How to deliver an in-game narrative (John Jameson)
- Thread starter Globusdiablo
- Start date
Right on Commander.
When I see threads like this, it makes me think about the absolute horde of 3rd-party websites and tools that surrounds World of Warcraft.
There are times when I wonder exactly what would happen if Wowhead (and other similar sites), and Curse just vanished from the face of the Internet. Some might say that these things are required to play that game, too. They aren't required at all, any more than any of the 3rd party applications for this game, but it's still something that is said frequently.
Even though Blizzard does everything under the sun to point you to new or interesting content (and help you find it/get there), the bulk of the playerbase still goes to (primarily Wowhead) for the walkthrough, and any other pertinent information. In case I haven't been clear, this is a website outside of the game.
This is in a game that already holds your hand (and even carries you sometimes if you get tired) 100% from start to finish.
Just something to think about.
Riôt
There are times when I wonder exactly what would happen if Wowhead (and other similar sites), and Curse just vanished from the face of the Internet. Some might say that these things are required to play that game, too. They aren't required at all, any more than any of the 3rd party applications for this game, but it's still something that is said frequently.
Even though Blizzard does everything under the sun to point you to new or interesting content (and help you find it/get there), the bulk of the playerbase still goes to (primarily Wowhead) for the walkthrough, and any other pertinent information. In case I haven't been clear, this is a website outside of the game.
This is in a game that already holds your hand (and even carries you sometimes if you get tired) 100% from start to finish.
Just something to think about.
Riôt
Seconded. Frontier, please hire better game designers.
People should be able to find stuff in-game, not needing to restort to the forums or reddit. GalNet should give clues, instructions about where stuff is.
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Insanity, is an entire user interface designed for an in-game way to deliver narrative and conceptual content (aka text and words and stuff of that nature), that isn't used. The entire interface GALNET and Powerplay sit within. There's a TON of room for more tabs for more cool stuff. To add more details about ongoing CGs, various story arcs, hints at hot spots for activities, what the flower people are doing, or things of a lore nature, or trading or bounties, or for all the engineering blueprints, or just smegging anything.
It's crying out for endless content that's already in the game and obscured away. Just engage us. But nope. Nothing. There's an entire interface that's perfect for this. It's just sitting there. Unused. Unloved. Ignored.
Frontier, in a fit of creative apoplexy, developed an entirely new interface for engineers and blueprints, instead of using the same darned thing GALNET and Powerplay use. Which has a ton more scale and ability to house a lot more information. It's right there. Ready to use, yet "nah m8, we'll just whip up an entirely new UI that nothing else uses, that is presented in two different scales depending on where you navigate to it from".
I'm not even close to being a UI guy, and it still triggers me. There's so much room for activities in that existing GALNET UI. Dear Frontier, I love yo faces, but honestly, argh!
I'm all for community created tools that massively extend the game; but they should be a wondrous expansion, not the only other option. Not the defacto, go to source. Come on Frontier, there is a ton of stuff going on, stuff all that goodness into the same UI powerplay and galnet uses. Go awwwwwwwn.
It's crying out for endless content that's already in the game and obscured away. Just engage us. But nope. Nothing. There's an entire interface that's perfect for this. It's just sitting there. Unused. Unloved. Ignored.
Frontier, in a fit of creative apoplexy, developed an entirely new interface for engineers and blueprints, instead of using the same darned thing GALNET and Powerplay use. Which has a ton more scale and ability to house a lot more information. It's right there. Ready to use, yet "nah m8, we'll just whip up an entirely new UI that nothing else uses, that is presented in two different scales depending on where you navigate to it from".
I'm not even close to being a UI guy, and it still triggers me. There's so much room for activities in that existing GALNET UI. Dear Frontier, I love yo faces, but honestly, argh!
I'm all for community created tools that massively extend the game; but they should be a wondrous expansion, not the only other option. Not the defacto, go to source. Come on Frontier, there is a ton of stuff going on, stuff all that goodness into the same UI powerplay and galnet uses. Go awwwwwwwn.
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You mean a bit like a .. Codex .. already announced (by the game designers) part of the Beyond updates?
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Seconded. Frontier, please hire better game designers.
People should be able to find stuff in-game, not needing to restort to the forums or reddit. GalNet should give clues, instructions about where stuff is.
The game design/content is mostly there now though, isn't it? It's just not being communicated.
"...We've made a game the size of The Milky Way,
and then we've sprinkled some beautiful narrative bits here and there.
Here's a blindfold
Now go find it..."
Talk about tough love.
Amen to all of the above.
The phrase lip service springs to mind.
Don't mock people with ipso facto logic. These are the same good folks that announced engineering, then designed an entirely new UI, that limits how much of that you can know unless you're at the station, and that is presented in two different scales -- depending on how you access it -- rather than reusing the interface that'd actually work better.
And I still can't access all blueprints for an engineer, unless I'm at the engineer. This is like a manufacturer publishing parts lists at their facilities for all their cars (as an example) but only allowing a mechanic or technician to take one of those lists with them at any one time. Nobody does this. There's no parallel here; even a library let's you loan multiple books.
