Gnosis event - the actual content is fun!

rootsrat · Sep 7, 2018

While I still 100% stand by every single word I wrote yesterday (LINK) - the way it's all been implemented is unacceptable - and between last week's news and this week cockup I still don't know what to make of Frontier and Elite as a whole, I think it's fair to say the Gnosis event itself is actually quite fun. It could have been an AMAZING event, if not for all the things that went wrong with it.

Fighting Thargoid Scouts around Gnosis is fun. Dropping into Threat 8 NHSS and annoying Hydras is fun (I managed to escape one with 1% hull last night, my thrusters were gone and they only jumpstarted after the 2nd reboot - lots of stress!

). Now they found a Thargoid structure and some barnacles apparently...

The individual parts of this event are a lot of fun indeed.

The experience as a whole - TERRIBLE.

Honestly FDEV, you know how to produce good content. You need learn how to implement it in a fun way, also from narrative point of view. Get your s...tuff together Frontier.

I am still majorly upset about the whole thing and with FDEV, but at the same time I'm having lots of fun out there. So yeah...

rootsrat said:
I'm not really sure how I feel about Frontier and Elite anymore.

Gutser · Sep 7, 2018

Why is it not possible for frontier to implement it in a "good" way?

Im really wondering. They do so much great work and then, they destroy it all because they don't care about the last 10% ... This would bother me as an frontier employee

kofeyh · Sep 7, 2018

This is Frontier. Great ideas. Ordinary execution. The spoiling was just farcical; it destroyed any sense of adventure. Which was the entire point.

And yes. It was fun. Even the 1100 ly hike back from the penitentiary.

Execution. It's always execution. They just aren't validating approaches. It's at times amatuer hour and it's quite a shame because Frontier clearly work hard and want it to be a success.

But every time. Its these silly mistakes. I kinda just assume at this point that's just not gonna change. It is, what it is.

Faybs · Sep 7, 2018

Gutser said:
Why is it not possible for frontier to implement it in a "good" way?

Im really wondering. They do so much great work and then, they destroy it all because they don't care about the last 10% ... This would bother me as an frontier employee

I chalk it up to a company culture that doesn't value polish - think of it as the opposite of Apple. I remember we used to laugh because every single update to the game had some glaringly obvious typo or grammatical error in it. That eventually stopped, but you can still see the same when ships get released with bad geometry or textures, the occasional $##SystemName tag in some text, or some things that you'd think are obvious being done wrong (for example, not turning off the Gnosis's no-fire zone when the whole point is to shoot at the enemy to defend the ship). None of it is game-breaking, but it's just sloppy.

Vasious · Sep 7, 2018

Does this warrant another thread where you are quoting yourself?

Maro-Val · Sep 7, 2018

Its a lost case with them unfortunately. They are carrying lore from back '84 and this game's lore legacy and story is one of a kind, but they manage to destroy it bit by bit.
Graphics and sound are more than capable to support this legacy, but those that implement the story and take the decisions... just a lost case.

rootsrat · Sep 7, 2018

Vasious said:
Does this warrant another thread where you are quoting yourself?

Maybe not. I really just wanted to point out that actual content is FUN! Bring a little positive to the negativity flood.

-VR- Max Factor · Sep 7, 2018

kofeyh said:
This is Frontier. Great ideas. Ordinary execution. The spoiling was just farcical; it destroyed any sense of adventure. Which was the entire point.

And yes. It was fun. Even the 1100 ly hike back from the penitentiary.

Execution. It's always execution. They just aren't validating approaches. It's at times amatuer hour and it's quite a shame because Frontier clearly work hard and want it to be a success.

But every time. Its these silly mistakes. I kinda just assume at this point that's just not gonna change. It is, what it is.

I have to agree. The silly mistakes are annoying. It won't stop me from playing the game as I still get a lot of enjoyment regardless.

[VR] M4st0d0n · Sep 7, 2018

It's a love hate relashun. Date some other games but keep in touch with this one. She's not quite the looker she used to. And sometimes she's sloppy and frustrating. But she's still fun.

Ziggy Stardust · Sep 7, 2018

This forum last 24 hours:
Gnosis, gnosis, gnosis, gnosis, gnosis, gnosis, gnosis, gnosis, gnosis, gnosis, gnosis, gnosis, mushroom, mushroom!
Gnosis, gnosis, gnosis, gnosis, gnosis, gnosis, gnosis, gnosis, gnosis, gnosis, gnosis, gnosis, mushroom, mushroom!

Faybs · Sep 7, 2018

Ziggy Stardust said:
This forum last 24 hours:
Gnosis, gnosis, gnosis, gnosis, gnosis, gnosis, gnosis, gnosis, gnosis, gnosis, gnosis, gnosis, mushroom, mushroom!
Gnosis, gnosis, gnosis, gnosis, gnosis, gnosis, gnosis, gnosis, gnosis, gnosis, gnosis, gnosis, mushroom, mushroom!

