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Player Features and Ideas Discussion

 
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MIDI Controllers & iPad UI
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Vishnudata
Center for Advanced Studies
Gallente Federation
#1 - 2012-03-23 03:11:50 UTC
Call me insane... and you will, I'm prepared for it. But was thinking about how the game feels like playing the stock market and that its mechanics is reminiscent of rock/paper/scissors. But it would be nice to expand and extend that. I know we have a keyboard and mouse, or also that special logitech gaming keyboard if you want to fork out the extra money, for which we are willing some of us without it ending up being something close to "gold ammo" advantage and unbalancing everything

As I was playing with my MIDI controller that I use to DJ with, and it got me thinking, why not do the same for EVE? For instance, CCP can design an application for iPad and you can hook up your iPad to your computer and can use it as your overview and lock-on-targets? Or perhaps a wireless or bluetooth connection direct to your client so you can walk around your room and interact with your science and industry, mail, wallet, etc. - Much to do with the game is about thinking and patience, sitting in front of a screen with a mouse in hand is not the perfect position for thought

Other ideas would be a more physical MIDI Controller which would be the main Ships HUD, instead of pressing annoying little keyboard shortcuts or mouse-clicking on these tiny buttons, you have something visually representative of the HUD and Modules during fight-mode, and a little lever to represent acceleration. I don't think this would ruin the game at all, it doesn't change its mechanic but would extend the dynamics of the game. We do things with our hands, we want something ergonomic and innovative, keyboard and mouse doesn't cut it enough for this wonderful game I think

I mean if we are 22,000 years into the future in a space war inside a spaceship, you wouldn't be fighting with a keyboard and mouse... it would run out of batteries

We already use TeamSpeak and such for communication verbally, but what about a more practical communication with ourselves and the game?

Below is something I drew to represent what I mean (I'm really really BAD [add nasty word of your choice] at drawing and I was very bored and felt like doing it; also I put cling film over it because I didn't want to mark my brand new scanner).

EVE HUD MIDI Controller

Regard
Vishnudata
Leto Aramaus
Frog Team Four
Of Essence
#2 - 2012-03-23 03:21:50 UTC
HAHAHA did you draw that with crayons?

The UI update we deserve
Vishnudata
Center for Advanced Studies
Gallente Federation
#3 - 2012-03-23 03:45:50 UTC
Yes, and pencils and felt tips, its hilarious isn't it. I feel so special. Roll
Tarn Kugisa
Kugisa Dynamics
#4 - 2012-03-23 04:42:49 UTC
I like my Keyboard and mouse Thank You Very Much.
Also try to keep in mind not everyone has an iPad. Ugh

Be polite. Be efficient. Have a plan to troll everyone you meet - KuroVolt
Vishnudata
Center for Advanced Studies
Gallente Federation
#5 - 2012-03-23 05:29:51 UTC
Use your creativity a bit please. Not every touch-screen tablet is an iPad.
James Amril-Kesh
Viziam
Amarr Empire
#6 - 2012-03-23 05:55:46 UTC
Too much dev work for something that affects only a few people.

No.

Enjoying the rain today? ;)
Aethlyn
Brutor Tribe
Minmatar Republic
#7 - 2012-03-23 10:23:15 UTC
I can understand the idea but I wouldn't expect it to happen any time soon (especially not on iOS). You can't use the game/app without an active subscription and if done that way, I guess Apple would want a chunk of the payments received for using the app (i.e. subscription fees).

Looking for more thoughts? Follow me on Twitter.
Tchulen
Trumpets and Bookmarks
#8 - 2012-03-23 10:55:27 UTC
I didn't bother to read the entire OP. From what I read it isn't a terrible idea if we lived in a world where dev time was infinite and all ideas could be followed to conclusion in infinitesimally short amounts of time.

However, back in reality, this isn't really a valid use of a massive amount of dev time for very little real gain.

If you want to be able to touch your eve client go and buy a touch screen. That's as close as you're likely to get to your suggestion.

If you really want to touch your tablet whilst playing eve, get an rdp client and connect it to your pc and then touch your ipad as much as you feel necessary.

As an aside, my brother is in rehab at the moment for touching his ipad too much. Let that be a lesson to ya. It's a dangerous habit to get into :p
Vishnudata
Center for Advanced Studies
Gallente Federation
#9 - 2012-03-23 14:07:02 UTC
All very good points. Time and effort and on something so specifically designed in what would be in very little demand. What about a simple MIDI Controller assigning program in the shortcut menu of EVE? There are many generic MIDI Controllers on the market at cheap prices for music related stuff which are designed to go with any MIDI enabled program. So one can assign whatever HUD buttons to their MIDI Controller buttons.

Example of budget MIDI Controller

How would that work you reckon?
Vishnudata
Center for Advanced Studies
Gallente Federation
#10 - 2012-03-23 14:13:04 UTC
Aethlyn wrote:
I can understand the idea but I wouldn't expect it to happen any time soon (especially not on iOS). You can't use the game/app without an active subscription and if done that way, I guess Apple would want a chunk of the payments received for using the app (i.e. subscription fees).


Actually thats not how Applications work, Apple's ingenuity was to allow other companies and developers to use their product for their own products, effectively for free, what Apple gets from it is mass content all for free which would have been impossible to achieve alone and more customers for themselves buying their products exclusively. And why should an app. for this purpose made by CCP have a subscription fee; all you would do is link the iPad or whatever as an extension of your client's HUD. Sorry, but what your saying is incorrect.
Temmu Guerra
Viziam
Amarr Empire
#11 - 2012-03-23 15:15:01 UTC  |  Edited by: Temmu Guerra
I tried getting my 3d mouse to work (for those engineers out there using them) and sadly I could not get it to work. If we could get 3d mouse support that would make life so much easier.


And for those that are not engineers this is the mouse I use at work...

http://www.3dconnexion.com/products/spacepilot-pro.html
mxzf
Shovel Bros
#12 - 2012-03-23 15:42:23 UTC
Vishnudata wrote:
All very good points. Time and effort and on something so specifically designed in what would be in very little demand. What about a simple MIDI Controller assigning program in the shortcut menu of EVE? There are many generic MIDI Controllers on the market at cheap prices for music related stuff which are designed to go with any MIDI enabled program. So one can assign whatever HUD buttons to their MIDI Controller buttons.

Example of budget MIDI Controller

How would that work you reckon?


I would reckon that if there's significant demand for one, you should be able to use a program to take in MIDI signals and send keystrokes to the computer for it (there is likely one out there somewhere already). With such a program, you would be able to map the commands to Eve however you want and CCP wouldn't have to waste any dev time on what is still a niche use.