More people vomiting driving SRV in VR

[Cliché]

Sorry but that's a terrible idea.

You're not forced to use a feature if you don't like it.

I don't think there is anything more disorientating in the game as when trying to do a loop in the SRV, and when you get to the top it makes you look to the side and then does some twist/flip with the camera. That forced perspective change, which is even worse if you screw up and are tumbling down a hill, is a stupid design. How that's supposed to be less nauseating than just making a smooth loop is beyond me. The only thing that makes it worse is having black out on and having the scene go black right as you are pulling out of the loop. Just close you eyes instead.

As for doing a roll, what's the point of it if the horizon stays right side up when the SRV is upside down? If you're flying an SRV and roll, then the horizon should roll, not having the SRV roll around you. The feature doesn't make rolling harder, it may even be easier, but it takes the fun out of performing a roll. I can't believe this is a feature in any flight sims, even the arcade ones.

I did some testing today to remind myself how things looked. When doing normal driving and flying, using the vehicle maintain horizon camera feature really makes it much nicer. You can just bounce over the tops of the moguls, with the SRV rocking and pitching while your view out the cockpit window is nice and smooth. But once you boost up into the "air", and once you start rolling, if the horizon held for 10-15 degrees, and then started following you around the roll while you go upside down, I don't see how that would be so jarring. I tried imaging it, but it would take testing to be sure. It wouldn't need to snap instantly either as it could transition. And then do the same thing for loops, maybe after a larger angle change, and get rid of that camera flip at the top of the loop.

Maybe head stabliization is the wrong term as it doesn't affect your looking around in VR, but that's basically what it's doing. It's like riding a dirt bike and your body absorbs the bumps, with the bike bouncing around below you while your view over the handlebars is relatively smooth. But if you force a roll or loop, you actually roll or loop like you're flying your ship.

 

[Captain Willard]

Puke some more and tell us how good that 3d stuff is.

 

[sgurr]

I don't think there is anything more disorientating in the game as when trying to do a loop in the SRV, and when you get to the top it makes you look to the side and then does some twist/flip with the camera. That forced perspective change, which is even worse if you screw up and are tumbling down a hill, is a stupid design.

I did say that was an issue, but it's not a stupid design. How else would they maintain a horizon lock while you loop? There has to be a switch for when you're facing away from the direction of travel, you might not like it (and I don't) but it's the solution with the fewest downsides.

Your suggestion as you describe it would also result in 2 twist/flips as Horizon lock engages and disengages either side of the 180 point in the full pitched loop (as well as changing what pitch up does for bonus confusion), but it would also add 2 extra visual adjustments as horizon lock disengages and engages when you leave and arrive back at 0 degrees.
It would make things more complicated, not less, and more disorientating.

It's like riding a dirt bike and your body absorbs the bumps, with the bike bouncing around below you while your view over the handlebars is relatively smooth. But if you force a roll or loop, you actually roll or loop like you're flying your ship.

I totally get where you're coming from here, I really do, but the only way I can think to provide what you want is a key toggle to switch manually between horizon locked or not.
I'd use that if they implemented it.

 

[Cliché]

Your suggestion as you describe it would also result in 2 twist/flips as Horizon lock engages and disengages either side of the 180 point in the full pitched loop (as well as changing what pitch up does for bonus confusion)

Not at all. No twists/flips. Just delayed rotation of the horizon and stopped rotation of the SRV relative to you.

but it would also add 2 extra visual adjustments as horizon lock disengages and engages when you leave and arrive back at 0 degrees.

There would be visual adjustments, but very minor imo. Less bouncy as having horizon lock off or the jarring you get when you bump into something. In VR your head/neck can compensate and make adjustments, probably even subconsciously after getting used to it.


One more try at explaining with a roll:
You ride up a crater side and boost into the sky.
You start a roll to the right. The horizon remains horizontal and the SRV starts rotating CW (what it currently does with horizon lock on).
When the roll reaches 10-15 degrees, the SRV stops rotating and the horizon begins to rotate and catches up to you. The SRV would rotate back to under you.
You continue the roll with the horizon rotating and the SRV under you like normal driving (like when you have horizon lock off).
When you finish the 360 degree roll, the horizon would lock again (if you centered the controls) and rolling 10-15 degrees either way would rotate the SRV.
If you kept the controls deflected going past a 360 degree roll, then it would just continue like with horizon lock off.

Now whether these transitions are instant, or ramp up and back, and the activation angles and rates, all need to be tested. I can visualize it, and in VR, looking around while rolling and looping, you may not even be looking directly out the cockpit at the horizon and these transition may barely be visible.


If I actually thought FDEV would consider doing something then I might try to explain it in more detail or animate something, but it would really take the VR experience to test it. It's really just a wish, like driving in turret mode and having the turret firing arc stay pointing forward and having the SRV body rotate (in the HUD schematic) to give a better sense of where you are pointing relative to where you are shooting. For example, if you are driving past something at a 45 degree angle, it makes more sense to me to see the SRV rotated 45 degrees and having the guns pointing forward, rather than having the SRV pointing forward and the turret guns rotated 45 degrees (at least I think, but it would really need to be experienced). Maybe my brain is just wired backwards.

I really don't think FDEV puts a lot of preliminary thought into different ways of doing things, and instead just comes up with an idea and runs with it. This is partly why they've had to make so many changes over the last 6 years.