Game Discussions The No Man's Sky Thread

[Leper Messiah]

There's another important issue at play here, defining the way players approach games these days. Something we mention from time to time but don't really pay much attention to.

Many old gamers, especially those over 30 are familiar with video game advertisement tropes. We got used to it in a very natural way since late 80s to about 2005. Game marketing always hyped things up and we knew (and still know) exactly what to expect from a game after viewing its marketing campaign.

Then after about 2004-2005 something happened and people apparently lost that intuition. They nowadays seem to believe even more than the advertisement claims. Back in the 90s, a game advertisement said "an unprecedented adventure that will take you to the heart of vast jungle teeming with life" and you knew you'd get a maze of trees with walls of impassable shrubbery, filled with scripted animals attacking you in predictable intervals for an on rails experience. We still had fun with it. Now the same thing happens but the animations and the way scripting works has advanced a little so you get a greater suspension of disbelief and have a richer experience.

Now, somehow people understand and expect things either as literally written in the ad or they expect even more. ED's 'blaze your own trail' becomes 'I'll be able to found my own little empire and then should be able to conquer my corner o f the galaxy' instead of the 'the game won't tell you what to do in any given time and you'll have to choose from what's available'.

The same thing is true for NMS. They said 'a PG universe with quintillion planets to visit and you'll get to see what the generation algorithm throws at you as interesting combinations of colours and movement. Someday after release you'll even be able to meet and interact with other players but don't expect multiplayer at launch. It'll come later when the game matures and lot's of people get through the single player experience'. It somehow became 'I'll be a space pirate and blow up half of my planet and build my base in the resulting asteroid field and I'll launch the photon torpedoes I'll invent using the technology I'll steal from aliens'.

Yeah this is spot on IMO, I find that many of the "youth" of today (people born in the 90's onwards) seem to have a complete lack of "common sense" and "savvyness", I mean millions of them watch "things" like TOWIE etc, which I just can't get my head around, it's just people talking to other people about utter prosaic nonsense!!!

I loved Captain Blood...I'll love NMS!! In fact I'd wager most who liked Captain Blood will like NMS!

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Fair point then.

Once FD fill that part of the game up more then I'll love it again.

 

[Hellhawk666]

I spent 1.5 hours in the game last night and have to say I enjoyed every minute of it...

Thanks for your report - I trust the thoughts of experienced ED players more than anything on reddit

Keep 'em coming!

... You see.. There isn't a choice of have one or the other eg; ED or NMS. I can play all the ones I own, plus those I've pledged too and ones I'm yet to own (I have my eye on some).
That is the beauty of being a gamer with an open mind, you don't miss out, you simply play them all, when the mood takes you.

Good sentiments, and heartily agreed. We are being spoiled for choice, and I for one feel like a pig in clover.

To be fair, Hello Games have earned every pinch of salt coming their way - for long time they avoided to reign in on hype, manage expectations. It felt like they want to sell     loads of copies and then go on like "BUSTED". I *don't* think it was their goal, but they clearly dropped a huge ball on PR. Yes, they *didn't* sell multiplayer as part of core experience - that would land them in actual legal trouble - but they *didn't* confirmed nor denied feature set regarding of MP.

I wonder how much of what they could say was constrained by their deal with Sony? I did get the impression a while back that when asked about multiplayer Sean was always very careful to skirt around the issue, and from everything else he has said that's not typical for him.

What would be the point to build a "base" in a game that's main goal is to reach a distant point (the center of the infinite color cloud)?

Changes in design, added content, new features, answering public demand - who knows? I'm less surprised by this than the proposed ability to own freighters which seems really odd.

ED went for semi-realism whilst NSM went for fun.

Different games .. different market.

Cross-over market. I'll be playing it, so will others here- so will you

Thanks! That was just what I was looking for This game should suit me perfectly - I love crafting and survival games like MineCraft and Ark Survival. The same thing set in what looks like a great sci-fi universe can't be anything other than brilliant!

