Enough with the "3D printing"

[TenakaFurey]

You did not even read my post properly. I even put in a disclaimer where I am saying that it is not the 3D printing of ships that is unrealistic in the year 3300, it is just incompatible with the very economy and civilization depicted in the game.

Not really. One could argue that commanders and traders deal in "real" items for which there is a premium, or that 3D printing is limited in some regards which is why not every weapon is sold at every station.

However, overall, I'd simply suggest that commanders can either buy a bay, or a fighter. A bay is able to launch a fighter, and any fighters carried as "cargo" simply become spares. 3DP tech can exist but I don't think it is suitable for this aspect of the game. Maybe if they were drone fighters or whatever. But maybe not.

If Elite ever gets to the stage where true capital ships come under players control, then it might be a good thing.

 

[Zambrick]

Thanks bro, Im trying to cut my spending 10k a month down to 5k so I can get my game on for a few more years before I head out and make another mill. But it all depends on 2.2 if it isnt good idc im out.

No Ambition or sense of purpose. Thinks money means success at life. Feel even worse.

 

[vrseven]

No Ambition or sense of purpose. Thinks money means success at life. Feel even worse.

You assume much my friend. I said life is too easy, I didnt say boring. Again thanks for the compassion And I am working on my little problem hopefully FD can help me out, dealing with EDH is quite challenging and very welcomed. lol With the exception of bugs and glitches. Ty, DB.

 

[Lunchmunny]

Yall freak out over really, reaaaaly, stupid stuff. The 3-D printing that everyone is up and arms about was simply a throwaway explanation. Watching the stream I thought that was clear. It's not like any of you are in beta reading the description of a fighter bay, and sperging over how it says "3D printing."

Even if there really was a 3D printer pumping out drones on your ship, it doesn't mean it invalidates the economy or whatever other hyperbole the collective nerd wisdom of these boards come up with. It simply means ONE manufacturer, or three in this case, have come up with a cutting edge way to do things. For the rest of the economy, that methodology may be too expensive or too rarified to use in everyday business. It may be locked behind trademarks and secret black box methods that simply aren't available to the general public.

The bottom line is that the ENTIRE game, happens in our realtime. The dates coincide for crying out loud. And yet, here we are, playing in this universe, "winning" wars within 7 earth days, because it's a game. That isn't realistic at all. Yet I don't see a witch hunt about that aspect. The stuff yall choose to be bothered about is mind boggling.

 

[vrseven]

Yall freak out over really, reaaaaly, stupid stuff. The 3-D printing that everyone is up and arms about was simply a throwaway explanation. Watching the stream I thought that was clear. It's not like any of you are in beta reading the description of a fighter bay, and sperging over how it says "3D printing."

Even if there really was a 3D printer pumping out drones on your ship, it doesn't mean it invalidates the economy or whatever other hyperbole the collective nerd wisdom of these boards come up with. It simply means ONE manufacturer, or three in this case, have come up with a cutting edge way to do things. For the rest of the economy, that methodology may be too expensive or too rarified to use in everyday business. It may be locked behind trademarks and secret black box methods that simply aren't available to the general public.

The bottom line is that the ENTIRE game, happens in our realtime. The dates coincide for crying out loud. And yet, here we are, playing in this universe, "winning" wars within 7 earth days, because it's a game. That isn't realistic at all. Yet I don't see a witch hunt about that aspect. The stuff yall choose to be bothered about is mind boggling.

I have assburgers syndrome and I take offense to your post! But seriously FD could come up with something better...no?

 

[Lunchmunny]

I have assburgers syndrome and I take offense to your post! But seriously FD could come up with something better...no?

Something better would be simply saying that it is a manufacturing module that contains enough parts to quickly assemble up to x number of fighters. It is very plausible that one could tightly pack the modular parts for a more complex entity, and a (also very miniaturized) assembly system to create said complex entity. We could argue about tonnage and all of that, but we'd be nitpicking at that point too, because of the unrealistic cargo loading, death, timers, insurance reloading and any other number of things that COULD be complained about due to lack of realism. Thankfully, it is a game, so there is no need... oh wait..

 

[mossfoot]

Yall freak out over really, reaaaaly, stupid stuff. The 3-D printing that everyone is up and arms about was simply a throwaway explanation. Watching the stream I thought that was clear. It's not like any of you are in beta reading the description of a fighter bay, and sperging over how it says "3D printing."

I hear where you're coming from, but I'm a writer and editor by trade. Words to matter. There is a reason ED switched their engineering "recipes" to "blueprints." It's just a word, right? But a word creates perspective, and shapes the way we see things. We're not boiling up an advanced FSD in a cauldron, so recipe is the wrong word to use. Period.

A game is not just the sum of its gameplay, it's the sum of its content as well. Imagine a comic book in which you saw only the pictures but no word balloons. You'd get the gist of the story, sure, but the word balloons is what brings the story to life (well, usually. I've seen some great completely silent comics, but you get my point, I hope)

The bottom line is that the ENTIRE game, happens in our realtime. The dates coincide for crying out loud. And yet, here we are, playing in this universe, "winning" wars within 7 earth days, because it's a game. That isn't realistic at all. Yet I don't see a witch hunt about that aspect. The stuff yall choose to be bothered about is mind boggling.

It's a game, but a game in which many people are just as interested in the fiction that exists and will continue to be provided in the future. Therefore, logic and consistency is something to aim for for the sake of that.