Whilst it's okay for the developer to announce stuff -- and good stuff at that -- execution is still everything. There's very good reason to be just a tiny bit cynical at this point.
--
Back on topic. Frontier have announced a ton of stuff; however announcing isn't quite the same as delivering. Or even, you know, like communicating in game stuff, with an in game UI, that's designed to do exactly that.
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And let's not forget that most players aren't actually following FD announcements? They just bought a game and are trying to make the most of it.
This forum, and particular player groups quickly become echo chambers:
"... Well if I know it, surely everyone does..."
Nope
Come now. Impossible to design a Codex until missions and materials systems have been nailed down (because that's key to driving the clues) and the community partly causes delay in this if it won't embrace the engineering system and Frontier constantly feel forced to change it, or if Cmdrs can't be bothered to scout trading routes for themselves. Which you can do, I've never used a third party tool for this. In my experience, EDDB isn't necessary to play the game, it would just accelerate it.
Even the 'found stuff' (Guardians and the like) gets documented in Galnet. This is a news service true - and not an encyclopedia galactica, filed system - but if that had existed on day one it would have been empty. How great would that have been really? (Tyu got a codex but there's nothing in it .. well, yes, because mystery?). So seems to me there's a lot of putting cart before the horse here, also ignoring the fun many people have in collating info, building 3rd party apps and becoming game celebrities in their own right. As much as I agree with the Codex proposal FD have announced, that aspect of playing ED might be about to disappear.
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Hey man, I know you love this game almost as much as I do (HAH!), but I think you've become a bit snow blind concerning Elite: Dangerous' shortcomings?
Elite: Dangerous is taking the saying "to not do you any favours" to a whole new level of gnarly gnashing of teeth.
It was the first and last time I will ever play "the triangulation game" *rips eyes out from boredom*. If this means that I'll be missing out on future content, then so be it.
Triangulation game? Sounds .... er .. interesting?
(Actually, sounds like it wasn't interesting, just don't know what it is).
I don't think it's snow blindness, honest. I just don't think you can meaningfully document systems and mechanics that are at best mutable or at worst haven't been invented yet. I think we can all be (very) grateful to the people who have made 3rd Apps voluntarily but if the Frontier studio is the one to do it, that means cash momey. Better for us if they only do that once, rather than draining inordinate resources from development of game mechanics.
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And I'm not bashing third party content creation, but much like Mobius PvE group, I think they are doing a job that FD should be doing.
I just think it's an obvious case of necessity being the mother of invention.
I then conclude that you haven't been to Jamesons crash site? Give me a call when you get back...
I just think it's an obvious case of necessity being the mother of invention.
I then conclude that you haven't been to Jamesons crash site? Give me a call when you get back...
I then conclude that you haven't been to Jamesons crash site? Give me a call when you get back...
Well no, I'm busy feeding this famine and my Cmdr (Winterwalker) doesn't have time for such 'frivolities'.
(He's a miner and a cold hearted, hard nut). Jameson's definitely dead then is he?
I really hope the explorer update will give us better tools and better hud info to search planets and set co-ords. And that the codex will offer a way for us to see not just what we have done but to be informed of new discoveries too. I still have to go to websites to find any of the alien bases whereas there should be sensational news stories listing everything in-game. I really hope that Galnet gets some more sensational sub news feeds, everything is reported so calmly it doesn't help us invest in a story line.
Well no, I'm busy feeding this famine and my Cmdr (Winterwalker) doesn't have time for such 'frivolities'.
(He's a miner and a cold hearted, hard nut). Jameson's definitely dead then is he?
I wouldn't know...
Bring an SRV...
I just like looking at old scrap metal. It's a hobby. Don't ask.
It makes perfect sense to me that one should not have to resort to using sources outside the game to find story/POI etc inside the game.
The formadine rift, Salome, Thargoids, Jameson's ship, Guardians, inara. I only know these things exist because of the forum posts and Obsidian Ant's video's. Within the game I have no knowledge of them and am busy pootling around the bubble, oblivious.
The formadine rift, Salome, Thargoids, Jameson's ship, Guardians, inara. I only know these things exist because of the forum posts and Obsidian Ant's video's. Within the game I have no knowledge of them and am busy pootling around the bubble, oblivious.
All this salt for something you could have expected. Yes, I find the 'lore' in Elite a little shallow, mainly because I'm not in possession of enough of it, for reasons stated (it's hard to find, if you don't happen across a thread referring to some or by miracle run across some in game, it's hard to notice), however....
Having this problem now is a bit like being married for 40 years to a woman who snores, then one day suddenly turning around and making a huge deal out of it.
Elite has always required us to 'fill in the blanks', it's OBVIOUSLY a conscious design decision, so just embrace it, really. A codex isn't going to change anything, and nobody should care.
Having this problem now is a bit like being married for 40 years to a woman who snores, then one day suddenly turning around and making a huge deal out of it.
Elite has always required us to 'fill in the blanks', it's OBVIOUSLY a conscious design decision, so just embrace it, really. A codex isn't going to change anything, and nobody should care.
Ignorance is bliss?