Update 8?

[Stealthie]

Anybody else seen the trailer FDev posted to advertise Odyssey update 8?

Basically, we're getting 4 player MC and hand-gestures.

The first thing that I took away from this video was that FDev seem to be attempting to ignore the train-wreck that Odyssey was/is and focus on "new features" instead.
The second thing I took away from this video is that these "new features" are really, really, inane.

I mean, didn't FDev say that they were going to focus on getting PC Odyssey "fixed" prior to a console release?
How is 4 player MC and hand-gestures contributing to either of those objectives?

MC was hopeless at the best of times.
Then FDev released Odyssey, which split the user-base into two camps (EDO and EDH) which rendered MC twice as useless.
And now they're adding an extra seat so THREE other people can ignore MC instead of just 2?!

And, hand-gestures?
Yes, it would've been nice if there was an easy way for players to communicate but, erm, this isn't it.
Dunno if FDev were shooting for some kind of Fortnite-style gimmick but, erm, this isn't it.

And, are we going to talk about how some of the gestures seem to look a lot like the salute of a certain German political party from the early 20th century?
I see no way such a gesture might be abused as a means of offending.

I'd like to remain optimistic that update 8 WILL also include new optimisations, bug-fixes and improvements to the lighting but it's way, way, too soon for FDev to be trying to sweep the fundamental problems with Odyssey under the carpet in favour of advertising such trite nonsense.
The primary thing that both existing players AND potential new players need to hear, for the forseeable future, is that the existing game is being fixed.

 

[Ian Skippy]

Anybody else seen the trailer FDev posted to advertise Odyssey update 8?

Basically, we're getting 4 player MC and hand-gestures.

The first thing that I took away from this video was that FDev seem to be attempting to ignore the train-wreck that Odyssey was/is and focus on "new features" instead.
The second thing I took away from this video is that these "new features" are really, really, inane.

I mean, didn't FDev say that they were going to focus on getting PC Odyssey "fixed" prior to a console release?
How is 4 player MC and hand-gestures contributing to either of those objectives?

MC was hopeless at the best of times.
Then FDev released Odyssey, which split the user-base into two camps (EDO and EDH) which rendered MC twice as useless.
And now they're adding an extra seat so THREE other people can ignore MC instead of just 2?!

And, hand-gestures?
Yes, it would've been nice if there was an easy way for players to communicate but, erm, this isn't it.
Dunno if FDev were shooting for some kind of Fortnite-style gimmick but, erm, this isn't it.

And, are we going to talk about how some of the gestures seem to look a lot like the salute of a certain German political party from the early 20th century?
I see no way such a gesture might be abused as a means of offending.

I'd like to remain optimistic that update 8 WILL also include new optimisations, bug-fixes and improvements to the lighting but it's way, way, too soon for FDev to be trying to sweep the fundamental problems with Odyssey under the carpet in favour of advertising such trite nonsense.
The primary thing that both existing players AND potential new players need to hear, for the forseeable future, is that the existing game is being fixed.

Alternate take: FD added two things the community repeatedly asked for on all media platforms. Its cool if you don't care for it, but I dont see why ship modelers cant add a seat or animators cant add animations because the engine coders are working on optimization. It kinda sound that you dont like these features in general and are just looking for a way to feel 'objectively angry' about it.

Also, FPS performance is literally the first thing they talk about in the September Update. Its outright dishonest to pretend they are 'sweeping it under the rug' only because you dislike basic improvements of the multiplayer experience.

And Hitler. For real? sigh

 

[babelfisch]

I don't know, I was pleasantly surprised by the announcements of the September update.

Development Update 4 - September

Greetings Commanders,     As we reach the end of another month, we are delighted to share the latest development progress from the team. Last week saw the release of Odyssey Update 7 which brings big changes to Conflict Zones such as anti-air defences, rocket troopers, and dogfighting. If you...

forums.frontier.co.uk

The bigger problem is that it's going to be buggy as hell.

 

[Ian Skippy]

I don't know, I was pleasantly surprised by the announcements of the September update.

Development Update 4 - September

Greetings Commanders,     As we reach the end of another month, we are delighted to share the latest development progress from the team. Last week saw the release of Odyssey Update 7 which brings big changes to Conflict Zones such as anti-air defences, rocket troopers, and dogfighting. If you...

forums.frontier.co.uk

The bigger problem is that it's going to be buggy as hell.

