Collection of Ideas for Elite 4

[Steve O B Have]

NOOOOO - Not jump gates!!!!! - AAAAHHHHHH!!!

Jump gates have killed every modern space sim - they make it feel like you're flying in a box! See BC/UC, X, Freelancer, Privateer......

Given current research, I think there are plenty of ways communication faster than the speed of light can be achieved.

For example, if ships can travel that far using some device, surely a less powerful device can be used to transmit a signal.

Toad.

Which then draws the question of trading. If you can get information across interstellar distances, then why can't you find out what the prices of your target systems are or what the trends are for commodity pricing.

I don't think that ELITE4 should be a massive online multiplayer, but it could possibly have a similar interaction as spore where various user creations can become persistent in other users 'universes' but not requiring the user to user interaction. Personally I think that the single player interaction should be of primary concern when it comes to E4 and leave a subsequent iteration to take care of the MMORPG.

I'm also not too keen on turning up to say Lave or Diso and discovering that some nitwit has blown away the space stations.

I think that there is a fine line with having a game too complex and too difficult to pick up. It would be nice if you can get a similar feeling of fulfilment out of playing the game for 30 mins to an hour as you might get from an all day playing session. The place where EVE falls down is that it doesn't have the immediacy that Elite always had

 

[Metalenkist]

I'll will add mine ideas here

When you try to communicate with others, I think it would be cool if you can see an animated avatar (or even more cooler a webcam stream for people who has a webcam) from the one who you're talking with by keyboard or by an audiostream.

I loved the idea of police that is doing his duty, to serve and protect you when you are just a trader or an innocent pilot doing it's job.

High densed flight areas

These things should really add some life to the game.

An other cool idea might be that you can take for a 100 credits a week or something for trading info from a other planet. The more distance between your planet and the planet/station that you want to visit the more outdated the information is.

For online gaming it might be importent that there are some safety zones, it's not cool when you just started and that on your second flight some dork who plays 24/7 with something like a heavy galatic battleship is hanging out the pirate.

Further more I would like to add
Keep fine system make up a few more laws, I like them.
Keep the lot communication options between you and other people like the police officer (love that try to bribe option ) or the passengers.
You could ask those passengers a lot of questions, like their motives of travelling and if you as player could be in danger if you travel them that kind of things. I really loved that about FFE, it should nou be more visual though

Oh and last but not least, I hope that there will come an option for clanbased playing so that you can play with buddies to achieve yours goals together in space.
I don't say that that should be done by building own spacestions or whatever but it should be much more then just playing missions like in many other games.

And I've got one "a please I beg don't point"
If you need staff on your spaceship then please don't make it the way as in silent hunter 3 that staff can be tired so that you need to make a duty roster cause that sucks hard!

 

[Bounder]

Re. Flora and fauna...

I've a sneaking suspicion we may be getting procedurally generated ALFs. If this is so, there could be all sorts of related features.

There'd be a surge in interest in zoos and safari parks. Somebody has to discover, trap and supply the animals. Likewise there could be good money in collecting rare Tionisian orchids, or whatever goes into a pangalactic gargleblaster (?).

Pest controllers might be in high demand in some places - feral ALFs going rogue and threatening native ecologies, wild beasties attacking colonists and such. Trophy hunting (objectionable as it is) would no doubt be popular. Giant aquatic animals, swarms of tiny midges, perhaps even food chains and delicately balanced (fragile) ecological systems.

There could be sentient races like the 'beetles', with their hive societies, or bizzare loners as per so many Star Trek episodes. There could also be semi-sentient beings, akin to proto-humans. What poor creatures might make popular slaves, for all the unscrupulous traders out there?

Another interesting dimension could be provided by geological dynamics - perhaps plate tectonics, volcanism and geysers etc., but also different surface qualities like sand, dust, topsoil, rocks and scree. Some surfaces would create foot prints and vehicle tracks, while heavier objects would create depressions in sand or soil etc. It might be thus possible to track animals and vehicles by their imprints.

This in turn could lead back to the zoology - by way of archeology. It would be great to be able to happen across buried alien artifacts (as per 2001's Black Obelisk), or even fossilised animal remains, with older specimens found deeper. Might there be ammonites on Mars? Likewise a planet with diverse speciation might have more extinct species than live ones.

This is obviously a wide tangent, but seems worth throwing out there given Frontier's penchant for creature animation and procedural generation.

