Will This Game Ever Be 'Massively'

[Zaine]

Hi All,

I really like Elite, but i think it could be so much better. I'd like to see thousands of people online. Will it ever happen? I think it would be great if:

1) You had huge dogfights with dozens of players on different factions.

2) People could pay for escorts from other players when transporting high value goods.

3) A sort of Raid system would be good where players can group up in a 24 player instance where you all have to fight a wave of invading NPC enemies and then defeat a powerful 'Capital Ship' or similar for 'Loot'.

I think even if it was a bit more EVE Online would really benefit the long term prospects of the game.

 

[LeiHarper]

Hi All,

I really like Elite, but i think it could be so much better. I'd like to see thousands of people online. Will it ever happen? I think it would be great if:

1) You had huge dogfights with dozens of players on different factions.

2) People could pay for escorts from other players when transporting high value goods.

3) A sort of Raid system would be good where players can group up in a 24 player instance where you all have to fight a wave of invading NPC enemies and then defeat a powerful 'Capital Ship' or similar for 'Loot'.

I think even if it was a bit more EVE Online would really benefit the long term prospects of the game.

Oh, dude. I'm so sorry. I agree with you, but you're going to get verbally murdered in just a short amount of time by certain people on this forum.
You see, you made several critical mistakes here. You expressed an opinion that this "Epic Multiplayer Game" should have some MMO type raid content, and you also mentioned wanting the game to be a little more like EVE online. You did both these things in the same post.

There are many here who may agree with you (like me), but many that won't, and they will not be kind. Hold on to your ankles.

 

[Joe Spivey]

Hi All,

I really like Elite, but i think it could be so much better. I'd like to see thousands of people online. Will it ever happen? I think it would be great if:

1) You had huge dogfights with dozens of players on different factions.

Not going to happen. 32 players max in an instance.

2) People could pay for escorts from other players when transporting high value goods.

I think this is already in the design if not already implemented.

3) A sort of Raid system would be good where players can group up in a 24 player instance where you all have to fight a wave of invading NPC enemies and then defeat a powerful 'Capital Ship' or similar for 'Loot'.

This is the kind of things some USSs provide so, already in game.

I think even if it was a bit more EVE Online would really benefit the long term prospects of the game.

The game is designed deliberately to be NOT like Eve.

 

[kermit3]

i have to agree with you and hope that they are holding back a lot of stuff for release as at the moment i cant see it gaining much support if what we have is it , especially from the multi-player side as its non existent so far , and for all those who keep shouting this is still beta we are in the gamma phase and this should replicate the finished article and at this moment it dosent feel finished it has many bugs still in it and is missing loads of stuff .

 

[Zaine]

Oh, dude. I'm so sorry. I agree with you, but you're going to get verbally murdered in just a short amount of time by certain people on this forum.
You see, you made several critical mistakes here. You expressed an opinion that this "Epic Multiplayer Game" should have some MMO type raid content, and you also mentioned wanting the game to be a little more like EVE online. You did both these things in the same post.

There are many here who may agree with you (like me), but many that won't, and they will not be kind. Hold on to your ankles.

LOL, well i think the base game is superb. It just needs to build on it now. I fear unless more features are added not enough people will stick around and we won't even get the expansion packs as it will be a ghost town.

 

[mattyboy1509]

Hi All,

I really like Elite, but i think it could be so much better. I'd like to see thousands of people online. Will it ever happen? I think it would be great if:

1) You had huge dogfights with dozens of players on different factions.

2) People could pay for escorts from other players when transporting high value goods.

3) A sort of Raid system would be good where players can group up in a 24 player instance where you all have to fight a wave of invading NPC enemies and then defeat a powerful 'Capital Ship' or similar for 'Loot'.

I think even if it was a bit more EVE Online would really benefit the long term prospects of the game.

Hmm maybe it would seem the way they are currently planning to do it is to have injected events and mission around those to encourage players to congregate and participate in group actions. At least I think that is the current plan. whether the p2p networking will be up to the job remains to be seen. Also quite how many players participate is also a factor however I'm up for it. We will see... It also requires players to have earned a bit of money in order to have a good enough ship etc etc.
All the above was part of the original plan however plans have to be adapted sometimes. Eve is a game that has been in development a LONG time and you still cant actually fly a ship into combat. YET...

 

[LeiHarper]

Not going to happen. 32 players max in an instance.

This is true.

I think this is already in the design if not already implemented.

None of the features needed to support this are implemented. You can't set up contracts with players, you can't pay players, you can't group and slave your FSD with players to keep your escort group together.

This is the kind of things some USSs provide so, already in game.

Umm, no. USS encounters right now do not offer any kind of multi-wave assaults followed by a boss battle with loot. And the USS encounters that do exist aren't exactly balanced for coop play. At all.

The game is designed deliberately to be NOT like Eve.

People say that like its a good thing. The attitude towards EVE here is in equal parts amusing and saddening. There are plenty of great things that Elite could take from EVE Online, and plenty of things they probably shouldn't. To look at the entirety of EVE's features and dismiss them all though, "NO! That's in EVE! BAD! It doesn't belong here!"

