A Thank you Letter to Frontier

[sidereal6]

my 42 ships no longer all fit

I have about the same number. I'm curious how you play the game, that you need so many.

I'll tell you what I do: I "pretend" to be an organization below minor factions - basically, the organizations the minor factions employ. That is to say, I'm not role-playing as a single commander.

And one important thing I do, which I think has made the game a lot more fun, is that I don't perform repairs during an operation. So for example, when I'm fighting a conflict, having been hired by a minor faction to do that, I can't repair a ship (with a few strict exceptions) until it's over. Also, when I lose a ship (which can actually happen now) I can't respawn it ...though I do keep the engineered modules.

How does that possibly make the game more fun??? Well, it makes the game feel a bit more like HighFleet. If you're familiar with HighFleet, a huge part of it is having to make do with damaged ships. In other words, it makes it feel like there are consequences to a battle. I can't just run away, click the repair button, and I'm back to 100%.

Toward the end of a week-long conflict, I might be really struggling - flying ships into battle with only a few % health! It also means that I rely heavily on smaller ships. I have squadrons of eagles and vipers, and I have a legitimate use for them!

This is a lot more fun than building a single god-mode corvette and wrecking waves of helpless NPCs ...and if the vet gets a scratch, just click the repair button.

Anyway, that's why I have so many ships. I also keep track of the conflicts each one is in - not every single combat zone, but a single log entry for a conflict, and sometimes an extra note. For example, an Eagle purchased at Lichtenberg Terminal in Anu on 31 Jul 3304. Participated in six conflicts. In Sept 3306, killed spec ops FDL in Djirbalngan. In Oct 3306 lost in Mbamba.

 

[CMDR X]

...a kind commander surprised me with a fleet carrier. Five billion credits was too much for me to grind, but they had extra to spare, gifting me a new toy...

Someone just handed you a fleet carrier gratis?? Well that finally explains your avatar.

 

[Surprize960]

FDev would make me the happiest person if we can just pick a star from the cockpit view, select it, and plot a route. Would be acceptable also with some kind of Full-spectrum-galaxy-scanner (size 1, engineered by Marco Qwent).

Would pay 50.000 ARX for unlock!

(And no to the hardcore-faction, searching with the galaxy map is not an acceptable alternative)

 

[aRJay]

We all go on about what we want for elite.
I'd argue that all of it would be nothing compared to a dlc which bought elws waterworlds and other planetary types into the realms of landable with atmospheres and actual Atmospheric physics. And I'd go a step further, imagine earth as it actually is? And exact clone, inc cities, countrys etc.?
Impossible??
Colonys elws with features too. Much as I hate to say it just like SC. I mean they got that nailed.
Idk if the cobra 3 engine is capable of it. But for me that's the most profound addition elite could introduce.
Again I don't know if it's actually possible...

I am notoriously unfamiliar with the lore but I suspect if they did insert Earth as it is the screams of protest would be huge as I am pretty sure there have been several major wars that remodelled things like cities and countries extensively.
Mountains will probably be mostly the same in 1300 years time but islands and coastlines are probably mostly unrecognisable.

 

[aRJay]

FDev would make me the happiest person if we can just pick a star from the cockpit view, select it, and plot a route. Would be acceptable also with some kind of Full-spectrum-galaxy-scanner (size 1, engineered by Marco Qwent).

Would pay 50.000 ARX for unlock!

(And no to the hardcore-faction, searching with the galaxy map is not an acceptable alternative)

I would be happy with an overlay we can call up with labels for some of what we are looking at.

 

[mtfatboy3006]

I am notoriously unfamiliar with the lore but I suspect if they did insert Earth as it is the screams of protest would be huge as I am pretty sure there have been several major wars that remodelled things like cities and countries extensively.
Mountains will probably be mostly the same in 1300 years time but islands and coastlines are probably mostly unrecognisable.

There are no lakes viewable from orbit anymore, but the continents still maintain their basic shapes, and are generally green.

 

[lysan]

In all honesty, it is time that we get some enemies who make us fear again!

