[7.0 beta 3] VE Goggles feedback

[Scoob]

Hi,

It's good to see the classic Video Enhancement Goggles returning to X. However, it's a shame that it only works when you're piloting a Ship.

The main time, almost exclusively, that I want to use the VE Goggles is when I'm standing on a station, or on the deck of one of my ships, watching some distant fight going on. With the addition of the Observation modules, I'm wanting to do this even more.

As an example: I've got a defensive fleet in Hatikvah's Choice I, helping to fend off the Xenon and keep civilian shipping safe. To assist here, I've now built my own Defence Platform, with three strategically placed Observation platforms so I can get several good views of what's going on. Currently, some Xenon are coming through the gate and I can see my Fighters (Intercept) zooming off to engage, buzzing the Observation module I'm in pretty close. Quite spectacular. I then see the distant fire near the gate as the fighters engage, quite a sight, but I'd LOVE to be able to zoom in on that.

Now, sure, I can go external view on any of my ships, the Gate or even individual Xenon themselves, but this doesn't have the same immersion as doing it while on-foot.

Remember the cut-scene in X2: The Threat, where the player is standing by a Window on a Titan Destroyer when the Kha'ak invade? I want to re-create that sort of experience... ideally without the resulting death from suffocation of course.

Perhaps I spend more time on foot than most, but being able to zoom in while on foot would be fantastic, and really compliment the Observation modules.

[Scoob]

Well I feel silly!

I tried the VE Goggles when on foot in both Beta 1 and Beta 2 and it simply didn't work - I use the default "y" key binding, I've changed nothing. All I'd get was a brief, quiet sound effect - sort of a "nope" / error sound effect as in "you can't do that" - and that was it. I just went in-game just now and tried it again - first time in Beta 3 - and IT'S WORKING!

Don't know if you changed something between Beta 2 and 3, but the VE Goggles simply did not work before Beta 3 for me.

[GCU Grey Area]

In general have been finding the VE goggles exceptionally useful. Very glad they're back, if anything they're much more useful in X4 than they were previously. Have primarily been using them to target & snipe subsystems on capital ships, often from very long range (10km+), for which purpose they are truly wonderful.

My only gripe is the length of time they remain zoomed in. Have mostly been flying a Boron Ray recently & it takes 2 shots from it's main gun to eliminate a fully shielded Graviton turret. The view reverts back to the standard view midway through the second shot. A longer delay before the view reverts would provide a more pleasant experience in these circumstances.

Have been operating the VE goggles using a spare axis on my HOTAS throttle. This works well to the extent that the extreme ends of the axis function effectively as switches to activate the zoom or revert to standard view. This could however be significantly improved if an axis could be assigned to the VE goggles in Controls, ideally providing a smooth zoom, rather than jumping between a number of fixed zoom levels.

[Scoob]

I think, as they're zoom, zoom, zoom and back to normal, there's no harm in them staying put at the level of zoom requested. It would also be nice if the sensitivity was reduced by zoom level too. I have a mouse which, at the touch of a button, can become less sensitive so I'm fine, but it's a bit imprecise without it.

Regarding zoom level, I was king of the long-range dumb-fire snipe - and that's modded, where you're firing at 25km away - so the VE Goggles certainly help with that.

I did wonder whether it'd be possible to control the VE Googles via the mouse while (with shift or control) or indeed a wheel on a HOTAS. Might be nice for a more precise zoom level.

[Falcrack]

It would be good I think if there was a small text indication of the current level of zoom, like "zoom level 1" or "zoom level 2". No need for any text while unzoomed.

The zoom should persist unless deselected, IMO. Along with the indicated zoom level, there could be a message such as "Press shift-Y to deselect zoom", or whatever the current button is.

[jojorne]

Beta 4: The latest zoom in of the Goggles is making the stations flicker, even disappearing altogether. The station needs to be so far away (>250KM) that you can't even select it for this to occur.

[Mr.Killer]

Absolutely a must in this game, being able to zoom in on big targets and pick specific surface elements, however, I notice that from afar, zooming in max, objects (surface elements) tend to flicker and even disappear, and the worst is that we can't destroy it in that max zoom.
Did anyone experience the same thing?

[SpaceCadet11864]

When in FPS mode or free look mode, zoomed in is very hard to control because it cranks up the mouse sensitivity. While fully zoomed in, I can't control it very well at all, barely moving my mouse sends the camera angle way off. is there a way we can control sensitivity based on zoom?

I am fine with the mouse sensitivity when not zoomed in, and it is even lower than default settings. But when I zoom in, especially at the furtherst zoom in, I can't control the free look mouse like at all. It really messes with muscle memory. Many games with zoom, FPS games, usually have a coefficient slider or something similar for zoom. Can we get something like this please?