Why the blinkers

Dedannan

D
Can anyone explain if there is a technical or even game play reasons we fly around with blinkers on?

For example
I take a mission to fly to another station, unless I take myself off course and point my ship at an object I cant tell who or what it is or if it's of any interest. So I end up just ignoring everything and stare at the count down to destination.

An increased awareness of what's around us could only be a benefit to the game and it's immersion.

If we could just select an object in one of the side panels and save all the flying around in circles pointing at them.

Even when getting interdicted, you can't make an informed decision whether to fight or run because you have your blinkers on. You can't tell what type of ship is trying to pull you in.

ED spent a lot of time creating ships stations planets etc and then made docking computers take up space. I wouldn't use it often but it would be nice the odd time. I might even use the very good external camera someone spent alot of time making.

When docked at a station I can't see who else is docked because I can't point at them.

I know none of the above is ground breaking but also I don't think hard to implement. Hoping they might be considered for QOL improvements.
 

Alex Brentnall

Alex Brentnall
Dedannan said:
Can anyone explain if there is a technical or even game play reasons we fly around with blinkers on?

For example
I take a mission to fly to another station, unless I take myself off course and point my ship at an object I cant tell who or what it is or if it's of any interest. So I end up just ignoring everything and stare at the count down to destination.

An increased awareness of what's around us could only be a benefit to the game and it's immersion.

If we could just select an object in one of the side panels and save all the flying around in circles pointing at them.

Even when getting interdicted, you can't make an informed decision whether to fight or run because you have your blinkers on. You can't tell what type of ship is trying to pull you in.

ED spent a lot of time creating ships stations planets etc and then made docking computers take up space. I wouldn't use it often but it would be nice the odd time. I might even use the very good external camera someone spent alot of time making.

When docked at a station I can't see who else is docked because I can't point at them.

I know none of the above is ground breaking but also I don't think hard to implement. Hoping they might be considered for QOL improvements.
Click to expand...

On the interdiction - Bind "Select next hostile target" to a key, when interdicted it'll give you the goods on who's behind you, their ship and rank :)
 

the100thmonkey

the100thmonkey
I genuinely have no idea why one has to point "forwards" for sensors to do their thing.

I also genuinely don't think it would make much difference if the limitation were removed, and any ship or body targeted were scanned.

In other words, I agree - it's annoying to have to break off from a target because you want to scan something else. All it does is slow you down.
 

Limoncello Lizard

Limoncello Lizard
I agree, at least as far as USS go. These should resolve with distance, maybe need scanning to determine the threat level. Unless I've decided (and equipped) to do gameplay involving USS, I just ignore them.

Ship and CMDR names shouldn't need scanning either. A scan should be required to determine rank and status. Unless a ship is silent running, or outside the scanner resolution range, we should be able to tell who is near us.
 
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IndigoWyrd

IndigoWyrd
Blinkers?

giphy.gif


Turn signals maybe?

But.. I don't have those on my ship at all. If I did, I'd be sure to leave the right one on all the time, just to annoy people.

Did you mean "Blinders"?

Like these things?

horse_blinders.jpg


Used to keep horses from checking out the horse next to them, battle horse ADD, and generally keep you moving in a straight line?

Now I do agree - the point and wait sensors we have leave far too much to be desired. Omni-directional makes far more sense in space. But Elite is not about making sense.

As for interdictions... if you pay attention, you'll usually notice that NPC's tend to run their mouths before they even attempt to interdict you - and you can lock on to them from your Contacts panel, scan them, see what sort of ship they're flying, and make all kinds of informed decisions before you ever engage.
 

Kaocraft

Kaocraft
Limoncello Lizard said:
I agree, at least as far as USS go. These should resolve with distance, maybe need scanning to determine the threat level. Unless I've decided (and equipped) to do gameplay involving USS, I just ignore them.

Ship and CMDR names shouldn't need scanning either. A scan should be required to determine rank and status. Unless a ship is silent running, or outside the scanner resolution range, we should be able to tell who is near us.
Click to expand...

Used to be there were low, medium, and high energy signal sources. It roughly correlated to the size and number of ships, plus potential danger level, of what was in the source. They showed up on your contacts as such, whether scanned or not. Low energy sources were usually just debris in space or single small ships, high were likely to be active combat situations involving multiple large ships. At the time this was all the information you could get without dropping into the source.

