System map overhaul needed

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

My gut feeling is that the ED development team is much smaller nowadays. When I see the discount of the elite disk in the ps4 second hand shops I know it is really a niche market. The team is probably split into two. Half working on beyond, and half on atmo landing for 2019 as it is a major endeavor

This is how it was during Season 1. So I suspect it is what they did now - half works for next paid for DLC (not season, but full release), and half will work on Beyond. Due of 'low hanging fruits' nature in Beyond, I did not expect Orrery appear there.

Anyway, this thread has given lot of interesting feedback to devs, especially about how to improve existing navigation so I hope they will figure something out and will give us some feedback during Beyond. Would be nice.

I think you'll find JPE is the basis for any atmospheric world development

I doubt so. JWE has created their own rendering and yes, there are interesting atmospheric lighting effects - shaders for whom might be shared between games - other than that JWE aims for quite significant movie style look, where ED look is more subdued.

 

[Rubbernuke]

I doubt so. JWE has created their own rendering and yes, there are interesting atmospheric lighting effects - shaders for whom might be shared between games - other than that JWE aims for quite significant movie style look, where ED look is more subdued.

I thought it would, they both use Cobra(?), same rendering pipeline, experience making and rendering animals (didn't DB talk about dinosaurs in the Kickstarter?). PC has dynamic cloud tech, crowds and deals with varying scales- I'd say the chances of cross pollination would be good.

 

[LKx]

I thought it would, they both use Cobra(?), same rendering pipeline, experience making and rendering animals (didn't DB talk about dinosaurs in the Kickstarter?). PC has dynamic cloud tech, crowds and deals with varying scales- I'd say the chances of cross pollination would be good.

I think they might also use some"dinosaurs generation" engine for ELWs

 

[CMDR GTR2014]

I'd just love the ability to switch from 3D map or Flat map, personally.

Having an option either way would be nice. That way people who prefer one or t'other can switch at will, rather than being forced to use only one style of map.

Yes I imagine orrere map to be grat on Sol like systems... but in "strange" systems it might be a Cluster F.. imagine a orrere map of Hutton Orbital for example... how do you scale it on a 0.22 Ly basis?

 

[Shinji Ikari]

And you have it already, just turn orbital lines on.

Sorry but no. There really isn't a comparison.

Honestly, I'm not so sure I'd actually like a 3d Orrey style map. I did see some of the old concept images, and to be honest, they seem overly complicated, cluttered and busy.
Sometimes newer and prettier isn't really better - just look at Windows 7, 8 and 10.

There's no reason to ditch the current system map. A toggle could be in order.

 

[Shinji Ikari]

Because I think it's a collosal waste of time. The current system map works, it's elegant in it's simplicity & works for any system. in 4,000hrs of play I've never thought to myself 'An orrery map would help here'.

FDev clearly have way too much on their hands already without adding stuff like this. I feel the same way about re-colouring the planets. What got pushed back to put that into Q1 2018? Something certainly did.

The game already provides all the information you need to be able to picture how the system looks, and where you are in it imo.

Are you an explorer?

 

[Riverside]

Are you an explorer?

Are you a tourist?

 

[-VR- Max Factor]

Are you a tourist?

What has that got to do with it. The point being, that as an explorer, using the current system is virtually useless, but we are forced to use it. You can't even call it a map, it's just a pictorial list of what is in the system, no different to what is in the navigation UI.

 

[Shinji Ikari]

Are you a tourist?

I asked first, you answer first.

 

[EUS]

Yes I imagine orrere map to be grat on Sol like systems... but in "strange" systems it might be a Cluster F.. imagine a orrere map of Hutton Orbital for example... how do you scale it on a 0.22 Ly basis?

How is Hutton scaled presently?

 

[-VR- Max Factor]

Yes I imagine orrere map to be grat on Sol like systems... but in "strange" systems it might be a Cluster F.. imagine a orrere map of Hutton Orbital for example... how do you scale it on a 0.22 Ly basis?

Pretty easy really. The main star you jump to is the one that the map centres on as default. Some of it maybe off screen, like it is in the current "map", so you zoom out and click on hutton orbital, now that becomes the centre of the map, and then you zoom in. Kinda similar to the galaxy map and the current system map. You could also have a list at the bottom of the map, something like the current map in a reduced size and scrollable and use that to zoom around the map.

It wouldn't be difficult.

 

[Shinji Ikari]

How is Hutton scaled presently?

The current system map lacks of scale at all.

 

[CMDR GTR2014]

How is Hutton scaled presently?

edit wiki is a

 

[Jools]

orrery map, you know the basic core thing that was supposed to be in game at launch, seems now to be too challenging for Fd despite the fact FE2 had it and it worked excellently on a 7 mhz processor (I`m sure that is because the systems we fly through are 100% seamless, and not because the whole thing is a messy hack of some sorts that prohibits showing the systems as a whole... yeah)

Despite that, the lacklustre 2.0 as a whole, overall extremely buggy yet simplistic game with 3 station types with same yellow square wheeled trucks driving around in static intervals, I`m somehow supposed to believe that the same team (minus some key top tier talent that got moved to other projects) will deliver atmospheric landings on Earthlike planets with animal life, full scale cities, station interiors, eva, in-ship gameplay, highjacking ones ship, and even big game hunting, in the same time frame that got us where we are today... does not compute.

meanwhile some fanboys are trying to enforce the view that the lack of orrery, and the sudden change form "it`s coming" to "its not coming any time soon if ever" is actually for the better....

lol

 

[CMDR GTR2014]

Pretty easy really. The main star you jump to is the one that the map centres on as default. Some of it maybe off screen, like it is in the current "map", so you zoom out and click on hutton orbital, now that becomes the centre of the map, and then you zoom in. Kinda similar to the galaxy map and the current system map. You could also have a list at the bottom of the map, something like the current map in a reduced size and scrollable and use that to zoom around the map.