At the very least, Thargoids should be scary. Note how Serenity's reavers were made all the more frightening by only ever being glimpsed in flashes - one imagines giant roach-like Thargoids would be ugly, flighty, and would prefer dark, humid environments. I think "dank" is the word...

 

[ToadMan]

Which then draws the question of trading. If you can get information across interstellar distances, then why can't you find out what the prices of your target systems are or what the trends are for commodity pricing.

Well if you look at our system today, it has many arcane laws to enure fairness of competition.

I think it is a reasonable position to say that in the Elite universe, the trading laws are such that is it illegal for system to broadcast their prices at a given time.

However, who cares about legal - we could try to incorporate a little bit of insider dealing there - you know, bloke in bar says grain particularly cheap this week in system X. Have to have police stings too though, so this isn't a guaranteed cash cow!

I don't think that ELITE4 should be a massive online multiplayer, but it could possibly have a similar interaction as spore where various user creations can become persistent in other users 'universes' but not requiring the user to user interaction. Personally I think that the single player interaction should be of primary concern when it comes to E4 and leave a subsequent iteration to take care of the MMORPG.

No I'm not a MMO fan either. However I did have one thought about multiplayer.

Essentially I see a lan/internet link up. I can best describe it by example. Player A + B want to meet up and do a bit of flying together. They arrange a place to meet (let's say Mars or something). Prior to the meet, they both land in their own games at Mars or somewhere nearby.

One of them opens their game for the other to join. Now they're in the same place in the same universe and they can do whatever they want while there. Trade, fight, tackle missions etc. Provide a basic comms mechanism in the game and you're good. Let them trade with one another (transfer creds, jettison cargo etc).

Basically, you can log into someone else's universe with your saved state, play there for a while and then head back to your own universe with whatever money, ship etc you managed to get. All we're really talking about is transferring the saved game state across the lan/internet.

What if I get killed in someone else's universe? No problem, I still have my prior save(s) for my single player game.

One problem with this is in game time - they are unlikely to be the same. Personally, I'd just ignore that in terms of the game. Also, I wouldn't allow players to transfer open missions over. Although it would be cool, I think it would be tricky to ensure synchronisation of the events - so just dump any active missions when you return to your own game.

One final uber-cool thing - what if each persons universe had something unique like a particular ship colour scheme, or some type of special award unique to that game. The only way to get those thins would be to visit someone elses universe, get it, and come back to your own. Bit like Animal Crossing!

I'm also not too keen on turning up to say Lave or Diso and discovering that some nitwit has blown away the space stations.

Well within reason this is not a problem. Most FE systems had multiple stations anyway plus the planetary ports, so losing one in a system with several = no problem.

But I can't see such a thing being dynamic in any way, since it could cause chaos...

Also if that were to happen, our Nav. Computers would have to update to show the change...

I think that there is a fine line with having a game too complex and too difficult to pick up. It would be nice if you can get a similar feeling of fulfilment out of playing the game for 30 mins to an hour as you might get from an all day playing session. The place where EVE falls down is that it doesn't have the immediacy that Elite always had

True. However, Elite already exists and if we want something more than Elite, it's going to have more options, and more possibilities. Ultimately we want to be able to play jsut like we did in Elite, but have a more fleshed out environment so other things can be done too.

FE, FFE offered this up to a point, but the some people found the combat a little unfulfilling....Personally, I didn't mind it, in fact I got quite good at it...

Toad.

 

[ToadMan]

I'll will add mine ideas here

I loved the idea of police that is doing his duty, to serve and protect you when you are just a trader or an innocent pilot doing it's job.

High densed flight areas

These things should really add some life to the game.

While I'm all in favour of the police doing what police do (within a reasonable distance of their home base), I'm not sure about the high density areas.

Look at something like X3 - there's no feeling of space travel because there are amall systems with too many ships. It's like being on a boating lake

Given space is "big" (a small understatement there) there should be almost no high density areas. A few ships around stations perhaps, other than that transports (plus escorts) in deep space. I don't think you stumble across these ships - you either deliberately trail them or wait on well known shipping lanes... Of course the same happens to the player, so you may be intercepted.

That feeling of isolation in a massive universe has been present since Elite - it would be terrible to lose it now and end up with another X3/BC/UC style game.

For online gaming it might be importent that there are some safety zones, it's not cool when you just started and that on your second flight some dork who plays 24/7 with something like a heavy galatic battleship is hanging out the pirate.

