first release and landing

[Abysinth]

A thought: If you have a starport planetside, then the local goods would be cheaper than buying them on the orbiting station, but it costs the player more in terms of fuel for the landing/take off. They could also earn credits by taking non-local goods planetside in spare carge space

 

[M-Saunders]

Just to throw in my 2 credits, after reading the forums for the last few weeks... The lack of seamless planetary landings is a disappointment for me too. Sure, as mentioned, in practical terms they weren't much different to space stations, but the fact that everything in Frontier was an object that you could interact with -- from tiny craft to giant planets -- was mind-blowing. Having stuff in ED that you can only look at, but can't fly right up to, will make it feel a bit fake at the start I feel.

I guess I'm in the "space sim" camp, where I want a huge, living, breathing universe to explore (that's accurate with physics and timescales), and occasionally dip into some gameplay and plot elements. Conversely, many people want an awesome space shooting and trading romp without so much realism, which I'm absolutely sure that ED will be.

Still, I'm keeping faith that DB will make it incredible in the end. I still can't get my head around him writing Frontier on his own in 68k asm on the Amiga. Surely the most ambitious programming project ever realised

M

 

[MaD^Mak]

I don't agree with "pointless", if it wasn't there I'm pretty sure your feelings about FE2 wouldn't be the same But I should agree that it should be implemented well because there is a lot of possibilities around planet landing. ( and there is no need to go far as walking / FPS style...) FE2 spirit was really dependent on how and how FAR your imagination can go. This is a very , very important point. If ED go too far with details, this would breaks that magic - my 2 cents.

Yes, perhaps 'pointless' was too much of a strong word to use - planetary landings in FE2 were anything but pointless. But it is sort of how it feels now that FD have unveiled their plans as regards visiting planets.

If FE2 managed to stimulate your, very vivid it seems, imagination, just imagine what ED will do when you're approaching a starport and see huge living cities, dense vegetation, roaming wild animals, etc. and know that you can get out of your ship and interact with all this dynamic environment. For instance, if you're on an assassination mission, you land at the starport, get off your ship, and go find your target who is staying at a particular hotel located in the city centre.

 

[Calim]

Yes, perhaps 'pointless' was too much of a strong word to use - planetary landings in FE2 were anything but pointless. But it is sort of how it feels now that FD have unveiled their plans as regards visiting planets.

If FE2 managed to stimulate your, very vivid it seems, imagination, just imagine what ED will do when you're approaching a starport and see huge living cities, dense vegetation, roaming wild animals, etc. and know that you can get out of your ship and interact with all this dynamic environment. For instance, if you're on an assassination mission, you land at the starport, get off your ship, and go find your target who is staying at a particular hotel located in the city centre.

I don't agree, landing on ross 154 or other planet , or for example execute a kill contract with a ship that take off a planet make the gameplay interesting. Startport will never replace that. In addition I'm afraid that lack of planet / ground city landing has something unrealistic.

It makes me think of EvE : nothing is more frustrating that seeing wonderfully modeled planets without the possibility of visiting it !!!!

 

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

Just to throw in my 2 credits, after reading the forums for the last few weeks... The lack of seamless planetary landings is a disappointment for me too. Sure, as mentioned, in practical terms they weren't much different to space stations, but the fact that everything in Frontier was an object that you could interact with -- from tiny craft to giant planets -- was mind-blowing. Having stuff in ED that you can only look at, but can't fly right up to, will make it feel a bit fake at the start I feel.

Personally I feel gameplay of first release will be so rich that I will have lot to do (with my limited playing time) that I won't have time to worry about landings on planets not being there. Also it seems they have all hooks in place and it is highly possible that part of dev team will start to work on landings expansion as soon as first beta rolls out.

So my pick wait won't feel so long.

 

[Tinman]

Personally I feel gameplay of first release will be so rich that I will have lot to do (with my limited playing time) that I won't have time to worry about landings on planets not being there. Also it seems they have all hooks in place and it is highly possible that part of dev team will start to work on landings expansion as soon as first beta rolls out.

So my pick wait won't feel so long.

I think they are already working on it to some degree. Most likely they have a "planet-team" hammering away on features as we speak. Sure, right now the focus is on things you see in a top down view, but a lot of features directly links in to planetary stuff (height maps, colormaps for the terrain, atmosphere, cloudlayers...).

 

[Jenner]

I think they are already working on it to some degree. Most likely they have a "planet-team" hammering away on features as we speak. Sure, right now the focus is on things you see in a top down view, but a lot of features directly links in to planetary stuff (height maps, colormaps for the terrain, atmosphere, cloudlayers...).

Seems likely. They wouldn't need the entire team on ED through the whole project. Artists and concept people would be the first to start on a new module (or entirely new product). I'm sure it's at the initial stages even if only one person is toiling away.