CaptainSeriousFun]

Ship walkaround/external view during preflight check...thoughts?

FDev,

Pilots know that pre-flight includes a walkaround/examination/kicking of the tires, etc. prior to cockpit entry. Might something like that be in our future? I'd love to see external views tied to gameplay machanics in this way, i.e., you get an external view and MUST complete a full walkaround of your ship when you have preflight checklist toggled "on."

Thoughts?

 

[poshblobfish]

Walking around inside ships and planetary landing will be paid DLC. Sucks, but FD is the boss. Fly safe, Commanders.

 

[sgt Melin]

I think this game are dead before they have relesed that. they need stuff in game to keep player.

 

[Uueerdo]

I think a balanced way to handle it would be to tie 3rd person view into exploration modules; perhaps it could release a "scanning drone" equipped with a camera. The user could switch to their drone's perspective, perhaps even between the perspectives of multiple drones. This would allow not only third person view of the ship, but cockpitless and completely shipless view of other objects in space. The drone(s) could be separately piloted OR pinned to a object; even to the extent of allowing for 3rd person in combat but at the expense of a module slot, and the drones could be targetable and have near non-existent hit points (one hit with a pea shooter should take them out), destroyed (or unrecalled) drones would need replenished like ammo, and perhaps there could be a counter module (targeting drones unnecessary) to interfere with drone signals to force an opponent back into 1st person mode.

... or could just make it so 3rd person mode is only available when hardpoints are retracted, but that just feels too "gamey" to me.

 

[CaptainSeriousFun]

I think building into what pilots actually do is the way to go...

 

[kfsone]

Its fascinating how all those youtubers pvp`ing in Star citizen or flight sims (real ones not WT) never use their external cam in combat. I wonder why... yes...

I've seen FD distance themselves from the PvP argument, and the reality is that in a 6dof game adding an external camera doesn't make things easier, it makes them harder.

I suspect many players are confusing "external view" with "easy mode" where you point your cursor at a thing and the ship flies at it for you.

That is easy mode. It often lends itself well to external view. But they are two separate things.

Argument: If you have 360 view I can't sneak up behind you.
Counter 1: I have radar and sensors.
Counter 2: I'm a human so I'm not capable of 360 degree vision. The FoV is the same in external view.
Counter 3: The FoV is the same, so if I can see you sneaking up behind me, I can't see the rock I'm about to slam into or the missile pulling up alongside of me.
Counter 4: I can see you sneaking up behind me when I use flight assist off.
Counter 5: If I'm watching you sneak up on me visually through external view, I can't see my instruments to see your friend/missile approaching me from the front.

Argument: External allows you to tell which side of your ship is taking hits.
Counter: You don't look at your instruments often, do you?

Argument: External view breaks immersion.
Counter 1: Don't use it.
Counter 2: My passion for space sims is fueled by entirely too many movies. Lack of external view makes the game boring, boring breaks my immersion. Why is your immersion more important than mine, when supporting both would be done through an option?
Counter 3: How come you don't rage-quit the game when you go to the hangar?

Argument: External view is unrealistic.
Counter 1: The flight model is unrealistic, frameshift is unrealistic, sound in space is unrealistic... This is a game, set a mere 1000 years from now where humans have some how colonized and terraformed tens of thousands of systems. Realistic much? Everyone has to make concessions to reality. For some of us a 31st-century ftl ship that doesn't so much as have a rear view/down-facing camera is unrealistic. Having an external view allows you to mentally abridge that. And unlike the other unrealisms we've all accepted, this would a per-player, per-situation choice.

 

[Genus]

:

Rather, we want to enjoy the lovely visuals:

Most of the time, we will NOT be in combat, but in deep space, exploring the galaxy, trading, whatever. Travel will take significant time - no 'Stardreamer' remember

Have some rep Sir, my thoughts exactly.

I think it has to be done. We spend so much time working towards these ships, that it would be nice to fully appreciate them once purchased and customised. Including no less the skins available as premium content, which are basically a support donation at the present time.

 

[Doctor Axel]

Compromise - enable external view for the sake of cinematics, checking out your ship, and assessing damage, but show no avionics so it can't be used for precision flying. If anything occurs that would cause combat music to start playing, force view back into cockpit until out of danger.

So we can screencap our awesome ships doing awesome things (even better, without ugly avionics in the way), but gain no actual gameplay advantage by doing so. ^^ I'd enjoy it.

 

[narv]

An external view just like is shown in this video below (jump to 9:20 to see it or click this LINK HERE), but without the control panel at the bottom would be perfect.

[video=youtube;EJoc19T9s9Y]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=EJoc19T9s9Y#t=448[/video]

 

[Kenduster]

There will not be external views as that mechanic can be abused in combat. FD have said they will probably add some form of external drone for "beauty shots" though. It isn't very high on the priority list though and I have not seen any form of ETA yet.

That is all well and good for fighting aspect, but there is a need for multiple outside views while docking.

Here is a scenario - You have just left the docking bay in a space port and are sitting on the landing pad. You have to leave the area in the time period allotted. You can not see behind or around your ship for other ships. You take off only to hit someone else (docking or taking off). Your ship or their ship may get damaged or destroyed.

Another scenario - You are entering or leaving a space port, there is someone else who is in a hurry and coming up fast on your tail. You will not know about this until they hit you.

These two scenarios justify a need for multiple views only while doing docking maneuvers.

You can set limits for multiple views - Normal space speeds, close to dock or port (inside of the no shot zone), and have received permission to dock.

The most important views (in order of importance) would be the tail view, top view, bottom view, and side views.

 

[DizzyRonson]

I don't see a need for external when docking.. I look at my radar and free look if I need to..
For a photo mode I would say that's a good idea. And it could be made so if in photo mode you cannot steer your ship,
Neither in super cruise or normal flight.
If it were for pic's one would only put ones ship where you wanted it and stay there till the photos were taken anyways
additionaly there could be a spectator mode of sorts maybe. Just type in cmdr name you want to spectate and if they accept it there you go, live external view for dogfighting vids in third person..

 

[xl-jedi]

Oh good grief... just put a chase cam in the stupid game and let people move it around, and position it wherever they want.
Like every other flight sim space game made since the mid 80's. This pvp exploit phobia is ridiculous.

 

[Globusdiablo]

An external view just like is shown in this video below (jump to 9:20 to see it or click this LINK HERE), but without the control panel at the bottom would be perfect.

[video=youtube;EJoc19T9s9Y]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=EJoc19T9s9Y#t=448[/video]

Now THAT's a game...

 

[narv]

Now THAT's a game...

Guess what I have running on my other monitor whilst I play Dangerous sometimes ;-)

 

[Riktar]

When you get up in the morning, do you put clothes on for you to gawk at in the mirror, or for everyone else?

Conversely, if the only view of your car was from the drivers seat, how much interest would you have to upgrade/paint/whatever the "exterior"?

 

[Goosem@n]

I won´t buy any more skins or decals until i at least can view them in hangar. Even a cam outside the station should not be a problem. If you activate your cam you can´t control your ship. No thrusters, no movement and if needed no shields.... and if you don´t like it because of immersion... don´t use it. For me it is an essential part to have external view.