This. Sadly, this
#support3rdparty - Why we temporarily shut down our sites.
- Thread starter themroc
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This. Sadly, this
+1 to supporting this.
Despite what FD likes to believe, the game is damn near unplayable at times without 3rd party tools. Yes, to an extent the tools technically exist in the game to uncover everything you need, but they are obtuse, frustrating, and still require looking things up on Google if you are a new player. That is bad game design, period. Either fix the problems and provide better functionality in-game, or give 3rd party developers the tools they need in order to build the tools we need, to play the game you have poorly designed in certain key areas.
Despite what FD likes to believe, the game is damn near unplayable at times without 3rd party tools. Yes, to an extent the tools technically exist in the game to uncover everything you need, but they are obtuse, frustrating, and still require looking things up on Google if you are a new player. That is bad game design, period. Either fix the problems and provide better functionality in-game, or give 3rd party developers the tools they need in order to build the tools we need, to play the game you have poorly designed in certain key areas.
Wow? Are there in game tools for trading? Never found them...
Also on the topic of development houses, there can be a significant disconnect between what management and developers consider important, and also what community/communications people are then allowed to say or feel comfortable saying.
A high profile action like this could raise the profile of the issue to people that wouldn't otherwise notice or care if their focus is elsewhere.
A high profile action like this could raise the profile of the issue to people that wouldn't otherwise notice or care if their focus is elsewhere.
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That may be the core of the issues - if these APIs are not supposed to be public, FD could save a lot of hassle by defining a public API and keeping it consistent (or at least warn people if they change it). They could even protect their own interests much better by providing a public API and covering it with NDAs.
That said - yes, the timing of this strike is painful. But that's the point. If this strike were to be done on a Thursday afternoon, nobody would notice.
As for holding devs to ransom - don't think so. If FD has a halfway regular setup, the devs won't even notice this. It's the executive level who should notice that and react on it. It's also the executive's job to keep distractions like these away from the devs so they can do their job.
So DOBE Braben, Zac etc. should react on this. This is ultimately part of the company policy. Of course it could backfire - but sometimes, you just have to take risks. And judging from the timing and the basically unamious support of the (major) 3rd party sites, I'd guess these developers are now really fed up.
If this hurts Drew, he has my sympathy. But if he designed that event relying on the availability of these 3rd party tools without coordinating with those sites, that sympathy becomes rather limited. If the event (whatever that might be) can go on without these sites, all the better. In any case, it is still a level playing field for all involved - just maybe the level has shifted.
really? care to explain how we played just fine for months before they appeared then..?
My Wing uses INARA daily for missions, chat etc, I personally uses EDDB, EDDI, EDSM every time I play. The latest game update disrupted these apps and it was clear many were affected. Please FRONTIER provide a professional liaison rep to these 3rd party developers, they enhance your game enormously and have my full support.
No Ed .. No you (FD) don't.
Case in point for myself - 3D model - $1000 ... 3 years in the waiting and the ONLY time I get information is when I badger you for it. Not once have you or anyone else ever contacted me about it ..
So .. words are cheap mate - sort this mess out and fix mine whilst you're at it.
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As the head of the Canonn R&D department we find this an extremely important issue.
As such Canonn and the Canonn R&D Team support this cause 110%. We will be adding adverts to all of our tools and I'm working with my team to add something to our main site as well.
Thank you to the rest of the developers, your hard work does not go unnoticed.
- CMDR DMehafy
Canonn R&D Head
As such Canonn and the Canonn R&D Team support this cause 110%. We will be adding adverts to all of our tools and I'm working with my team to add something to our main site as well.
Thank you to the rest of the developers, your hard work does not go unnoticed.
- CMDR DMehafy
Canonn R&D Head
FD did this weird, unusal thing for a modern game where they give people concepts like system states (and the resulting economic effects), economy types, resulting trade routes that are visible, the ability to buy trade route data...and the player gets to read the given info and work out where the trade routes are.
Because of course using yer noggin is abhorred, you can now just click one button to give you the most profitable possible trade route.
This way, players have more time to complain about the lack of depth in the game
#logic
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While I'm no longer an active player of the game, I'd like to express my support for the OP and other third party devs and my hopes that some good may come of this in the foreseeable future. You guys fill some of the large gaping holes left vacant by FDev and to my knowledge receive nothing but thanks in return for your efforts. Kudos to you all.
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Yep. and it's comments like these that help lead to more open communication from the devs.
...or not
I fully support and understand your actions.
The downtime of these sites will be a major PITA for me, INARA in particular is my go to site.
I hope FDev fully appreciate the value of all the 3rd Party sites.
Good Luck.
The downtime of these sites will be a major PITA for me, INARA in particular is my go to site.
I hope FDev fully appreciate the value of all the 3rd Party sites.
Good Luck.
The VAST majority of players (both new and experienced) leverage these types of tools. Just because a small sub-set of super nerds choose to play the game with the barely functional levels of information provided in game exclusively does not mean that the third-party tools aren't necessary. That is what's called an "exception to the rule." The tools are absolutely necessary for an enjoyable experience for most players.FD not only owes these guys support and a legit response, they also owe them an apology based on the timeline of how they've been treated. Just blatant disrespect for a linchpin of the community. Sad.
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Well perhaps you do try, I can't say either way on that for sure, but you know the results are actually pretty poor, right? Trying to figure out what is actually going on in this game from events to game mechanics details is like navigating a labyrinth far too often.
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