News Content Recap: Beyond - Chapter Four Livestream - Background Simulation and Scenarios

[Quester91]

So the discovery scanner becomes a mandatory module, since it's being used to find USS and scenarios play out in USS. Make it a core module FD, or the gankers with not a care in the world for scenarios and USS will have an even easier time, since your own ship will be at a one slot less available disadvantage.

This. A hundred times.


Discovery scanners and limpet controllers should all be core modules.

 

[-VR- Max Factor]

I look for people trying to take control of a system where we are the controlling faction. That are doing harm by trying to remove us from a position of control in which we worked for.

Its sooo cool watching them show up on a bounty board. Watching their numbers fly up. But you cant collect the bounty. You just get to watch them compete for first place on your bounty boards. Awesome gameplay.

The point is. Its a person coming and and causing disruptions. We should be able to stop the people from causing those disruptions. They arent NPC's.

These are now player controlled objectives.

And how do you know they are trying to do that? That disruption that player causes is what makes the BGS dynamic. By trying to remove that person you rob yourself of PvE gameplay which is what the BGS is all about.

Your methods are wrong. Simple.

Those people who influence the BGS whether accidently or deliberately is what generates the gameplay. If you remove that option it will end up being a PvP ganking ground where the BGS will hardly move. It would destroy the very nature of the BGS.

The BGS is not and still is not after the new version bits meant to be a PvP battleground. If someone is negatively influencing your faction, do BGS stuff that does the opposite. You can't go around and murder people when they are not breaking the law. You have to use legal means to combat them.

 

[Wobblin-Gobblin]

Wow, I'm really impressed about Q4 and I can't wait to test it.

Thank you for the great work, FD.

I really appreciate it o7

I have the feeling that ED's future is bright, again

 

[Micha]

So the discovery scanner becomes a mandatory module, since it's being used to find USS and scenarios play out in USS.

You will still be able to find USS's the "normal" way by flying around. The Discovery Scanner just let's you discover USS's without having to fly around the system, so it lets you more easily pick the ones you're interested in and fly directly to them.

 

[Marc_Hicks]

Greetings Commanders,

If you missed tonight's content reveal livestream or just wanted a recap of all the features discussed, read the notes below from Executive Producer Adam Woods and Senior Designer Adam Bourke-Waite.

​

Please note this is part two of four livestreams, for more details click here.

BGS (Background Simulation) Changes

The Background Simulation (BGS) is a representation of how the actions of all players, no matter on which platform or mode, impact the galaxy. The factions that inhabit these system battle for influence over the population and control of the starports, installations and outposts. Player actions can push these factions into various states; such as economy, security, health and influence. With concerted effort players can help grow a faction's economy, destroy its security status, or help win a war.

As part of Beyond - Chapter Four, we're making a few changes to the Background Simulation that will have a big effect on how you will manage and spread your faction's influence across the Milky Way.

Multiple States

• From Beyond - Chapter Four onwards, factions will no longer be limited to a single state. Instead a faction could be in multiple states per system.
• For example, rather than being in 'War' across all of the systems the faction is present in, the faction will only be at war in the single system in which the war is taking place.
• This new change means that the faction can also be in several different states at the same time. A faction could be in many different states, such as Bust and Civil Unrest.
• The Background Simulation is woven into the fabric of the galaxy, and so this change will impact everything from USS spawning to mission spawning. The systems your faction is present in may very well change up!
• The addition of multiple states means that managing an intergalactic empire will come with increased challenges. In order to make this more manageable we’ve added additional feedback to the game that should make interacting with the Background Simulation easier to understand.
• Part of this feedback includes how Local News works. We've expanded the faction summary news article, so that each faction has their own individual article which informs players of the states currently active in that system.

State Categories

We've broken a number of faction states into the following categories:

• Economic status - reflects the wealth of a system.
• Security status - reflects the safety of a system.
• Conflict - based on the system influence and represents the control of the assets and population in a system.
• Movement - based on influence and our new Happiness value these states determine the movement of a faction between systems.
• Other - Anything not included in the above, and reserved for future states that we are not ready to talk about!

A faction can have one state from each of these categories active at a time in each of the systems it’s present in.

