Odyssey - Optimisation/Performance and UI (Galaxy & System Map) Feedback

[Exeider]

• Allow the use of checkboxes to allow for bulk selling, bulk storing or bulk transferring of items, this would be of tremendous help in the outfitting screen for commanders to quickly break down or convert a ship to a new role
• Outfitting, create and allow the use of "equipment profiles" or "loadouts" so a cmdr can quickly store and equip different equipment and switch roles.
• Bookmarks: while we like your filters, allow us the ability to create folders and stash our book marks in there. Something like windows file explorer or firefox's book mark layout would be great. Allow us to be able to easily import and export book marks. So that we can share BMs with people or even the community. Whether it be a secret painite hotspot known to your squad mates, or some interesting vista you want to share with the universe, Bookmarks should be able to a physical thing that can be traded and collected. Also, allow Cmdrs to make arbitrary bookmarks on planet surfaces (IE, allow Cmdrs to edit the LONG/LAT coords on a book mark to be able to mark an EXACT spot on a planet.) Again for explorers to share locations, for smuggler Cmdrs to find a spot to do some exchanging of illicit cargo before they make a run for the station, etc.
• Restore the tooltip functionality with the most often used functions, IE, Select, Plot, System Map(if available) (Purchase System/Trade Data)
• Increase or completely remove the bookmark limit. (if to do this you need to offload them from the server to my computer/console, so be it, I'll take on the storage requirements if it means unlimited bookmarks.)

Honestly, the GalMap and System Map's layout and functions where pretty spot on. I mean it might be ok to change the colors and the "look" of it to reflect the orange screens that you were going for, but the layout with the left hand side column where all the buttons would be, with the tool tip containing the most used functions was honestly perfect. Probably one of the few things in this game that was pretty much perfect the first time. Other than the bookmarks needing some QoL upgrades (listed above) of course.

 

[Sighman]

I have a repeatable 30+ frame rate hit when looking through the interior windows in space stations and ground settlements. (Decorative windows like Vista, Pioneer, and those glass walls inside settlement buildings, viewed from either side. Also terminal windows. Exterior windows not affected.)

Findings here including screenshots, system specs, CPU and GPU usage figures. Tested on two different systems:

FPS - it seems to be the windows & glass, or the light reflections being rendered on them

After Update 8, I'm happy this is fixed (at least in my test station.) Yay! After Update 6, this behavior is still present in SOME cases. E.g. the glass front at the pioneer store still tanks the frame rate, but the red glass in the railings facing the hangar lifts no longer slows the fps...

forums.frontier.co.uk

 

[Alilion]

UI Feedback

We’re also keenly aware of feedback on several aspects of the updated User Interface in Odyssey. The comments on this topic have been followed closely since the beginning of the alpha phase and your feedback shared in our Alpha feedback forum has been gathered and collected. Your concerns over the ease-of-use and accessibility of these systems are being heard and passed to the development team.

While fundamental issues such as connection and performance remain a priority, we’d like to build a clear understanding of issues surrounding features such as UI to lay the groundwork for in-game improvements.

In this thread, we are looking specifically for feedback on the Galaxy and System Map UI. We have noted feedback on other UI elements, but would like to start with these in particular.

If you have feedback on the Galaxy and System Map in Odyssey, please leave it below in a reply using the following format:

Overall thoughts – please keep this brief (one or two sentences)

Specific Issues – clear and concise (bullet points are ideal)

Suggested Fixes for the Issues – clear and concise, directly linked to the issues

Please keep all replies to this post in the format above. Any discussion that is off topic or replying to other posts may be removed to keep the thread as useful as possible.

Overall thoughts – The galaxy and system maps UIs are OK, took a little getting used to but it works pretty smoothly, however there are some pieces of information that are missing. I have a lot more criticisms of other parts of the UI; I think you did well with this part.