I said in another post, MMO is not my preference. If you're getting into a game with others, I propose they be people you know, and you start in a station (which is safe). Since your own save game is not affected, there should be no issue if you're killed...

And I've got one "a please I beg don't point"
If you need staff on your spaceship then please don't make it the way as in silent hunter 3 that staff can be tired so that you need to make a duty roster cause that sucks hard!

Agreed on that. BTW you can mod SH3 to reduce the fatigue or even get rid of it all together in case you weren't aware of that.

Toad.

 

[robnewman]

Ok...

Firstly, all the ideas submitted are great ideas... And if half of them are considered for E4, it will be an instant classic!

Here's my ideas... Some have been mentioned before, so appologies to all if I'm repeating!

1. 3D, first person view for exploring worlds and stations... It would make the whole experience so much more immersive. Better yet, how about making the ship itself "explorable" so once docked/landed, you have to walk to your ships airlock, use it, then walk off to your chosen destination. You could have info boths near to landing pads which you can access maps and directions from and "download" them into a personal data pad...

2. In order to alleviate the repetition of walking to your destination, every time you dock or land somewhere, you could implement a "rapid personal transit system", perhaps like the people tubes in Futurama! To make the tube journey extra quick for those who just can't wait, the game time could be sped up during the trip just like FE2's system for speeding up ship time (actually making it appear to the pilot that time is going faster, even though it isn't).

3. Revisiting the explorable ship idea, smaller ships could have a simple cockpit entry and no other rooms or holds, medium ships could have a couple of rooms and perhaps an engine room, larger vessels could have many rooms, engine rooms, medical facilities... All of which could be visited, perhaps as an itegral part of the game... The chief engineer wants to see you in the engine room... You have to hand over command and go!

4. How about if you buy ships, then rent them to people in the game? It would add another source of funds and could really open up options for running space lines and transport companies!

5. Finally, and if none of the other ideas are implemented, then PLEASE do this one! My favourite part of FE2 was manually landing and docking my ship, remembering to lower my landing gear, manouvering to the pad or airlock... Much as it would be done! Most recent space games, as good as they are, just skip over this element with some kind of "automated" ship system... that's boring! How about setting up "space traffic control" and ship instruments/ ground lighting/indicator systems to make landing a ship the challenge it should be? Better yet, at busy ports/stations, set up "traffic flow" procedures, patrolled by the in game police!

Ok... Now I've started thinking about it, I can't wait for the game to be released... Damn!

 

[caol]

All of the ideas posted so far are fantastic!

As long as the game has everything that FE2 had and a little more, with better graphics, then I'll be happy.

I guess if you implemented all the ideas here then the game might become too complex though so you'd have to balance complexity with new ideas with playability.

 

[RAK]

One thing I'd personally like to see is a bigger role for the small "fighter" size craft - in-built weapons systems that can't be removed, with a few tons of cargo space for fuel, reducing flexibility, but making them useful, but all of the bigger ships would still conform to the old standard of all of their equipment taking up space.

A way to make the Shuttle and Lifter useful would have similarities - built-in passenger cabins or small amounts of cargo space, for those who want to do interplanetary trading (i.e. wimps).

Also, more use for alternative lifestyles - mining and piracy particularly.

I also like the ideas introduced into the Frontier: First Encounters manual about the "reversing from orbit" and "parallel docking", making me think - the learning curve in Frontier is very high to begin with nowadays. You may say "RTFM" to these people, but most people don't actually read the manual. A short, optional tutorial mode, demonstrating how to fly the spacecraft? A set of flight skill tests for the more experienced pilots?

 

[basilb]

NOOOOO - Not jump gates!!!!! - AAAAHHHHHH!!!

Jump gates have killed every modern space sim - they make it feel like you're flying in a box! See BC/UC, X, Freelancer, Privateer......

Yes Jump gates. Please don't get me wrong though, I don't suggest them as the only means of inter-stellar travel, I still think ships should be able to have hyperdrives and jump to wherever they want to (if in range). It would be perhaps a step of progression though to be able to get a hyperdrive after playing for a while.

 

[robnewman]

Originally posted by basilb
Yes Jump gates. Please don't get me wrong though, I don't suggest them as the only means of inter-stellar travel, I still think ships should be able to have hyperdrives and jump to wherever they want to (if in range). It would be perhaps a step of progression though to be able to get a hyperdrive after playing for a while.

just like Babylon 5 (yes... I'm sad... But hey! I bet more than a few of you out there are thinking the same!)