Please find a summary of most of the states that will be coming in the Beyond - Chapter Four update (this information will also be available in-game):

Spoiler

• Lockdown - When a faction experiences a lockdown, the security rating of the system it controls temporarily increases and the system’s wealth temporarily decreases. Bounty hunting activity can shorten the lockdown period.
• Boom - Boom is usually the result of consistent trade profit and completed trade contracts. When a faction experiences a boom, the wealth of the system it controls temporarily increases, and trade missions completed in the system have double the effect on influence.
• Bust - When a faction experiences a bust, the wealth of the system it controls is temporarily reduced and the faction’s influence is temporarily diminished. Trade actions do not contribute to boom while a bust is active.
• Civil War - Civil wars occur when factions compete for control of major assets, such as starports. When a faction is involved in a civil war, the standard of living, development level and security level in the system it controls are temporarily reduced.
• Civil Unrest - Civil unrest is the result of illegal activity. When a faction is affected by civil unrest, the standard of living in the system it controls temporarily decreases, as does the system’s wealth.
• Famine - When a faction is affected by famine, the standard of living in the system it controls temporarily decreases. Combat activity has no effect on influence while a famine is active. Completing food-related trade missions can help bring a famine to an end.
• Outbreak - When a faction is affected by an outbreak, the standard of living in the system it controls temporarily decreases. Combat activity has no effect on influence while an outbreak is active. Completing medicine-supply missions can help bring an outbreak to an end.
• Election - Elections occur when two factions with a similar political structure resolve a conflict over ownership and influence within a system.
• War - Wars occur when a faction invades a star system controlled by another faction. For the duration of the war, the standard of living, wealth level and security level in the disputed systems are reduced. Combat activity between the two warring factions determines the outcome of the conflict. If neither faction succeeds in dominating the other, the war ends in a ceasefire.
• Expansion - Expansions occur when a faction successfully maintains a degree of influence over a happy population for a specified period of time. Expansion is costly, so when a faction expands, the wealth and development level of the system it expands from are temporarily reduced.
• Retreat - Factions are considered to be in retreat if their level of influence within a system drops below a certain level. If the faction’s influence remains low for a total of five days, the faction must leave the system entirely. If the faction manages to increase its level of influence, it remains in the system.
• Civil Liberty - The faction is enjoying a period of stability within this system, resulting in widespread happiness among the local population. Bounty hunting activity can help sustain the civil liberty period.
• Investment - The faction is enjoying a period of economic good fortune within this system, resulting in widespread happiness among the local population. Trade activity can help sustain the investment period.

Economy and Security

• For Economy and Security states we’ve added two new player-facing elements:

• Security Status - represented via a marker moving along a bar. As the marker enters certain sections of the bar, the faction moves into the related state.
• Economic Status - also represented via a marker moving along a bar. As the marker enters certain sections of the bar, the faction moves into the related state.
• Both can be found on your right-hand status panel and also in the Squadrons Allegiance page (which we will be talking about in the Squadrons livestream).

• As Commanders perform various in-game actions and activities, such as trading or completing missions, they will push the marker along one of these Security and Economic bars.
• Each area on the bar represents different states and when the marker reaches these areas, the faction will adopt that state.

• The center of each bar is a 'no state' region which represents a neutral state.
• As the marker on the Economic bar is pushed upwards, the faction can move into Boom and then Investment. The other end of the Economic bar consists of Bust and eventually... Famine.
• The Security bar consists of Lockdown, Civil Unrest, and a new state called Civil Liberty on the positive end. Civil Liberty represents a period of safety and freedom for the faction's population.

Conflict and Movement

• Movement states are based on Influence and work in a very similar way to how they did previously.

• For example, if a faction loses the majority of its influence, it can enter into a Retreat state.

• Conflict states trigger in the same way but winning a conflict has changed. This is explained in greater detail below.

Conflict changes

• Wars, Civil Wars and Elections will now freeze the influence of both factions involved.
• The conflict between the two factions will be resolved weekly, following a process of winning victories on a daily basis.
• To claim a victory, players need to complete relevant missions handed out by their faction and take part in the newly revamped Conflict Zones.
• You can find information on how your faction is doing during the war, and the assets it has on the line, in the status panel.

• This information can also be found in the Squadrons Allegiance page.

• At the end of a week, the side that has won the most days wins the war!

Expansion

The new States have also influenced the way in which Expansion works.

• Expansion is a faction-wide concept and takes the following into consideration:

• The percentage of Influence of the faction per system.
• The Happiness of the faction within that same system.

• Happiness is a new concept and is based on the states that are active within that system.

