The new exploration mechanics

[[VR] Mad Mike]

All sound really really interesting...

However i am a little worried that my questions regarding whether these had been tested in VR to make sure they work well (unlike say the system map which imo does NOT work well in VR)

Maybe i am over worrying but after DBs recent interview seemingly backing off from VR i am concerned.

is anyone else worried? has anyone seen an official response that i may have missed?

thanks

 

[-VR- Max Factor]

All sound really really interesting...

However i am a little worried that my questions regarding whether these had been tested in VR to make sure they work well (unlike say the system map which imo does NOT work well in VR)

Maybe i am over worrying but after DBs recent interview seemingly backing off from VR i am concerned.

is anyone else worried? has anyone seen an official response that i may have missed?

thanks

I am a bit worried that the UI will be an out of body camera view. It needs to be part of the cockpit UI in my view. Whether it's a large pop-up screen or part of the normal cockpit I can live with that, but if it is a disembodied view, then that will be a disappointment.

 

[VR Mr Teatime]

Agree guys - I also put up a post with the same thing, as I have a (human) co-pilot joining me for my next exploration trip and we'll both be using VR.

The "screenshot" mock-up does look like its a cockpit overlay/replacement HUD in the first person view with the Message and Info panels shown, but the space/symbology for the orbits and planet look different. Also the planet display looks like a completely separate camera view/console, so confirmation I think is important.

If there's a stream tonight it might be a good idea for a number of us to ask the VR questions, as the chat on those can go so quickly Ed/Will etc. can miss things very easily.

 

[Dooguk]

All sound really really interesting...

However i am a little worried that my questions regarding whether these had been tested in VR to make sure they work well (unlike say the system map which imo does NOT work well in VR)

Maybe i am over worrying but after DBs recent interview seemingly backing off from VR i am concerned.

is anyone else worried? has anyone seen an official response that i may have missed?

thanks

What is your problem with the system map in VR?

 

[[VR] Mad Mike]

for me it is far far to slow to move about. The mouse kind of works however the official oculus good practice guide for vr is not use rely on mouse at all... and indeed for all the rest of the game there is no need to even touch the mouse.

perhaps it is a settings issue (i have no problem with the galaxy map in VR) but also i find it WAY to zoomed in every time i open the system map.

 

[Arioch]

If the new system is a 360 view that slews around (like the SRV turret view) then I’ll be disappointed - that’s the only thing that plucks at my puke strings in ED.

I hope that in VR it is more akin to the stellar cartography thing from Star Trek (Generations, I think?), so something I can look around to spot things by moving my head.

 

[Dooguk]

for me it is far far to slow to move about. The mouse kind of works however the official oculus good practice guide for vr is not use rely on mouse at all... and indeed for all the rest of the game there is no need to even touch the mouse.

perhaps it is a settings issue (i have no problem with the galaxy map in VR) but also i find it WAY to zoomed in every time i open the system map.

Yes I have the same thing. It needs some kind of mouse pointer acceleration. I have a CH throttle and have it mapped to the mini joystick. It would be really good if you could just focus on any object and select it, the same as in the cockpit view.

 

[gpcustoms]

I get all excited about the new feature and then you guys reign me back to reality
My guess is its gonna be another screen like the galaxy map and not be VR friendly. I have learned to work around the existing maps but this popping up every time I honk the horn is another kind of out of body experience I hope not to experience. The feature does create some new twists to exploration but I don't see how it can function and be detailed unless its full screen:O

 

[YinYin]

The "screenshot" mock-up does look like its a cockpit overlay/replacement HUD in the first person view with the Message and Info panels shown, but the space/symbology for the orbits and planet look different. Also the planet display looks like a completely separate camera view/console, so confirmation I think is important.

These aren't just mockups. They are subtitled as ingame already.

And those HUD panels are flat, much like in the gunner view.
It doesn't look like it'll be in your cockpit.

 

[who?]

I am a bit worried that the UI will be an out of body camera view. It needs to be part of the cockpit UI in my view. Whether it's a large pop-up screen or part of the normal cockpit I can live with that, but if it is a disembodied view, then that will be a disappointment.

Exactly my 'worry' too, I asked about this but couldn't find an answer. The screenshot has UI elements from the HUD as if it's a HUD overlay, but probably not.

I'm really hoping it still can be done that way, in a HUD overlay and not in some kind of modal fullscreen view which takes you away from the cockpit view and you lose the ability to monitor the scanner, look at side-screens etc.

 

[willisit]

My expectation is it'll be like the system view. It'll work, but not well.

I use FPS controls in the maps (WASD) in VR. It's not hard to find the keys and if you zoom right out in the system map, it's very quick to toggle planets... but that doesn't help us here. I saw 16 requests for VR info in the first 50 pages and no response, so I think the answer is "um, we haven't tried".

