Headset off, headset on, repeat

WeComeInPeace

WeComeInPeace
I'm an Oculus Rift user. I got it because of Assetto Corsa, but some time ago I decided that I had to try a space game in VR and went for Eve: Valkyrie. That quickly wore out, but since I really enjoyed the experience, I went and bought ED. I haven't been disappointed! I love the game, and it's by far the best game I've ever played, even with all it's not-so-goods.

Playing ED in VR can be quite a task, since I use EDDB, Coriolis, Inara, Fandom Wiki etc, while playing. I've tried, but haven't been able to come up with a good solution to the constant need of removing the headset when I want to look at a web browser. Honestly, that Headset off, headset on, killed the earphones on my Rift in a couple of weeks of ED. Then I removed those, and used a gamer earphone instead, making the Rift off-on even more frustrating.

Yesterday I noticed that both Mainani and Ngalinn were in a boom state (using the Galaxy Map). I needed Imp rank, so that looked pretty sweet. That made me think. How about trying not to use a browser, and keep the headset on? Would that be "possible"? I went to Mies van der Rohe's in a Mamba and boy, there were missions. More than enough! After a short evening of flying back and forth, I got the Duke Rank I needed, but I also noticed that I was able to do it, without removing the headset at all. What a joy! I know that "immersion" is being made fun of from non-VR players, but I wouldn't fly a spaceship around the Milky Way, if it weren't for VR. Nothing beats the ability to look around, or the sense of size in VR due to 3D. The immersion you get from not having to pull the Rift off every 5-10 minutes was something else.

Maybe I've approached the game from a wrong angle. It was just really, really hard not to get tempted to use all the web tools to get that Conda asap. Wanna sell your opals at the best possible price? That's hard without the web browser. Wanna figure out which materials you need at an engineer for a non pinned modification? That's pretty hard without the web browser, or a spreadsheet, and so on.

I think I've reached a point where I have most of the stuff I need, and I will try to aim more at keeping the headset on. That's a way better experience.

:alien:7
 
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Sierra_Hotel

Sierra_Hotel
There are definitely a lot of really nice tools outside of the game that make playing far more enjoyable, and as you've seen it's pretty difficult to use them in VR. Have you looked into some of the VR tools like Oculus Dash where you can pull a browser window into VR space?
 

ethelred

ethelred
Some of the third party tools are VR compatible or at least have functional work arounds.

Trade computer extension (link in sig) and ED Engineer are two that spring to mind.
 

WeComeInPeace

WeComeInPeace
I've tried Oculus Dash, and Virtual Desktop, but even though I've been fooling around with computers since the 1970's I could not make it work without touch controllers, and those are a no-go for me, since they eat batteries faster than a large dog can eat a small steak. (You could replace "even though" with "because" I guess).

I'll have a look at TCE and ED Eng. Thanks for the tip! (y)
 

Darkfyre99

Darkfyre99
I’ve never relied on 3rd party sites myself while playing the game. I’ll use them as a reference when I’m away from my computer, but I’ve always preferred to rely on my knowledge of the game, the ingame tools (they do exist), and acceptance that the results may not be “perfect.”

I feel the game is much more fun, for me, when it’s possible to fail at my task. It makes overwhelming success all the sweeter IMO, and failure at least provokes an emotional response.

One of the advantages of not relying on 3rd party sites is that they don’t always provide the “best” results. Most players in hauling CGs, for example, rely on sites like EDDB.io to identify their sources. I’m usually able to identify nearby sources for material that keep my cargo hold full just from the galaxy map. When I go to EDDB.io, they don’t show up as a good source, for a variety of reasons, giving me a near inexhaustible source nearby.

The other advantages, of course, is not having to take my HMD off, and not being completely at a loss of what to do should those sites go down. ;)
 

Jakester13

Jakester13
What I've found really useful is to plan ahead, doing the research before stepping into the game in VR, meaning I have ideas of where I need to go to achieve my day's goals.

A couple of system names/locations/missing materials/markets etc on a post-it note, and I don't need to use any external tools during play.

Of course, you still have to type in system names in the GalMap occasionally :D

o7
 

CMDR MAIN SEQUENCE

CMDR MAIN SEQUENCE
WeComeInPeace said:
I've tried Oculus Dash, and Virtual Desktop, but even though I've been fooling around with computers since the 1970's I could not make it work without touch controllers
Click to expand...

Do you have an Oculus remote? I use Dash fine with the remote. It's not ideal switching from HOTAS to remote but I keep the remote next to the flightstick so it's easy to find, so not a big deal. If you don't have one I imagine the remotes go fairly cheap on fleabay.
 

