Hi everyone, after many hours of play (200h since EDO release) I've compiled a list of suggestions that could be added within a reasonable timeframe to alleviate its current gameplay issues which risk hindering it from being an enjoyable game even after framerate gets eventually improved.
Some might not seem that important (some are points I noticed and thought would be neat additions) but it would add up to be more coherent while not needing as much time as larger scale updates.
I will use bold for points that I consider to be of the utmost importance and that should be high priority for a decent (FPS) experience & I really hope those would be considered.
Wrote the above a couple days ago in preparation for this post but people on reddit made a thread earlier today with even more ideas for both weapon & suit modding
Source: https://old.reddit.com/r/EliteDangerous/comments/ogq6xg/lets_invent_actually_useful_and_fun_engineering/
SEPARATING MODS & ATTACHMENTS
Mods to stay Engineering since their more specialized function results from a professional's tinkering :
Suits :
Weapons :
Mods to be Attachments since they are basic modifications & we should have some basic build options outside of Engineering :
Those should also be visible on the equipment to inform others of your gear & as it is pretty satisfying to have variety in looks & feel which would improve the currently quite rigid gunplay
Suits :
Weapons :
Thank you for reading all this, it's my first forum post and quite the large one, I really hope a Community Manager stumbles onto this and passes on the feedback to a developer for it to be considered as I'm worried about Odyssey (& Elite)'s future and what is to come.
Some might not seem that important (some are points I noticed and thought would be neat additions) but it would add up to be more coherent while not needing as much time as larger scale updates.
I will use bold for points that I consider to be of the utmost importance and that should be high priority for a decent (FPS) experience & I really hope those would be considered.
USER INTERFACE
- Sort option by distance in the system map for settlements/stations
- Preview scope sight & magnification number change in engineering screen
- Name plate & Ship ID slots change from "1/2" to "left/right"
- Skip "Goodbye" when it is the only available option (after booking)
- [Fixed in Update 6 !]
Back key (RMB) to trigger "Goodbye" on last UI prompt to be consistent with other menu exiting - Stamina indicator to complement audio cues and helmet condensation for more precise information
- Toast notification when entering the bar to know what music is currently playing
- Add useful information to Concourse panels (local factions & statuses, replace stock pictures with ones of stations' surroundings)
- Numbers next to the hipfire/handling sliders
- Jukebox option in Galnet Audio to play tracks from bars when in ship/SRV/on foot
- Put the system & galaxy map icon colours back in, Odyssey has made a lot of them orange which makes it harder to distinguish (engineers were purple in Horizons)
GAMEPLAY & CONSISTENCY
- Ammo management is non existent : relog giving full ammo back needs to be addressed & ammo box should be a hold interact action to restock gradually (on par with the power tool to recharge suit)
- Looting bodies : hold interact gives some ammo like explained above & alternate use opens their backpack which contains Consumables & Assets (only way to get them is looting so this would make Bounty Hunting & CZs rewarding and consistent with getting Materials & also integrate legal playstyles into the gameplay loop)
- Scanning NPCs gives data with 3 different levels of rarity depending on your scan : Default by looking at them, Extended with the Profile Analyser, Detailed with Genetic Sampler by giving it a secondary firemode (same reasoning, more accounting for variety of playstyles)
- Odyssey Assets & Data stored the same way as Horizons’
- "CMDR" InSight has no function & could be made into loadout management while in the board circle without having to board
- CMDRs obviously can't drop gear on death since they get it back at rebuy but should be able to drop their Weapons & Consumables from the CMDR InSight (above) for a friend to pick up
- "Contacts" InSight after scan gives access to others' "CMDR" panel as a static screen (even for NPCs) to check their gear before engaging
- Option to barter/sell items as a player interaction on foot from Contacts InSight
- Ability to put a bounty on Odyssey players (maybe limit it to on foot kills first to gauge reaction)
- Proper animations to heal & charge : selecting Medkit/Energy Cell puts it in your hands LMB applies it to you, RMB uses it on friend
- Respawn on ship after dying on foot doesn’t send it back to orbit (or at least gives it as an option)
- Choose location of respawn when in a wing (at station, in your own ship, in your wingmate’s ship)
- NPCs don’t go lethal at first infraction, only if non-lethal fails or you turn violent :
- Guards halt you if they see an action warranting of a fine (or if they scan you and find a fine) with a dialogue box pop up to pay or refuse & escalate the situation
- Guards find a bounty or you escalated then they try to stun you, if it succeeds you fade to black, get sent to the security room’s brig & have to pay this jurisdiction's fines/bounties to get out or get rescued by a CMDR that breaks in (gives purpose to this room while not have you sent away 100ly and lose everything like current missions)
- Incapacitated state instead of instant death, from which players or friendly NPCs can pick you up, have it consume a Medkit for each revive or introduce a new consumable (even a new tool ?)
