The Emperor's New Clothes

[Globusdiablo]

Some of you may know the tale.

The bottom line is, that no matter how many bow and scrape in honour of something that simply isn't there, the fact of the matter is that this game has been pushed into release far too soon.

I won't go into too much detail as the threads concerning these issues are easily found on this forum, but let me put two points forward:

1. The game is not even close to being feature complete. Who in there right mind releases a product to the public in an unfinished state, unless you intend to generate income on the short term only. The hype will die soon enough when consumers realise the shell of a dream they have bought into.
3. The game is riddled with fundamental bugs, that seem to multiply with each new "patch". This is by no means the trademark of any software wanting to claim a high street hallmark.

As a long time fanboy/white knight of Frontier Development and the Elite series, I have cried with the crowd in honour of this bare Emperor, but my resolve is gone and the veil has slipped from my eyes.

I really want to love this game, but it falls so flatly on all the promises made from Kickstarter and all through development. I want to believe, but trust is broken.

As a premium beta backer I'm still proud of contributing to the dream, and I will return to this title now and then, hoping to find some clothes on this should be royalty. Stranger things have happened.

Fly safe commanders.

 

[Whiterose]

How dare you insult the Emperor! His Toga's are made by the finest craftsmen and craftswomen and the occasional slave helps as well. If you see naked men then I suggest you see a psychoanalyst Sir. Yes I admit he wants more clothes but we have promised him they are coming, but for me it is sufficient to see me Emperor in his Toga, and I look forward to seeing him in his full regalia.

 

[Unfluffydave]

Some of you may know the tale.

The bottom line is, that no matter how many bow and scrape in honour of something that simply isn't there, my opinion is that this game has been pushed into release far too soon.

I won't go into too much detail as the threads concerning these issues are easily found on this forum, but let me put two points forward:

1. The game is not even close to being feature complete. Who in there right mind releases a product to the public in an unfinished state, unless you intend to generate income on the short term only. The hype will die soon enough when consumers realise the shell of a dream they have bought into.
3. The game is riddled with fundamental bugs, that seem to multiply with each new "patch". This is by no means the trademark of any software wanting to claim a high street hallmark.

As a long time fanboy/white knight of Frontier Development and the Elite franchise, I have cried with the crowd in honour of this bare Emperor, but my resolve is gone and the veil has slipped from my eyes.

I really want to love this game, but it falls so flatly on all the promises made from Kick Starter and all through development. I want to believe, but trust is broken.

As a premium beta backer I'm still proud of contributing to the dream, and I will return to this title now and then, hoping to find some clothes on this should be royalty. Stranger things have happened.

Fly safe commanders.

Fixed that part that is highlighted for you. You are welcome.

 

[Gogster]

Analogy integrity compromised, eject, eject, eject.

 

[CMDR i Tetsuo]

What if I'm impressed by the King's naked body? He's a fine figure of a man and I'm sure his clothes will look majestic once he dons them...

 

[DizzyRonson]

What if I'm impressed by the King's naked body? He's a fine figure of a man and I'm sure his clothes will look majestic once he dons them...

i had to do a little rofl to this

 

[Tony Spaniels]

What you see as a shell, I see as a solid platform to build on. We've not even reached v1.2 yet either man. Give it a year and lets see where we are then.

 

[Zylark]

...I look forward to seeing him in his full regalia.

Yes, that may be interpreted in an unfortunate manner if one is of a certain less than savory frame of mind...

Anyhow - the OP is right. The game is far from finished. As far as I am concerned, it is still a beta. Now, I got faith - hope - that the game will grow over time as more assets and features are bolted on to the so far un-furnished house FD have erected.

Plenty of glaring issues plague the game. Some by poor design, others by poor implementation. The lackluster MP functionality is one of those things that should shine in a title that call itself an MMO. It doesn't. And Wings coming in 1.2 won't help much unless it also comes with a plethora of tools for players to meet and interact, and the issue of combat-logging cheating is resolved once and for all.

FD could take a look at how the social tools work in titles such as War Thunder and World of Tanks. Two hugely successful 'F2P' (really P2W, but details) MMO games that if nothing else, got the lobby MP tools right.

 

[Globusdiablo]

What you see as a shell, I see as a solid platform to build on. We've not even reached v1.2 yet either man. Give it a year and lets see where we are then.

I've heard all the arguments, and argued as you do as well. But honestly?:

"Let's release the beta to the public, call it gamma/release ready, and then promise all sorts of awesome to come. They'll believe it, because of our pedigry of keeping our promises..."

isn't what I consider sound business practice. Any other product and I would have scoffed and asked if I looked gullible. But in this particular case, I was.

 

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

I've heard all the arguments, and argued as you do as well. But honestly?:

"Let's release the beta to the public, call it gamma/release ready, and then promise all sorts of awesome to come. They'll believe it, because of our pedigry of keeping our promises..."

isn't what I consider sound business practice. Any other product and I would have scoffed and asked if I looked gullible. But in this particular case, I was.

Honestly, please stop with that. People buy games with less content. ED 1.0 has quite a lot to going for. People have sinked 30 - 80 hours into game - and that's for single buy game!

If anything, this and other threads are just pointless exercises in gamer's entitlement.

 

[Nutter]

I knowingly purchased the 'Emperor' without clothes. I'm happy with my purchase!

Unfortunately marketing and PR have suggested the emperor came with a full wardrobe.

Those that were sucked in by this may be disappointed.

 

[sfajardo]

If you really want to enjoy ED, don't play it too much. Mix it with others games and give it just a few hours. Will take +1 year to be a average game.

