Yes, this last issue is particularly galling. Anarchy and Low Security systems should be *really* dangerous!!!
Patch Notes Update 2.1.05 update incoming
- Thread starter Edward Lewis
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Yes, this last issue is particularly galling. Anarchy and Low Security systems should be *really* dangerous!!!
Anarchy Systems...
The one area of the populated galaxy right now with
- A big, clear, filter-enabled DANGER indicator on the Galaxy Map.
- A big, clear DANGER indicator on the HUD ("ANARCHY").
- A green light to be the most DANGEROUS place in the galaxy to visit or reside.
...and it gets made less risky?
I've been holding out hope of having "Elite style" difficulty in Elite: Dangerous. You know, something like...
HIGH SECURITY
Corporate State
Democracy
MEDIUM SECURITY
Confederacy
Communist State
Dictatorship
LOW SECURITY
Multi-Government
Feudal
Anarchy
It worked a treat in the previous Elite games.
Now, in Elite Dangerous, we seem to have,
WHEREVER
Anywhere, Whatever
But instead of improving the game by having MORE variety and distinguishing characteristics per system, giving players MORE information on the risks they would face in different places...
...NPCs are instead being neutered again, and Anarchy is being softened.
More blandness, and less engagement.
Why?
Why not use the quintessential "Elite" self-managed difficulty model, where systems are more or less risky... with the added spice of more or less reward?
I just don't get it.
See I don't think being in an Anarchy (or Corporate) System does jump out at you (other than by more subtle methods). You can find out, but I think there's a good chance people were stumbling through dangerous systems and finding the whole game much more difficult. Being interdicted often and by subsystem target maniac NPC's .. they got difficult.
Don't have a problem with dialling back NPC's slightly until such time as it's easier to identify the security level of the system you're in (and be sure of a security response!), but that (ideal for me) case, would be a significant UI change. On the other upside, SJA or whoever has obviously found a trigger for AI targetting subsystems, or not. If propensity to do that were linked to NPC ranking, whoa mama ...
Well, you can count on me to keep lobbying for these changes. My hope is that the 2.1.05 changes are merely a stop-gap measure until a more complete overhaul can be achieved in 2.2. It's MoM I feel the most sorry for right now though. She created a Masterpiece during the 2.1 Beta, but now its been vandalized
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I think the issue is with the system map taking so long to load, people avoid bringing it up unless they have to. And they might not be able to view the System Map of systems they haven't visited yet. Even if it's in the Galaxy Map, people aren't going to go through every system on a route when making a plot.
Simply have some kind of indicator on the HUD (next destination indicator on the HUD changes colour based on the security level?) would help a lot.
What I'd love is a Route view on the left-hand screen. A list showing all the systems in your plotted route. So something like:
Route:
Sol - Federation. High Security. 20Ly
Banana - Federation. High Security. WANTED. 35Ly
Orange - Lawless. 60Ly
Apple - Lawless. 75Ly. Insufficient Fuel.
Plum - Lawless. 100Ly. Insufficient Fuel.
My thoughts from December 2014...
FD, please bring "SECURITY LEVEL" Front And Centre as we navigate the Elite Galaxy
I thought at the time that I was simply stating the blindingly obvious.
Yet here we are, in Q3 2016, with Anarchy systems becoming less risky, no way to filter the Galaxy Map for Security Level, zero "risk/reward" mechanics for System Security, and a playerbase far too diverse to "auto-fit" into any single style of "prefab" difficulty.
Come on, FD. Make the game world have varied and distinct risks (and rewards). Signpost it. And then give us, the players, the wheel... so we can steer ourselves to the gameplay challenges we want.
FD, please bring "SECURITY LEVEL" Front And Centre as we navigate the Elite Galaxy
I thought at the time that I was simply stating the blindingly obvious.
Yet here we are, in Q3 2016, with Anarchy systems becoming less risky, no way to filter the Galaxy Map for Security Level, zero "risk/reward" mechanics for System Security, and a playerbase far too diverse to "auto-fit" into any single style of "prefab" difficulty.
Come on, FD. Make the game world have varied and distinct risks (and rewards). Signpost it. And then give us, the players, the wheel... so we can steer ourselves to the gameplay challenges we want.
I'm reading a bit between the lines here, but I'm pretty sure you want more modules and more ships to fit aforementioned modules (and bobbleheads, clearly more bobbleheads).
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I've been to Plum and it's horrible, the nearest station is 300K out from the main star.
