Update 15, the Upcoming Feature Rework and More

[Flimley]

Wow, as promised frontier are really turning this game around since odyssey release.(not) What with this new super long delay. This, the most massive delay yet.
And no mention of what the rehash of the singular existing feature will be. Does anyone really have the time in this world to sit around endlessly waiting for delayed content. Content we know nothing about ?
I'm seriously considering ditching this game.

Flimley

 

[amigacooke]

Basebuilding anyone? Could it ressurect this game. For old backers.

I'd like basebuilding, but I had no expectation of it as Frontier have never trailed the feature as far as I'm aware.

 

[aRJay]

Basebuilding anyone? Could it ressurect this game. For old backers.

I am not an old backer and have only been playing ED continuously since 2016 but basebuilding takes ED even further away away from what I consider it’s core* than FCs did, plus I am not sure that it needs resurrecting so no.

*ordinary pilots important only to themselves doing stuff in the galaxy to make ends meet.

Actually I suppose basebuilding could be introduced as a part of the game where we work to help build bases in new systems etc. but as workers during the build not as owners of the finished base.

 

[avow555]

I am still in disbelief that there have been no new ships in 4 years.
In fact if you take the time between the game start and the Krait launch and then the Krait launch and now, it's around the same time frame!

Seriously fdev, what is going on?

 

[Riverside]

I am not an old backer and have only been playing ED continuously since 2016 but basebuilding takes ED even further away away from what I consider it’s core* than FCs did, plus I am not sure that it needs resurrecting so no.

*ordinary pilots important only to themselves doing stuff in the galaxy to make ends meet.

Actually I suppose basebuilding could be introduced as a part of the game where we work to help build bases in new systems etc. but as workers during the build not as owners of the finished base.

IIRC what we now call fleet carriers were part of the orginal pitch as 'giant executive control ships' or similar.

Not really looking for base building, my carrier fulfills that functionality but if it is added I'd probably find a use for it eventually

 

[aRJay]

IIRC what we now call fleet carriers were part of the orginal pitch as 'giant executive control ships' or similar.

Well that sounds better than the mobile social networking hubs for squadrons idea that was floated about a year or so before we got FCs.

Not really looking for base building, my carrier fulfills that functionality but if it is added I'd probably find a use for it eventually

Not really sure that I would like to own a fixed base because like you I have an FC.

 

[Old Duck]

On this topic of base-building, I'd rather see ship interiors that we lay out ourselves, kinda like building homes in The Sims. Once we have our mobile bases (after all, even a medium ship like a T7 is a big flying apartment building), then let us do more with those down on the surface of planets. I always imagined my exploration T7 as a mobile base, except with none of the cool base gameplay available.

In Space Engineers, I usually do have a base or two, but often my ships are just as big if not bigger than the bases themselves! The purpose of these bases is to mine and refine raw materials and turn them into usable parts, and to store those parts. A base can also be used to mine, refine, and store fuel (something that's basically free in Elite). A base is also great for making repairs, again something that's basically free in Elite. Heck, all the good base gameplay is basically free in Elite, so sadly there's no need for bases..

How I wish I could have experienced Elite back when everything (fuel, repairs, earning credits, upgrading ships) mattered! Personal bases (small ones, like a personal garage) in that game would have been pretty amazing and useful, I imagine!

 

[MUTILADOR]

Honestly, it would be kind of stupid to add a feature that no one has requested, replacing ones that the community has requested for years.
It would be a huge missed opportunity.
I started with Odyssey, I went in for the chance to have legs, but I think I sensed that what was required was to walk inside our ship. It's even obvious to me. this was much easier and cheaper than developing the entire Odyssey. But what's done is done, and nothing can be done.
ED, it's a great game, but I think others will soon take its place, or some surprise will show up in a few more years with other titles and they won't make the same mistakes.

The potential that ED had was incredible

 

[Darth Ender]

I am not an old backer and have only been playing ED continuously since 2016 but basebuilding takes ED even further away away from what I consider it’s core* than FCs did, plus I am not sure that it needs resurrecting so no.

*ordinary pilots important only to themselves doing stuff in the galaxy to make ends meet.