I can however see that it won't replace Elite for me like I had hoped a while ago. The flight aspects are just too simple to give that proper "space pilot" feeling which Elite, despite its faults, does incredibly well. It will however be a great supplement to my space-game diet

You're welcome - my feelings are the same. NMS will scratch the chill-out exploration fantasy itch, but for all my complaints about ED nothing beats hopping into the Cobra and taking it for a spin.

So does the £40 that I'm considering spending cover any and all updates to the game? Is there a roadmap for future releases? Or is this based on vague bits of information that Sean may or may not have said during interviews where he's trying to build hype and sell his game? Forgive me for being cynical, but I've been sold the moon on a stick before and been caught out *cough*Godus*cough*.

I believe it's pay-once play forever but if HG spent a lot of time developing a major upgrade option in future I wouldn't be surprised (or annoyed) if they wanted to charge a small fee for it.

No formal roadmap, other than Sean's occasional comments.

 

[Knightshark]

I'm less surprised by this than the proposed ability to own freighters which seems really odd.

Funny. I thought freighters make perfect sense in such a storage-centric game. Thinking of this as some kind of mobile base. That makes sense, you don't go on a long trip with a small ship.

 

[Moonax IRL]

TLDR, Elite not the game for explorers I thought it would be, NMS seems to fit that bill for me.

To be fair, while I have have criticisms of Elite it aims to be a lot more realistic than NMS so its lack of alien life in the universe in comparison is correct. NMS is a cartoony creation universe filled with stuff for that purpose around every corner, that its raison d'etre. It's very much an arcade style exploration/crafting game and really does not inhabit the same space as Elite. I think it's more geared towards a younger audience and will fill a niche, time will tell on its longevity, I`ll wait for a steam sale at a well reduced price before considering to pick it up.

 

[xyphic]

I'd not read a thing that there would be meaningful player interactions from Sean's comments, the most I'd expect from what I read was the ability to "see" the other player and that's it. I just can't believe the angst over what could just be a tech glitch. It's like "daddy promised me a pony" tantrums going on!!

My expectation was as per yours. I also think that it's been blown out of proportion. However, Sean explicitly stated that this would be possible, and now it's proven false his credibility is in the dirt. He says there'll be base building and owning freighters in a patch, but I find myself wondering what that actually *means* and whether it's more rhetoric to shift copies of the game. I think his peers probably ought to tell him he's gone a bit Molyneux.

I believe that until all planets are landable (gas Giants notwithstanding) and there are INTERESTING things to find on the planets then I'm pretty much done with Elite aside from the odd play every couple months or so.

I find myself in agreement with you. I feel that exploration in Elite is, in general, too simplistic. It's too easy to travel the galaxy and there isn't really any reason to do so other than for tourism (and completing exploration goals). There was an opportunity to make exploration a meaningful part of the game by making it hard to get from A-B where that route has never been travelled before. It could have been about the discovery and exploitation of resources. Frontier perpetuated those issues in Horizons. There's no real reason to drive around a planet (other than it's actually very fun) except when searching for materials, and that's only really relevant for Engineers progression.

 

[FuzzySpider]

Has anyone heard about multiplayer yet?

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2...-at-the-same-location-but-cant-see-each-other

As a result this video is making the rounds.

[video=youtube;AE0nuW-mQ8A]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AE0nuW-mQ8A[/video]

 

[devastat]

There is no real multiplayer. You might be able to visit a planet that someone has visited before, and they've said there are some "easter eggs" - so perhaps you can see momentarily a reflection of another player if you are there at the same time, or something like that. (like in Dark Souls)

But it's extremely rare to even visit a planet someone else has visited.

 

[FuzzySpider]

There is no real multiplayer.

That's ok. That's fine.

What isn't fine is to say that there is when you know that there isn't.

 

[Insomnia]

I feel that exploration in Elite is, in general, too simplistic. It's too easy to travel the galaxy and there isn't really any reason to do so other than for tourism (and completing exploration goals). There was an opportunity to make exploration a meaningful part of the game by making it hard to get from A-B where that route has never been travelled before. It could have been about the discovery and exploitation of resources. Frontier perpetuated those issues in Horizons. There's no real reason to drive around a planet (other than it's actually very fun) except when searching for materials, and that's only really relevant for Engineers progression.

