2.2's Instant Ship and Module Transport - Yay or Nay?

[Ziljan]

Oh dear welcome to ignore

You see a flaw in my logic? People arguing for "instant" are saying exactly this: They don't want to sit around wait, as if that were their only option. It's sad, but that is how they apparently see the world.

I am not saying that I think think it should be instant. There should be a timer, and it should LONGER than it would take to do it manually, so that no is fooled into thinking they should sit around and wait. Or that they can short cut the current system by cheating in their fastest ship. Or suiciding in their cheapest ship.

I am postulating why Frontier chose not to add a timer. They are not stupid. Sandro is a actually a very clever guy who thinks very deeply on every aspect of the game. They must have a good reason for sacrificing immersion and game balance for expediency. Because they value the opinion of casual players more. Which means that their internal numbers must show that they need the casuals more than the they need Us. Or maybe they're banking on this not being a deal breaker for immersion and simulation fans? Idk, but with the direction they are taking, they are making even me (a long time critic of Star Citizen) take a second look at Star Citizen. And yes I know David Braben says there is enough economic activity to support all the games, but games today usually require a significant time investment too, and there isn't enough time to play them all.

 

[mossfoot]

Indeed, in one stream, DB "The game is based on as much realism as possible" then Sandro chirps "Gameplay trumps realism every time." These two are not singing from the same hymn sheet, obviously. I'm sure someone in the press somewhere will pick this up and it will hurt reputations somewhere.

There's a difference, DB is talking about the sandbox, while Sandro is talking about the pail and bucket. There is a focus on trying to add as much realism to the physical galaxy in terms of stars and planets, but when it comes to gameplay mechanics, that's where gameplay has to trump realism (such as ship physics)

 

[who?]

I wonder if any dev will come by in this thread, at least to acknowledge the debate. At this point I'm simply jaded and don't care much how the whole story is going to end, but lack of any dev input on the matter just screams: "there's a bunch of losers on the forum, should we just let them slowly roast?"

Really, a simple: "we have acknowledged the controversy and will be discussing it" is all it takes to cool the spirits a little bit.

They're aware of it, no doubt.

Look at all the changes they made for Engineers: they made the blueprint requirements easier, twice. Increased the materials and data storage. Removed many of the NPC mods to make them easier. Increased the FSD upgrade ranges. Added favours to guarantee certain special effects. Added the material make-up to the planetary scan. Added the materials hints to the local Galnet. Added a way of 'buying' rep with Engineers by selling exploration data / bounties / bonds etc.

And now they're adding storage and transfer, two of the most common requests. They're listening.

 

[Kermit Laphroaig]

Too bad ED doesn’t have a built-in ‘SnapShot’ to offer. This way we could go back to an earlier version of the simulation when it was really fun, and the other folks could have their COD AW, err, DOOM, err, the game​ version of ED. win-win

You play this for fun?

 

[warbaby2]

sandro does the 'design' talk. alan is a producer. devs are usually not exposed to the public for a reason, unless in tightly controlled environments. they know too much and are too prone to tell the truth due to deficiencies in appropriate pr filters.

They are bad liers, you mean...

Anyhu, there is a clear disconnect there.

And now they're adding storage and transfer, two of the most common requests. They're listening.

True, but nobody requested INSTANT transfer...

 

[Tuub t Tute]

True... also, you can say about Christ Roberts whatever you will but he is an obsessive purist when it comes to simulation. A "convenience feature" like this would never fly with him.

...that could also be the reason the game might never come out, of course.

This is the "We made tiny planets with tiny distances between them for gameplay reasons" guy?

 

[mossfoot]

You see a flaw in my logic? People arguing for "instant" are saying exactly this: They don't want to sit around wait, as if that were their only option. It's sad, but that is how they apparently see the world.

I can't understand this either. I always thought that most of us who wanted to transport our ships did so because we wanted to collect our ships at wherever we saw as "home" at a given time. Not to create an instant swiss-army-armada to pick and choose what is needed at any given station you happen upon.

