Frontier should release a "stripped down" version of Elite that has offline mode, mods and player hosted servers

[Shabine]

If you're saying Elite has a one person dev team, well that would explain a great many things...

Fred over in the "Development, Art, Customer Service, Marketing and Sales Department" felt that.

 

[Northpin]

Where the hell did you get this idea?

Not from Space Engineers, which has mods and custom servers that support those mods. Keen continues to successfully sell both the game and cosmetics. AFAIK piracy is no more an issue for SE than any other game.

When ChatGPT makes stuff up and pretends it knows what it's talking about, people call it "hallucinating". I'm pretty sure it learned this from reading game forums, LOL.

Not in ARMA or DayZ or Rust or Project Zomboid either. I think the comment often comes from people who have no experience with the model.

Elite is an online game that requires a FDev payed account which allows a single active commander per account

A private server would mean a multitude of commander accounts and none of these accounts would rely on paying money to Frontier for those accounts.
It will also allow access to their proprietary server code...

just saying

 

[Crank Larson]

If you're saying SE has a one person dev team, then that REALLY puts Frontier to shame.

If you're saying Elite has a one person dev team, well that would explain a great many things...

I certainly do know what the words I use mean.

I thought SE was a one person creation? Do you know how many devs it has? There are quite a few games that have been written by just one person - and even in large dev teams, the talent is usually only with one or two developers.

Duck was responding specifically to the comment about "piracy".

Doesn't make my comment any less valid.

 

[Shabine]

A private server would mean a multitude of commander accounts and none of these accounts would rely on paying money to Frontier for those accounts.

Okay, I don't think you know how any of this works.

In order to access modded private servers, you would need to buy the base game and set up an account with Frontier. I need to buy DayZ from Bohemia Interactive in order to play on private modded servers, and if I want more than one account, I need to buy the base game more than once.

It will also allow access to their proprietary server code...

Yeah. It would.

 

[vanFace]

Seen a dozen systems, seen a million systems. The one thing this sector of space offers that's unique is the many amazing hand-crafted nebula as a backdrop, which I don't think will spoil any future (which is probably never coming) gameplay in Odyssey.

Yeah, I'm sure many will feel the same. But when it comes to FDev's reasons for things, user happiness is hardly ever a matter, as historical evidence shows. Thus I think not giving us an opportunity to "see" the systems in there is a secondary (and probably the "sales pitch") reason for not opening it up. The primary one is that it would be work to change anything from status quo, of course.

 

[Old Duck]

I thought SE was a one person creation? Do you know how many devs it has? There are quite a few games that have been written by just one person - and even in large dev teams, the talent is usually only with one or two developers.

Yep, just one guy wrote and maintains all of Space Engineers, including the new AI update coming out this month. The rest of the 60+ workers at Keen maintain the garden outside their headquarters.

Doesn't make my comment any less valid.

At this point all your comments in this thread have lost validity, LOL. That's okay, keep entertaining us!

 

[Northpin]

In order to access modded private servers, you would need to buy the base game and set up an account with Frontier. I need to buy DayZ from Bohemia Interactive in order to play on private modded servers, and if I want more than one account, I need to buy the base game more than once.

Frontier licensing model is not based on buying the game... but on buying the account that stores your commander. And that account is on their servers
So how Frontier will receive money for each commander you will create on each private server? Which private server is completely out of FDev control.

Not like it would ever happen, but it's still an interesting thing to think about

 

[Crank Larson]

Yep, just one guy wrote and maintains all of Space Engineers, including the new AI update coming out this month. The rest of the 60+ workers at Keen maintain the garden outside their headquarters.

At this point all your comments in this thread have lost validity, LOL. That's okay, keep entertaining us!

Hmm.. Happy to admit ignorance with regards to Space Engineers. Clearly I'm getting it confused with another game.

 

[nemolomen]

I think being able to play offline, install mods and letting players host their own servers for the game would be the best course of action for Elite right now. Basically let the players be the developers.

1. Being able to play offline or true single player would be a boon for people wanting to play that way, or if you don't have good internet or none at all.