See my earlier post showing how the Mass Effect novels did a great job of incorporating game mechancis, but made it more plausible for the written word. If shields and medigel worked in those books the same way they did in the game, it would be ridiculous. Imagine if a Mass Effect movie was made, you also couldn't get away with trying to make those things work exactly the same as in the game.

So often times when you see people complaining about certain elements, it's not because they want it to be realistic in an in-game way. Yes, we instantly teleport into our new ship for gameplay purposes, but in the story world we are rescued and take time to recover before getting in a new ship.

Bottom line, in this case the solution is almost identical to that problem brought up for Engineers. Just like replacing "recipe" with "blueprint" made things sound better (even though the mechanic is the same), switching out the idea of "printing" ships with "kits" that are assembled will do the same.

 

[Codger]

I 3d printed a Thargoid. I named him "Blark".

 

[mossfoot]

I 3d printed a Thargoid. I named him "Blark".

Her.

(Thargoids are all female )

 

[Soon(TM)]

It's no different to the commodities markets

Theres loads of commodities to buy and sell, but in reality there's only like 4 worth trading.

The commodities screen only really needs to have the most expensive items and throw the rest away since they are pointless.

If you look too deeply into ED it falls apart very quickly.

Better to go around blinkered, then everything is Awesome!

I'm hoping to 3D print imperial slaves in 2.2 and sell them for 100% profit

 

[vrseven]

Something better would be simply saying that it is a manufacturing module that contains enough parts to quickly assemble up to x number of fighters. It is very plausible that one could tightly pack the modular parts for a more complex entity, and a (also very miniaturized) assembly system to create said complex entity. We could argue about tonnage and all of that, but we'd be nitpicking at that point too, because of the unrealistic cargo loading, death, timers, insurance reloading and any other number of things that COULD be complained about due to lack of realism. Thankfully, it is a game, so there is no need... oh wait..

lol I agree but I honestly do not think there would be much nitpicking over those things because it would work. This, even though its a game, really doesnt work well. I would rather have no lore than a cheesy one.

 

[Soon(TM)]

Her.

(Thargoids are all female )

So would that mean it's Blarkette?

Instead of Blark?

or is Blark unisex?

 

[Codger]

Her.

(Thargoids are all female )

Well..there was a little glitch when I printed him...I guess he's the first then!

 

[Limoncello Lizard]

I'm hoping to 3D print imperial slaves in 2.2 and sell them for 100% profit

The handy thing with slaves, is give them a few years and they make copies for you.

 

[Soon(TM)]

The handy thing with slaves, is give them a few years and they make copies for you.

If only this was in the game, CHA-CHING ££££££££!

 

[thorn-]

3D printing at this level suggested is fine in 1000 years, not really challenging beliefs more than, say, hyperspace jumps.

Where is all the material required to "print" that ship? The iron, steel, aluminum, titanium? The circuit boards, the wiring, the glass?

It's handwavium. There's no way to explain it with lore.

Onboard 3D printers might still be able to build simple items such as certain types of ammo etc.

Making ammunition is relatively simple. I have a machine that does that in my spare bedroom closet. And there's nothing "3D print" about it. Although you would have to synthesize powder and fulminates.

 

[CTCParadox]

Having heat inside a space ship has to be be by design. There is a reason why the inside of thermoses and the ISS is lined with reflective material. It bounces heat back at itself. If the inside of thermoses were painted flat black and then placed inside of vacuum bottle then the heat/energy would be absorbed by the non reflective surface and it would radiate out through the vacuum and into the outer layer of the thermos.

Just to check, you're not saying the ISS is designed to retain heat are you?
Because it has like 6 quite large radiators for getting rid of heat.

CMDR CTCParadox

 

[Lunchmunny]

Where is all the material required to "print" that ship? The iron, steel, aluminum, titanium? The circuit boards, the wiring, the glass?

I like how we play a game with ridiculous travel speeds, regularly breaking the laws of physics, cockpits completely immune to G-forces, loading cargo with some type of teleportation technology, and people think/require that humanity is still constrained by mundane materials like that.... rofl... these boards..

 

[mossfoot]

I like how we play a game with ridiculous travel speeds, regularly breaking the laws of physics, cockpits completely immune to G-forces, loading cargo with some type of teleportation technology, and people think/require that humanity is still constrained by mundane materials like that.... rofl... these boards..

It's all about verisimilitude. Some of those things are explained in-game with familiar concepts - Supercruise works pretty much exactly the same as Star Trek warp drives.

Others are explained as game allowances - repairs/refuel/loading cargo instantly in game does not mean loading cargo instantly in game world.

The former we allow for because of the fiction built around it. The latter we allow for because it's a game and too much realism can be as bad as too little.

Can the 3D printing be explained to be satisfactory for the fiction end of things? Maybe. But prefab kits to be assembled in-ship achieves the same ends, is easier to wrap your head around, and doesn't result in logic problems in other elements of the fiction.

 

[obliterator]

But you need to buy SRVs and Heat Sink Ammo!?
Sorry, but this is just another example of FD just making it up as they go with no semblance of internal consistency.

There's no reason for fighters to work any differently than SRVs.
You need a hangar, you stock it with fighters. Different class hangars can hold more fighters.
The end.

If the main use of SRVs was for combat then they would probably sell hangars that are capable of assembling new ones. Also, assembling the fighters will require material, so there is actually an ammo cost for the fighters.

That being said, having the fighters "assembled" instead of 3d printed would make more sense. Assembling pre-made parts is a lot faster and easier than printing the parts out of raw materials.