Amen to that, however they still got plenty of options to create that environment, I don't want to list the possibilities but adding the boarding mechanic is something I always wished would be implemented, however not dreaming about it just saying.

 

[Alec Turner]

Fun fact (and a sneak preview of something I'll cover more on Lave Radio tonight) ... in the last year the Steam player numbers for Elite Dangerous (both peak and average) have basically doubled. I also think it's no coincidence that Arf (who undoubtedly cares a great deal about this game) now feels content to move on from Frontier safe in the knowledge that Elite is in a better place than its been for a long long time.

Welcome back lysan, there's much to be thankful for!

Edit: reading that back it sounds like I'm thankful that Arf is leaving ... that's not what I meant AT ALL!!

 

[Jumpin' Jack Flash]

Hi

Arf (who undoubtedly cares a great deal about this game) now feels content to move on from Frontier safe in the knowledge that Elite is in a better place than its been for a long long time.


Edit: reading that back it sounds like I'm thankful that Arf is leaving ... that's not what I meant AT ALL!!

Oh!.....Arf is leaving Frontier? .....or just moving on to another position at Frontier?

Jack

 

[Dragsham]

Begs the question....who will replace arf

 

[TLY400]

0

 

[TLY400]

Well, whoever comes, let them continue the excellent trajectory they have been on, as I said in response to Lysan, bringing us new content, like the fabulous ships and mechanics, and an upgrade of planets and atmospheres would be a step further in the immersion that Elite already has, as I show in this image in which you could more or less see a planet with clouds flying over the incredible Mandalay on an exploration mission =)

 

[Dragsham]

I'm just revelling in that idea. That all the systems out there, their elws waterworlds hmc worlds, terraformables etc are landable and rendered realistically.
That's me out in the black permanently.

 

[TLY400]

I'm just revelling in that idea. That all the systems out there, their elws waterworlds hmc worlds, terraformables etc are landable and rendered realistically.
That's me out in the black permanently.

It would be a pleasure to offer my money also with an update or DLC like that...what I don't know is if the engine they're working on could incorporate this type of atmosphere/clouds.

 

[Dragsham]

It's elites future. I'm sure of that. It's a huge undertaking. And one that will in my opinion, take elite into a class of its own.
The elite frontier. A galaxy of realism. Exploration nirvana!

 

[sidereal6]

I'm just revelling in that idea. That all the systems out there, their elws waterworlds hmc worlds, terraformables etc are landable and rendered realistically.
That's me out in the black permanently.

me too ...but have you seen space engine?

 

[Alec Turner]

Hi



Oh!.....Arf is leaving Frontier? .....or just moving on to another position at Frontier?

Jack

Leaving sadly.

 

[TLY400]

My best wishes to Tolmie... I think he arrived at a time when Elite was going through a bad time, and now after his passing the title is in a much healthier condition and getting stronger every day. My most sincere thanks to him and all of FDEV.

 

[lysan]

Someone just handed you a fleet carrier gratis?? Well that finally explains your avatar.

nah, that's from the discussion regarding autopilot but that's another story mate however the gift was a nice move and I didn't even beg for it, it was just a reaction to one of my angry post where I said i would like to buy one with real money so I didn't need to grind like crazy to get one, and that's was it.

 

[AlSki]

I'm one of the few people who gets what FDev was trying to do with the initial version of engineering. Basically, you'd roll for an upgrade and get a random result. You could re-roll ...and sometimes you'd get a different result. FDev's intention, it seems obvious to me, was that modules would be "unique" and thus have "character."

Add me to the "few". I used to play the game saving up the Materials, then try another chance just for one of those totally unexpected random rolls that made the impossible builds possible. I still have the result tucked up in a hangar.

I am notoriously unfamiliar with the lore but I suspect if they did insert Earth as it is the screams of protest would be huge as I am pretty sure there have been several major wars that remodelled things like cities and countries extensively.
Mountains will probably be mostly the same in 1300 years time but islands and coastlines are probably mostly unrecognisable.

Zoom in.. There are already modified coastlines due to rising water levels... just look at london... err what was London.