2. Being able to install mods would be great. What if players could replace Elite's ships with Star Wars ships? Or what if we wanted to add our own ships in the Elite universe? Let us add in the panther clipper ourselves, or simply rebalance the ships and weapons already in the game. The possibilities here are endless.

3. We should still be able to play this mode multiplayer so let us host the servers for it ourselves. For example someone could make a Star Wars mod and host their own server as a Star Wars specific galaxy for people to play multiplayer with.

A few things I think this version does not need to have:

1. 4.5 billion star systems. We just don't need that for this stripped down version. Find a reasonable limit that keeps the database down to a good size. Players should be able to rename systems and planets however.

2. On foot. We don't need Odyssey for this, just keep it strictly a space game. I am not even sure we need to land on planets at all. Or if anything could be an add-on for later but I would focus on strictly the space game aspects of Elite for this version.

I think just about everything else could translate well to a offline/moddable version of the game but this is open for debate.

This project is suggested as a separate entity and does not at all replace the current Elite client. This is meant to put the game in the hands of the players so we can continue work on it ourselves.

Yes, yes, Frontier should do everything and it should be done yesterday...

 

[Northpin]

Hmm.. Happy to admit ignorance with regards to Space Engineers. Clearly I'm getting it confused with another game.

SpaceEngine maybe?

 

[Shabine]

Frontier licensing model is not based on buying the game... but on buying the account that stores your commander.

And you buy an account with a commander, and that commander can enter private modded servers. The first time you play on a new modded server, your commander spawns there as though they were starting ED from scratch. This is how it always works.

So how Frontier will receive money for each commander you will create on each private server?

They don't. Again, you buy ED/a Frontier account, and that account is used to access private servers.

Which server is completely out of their control.

Why would this matter?

At this point all your comments in this thread have lost validity, LOL. That's okay, keep entertaining us!

There's also this issue of "Frontier won't sell any ARX". Of course they would. Cosmetics purchased in the live game carry through to private servers. Frontier still sells paint jobs and ship kits and custom suits. The fact that people would be playing on modded private servers wouldn't affect this.

 

[Old Duck]

Hmm.. Happy to admit ignorance with regards to Space Engineers. Clearly I'm getting it confused with another game.

You're probably thinking of Spacebourne 2, which is all the rage these days. I'm a bit skeptical that it's the work of just one person, but that's the scuttlebutt going around.

There's also this issue of "Frontier won't sell any ARX". Of course they would. Cosmetics purchased in the live game carry through to private servers. Frontier still sells paint jobs and ship kits and custom suits. The fact that people would be playing on modded private servers wouldn't affect this.

I think some are confusing adding mod support with open-sourcing the game. It's possible to add a very controlled and ridged modding system to a game without completely opening it up. I do agree that if modders were allowed to make their own paint jobs (which is implied by the OP requesting the ability to add random ships to the game), that would eat into Arx.

It's all an academic argument, because Frontier is not going to be releasing ED in this way anytime soon, not even Legacy. The OP should just buy X4 Foundations and learn to love it like I have. Oh wait, that'll cost Frontier Arx, too!

 

[Chaparral]

The premise that FDEV would not make money for a modable version of EDO is not consistent with the $$$$ earned by Bethesda by permitting modding of Skyrim and Fallout.

The discussion could be resolved if FDEV would release the specs of the hosting servers so that the community could know whether or not a solo / home-based server is feasible.

FDEV will never embrace that level of communication however - so just wait for Starfield.

EDO is like the Orion Nebula - permit locked forever - for reasons.

 

[Kaocraft]

Weird how we have these powerhouse developers out there making games which absolutely dominate the cultural landscape and have interesting sometimes comprehensive mods released for them every single day, generating constant renewed interest and press coverage in perpetuity, but for some reason we’re supposed to believe that offline play + moddable client would be damaging for Elite’s bottom line.

All the more embarrassing now that Elite is a PC only game. Keep giving kickbacks to twitch streamers and youtube channels, Frontier. Some generic “best practices” whitepaper handed down by your overlords commanded it, therefore that’s all the marketing you need.

Fallout, Doom, Minecraft, GTA, and other “household name” game series all have lots of videos by Content Creators, probably because they don’t allow mods or offline pla—oh wait nevermind. Well, according to you, they’re only successful despite having an offline moddable client, and they’d probably be even more successful, and have an even MORE passionate and robust community, if they locked down their client and kneecapped any customization or community tinkering.

