News Elite Dangerous 2.4 - The Return

[chotnik]

There is no interaction or dialogue.

Funny thing is - it was there in Frontier and in FFE. You could for example negotiate your pay sometimes.
In 1993, in game that had total size of 800kB. It was simple, but it was there.
I have no idea, why they didnt implement it here. A computer science student during trial period could do such simple implentation nowdays like it was in 1993.

I look at them and don't feel like there is any story behind that avatar.

Because there is no story behind them. Thats the problem. There should be one or 2 persons who constantly makes some hand-crafted missions, even small ones, that leads us to current events/hot zones/etc.
That would be a good start.

First time entering a new starport or outpost :

queue video animation cut scene :

Avatar face - Welcome to starport X I am commander Y
Goto my colony on planet alpha who will assist you further
Running missions for the colony on planet alpha unlocks the outpost near planet beta
Whilst running these missions, you get to learn about the Starport commander Y
Once you climb the ranks high enough, you can deal with commander Y
By which time, you feel like you know commander Y inside out
Commander Y missions are the real juicy ones, the ones that pay out big time
Commander Y missions could lead to awesome discoveries around the verse which are locked until you have completed the above missions.

feeling of achieving something in game ....


Once you have done all the missions in that system, and you thoroughly understand who commander Y is and all about that system, you could move on to somewhere else and learn about other commanders around the galaxy. You might even learn of something strange lurking out in the far reaches of space. A whisper, a strange 'thing' which would lead you on a REAL exploration story. Getting to know commanders at starports and outposts all over the galaxy to gain information which leads you ever close to da da dah ......


... , I think I might have just created another grind wall ... hmm, well at least that would feel like I am achieving something and getting to know the commander behind the face on the mission board and feel loyalty to a system or location in the galaxy.

NO randomness, just plain old fashioned good story telling and game play.

Also, this could be done on an algorithm bases, after 3 months or so the missions change in that system or better still the BGS affects the commander Y in control of that system and then the missions change to his storyline -- I had hoped that PowerPlay would be like that, but no ...

You just descibed more or less Freelancer. From 1999.

 

[chotnik]

And no, I´m not going to explore the thargoid bases or the Ruins... That seems Elite Youtube Dangerous. If we hadn´t have this forum, a lot of people didnt know that bases, or ruins. I need ingame content, not Youtube content tha I´ll visit after someone discovered it.
Thanks!

This is one of (in my opinion) main game problems - it doesnt give player information IN GAME.

I hear people talk and talk about "IMMERSION". What immersion?!
FD hide informations in game on purpose, only to make them easily available outside the game.
If you want to play this game properly you need a second monitor (or alt-tabing) for forums and 3rd party websites :
Your onboard computer can FTL, but somehown cant save prices on station you left 1 minute ago -> lets go to a website, they have this info
You want to check some prices and maybe find some trade route -> lets go to a website, they have this info
You want to buy a new ship, but shipyard in-game it doesnt even tell you how much and how big hardpoints it has (!!!!) -> lets go to a website, they have this info
You want to try some loadout for the ship, nothing in game -> lets go to a website, they have this info
You want some mats for engineers, game shows no clue where to randomly get it -> lets go to a website, they have this info
You wonder how that community goal went and what are repercussions of it -> lets go read email newletter, because why would that be in game
There is some new content/expansion -> lets go to a website, they have this info where to even start looking for it

and so on and on...

Great immersion, yeah.

 

[Airwolfr]

Deleted

 

[Ralph Vargr]

This is one of (in my opinion) main game problems - it doesnt give player information IN GAME.

