That Whole Smoke - Fire Thing
- Thread starter shadragon
- Start date
Isn't the old exploration system still a thing, I've honked systems and scanned loads of planets just by flying up to them but like the option of the FSS for really large systems as it saves me time. I don't know what the OPs point is. Nothing has been taken away by FD but things have been added.
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While I'm not a huge fan of the FSS and it's implementation, I also will agree that there are issues with mining and the overall level of bugs currently in the game.
However, I have never enjoyed the game more. Mining and exploration are greatly improved and have added to my overall enjoyment of the game. I look forward to playing it and the improvements have brought my old bud Vin Delanos back to the game, so that improves things as well.
I'm helping a newbie friend get into the game doing some engineering on my DBS and Viper III. In short, plenty to do, including old favorites and trying out some of the new things.
My best advice to the OP? Relax,and don't float the mainstream... Try something new and don't get fixated on what was.
Honk does not give the full system map in an unexplored system anymore.
Only those bodies someone else has scanned will show.
Good point, I didn't realise , as for the other stuff the direction at the top has changed, people have moved on, new people are in charge and the future of ED is looking bright from my point of view. I've never been a white knight, and have been really critical of FD in the past, but I personally feel optimistic for the future.
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That's interesting because if someone asked me I could have easily summarized Elite as 'brilliant ideas, poorly executed'. There are some exceptions, but for me I generally think Frontier have good ideas and I like the general design idea behind most of those big tentpole features, it's just that almost nothing ever works right. They don't cross the t's and dot the i's when it comes to execution, and they always stop short of doing that last 10% of polishing work which makes all the difference between quality and garbage. The poorly thought out UI/UX and lack of signposting in-game, is probably the number one cause of confusion and misunderstanding about how things happen and why they happen in the game. Crime and Punishment, for example, makes sense and is actually mostly a great system, but because of the lazy (yes lazy) implementation and graphical presentation it is incredibly confusing and frustrating for people. The Codex is another great idea which can and should be expanded on tenfold; it should effectively be the in-game manual, it should have knowledge base articles which unlock as you explore, and it should be an archive/repository of every significant line of text or audio log you discover, plus have little mini-articles and dossiers, with illustrations, on every material or cargo object you pick up. It should be like a cross between the Encyclopedia in Mass Effect and the scan logs in Metroid Prime. Sadly even its base functionality doesn't work properly, and the parts which do work are counter-intuitive, not explained, and underdeveloped. I fear that Frontier are going to leave it "as is" to languish like everything else, which would be a shame as it has already done so much to revitalize the game and make it legible to players, even in it's incomplete and semi-broken state.
But that's the thing - I've been frustrated with the game, but the recent updates have done more to make the game playable and fun for me than anything else that's come before, and the exploration mechanics you dislike so much are a huge part of that. It really makes me wonder whether there are such distinct camps of the player base that Frontier cannot possibly develop the game into a coherent vision without alienating a massive part of their audience.
I think a large part of the problem is that FD has failed to deliver major features so frequently that many players who were "holding on" a little longer have gradually left over time without being replaced at anywhere near the same rate. I was waiting for carriers with 3.3 and when I found that they weren't happening I decided I'd give the game a break for a while. The Krait got me back into Elite for a few months with 3.2 and I spent some time unlocking the Guardian tech. Fundamentally however there wasn't anything new for me to see or do in the game that I hadn't already done so I stopped playing for several months again. I've been enjoying flying my Mamba with 3.3 which has gotten me back into Elite again but without new gameplay content I don't see that lasting for more than a few months. I have no interest in the new version of exploration as it doesn't offer met anything I haven't already seen on my trip to SagA (which was pre-Engineers). I've never enjoyed mining and don't have any interest in that either although it is noteworthy that FD has had to resort to adding ludicrous payouts for the new mining system to encourage players to try it (which was the similar to how they had ludicrous payouts for passengers missions when they first launched).
The other issue is that Elite still remains a buggy mess with each new update and other than becoming needlessly complicated the game mechanics for combat, engineering, exploration and mining don't offer any compelling reasons to actually engage in them. That's fundamentally Elite's biggest flaw, it's not even the lack of content, it's that game mechanics have been replaced, redesigned, rebalanced, unbalanced, rebalanced again without actually making them any better or more enjoyable. The new versions just mean that I will have to spend more time and push more buttons to do what I've already done earlier but the gameplay itself and the end result of the process isn't any more engaging. We also don't have any reason to believe that we will be seeing any fundamental new gameplay features being developed at this point. We haven't even heard any updates about paid DLC content or any updates on space legs or atmospheric landings despite frequent forum threads on these topics over the past year. Major PR disasters such as cancelling carriers planned for 3.3 and the ludicrous Gnosis debacle have only make the situation worse where many players who had hoped for some meaningful game improvements were left profoundly disappointed instead.
