That feels too much like an arcade game feature to me.
New Thargoid Activity
- Thread starter Pooka Lime
- Start date
The word you were looking for is "...like a fun game feature..."
No it definitely wasn’t.
Calling it an arcade game feature is going too far in my opinion. The infinitely spawning pirates and settlements to raid could also be considered arcade-like, but no one cares, because we also want to play the game.
I would consider a Titan out in the middle of nowhere repeatedly spawning back in for the players cheesy and, frankly, not really that meaningful or interesting.
Now sure, you could get effectively the same experience as pre-colonization Bubble invasions if it is in the right area with some player colonies, but I would not be interested if it lacked any context beyond "It's there for players to go and blow up". Doubly so if it's near Thargoid territory and basically represents intruding into their stuff (again). Part of why the action in the Bubble was preferred was due to its proximity to where other interesting things could (and did) happen, and locations of significance either to the lore or just the playerbase.
"There is a Titan in the middle of nowhere threatening nothing of importance" simply does not have the same weight or ring to it as "Shinrarta Dezhra is being invaded by a giant Thargoid fleet the size of which has not been seen before" or "Cocijo has gone into Sol and taken over Alpha Centauri (and other systems of interest or importance nearby, or is trying to do so)". Sure, the core gameplay will remain the same and be as fun in Col 285 Sector numbers and letters as it is in a system that at least superficially appears interesting, but I think the reason why the Titan incursion fell out of favor over time was simply because it was not threatening anything meaningful, outside of two scripted events. Just throwing one into nowhere won't do much to change that.
It will/would also devalue whatever Frontier is planning with the Thargoids' eventual return that may well institute them as a more permanent threat to colonies and/or the inner Bubble. Plus, we are still waiting for Nemesis to show its ugly (digital) face...
Now sure, you could get effectively the same experience as pre-colonization Bubble invasions if it is in the right area with some player colonies, but I would not be interested if it lacked any context beyond "It's there for players to go and blow up". Doubly so if it's near Thargoid territory and basically represents intruding into their stuff (again). Part of why the action in the Bubble was preferred was due to its proximity to where other interesting things could (and did) happen, and locations of significance either to the lore or just the playerbase.
"There is a Titan in the middle of nowhere threatening nothing of importance" simply does not have the same weight or ring to it as "Shinrarta Dezhra is being invaded by a giant Thargoid fleet the size of which has not been seen before" or "Cocijo has gone into Sol and taken over Alpha Centauri (and other systems of interest or importance nearby, or is trying to do so)". Sure, the core gameplay will remain the same and be as fun in Col 285 Sector numbers and letters as it is in a system that at least superficially appears interesting, but I think the reason why the Titan incursion fell out of favor over time was simply because it was not threatening anything meaningful, outside of two scripted events. Just throwing one into nowhere won't do much to change that.
It will/would also devalue whatever Frontier is planning with the Thargoids' eventual return that may well institute them as a more permanent threat to colonies and/or the inner Bubble. Plus, we are still waiting for Nemesis to show its ugly (digital) face...
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You make some good points, especially for those who have already gone through the war and experienced that gameplay before. I agree that a lone respawning titan wouldn't be nearly as engaging as the invasion was, though I also don't think it necessarily has to either. It would simply be an option for those who want to experience that kind of gameplay during a time in which the Thargoids War is not the main focus. I also don't think it's the only option to provide that gameplay, but a simple and effective one. And I suppose I don't see the potential loss in "devaluing" whatever is coming next for Thargoids when this could simply be the first step in their return.
To put it more succinctly: I think a continuously respawning titan could be a good next step into a continuing Thargoid narrative, while also providing more robust and exciting AX content for players looking for it. It's not the only way such a thing could be accomplished, but it sounds like an interesting option to me.
I don’t personally agree here, but well, opinions and all. As much as I think the absence of the invasion content (particularly the station conflicts as the slightly more traditional AX, but Titans are another unique piece, as are/were the spires) is a bit ‘meh’, I hope Frontier are sensible enough that they won’t just dump the whole thing they spent who knows how long developing forever, and would rather wait for them to just bring it back as a “surprise”. Surprise in quotation marks because there have been some hints they do have more plans in this regard but seem to be giving colonization and/or Vanguards at least a few months respectively, to get settled into the game.