Could use the gates as the primary means of entering hyperspace for any and all ships, but as hyperdrive engines are huge, only larger ships or "explorer" class vessels would be able to equip them and be able to self jump.

Not that unlike the plasma cannon from FE2... You couldn't pack one of those without a massive ship, so you had to work hard to get one! (And by the way... one of those puppies in a panther clipper with tons of shields makes you the perfect assasin!)

 

[redstar1]

Could use the gates as the primary means of entering hyperspace for any and all ships, but as hyperdrive engines are huge, only larger ships or "explorer" class vessels would be able to equip them and be able to self jump.

This is pretty much what Eve-Online does.

 

[m1rkd1rk]

What you be really great is just forget about all the jump gates and elite 4 should be an improved upgraded version of FE2 just like fe2 aswell same gameplay, everything.

That would float my boat.

 

[DeLeiros]

Been reading all this with interest...been a huge fan of Elite, but I guess that goes without saying, otherwise why be here, eh?

Anyways, as for WHAT NEXT, as David Braben said somewhere on these forums, its going to have to be something a bit special...or a bit different. Basically, the loyal fans are waiting for something a bit special to replace the old game, whilst to get a new audiance its going to have to something a bit different...otherwise they will end up competing against well established brands.

Unfortunately, I reckon Elite has been somewhat usurped in terms of the obvious next evolution of the game, which would be an Eve type Game. Hence, I guess their apprhension in terms of a new release.

So really, they need to now do something a bit different whilst still keeping something of the original format. So really the issue for me is how to keep the best bits of the old format, whilst taking it to another level.

For me the best bits mean three general things (but we can all add our own here!)..

1. The Map...what really got me immersed I think was the ability to fly about the nearby Solar system, exploring new systems and creating my own destiny in a realistic setting.

2. The variety of different things you could do. So many space games are basically working your way up the ranks, or trade games. Elite was both and more.

3.. The realism...Newtonian physics, the planets, interactions etc, at the time it was way ahead of the game. Still is in some respects. It would be nice to keep that 'real' element in place.

To me they'd need to take and improve those elements and add something original...something that would get a new generation gripped. Not just repeat what others have done, or add bits. Thats the big challenge, and if this forums going to have any really value, maybe thats what we should all be concentrating on. Something origiinal for them to do!

I guess we could all add ideas here, but here goes mine. My idea has been touched upon in other games and in Elite, but has never been fully played out. And thats to create and generate the crew element a lot more. Kinda like a morph of Sims, Elite and Championship Manager I guess. Actually have charactors on the ship that can s***, have different skill levels, interact, and you ned to rely on to do their job in certain situations...That way more individual story lines would develop within the ship that would deterime the ships success. I'm kinda thinking Sims in Space mixed with Championship Managers kinda s*** replace tactics type element (except not football obviously!). I guess relating that to TV...what's so special about things like Star Trek, aside from the core ideas, is the interaction between the crew and character development. I think this company could happily do that by adding elements of Theme Park World etc.

I guess that touches upon the role playing element of Eve etc, but for me, a Sims in Space mixed with the element of space exploration/development/trading etc would be huge success and new, as it would open it up to people who like the role playing, and who like the strategy element of games like Championship manager in terms of developing teams/tactics etc.

Hopefully this all makes some kinda sense...but thats my 2 pennies worth

 

[Cyborg]

Elite should stay Elite ...but...

Hi Folks,

My English is BAD...srry i know that..and i´am not proud of it
The Star System of FFE was realy nice.... it stays!
Starports,Orbital Cities,Trade Posts,Mining Colonies,Battle Ships and Playable
Ships needs interieur where you and your Crew (if you need one) can walk around i think...
much NPC´s are needed...

Races needed...

Hire a crew (can help you defense your ship and fills it with a bit of life).

Starports.... needs everything a Airport today have + Shipyard, Viewing-Launch, (to see the rising suns )... and some kind of Motel (to wait a week in one minute)

Factions for the NPC´s (Traders,Pirates,Military,Bounty Hunter,Taxi-Driver and big Cooperations...)