 

[Mephane]

One mans "your lazy in a video game" is another mans "I have kids and RL to take care of"

I want to agree with you on the topic that instant is a silly idea. But you do realize that by playing a video game and spending time on the forums we are the DEFINITION of lazy?

Don't turn this into a casual vs hardcore debate. That path leads to nothing.

As I said a few posts above, for some one with very limited time to play it would be more efficient to stick to 1 multi-role ship anyway. It's actually one of the game's greatest accomplishments that it is possible in the first place.

 

[CMDR Robyn Highart]

I can't understand this either. I always thought that most of us who wanted to transport our ships did so because we wanted to collect our ships at wherever we saw as "home" at a given time. Not to create an instant swiss-army-armada to pick and choose what is needed at any given station you happen upon.

Exactly!

 

[who?]

I can't understand this either. I always thought that most of us who wanted to transport our ships did so because we wanted to collect our ships at wherever we saw as "home" at a given time. Not to create an instant swiss-army-armada to pick and choose what is needed at any given station you happen upon.

Uffff.... why do I have to go to the station to have my ship delivered. Why can't it just be delivered here in space. Now.

...and do I really have to push the "Deliver Ship" button myself?

​

 

[Bomba Luigi]

I can't understand this either. I always thought that most of us who wanted to transport our ships did so because we wanted to collect our ships at wherever we saw as "home" at a given time. Not to create an instant swiss-army-armada to pick and choose what is needed at any given station you happen upon.

It kinda looks like a reading error

People on the Forum "We want ship transport!"
What FD did missread "We want ship teleport!"

 

[CMDR_COM_TRUISE]

Apparently somebody in the Frontier developer team really hates David Braben and his vision for Elite, also video games i am guessing.

David's vision is why i play this game. I hate having to ignore the rest of the garbagey mechanics but what is not David's vision is garbage. Other than space being wicked, as a game its a joke. I just played a session where i had to kill 9 skimmers and kept logging out and back in on that very spot to respawn them... if you want to get started on immersion... i don't even know, game's a mess. period. sure instant telewarp. do whatever the      you want.

 

[Unna]

yes to ship transfer, no to instant.

It should take some time for it to transfer over, maybe not hours. Transfer time also could depend on distance maybe.
But it should at least take some time for the ship to get there.

 

[Enderby]

Did FD actually say it would be instant?

 

[Bomba Luigi]

Did FD actually say it would be instant?

"instantanious" was a rather popular word at gamescom

 

[jimbeau1571]

So I fly to some outback, in my Asp with its 4A FSD and land on the station with a small and limited Outfitter.

I then 3D print my FAS with it's 5A FSD to the this station. Surely this station now has the technology at hand for 5A FSD's for anyone that comes to upgrade in the future.

And roll that on across the bubble, and sure if enough, every Outfitter that has a landing pad that can take a certain craft, that has a certain size module on it, should in theory be able to newly Outfit any other craft that can land there and take that size of module.

And all because, 3D printing says so.

(Redirected and amended to reflect goemon's comments)

 

[Enderby]

"instantanious" was a rather popular word at gamescom

Oh dear. (Thanks btw)

 

[Robert Maynard]

Did FD actually say it would be instant?

Pretty much - and like instant coffee it's a poor substitute for the real thing.... (in my opinion, of course)

 

[VerticalBlank]

I can't understand this either. I always thought that most of us who wanted to transport our ships did so because we wanted to collect our ships at wherever we saw as "home" at a given time. Not to create an instant swiss-army-armada to pick and choose what is needed at any given station you happen upon.

This is why I am coming round the the "send rather than summon" solution, combined with a check that the ship in its current loadout has the necessary jump range to reach the destination.

 

[Unna]

Did FD actually say it would be instant?

I think they said something along the lines of that it would be instant, so it wouldn't eat into peoples play sessions? Correct me if i'm wrong.