The Galaxy - Is its size now considered to be a barrier to gameplay by the Developers?

[Sardu]

In this instance the convenience was the overriding factor. That and keeping the feature within a sensible budget - complicating it unnecessarily introduces more points of failure and for a relatively small quality of life improvement, it's not worth the risk. The instant transfer also provides positive aspects to how players can interact the game - it gives them greater freedom to participate in wider aspects in what's going on. We did of course consider the downsides, and other ways of doing it - Sandy in fact was very much in favour of a delay, but it was felt that this weakened the utility of the feature. The point was to allow more freedom with ship use, not add additional barriers.

Michael

And this is exactly why I'm personally for instant ship transfer. This game needs less barriers to gameplay. Not more.

 

[Michael Brookes]

Thanks for the response Michael. My issue with thise explanation is: why is hauling machines and other manufactured cargo still a thing in a society that is so technically advanced that they can 3D print stuff as complex as spaceships at every station?

The best technology isn't necessarily the cheapest technology, building things with conventional methods is cheaper, especially considering that energy is relatively cheap in the Elite: Dangerous universe.

Michael

 

[Theodrid]

In this instance the convenience was the overriding factor. That and keeping the feature within a sensible budget - complicating it unnecessarily introduces more points of failure and for a relatively small quality of life improvement, it's not worth the risk. The instant transfer also provides positive aspects to how players can interact the game - it gives them greater freedom to participate in wider aspects in what's going on. We did of course consider the downsides, and other ways of doing it - Sandy in fact was very much in favour of a delay, but it was felt that this weakened the utility of the feature. The point was to allow more freedom with ship use, not add additional barriers.

Michael

Thanks for the reply,

But Michael, a delayed transfer is still a massive QOL improvement on what we currently have, it would still have broken down the barriers, not erected them.

 

[MadDogMurdock]

Really? Why pay to 3d print goods when us pilots basically transfer them for free and only pocket the market difference?

We only pocket the market difference, the buyer is paying full price - next!

 

[Michael Brookes]

Unloading a standardized cargo container using advanced robotics can indeed be nearly instant. Summoning instantly a fleet of 10 battle ships across galaxy with engineered stuff is something completely different. I would not say it is a little look away, for me it breaks the Elite universe big time, making any traveling almost pointless in any other than modded taxi ship be it ASPX, DBS or Anaconda while cargo reload, weapon reload or repair does not. This little feature will have a great impact how ED is played and how it is perceived. Anyway, thanks a lot for your input.

As mentioned earlier the point is better enable players to use their range of ships more effectively.

Michael

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

As a resident of the UK.....Ziggy, are you more bonkers than I ever considered, a holiday....in the UK?!

It's very pretty Since I'm Dutch you just have to show me a hill to go: oooooh!

 

[Michael Brookes]

Thanks for the reply,

But Michael, a delayed transfer is still a massive QOL improvement on what we currently have, it would still have broken down the barriers, not erected them.

But would have complicated development for a low priority feature, this way we were able to slip it into 2.2 - otherwise it might have been further into the future. Besides delay impacts the point of the feature and that is to allow greater use of people's ships.

Michael

 

[Sardu]

We only pocket the market difference, the buyer is paying full price - next!

uhm...no. The buyer would pay market value for the goods in addition to the price to 3D print them (which also has a cost). So it would be more expensive. Still cheaper to have pilots haul.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

As mentioned earlier the point is better enable players to use their range of ships more effectively.

Michael

I'm sure lots of smiling kaynines (no idea) at Jack will appreciate that

 

[andrak]

From the final word from the top man, it looks like I was very much right to uninstall the game 2 days ago.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

uhm...no. The buyer would pay market value for the goods in addition to the price to 3D print them (which also has a cost). So it would be more expensive. Still cheaper to have pilots haul.

Because time is free.

 

[-VR- Max Factor]

In this instance the convenience was the overriding factor. That and keeping the feature within a sensible budget - complicating it unnecessarily introduces more points of failure and for a relatively small quality of life improvement, it's not worth the risk. The instant transfer also provides positive aspects to how players can interact the game - it gives them greater freedom to participate in wider aspects in what's going on. We did of course consider the downsides, and other ways of doing it - Sandy in fact was very much in favour of a delay, but it was felt that this weakened the utility of the feature. The point was to allow more freedom with ship use, not add additional barriers.

