Is Elite Dangerous a Dad's Game Played mainly by "non-gamers"?

Roybe

Roybe
This is a program this is trying to work for a spectrum of people. Those that like simulators and those that like games.

At the extreme of either end, each type of user has difficulty understanding the motivation of the other.

As this program adds more 'game items' to the base space flight/sci fi simulator, the simulation players tend to get upset. The game crowd tends to get upset when they see the 'lack of content' in the game and screams for 'Moar!'

Add to this the PvP vs PvE demands between the gamer crowd and the Open vs. Private mode 'problems' and the Solo vs Multiplayer hassles...and it's a wonder this program has anyone that is truly happy using it.

To add to the frustration, you have those interested in trying to 'play' what amounts to the 'game', and the command and control program, otherwise known as the BGS keeps kicking them in the teeth.

This is not a generational issue, nor one of age. This is a group of people trying to use a program that is, by its design, not going to be defined by any one particular cohort...which means plenty of salt for everyone to share with each other.
 

maddog0606

maddog0606
I'm 59 and have no idea what a dad game is and what a gamers game is. All I know is what I like. I have played the original Elite, original Doom, original Duke Nukem (I can chew gum and Kick ass, and I'm all out of gum). I have Far Cry 4 and Fallout 4. I have played the F16 Flight Sim (I think it was called Falcon with one kick ass HOTAS setup). I have played Eve, Guild Wars 2, WoW, SWTOR. I like FPS, Space Sims, Flight Sims, and the occasional MMO. I am just a Gamer.

Oh, I have a Kaypro in the garage wired for SPEED!!! (4Mhz Baby!!!!!)
 
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DNA-Decay

DNA-Decay
Look, as a total Dad-gamer - I try. I really do.

But.

Lego The Hobbit. Just doesn't cut it for me.
Even the Lego Marvel Superheros left me cold.

And I listen to my girl too, but I'm just not that into The Sims that I can put in the hours tweaking their appearance.

So I dunno, I just like games with insanely complex, poorly documented mechanics.
 
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CarnRage

C
OP speaks the truth. Its not an "insult" , its just a statement. Generally older gamers arent as "hardcore" as younger players. I know its a broad statement but it does apply heavily to many of the forum users here. As we get older, games take a backseat. Focus more on career, put in less hours, its only normal. But with less hours your game intuition begins to rot and micro skills begin to decay.

Whilst older gen gamers have a wealth of knowledge to draw upon, whether it applies to ED or not is the question. If you haven't been effectively playing games to a min/max style ( META ) then you're already not a "gamer gamer" , you're now a "dad gamer".

I'll be falling to this category soon, not quite yet but my free time each year slowly dwindles away...
 

Ozram

Ozram
CarnRage said:
OP speaks the truth. Its not an "insult" , its just a statement. Generally older gamers arent as "hardcore" as younger players. I know its a broad statement but it does apply heavily to many of the forum users here. As we get older, games take a backseat. Focus more on career, put in less hours, its only normal. But with less hours your game intuition begins to rot and micro skills begin to decay.

Whilst older gen gamers have a wealth of knowledge to draw upon, whether it applies to ED or not is the question. If you haven't been effectively playing games to a min/max style ( META ) then you're already not a "gamer gamer" , you're now a "dad gamer".

I'll be falling to this category soon, not quite yet but my free time each year slowly dwindles away...
Click to expand...

This is not insulting, but it is nonsense. Min/maxing as the only way to game? Please!
 

LuciusEsox

LuciusEsox
CarnRage said:
OP speaks the truth. Its not an "insult" , its just a statement. Generally older gamers arent as "hardcore" as younger players. I know its a broad statement but it does apply heavily to many of the forum users here. As we get older, games take a backseat. Focus more on career, put in less hours, its only normal. But with less hours your game intuition begins to rot and micro skills begin to decay.

Whilst older gen gamers have a wealth of knowledge to draw upon, whether it applies to ED or not is the question. If you haven't been effectively playing games to a min/max style ( META ) then you're already not a "gamer gamer" , you're now a "dad gamer".

I'll be falling to this category soon, not quite yet but my free time each year slowly dwindles away...
Click to expand...

A case of people judging others by their own standards methinks...

In my own case, and my best gaming pal you have no idea how wrong you are with those comments.

Brings the patronising adverts aimed at older people on TV to mind.
 

nosleepdemon

nosleepdemon
vindicator jones said:
I would actually say most "dad" gamers are more gamers than actual gamers.. err.. did that come out right? lol

We grew up with TRS-80's Commodore 64's Amiga 500's 386's 486's and we were there when gaming became more mainstream and DOOM was released.

Remember getting your first VooDoo card? yeah.. exactly! you know what I mean.

I think a lot of us (not all) have been playing games in one form or another for over 3 decades and have seen the changes in depth, quality and game play experience first hand.

I still play some of the old games, but also love playing new one including Fallout 4, Dragon Age, Mechwarrior Online and countless others...

I would say WE are the real gamers, and your typical young'n is just riding the wave thinking they are the ones who discovered it first. ;) no offense to the young'ns tho! lol

My Nephew plays COD and Elite, he throws mini tantrums when he gets his butt kicked on ED, and has trouble dealing with the complexities.. But I will give him credit, he is starting to appreciate the challenge and just got himself a flight stick and is practicing his flying skills.

I think ED can appeal to both sides of the market, and appeals more strongly to those who want to THINK, rather than just sit there mashing buttons trying to hone their LEET skills in some shooter.
Click to expand...

Hey man, it was PowerVR for me! The apocalypse, back when cards had *manly* names. Now I have a "GTX", pssh, how girly. OP has it wrong, Dad gamers are awesome, even back when MY dad was playing games - he got me into RPGs by playing Ultima Underworld, me and my brother sat next to him watching him play. Nowadays gaming targets the lowest common intellectual denominator, it goes right for the pleasure centres of our brains, gets us addicted, makes us spend more money. In my opinion, ALL gamers deserve more, it doesn't have to be this way. That's why I love Elite: It's different, more engaging, you actually stand to lose a lot if you screw up. Brilliant!
 

Soliluna

Soliluna
If you're a dad and a gamer, does that automatically make you a dad gamer? Or is this like that dad bod thing?
 

CarnRage

C
Ozram said:
This is not insulting, but it is nonsense. Min/maxing as the only way to game? Please!
Click to expand...

I should say its the only way to play any game in a "competitive sense". While all round builds are always fun, developers are never any good at balancing and you end up with a min/max paper scissor rock style setup. As always its a "broad statement" and does not apply to every situation. Just my opinion after playing many open mode style games whether its a space sim or not.
 

indiebob

I
Asp Explorer said:
And is that a problem?

Until you've had to fiddle with IRQ and DMA settings, perfectly balance a wobbly RAMpak, solder your own null modem cables, get the head azimuth just right, spend days typing in hex before checksummers became readily available (and having to type your OWN checksummer at that), pick the meanest XTAL you possibly could, tune a modulator to talk to a RF input and tune the RF input to talk to a display, learn inane keyboard combinations, switch banks to time with flyback, the list goes on and on.

Dadgamers probably remember some, most, or all of those - just a tiny selection, and that was just to get your game to RUN :D
Click to expand...

Some of us even first played Elite by typing CH."" and then hitting play on the tape on the week it was released.
 
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