- Settlements have bars and a bartender that does nothing, make them interactable until things turn hostile
- Boarding circles to multiple entrances to cut down on walking from hangars to concourse : Krait’s stairs is the current one, add an option to (dis)embark at the back elevator too
- Move boarding circles upstairs so you deploy at the door & walk down to have a meaningful first steps moment (you can salvage the Armstrong moment)
- Deploy SRVs from boarding circle UI so you’re not forced to board and deploy again
- Pre-release communication hinted at Odyssey being playable without using a ship but you can’t do everything on foot, however that can be helped by having the option to buy/sell an SRV at any planetary port on foot to drive around the current planet by deploying to it from the elevator
- Apex upgraded with the ability to pick you up in an SRV and drop you off somewhere else with it (additional fee ?)
- SLFs to be built upon by having a Physical launch option when on planets : take SLF, dismiss mothership, fly around & land SLF to disembark (they have landing gear already) furthermore have SLFs available at any station (like the SRV proposal) to fly around the current system using limited FSD that disallow hyperspace
- Leave planetary ports without a ship carrying an SRV from the elevators : unless I go to my hangar, assuming I have a ship with an SRV, I can't deploy on foot to walk around surroundings
- Frontlines as a system could be built upon to allow you to take part in space CZs with SLFs that get (re)spawned from a mothership : would be cool from a capital ship launch bay to mirror that old cinematic trailer but as that would require new assets for it to work for now any SLF capable ship would do (maybe a T-10 to give them some love as a platform)
- Increase muzzle climb & kickback across the board as most weapons lack punch & feeling, however do not touch dispersion as it cannot be countered by player skill (recoil control, better aiming)
- Odyssey's tutorial is a great window into what could be if we got voiced questlines which would be awesome but require more work, but generic training scenarios for on foot content could be nice
- Shooting range scenario to try out gear and modifications, could have a virtual environment for ships too
- Floating corpses in space after a ship is destroyed that can be scooped up & in distress signals too to get them back to Search & Rescue
- Tighten the ship shield bubble as it is way too large on some ships
- Add to grenade throws : selecting a grenade from the radial menu puts it into your hands, LMB for a throw or RMB for an underhand throw. Since they're affected by gravity we should have that as a way to throw more accurately, having the option to hold the button down to cook the grenade would be a nice addition too
- Higher gravity shouldn't just affect jumping & grenades : your actions like movement and reload speed should be slower
- Secondary firemode for the Arc Cutter : Welding Mode to repair hull integrity of SRVs & Ships on foot (can't repair internals)
ENGINEERING & MODIFICATIONS
- Separate "Engineering" by "Mods" from simple "Attachments" as those should be basic customization
- "Attachments" to be sold at Pioneer Supplies & added/taken off from the loadout menu
- "Engineering Mods" specific to a model : same audio masking can't be done on two different guns but you can use scopes on a variety of models
- Mods to be added/taken off their model & stored or moved to different item but same model (mod 1 on Maverick 1 moved to free slot on Maverick 2 but not Dominator)
- Scopes to be used across the board bar some specialties (x1 x2 on all, x3 x4 rifles & up, x6 snipers)
- "tuned laser" increases damage against unshielded at the cost of ROF
- "infused projectiles" increases damage to shields at the cost of ROF
- "lighter components" increase ROF at the cost of handling
- "phasing" reduces range but some damage goes through shield
- "scramble" makes your UI flicker & disables simulated audio for bit after getting hit
- "thermal shock" lowers damage but increases target's suit energy consumption to force them to use their resources
Wrote the above a couple days ago in preparation for this post but people on reddit made a thread earlier today with even more ideas for both weapon & suit modding
Source: https://old.reddit.com/r/EliteDangerous/comments/ogq6xg/lets_invent_actually_useful_and_fun_engineering/
SEPARATING MODS & ATTACHMENTS
Mods to stay Engineering since their more specialized function results from a professional's tinkering :
Suits :
- Added Melee Damage
- Combat Movement Speed
- Damage Resistance (additional armour plate ?)
