VR + HOTAS + Asp Explorer = Amazing!!!

[AJH]

I've been playing ED for about 2 weeks now, using an HTC Vive and Logitech G940 HOTAS, and finally saved up enough for my Asp Explorer and words can not do justice to what an amazing experience flying it in VR is. My recommendation for anyone trying it is to make sure you are in a station around a ringed (or otherwise cool looking) planet or system.

There were two moments that were absolutely incredible in the first night. When I purchased the Asp Explorer, I immediately realized it was going to be cool, just sitting in the dock with the cockpit there. When I finished outfitting and launched and flew out of the station for the first time, there was a ringed planet with the sun behind it right to my right and I could take it all in through the window as I flew out and jumped to warp. Exiting warp was similarly amazing seeing the full scale of the star in front of me without the window being blocked. Words can't even adequately describe the experience.

A bit later, I decided to try and see how combat was and winged up with some fellow Mobius members on TS. We headed out to a planetary ring resource site and started bounty hunting. Just flying around in a wing in the rocks of the ring was impressive, but what really drove it home was when we got into a massive firefight with a wanted Anaconda with a full wing and a couple of federal ships working on him. I got threat and one point and dodged just as he lined up his plasma accelerator and took a shot, with it flying just a couple feet to the side of my canopy as the entire battle was raging around me in the middle of a field of ice rocks in a planet's ring... I've simply never experienced anything like it in gaming ever before.

The impact of VR and a hotas setup simply can't be understated. Yes, the resolution isn't 4k and you sometimes have to squint a bit at some of the smaller text, but the ability to just take everything in as if you were there has no substitute. Sure, TrackIR might get you a hint of a taste and give some of the combat advantages like look targeting, but nothing else gives you such a feeling of "being there". I also highly recommend the HTC Vive as a VR headset. Sure, it costs a bit more, but it includes the motion controllers for room scale stuff (which is also a lot of fun) and, more importantly, it enables you to get up and move around. After initially leaving the dock, I set myself lazily flying around space for a bit and just stood up and walked around the bridge and looked out the windows for probably a good 10 minutes... then went and got my wife and she did the same (despite being hesitant to get out of bed for it, but loved it once she was in).

[diss3cted]

It is really nice to read something like this once in a while. Can't stop smiling at the enjoyment you seem to get out of this experience. I hope you will have many more of such moments.

Fly safe.

[TorTorden]

I hope my vive order arrives inside two weeks.

God this waiting game is killing me...

I never really cared much for the asp X, but getting the tobii eye tracker pretty much changed that on its own (the lakon cockpits gets a lot from headtrackers in general and VR in particular I bet)
As for cockpits the very best one I have seen in game so far has been tye type 9.

Just like the asp X only considerably bigger with even more visibility.
To bad it's the space cow and barelyrics moves in a straight line....

[Darwin]

A Cutter is an experience as well. Your room probably wont be big enough to walk across the bridge!
VR makes it feel like the big ship it is.

[JustSomeGuy]

I'm not jealous at all. I'm sure my gtx 660 and xbone controller with kontrol freek "addons" come close enough.

Maybe one day in the distant future..

[Schmobius]

Wait... how do you walk around the bridge, even with VR? Does your pilot actually get out of his chair???

[TorTorden]

Wait... how do you walk around the bridge, even with VR? Does your pilot actually get out of his chair???

No. But you can.
The camera simply follow the headset.

[Darwin]

Wait... how do you walk around the bridge, even with VR? Does your pilot actually get out of his chair???

The body of the pilot stays in the chair, but the head disappears, presumably because it is floating around the cockpit.

Cant use it to see the back of your head / check for bald spots etc.

[AJH]

The body of the pilot stays in the chair, but the head disappears

And this is one of the creepiest things about using VR. It's very odd just having a body with an empty neck sitting there in the seat.

[TorTorden]

The thirty thirds century headless pilot.

Would explain most of my piloting decisions I guess