No snakes?

Edit: for anyone who doesn't know what this is about, peek below. Warning: threat level 8 earworm

[video=youtube;EIyixC9NsLI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIyixC9NsLI[/video]

Navigare Necesse Est · Sep 7, 2018

If it's fun, what is terrible about it, then?

LernanRuss · Sep 7, 2018

Well, I don't find it to be somehow extraordinary fun. Not that I feel any drama - I just went back to bubble earlier, did some exploration on way back, probably there is no big difference between exploration in locked and unlocked systems. Still - I could do roughly the same exploration without all of the Gnosis fuss.

And frankly - on the event level, FDev screwed all they could. Article on web Galnet 6h before the event, no article on ingame Galnet after the patch has been applied, and no-fire zone mess, even though the problem had been reported months before Gnosis expedition has been anounced.

It is certainly no gamebreaking thing, but it still leaves a lot of distaste.

rootsrat · Sep 7, 2018

Navigare Necesse Est said:
If it's fun, what is terrible about it, then?

- Selling it as an exploration of uncharted area event, creating hype centered around that, while not actually planning to allow for it
- Releasing Galnet article 6 hrs early and thus spoiling the whole story and killing the suspense and the surprise
- Initial bugs by Gnosis (No Fire Zone, Gnosis shooting player's Flaks, Thargoids spawning right next to the ship, killing people before the landing platform reached the surface)

kofeyh · Sep 7, 2018

Navigare Necesse Est said:
If it's fun, what is terrible about it, then?

I guess if it's fun mowing down people with a ride on lawn mower where is the harm? I mean if it's fun what's terrible about it?

The event is great and its good to see frontier getting stuck in to more dynamic events. But the fairly rushed planning and the never corrected 6 hour galnet spoiler is unforgivable and the developer really does need to get their proverbial sorted.

Bunkerkind Anni · Sep 7, 2018

probably the worst thing about this event was,
there was nothing exclusive to LEP owners again

-VR- Max Factor · Sep 7, 2018

rootsrat said:
- Selling it as an exploration of uncharted area event, creating hype centered around that, while not actually planning to allow for it

Thats called story telling. I have no issues with that at all. And jumping to an uncharted place which is permit locked with rumours of thargoids in the area and people are upset about the Thargoids attacking.

rootsrat said:
- Releasing Galnet article 6 hrs early and thus spoiling the whole story and killing the suspense and the surprise
- Initial bugs by Gnosis (No Fire Zone, Gnosis shooting player's Flaks, Thargoids spawning right next to the ship, killing people before the landing platform reached the surface)

These are the only major issues I see which FDev should rightly get flak over. Thankfully the issues seem to be fixed and there is nothing we can now do about the early Galnet article.

rootsrat · Sep 7, 2018

Max Factor said:
Thats called story telling. I have no issues with that at all. And jumping to an uncharted place which is permit locked with rumours of thargoids in the area and people are upset about the Thargoids attacking.

While I'm not overly bothered, because I didn't get hyped for it, it was massively oversold. PR failure IMHO.

Yes, it's storytelling. Yes, there were warning signs. Yes, everyone got excited to be able to visit Cone Sector, as advertised. No, FDEV never had the intention to actually send us there.

I still class that as a failure. You're right though - the other 2 points are much worse.

Completely revealing what's going to happen next, when everyone was waiting preparing for the unknown... Some storytelling indeed! :x

But, like I said, I created this thread to focus on positives.

Rob At Work · Sep 7, 2018

Ho Hum... another day, another story.

Earlier this morning me and few of my like minded friends set off to go on a fossil hunting expedition we had been told about quite a long way from home. We boarded the coach and were having a bit of a party when after 12 miles the damn thing broke down and the driver pulled into this place at the roadside. As each of us got off the coach we were attacked by an angry mob. Those that manage to get off the coach and fought back were taken away by the police . Me being the hero I am stayed on the coach and rang the tour company...They said "there was never an expedition as the area had been impounded, and they thought we might enjoy the riot they organised instead.

Anyway back now all safe and sound. The tour company are asking if I would like to go on another trip....what do you think I should do?

Factabulous · Sep 7, 2018

Rootsrat said:

rootsrat said:
- Selling it as an exploration of uncharted area event, creating hype centered around that, while not actually planning to allow for it

Max replied:

Max Factor said:
Thats called story telling. I have no issues with that at all.

My problem would be things like this:

Winterwalker said:
(I've been aboard about six weeks now).

basically if you 'signed up' at the start of the event you had a six week build up ... to a non-explorer event. With one Galnet hinting there may be Thargoids, but none saying 'ooh, explorers evacuate'. Winterwalker is still very positive, not sure I would be

Real shame, as (as Rootsrat says) the actual gameplay is a lot of what ppl have been asking for - so close, FD, so close.