- Enhanced Tracking (bigger/taller antenna on your helmet)
- Faster Shield Regen
- Increased Sprint Duration
- Quieter Footsteps
- Reduced Tool Battery Consumption
Weapons :
- Audio Masking
- Headshot Damage (not sure what the reasoning behind it is but seems like witchcraft so there it stays)
- Stability
- Stowed Reloading (this one feels out of place in Elite which is a game that leans more towards simulation, especially since we don’t even have a button to reload ship weapons & they don’t reload when hardpoints are retracted, it’d be an understandable modification for ship weapons, but not for handheld)
Mods to be Attachments since they are basic modifications & we should have some basic build options outside of Engineering :
Those should also be visible on the equipment to inform others of your gear & as it is pretty satisfying to have variety in looks & feel which would improve the currently quite rigid gunplay
Suits :
- Extra Ammo Capacity : displays as ammo pouches on the suit
- Extra Backpack Capacity : swaps backpack for a larger one
- Improved Jump Assist : bigger thruster SFX & louder jetpack sound
- Improved Battery Capacity : shows a battery on the suit (maybe Energy Cells shouldn’t scale)
- Increased Air Reserves : better life support isn’t locked behind engineering on ships
- Night Vision : comes as stock on ships
Weapons :
- Faster Handling : different stock or added front grip
- Greater Range : visible longer barrel
- Improved Hip Fire Accuracy : different stock or added front grip
- Magazine Size : models for those are already shown at Pioneer display racks, in advertisements & loadout icons (I hope the fact they're not appearing on your weapons is a bug)
- Noise Suppressor : visible at the end of the barrel
- Reload Speed : add a quick release handle to magazines (or a different reload animation instead if you have time)
- Scope(s)
Collage of concept art and in-game assets showcasing attachment and modding visual variety
VISUALS & COSMETICS
- Kinetic sights are pretty hard to use because of the weird colour chosen : ideally give us colour & transparency options on the client side, or change it
- Animation when interacting with the environment : arm reaches out when grabbing an item, pointing with a finger to tap the screen when using data port
- Bring on foot Radar closer to ship Radar by adding surroundings (terrain & building) outlines to it
- Use weapon & engine colours we bought in livery for handheld weapons & jetpack SFX
- Buy NPC clothing & earn superpower clothing through rank (imperial guard armour)
- Flight suit cosmetics aren't on Odyssey suits (colours/decals/clothing), some of us paid for those and want to keep using them without being hindered
- Pre-release material showed way more variety in NPCs both in advertisements and in-game footage, using different clothing and opaque visors (would make sense for soldiers/guards/pirates) and gave more of that "wild west & edge of civilisation" vibe which was teased. Also all the clothing variety that is on Concourse NPCs seem to be absent from NPCs outside
- Frontlines’ "grab your gun" ad could vary, maybe have a random character appear on it depending on the station ? Like the way NPC portraits work
- Emotes on a radial menu to express yourself and have some socializing in social spaces (hinted at as a wish by CMs to have for launch)
- Sitting on chairs, couches, benches for roleplay & social purposes
- Buy & consume the drinks & food advertised in stations at bars for roleplay & social purposes
- Decals on shoulders are bugged (even selecting none doesn't work) and clip through your first person view when crouched
- Animated NPC avatars in ship chatbox instead of the static one for NPCs that have voicelines