It's also noteworthy that certain players who had been maintaining third-party sites also seem to have taken a break from the game as well which is also a concerning sign that interest within the Elite gaming community has sharply declined. I had been checking for updates for the ED Shipyard since to set up some loadouts for my Krait but the site hasn't been updated yet and it's been nearly six months since the ship has been available. At this point I suspect that player maintaining it has taken a break from the game for a while. It was also disappointing to see that we lost Thrudd's trading tool a couple of years ago which was another very useful third-party site. I probably used Inara, Thrudd's and ED Shipyard the most out of all the third party sties. Once you see some of the most dedicated players closing down or no longer maintaining their third-party sites that should send FD a strong message that there are significant concerns about Elite continuing to holding interest for the players.
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I have reset my character a couple of days ago because I had reached triple Elite and in my short experience with the new mechanics I agree with you entirely. When I started using the FSS and mapping I was not very impressed but I have come around and here is why. It is not mandatory to use the FSS but it does allow you to scan distant planets that used to take ages to fly to but if you are planning on mapping planets then don't bother with the FSS because when you fly close enough to map it you also scan it automatically. I see the new exploration mechanics as complimentary to the old.
Scoop, Toot and Scoot if you want: it still works. Use the FSS to scan distant bodies if you want and cherry pick the planets to map using the System Map and fly to them without using the FSS because by the time you are close enough to map it you will have scanned it. The new POI system that mapping provides is brilliant so driving aimlessly over planets looking for rocky outcrops to blast is now a thing of the past.
The FSS is clunky but it does work.
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I can't believe I'm engaging in this.... but the new FSS does nothing to stop you from exploring your old dumb way. Please stop.
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Except it does.
It is no longer possible to visit an unexplored system and resolve the bodies in that system without using the FSS or parallax.
I can't believe I'm still having to explain this.
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You are confused about how things work. Dont feel bad lots of people that never explored before cant tell the difference after.
for at least 2.8% of the tme.Actually i think the real number is closer to 42,but i have a vivid imagination.
I see no evidence to support such a claim.As beautiful as the statics are,the orrerary view was part of the original game,and is a tool of immense value to the explorer should they choose to master it.Think of it as going from the backstaff to the astrolabe.It may no longer be possible for you as an individual to do this,i don't know your precise circumstances or your overall goals within the game,but as far as i am aware it is perfectly possible to discover and scan systems without reference to either mapping data model.It may take you longer,particularly if you insist on mapping fully any system you come across,but how you choose to spend your time in-game is your own affair.
Deleted member 38366
D
I agree on quite a few parts.
Now that the "look, new & shiny!" moment of V3.3 release has settled, as usual routine is setting in.
- PowerPlay doesn't affect me (Colonia Citizen), so no Opinion on that
- C&P... yep, needs complete re-design and some bold steps to make any sense. At this time, I believe FDev simply doesn't have the guts to cut ties to their old "love child" (Players blowing others up for {reasons} ). The old issue...
(wake me up when Players can attain the full Bounties of Wanted Players again and catched Criminals find themselves manually mining xxx tons of Bauxite/Rutile in a small Ship as Community Service in a Prison Colony)
- Arena / C&C?... IMHO could be revived and become super cool - IF CQC was integrated into the Galaxy somehow AND if it was upgraded to become a full-scale Simulator for all types of Testing and PvP/PvE Combat scenarios using all in-game Ships
(since it's a Simulator, seriously cool and fun stuff could be easily done with it... someone just needs to pick it up and flesh it out. Make it a true part of the Galaxy and make the population look up to Top tier League Winners like ancient rome looked up to its top Gladiators)
- BGS.... I take it most Players wait for the next Patch to bugfix it. I simply deem it non-functional for the most part, since Inputs don't appear to correlate with expected Outputs right now.
- Missions... lacking a working BGS, I haven't run many Missions since V3.3 tbh. Done alot of Exploration (FSS) and Mining Hotspots. If there's issues, I likely missed them.
- Multiplayer... again, a very old issue. Game still feels like a Single Player Game with Multiplayer cosmetics attached. I virtually can't recall anything except the BGS that'd require working together. Random Strangers are still of no benefit unless you do PvP it seems.
- Mining.... hehe, well there's "EZ Credits" now. Everyone can be a Billionaire in very little time now. But apart from occasionally Pulse-Scanning like a lost Submarine or not finding the right Hotspot Core Asteroids (but everything else) it works.
(I just dislike the long phases between finding Core Asteroids sometimes - but mostly I dislike the Hardpoint inflation... even my Mining Cutter only has 3 weaponized Hardpoints remaining and it's not even carrying a SubSurface Missile
)
- Exploration... IMHO the FSS is fine, it just needs the "Legacy Discovery Scanner" to co-exist peacefully besides it, if only to make the FSS an Extension instead of a forced option-less replacement. Plus, the Codex needs refining/streamlining. Currently no "rumored" things exist and it mainly seems to serve as an "Achievement : Unlocked" badge collection.
