Will single player be completely and utterly offline no internet needed

[Kipper]

The point he makes is that he wants single-player that will work independently of an internet connection, and independently of utilities like Steam, for various reasons. In this I agree with him, not because I dislike multi-player, but because I often play when I have no internet connection available.

I'm pretty sure that my single player Steam games work even if I'm not online.... it doesn't require you to be online to play them unless its an online game.

I fear anyone who wants to remain utterly disconnected in an ever more connected world is fighting something of a losing battle....!

 

[Gimi]

I'm pretty sure that my single player Steam games work even if I'm not online.... it doesn't require you to be online to play them unless its an online game.

I fear anyone who wants to remain utterly disconnected in an ever more connected world is fighting something of a losing battle....!

Steam works off-line sort of. You have to connect regularly to the steam server i order to enable offline mode. They have this in their help section.

Important: The Steam client application's files must be updated to allow for the use of Offline Mode. If your game's status is "100% - Ready" but you receive the message "This game cannot be started in Offline Mode" when attempting to play offline, the Steam client application's files need to be updated.
Firewall settings preventing Steam from updating itself are the most common cause for this problem. Please see the Troubleshooting Network Connectivity topic for instructions to configure your network so Steam may update if you encounter any difficulties with Offline Mode.

For me this is not good enough, and it feels like they are telling me I can't play games that I have actually paid for with no good reason to show for it. Regardless, not catering for offline play in single player mode makes no sense. Time will tell.

 

[Kipper]

For me this is not good enough, and it feels like they are telling me I can't play games that I have actually paid for with no good reason to show for it. Regardless, not catering for offline play in single player mode makes no sense. Time will tell.

Makes sense to me. Don't forget it's more than just a delivery system now, its hooked into all kinds of achievements and other stuff - it's not unreasonable to require steam itself to be updated?

I'm not saying that IS the thing, just that it's plausible.

 

[Steve O B Have]

I do agree that the whole situation of a distributor being able to remove access to what you've paid good money for is rubbish but I also see the great positives in being able to obtain games online, have them update on the fly and to play interactively with others.

My point of view on the single player thing is more about being able to play the game without ever having to rely on another player. I don't actually want to be permanently removed from the rest of the world. It's an oddly black and white perspective, and much like kipper said, kinda like fighting a losing battle.

 

[Bounder]

@Gimi - ah i see what you mean - like GTA IV requiring Rockstar Social Club client, and the Games For Windows Live client, and/or Steam too if you bought it as a download. That really peeved me off.

So much so that i don't mind admitting to using the NoDVD exes, for GTAIV and the EFLC "DLC" which circumvent all this nonsense. I own the original full retail DVDs for both, so my conscience is clear. But yes, it was an unpleasant surprise, if not proper liberty on Rockstar's part, whom i'd previously considered to have a better ethos.

You shouldn't have to rely on hacked exes after paying full price...

 

[Gimi]

Makes sense to me. Don't forget it's more than just a delivery system now, its hooked into all kinds of achievements and other stuff - it's not unreasonable to require steam itself to be updated?

I understand why they do it, and from their point of view, and with the user base they have, it makes perfect sense. (Probably also from a business point of view) My view is in minority here, and you can't please everybody, so they cater for the masses as they should. I do in fact have steam installed as I play CS with my children on my own private server. That does not mean I like the steam model, and I would not want that model for E: D.

 

[Completely Harmless]

I agree with what you said, Gimi.

Single-player should not be depended on an online component. I understand some games using it to active but they take it one step too far and keep requiring Steam to be running, which I find a bit annoying. If I go online to play MP, sure, but not for SP (such as Skyrim, what is the point, I could care less for achievements myself).

Hence hoping E will not rely on Steam running to play SP.

 

[Bromley86]

I think Braben needs to given in to that indie developer who's whining about this game being called Dangerous. Either that or remove the colon, because otherwise the forums will be covered with inappropriate smilies : D .

 

[Gimi]

I think Braben needs to given in to that indie developer who's whining about this game being called Dangerous. Either that or remove the colon, because otherwise the forums will be covered with inappropriate smilies : D .

No. no .no...
Elite: Dangerous is getting it's own symbol, like the $ and the £, which is:
E

 

[[VR] Shadowman]

I'd still pledge and play the game, even if it did need constant online, because I wouldn't want to miss out on such an amazing game. Not that I agree with it, but it wouldn't be a deal breaker for me, cos I'd forget about it the moment I take off from the base into the wilderness

I hope this gets cleared up by FD relatively soon though. I would have thought they already have a strategy in place for other games and should kinda know the answer to this, no?