- Get on foot UI to look & feel more diegetic, in line with other UI elements (flicker when getting hit while unshielded ?), raise your arm to eye level when using InSight and have a holographic effect beaming up into the UI to make it seem connected to something and signal to others around that you’re using it
- Small arms fire should leave impacts on unshielded ships' hull like they do on other surfaces, currently we only get the sparks
- Opaque option for all helmet visors
CONTROLS & BINDS
- SEPARATE SENSITIVITY SLIDER FOR ADS (this is really needed)
- Toggle ADS to not persist after holstering or switching
- Option for InSight & radial menu to be in the centre of the screen & bigger
- Option to use InSight with mouse movement like the radial menu
- Autowalk/autorun bind
- 2 primary weapons on separate keybinds (1-6 instead of 1-5 with 1 scrolling through primaries)
- Weapon/tool wheel radial menu option
- Toggle orbit lines bind isn’t working when not at the helm in a ship, you need to use the right panel
SOUNDS & AUDIO
- Simulated audio turns off when out of power & running on emergency O² as with ships
- Kinetic weapon sounds just aren’t on par to the rest, they sound off & puny
- Local 3D VOIP to interact with people (improves social spaces)
SHORT & MID TERM CONTENT ADDITIONS WISHES
- Fixed animation for getting in & out of SRVs & SLFs with the canopy opening and you climbing out instead of a fade to black to be brought one step closer to a coherent experience
- Walking around cockpits : disembark gets you out the chair, turn around & ride elevator to the stairs with no more fade to black, could even have it take you to the SLF/SRV bay to tie it all together without proper fully realized ship interiors (hopefully coming one day)
- SLFs & SRVs with more modularity and playstyles support : there's the Exopod that surfaced recently with pictures appearing in Galnet and on the leaky side the mining SRV cockpit (make those new rocks & boulders minable) also the Scorpion & I don’t know what an MEV Rhino is but I want one (hope it has multicrew)
- Speaking of vehicles & planets, the terrain is a lot more rocky and varied so it’s harder to drive around, what about a hovering vehicle ? Single seat hoverbike (maybe a larger 2 seat one) would be a dream come true, fast & agile but not resistant to attacks, no shields & no actual protection for the pilot, have guards using those to patrol larger settlements and pursuit you if you try to flee, instead of the current ridiculous chases where the whole places runs at you from their settlement, with a couple front facing fixed plasma repeaters (steal those from the SLFs)
- More weapon & categories : LMG ? RPG ? kinetic shotgun, laser sniper
- Melee weapons & non-lethal means : An actual taser, a stun grenade
- Additional character & enemy variety : could have cybernetics on people & humanoid robots (both workers, soldiers & scavengers) to reuse the current animations but still having more to see
- More grenade types : impact grenade with less damage, fire grenade that only works in pressurised environements for area denial, hacking grenade that disables UI & simulated audio
- I want to emphasise the need for more weapons and tools quickly and not a single new one a year from now as the FPS content is already feeling stale and overly stretched out with weird design decisions, shipping with only 11 guns & 3 grenades really isn't enough and I hope we'll see more soon enough.
Thank you for reading all this, it's my first forum post and quite the large one, I really hope a Community Manager stumbles onto this and passes on the feedback to a developer for it to be considered as I'm worried about Odyssey (& Elite)'s future and what is to come.
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