The stream has a 88% upvote ratio on Youtube. Its just that the people who have been unhappy for a very long time continue to be very unhappy in the present and future. Its easy to name a dozen or so people here who are disappointed with this update, will be disappointed with the next update and have been disappointed with any given update the last five years.

I mean, OP intentionally pretended they are 'hiding' the very first thing they talk about and even somehow manages to bring Hitler into it. There is nobody who doesnt have a beef with FD that watches that trailer and thinks:"Hmm, Hitler is bad.". Its bizarre.

 

[babelfisch]

The stream has a 88% upvote ratio on Youtube. Its just that the people who have been unhappy for a very long time continue to be very unhappy in the present and future. Its easy to name a dozen or so people here who are disappointed with this update, will be disappointed with the next update and have been disappointed with any given update the last five years.

I mean, OP intentionally pretended they are 'hiding' the very first thing they talk about and even somehow manages to bring Hitler into it. Its just looking for outrage.

I kind of understand the disappointment. There are lots of good things in the updates they've added over the last months. But they should've been there from the start. Odyssey was and still is more like early access than a released game. This would be more in line with all the bugs as well...
I always wait for a new update and each time I want to try it something breaks, so I just continue to play other games (currently Cyberpunk). This is my approach since a few years now...
So many reasons to be negative and disappointed but in the end I am just happy that the game still gets developed, even though it could be way better if they finally listened to me and add cockpit cats.

 

[Rock Hunter]

I can’t blame FDev for wanting to concentrate whats essentially a PR/Info piece with a couple of positive additions that have been requested numerous times.

I think it’s fair to say optimisation/ fps improvements are fully understood to be required by everyone by now, including the Devs.

I‘m not interested in being able to make my Cmdr dance or generally prat about in stations…although some military style hand signals would be great for group infiltration missions etc. However, most seem to want them and FDev are adding the to Update 8 (not making them Update 8.)

 

[LeoBartlet]

And, hand-gestures?
Yes, it would've been nice if there was an easy way for players to communicate but, erm, this isn't it.
Dunno if FDev were shooting for some kind of Fortnite-style gimmick but, erm, this isn't it.

Do you have an alternative way of communicating with players?

And, are we going to talk about how some of the gestures seem to look a lot like the salute of a certain German political party from the early 20th century?
I see no way such a gesture might be abused as a means of offending.

I don't see the connection but I guess we see what we want to see

 

[thistle]

Anybody else seen the trailer FDev posted to advertise Odyssey update 8?

Nope, the forum hadn't noticed.

 

[Stealthie]

I mean, OP intentionally pretended they are 'hiding' the very first thing they talk about and even somehow manages to bring Hitler into it. There is nobody who doesnt have a beef with FD that watches that trailer and thinks:"Hmm, Hitler is bad.". Its bizarre.

What's bizarre is a determination to deny factual information.

The video I watched made no mention, at all, of bug-fixes or optimisations inbound.
To suggest otherwise is simply a lie.

I've no doubt that other media sources continue to mention the more important problems remaining with Odyssey but I am simply baffled as to why FDev might think 4-player MC and waving are worthwhile additions to the game, instead of concentrating on fixing what's already broken and then moving forward with a console release, as DB laid out in his recent talk.

As I said, for Odyssey to be successful, what FDev need to do is convince players (existing ones and potential ones) that Odyssey is a quality product rather than sprinkling glitter on the poop.

 

[Ian Skippy]

But nonsense is nonsense and fluff is fluff, no matter how many people vote for it.

Ah yes, I forgot you were the Grand Arbiter of what the game needs. Who cares if FD delivers what others ask for if the Great Frillop Freyraum wasn't consulted.

But while we're on the subject of Hitler and majorities, and if that plays a big role for you: That party was also supported by a majority, mind you.

I am going to ignore this because the stupidity of the sentence makes my head hurt.

This is not a good omen for the future of the game. For the mass of young players and the shareholders, maybe. But definitely not for oldies like me.

Ah yes, doom™. FD adds four emotes and the elderly throw a melodramatic hissy fit again. Oh no, twitter, emotes, rap music. O tempora o mores!~

Fluff without meat for the Twitter generation.

Lol, you literally even start ranting about twitter.

I think the OP is spot on.

Of course you do.

 

[LeoBartlet]

Gestures are a form of pseudo communication, no more no less. Fluff without meat for the Twitter generation.