That's just crazy.

i have to agree with you and hope that they are holding back a lot of stuff for release as at the moment i cant see it gaining much support if what we have is it , especially from the multi-player side as its non existent so far , and for all those who keep shouting this is still beta we are in the gamma phase and this should replicate the finished article and at this moment it dosent feel finished it has many bugs still in it and is missing loads of stuff .

They already said gamma is featured locked. Just bug fixes and polish until release.
This is it. What you see is all there is.

 

[Daeron]

There are network limitations that will never make you meet a massive number of people at once in this game. There is no dedicated centralised server hosting players. There *are* thousands of players online. And they affect the world. All of them. But you cannot meet a great many of them. The usual limit is 32 for this kind of connection.

In Elite you will have to make the raid, as opposed to have a raid made for you. You have to make the initiative, it is not the kind of game that allows you to be passive.

 

[Iskariot]

Will This Game Ever Be 'Massively'

Personally I hope not. I avoid 'Massively' like the plague.
But the points you mention are just fine as far as I am concerned.
If you want massive dogfights there sure is enough room to have them, without annoying others.

I just don't want the game to become the general type of MMO I abhor, because that always subtracts from immersion.

 

[Venkman]

Hi All,

I really like Elite, but i think it could be so much better. I'd like to see thousands of people online. Will it ever happen? I think it would be great if:

1) You had huge dogfights with dozens of players on different factions.

2) People could pay for escorts from other players when transporting high value goods.

3) A sort of Raid system would be good where players can group up in a 24 player instance where you all have to fight a wave of invading NPC enemies and then defeat a powerful 'Capital Ship' or similar for 'Loot'.

I think even if it was a bit more EVE Online would really benefit the long term prospects of the game.

These are amazing ideas!

Kudos op for expressing my thoughts exactly

It would be much more exciting to have these options

 

[cmdr awesome]

Please go and take a look at Kerrash's fight with the Imperial Cruiser from the premiere twitch feed, then come back and refine your original post.
It demonstrates features that you may not be aware of, which cover some of what you're suggesting is missing from the game.
We've had combat zones in the Eranin system for months where you could enjoy huge multiplayer dogfights around a stricken capital ship.

 

[kermit3]

They already said gamma is featured locked. Just bug fixes and polish until release.
This is it. What you see is all there is.

if this is true then this game will die before its been out 6 months if not less no matter that a couple of thousand backers might want to keep it alive its simple economics if it dosent appeal to a large audience it will not make it today .

 

[OVMorat]

A link would help!

- - - - - Additional Content Posted / Auto Merge - - - - -

It should be a lot more "Massively" but I don't think it will happen until the community population tips away from the original backers towards those with a more current world-view.

 

[Daeron]

if this is true then this game will die before its been out 6 months if not less no matter that a couple of thousand backers might want to keep it alive its simple economics if it dosent appeal to a large audience it will not make it today .

Gamma is a stage in the lifecycle, not the end of the process. This is not the intended Status Quo.

 

[Tinman]

None of the features needed to support this are implemented. You can't set up contracts with players,

Binding ones? No, but you CAN talk to people. "Hey, if you protect me I'll pay you."

...you can't pay players,

Actually, in the latest build it is now possible to drop of cargo in such a way that it does not appear as stolen. Buy some tons of gold. Drop them off. Payed!

...you can't group and slave your FSD with players to keep your escort group together.

No, but you can fly close to them in supercruise and then follow them into the wake if they drop to normal space.


So it IS possible...it IS however also quite cumbersome at the moment so the wings functionality is very much needed, but we know this is being worked on at the moment.

 

[SharkH]

if this is true then this game will die before its been out 6 months if not less no matter that a couple of thousand backers might want to keep it alive its simple economics if it dosent appeal to a large audience it will not make it today .

Just for the case if you missed it the game developement won't stop after the 16th of December.

/sigh

 

[kermit3]

[QUOTEGamma is a stage in the lifecycle, not the end of the process. This is not the intended Status Quo.][/QUOTE]
I really hope your right but cant see it myself at the moment .

 

[cmdr awesome]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GxJbOMaXa0

56mins in.

 

[Daeron]

I really hope your right but cant see it myself at the moment .

That is because the moment has yet to pass.

 

[LeiHarper]

Actually, in the latest build it is now possible to drop of cargo in such a way that it does not appear as stolen. Buy some tons of gold. Drop them off. Payed!

See, this makes me laugh. And this is totally not a dig at you, Tinman. But this kind of comment is indicative of the major things I see wrong in Elite: Dangerous.

Issue: Can't trade between players.

Solution in the Design Document:


Player to Player Trading

• Players can trade directly with each other
  • The player trade interface is available when both players are docked at the same market
  • The player trade interface is available when two players dock ships
• The player trade interface is a secure swap allowing players to transfer credits/cargo
  • Both players must accept the trade before it occurs
    • Acceptance must be redone by both parties after any change in the trade
  • Trading occurs in real-time and can be interrupted (for example by being attacked) unless taking place at a space dock
  • Either player can cancel the trade at any time up to the point both agree

Solution in actual game: Allow players to drop cargo in space and not have it flagged as stolen. Scoop cargo.

"Woohoo! Check 'player trading' off of the feature list, guys! We got this in the bag!"

This "first-pass" proof of concept type feature implementation is what is going to kill this game.