First off, not every ship can boost depending on how its outfitted. If you have premium thrusters and an underrated distributor, you can create a scenario where you don't have enough power to boost. I would expect novice NPC pilots might outfit their ships not knowing this.
This...
Makes no sense. You're effectively advocating that low ranked NPCs need to be made better. I'm sorry for them, but they are just fodder. I would hope and expect novice/harmless ranked NPC's t be exactly that.
Don't worry too much. I'm sure the higher ranked NPC's will still be boosting into your canopy.
I seem to recall, as others may, a conversation with SJA a long time ago before she was taken off the AI and then put back on, about NPC's and module targeting. I'm paraphrasing heavily, but I seem to recall her making a comment that if they did, they would become a nightmare. Then along comes 2.1, and suddenly an entire playerbase was crying foul. If you couldn't win a fight, you couldn't run either because the AI suddenly became real adept at shooting out thrusters. We couldn't prove it, and despite being asked repeatedly I don't recall reading where FDEV ever actually admitted mod sniping was taking place. So we fooled ourselves with explanations of missile splash damage and NPC's using better weaponry. Turns out, these patch notes are proof it was happening, and it was SJA all along gleefully exacting revenge for the murder of millions of NPC's.
The reality some people have an absurdly difficult time wrapping their heads around is that no two players of equal combat rank are ever of equal skill. Myself, despite being ranked Elite, I would rank no higher than slightly above average. I can hold my own against an NPC elite, so long as my ship is pristine at the beginning of the fight and I don't make stupid mistakes, so I find no shame in admitting like many others 2.1 was difficult for me. It was devastating for a wingmate of mine, so I especially found comments after 2.1 like "AI was changed? I never noticed.." self -serving and particularly irksome. So I'm liking the idea more of tying in difficulty with system government and security ratings, if it would give the self proclaimed 'anti-carebear / get gud' population somewhere to go and challenge themselves without the game killing me on the process of trying to meet their needs for a greater difficulty.
Hell, while you're at it, why not make combat in an anarchy system void your insurance policy?
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Like that? now THAT's Dangerous!
That's it exactly.
Of course, the mirror image opinion would be,
"So I'm liking the idea more of tying in difficulty with system government and security ratings, if it would give the self proclaimed 'carebear / casual' population somewhere to go and spacetruck without the game boring me to death in the process of trying to meet their needs for lower difficulty..."
two-shay.That's it exactly.
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Of course, the mirror image opinion would be,
"So I'm liking the idea more of tying in difficulty with system government and security ratings, if it would give the self proclaimed 'carebear / casual' population somewhere to go and spacetruck without the game boring me to death in the process of trying to meet their needs for lower difficulty..."
I can confirm mine has stayed on "Fire at Target Only" a whole trip.
They might have fixed it but forgot to mention it
Why have planetary rock drops not changed? They are barely dropping anything, as per usual. 2 materials per rock in some cases. Was your idea of increasing drops not to actually increase drops...
EDIT - Just checked my right panel. Yep, seems the single rock represents more than one of that particular material. Fair enough FD.
My bad.
EDIT - Just checked my right panel. Yep, seems the single rock represents more than one of that particular material. Fair enough FD.
My bad.
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In my opinion these two tweaks go a long way to satisfying a balanced combat scenario situation to please players who want to stay and fight or boost and run.
I always hear about players saying they submit to interdiction and then hear a lot of complaints about the combat being too tough.
For starters; I never submit to interdiction and am willing to fight if pulled down into normal space or run (depending on the type of mission I'm doing or other activity I've decided to undertake in game).
Great stuff FD!
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I agree, there are several steps here that look to be in a good direction for varied gameplay, without just falling between two stools.
A lot of the complaints on here seem to be based purely on the patch notes & not actual feedback from the game
OK Frontier fair enough, you have made the engineers easy enough, but as a grounder (i spend more time on planets than the in my ship) I must object to 3x materials for every item collected, it was fantastic to know that when you collected scan data it contained enough information to go mining I think for the like minded (me and other explorers) that was enough. Drop the extra material amounts and leave the scanning data, it was genius to get us to scan Ice/Rocky worlds (of course we wouldn't normally) and for explorers this is crucial when we need Jumpomiun. I know you please everyone all the time but it de-values what I have already done!
Good job lobotomizing NPCs which are now dumber than ever and for catering to instant gratification crowd. Whoever is after that order needs a promotion. I am serious that is where the money is at.
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