Michael

It doesn't though. It created specialised ships and a taxi ship that will take you around the bubble. We have enough freedom as it is. We have multirole ships that can do a bit of combat, trading end exploration at a cost, we have dedicated combat and trade ships with drawbacks.

These drawbacks is what makes flying these ships unique and different. You will be virtually taking away the role of the multirole ship and just having dedicated specialist ships instead. For combat everyone will have a FDL, Vulture or any other of the dedicated combat ships as there will not be a reason to fly a python for combat anymore as your combat ships will be on instant standby.

I am sorry to say this, but I can see the opposite happeing. Only certain ships will be CZ's and the same for CG's etc.

 

[Darth Ender]

In this instance the convenience was the overriding factor. That and keeping the feature within a sensible budget - complicating it unnecessarily introduces more points of failure and for a relatively small quality of life improvement, it's not worth the risk. The instant transfer also provides positive aspects to how players can interact the game - it gives them greater freedom to participate in wider aspects in what's going on. We did of course consider the downsides, and other ways of doing it - Sandy in fact was very much in favour of a delay, but it was felt that this weakened the utility of the feature. The point was to allow more freedom with ship use, not add additional barriers.

Michael

Well in doing this you weakened the downsides to any ship's low jump range. Is there going to be another factor other than credits that is a limiting factor to this new feature? because credits dont mean anything anymore. You can make tens of millions in a sitting jumping between two stations with mission stacking.

Basically, the only people who still have to care about low ship jump ranges are explorers heading to areas with no stations. To everyone else you've effectively eliminated any significant impact this ship attribute has on gameplay.

 

[Bomba Luigi]

As mentioned earlier the point is better enable players to use their range of ships more effectively.

Michael

As a question: Can we maybe put a limit on the distance a Ship can be transfered so Ships can't be transfered between the bubble and Jaque?

I know Sandro has said he think is good that we can do that, tough I always tought part of the appeal to build the second bubble is that we there have to work with what is there. Putting together a ship with what is avaialbe and make it work, which I think would be a good opportunity for some great decisions to be made and emergent content to be had in general.
Any chance for a little tweak like that?

 

[Sardu]

Because time is free.

In this universe it is. When I'm doing strict trade/movement of goods to play the market I'm not getting paid per hour or LY traveled. I'm getting paid the difference in market value.

 

[Javert]

But would have complicated development for a low priority feature, this way we were able to slip it into 2.2 - otherwise it might have been further into the future. Besides delay impacts the point of the feature and that is to allow greater use of people's ships.

Michael

Just so you know, there are quite a few people saying they would rather not have this feature at all than have it instant (even though they want it if there is a delay). Anyway, I guess we will see how it works in the beta.

 

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

Well in doing this you weakened the downsides to any ship's low jump range. Is there going to be another factor other than credits that is a limiting factor to this new feature? because credits dont mean anything anymore. You can make tens of millions in a sitting jumping between two stations with mission stacking.

Basically, the only people who still have to care about low ship jump ranges are explorers heading to areas with no stations. To everyone else you've effectively eliminated any significant impact this ship attribute has on gameplay.

But that's argument against ship transfer in general.

 

[pocketmoon]

Lets just stop calling in "3D printing".

It's a noddy term that's not used in industry.

How about Sintered Additive Laser Lithography or SALL for short. I think that combines all the technologies

 

[Theodrid]

But would have complicated development for a low priority feature, this way we were able to slip it into 2.2 - otherwise it might have been further into the future. Besides delay impacts the point of the feature and that is to allow greater use of people's ships.

Michael

Again, thank you for the reply,

Michael, if people are ferrying themselves round in 40 ly AspX's, jumping to their destinations in 4 jumps instead of 15 they are going to see less of the galaxy, not more of it. Folks are not going to be randomly flying through systems en-route, it will be jump, jump, jump, destination, summon FDL with 0.3 ly jump range enter conflict zone. Michael, as it currently stands CZ's are not hard to come by, I am struggling to see what it is you are expecting of your playerbase with instant ship transfer. You guys at Frontier are hamstringing yourselves badly here, we can wait for a properly thought out and executed mechanic that can be built upon.

 

[Sardu]

Just so you know, there are quite a few people saying they would rather not have this feature at all than have it instant (even though they want it if there is a delay). Anyway, I guess we will see how it works in the beta.

And there are quite a few people saying the opposite.