 

[CMDR MAIN SEQUENCE]

There is an opportunity here for FD to actually make this new UI work better in VR than in 2D...in 2D it will most likely have to take over the whole screen, whereas in VR the new UI could be a flat semi-transparent holographic panel that floats a couple of feet in front of the pilot (it would take over most of the view but not all of it, allowing us to keep one eye on our instruments). Having said that, if indeed it is a 360deg camera view then I guess that might get a bit weird.

for me it is far far to slow to move about. The mouse kind of works however the official oculus good practice guide for vr is not use rely on mouse at all... and indeed for all the rest of the game there is no need to even touch the mouse.

perhaps it is a settings issue (i have no problem with the galaxy map in VR) but also i find it WAY to zoomed in every time i open the system map.

Yeah both those things are annoying though not game-breaking (god I hate that term), I was hoping that was exactly the kind of QoL thing they would address in Beyond but I guess not. It would be nice to have a setting to adjust the speed of movement.

 

[[VR] Mad Mike]

My expectation is it'll be like the system view. It'll work, but not well..

This is my worry too... however the system view, whilst not great it is usable ... more importantly tho for the most part it is possible to get by without using it that much.

this sounds like it will no longer be the case with the new view and so i fear we may be in that view what ever it is for a long time.

I know it is a bit of a dirty word here............................ but what better time for FD to have introduced the Orrery view!. That could have worked really well in VR as well as on a screen and because it would be a fully 3D 6DOF view it would have been much easier to display a lot of info on it.

 

[willisit]

This is my worry too... however the system view, whilst not great it is usable ... more importantly tho for the most part it is possible to get by without using it that much.

this sounds like it will no longer be the case with the new view and so i fear we may be in that view what ever it is for a long time.

I know it is a bit of a dirty word here............................ but what better time for FD to have introduced the Orrery view!. That could have worked really well in VR as well as on a screen and because it would be a fully 3D 6DOF view it would have been much easier to display a lot of info on it.

I play nearly entirely in VR and the system map has never bothered me - I use it with the mouse as well, so I guess it's a very personal thing. It could be SO much better, but it does the job (remember, zoom out - pan with WASD, select... easy peasy).

Err, yeah, the Orrery came up in a conversation I had with a Dev... I think the answer was something along the lines of "never happening". It was slightly longer, and more descriptiive than that - but there you go. However, things change so there's a % chance it'll happen. Might be 0.1%...

 

[[VR] Mad Mike]

Err, yeah, the Orrery came up in a conversation I had with a Dev... I think the answer was something along the lines of "never happening". It was slightly longer, and more descriptiive than that - but there you go. However, things change so there's a % chance it'll happen. Might be 0.1%...

if this is the case FD really should be more honest to the community. They were the ones who teased images of the orrery and last i heard it was still on the list to get done and they had NOT given up on it.

if they have, well, fair enough i guess, but much like ripping a plaster off they should just man up and announce that. that way - once the cloud of salt dust has settled - we can all move on and just accept it - or not - but either way those of us who want it can give up hoping for it.

 

[willisit]

if this is the case FD really should be more honest to the community. They were the ones who teased images of the orrery and last i heard it was still on the list to get done and they had NOT given up on it.

if they have, well, fair enough i guess, but much like ripping a plaster off they should just man up and announce that. that way - once the cloud of salt dust has settled - we can all move on and just accept it - or not - but either way those of us who want it can give up hoping for it.

My understand has always been that the game couldn't support it and would mean an entire rewrite of the system map and the engine behind it. I've personally never read anything to the contrary, but I'm happy to be educated. I'm pretty sure it was the Dev's opinion and not a hard line - the context was about more than the system map and where they put effort (i.e. what does it add? is it worth the time over something more important to community, like new content) hence the "never happening" line - but this was before the influx of cash, the new building and more staff.

I still don't think they'll do it though

 

[Pville_Piper]

All sound really really interesting...

However i am a little worried that my questions regarding whether these had been tested in VR to make sure they work well (unlike say the system map which imo does NOT work well in VR)

Maybe i am over worrying but after DBs recent interview seemingly backing off from VR i am concerned.

is anyone else worried? has anyone seen an official response that i may have missed?

thanks

Good catch Mike... Those running marginal systems may have a harder time seeing the information based on what I've seen... With my system I don't have a hard time reading text though.

 

[VR Mr Teatime]

These aren't just mockups. They are subtitled as ingame already.

And those HUD panels are flat, much like in the gunner view.
It doesn't look like it'll be in your cockpit.

Yeah that's my concern - if its an out of body 3rd person view its going to be a bit poor for multi-crew, but I guess you could accept your "science officer" is "sucked into" a console screen on the ship. However, I can only think it'll be worse for the single player i.e. how are you meant to fly and use the interface if its 3rd person? Especially for the probe firing stuff, where I understand that you might need to fly around a planet to get coverage, if "trick shotting" them around the other side is not doable for some reason.

Then of course there is the ganking opportunities that having a "distracted" pilot in the exploration UI is going to bring...

Many questions - hopefully we can get answers...