WeComeInPeace

WeComeInPeace
CMDR MAIN SEQUENCE said:
Do you have an Oculus remote? I use Dash fine with the remote. It's not ideal switching from HOTAS to remote but I keep the remote next to the flightstick so it's easy to find, so not a big deal. If you don't have one I imagine the remotes go fairly cheap on fleabay.
Click to expand...
Yes I have a remote, but like the Touch controllers it ran out of battery. The issue lies with Oculus, not Frontier. It's because Facebook/Oculus for some strange reason insists on the user using the controllers. Most of the time I'm fine with my Hotas. I even have (renamed) bookmarks for most of the stuff I need in the Galaxy Map.

To sum up: It's not that I'm nagging about ED. It was more a realisation that at the point I'm at in the game, I need the 3rd party tools less and less. Also as Jakester13 points out, a lot can be solved by doing the research before mounting the sweat box. The point was that if you are a VR user, I recommend that you consider that, at least at a certain stage, you are able to get rid of a lot of the headset off-on, but that you have to be aware of it.

Finally I was watching the video about the new features in the April update, and it seems that it will make VR life in ED even better. I look forward to the extra slots, but I look even more forward to the new Commodities UI :)
 

ziddan

Z
Dependent on your seating arrangement, do you have keyboard and mouse withing reach?
Ive got virtual desktop dash to display my desktop in my cockpit when i hit the sys button on my wand.
My setup is, from-left-to-right, Throttle, keyboard, Joystick, Mouse and Vive Wand. Everything is within reach and i can touch type so lifting of the HMD isnt something i need to do during regular gameplay or when looking stuff up.
Flew all the way to Colonia in VR before we had long range route planning, did it via the neutron router website, ctrl-c, ctrl-v.
 
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Sierra_Hotel

Sierra_Hotel
I'm still a little confused by the argument against using Touch controllers for anything because they're battery powered and need batteries replaced.
 

Darkfyre99

Darkfyre99
Sierra_Hotel said:
I'm still a little confused by the argument against using Touch controllers for anything because they're battery powered and need batteries replaced.
Click to expand...

People tend to follow the path of least resistance, even when the resistance is minor and the benefits are immense.
 

DaggerSnake

DaggerSnake
I don’t think the VR implementation carries well to all the features of the game, certainly not 3rd party. I also found the on - off aspect a little off putting.

Elite is at its core, a flat screen game with some great VR experiences. It’s not pure VR experience like Lone Echo, but it’s pretty good.

As others have said I usually plan ahead for a VR session and stick to a specific task. Something like bounty hunting or running a CG or mining or exploring a surface to minimize out of headset.
 

CylonSurfer

CylonSurfer
Personally I never have to take my HMD off, I've never been a huge fan of using 3rd party tools and have never really felt the need to use them. Oculus Dash is very useful if you feel the need to nip on the web to look something up. With a little creativity you can mount the Touch controllers to your chair arm(s) with a simple £5 clamp on coffee cup holder with the bottom cut off. This makes reaching for and finding them an absolute doddle.

I have never played Elite on a screen and have played since the first beta, maybe the transition is harder for those that have come from flat to VR? My opinion is that landing on a planet or docking in a station (or even in flight) and bringing up a web browser and interacting with it via Dash or OVRDrop is much more immersive than doing anything on a second screen. Mostly because I remain in the experience, i.e in my cockpit at all times, I'm using a real computer (my actual PC) as if it's an in ship component, part of the game if you will, and not some outside application. I think it's pretty incredible that it's even possible and works so well and seamlessly.

If you go VR, go VR all the way, use the tools which are available to you to the fullest and you'll soon have a much more immersive and pleasurable experience.

PS, buy a couple of pairs of rechargable batteries and swap them about, 1 set lasted me weeks on average and I played on my Rift a lot!
 
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[VR] Frank_G

[VR] Frank_G
I said goodbye to all external tools about 2 years ago and teached myself to use only what is available in game. The experience gets better from update to update and for myself, i have made the right decision. The game became a lot more challenging, less grindy and experience dependent. I would love to have a notepad in the cockpit though.
 

wilkie79

wilkie79
I use a 360 control pad to access Oculus Dash when in VR. I do have touch, but in Elite Dangerous I have removed all the batteries from the Touch Controllers as they die quickly if you leave them in, and just using the 360 controller, I can quickly move from my ship to the windows desktop. I also use voice attack to open the websites that I use most for Elite, so I don't have to manually type the URL address or click on the favourites tab to open what I want to look at.
 
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