Yes, where were we before Fortnite introduced emotes to MMO games.

 

[Stealthie]

Yes, where were we before Fortnite introduced emotes to MMO games.

You say that like Fortnite made some giant leap forward in players' ability to communicate in-game, rather than merely providing fodder for tiktok memes.

 

[Ian Skippy]

What's bizarre is a determination to deny factual information.

The video I watched made no mention, at all, of bug-fixes or optimisations inbound.
To suggest otherwise is simply a lie.

I've no doubt that other media sources continue to mention the more important problems remaining with Odyssey but I am simply baffled as to why FDev might think 4-player MC and waving are worthwhile additions to the game, instead of concentrating on fixing what's already broken and then moving forward with a console release, as DB laid out in his recent talk.

As I said, for Odyssey to be successful, what FDev need to do is convince players (existing ones and potential ones) that Odyssey is a quality product rather than sprinkling glitter on the poop.

That clip is from the September Update:

Greetings Commanders,  
 
As we reach the end of another month, we are delighted to share the latest development progress from the team.

Last week saw the release of Odyssey Update 7 which brings big changes to Conflict Zones such as anti-air defences, rocket troopers, and dogfighting. If you missed last month’s Development Update, you can check out the turrets in action here or you can jump into Odyssey right now to try it for yourself!
 
Issue Watch
We’ve had a lot of feedback since our August post and have been hard at work tackling your most pressing issues: not just from the Issue Tracker, but from all corners of our community. We’re pleased to report that with Update 7 we tackled a number of pertinent bugs and those issues have now been closed on the tracker.

You can see Update 7’s full release notes here for more information.

To kick things off, we would like to update you on the key issues as voted for by our community on the Issue Tracker. Remember, you can visit the Issue Tracker any time to vote for your top issues or make a report. 

1. FPS performance in Odyssey 

With the bulk of our navmesh optimisations now in place with Update 7, alongside a number of other changes, our code team is now looking at further optimisations with an immediate focus on lighting, slated for release in Update 8. Further work is also underway for Update 9. 

2. Anti-Aliasing on Foot

In Update 7 we improved anti-aliasing on planetary terrain in close-up. Further improvements will arrive in Update 8 and we will be looking at other areas for improvement in future updates.

3. FPS stuttering at on-foot settlements, apparent after Update 5

We have identified further improvements to the navmesh to be made in Update 8 which we believe will substantially improve instances of stuttering upon disembarking at a settlement.

4. Ship-Launched Fighter Potential Exploit

We made changes to address this issue for Horizons in this month’s 3.8.5 release. We’re pleased to confirm these will be coming to Odyssey in Update 8.

Additionally, we hope to address a number of other issues in our Update 8 development. Keep an eye on our channels for regular updates!

Upcoming Updates and Content 
Please note: These are at varying stages of progress. This is not an exhaustive list of everything that is being considered. They are not final, so they are subject to change. We will keep you updated with news and details as they progress, and we expect the content to release over the coming few updates. With that said, here’s a look at just some of the features and content in consideration, to go alongside the other development work required for future updates. 

Update 8
The team have been incredibly busy working not only on optimisations and fixes but to bring new and exciting content to Odyssey. You can see a preview of some of the features slated to release in Update 8 below:

Emotes
You asked for them! Update 8 will bring a new way to not only express yourself, but also physically communicate with a series of emotes coming to the game. The full set features the following emotes: Wave, Applaud, Point, Agree, Disagree, Stop, Go and of course Salute. These emotes are context sensitive so can be directed towards fellow Commanders. The ‘point’ emote will also provide in-world makers to highlight points of interest/objectives to other Commanders in your Team.

Let us know in the comments what you think of these new emotes!

Four-Player Multicrew
As mentioned in Development Update 3, we are pleased to confirm that the following ships will all receive an extra seat to enable four Commanders to board them: Anaconda, Beluga Liner, Federal Corvette, Imperial Cutter, Type 9, Type 10, and the Alliance Crusader.

Odyssey Engineers in Colonia
For those far from the bubble in Colonia, the release of Update 8 will add four new Engineers for Commanders to visit, offering various ways to enhance your weapons and suits.

Megaship Interiors
With Update 8, Megaships will receive interiors for Commanders to visit once they have docked. These interiors will offer various services that can be found on stations such as Vista Genomics and Frontline Solutions. Rescue Megaships will not feature interiors at this time.