Specific Issues –
Galaxy Map:

1. Selected systems and the glow/circle around them don't align when not centred on screen. In case this is relevant, my FOV is max and 70.5328 on foot.
2. It would be handy to see the faction controlling an explored system from the galaxy map.
3. It's not possible to plot a route to a bookmark within a system.

System Map:

1. Conflict zones don't display details. Other alternatives don't show whether there is a conflict ongoing at a settlement.
2. Settlements don't show largest landing pad size.
3. Features doesn't include a list of on-foot services.
4. No information is offered on mouse-over, like on the Galaxy map.
5. Clicking and holding on a settlement in planetary view moves it to the centre of the screen but cancels route plotting.
6. It's not possible to plot a route from the POI list or bookmarks (unless I'm wrong on the latter?).

Suggested Fixes for the Issues –
Galaxy Map:

1. Make them line up
2. Add a line for controlling faction to the info panel that pops up when selecting a system.
3. Clicking and holding on a bookmark should plot a route to it, allowing plotting of routes to nav targets in system using only the galaxy map.

System Map:

1. Add the same information about conflict zones to the System Map, or add extra information to the settlement name, e.g. "Planet Settlement [High Security] [Conflict: High]"
2. Add a line to settlement information that shows landing pad size. This would be visible from the POI drawer on the left too.
3. Explicitly list features such as Bar, Inter-Astra, and Frontline Services on the features tab.
4. No information is offered on mouse-over, like on the Galaxy map.
5. Change the way the input works so that holding your mouse down plots a route even if it moves off the target.
6. Clicking and holding on a POI (and bookmark?) should plot a route to it, allowing plotting of routes to planetary settlements using the system map.

 

[CapitanAceRimmer]

Can we have the context menus/dialogs on the system and galaxy maps back please (perhaps you can create another button for them, or you could use the right mouse button to bring them up). Something like,use the left mouse button to select planets and drag the map around (as you have it currently), then use the right mouse button to bring up the context menu/dialog for the currently selected object. I know you can differentiate between the 2 mouse buttons because you do so in the galaxy map (it can optionally be mapped to something). For other controllers you could achieve the behaviour with specific buttons (like the trigger buttons on a standard console controller, left trigger for left mouse button, right trigger for right mouse button).

Also can you allow us to customize the input device buttons/keyboard keys for the system map, we get that for the galaxy map, why can't we have them for the system map? Perhaps we can have optional keys for the most common filtering options. For example in the galaxy map these are the Economy View and Star View I find.

Context menus to me are a nice object oriented solution to GUIs, you click on something and a menu/dialog with options related to that "something" appear. Simples and easy for a user to get their head around. Also they don't actually take up any screen estate until you bring them up and when you have finished with, zing!, they are gone, the screen space is free again. I know there were previously problems in Horizons SYstems Map with using this context menu/dialog as when you moved the mouse to select an option if there was a planet underneath then that would have been selected instead that is why I suggest using the right mouse button to bring up the context menu/dialog.

Another issue I have seen is that if you bring up the System Map, then I believe it starts a background thread to create the system simulation (or at least the cursor changes to indicate that something is busy). However you do not kill/cancel this thread if the system map is subsequently dismissed and there is a significant performance degredation whilst it is running. I saw a guy on You-Tube demonstrate how the GUI performance was severly degraded because of this.

 

[CMDR Sirruf]

we need this, pease Frontier

 

[CapitanAceRimmer]

Specific Issues

- system map: the atmosphere overlay on planets where it's too dense to land just confuses things, clotting the interface without any useful purpose

Suggested Fixes for the Issues
- remove the atmosphere overlays on planets where you can't actually land on

I wonder if this indicates that these systems will be opened up at a later date.

 

[norlin]

After the recent updates, I can't open Galaxy or System map being on foot in a port.
If I press the Galaxy Map hotkey - it opens the map for a moment, then shows an empty Missions board (???) then closes completely as nothing happened.
The same for the System map.

