So, today I've spent more time than I really want to admit, looking at whether there's a plugin or some kind of VoiceAttack command that will enable me to specifically target subsystems on ships, because I think that spamming a key furiously whilst trying to dodge lasers, bullets, missiles and SLFs is pretty awful, especially when you overshoot that power plant, and have to either cycle again, or remember which key you set to previous subsystem.
Alternatively, you can harass VA with "Cycle Subsystem" until it gets to the correct one, which is also not much of an option.
As I looked around though, I saw a lot of things that the VA plugins were doing were just scripts pressing keys in sequence, which is a pretty weak solution, in my opinion, especially as there is a player tools and API subforum.
Basically, I'm asking if we can get official support for convenience plugins, like setting a target ("Target hostile Fer-De-Lance" for example), plotting a course, displaying custom messages on the screen, etc.
I'm sure there are other devs who have ideas on that front
Obviously I'm not expecting E's client to perform any sort of parsing of text, just to be able to receive a block of information, for example, an enum as to what action is being requested, like, "<SetTarget>, <ShipID>, <optional subsystem>", which would have been contained within a previously sent update to all apps/plugins that registered with the client.
I guess I could hook functions in the client, but I've seen a lot of very similar situations, where someone started out making a very convenient tool that was intended to offer nothing more than QoL conveniences, just utterly destroy games.
So I'd rather not do that, because it's a very slippery slope, and would be much better handled with official support.
Basically, Elite: Dangerous is great, but we could make it something truly special if we fully embrace developers making things like VoiceAttack, HCS and Ocellus.
Alternatively, you can harass VA with "Cycle Subsystem" until it gets to the correct one, which is also not much of an option.
As I looked around though, I saw a lot of things that the VA plugins were doing were just scripts pressing keys in sequence, which is a pretty weak solution, in my opinion, especially as there is a player tools and API subforum.
Basically, I'm asking if we can get official support for convenience plugins, like setting a target ("Target hostile Fer-De-Lance" for example), plotting a course, displaying custom messages on the screen, etc.
I'm sure there are other devs who have ideas on that front
Obviously I'm not expecting E
's client to perform any sort of parsing of text, just to be able to receive a block of information, for example, an enum as to what action is being requested, like, "<SetTarget>, <ShipID>, <optional subsystem>", which would have been contained within a previously sent update to all apps/plugins that registered with the client.I guess I could hook functions in the client, but I've seen a lot of very similar situations, where someone started out making a very convenient tool that was intended to offer nothing more than QoL conveniences, just utterly destroy games.
So I'd rather not do that, because it's a very slippery slope, and would be much better handled with official support.
Basically, Elite: Dangerous is great, but we could make it something truly special if we fully embrace developers making things like VoiceAttack, HCS and Ocellus.