Horizons Cosmetics in Odyssey 
We’re pleased to confirm that this work is now complete! From Update 8 you will be able to use your flight suit cosmetics with Odyssey’s suits.

View attachment 265476View attachment 265477

Mission Additions and Improvements 
Missions in Odyssey will receive additional features in Update 8. These include hostile agents attempting to intercept you while en-route, contacts you can meet at settlements, and NPCs attempting to use shuttles to flee to Hyperspace!

Content In Future Updates
We are pleased to announce the following features are currently in development and will be released in updates beyond Update 8:

Twin-Seat Combat SRV
We’re thrilled to announce that a new twin-seat combat SRV is in advanced development! A full reveal including a deep-dive into its features and capabilities can be expected closer to release.

Further Mission Additions and Improvements
We also have exciting plans to further extend Odyssey’s mission set. This will add further mission variety and elements, making the gameplay experience much more dynamic.

Fleet Carrier Interiors
Following the incredible reception to the announcement of Megaship interiors, we are delighted to confirm Fleet Carrier Interiors will be coming to Odyssey in the coming months! You can expect more details on these very soon.

We hope that this update has given you plenty to be excited about as bring new and exciting experiences to the Elite galaxy. What we’ve shared today is just a snapshot of what we’re working on and more details will come on all of the above in future monthly development updates and across our other channels! 
 
Thank you as always for your continued feedback and support. 

-Arf 

And the Development Update video:

Source: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1161666477


And again: there is nothing baffling about a studio adding stuff people ask for. That is normal. Even if you dont personally enjoy it.

 

[Ian Skippy]

Gestures are a form of pseudo communication, no more no less. Fluff without meat for the Twitter generation.

I am going to go ahead and assume you are ranting without taking the 30s to listen to them explain the gameplay function behind emotes? Thats okay. Anger is nice too.

 

[Stealthie]

That clip is from the September Update:

And the Development Update video:

Source: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1161666477


And again: there is nothing baffling about a studio adding stuff people ask for. That is normal. Even if you dont personally enjoy it.

Congratulations on acknowledging part of what I said.

The next step would be to accept the rest of what I said.

 

[CMDR Sophie Joanne]

What's bizarre is a determination to deny factual information.

The video I watched made no mention, at all, of bug-fixes or optimisations inbound.
To suggest otherwise is simply a lie.

I've no doubt that other media sources continue to mention the more important problems remaining with Odyssey but I am simply baffled as to why FDev might think 4-player MC and waving are worthwhile additions to the game, instead of concentrating on fixing what's already broken and then moving forward with a console release, as DB laid out in his recent talk.

As I said, for Odyssey to be successful, what FDev need to do is convince players (existing ones and potential ones) that Odyssey is a quality product rather than sprinkling glitter on the poop.

Petrformance and emotes aren't mutually exclusive - they have different teams working on them. They can, and will, do both simultaneously!

 

[LeoBartlet]

You say that like Fortnite made some giant leap forward in players' ability to communicate in-game, rather than merely providing fodder for tiktok memes.

Is that what I said now.

 

[GroG79]

This topic should be closed for flaming. This is not in any way criticism or an objective optinion

 

[willisit]

Hmm, sure. But a trailer that just had the logo, cut to the words "bug fixes" or "optimisations" (and how do you visualise that in a trailer?) would be nigh-on pointless - remembering that 90% of the ED community likely isn't on the forums so couldn't care less about our moaning.
Beyond that, new content was promised alongside bugs/fixes/broken lighting, so they are, in fact, delivering on a promise.

Whoever "we" is, will never be happy. They're damned either way. Fixes HAVE been promised for Update 8 - so maybe try to enjoy the extra bits, or not.

 

[Ian Skippy]

Excuse me? Emotes have a gameplay function? That would be a sensation! Please explain. What 30 seconds are you talking about? I don't usually watch streams, all that matters to me is the summary in text form where I couldn't find any references to it.

Its a tracking function. So if you are with a mate you can 'tag' who he should snipe by point-emoting to the target (only works if there is a clear LOS). You then count down and drop your respective target on zero. Very nifty, did that a lot in games like Ghost Recon. Or you can point to where I need you to take cover, and such.

Much better than the alternative:
"You take the one on the left"
"Okay!"
"Dude..."
"Sorry, I thought my left. You mean your left?"