It wouldn't be difficult.

That is my point it would be FAR harder to use the Orrere map in weird systems. While i dont Opose (heck no i want it) i think there should always be an option of the original map.

 

[Mengy]

The point being, that as an explorer, using the current system is virtually useless, but we are forced to use it. You can't even call it a map, it's just a pictorial list of what is in the system, no different to what is in the navigation UI.

I wouldn't go to the extreme that the flat sys map is useless. As a quick glance summary of the bodies in a system it has it's uses, but it is also extremely limited in the information it can convey and the manner in which it conveys it. This is why the past two games in the franchise had BOTH the flat map and the orrery map, because both can be useful in their own regards depending on what info you are looking for.

The problem is Elite Dangerous only has the flat map, so it is missing the functionality of the orrery. In this regard ED is less advanced than the previous two incarnations in the franchise, but then that also applies to ship selection, missions, landable planets, etc. I'd like to see ED grow as a game and continue to improve, and adding an orrery map is one great way to do so, an improvement which we have previous experience with and know the amount of value it could add from that experience. It's a sure thing, a home run, a gimmee, a no brainer of a feature to add.

 

[-VR- Max Factor]

That is my point it would be FAR harder to use the Orrere map in weird systems. While i dont Opose (heck no i want it) i think there should always be an option of the original map.

I just said how easy it would be. Not too sure why you think it would far harder. And yes 100% there should be the option of the original version.

I wouldn't go to the extreme that the flat sys map is useless. As a quick glance summary of the bodies in a system it has it's uses, but it is also extremely limited in the information it can convey and the manner in which it conveys it. This is why the past two games in the franchise had BOTH the flat map and the orrery map, because both can be useful in their own regards depending on what info you are looking for.

The problem is Elite Dangerous only has the flat map, so it is missing the functionality of the orrery. In this regard ED is less advanced than the previous two incarnations in the franchise, but then that also applies to ship selection, missions, landable planets, etc. I'd like to see ED grow as a game and continue to improve, and adding an orrery map is one great way to do so, an improvement which we have previous experience with and know the amount of value it could add from that experience. It's a sure thing, a home run, a gimmee, a no brainer of a feature to add.

I did say virtually useless, not completely useless. I does have some use, but as an explorer, it is zero help when plotting a route. I never use it apart from a quick look when I first drop into a system. And yes I agree that it is a no brainer. It could open up so much more gameplay too and bring systems alive.

 

[CMDR GTR2014]

I just said how easy it would be. Not too sure why you think it would far harder.

Simple Right now i can navigate the system mode with any of the 3 items i have in the table. Stick, Keyboard and mouse.

The orrere system will almost force me to use a mouse as i have to in the gal map (and i hate it)

I wouldn't go to the extreme that the flat sys map is useless. As a quick glance summary of the bodies in a system it has it's uses, but it is also extremely limited in the information it can convey and the manner in which it conveys it. This is why the past two games in the franchise had BOTH the flat map and the orrery map, because both can be useful in their own regards depending on what info you are looking for.

The problem is Elite Dangerous only has the flat map, so it is missing the functionality of the orrery. In this regard ED is less advanced than the previous two incarnations in the franchise, but then that also applies to ship selection, missions, landable planets, etc. I'd like to see ED grow as a game and continue to improve, and adding an orrery map is one great way to do so, an improvement which we have previous experience with and know the amount of value it could add from that experience. It's a sure thing, a home run, a gimmee, a no brainer of a feature to add.

Id settle for a top down system map.

To a relative scale (this one is not btw ) and also put a scale somewhere I gives a good senso fo MAP!

For example click on a planet. the planet comest to focus and shows the moons in the same top down way.

 

[killminster]

For everyone getting nostalgic about the orrery in Elite 2 it's only functionality was for selecting auto pilot/navigation target lock. All of the useful information was provided in the schematic view.

IMO they brought over the most useful part of the older game and added the target lock functions to it making the orrery redundant.

The only way I could see the orrery adding anything worthwhile would be as an extension to the the current schematic view, a toggle that explodes it to the 3D representation. But this really wouldn't be much more than a cool looking toy as scaling would have to be squashed and mangled and expanded to get everything on the screen and at that point what is it for other than looking cool (I agree it would look cool)?

The only half convincing argument for it put forward so far is plotting intra-system travel. Everything else suggests creating lots more gameplay mechanics just to support the feature which seems like an upside down way of doing things.

 

[-VR- Max Factor]

Simple Right now i can navigate the system mode with any of the 3 items i have in the table. Stick, Keyboard and mouse.

The orrere system will almost force me to use a mouse as i have to in the gal map (and i hate it)



Id settle for a top down system map.

http://www.kabc.com/wp-content/uplo...r-system-no-names-version-1146849-639x391.jpg

To a relative scale (this one is not btw ) and also put a scale somewhere I gives a good senso fo MAP!

For example click on a planet. the planet comest to focus and shows the moons in the same top down way.

I don't use a mouse with the galaxy map. I use my hotas and find it very easy. The only thing I do use my keyboard for is to type stuff at the odd time that I need to.

But yes, a top down look would be a compromise I could live with. I think the idea with an orrey map is that you could tilt it to make it top down if you wanted to.