• For example: a faction that has Civil Unrest, War and Bust occurring is not going to be the happiest, while a faction experiencing Civil Liberty and Boom will be much happier.
• To increase your faction's happiness, you need to defeat negative states and push your faction towards positive ones.

• Large factions, with lots of influence across many happy systems will be more likely to gain the Expansion state.
• A faction in Expansion after a certain amount of time will attempt to expand from the happiest system that faction is present in. Therefore, you will be better able to coordinate your expansion efforts to ensure which system you want to expand from.

It's worth noting that some of the gargantuan factions, led by a handful of people, will need to scale up their group in order to manage their existing holdings. With these changes, maintaining widespread factions will pose an added challenge, but we've introduced improved in-game BGS feedback to help coordinate your group's efforts.

Other

• There are chaotic and unpredictable states that can occur. These states, much like the real-world parallels, are out of your control. One of these states is Outbreak, a faction in outbreak will suffer negative economic and security effects, as well as many of the faction's population becoming unhappy.
• Further information on all the factions' active states can be found in the right-hand panel.

Megaship and Installation Population

For Beyond - Chapter Four, we've introduced a vast number of new Megaships and Installations.

• Some of these Megaships will have set routes (moving on the weekly tick) and when in a new system, will be under the protection of the controlling faction.
• If a Megaship jumps into your faction's system, you should look after it because if it is attacked, your faction will feel negative Background Simulation effects.
• Installations have also been added. These are static assets that once assigned to a faction can be fought over during conflict states.

Scenarios

Scenarios are new and enhanced versions of the Unidentified Signal Sources (USS) and fixed events that you may already have encountered. They are random events that can occur across the galaxy, providing you with additional opportunities to blaze your own trail the way you want to.

• Each Scenario is fully voice-acted, by a range of different actors.
• They feature bespoke UI, providing you information on what you need to do to engage with a Scenario and the rewards you will receive for doing so.
• There are specific Background Simulation (BGS) rewards for successfully completing a Scenario; such as increasing the security status of the faction involved.
• Some of the new and enhanced Scenarios include:

• Assisting distressed or stranded pilots.
• Engaging with new, fluctuating objectives in the new and improved Conflict Zones.
• Attacking or defending Megaships and Installations.
• Providing aid and assistance to damaged Megaships.
• ...and more!

-------------------------------

If you missed our recap on Exploration, the Codex and Visual Improvements, check the thread out here.

Fantastic Livestream. Everything here sounds wonderful. I do have a few questions though.

1. Is there any plan to make scenarios a new method for spawning mission offers? Every scenario I saw today had several missions that could spawn from them (like the ship that is out of fuel could ask the player to deliver some important data/cargo/passengers on his behalf. The pirates you assist might ask you to smuggle some of the ill-gotten cargo from the megaship, or ask you to follow through on this attack with a massacre of local law enforcement).

2. Is there any plan to make Weapons Fire & Convoy USS's feel less "static"? It would be wonderful to jump into the former type of USS to find combat already underway-or at least radio chatter that helps justify why weapons are not currently firing. Radio traffic & more activity could also help liven up Convoy USS's.

3. Will in-system assets begin to better match the current system state(s)? One of the cool things about the Thargoids attacking stations was seeing these assets in a burning/ruined state. It would be nice to see in system assets fall into decreptitude during negative economic states, evidence of physical damage in war states or a clear visual indication for outbreak states-that kind of thing. On a related note, I hope we will see/hear lots of varied chatter related to the system state.

4. Will we see an overhaul of RES's on a par with those we are seeing in regards to Conflict Zones? Similar question re: Community Goals.

Anyway, definitely a fantastic stream, & one that definitely has me extremely excited for the Beta.

 

[Ziljan]

That would be interesting.. how about missions and scenarios where you bring passengers into the system to "Stuff the Ballot box" ? or ... Kill people at polling places... intercept data packets of votes and change them or trash them or something.. hack their polling place.

or maybe just fly around the system with bullhorns shouting "Vote for the XXXX Whatever Party!"

Having a bad-guy option is one thing, but that's a little too dark imo. And a little too real given the postal bomb assassination attempts, voter intimidation, and general scare tactics that the GOP is employing these days.

 

[carlosmaline]

If War states progress on a linear bar, why can't they persist over weeks months or years? This is what I would expect in a simulated future. It would add an element of historic battles and give player factions a long game if they wish.