I hear people talk and talk about "IMMERSION". What immersion?!
FD hide informations in game on purpose, only to make them easily available outside the game.
If you want to play this game properly you need a second monitor (or alt-tabing) for forums and 3rd party websites :
Your onboard computer can FTL, but somehown cant save prices on station you left 1 minute ago -> lets go to a website, they have this info
You want to check some prices and maybe find some trade route -> lets go to a website, they have this info
You want to buy a new ship, but shipyard in-game it doesnt even tell you how much and how big hardpoints it has (!!!!) -> lets go to a website, they have this info
You want to try some loadout for the ship, nothing in game -> lets go to a website, they have this info
You want some mats for engineers, game shows no clue where to randomly get it -> lets go to a website, they have this info
You wonder how that community goal went and what are repercussions of it -> lets go read email newletter, because why would that be in game
There is some new content/expansion -> lets go to a website, they have this info where to even start looking for it

and so on and on...

Great immersion, yeah.

No handholding. Verboten.

 

[S3B4ST13N]

No handholding. Verboten.

Which is a good thing, but there's a difference between hand-holding and providing the player with useful, contextual information.

 

[[VR] Mad Mike]

Which is a good thing, but there's a difference between hand-holding and providing the player with useful, contextual information.

i agree... in an ideal world ED would have MORE complex systems not less - damage to individual engines, cause malfunctions so we need to shut down an engine, fines for causing damage if we land poorly, having to scan unexplored areas of space properly before being able to jump to said system without taking minor damage (thus really giving our cartegraphics data value that other CMDRs can choose to buy)

but at the same time, have all sorts of ingame tools to properly explain this stuff and make managing it logical and instinctual.

 

[BigF]

i agree... in an ideal world ED would have MORE complex systems not less - damage to individual engines, cause malfunctions so we need to shut down an engine, fines for causing damage if we land poorly, having to scan unexplored areas of space properly before being able to jump to said system without taking minor damage (thus really giving our cartegraphics data value that other CMDRs can choose to buy)

but at the same time, have all sorts of ingame tools to properly explain this stuff and make managing it logical and instinctual.

Just 50% of that would triple the complexity of the game which IMO would be awesome.

 

[Mael Mordha]

No fix on multi-crew thing being a total black hole ?
Add some coop to multi-crew for christ sake -.-

 

[chotnik]

No fix on multi-crew thing being a total black hole ?
Add some coop to multi-crew for christ sake -.-

Because this is not "multi-crew". Its spectator mode, its even based on holograms, not real pilots, you can teleport 20k LY away in instant (since its a hologram).
It's just called "multi-crew" by FD to tick that chekbox.

 

[Harbey]

Elite Dangerous is in danger of becoming a tarmac'd school playground with the majority just kicking their own feet and complaining of boredom... occasionally looking over at a small group who appear to be playing chess with the odd bully interrupting and stamping on the pieces.

I love this analogy.

Seems like everyone really is looking for something different. Personally, I like the fact that you need a laptop by your side whilst playing in order to look up prices etc. Actually adds to the immersion imo.

I'm a new PS4 player, so I've still got lots to learn, but as much as I'm enjoying doing what I'm doing, I do think that I'll lose interest before too long without a bit more direction, story, unfolding plot or more regular updates on what's new in the galaxy.

 

[chotnik]

Personally, I like the fact that you need a laptop by your side whilst playing in order to look up prices etc. Actually adds to the immersion imo.

Using a system OUTSIDE the game is immersion? I dont even... [???][???][???][???][???]
Must be great on VR, to get your headset off to check prices on other screen or laptop. You cant be serious.

 

[Harbey]

Using a system OUTSIDE the game is immersion? I dont even... [???][???][???][???][???]
Must be great on VR, to get your headset off to check prices on other screen or laptop. You cant be serious.

I just like how it makes the game world become part of the real world, breaking the fourth wall so to speak. And I play with a small laptop or tablet in front of me which then becomes part of my dashboard, more like AR than VR I guess . Playing in VR, however, I can see it would be a real ball-ache, so yeah, as I said, I think everyone is looking for something different.