Actually I suppose basebuilding could be introduced as a part of the game where we work to help build bases in new systems etc. but as workers during the build not as owners of the finished base.

i suppose if the goal is to continue to bleed players and keep players generally unhappy after mastering the 5 game loops, then sticking to the core is the way to go. that or never finishing the stuff that strays from the core so those things end up failing too.

both seem to be winning options. I'm sure though, that if fdev ever did add something like base building, that they would make it optional and likely inconsequential to the game... so those who are happy just playing the core mechanics can continue to do so in bliss while others can do something different.

 

[Tikanderoga]

i suppose if the goal is to continue to bleed players and keep players generally unhappy after mastering the 5 game loops,

Keep pushing the halfhearted PJs and follow their own agenda, and they'll have accomplished both.
After all these years, the community has been very clear about what we wanted, Fdev was fine to ignore most/all of it, and release what they thought was best for the game.

Depending on how Starfield will do, ED might be down a few more players.
X4 is releasing a new DLC and are happy and excited to show what is coming, what they are working on.(Fdev, watch, learn and do the same!).

 

[EdzUp]

On this topic of base-building, I'd rather see ship interiors that we lay out ourselves, kinda like building homes in The Sims. Once we have our mobile bases (after all, even a medium ship like a T7 is a big flying apartment building), then let us do more with those down on the surface of planets. I always imagined my exploration T7 as a mobile base, except with none of the cool base gameplay available.

In Space Engineers, I usually do have a base or two, but often my ships are just as big if not bigger than the bases themselves! The purpose of these bases is to mine and refine raw materials and turn them into usable parts, and to store those parts. A base can also be used to mine, refine, and store fuel (something that's basically free in Elite). A base is also great for making repairs, again something that's basically free in Elite. Heck, all the good base gameplay is basically free in Elite, so sadly there's no need for bases..

How I wish I could have experienced Elite back when everything (fuel, repairs, earning credits, upgrading ships) mattered! Personal bases (small ones, like a personal garage) in that game would have been pretty amazing and useful, I imagine!

For when credits mattered look at FFE and maybe beta ED, anything after that credits became meaningless as you could make millions just from moving packages.

Keep pushing the halfhearted PJs and follow their own agenda, and they'll have accomplished both.
After all these years, the community has been very clear about what we wanted, Fdev was fine to ignore most/all of it, and release what they thought was best for the game.

Depending on how Starfield will do, ED might be down a few more players.
X4 is releasing a new DLC and are happy and excited to show what is coming, what they are working on.(Fdev, watch, learn and do the same!).

Im looking at x4 now as NMS is good but to child like in its art style.

 

[SasaThargoidsHunter]

After all the discussions, I think they didn’t do everything wrong, I didn’t be one of them who wishes all the time features which didn’t clearly would work at the moment on elite due to some technical reason.

But what I would like to see is some clearer communications on bugs and long term issues. That the only thing what they could change and bring back some top ten lists. That was a really good approach on it.

In a Love of the efforts which is spend to the narrative, but I would like to see, that the core experience is improving further. No need to repeat things like fps issues or issues with other easily repeatable bugs. But what would be a good way is to try to stay to the words which was chosen. Like the statement in the cancellation case of consoles, to fix the core experience etc.

I knew and I guess everybody in here knew it too, that it is a huge undertaking, especially when we can clearly feel, that there is some money shortage or what ever. It is not the best way to squeeze out the few Ressources which are available to deliver something which is possible not ready.

Honestly I feared update 15 a little bit, because what will happens after the release ? A hotfix which will comes in June to fix the bugs of update 15?

This isn’t about moaning it’s about to be just honest with valid reasons because the past has shows sadly a lot. I do believe that they are capable to handle it, but there is a showstopper which let them didn’t do the promised or adversed things.

Therefore it is sad to see that DS has changed because the CM‘s and the devs aren’t the people who made some of the decision which are sometimes weird.

 

[Rubbernuke]

Wow, as promised frontier are really turning this game around since odyssey release.(not) What with this new super long delay. This, the most massive delay yet.
And no mention of what the rehash of the singular existing feature will be. Does anyone really have the time in this world to sit around endlessly waiting for delayed content. Content we know nothing about ?
I'm seriously considering ditching this game.