This.
Elite Dangerous has huge potential and it's so frustrating that content patches consists of stuff that isn't really needed yet. But, in time, I believe that ED will fit my taste a lot more than NMS will.
+rep

 

[mojonaut]

I still remember my old house on Tatooine...oh the memories...

and the sunsets

 

[Riedquat]

So, anyone else here playing?

If so, how are you getting on?

 

[Wicz]

That's ok. That's fine.

What isn't fine is to say that there is when you know that there isn't.

This!


I can't understand what he thought would come from lying his ass off, if indeed he has....

He was asked on multiple occasions and always confirmed it was possible to meet other players.

Either it is or it isn't possible, and if it isn't, I feel he has some explaining to do.

Edit: Still very much looking forward to Friday!

 

[Electric Kite]

So, anyone else here playing?

If so, how are you getting on?

Watched a load of videos and played a few hours. Its a nice game. But in the back of my head im thinking "man...Elite Dangerous is more impressive in almost every way"

 

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

What I am disappointed to hear however that it is as static as ED and that planet instances reset after visiting them. That was one factor I thought NMS would use at it's advantage as it is single player game. I know HG is not huge company and they did how much they could, still...

 

[Kerrash]

Do you realise the storage cost of persisting every change?
Hint: It would make Google cry

 

[lysan]

What I am disappointed to hear however that it is as static as ED and that planet instances reset after visiting them. That was one factor I thought NMS would use at it's advantage as it is single player game. I know HG is not huge company and they did how much they could, still...

Oh Boy, a person with your insight would have know that form the start, I knew that a long time ago and even said it many times on this and the RSI forum, yes we have to go that far back in time. So pretty surprised that it comes from you Pecisk

The problem is that to many players dream up stuff how its going to be, get ready for the CS tear storm when that game, if ever releases.

 

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

Do you realise the storage cost of persisting every change?
Hint: It would make Google cry

I understand that I would store recent three planets for player with some changes though. To give at least *some* sense of persistence. Also when you shoot rocks, they don't fall into themselves...tops are left floating. Such small things. Doesn't feel dynamic as much as they could make it.

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Oh Boy, a person with your insight would have know that form the start, I knew that a long time ago and even said it many times on this and the RSI forum, yes we have to go that far back in time. So pretty surprised that it comes from you Pecisk

The problem is that to many players dream up stuff how its going to be, get ready for the CS tear storm when that game, if ever releases.

SC fallout will be incredible (and there will be one). Money and time involved in that game towers any hype NMS had.

 

[devastat]

That's ok. That's fine.

What isn't fine is to say that there is when you know that there isn't.

Well, there is a multiplayer in a sense that you can see the traces of another person been in the planet, and you might even see the other person in a reflection (at least Sean is referring to Dark Souls and the game Journey, so I believe that it is possible). So yes there is a multiplayer, but its not like in Elite where you go with another player together and do missions or anything like that.

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What I am disappointed to hear however that it is as static as ED and that planet instances reset after visiting them. That was one factor I thought NMS would use at it's advantage as it is single player game. I know HG is not huge company and they did how much they could, still...

My understanding is the opposite, that every planet you visit is storaged in your own personal save file, so if you dig a cave in a planet it will be there forever in your game.

 

[Seonid]

My understanding is the opposite, that every planet you visit is storaged in your own personal save file, so if you dig a cave in a planet it will be there forever in your game.

Given the scale and complexity of one planet, let alone all that you visit, your home computer storage won't handle it and no console system ever would either. You would then also have the problem of when it syncs with others as it does for the naming.

 

[devastat]

Given the scale and complexity of one planet, let alone all that you visit, your home computer storage won't handle it and no console system ever would either. You would then also have the problem of when it syncs with others as it does for the naming.

Only the names will go accross to all players, the cave systems are only stored in your own personal file.

I can test this later today, but I am 99% sure I've read it somewhere that they are all stored on your save for good - like in minecraft.