Nowadays, every source shows up as identical on your contacts list before you scan it, at which point you get some pretty specific information as well as threat level.

Why not combine the old system with the new system? Signal Sources show up as high, med, low on your contacts list immediately, and after scan the resolve into Convoy Dispersal Pattern, Distress Call, etc?

Also could maybe let the Thargoid/Non-Human signal sources show up in contacts list without scan, maybe as "anomalous signal source" or something, since they're no doubt giving off entirely different sensor readings from everything else.

Would make Supercruise more interesting for sure, and would make signal source hunting into a more engaging activity.
 

Limoncello Lizard

Limoncello Lizard
Kaocraft said:
Used to be there were low, medium, and high energy signal sources. It roughly correlated to the size and number of ships, plus potential danger level, of what was in the source. They showed up on your contacts as such, whether scanned or not. Low energy sources were usually just debris in space or single small ships, high were likely to be active combat situations involving multiple large ships. At the time this was all the information you could get without dropping into the source.

Nowadays, every source shows up as identical on your contacts list before you scan it, at which point you get some pretty specific information as well as threat level.

Why not combine the old system with the new system? Signal Sources show up as high, med, low on your contacts list immediately, and after scan the resolve into Convoy Dispersal Pattern, Distress Call, etc?
Click to expand...
The old method was pretty good, but your idea of combining them better still.
 

S3B4ST13N

S
I think a more interactive POI system could be nice. Not just when like the nose of your ship is pointing at a POI; but perhaps get the HUD to actually highlight things of interest

So as you're flying along, these little HUD element popup if a POI matches one of your preferred criteria. These can be enabled and disabled in a setting on the HUD (ie: Weapons Fire POI), as well as their frequency, priority, and/or threat level. You can, of course, go back to the current style if you don't want to use this automated HUD setup.

Perhaps something like this, only not quite as big..
Time stamp from 0:29
[video=youtube_share;Qna-p4IswHs]https://youtu.be/Qna-p4IswHs?t=29[/video]

Unfortunately I can't find anything more accurate; so use your imagination.
 
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MottiKhan

MottiKhan
There's a reasoning in the reasonable reason for not being able to see to the side of your ship. You're old and can't turn your head like when you were in your youth.

Just look ahead and turn the ship like a good old fart. ;)
 

Leadfoot

Leadfoot
MottiKhan said:
There's a reasoning in the reasonable reason for not being able to see to the side of your ship. You're old and can't turn your head like when you were in your youth.

Just look ahead and turn the ship like a good old fart. ;)
Click to expand...

I've been running with the right turn light on for months.....
 

Daniel Cloudsifter

Daniel Cloudsifter
Dedannan said:
Even when getting interdicted, you can't make an informed decision whether to fight or run because you have your blinkers on. You can't tell what type of ship is trying to pull you in.
Click to expand...

I agree with all your complaints about not being able to target/scan stuff unless it's right in front of us. However, what I've quoted above is wrong. Want to know who is pulling you in? Hit whatever key/controller button is set for "Target next hostile" and you'll immediately target them and see what kind of ship is interdicting you (I'm pretty sure it also lists their combat level too).

If you use the HCS Voicepacks, and the plugin, they immediately say something when you are interdicted and select that target for you. :D
 

Dedannan

D
You made me doubt myself for a second, but blinkers is what I ment.

I just think that all these little things make you focus only on your destination ignoring everything else around you. And I can't really understand why ED would want this
 

Genus

Genus
Agree, I sighed with solace the third time an interdiction happened. It was fun the first two times.

I briefly went through a purple pros stage where I tried really hard to pretend "Right you Dic' me, I just bend you over and probe your moon for annoying me" as I was annoyed.

Now I just hate the computer for even trying.

So I like my blinkers. It drowns out all the annoyances around the Dic'Pit
 
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Bunkerkind Anni

Bunkerkind Anni
the thing i hate most about USS is the requirement to lock them for identification.
our sensors detect things 360° horizontal/vertical always,
but for identification we not only have to face them to be within our detail sensor cone, we also have to lock it - and as such unlock whatever we currently have locked

most anoying when on route to a far away station, or even better, to a surface port.
 

Wyaston Hypatia

Wyaston Hypatia
I think USSs should auto resolve over time. There's many times I don't investigate them as I'm heading somewhere and it's just too much of a hassle to target and retarget all the time.
 
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