****The ghost of mods past returns****
Ok, here is my tuppence.
This is correct. The Mods were informing the forum to the best of their knowledge they had available. Certainly, to me at least, this announcement was a surprise to me also. Speaking personally, I would encourage FD to look again at this off line option for the simple fact that those in far flung areas with patchy connections could be excluded from playing the game entirely. There will be folk out there who don't even know about this yet because they lack a connection to the internet. I really feel for those people because they don't have a voice here. Also being able to pause the game when dealing with real life intrusions in your "Elite playtime" is also a useful feature for those of us with familys, pets, naughty 20+ year old computers....
Lets not forget that the overriding feature that all the Elite games had was freedom to play the game as you saw fit. That choice is what set Elite apart from just about everything else that was available at that time. It was the very first sandbox universe you could play around in. This offline mode is a feature that (in my view) is too good to drop. Its part of the Elite legacy, people love to experiment, try different things. I know I do.
Now don't get me wrong here, an evolving universe that responds to player actions and can have injected events to stir things up is a very cool thing indeed. I am glad all over it's there and I will be playing online and loving it, but that choice people, that choice....
Now I have supported FD from the very beginning of the kickstarter (and even a bit before that too) and still do, they have achieved wondrous progress in bringing back Elite for a new generation to experience and for us, *cough*, "more seasoned" players of the older games too, but please FD, reconsider this move. Many have said a cutdown and initially frozen simulation of the galaxy is acceptable. I would agree with this, heck, I also agree that sticking something like a spruced up FFE or FE2 galaxy model into an offline version (even with all its inaccuracies) would be the right thing to do. It won't be as responsive, it may even be regarded as boring and too repetitive for some but at least it gives those without a decent net connection the chance to experience this great game (even in a reduced form) wherever they happen to be. This in itself keeps Elite as an all encompassing global phenomenon as it should be no matter if your in hi-tech Tokyo or away up someplace in the Scottish highlands.
At the end of the day it's (as it's always been) FD's call, but they are good people, generous and thoughtful too who have consistently shown they do listen. If you doubt this just check out the DDF archives. It is my hope FD will also reconsider this move even if it must come at a later date. The fans have done a wonderful job in keeping the faith, now (respectively) its time for FD to show that same faith in the fans.
****Back to the æther****
Geraldine, this is the most brilliant well-written and thought-out post I have ever read on this forum. Thank you so much for writing it and sharing your thoughts. For what it's worth, I couldn't agree more. I feel the same; you cleared the neutron blasters for firing and hit the pursuit ship squarely in the cockpit (hit the nail on the head) precisely. Take care and hopefully our words shall be read and considered by those who can put it right.
PS: Speaking of having the option of playing Elite Dangerous offline in the future... well, you're absolutely right. That certain... "elephant in the room" why its useful. Not necessarily for us happily online now but for our children and children's children who might not be. There they are one evening, sitting in their underground nuclear fallout shelter a few years from now. Suddenly while watching old episodes of Blake's 7 on an old infotablet one of them has the urge to play an old classic PC games series we used to talk to them about when they were very young called Elite. They even read a few books and novels about the final game in the series, Elite Dangerous, at bedtime. Oops, sorry.. Can't do that! They made it online-only!
If not for our children, then what about the Elite children in hardened bunkers under the Whitehouse, or the military complex beneath Denver airport? Or the underground cave complex owned by the Royal Family in Scotland? Can't they play some cool old PC games in the future too? Unless of course, Lord Braben is planning to live there with them in the guest chamber with his "Elite" personal offline code that the "unwashed masses" remnant of survivors and scientists with no more Internet will never see? If not in an underground fallout shelter, then let's say on a space station orbiting Saturn or Proxima Centauri. Anywhere, without Internet access to the game servers in future is our point. That's it. Gaming history consigned to the ether of memory, only to be experienced in a few remaining Isinona YouTube videos saved on a tablet stick for posterity. If only we could experience it again first hand. Sorry, can't do that, kid. Thanks for listening.