 

[Tadeus72]

I'm loving complex SF games. Never played a good one, that wouldn't require LOTS and LOTS of external guides, tables, or software. It's just how it is. And talented players are always much better in developing and updating this stuff than the developers, who should concentrate their efforts on improving the game and making sure they provide some nice API export of data that can be mined and organized by the community. It's just much easier for one talented guy to program a new external thing in whichever form is easier for him, than it is a for a big company to start a project and implement it seemlessly into the engine of the game (and update it over time).

Welcome to the 21st (API) century! Although it probably sucks a little bit more for VR users, even thou they can import another window into the VR view as far as I know.

 

[Privata]

Am I right in thinking 2.4 marks the end of the Horizons season?

Does that mean that we still won't be able to land on all the cool atmospheric planets if they aren't included in the final 2.4 update?

Seems strange to end Horizons without them.

Why? Season 2 is ment to be only airless worlds and nothing else.
Atmosphere worlds is for another time.

 

[[VR] Mad Mike]

Why? Season 2 is ment to be only airless worlds and nothing else.
Atmosphere worlds is for another time.

correct.... the only worlds we are missing from in horizons which we were told we were getting (and dont get me wrong it is a big one) volcanic (both rock and ice) worlds... we WERE meant to be getting those.

instead we got fumeroles

 

[VR StarLightPL]

correct.... the only worlds we are missing from in horizons which we were told we were getting (and dont get me wrong it is a big one) volcanic (both rock and ice) worlds... we WERE meant to be getting those.

instead we got fumeroles

That FExpo can't come soon enough, right... ;-) Only a month to go.

 

[NeilF]

That FExpo can't come soon enough, right... ;-) Only a month to go.

God I hope there's some impressive sounding revelations to come! eg: Improved exploration mechanics and hopefully improved exploration immersion too. eg: Geysers km high. Aurora borealis. Electrical storms. Liquids. Rain. Lakes. Rivers. Atmospherics. Etc...

Imagine if landing got more technically difficult - eg: Landing in the middle of a windy/rainy electrical storm

ps: No reason why lifeless planets can't have clouds, rain, rivers, streams, lakes, seas etc...

 

[Alec Turner]

God I hope there's some impressive sounding revelations to come! eg: Improved exploration mechanics and hopefully improved exploration immersion too. eg: Geysers km high. Aurora borealis. Electrical storms. Liquids. Rain. Lakes. Rivers. Atmospherics. Etc...

Imagine if landing got more technically difficult - eg: Landing in the middle of a windy/rainy electrical storm

ps: No reason why lifeless planets can't have clouds, rain, rivers, streams, lakes, seas etc...

Having spent an hour or so flying around a Blade Runner-esque city in the rain in the "Aircar" Oculus experience I have to say that being able to fly in the rain is probably top of my wishlist right now.

Spoiler

[video=youtube_share;QKixc62DCi8]https://youtu.be/QKixc62DCi8[/video]

 

[NeilF]

Having spent an hour or so flying around a Blade Runner-esque city in the rain in the "Aircar" Oculus experience I have to say that being able to fly in the rain is probably top of my wishlist right now.

Spoiler

https://youtu.be/QKixc62DCi8

Indeed... Aircar is interesting. It made me cry out as my stomach lurched during some manoeuvres...

Flying down to surface obscured by cloud, mist and/or rain might be interesting.

 

[aminode]

God I hope there's some impressive sounding revelations to come! eg: Improved exploration mechanics and hopefully improved exploration immersion too. eg: Geysers km high. Aurora borealis. Electrical storms. Liquids. Rain. Lakes. Rivers. Atmospherics. Etc...

Imagine if landing got more technically difficult - eg: Landing in the middle of a windy/rainy electrical storm

ps: No reason why lifeless planets can't have clouds, rain, rivers, streams, lakes, seas etc...

It what we Need for a more immersive universe and to improve the gameplay. Elite means exploration i'm plaing elite since '90 and i don't have the same feeling whitout atmospheric planets