 

[Quester91]

You will still be able to find USS's the "normal" way by flying around. The Discovery Scanner just let's you discover USS's without having to fly around the system, so it let's you more easily pick the ones you're interested in and fly directly to them.

So it becomes mandatory

 

[6eJIka_u_CTpeJIka]

Dear FDev

I apologize if suddenly the similar question was already discussed.

Is it possible to reduce the duration of the war to three days, as it was before? Whether it has any conditions for rollback war activity trigger?

Reasons:
You create extremely unfavorable conditions for maintaining the positions of the BGS groups and extremely profitable to attack them. Let's say I'm attacking some faction's systems. To do this, I need to organize a small group of players, which for each day will have only one task to pit factions in one system. It is easy and does not require a lot of game time.

Let's say our actions are successful.

On the first day we attack system A, then system B, C, etc. Once again, I stress that a lot of time is not spent. Just one system per day.

From the point of view of protection everything is much more difficult. The defense must spend at least an hour in the combat zone of each location for at least 4 days out of 7. Why an hour? Because you can't kill more NPCs than they appear, let alone the size of the reward for each.

Thus we get that with the successful actions of the attackers - they do not need to fight, only to start the trigger of the war, the defenders spend a HUGE amount of time just to maintain the status quo.

I do not think that with such a system, the defenders will last at least a month, regardless of the size of the group and its management. Surely in life there are many more interesting things than the daily sitting pants in fruitless attempts to protect virtual ownership of individual servers.

With respect.

 

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

If War states progress on a linear bar, why can't they persist over weeks months or years? This is what I would expect in a simulated future. It would add an element of historic battles and give player factions a long game if they wish.

Because it can be openly abused. You can have series of wars if you desire so, having cease fire every 7 days.

 

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

Having a bad-guy option is one thing, but that's a little too dark imo. And a little too real given the postal bomb assassination attempts, voter intimidation, and general scare tactics that the GOP is employing these days.

I think ED lore is pretty dark place already so it wouldn't surprise me at all. Although I could see such scenarios being very rare, otherwise their impact and shock value would be deluded.

Anyway, scenario mechanics opens doors for all kind of things and if this upgrade held back this part of the game....yay.

 

[Fosdyke]

Well, I've always found all this sort of gameplay just too disjointed, mini-game'esque and basically shallow, for me at least.

The fact you can participate in a conflict zone, simply by choosing side (A) or (B) for the duration of the mini-game until you press J has always frustrated me, as it demonstrates the lack of joined up gameplay, mechanics and indeed depth in the game. And although the new mega ship "battles" look interesting, they again look a little lost being introduced as a further mini-game. I'd much rather now be seeing some more joined up gameplay, and more important deeper gameplay. Yes, the megaship gameplay we saw tonight was as step towards that. But boy it was a small step over an X year period...

The game needs to orchestrate and offer more involved PvE and PvP gameplay... I just can't see it happening now TBH with the ethos we've seen over the past few years eg: Can you envisage the game ever orchestrating a PvP gameplay mechanic for opposing players in Powerplay to fight each other? Or as part of a Faction? Can you even imagine far more complex combat scenarions just for PvE, attacking and taking out pirate installations in fighters from a capital ship, or escorting ships through an asteroid field, commanding a Wing of NPC fighters trying to get as many to the destination Asteroid Station as possible? It's gameplay we've seen before, elsewhere... But I don't think we'll see this sort of stuff in ED now unfortunately... The aim seems to be self contained simple mini-games.


Anyway! Bring on the mining improvements and some depth there! Fingers crossed!

I think Fdev just seeds some more involvement in NPC management this time as we see new UI and mechanics to interact in a certain way with NPC. Not to mention the real bone to NPC crew and wingmen for the future. I am really happy with theses enhancements and confident for the next steps in that way.

 

[ogrando]

Yes, having multiple limpet types is definitely a must to make NPC fuel ratting feasible. I just can't see myself equipping a fuel limpet on the off chance of maybe coming across someone.

sorry I'm still new to some game mechanics, but who is wasting a slot for a refuel limpet controller for the remote possibility of crossing an NPC without fuel?

This "roadside assistance" is a game dynamic that I like, but hard to do having to sacrifice a slot for the refuel limpet controller.
If it were a profitable business, or in the stations there were also missions of this type, so you already know that there is a NPC without fuel and in which system to look for it.