 

[Completely Harmless]

E is simply expressing how we all feel for the game.

 

[Zak Gordon]

Yeah and don't forget that for a space based MMO we already have EVE - online. That is pretty tough competition to go up against. If World of Warcraft taught us anything, it is that going up against an already popular on-line only game is mostly unsuccessful (in a given genre), there are only so many MMO players in the world vs those that will play in single player most of the time.

I'd say looking at the pledge numbers so far, you don't want to mostly bank on the mp gamers over the sp ones. The fact that on the main KS page it still only mentions MP as a feature might suggest, to the casual passer by, that it is MP only, thus the relative low pledge numbers?

For sure if i wanted to play an MMO in space i'd play EVE, as an original elite player (and all versions since) i'm in it for the single player only, but it would be nice to have mp as well for those that want it.

 

[Gimi]

Yeah and don't forget that for a space based MMO we already have EVE - online.

If Elite: Dangerous is anything like EVE I will be very disappointed. If you have the time to invest, EVE might have some merit. I found the players there unfriendly, the game counter intuitive and with one of the steepest learning curve I have ever encountered. EVE was not to my taste. I would argue that not adapting EVE's throat cutting PvP would be a selling point for Elite: Dangerous.

 

[Kipper]

In EVE you don't have direct control over your ship, in Elite you do. Even if the games were otherwise identical - that one change alone would be enough to make them appeal to two completely different types of gamer.

 

[Jumpin' Jack Flash]

In EVE you don't have direct control over your ship, in Elite you do. Even if the games were otherwise identical - that one change alone would be enough to make them appeal to two completely different types of gamer.

Spot on!
This is the main reason why EVE has never appealed to me, and why I play the Egosoft X games, and hopefully Elite Dangerous & Star Citizen.
The more immersion I have with my ship the better, personally speaking, as this is going to be for the larger part of the game, my 'home'.
(Unless of course we can have our own headquarters or 'garage').
Single Player is a must for me to start with as well, I would like to start the game with complete freedom from the server (apart from registering the game).

Jack.

 

[Darth Revan]

In EVE you don't have direct control over your ship, in Elite you do. Even if the games were otherwise identical - that one change alone would be enough to make them appeal to two completely different types of gamer.

I've never tried Eve, and your point about having no direct control over the ship is the reason why!

 

[The Space Pirate]

I've never tried Eve, and your point about having no direct control over the ship is the reason why!

You can't directly control your ship in Eve? I've never tried it, and now I never will - what's the point?

Help us, Elite D! You're our Only Hope...

 

[Capt. Hook]

To be fair, not everyone who plays EVE is into PVP. I played for several years in an Indy Corp where everyone looked after each other to get the most out of the game and attacking other players was not what we were about.

EVE does have a steep learning curve, but for some players that's part of the attraction. I agree, ship combat control is not in the Elite style (I'm thinking of Elite on the BBC or Amiga here) but then again the combat in Frontier was not much fun most of the time - ship jousting anyone?

Don't get me wrong. I'm a die hard fan of Elite and have pledged over the Founder Level but EVE has persisted for over 10 years now and I think with over 50K regular online players so,for some people, it is a game they must enjoy.

edit: just read this again and if it sounds like I'm trying to plug EVE, I'm not, I'm just putting a different view out there

 

[Styggron]

I'm afraid my greatest fear was realised in the updated FAQ. Single player will need an internet connection to keep in sync with events in the multiplayer.

As I am often away from connections for long periods of time this pretty much means it would just be taking up hard drive space and be unplayable.

I just cannot believe this is the decision. Single player should run the universe in your save game ignoring everything else.

This is a deal breaker for me I'm afraid.

Enjoy the rest of the ride everyone, I'm sure you will love the product but I shall not be joining you on the rest of the journey.

bye everyone.

 

[Capt. Hook]

Easy tiger - I wouldn't necessarily assume anything about the game at this stage. It still hasn't hit the kickstater magic number yet and little if anything has definetely been confirmed yet other than yes, E D is single and multiplayer. In the Dev posting today it said for example:

"Will you be able to play E D without an internet connection?" We're currently looking at a shared universe, that makes no connection at all difficult (but not impossible)

I think that its really too early to say how the end game will play out or how the single player game will operate. My own take is that there will still be an option to log in to update markets/changes to the galaxy if one wants but I still think it might be optional.