Flimley

 

[Ravnik]

View attachment 351509

Ahhhh, What a film. Should also rename it to Neverending Bugs

 

[Ian Doncaster]

Does anyone really have the time in this world to sit around endlessly waiting for delayed content. Content we know nothing about ?
I'm seriously considering ditching this game.

If you're enjoying playing it right now, then the delayed updates don't really matter. Sure, more Elite Dangerous would be nice.

If you're not enjoying playing it right now, then absolutely yes, go and do something else. If in 6 months or 2 years or whatever you hear that the update is finally out, or just feel like flying a spaceship from A to B again, you won't have missed out on anything important by not playing every day/week/month in-between.

For when credits mattered look at FFE

By following the right mindless grind guide, you can get to the "credits are completely irrelevant" point in FE2 or FFE in under four hours in complete safety. Even with modern ED credit earning, I think you'd need at least ten times that long to have enough credits for "one of everything" (and you still wouldn't have started on engineering, tech brokers, etc. at that point)

It's just that the internet wasn't widely available in the mid-90s so by the time you figured out how to do that for yourself - especially in FFE which did a little more to encourage you into other options first - you'd already been playing the game "as intended" for tens or hundreds of hours and actually had some fun.

But what I would like to see is some clearer communications on bugs and long term issues. That the only thing what they could change and bring back some top ten lists.

I think the top ten bug lists wouldn't really work nowadays - back when they had them, the Odyssey Update release cycle was also about monthly, so they provided reasonable information on what was coming up in the next release and what might take longer. Nothing you wouldn't have found out anyway in a couple of weeks by reading the patch notes, but still, it was something for them to say when the news wasn't "here's the patch notes".

With a release cycle in the 4-6 month size (which is what ED has normally had for major releases) the list just wouldn't change that much.

Looking at the top ten now:

1. Anti-aliasing: if they were going to fix that, they'd have done so ages ago
2. AXCZs (but really, scenarios generally) are flaky in multiplayer: has been a problem since the game came out; they can improve bits of it but not fix it entirely
3. Game hangs on exit occasionally: comedically low-priority bug that has accumulated the most votes by being extremely old
4. Thruster performance is weaker and dependent on the "rotational correction" setting: a "new in Odyssey" bug
5. Joystick buttons limited to 32 per device: feature request rather than bug
6. Some wing interface issues: a newer bug
7. Proxy for Odyssey's general performance issues: they've fixed the worst of them, they've clearly done all they think they can for now, this one isn't going anywhere
8. Odyssey lighting issues: again, if they were going to fix this they'd have done it already
9. Pulse Wave Analyser problems: another "new in Odyssey" bug
10. Anarchies are disfavoured in the BGS: unfixable short of a major ground-up rewrite of gameplay incentives

So that's ... three bugs (4, 6, 9) which might actually get some movement someday but aren't necessarily planned for the upcoming release ... one which they might hand to a new dev to pick off the two known causes as practice just to get it off the list one day ... and six which are for one reason or another unfixable.

It would just be an exercise in how many synonyms the CMs can find for 'no changes planned' if they did the same reports as they previously had.

 

[SasaThargoidsHunter]

If you're enjoying playing it right now, then the delayed updates don't really matter. Sure, more Elite Dangerous would be nice.

If you're not enjoying playing it right now, then absolutely yes, go and do something else. If in 6 months or 2 years or whatever you hear that the update is finally out, or just feel like flying a spaceship from A to B again, you won't have missed out on anything important by not playing every day/week/month in-between.


By following the right mindless grind guide, you can get to the "credits are completely irrelevant" point in FE2 or FFE in under four hours in complete safety. Even with modern ED credit earning, I think you'd need at least ten times that long to have enough credits for "one of everything" (and you still wouldn't have started on engineering, tech brokers, etc. at that point)

It's just that the internet wasn't widely available in the mid-90s so by the time you figured out how to do that for yourself - especially in FFE which did a little more to encourage you into other options first - you'd already been playing the game "as intended" for tens or hundreds of hours and actually had some fun.