 

[raven9ine]

First of all, thank you for fixing the markers in the maps, this was long overdue.

Performance wise todays patches made a big downgrade, I have overall 10-20 FPS less than yesterday and more significant dips and freezes. RTX-2080

 

[22gi]

When zoom is set to the mouse wheel in the galaxy map or system map, scrolling on the 2D UI and mouse wheel zoom conflict.

The desired behavior in this case is to prioritize scrolling on the 2D UI.

As for the bug related to this after Update 2, it is possible to scroll with the mouse wheel on both maps even if the zoom is set to shift + mouse wheel.
And strangely enough, this setting gives priority to scrolling on the 2D UI with the mouse wheel.
(Thanks to this bug, I have achieved the above desired behavior, so if FDev fixes this bug, please adapt the above desired behavior as well.)

Also, in the system map, scrolling on the 2D UI will still zoom.

 

[LMAOCanda]

I cannot equip my stored module from within the outfitting tab. I have to go storage tab to do that; this is very inconvenience.
I also cannot not tell which module is on which ship from shipyard.

 

[Rojo Habe]

Overall thoughts – please keep this brief (one or two sentences)

Had to laugh at this. One or two sentences will never cut it when describing what's wrong here.

Oh look. Two sentences (D'oh! Just made it four).

 

[[VR] Goooost]

Overall thoughts – not an improvement in any sense. Feels less organized and less legible and I doubt it's easier for new users to pick up. The brilliance of the old UI was efficiency, where someone could master it given enough time. This UI feels like the change from dvorak to qwerty in that it's deliberately awkward to use.

Specific Issues –
1. People tell me theres a way to view the system map from the galaxy map but Ive been looking and still havent found it. On the old UI if system map info wasnt available it would be grayed out. Maybe it's just gone or I really dont know where it is.
2. Weird blue dot in the middle of the screen I cant get rid of.
3. System map scroll speed is still too slow.
4. I havent found a good way to see a list of starports in a system, select it, and immediately see what that starport is all about.

Suggested Fixes for the Issues –
The only improvements that needed to be made to the galaxy map were:
1. Color coded bookmarks that could be filtered and categorized.
2. Plotting jump routes to include POIs selected by the user. (Daisy chain the current jump mechanic)
3. Improve scroll speed of system map.
4. Improve navigation and legibility of orrery map.
5. Leave everything else the way it used to be.

 

[Alezander Corben]

Still getting really bad frame rates even in 720p, on planets, space ports, menus. Only place I get 60 fps in 720p is in space.
1050ti

 

[Bug80]

Some short feedback regarding performance after the latest patch:

• Still getting very low frame rates overall, I have to play in 720p and "LOW" quality to make it just playable.
• In space frame rate is 60ish, so OK, still not as good as it was in Horizons it seems
• On planets the frame rate is 20-30
• In space ports or other buildings the frame rate is 20-30, with drops to 10-15 when looking through windows
• When the frame rate gets really low (<15), the audio also starts to stutter badly
• The menus are really laggy sometimes

Dell XPS15 laptop
i7-7700HQ @ 2.80 GHz
16 GB Memory
Nvidia GTX1050 4GB

Graphics set to 720p / LOW / Fullscreen

(I realize this is not the best of specs, but I'm still hoping I can play this game normally someday)

 

[quilvein]

Galaxy/System Maps
It might just be me but nowhere on the Galaxy map can I see the text for galactic areas except nebulas. Formadine Rift etc.
Also when you hover over a system it would be nice to see a pop-up of information, even if it was just the distance to the chosen system. Same applies to System map. Currently we have to click on the system/planet and then click again on the Information icon which was not necessary in Horizons.

Outfitting
This needs to be changed as a matter of major importance due to necessary lack of information throughout. The layout of the new UI is fine, there is just no relevent information there and is impossible to list all shortfalls in "one or two sentences". It would be best just to bring back the Horizons outfitting as the current Odyssey system is not good for Frontier reputation.