 

[Nutter]

If you really want to enjoy ED, don't play it too much. Mix it with others games and give it just a few hours. Will take +1 year to be a average game.

Speak for yourself, I've not played any other games since I had beta. Well a few blasts on COD now and then, but that is for a different fix.

 

[Rog]

Honestly, please stop with that. People buy games with less content. ED 1.0 has quite a lot to going for. People have sinked 30 - 80 hours into game - and that's for single buy game!

If anything, this and other threads are just pointless exercises in gamer's entitlement.

Constant and unquestioning effusive praise might be taken more seriously if it wasn't spammed into every single thread with even a percieved hint of criticism, and if people refrained from sniping at those making it.

OP has in the past been pretty enthusiastic about the game. Now they're not. Get over it.

 

[Tony Spaniels]

I've heard all the arguments, and argued as you do as well. But honestly?:

"Let's release the beta to the public, call it gamma/release ready, and then promise all sorts of awesome to come. They'll believe it, because of our pedigry of keeping our promises..."

isn't what I consider sound business practice. Any other product and I would have scoffed and asked if I looked gullible. But in this particular case, I was.

You could be right mate, but I just dont share that perception myself. I genuinely believe they are seeing this games development as an ongoing process, with the games release really being Stage 1 of that process. And when I take a step back It looks to me like this first stage, the foundation stage, is looking really solid. They have already begun to add to this foundation with an update a few weeks ago and another coming up in another few weeks, and after reading the pc gamer preview it looks like a good one

Bugs and fixes will be an on going process as well sure. I wouldnt throw in the towel just yet thats my main point, or see it as an emperor in the buff or whatever

 

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

I knowingly purchased the 'Emperor' without clothes. I'm happy with my purchase!

Unfortunately marketing and PR have suggested the emperor came with a full wardrobe.

Those that were sucked in by this may be disappointed.

Marketing and PR in fact didn't suggest any of that. People created their own hype around game. What FD did wrong is that they didn't specify during beta what will be reachable for 1.0.

However, such threads treat game as it is nothing - which is complete, utter nonsense. ED 1.0 had so much to go for and 1.1 is even better. Either there's some alternative world where games are released at once with 10x more content and I just don't getting it.

 

[Titus Balls]

Constant and unquestioning effusive praise might be taken more seriously if it wasn't spammed into every single thread with even a percieved hint of criticism, and if people refrained from sniping at those making it.

OP has in the past been pretty enthusiastic about the game. Now they're not. Get over it.

Having been called a paid shrill myself before I showed my true colours here, I have to wonder if a certain Mr P isn't in fact one. Either that or he has unlimited optimism which we should learn to tap in to as a power source for the whole planet at this rate.

But it's a sad fact that there are people on here who just can't get over the fact that not many people agree with them - if that was the case (that the game was perfect in every way) then there wouldn't be so many threads with people dissatisfied with the game in it's current state.

But there are many like myself who hold out for a better future, but that continues to get bleaker by the day. Basically Frontier CAN'T screw up 1.2 or it might be the final straw for many people.

FYI Today is the 4th day in a row I haven't signed in to ED. I also seriously considered getting the Mustang Alpha pack to get into the SC Arena Commander. Also my Eve sub is still active for around 25 days, I wonder if it might continue.

When is Limit Theory out goddamit??

 

[Bigcheese]

Marketing and PR in fact didn't suggest any of that. People created their own hype around game. What FD did wrong is that they didn't specify during beta what will be reachable for 1.0.

However, such threads treat game as it is nothing - which is complete, utter nonsense. ED 1.0 had so much to go for and 1.1 is even better. Either there's some alternative world where games are released at once with 10x more content and I just don't getting it.

ED is very bare bones with only the most basic functionality available. By any objective measure, it's nowhere near what anyone would call a complete game. I suggest you look into the advertising as well, it seems like you don't really know what you're talking about.

So there's your problem, a complete inability to be objective. Add in to that taking it personally when people point out flaws and no real understanding of the topic at hand and that leaves you posts like the above.

 

[Titus Balls]

Marketing and PR in fact didn't suggest any of that. People created their own hype around game. What FD did wrong is that they didn't specify during beta what will be reachable for 1.0.

However, such threads treat game as it is nothing - which is complete, utter nonsense. ED 1.0 had so much to go for and 1.1 is even better. Either there's some alternative world where games are released at once with 10x more content and I just don't getting it.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-09-11-elite-dangerous-original-budget-was-8m

The "very disciplined" and "logical" development of the game, according to Braben, has meant it can feel a bit empty at the moment.

"I liken it to building a house," he remarked. "We built the foundations, we built the walls, we plastered it, we put the roof on. We're now putting the furniture in, but it's an empty house."

Elite: Dangerous' roadmap to release "hasn't changed" and it's "on track" for end-of-2014. "By the end of this year we will have the finished game," he declared. "It will be released."

I think sir you are the one who might be speaking from your posterior, or at least ignoring what's been said in the past.

 

[Stormprooter]

I also seriously considered getting the Mustang Alpha pack to get into the SC Arena Commander.

Arena Commander is a nice distraction, but at the moment has far less to do than Elite: Dangerous. What it does have though, is a multiplayer deathmatch arena, and racing - very different to E: D, but still fun. I believe the end of March/early April will see new features added to Star Citizen (Planetside social module and FPS elements), so I suppose the time to get involved (if you want to get involved with an unfinished game) is round about now or soon.
BTW, I have the Mustang Alpha as one of my ships, and it is fun to fly around in.