Otherwise I think it does not make sense to waste a slot for the limpet controller that you would almost never use and that does not pay off.
But then again, I do not know certain game mechanics well, maybe I'm wrong.

 

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

sorry I'm still new to some game mechanics, but who is wasting a slot for a refuel limpet controller for the remote possibility of crossing an NPC without fuel?

This "roadside assistance" is a game dynamic that I like, but hard to do having to sacrifice a slot for the refuel limpet controller.
If it were a profitable business, or in the stations there were also missions of this type, so you already know that there is a NPC without fuel and in which system to look for it.

Otherwise I think it does not make sense to waste a slot for the limpet controller that you would almost never use and that does not pay off.
But then again, I do not know certain game mechanics well, maybe I'm wrong.

Lot of people keep them around because a) they love to help others b) they role play good guys in a system.

 

[Ziljan]

I think ED lore is pretty dark place already so it wouldn't surprise me at all. Although I could see such scenarios being very rare, otherwise their impact and shock value would be deluded.

Anyway, scenario mechanics opens doors for all kind of things and if this upgrade held back this part of the game....yay.

I am sure there will be plenty of opportunities for lawless gameplay. Just not sure that murdering voters or hacking elections sends the right message at this exact tenuous moment in human history. Not when this kind of real life headline is bound to happen any day now in the states. Nine assassination attempts in the last two days alone.

 

[Winterwalker]

I am sure there will be plenty of opportunities for lawless gameplay. Just not sure that murdering voters or hacking elections sends the right message at this exact tenuous moment in human history. Not when this kind of real life headline is bound to happen any day now in the states. Nine assassination attempts in the last two days alone.

Please let's not go there too hard. Dark has been compelling in "works of fiction" ever since Shakespeare, because better there than on the streets. All you need to do then is educate the public (and possibly POTUS) that there's a difference between the two.

Spoiler

[video=youtube;kFr8SdOS5ic]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFr8SdOS5ic[/video]

I thought I like Cmdr Mossfoot's idea of a "be right back" option in (some) responses, buying you a little extra time. However a race against time is a pretty interesting judgement call too imo.

 

[Marcus Seldon]

After exploration, you did it again!

I think these changes are very well thought, in a one hour stream is difficult to get into details, thanks for the recap, I can't wait to test these changes in the beta.

The BGS feel much more organic and real now, and great work on the feedback info on the UI.

 

[Patrick_68000]

I think Fdev just seeds some more involvement in NPC management this time as we see new UI and mechanics to interact in a certain way with NPC. Not to mention the real bone to NPC crew and wingmen for the future. I am really happy with theses enhancements and confident for the next steps in that way.

Yes a step was made now. And the new "Era" should put definitively the things on the good way.

 

[Cosmo]

These are great improvements. I think some more effort is needed to diversify the look and feel of systems.

Currently the faction state doesn't noticeable change the look and feel of a system. Beyond Chapter Four adds scenarios for the faction states, but it doesn't improve the general feel while traveling in a system and at the various stations, outposts, surface ports.

Improvement suggestions:

- Lockdown = show more (NPC) security ships in space, at stations, outposts and surface ports.
- Boom = increase traffic and ships with valuable cargo. More expensive ships and fancy station interiors.
- Civil War = increase amount of hostile and combat ships in the system, near stations, outpost etc. Some Farraguts, Majestic Class Interdictors and battleship equipped Megaships.
- Civil Unrest = more ships with illicit cargo, pirates and smugglers.
- Famine = few ships in the system and more stations with poor interiors. More ships with starving crew that need food.
- Outbreak = decrease amount of ships. There's ships with sick crew that need medicine.
- Election = ships and Megaships in the system with holo ads and propaganda.
- War = lots of armed and dangerous NPC ships. Also Farraguts, Majestic Class Interdictors and battleship equipped Megaships.
- Expansion = more big hauler ships and megaships with colonists.
- Retreat = more damaged ships that return from a war.
- Civil Liberty = more trading ships and happy NPCs.
- Investment = more wealthy ships with precious cargo.

Such improvements make the populated systems in the galaxy feel distinct since it increases variety.

Reference:

 

[dreampage]

While I was not convinced by the exploration changes, I have absolutely no complaints here. I found all the changes really good, from BGS to the new UI elements to scenarios. The voiced conflict zones are extremely atmospheric. I will be doing a lot more in this area than before. Well done and thank you for this!