SRV Boost Mode, and other optimizations.

[Fixitman]

I realized a huge problem with SRVs today.

Material deposits such as Outcrops and Metallic Meteorites only spawn a certain distance from your landing zone. You need to get out of your ship and travel a few km before they will appear. But since ships are so much faster than SRVs, people almost never use their SRV for moving long distances across a planet's surface. So people almost never see Metallic Meteorites and Outcrops and other organic means of finding materials! This, in turn, means people feel like they have to go to the Brain Trees or Crystal Shards to get their raw mats, which can feel like a real burden.

There are a few straightforward tweaks that really should be done to make using an SRV for travel across a planet's surface more appealing.

Meteorite "pop in" has been an issue since Horizons launched. They show on the SRV scanner at distance, but stay invisible until around 100 m. It would be nice to have them at least become visible farther away. Spawning is completely random though. I've landed right next to meteorites numerous times in the last week.

1. Allow us to get into and out of an SRV with a single button press.​

This is seemingly minor, but needing to navigate a few button presses whenever you want to get in and out of your SRV does make it meaningfully more annoying to use, and encourages using a ship instead. Letting us get in and out with a single button would make the experience much more appealing.

This can be accomplished with macros. This is a nice idea, but not really necessary.

2. Optimize the black screen on getting into the SRV.​

Another seemingly minor element, but honestly, the black screen in Elite is Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad.

I held down a for as long as it takes(literally) to get into an SRV in elite. Want a comparison? Look:

<snipped out video>

Compare and contrast this to the 'load time' in the 2005 version of Star Wars Battlefront 2:

<snipped out video

Seriously. It's bad. Is it any wonder people don't want to bother using this? You could literally be at full HP before the black screen and load into being dead without ever being able to move.

The black screen is there for more than a simple screen refresh. It's also waiting for the server to receive your new status/position. I've tried getting out of my SRV in the same spot using my cable internet (300 Mb via Ethernet), then using my slowest WiFi. There is a HUGE difference. That's just how ED is coded, changing it would likely be a monumental undertaking.

3. Allow us to Air-Drop the SRV.​

Yet again, another element to simply make using the SRV more appealing. Getting back to your ship is fine, as it can find a landing zone for itself, but if you have to land to deploy the SRV anyway, why bother? Allowing us to air-drop the SRV is the clear solution. There do not need to be any safeguards here; if you screw up, you screw up. Just let us deploy it at any time.

I like this idea, provided there is an option to air-retrieve it as well. Drop it, then auto-dismiss the ship. For the retrieval, have the ship hover near the SRV for boarding. That would likely take lots of coding. It would abolish my hatred of Fungoida though

4. Boost Assist Mode​

This one is the most tricky. SRVs just move too dang slow. Check out this video of what the typical exobiology experience looks like: <snipped video>

As you can see, I can travel the 500m between Bacterium in about 20 seconds, INCLUDING the prolonged black screen. At present, the SRV simply cannot keep up with that. Reducing the black screen duration will help a lot, but to really make the SRV viable for exploration, it needs to be able to travel faster.

To help accomplish this, I'd like to propose a new mode, one that accompanies the Driving Assist On and Driving Assist Off. Boost Assist Mode would basically lock the back wheels in place, disabling 4WD, and point the thrusters backwards, giving you a 3x increase in your straightline speed(up to 120m/s). You would still need to point yourself in a safe direction, but this would allow you to VERY rapidly move around the map, making the SRV a far more appealing option.

As far as I can tell, the primary PURPOSE of a ground vehicle is to move quickly across the ground. Until it can do that, we can't really expect people to use it for anything, and we can't expect people to encounter any of the diverse and cool things you can encounter on the ground!

SRV's move fast enough for my liking, so I'd never use this. There's already enough ways to lose everything without adding boost.

 

[alexzk]

giving you a 3x increase in your straightline speed(up to 120m/s).

Sounds cool, but no. It is hard to drive even with current limits on kb/mouse. I had controller before - that was nice - always full speed. but not with keyboard. I use drive assist at 50% now.
What they really should do - make SLF possible to land. It will be enough.

 

[GroG79]

On rocky terrain the srv is much faster

Just gitgud

 

[DemiserofD]

This can be accomplished with macros. This is a nice idea, but not really necessary.

In most competitive circles, macros are considered cheating. I understand that they're regularly used in the Elite community, but I don't think that people should be compelled to use what many see as an unfair 3rd party program offering a performance advantage in gameplay.

