Beyond - Inside News (Interview with Ed Lewis)

[NeilF]

*cough*

I need to get some throat lozenges?

Seconded. Jump range is really the only thing I care about at the moment. Can I turn it into an exploration ship or not!?

For me I love general purpose ships. So if it's a better fighter than the Python, but still with some reasonable cargo space...? Bingo!

I doubt it will make a good exploration vessel as I suspect it's jump range will not be great!

 

[ChaoticGenious]

But not trade data?

As it stands, anything that affects the base game rather than horizons or beyond (pun intended) will be available to cmdrs without access to horizons.

 

[PBSF Pendragon]

"You can take wing missions as a solo player too."

So years on and ED still has no multiplayer content and still isn't planning to introduce any. We've basically got solo missions and opponents that multiple people can gang up on.

Good job.




Jump range is one of the last things I consider for exploration. Unless I am at the very edges of the galaxy, explorers don't need a high jump range.

I don't understand how you can think there's no multiplayer content. Player groups are doing pretty well at playing together and having fun

 

[-VR- Max Factor]

And naturally, the concept of employing different roles is way outside the scope of a multiplayer game -_-

Sorry, not aimed at you. It's embarrassing that years in we have a multiplayer game that has nothing but solo content which happens to allow players to gang up on x piece of content to grind it out faster.

Where's a purpose for 'vettes defending something while a team mate completes an objective? Where is "haul this huge amount of cargo while a team mate fends off attacks"? Where is "distract this absolutely massive bodyguard wing at x planet while team mate assassinates important target at y planet"?

Or am I being unreasonable requesting we actually develop something instead of regurgitating content that splits the pennies afterwards?

Sorry, but this is just rubbish. It is content that can be done either solo or via multiplayer, how you do it is up to you. It gives you choices. At last we can share missions with wings and it gives us reasons to wing up which isn't just combat zones and res sites. This is a much needed update for multiplayer gaming. As to the specifics of these missions, we don't know how they will work. There is no reason why it can't work as you decribe depending on what mission you take. For instance if there is a wing mission for scanning/attacking a planetary outpost, you could have one ship supplying air support and fending off enemy craft which are sometimes there while the other is in the SRV doing what needs to be done in the SRV or you could both be in the SRV attacking an outpost.

Obviously Ed's example was for a basic trade mission and there is no reason why one ship can't be in a combat spec and the other in a trade spec but it may take a couple of trips to do the job. So lets wait and see before jumping to conclusions as to how it will work.

 

[StiTch]

I don't understand how you can think there's no multiplayer content. Player groups are doing pretty well at playing together and having fun

Don't get me wrong, I don't doubt the ability of players to create their own content where none exists.

I mean that in terms of actual gameplay, there is no content in-game that utilises multiple players. Wing combat is an exercise in mindless slaughter of targets one could take solo, PP is a collection of players grinding solo activities...

Where is the use of different roles in a wing? The need for co-operation in game?

It is content that can be done either solo or via multiplayer, how you do it is up to you. It gives you choices.

Well then it's not really multiplayer content is it?

Hate to sound like a broken record but show me a piece of content where I have to work together with someone to complete it in-game. If you can complete it solo, it's certainly not going to challenge multiple players, and even less so be engaging.

 

[Muetdhiver]

I don't understand how you can think there's no multiplayer content. Player groups are doing pretty well at playing together and having fun

Me too. Though I'm a tad worried that FDev will tweak the wings missions to be soloable, making them cakewalk as actual wing content. I pray this is not the case.

What I hope is for wing missions to be equivalent in difficulty to the thargoid SS5/6/7

 

[Alec Turner]

Seconded. Jump range is really the only thing I care about at the moment. Can I turn it into an exploration ship or not!?

Thirded. If I can get 30ly or more out of this I might take it on Distant Worlds, it's a beautiful looking ship (that's important for DWE2 right? I mean, there's gonna be a lot of selfies-in-front-of-things).

 

[MyklAtrum]

Jump range is one of the last things I consider for exploration. Unless I am at the very edges of the galaxy, explorers don't need a high jump range.

Debatable. On one hand you don't need it to explore. On the other you need it to reach unreachable places easier. And also, if you're constantly having to rush back to the bubble/Pleiades when something fun happens, the range is nice.

 

[Old Duck]

Don't quote me on this one Duck... I know almost nothing about iTunes, howeve rI think you can find it at

https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/pbp-the-pixel-bandits-podcast/id1202537160

It works!

 

[Dominic Corner]

Me too. Though I'm a tad worried that FDev will tweak the wings missions to be soloable, making them cakewalk as actual wing content. I pray this is not the case.

What I hope is for wing missions to be equivalent in difficulty to the thargoid SS5/6/7

Hi there,

I'm going to avoid saying too much because we do have streams coming up to talk about the new content, but wing missions are going to be balanced for completion in a wing.

You can take a wing mission as a solo player and attempt to complete it, but it won't change the balance in any way.

Thanks,
Dom

 

[StiTch]

Hi there,

I'm going to avoid saying too much because we do have streams coming up to talk about the new content, but wing missions are going to be balanced for completion in a wing.

You can take a wing mission as a solo player and attempt to complete it, but it won't change the balance in any way.

Thanks,
Dom

Hi Dom.

Can you confirm whether this will involve different roles, or will be tasks that are simply considered "too difficult" for most people to solo?

 

[PBSF Pendragon]

You can list anything like that though. Battlefield 1 online has no multiplayer content because "you just shoot people. You do that in the single player". The same could be said of any game ever made, really. Elite lets you play together. There are places where it's better to be in a wing. Trading together pays more.