(the underlying idea is very good though, just needs far more Exploration Details [i.e. Stats of current Exploration Trip and far more Filters/Details] and be a useful entry point to both Deep Space Exploration and anything Storyline related)
Some things boil down to plain bugfixing, while others scream to be seriously fleshed out (a few common-sense adjustments or additions is often all that's needed, while others require far more work).
Now that the "look, new & shiny!" moment of V3.3 release has settled, as usual routine is setting in.
- PowerPlay doesn't affect me (Colonia Citizen), so no Opinion on that
- C&P... yep, needs complete re-design and some bold steps to make any sense. At this time, I believe FDev simply doesn't have the guts to cut ties to their old "love child" (Players blowing others up for {reasons} ). The old issue...
(wake me up when Players can attain the full Bounties of Wanted Players again and catched Criminals find themselves manually mining xxx tons of Bauxite/Rutile in a small Ship as Community Service in a Prison Colony)
- Arena / C&C?... IMHO could be revived and become super cool - IF CQC was integrated into the Galaxy somehow AND if it was upgraded to become a full-scale Simulator for all types of Testing and PvP/PvE Combat scenarios using all in-game Ships
(since it's a Simulator, seriously cool and fun stuff could be easily done with it... someone just needs to pick it up and flesh it out. Make it a true part of the Galaxy and make the population look up to Top tier League Winners like ancient rome looked up to its top Gladiators)
- BGS.... I take it most Players wait for the next Patch to bugfix it. I simply deem it non-functional for the most part, since Inputs don't appear to correlate with expected Outputs right now.
- Missions... lacking a working BGS, I haven't run many Missions since V3.3 tbh. Done alot of Exploration (FSS) and Mining Hotspots. If there's issues, I likely missed them.
- Multiplayer... again, a very old issue. Game still feels like a Single Player Game with Multiplayer cosmetics attached. I virtually can't recall anything except the BGS that'd require working together. Random Strangers are still of no benefit unless you do PvP it seems.
- Mining.... hehe, well there's "EZ Credits" now. Everyone can be a Billionaire in very little time now. But apart from occasionally Pulse-Scanning like a lost Submarine or not finding the right Hotspot Core Asteroids (but everything else) it works.
(I just dislike the long phases between finding Core Asteroids sometimes - but mostly I dislike the Hardpoint inflation... even my Mining Cutter only has 3 weaponized Hardpoints remaining and it's not even carrying a SubSurface Missile
)- Exploration... IMHO the FSS is fine, it just needs the "Legacy Discovery Scanner" to co-exist peacefully besides it, if only to make the FSS an Extension instead of a forced option-less replacement. Plus, the Codex needs refining/streamlining. Currently no "rumored" things exist and it mainly seems to serve as an "Achievement : Unlocked" badge collection.
(the underlying idea is very good though, just needs far more Exploration Details [i.e. Stats of current Exploration Trip and far more Filters/Details] and be a useful entry point to both Deep Space Exploration and anything Storyline related)
Some things boil down to plain bugfixing, while others scream to be seriously fleshed out (a few common-sense adjustments or additions is often all that's needed, while others require far more work).
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Have you visited a system that hasn't been explored by another player?
The System Map (and orrery) are not populated by the initial honk. You have to use the FSS in order for bodies to appear so that you can fly to them - by which time you already know all the details about them except the precise location of POIs, making flying to them irrelevant. Your only other option for populating the System Map is to identify bodies by the parallax method and fly close enough to them so that the FSS auto-resolves them.
So, my response to the original post:
is that the FSS does indeed stop me from exploring my old way.
In answer to your question,yes,i have.Actually you have to fly close enough to them ,which involves point nose blind (pretty pointless way to do it,but to each their own) and get close,you will pick them up without reference to the map.I'm pretty hazy on the engineering,so can't recall if the ship i was in at the time hadboosted sensors,but that may not have anything to do with it anyway,sorry if that confuses things further for you.As to OP,most of the points i am not really qualified to hold an opinion on.
So here's how I explored pre-3.3:
Enter a system, honk
Open system map, look for any likely ELW, WW, or High Metal
Target them, aim and throttle up
Open Kindle, start reading a book
Throttle to zero when you hear the DSS scan start
Resume reading book until scan complete sound is heard
Repeat
At least the new mechanic has me actually playing the video game rather than treating it as an interruption of my reading.
Enter a system, honk
Open system map, look for any likely ELW, WW, or High Metal
Target them, aim and throttle up
Open Kindle, start reading a book
Throttle to zero when you hear the DSS scan start
Resume reading book until scan complete sound is heard
Repeat
At least the new mechanic has me actually playing the video game rather than treating it as an interruption of my reading.
Unfortunately now all those books you bought for playing ED aren't going to get read.
+1 rep for a good chuckle
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