 

[DemiserofD]

The black screen is there for more than a simple screen refresh. It's also waiting for the server to receive your new status/position. I've tried getting out of my SRV in the same spot using my cable internet (300 Mb via Ethernet), then using my slowest WiFi. There is a HUGE difference. That's just how ED is coded, changing it would likely be a monumental undertaking.

Optimization is always possible. Consider the way you swap ships in your fleet carrier; that moves you to an entirely new position as well, but it happens(on my PC) in less than half the time it takes to enter an SRV.

Edit: That said, I feel I should mention I've got 30ms of ping and 55mbps downloads/25up. So I don't feel like I should be notably throttled by my connection.

Sounds cool, but no. It is hard to drive even with current limits on kb/mouse. I had controller before - that was nice - always full speed. but not with keyboard. I use drive assist at 50% now.
What they really should do - make SLF possible to land. It will be enough.

Don't forget that part of the suggestion is locking the rear wheels! Of course, much like SCO, it would still take skill to master, but that's all part of the fun, you know?

 

[Fixitman]

In most competitive circles, macros are considered cheating. I understand that they're regularly used in the Elite community, but I don't think that people should be compelled to use what many see as an unfair 3rd party program offering a performance advantage in gameplay.

It takes three keystrokes to exit the ship to on-foot, four to deploy the SRV, and three to exit the SRV. It literally takes one second or less. Anyone concerned with saving a few hundred milliseconds should consider macros. Any compulsion to do so falls squarely on the player's shoulders.

 

[alexzk]

Optimization is always possible. Consider the way you swap ships in your fleet carrier; that moves you to an entirely new position as well, but it happens(on my PC) in less than half the time it takes to enter an SRV.

This loading times. On FC whole FC is loaded. Move is fast.
On srv/foot complete new scene is loaded with different graphical settings (some things you will not see out of ship at all, because it does not exists on the scene simply). That takes time.

...and driving srv is a chore, not a fun actually (because driving is always slower than flying). Lately I use it once a month (some planets are so spiky, Anny cannot land for mushrooms).
I would prefer SLF landing / exit. So my Anaconda could hangout above me.

 

[Alec Turner]

...and driving srv is a chore, not a fun actually

Each to their own of course but I would have to disagree vehemently with you on that point!

 

[DemiserofD]

It takes three keystrokes to exit the ship to on-foot, four to deploy the SRV, and three to exit the SRV. It literally takes one second or less. Anyone concerned with saving a few hundred milliseconds should consider macros. Any compulsion to do so falls squarely on the player's shoulders.

You're right that it only takes a few keystrokes, and for some players, it may not feel significant. But in fast-paced or high-pressure scenarios, those few seconds can add up. If a player is in a situation where every second counts—like evading an enemy or getting in while at low health—streamlining this process could make a significant difference in gameplay experience.

Improving accessibility and efficiency in controls isn't just about saving milliseconds; it's also about enhancing the overall user experience. Simplifying actions can make the game more enjoyable and less frustrating, especially for new players. Game design often benefits from reevaluating established mechanics; just because something has been done a certain way doesn't mean it can't be improved, and embracing change can lead to a better game for everyone.

This loading times. On FC whole FC is loaded. Move is fast.
On srv/foot complete new scene is loaded with different graphical settings (some things you will not see out of ship at all, because it does not exists on the scene simply). That takes time.

...and driving srv is a chore, not a fun actually (because driving is always slower than flying). Lately I use it once a month (some planets are so spiky, Anny cannot land for mushrooms).
I would prefer SLF landing / exit. So my Anaconda could hangout above me.

I feel like the same should be achievable on the ground. After all, you know the local area before landing, and you know exactly which vehicle will be loaded.

Honestly, I feel like a big part of why driving an SRV is a chore is because of the issues I've highlighted. By fixing them, it could make SRV driving a lot more pleasant overall, and something people are more likely to do!

 

[alexzk]

I feel like the same should be achievable on the ground. After all, you know the local area before landing, and you know exactly which vehicle will be loaded.

Not sure. It could be even different physics models. Ships lands and 45G almost the same as on 0.04G. While SRV feels the difference 0.1G.

 

[aRJay]

This loading times. On FC whole FC is loaded. Move is fast.
On srv/foot complete new scene is loaded with different graphical settings (some things you will not see out of ship at all, because it does not exists on the scene simply). That takes time.

...and driving srv is a chore, not a fun actually (because driving is always slower than flying). Lately I use it once a month (some planets are so spiky, Anny cannot land for mushrooms).
I would prefer SLF landing / exit. So my Anaconda could hangout above me.

Until we can actually get in an SLF and fly it having them land is pointless.