And it is particularly colonization which I think will tie into it somehow.
Now… do I trust them to return that invasion content? Ah… that, I’m not sure. I’ll have to admit to the answer likely being no and placing more of my judgement on common sense, as well as assuming they simply want to give players a bit of a break from Thargoids dominating the (Elite) headlines. And while I initially was a bit ‘meh’ that there wasn’t some place to keep this new stuff around, in recent weeks I’ve come around to it not being that bad anyway because it means I’ll be less worn out of it when it does eventually return.
Anyway… I say they have a plan and somehow I got this feeling that leaving the uneasy looming threat of a new Thargoid incursion but complete uncertainty of how and when it manifests, or in what intensity, is very much part of that. So it’s unlikely there’s simply going to be a “random” Titan popping up as a thing hand-placed by Frontier for simple player service, without further narrative connection.
And it is particularly colonization which I think will tie into it somehow.
Now… do I trust them to return that invasion content? Ah… that, I’m not sure. I’ll have to admit to the answer likely being no and placing more of my judgement on common sense, as well as assuming they simply want to give players a bit of a break from Thargoids dominating the (Elite) headlines. And while I initially was a bit ‘meh’ that there wasn’t some place to keep this new stuff around, in recent weeks I’ve come around to it not being that bad anyway because it means I’ll be less worn out of it when it does eventually return.
Anyway… I say they have a plan and somehow I got this feeling that leaving the uneasy looming threat of a new Thargoid incursion but complete uncertainty of how and when it manifests, or in what intensity, is very much part of that. So it’s unlikely there’s simply going to be a “random” Titan popping up as a thing hand-placed by Frontier for simple player service, without further narrative connection.
I don't know exactly what the narrative would be, but there's plenty for FDev to work off of. To be honest, I think you've gotten off track on this discussion a few times. My point is not that a respawning Titan is exactly what the game needs and clearly the only way forward. I am just advocating for more engaging AX content to partake in during the downtime between wars. The respawning titan was simply one suggestion that I thought held water and sounded interesting, considering it would indeed introduce a wider variety of AX gameplay while also being an opportunity for FDev to progress the narrative slowly without having to invest a lot of resources into new content. This would allow for more attention and resources to be allocated towards non-AX content while still accomplishing what I just discussed. Again, it's not the only way this could be done. There are many ways FDev could go about this, which is why I started this discussion and why I have been enjoying hearing all of these different takes. But I feel like I keep having to clarify what I am asking for to you specifically. Is it really so confusing?
It would be nice to get to do station evacs and surface CZs again. I really hope this fall, or earlier, we get a new Thargoid push.
If those evacs were all we get, that would be sad.
If those evacs were all we get, that would be sad.
I agree! Of all of the Thargoid content, evacs seemed like some of the most compelling. It seems like they're always brought up when people are discussing the best war-time activites. Fall feels like a reasonable time for another big Thargoid step, but I would love it if we got something even earlier. Maybe late summer.
There were station evacuations long before the war started, so no reason not to have some of those show up from time to time.
If only they were just a standard possible result of a war state in a well made simulation....
The hard part would be replacing the fun of the attack on exit, the hyperdiction, etc with human ships.
That was fun?
Threat lvl 5 non-human signal sources are great for new players wanting to try 'goid combat. They didn't stop being great for that just because we had a war, you know.
It sure looks like a lot of fun! I think some people might just enjoy activities you do not.
Evacuations definitely made for an interesting experience in war-affected systems once they transitioned into the invasion state, even more so once Scythes began to stalk damaged ports in particular. I have some... unique experiences of that particular gauntlet running, especially if or once Scythes began going down to either AX NPCs or station guns. Interceptors would quickly start dropping in in large numbers and if it was at a damaged Coriolis or similarly sized starport, it was not uncommon to have to dodge a Medusa or Hydra on your way out.
Plus you had the benefit of contributing to war progress with it. Unfortunately (fortunately for the NPCs), those damaged ports became a rarity due to the balance and course of the war over time so it wasn't often that the scenario could occur.
Plus you had the benefit of contributing to war progress with it. Unfortunately (fortunately for the NPCs), those damaged ports became a rarity due to the balance and course of the war over time so it wasn't often that the scenario could occur.
'Goid interdictions were essentially unbeatable which removed a lot of the fun.