 

[Gutser]

Galaxy/System Maps: Using HOTAS

Pls. make it possible to scroll down to exit. Right now we must press "Scroll down" 4 times to get to the exit button. It´s frustrating to do so, especially when you target a retreat system after every jump.

 

[Stumpii]

Don't know if it is covered, but in the system map, when using the left hand menu buttons for bookmarks, POIs, etc., allow click and hold to plot. At the moment, if I want to plot a course with a HOTAS, I need to find a POI on the left menu, select it, which selects the body in the body screen, I think need to zoom in so the menu disappears and the target body is active. I can then press and hold the trigger to plot. Instead, if I can press and hold on the menu, that would be an improvement.

 

[MemeDream233]

Please, change back to the old style of bookmark colors on the map, the map has gone from being able to tell the difference in what you are looking at to a flood of orange, it doesn't need to be the same colors as the image below but please don't have so much orange. A change back to these colors would be an improvement from the current state of bookmarks. Thanks for your time

(wasn't able to find this image in English)

This is just way to much orange and i have lost the ablity to tell the difference in what i'm supose to be looking at.
again a chage back to the image above would be a great improvment.

 

[Zzarl]

UI Feedback

We’re also keenly aware of feedback on several aspects of the updated User Interface in Odyssey. The comments on this topic have been followed closely since the beginning of the alpha phase and your feedback shared in our Alpha feedback forum has been gathered and collected. Your concerns over the ease-of-use and accessibility of these systems are being heard and passed to the development team.

While fundamental issues such as connection and performance remain a priority, we’d like to build a clear understanding of issues surrounding features such as UI to lay the groundwork for in-game improvements.

In this thread, we are looking specifically for feedback on the Galaxy and System Map UI. We have noted feedback on other UI elements, but would like to start with these in particular.

If you have feedback on the Galaxy and System Map in Odyssey, please leave it below in a reply using the following format:

Overall thoughts – please keep this brief (one or two sentences)

Specific Issues – clear and concise (bullet points are ideal)

Suggested Fixes for the Issues – clear and concise, directly linked to the issues

Specific Issues:
The new UI
1) Slow and hard to get around in; confusing
2) Does NOT give you all the information you need for missions nor does it for travel or exploration
3) Too much clicking and moving around to find information, if you can even find it
4) Sometimes what you need is on the right menu, other times it is on the left menu, there appears to be no consistency
5) Way too many sub-menus, you get nested and subnested inside and can easily get lost and have to start all over
6) Very little information on what each icon does in the 2 side menus

The old UI
1) Has 4 icons that does all of the work of those 2 menus in the new UI
2) The information available flows to you, no nested or subnested menus and best of all, it has ALL of the information you need, nothing missing.
3) There is consistency throughout the old UI, this makes it easy to use and fast. It is much faster than the new and improved UI. And it does this with 4 icons.
4) The layout of the old UI is intuitive and simple to use.

Suggested fixes for the issues:
1) Get rid of the new UI and put the old UI back in.
2) Give the players the option of either using the old UI or the new UI

Overall thoughts:
I saved this for last because it is the most important part of this.
1) Set up 2 screens, one with the old UI on it and one with the new UI.
2) Set up a several tasks for a player to gather information about a system and gather planet information. The tasks needs to be something that is used often by players in game.
3) Time the use of both UI's and see who completes the task first. Keep track of the # of clicks and mouse movements required for each and how much movement is required.
That should give you an idea of why so many people dislike the new UI.
I know of many players who are opting to play Horizons over Odyssey because the old UI is so much faster, efficient and informative than the new UI. The only time that we switch to Odyssey is if we want to use space legs, otherwise, Horizons is our go to choice.

 

[Daeamon]

threadripper x1950 nvidia grx 970 last drivers windows 10. Training ground mission. 3rd building with fire. Indoor 12 fps. Outdoor ~30-40.