Posted January 19, 2020
I've really been enjoying the game so far -- about 20 hours in, I have what feels like a decent ship and am leveling well, but I can't get over the keyboard controls. There are just a few really important missing key bindings, and it makes the gameplay tedious.
1) Undocking - I haven't found any key to easily undock from the station.
Using the mouse to navigate menus while I'm in the station is fine, but once I'm ready to go -- selected my next mission, set GPS to the next location, etc. -- I feel like a simple key press is all that's needed. I'd prefer the Enter key to undock, but since the U key is used to toggle auto-docking and the window that displayed that toggle isn't available in-station, the U key would probably suit the purpose.
2) Pitch Control - For some reason, I can use the A and D keys to steer the ship left and right, but there's no pitch keys to steer up and down? The W and S keys are for thrust and reverse, respectively.
3) Module Keys - Individual keys to toggle modules. I'm nearing the end of a mining cycle, it would be handy to have a key to quickly disable the mining module without turning off the turrets.
4) Esc to close Map - The M key opens and closes the map (fine), but to use the map requires the mouse, requiring the same hand that typically would open the map with the keyboard also use the mouse, and then jump back to the keyboard to close it. It would be handy if the Escape key could close the map -- particularly in case you're trying to get back to a raider attack.
5) There are 7 keys to toggle non-overlay UI panels, but generally they're all needed simultaneously. Personal option, it would be sufficient to make Tab open and close the panels (retaining open/closed state) and just use the mouse to close undesired panels, freeing up a lot of left-hand default keys for other purposes.
Sample Scenario - Ready to leave station, heading to another station
• (Right Hand) Click undock -- or more commonly the station logo
• (Left Hand) Hit G to enable GPS (If i didn't already enable it in the station)
• (Left Hand) Hit Caps Lock to engage afterburners
• (Transfer) Move right hand to the keyboard
• (Right Hand) Hit Right Bracket to increase game speed (speed up travel)
• (Waiting) Gate travel a few times
• (Right Hand) Hit Left bracket to decrease game speed
• (Transfer) Move right hand to mouse
• (Right Hand) Click target station in list to activate
• (Right Hand) Scroll up in list
• (Right Hand) Click station again to target
• (Left Hand) Hit Caps Lock to enable afterburners
• (Transfer) Move right hand back to keyboard
• (Right Hand) Hit Right Bracket to increase game speed
• (Right Hand) Hit U to auto-dock (if not already enabled)
• (Right Hand) Hit Left Bracket to decrease game speed
• (Transfer) Move right hand to mouse to menu navigation
• Rinse and repeat
Most of the important in-game controls use the right hand, leaving the left either mostly idle, or controlling the entire keyboard on it's own while the right rests on the mouse -- either way gives you one really busy hand and the other mostly idle.
With a few extra keyboard features, all the usual non-station activity could be performed without having to pick up your hands, save for object targeting.
Perhaps I'm just keyboard-centric, but it might also be that games like the X series have spoiled me on being able to accomplish most tasks with quick keystrokes.
Of course, I'm not suggesting adding over 100 key combinations like they did in X3 ;)
Quality of Life Suggestions:
6) Disable auto-dock while the scanner is on. I can't even begin to count how many structures I have accidentally docked at while trying to scan them.
7) A typing filter for the map would be great -- hit M to open the map, hit a filter key, start typing the name of the target sector (maybe filtered out results could turn gray or semi-transparent), hit Enter to GPS target or Esc to exit the filter.
8) Display scanned gate names in the map's mouse-over sector hover overlay window. I get why they aren't available on the map itself, but once a gate has been scanned, shouldn't a gate reference be available to your ship's computers? (just like the stations are)
9) See full mission description in the pilot panel. Notably, mining and transport mission descriptions are missing the cargo space required.
10) Display Mission Start and End locations on the map for the currently active mission, just like when you're browsing missions in the station.
11) Button to GPS-target next destination in the currently active mission -- the objective if not yet complete, otherwise the turn-in point.
12) Manual thruster control. Right now it's full on or full off, no option to slow down. Could be assigned to +/- , comma/period (I'm partial to z/x, but that's just me). This would also free up the W and S keys for pitch control.
13) Strafe (horizontal and vertical thrust). Basically the ability to move your ship up/down/left/right without the main engines running or turning away from your target. It would feel more natural under manual control when you want to avoid an asteroid than turning the ship away from it's destination.
14) Radial camera rotation from zoomed-in cockpit view. There's little point sitting in the cockpit if you can't turn your head and look out the windows.
Physics Bugs:
15) Increasing/Decreasing the game speed obviously affects in-game physics. Time isn't speeding up, the velocity of the ship is -- and they don't all increase at the same time.
• If I want to lose a group of raiders (or, unfortunately, my pack formation), I just hit Right Bracket.
• In 3x mode, steering is too slow to avoid obstacles, so asteroid collisions are common.
• Dropping from 3x to 1x maintains high velocity for a second (regardless of what the ship speed reads) and crashing into your destination is almost inevitable if game time is decreased less than 2000m for your target.
16) Hitting Esc to pause has the same effect as above, not immediately stopping traveling ships. This ought to be a hard pause. Additionally, it's hard to tell the game is paused at a glance in-station, as the animations continue while paused.