Yes, there are other things which could be added (and are being added - Wing missions) but if there was "no multiplayer content" then player groups wouldn't be able to do what we do

 

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

Multiplayer is mechanic, it does not imply content.

Now, what you want is to have fun things to do together. That's how wing missions should be evaluated.

 

[Mengy]

Seconded. Jump range is really the only thing I care about at the moment. Can I turn it into an exploration ship or not!?

Fourthed. We have so many combat ships. I love the way the Chieftain looks but if its just another combat ship then I’m not sure how useful it will be other than to fly something different.

Jump range is one of the last things I consider for exploration. Unless I am at the very edges of the galaxy, explorers don't need a high jump range.

Sure, and combat ships don’t need a lot of hardpoints. A Hauler is perfectly capable of farming bounties in CZ’s, it has weapons, what more does it need?

Explorers need to get into deep space, and a high jump range makes that easier and more convenient while also allowing entry into fringe undiscovered systems, just like extra firepower on a combat ship makes it better at it’s intended role too. Stating that exploration ships do not need jump range, while technically true in it’s purest form, is still utter nonsense from a ship design point of view in the same way that stating combat ships do not need hardpoints is nonsense.

 

[Alec Turner]

Hi there,

I'm going to avoid saying too much because we do have streams coming up to talk about the new content, but wing missions are going to be balanced for completion in a wing.

You can take a wing mission as a solo player and attempt to complete it, but it won't change the balance in any way.

Thanks,
Dom

Quick! We've got a dev' answering questions ... someone grab his legs and I'll get a chair and some rope!

 

[Rubbernuke]

Quick! We've got a dev' answering questions ... someone grab his legs and I'll get a chair and some rope!

No, threaten to buy more pizza

 

[StiTch]

You can list anything like that though. Battlefield 1 online has no multiplayer content because "you just shoot people. You do that in the single player". The same could be said of any game ever made, really. Elite lets you play together. There are places where it's better to be in a wing. Trading together pays more.

Yes, there are other things which could be added (and are being added - Wing missions) but if there was "no multiplayer content" then player groups wouldn't be able to do what we do

To be fair, that is (typically) non-co-operative PvP in a straight up combat game; ED is for all intents and purposes an RPG, but lacks the "role" part quite strongly. Most RPG multiplayer games ask each player to perform roles in some form.

I don't believe I'm asking anything unreasonable. It would be nice to actually work with someone because it's an ingame mechanic, rather than just stampede over content.

 

[[VR] Mad Mike]

Hi there,

I'm going to avoid saying too much because we do have streams coming up to talk about the new content, but wing missions are going to be balanced for completion in a wing.

You can take a wing mission as a solo player and attempt to complete it, but it won't change the balance in any way.

Thanks,
Dom

i am all for wing missions but, and i know you wont say now, but closer to the time can you please address whether npc counterparts for wingmates are "on the horizon" at all?

thanks

 

[-VR- Max Factor]

Well then it's not really multiplayer content is it?

Hate to sound like a broken record but show me a piece of content where I have to work together with someone to complete it in-game. If you can complete it solo, it's certainly not going to challenge multiple players, and even less so be engaging.

If it can be done with multiplayer, it is multiplayer content. Or do you mean content that can only be done by multiplayer. Well I don't see the need for it. All it will do is massively reduce the amount of people that will use the feature/content. Best is to keep features as open as possible so they can use it how they want to whether it is by themselves or with other people.

Is it multiplayer content, it can be if you choose it to be. ED is all about choices, here are the tools, you choose how you use them. Will it be engaging and challanging, it depends on how it is done. The example stated by Ed was a basic trade mission, a single player would need to do it more than once. You are your friend could bring a couple of multirole specced pythons and do it in one go, but instead of running away from any interdictions, you encourage them and see them off or get defeated yourself.

Quick! We've got a dev' answering questions ... someone grab his legs and I'll get a chair and some rope!

I've got the nipple clamps (don't ask why).

 

[StiTch]

Sure, and combat ships don’t need a lot of hardpoints. A Hauler is perfectly capable of farming bounties in CZ’s, it has weapons, what more does it need?

Explorers need to get into deep space, and a high jump range makes that easier and more convenient while also allowing entry into fringe undiscovered systems, just like extra firepower on a combat ship makes it better at it’s intended role too. Stating that exploration ships do not need jump range, while technically true in it’s purest form, is still utter nonsense from a ship design point of view in the same way that stating combat ships do not need hardpoints is nonsense.

Point out where I said jump range is useless.

I'm simply stating that it is easily overrated, not everyone needs to jump 60LY to be a good explorer, and I'd rather have a nice ship with nice canopy and the right internals than something that jumps me to destination in half the time but bores me for the whole journey.

Or did I dream up having a perfectly good exploration trip in an iClipper?

Personally I'd rather we see some actual new exploration vessels than tag on to every incoming combat ship saying it's a let down to the exploration community if it can't match an AspE's jump range. People have been waiting for the Imperial Explorer for some time iirc, and I'd really like to see more ships with a focus on things like an immersive canopy.

If it can be done with multiplayer, it is multiplayer content. Or do you mean content that can only be done by multiplayer. Well I don't see the need for it. All it will do is massively reduce the amount of people that will use the feature/content. Best is to keep features as open as possible so they can use it how they want to whether it is by themselves or with other people.

Is it multiplayer content, it can be if you choose it to be. ED is all about choices

What's the deal with "if I can't have it no-one can" syndrome among ED players?

There is 100% nothing wrong with developing content that caters to different player groups separately. I would much rather a single piece of engaging content for multiple players only, and a single piece of engaging content for solo players, than two pieces of content that pretend to be both and are unengaging for both types of player.