Nothing drives “engagement” like cutting off any and all personalized avenues of engaging with your product.

 

[Northpin]

And you buy an account with a commander, and that commander can enter private modded servers. The first time you play on a new modded server, your commander spawns there as though they were starting ED from scratch. This is how it always works.

So how Frontier will receive money for each commander you will create on each private server? Which private server is completely out of FDev control.

They don't. Again, you buy ED/a Frontier account, and that account is used to access private servers.

Account = Commander
you buy one account, you get one commander.

With private servers, you Shabine, will pay Frontier for one FDev account, you get one Frontier Commander and as an extra bonus, you get infinite commanders on private servers.

So if they dont get money for those commanders... what's in it for Frontier?
Not only they will lose money due to people not buying arx since they will mod their own paintjobs, but they will not get money for new commanders either...

Are you sure you still want an Elite Dangerous game? because you definitely want Frontier out of the business.

And as a side note:
what makes you think you'd have to pay Frontier even for that single, initial account
The private server owner could allow you to log in on their server without going through Frontier...
After all, if they get access to the server code, passionate devs can make their own open source servers and things will get completely out of Frontier control
It happened in the past with DAoC freeshards

 

[Northpin]

Fallout, Doom, Minecraft, GTA, and other “household name” game series

So you're comparing mainstream offline games that sold tens if not hundreds millions copies to the niche game that is Elite.
And then you hold FDev in contempt for not giving away their source of revenues

Ok

 

[Shabine]

With private servers, you Shabine, will pay Frontier for one FDev account, you get one Frontier Commander and as an extra bonus, you get infinite commanders on private servers.

Correct.

So if they dont get money for those commanders... what's in it for Frontier?

If you're asking why they wouldn't get money for every private server I play on, my answer is simply that they wouldn't. Their money would come from the sale of the initial account. That said, how would that be any different that what they're doing now in terms of revenue? I bought one ED account. I'm playing on it. They don't make money from me every time I log in and fly around doing whatever I do every day.

Not only they will lose money due to people not buying arx since they will mod their own paintjobs, but they will not get money for new commanders either...

Again, they don't make money every time I log in now. And they aren't new commanders - it's the same commander on different servers and in different states.

Are you sure you still want an Elite Dangerous game? because you definitely want Frontier out of the business.

I still don't understand why you think this causes them to lose money.

The private server owner could allow you to log in on their server without going through Frontier...

Not at all. Frontier would set the access rules, just like everyone else who does this.

 

[metatheurgist]

But they aren't turning the servers off. I don't think the devs have given up on it. It's just that the real dev talent moved on. Maybe those who are left will figure things out eventually.

I dunno man, the talent that gave us CQC, Powerpants, Fantasy based crafting, Squads and Carriers didn't do me any favors.

You can play E: D with friends already... That's when I have most fun, personally (and never run out of things to do in that context).

Yah, that's why I doubt offline servers would kill the game.

 

[Northpin]

I bought one ED account. I'm playing on it. They don't make money from me every time I log in and fly around doing whatever I do every day.

Yes, indeed. You bought one ED Commander (not account, you bought a Commander)
But they will make money from you if you'd want to have 2 Commanders.

And they aren't new commanders - it's the same commander on different servers and in different states.

But you just said it will be a new commander starting from scratch
So you have your Frontier Commander and a new commander on the private server. 2 Commanders, and you payed only for one...

your commander spawns there as though they were starting ED from scratch

 

[Old Duck]

Frontier licensing model is not based on buying the game... but on buying the account that stores your commander.

[...]

Yes, indeed. You bought one ED Commander (not account, you bought a Commander)
But they will make money from you if you'd want to have 2 Commanders.

But you just said it will be a new commander starting from scratch
So you have your Frontier Commander and a new commander on the private server. 2 Commanders, and you payed only for one...

This is an incredibly weak argument. Consider exhibit:

A) Frontier released Elite Dangerous on Playstation, which allows players to create multiple CMDRs for a single Frontier account.
B) Frontier gave away Horizons FOR FREE on the Epic Store.

Enough said?