Is this a rip off? Or is this Frontier first encounters all over again?
- Thread starter sporadic_kit
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It's not a big deal. But it would be interesting to know if it's late because of significant defects found in alpha 1.0 requiring new test stages, or perhaps as some have said because more functionality is being added. Or maybe some unanticipated reason.
Personally I don't care about the new date so much as to understand why it's slipped. And whatever they tell me doesn't matter, it's just interesting. If I were not taking a more than usual interest in this game I'd not have backed as a Founder.
And, hold this thought in your head: it is possible for me to read a book (actually reading two at the moment, whoopee), play guitar in a band, race cars, run two businesses, have a great family life, play Skyrim & TESO, be the chairman of a global technical working group, go to dinner with some friends tonight (I'm not really a pub kind of guy) AND ask a few questions that take me all of 1 minute on a forum. These things are not mutually exclusive for most of us.
It's not the amount of time it takes to post I'm referring to, it's the level of anguish (feigned or otherwise) which some people appear to be displaying over the matter. So we threw some money at a game (which presumably we all knew could slip in terms of deadline when we so did) and it's a bit late. It's hardly a matter of life and death, and despite claims from some that we are not being kept up to date with why, it appears to me that we are all reasonably clued up on where ED is up to in terms of development, courtesy of regular videos which have confirmed that there are two more alpha tests planned, after which, beta will follow. We don't really need to know that Bob the coder is currently sorting out line 6,345 of the game code because it causes a weird loop that they weren't expecting.
Is it a rip off? Not really, we all pledged money without having a gun held to our heads. Is it FFE all over again? Nope, David Braben was forced into that position by GameTek, from whom he eventually received an out of court settlement. He is now in position where he controls the release of the game, the lack of which when FFE was in development, having been the cause behind that no-show FFE Amiga version issue.
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Awesome, popuptoaster. From someone who has made precisely one (yes one) post in the thread (^^ that was it!), we'll all be sure to take your opinion on board in this matter. 
Meanwhile, while we can have circular discussions, it doesn't mean it's pointless. A lot can be learned from repetition - and it's also giving people the chance to let off steam / have a bit of a moan. As an individual of a certain age, moaning takes up at least 35% of my day. So it's all good.
Meanwhile, while we can have circular discussions, it doesn't mean it's pointless. A lot can be learned from repetition - and it's also giving people the chance to let off steam / have a bit of a moan. As an individual of a certain age, moaning takes up at least 35% of my day. So it's all good.
Only 35%? Crikey! <shuffles off, grumbling and cussing>
35% of day still leaves 100% of night, giving a possible total of 19.8 hours moaning time per 24 hours, which isn't bad.
What if someone is on their deathbed, just holding on to dear life for the only reason to play the new Elite Dangerous? Hmmm?
If a person like that backed the kickstarter and said "Oh this is a reason to hold on to" but now, nothing? He's waiting there on his hospital bed waiting for an email. Wouldn't that be kind of sad?
I always thought the unknown unknowns cannot be discussed by definition. As soon as you mention them, they become "known unknowns" or in the best case "ignored unknowns". So unknown unknowns are the things that we did not or cannot anticipate. That's a regular in game development.
It's so outrageous that Donals Rumsfield said such a smart thing
I'll be annoyed. And the more time that goes by, the more annoyed I will become, and the it won't just be me getting annoyed, it will also by many of the backers. The reputation of Frontier is at stake here. Its up to them to do whatever they like. A 15 minute email to a bunch of recipients every two weeks to let us know that progress is being made or what the probems are isn't a big ask.
Meaningful updates are great too. I like to see the fight scenes and the cockpit views. They look nice and make me salivate.
I have no doubt that DavidB will deliver an awesome game. possibly even a game that changes the entire gaming landscape. He needs to take his time to get it right. He also needs to let us know how its going.
So don't quote dates. Just quote progress.
Its simple.
This is phase were in and these are the challenges we are currently facing:
1. Challenge 1 (90% complete)
2. Challenge 2 (10% complete)
3. Callennge 4 (Not started, waiting for challenge1)
These are the subsequent phases and what we want to achieve
Phase2
Objective1
Objective2
Phase3
Objective1
Objective2
Its the same damn email being sent every two weeks with updated numbers. Not a lot to ask for is it!!!!!!!!!!
Well said. This is not about the damn legalities of who MUST do what. Such discussions are off topic.
Frontier, a email in my inbox every two weeks please showing project milestones and progress. You don't have to include dates.
No its not pointless. If there has been no progress in the last two weeks then I want to know about that.
What if there has again been, no progress for another two weeks? No email again?
Its a project progress update email. No progress is news that all stakeholders must be informed of.
No news is in fact news.
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Well, I am not as well informed as I need to be. I am a very busy person. I know nothing about expected stages accept for what I have discovered from starting this post (is that the right way to find out progress?). Even that information is not clearly presented, without enough detail.
I don't have time to go trawling through the web, several levels deep from a google search to find out whats going on with frontier elite dangerous. Every couple of week I goggle "elite dangerous release date" and get nothing. That's as far as I am prepared to go.
Me and many other people simple need a progress email report.
Pointless remark in my opinion. Like I said earlier in the post, 75% of this thread is .
We just need email updates on progress.
Yep. While the school children are discussing cheesecake, there is a actually a serious matter at hand here.
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I'm not sure if it actually is 75 percent of this thread that is , I think we need bi-weekly emails to keep us informed of the actual percentage.
One thing is for sure... FD _WILL_ deliver, as they have already delivered with the Alpha. Let's be honest though, poking holes and finding fault in everything and anything is possible - even TESCO oranges if it's suits us. (for example)
I think a lot of the frustration and annoyance comes from the Alpha being just so damned good. It looks jaw-droppingly awesome and the friends I have in Alpha do not have anything bad to say about it, with only the occasional software crash being a minor setback.
I've always said "Let the dev's get on with it." and I guess you're right about threads of this nature not being productive and putting extra pressure on them when they already have more than enough work on their hands. Which is why I agree that complaining openly about things isn't the best way forward.
The only extra pressure this puts on them is x1 10 minute email every two weeks.
Please accept my sincere apologies for my inability to rep you at this time. I will stop off in Stockport on my way home tomorrow night to congratulate you personally for your continued existence on this forum.
This is good information. Shame I had to received via a forum and not directly to my inbox.
this is not concering ED but relevant to showcase the power of FDEV to deliver software on time and to plan. from today's published "developer agreement" via london's alternative investment market:
"David Braben, Frontier's Chief Executive Officer, said:
"Frontier's reputation for innovative design, high quality and timely delivery creates regular opportunities for us to partner with some of the largest and very best companies in our industry.
"These contracts acknowledge Frontier's qualities and add two exciting new games to our project roster, both of which were ideas generated through our company-wide 'Game of the Week' incubation programme.
"In addition, they demonstrate the ongoing commitment to working with strategic publishing partners that forms an important part of our plan for the Company's continued development.""
"David Braben, Frontier's Chief Executive Officer, said:
"Frontier's reputation for innovative design, high quality and timely delivery creates regular opportunities for us to partner with some of the largest and very best companies in our industry.
"These contracts acknowledge Frontier's qualities and add two exciting new games to our project roster, both of which were ideas generated through our company-wide 'Game of the Week' incubation programme.
"In addition, they demonstrate the ongoing commitment to working with strategic publishing partners that forms an important part of our plan for the Company's continued development.""