As a developer myself, I've really appreciated the devlog videos and the amount of time spent in the forums both here and over at Steam going through everyone's issues and suggestions. The one-man-team's doing a bang-up job, and I'm really looking forward to continue watching things evolve :)
1) Undocking - I haven't found any key to easily undock from the station.
Using the mouse to navigate menus while I'm in the station is fine, but once I'm ready to go -- selected my next mission, set GPS to the next location, etc. -- I feel like a simple key press is all that's needed. I'd prefer the Enter key to undock, but since the U key is used to toggle auto-docking and the window that displayed that toggle isn't available in-station, the U key would probably suit the purpose.
2) Pitch Control - For some reason, I can use the A and D keys to steer the ship left and right, but there's no pitch keys to steer up and down? The W and S keys are for thrust and reverse, respectively.
3) Module Keys - Individual keys to toggle modules. I'm nearing the end of a mining cycle, it would be handy to have a key to quickly disable the mining module without turning off the turrets.
4) Esc to close Map - The M key opens and closes the map (fine), but to use the map requires the mouse, requiring the same hand that typically would open the map with the keyboard also use the mouse, and then jump back to the keyboard to close it. It would be handy if the Escape key could close the map -- particularly in case you're trying to get back to a raider attack.
5) There are 7 keys to toggle non-overlay UI panels, but generally they're all needed simultaneously. Personal option, it would be sufficient to make Tab open and close the panels (retaining open/closed state) and just use the mouse to close undesired panels, freeing up a lot of left-hand default keys for other purposes.
Sample Scenario - Ready to leave station, heading to another station
• (Right Hand) Click undock -- or more commonly the station logo
• (Left Hand) Hit G to enable GPS (If i didn't already enable it in the station)
• (Left Hand) Hit Caps Lock to engage afterburners
• (Transfer) Move right hand to the keyboard
• (Right Hand) Hit Right Bracket to increase game speed (speed up travel)
• (Waiting) Gate travel a few times
• (Right Hand) Hit Left bracket to decrease game speed
• (Transfer) Move right hand to mouse
• (Right Hand) Click target station in list to activate
• (Right Hand) Scroll up in list
• (Right Hand) Click station again to target
• (Left Hand) Hit Caps Lock to enable afterburners
• (Transfer) Move right hand back to keyboard
• (Right Hand) Hit Right Bracket to increase game speed
• (Right Hand) Hit U to auto-dock (if not already enabled)
• (Right Hand) Hit Left Bracket to decrease game speed
• (Transfer) Move right hand to mouse to menu navigation
• Rinse and repeat
Most of the important in-game controls use the right hand, leaving the left either mostly idle, or controlling the entire keyboard on it's own while the right rests on the mouse -- either way gives you one really busy hand and the other mostly idle.
With a few extra keyboard features, all the usual non-station activity could be performed without having to pick up your hands, save for object targeting.
Perhaps I'm just keyboard-centric, but it might also be that games like the X series have spoiled me on being able to accomplish most tasks with quick keystrokes.
Of course, I'm not suggesting adding over 100 key combinations like they did in X3 ;)
Quality of Life Suggestions:
6) Disable auto-dock while the scanner is on. I can't even begin to count how many structures I have accidentally docked at while trying to scan them.
7) A typing filter for the map would be great -- hit M to open the map, hit a filter key, start typing the name of the target sector (maybe filtered out results could turn gray or semi-transparent), hit Enter to GPS target or Esc to exit the filter.
8) Display scanned gate names in the map's mouse-over sector hover overlay window. I get why they aren't available on the map itself, but once a gate has been scanned, shouldn't a gate reference be available to your ship's computers? (just like the stations are)
9) See full mission description in the pilot panel. Notably, mining and transport mission descriptions are missing the cargo space required.
10) Display Mission Start and End locations on the map for the currently active mission, just like when you're browsing missions in the station.
11) Button to GPS-target next destination in the currently active mission -- the objective if not yet complete, otherwise the turn-in point.
12) Manual thruster control. Right now it's full on or full off, no option to slow down. Could be assigned to +/- , comma/period (I'm partial to z/x, but that's just me). This would also free up the W and S keys for pitch control.
13) Strafe (horizontal and vertical thrust). Basically the ability to move your ship up/down/left/right without the main engines running or turning away from your target. It would feel more natural under manual control when you want to avoid an asteroid than turning the ship away from it's destination.
14) Radial camera rotation from zoomed-in cockpit view. There's little point sitting in the cockpit if you can't turn your head and look out the windows.
Physics Bugs:
15) Increasing/Decreasing the game speed obviously affects in-game physics. Time isn't speeding up, the velocity of the ship is -- and they don't all increase at the same time.
• If I want to lose a group of raiders (or, unfortunately, my pack formation), I just hit Right Bracket.
• In 3x mode, steering is too slow to avoid obstacles, so asteroid collisions are common.
• Dropping from 3x to 1x maintains high velocity for a second (regardless of what the ship speed reads) and crashing into your destination is almost inevitable if game time is decreased less than 2000m for your target.
16) Hitting Esc to pause has the same effect as above, not immediately stopping traveling ships. This ought to be a hard pause. Additionally, it's hard to tell the game is paused at a glance in-station, as the animations continue while paused.
As a developer myself, I've really appreciated the devlog videos and the amount of time spent in the forums both here and over at Steam going through everyone's issues and suggestions. The one-man-team's doing a bang-up job, and I'm really looking forward to continue watching things evolve :)