NO BEAM LASER plz...(no beaming pulslaser too..) PLEASE
The good old fire and watch flying one´s

Refuel at Gas-Planets....stays

The Races explore new Planets and build new Systems from time to time...
War in some Systems (or along a front line) from time to time...
Just a living Universe...

additional Tade Goods (Terra Forming Gas,Solarcells,[the ship upgades..too]

(crew aspects...a good engineer can tune your engine...or modify your Laser´s and repair the ship ) (crew can die? )

More complex missions to earn Money and rank´s (meet him there...and he will tell you...steal that...bring me there and wait for me...find that person...eskort that... defense this... destroy that... bring that to.....)

Ego view (sit in pilot seat to fly...stand up during the flight and switch to auto pilot....and go to some kind of Kryo-chamber to bridge the long flight)

NO JUMPGATES...NO KIND OF ANY GATE TO FLY THRU..

and one good main story and a few other mini story´s

else Ideas...???

Critical oppinions or other ideas please...

Greetings
Cyborg

 

[VR jefranklin18]

Jump gates seem to be rather contentious! Personally, I think they could be useful for the smaller craft that can't fit a decent jumpdrive in. I guess that they could be operated like toll roads/bridges with the charge varying on the distance jumped. An alternative to jump gates could be capital class vessels, that allow the smaller craft to land within them and use them as a type of ferry. Ideally, both within the game would be good

JamesF

 

[RAK]

Jump gates seem to be rather contentious!

My main problem with jumpgates appears to be the lack of that isolationist, freelancer-type spirit which the Elite series shows. Jumpgates would be crowded a lot of the time, making an area where that isolationist spirit is destroyed.

 

[redstar1]

My main problem with jumpgates appears to be the lack of that isolationist, freelancer-type spirit which the Elite series shows. Jumpgates would be crowded a lot of the time, making an area where that isolationist spirit is destroyed.

It really depends on what form the game will take. If it's single player then there is no need for these 'choke points' where players are forced together. If it is multiplayer online then something like jumpgates are essential for the game mechanics.

 

[Moriarity]

Elite Ideas

Hi there.

Here are a few other things I think would be good in a new Elite.


Bring back Retro Rockets, my favourite piece of ship hardware from amiga Elite 1.


More variation of weapons and equipment. Anyone who has played Eve online would know the vast amount of different guns, ship upgrades/equipment etc, and this really adds some depth to the game.


In fe2, you had the Federation and the Empire. I feel having more than two factions in the game could be exciting, especialy if they warred against each other. In freelancer you had standings with all the different factions, but these groups never fought against each other to any great extent. Id love to see huge wars with attacks being launched against opposing forces bases and planets, by enemy groups, or on a smaller scale, raids by ships attacking ships from opposing powers.


It would be great along these lines if you could create your own corps and wage war against other corps, again ala Eve. Maybe if you became someones enemy or went to war and lost you could be forced to flee into the outer reaches of space, kinda like the rebels fleeing the empire in star wars, although this would maybe be more of a multi player idea.


Another feature that id like, is if there was an option to take over regions of uninhabited space and create your own Empires and Federations. Not just building bases etc but to actually discover and own vast regions of space etc


One small point i have thought about is the size and cargo space certain weapons and equipment took up in elite 2. Id like to see smaller but maybe more expensive hi-tech versions of equipment,so if you liked to fly smaller faster ships you could, with enough credits buy equipment and weapons that are smaller and easier on the cargo capacity. Maybe have them built or designed at military bases.

Cheers

Moriarity.

 

[RAK]

It really depends on what form the game will take. If it's single player then there is no need for these 'choke points' where players are forced together. If it is multiplayer online then something like jumpgates are essential for the game mechanics.

Well, another problem with jumpgates as I can see it is that the ability to explore many different systems, the idea that you can go thousands of light-years out and still only have seen a fraction of the full universe will be destroyed - unless the jumpgates can take you to a number of different destinations. Thus, a single player game should be included as standard, with people playing multiplayer online at their own discretion.

 

[DeLeiros]

Well, another problem with jumpgates as I can see it is that the ability to explore many different systems, the idea that you can go thousands of light-years out and still only have seen a fraction of the full universe will be destroyed - unless the jumpgates can take you to a number of different destinations. Thus, a single player game should be included as standard, with people playing multiplayer online at their own discretion.

Why not do both...jump gates between main systems that are well inhabited that are quicker and get you nearer the plaent you want to be (at a cost of X credits per jump), and independent jumping to less populated systems and beyond. Simple explanation is it takes a lot of energy/effort to make and maintain a jump gate etc.