I think the top ten bug lists wouldn't really work nowadays - back when they had them, the Odyssey Update release cycle was also about monthly, so they provided reasonable information on what was coming up in the next release and what might take longer. Nothing you wouldn't have found out anyway in a couple of weeks by reading the patch notes, but still, it was something for them to say when the news wasn't "here's the patch notes".

With a release cycle in the 4-6 month size (which is what ED has normally had for major releases) the list just wouldn't change that much.

Looking at the top ten now:

1. Anti-aliasing: if they were going to fix that, they'd have done so ages ago
2. AXCZs (but really, scenarios generally) are flaky in multiplayer: has been a problem since the game came out; they can improve bits of it but not fix it entirely
3. Game hangs on exit occasionally: comedically low-priority bug that has accumulated the most votes by being extremely old
4. Thruster performance is weaker and dependent on the "rotational correction" setting: a "new in Odyssey" bug
5. Joystick buttons limited to 32 per device: feature request rather than bug
6. Some wing interface issues: a newer bug
7. Proxy for Odyssey's general performance issues: they've fixed the worst of them, they've clearly done all they think they can for now, this one isn't going anywhere
8. Odyssey lighting issues: again, if they were going to fix this they'd have done it already
9. Pulse Wave Analyser problems: another "new in Odyssey" bug
10. Anarchies are disfavoured in the BGS: unfixable short of a major ground-up rewrite of gameplay incentives

So that's ... three bugs (4, 6, 9) which might actually get some movement someday but aren't necessarily planned for the upcoming release ... one which they might hand to a new dev to pick off the two known causes as practice just to get it off the list one day ... and six which are for one reason or another unfixable.

It would just be an exercise in how many synonyms the CMs can find for 'no changes planned' if they did the same reports as they previously had.

Indeed, but there are some bugs which overshadow the list. Therefore some bugs stop to be getting reported perhaps. I mean I could be the only one who find the salvage bug totally annoying. Yes we have a workaround but should be this the reason to accept a whole broken gameplay loop? Or the performance issues ? I guess some things would never be fixed when it didn’t appear on the issue tracker top ten list. But this didn’t mean, that the bugs didn’t exist and can be ignored.

I do really hope that they come up with some improvements. And hopefully with some which are fly under the radar due to low interest or reporting on the issue tracker. I’ve seen a lot people in here who had the same issues. It’s weird to me that these bugs aren’t on the list, because they are so simple and common to reproduce.

My bet, people use the workaround and getting fine with that. Or didn’t interact with fps tanking gameplay. It was often mentioned by a few of people that they simply didn’t play with the affected gameplay mechanics due to bugs, and this let perhaps to missing improvements.

So then I think we will have to wait. Fly safe cmdrs o7

 

[Mike Reacher]

It is functionally identical.

Only if you can have the NPCs doing what the different teams did in the PMF. As in will they follow instruction? Don't think so.

 

[Mike Reacher]

The only worry for me is a steam update.
Updates can be a problem.
Oh. Yes, our faction was heavy in wing ups. Sadly missed now.

 

[Northpin]

I think the top ten bug lists wouldn't really work nowadays - back when they had them, the Odyssey Update release cycle was also about monthly, so they provided reasonable information on what was coming up in the next release and what might take longer. Nothing you wouldn't have found out anyway in a couple of weeks by reading the patch notes, but still, it was something for them to say when the news wasn't "here's the patch notes".

No, but dealing with recent introduced bugs or with bug affecting certain activities - that should happen with hotfixes
PWA is broken since U12, affecting subsurface mining

Or the latest introduced bugs - like ship kits affecting the way Caustic sinks are working or the fact that certain settlements in recovery systems will not have restore missions triggering...

Not only they really slow down the updates release schedule, but bug fixing is even worse

 

[Riverside]

Only if you can have the NPCs doing what the different teams did in the PMF. As in will they follow instruction? Don't think so.

Your Cmdr teammates can work together for any faction. Once a PMF is inserted there is no functional difference between supporting a PMF or an NPC faction, the same actions have exactly the same effects. I am starting to wonder whether the reason so many player groups apply to have a PMF is because this is not well understood.

Naming aside, PMFs can be useful for inserting a specific faction type into a system where that type is missing but would be useful, a Feudal for Powerplay for example. You (& your friends) can just start doing missions & stuff for any faction you like.