ANNOUNCEMENT Interstellar Initiatives - Bridging the Gap Preview

[MK Regular]

Making guardian tech easily accessible would be doing the race a displeasure. It should be hard to get because it’s not human. After spending the last 27 days GRIDING non stop to gain guardian tech and to hear this? Not pleased. if someone could specify if I have this idea of guardian technology being easily accessible please elaborate

As someone who finished the guardian module and weapon unlocks yesterday, I can say that they are fairly accessible if you are willing to spend a few game sessions gathering the materials. Once you get a feel for the layout of the site you are at, you will find that you start to follow a certain path and that you can do a complete run of the site (scan all obelisks, kill all sentinels, gather all materials, etc...) in around 20-30 minutes. With that in mind, the list of data and materials you need to unlock all of the guardian tech is as follows:

• 6 module blueprints
• 3 ship blueprints
• 18 weapon blueprints
• 155 power cells
• 145 wreckage components
• 171 power conduits
• 272 technology components
• 165 weapon parts
• 16 gamma data
• 34 beta data
• 20 alpha data
• 24 delta data
• 114 epsilon data
• A number of standard materials and commodities that you will either already have or can collect in less than 5 hours

All of the specific guardian materials and data with the exception of the technology components and epsilon data can be collected at the same time, although this restriction does not apply if you were to do the module/weapon unlocks separately from the SLF unlocks. Knowing that you can (and will) max out your material storage(s) before you get all of the blueprints you need, I'd say that the amount of time required to unlock the guardian modules and weapons is around 10 hours not including travel time (the nearest module and weapon sites are <1kly from Sol) and however long it takes you to gather the other materials and commodities around the bubble (you'll need to run missions for some commodities, but you can buy the others).

I have not done the guardian SLF unlocks yet, so I do no know how long it will take to unlock them, although I suspect the limiting factor will be finding the magical rainbow unicorn barf that is epsilon data.

 

[Ian Skippy]

As someone who finished the guardian module and weapon unlocks yesterday, I can say that they are fairly accessible if you are willing to spend a few game sessions gathering the materials. Once you get a feel for the layout of the site you are at, you will find that you start to follow a certain path and that you can do a complete run of the site (scan all obelisks, kill all sentinels, gather all materials, etc...) in around 20-30 minutes. With that in mind, the list of data and materials you need to unlock all of the guardian tech is as follows:

• 6 module blueprints
• 3 ship blueprints
• 18 weapon blueprints
• 155 power cells
• 145 wreckage components
• 171 power conduits
• 272 technology components
• 165 weapon parts
• 16 gamma data
• 34 beta data
• 20 alpha data
• 24 delta data
• 114 epsilon data
• A number of standard materials and commodities that you will either already have or can collect in less than 5 hours

All of the specific guardian materials and data with the exception of the technology components and epsilon data can be collected at the same time, although these restrictions do not apply if you were to do the module/weapon unlocks separately from the SLF unlocks. Knowing that you can (and will) max out your material storage(s) before you get all of the blueprints you need, I'd say that the amount of time required to unlock the guardian modules and weapons is around 10 hours not including travel time (the nearest module and weapon sites are <1kly from Sol) and however long it takes you to gather the other materials and commodities around the bubble (you'll need to run missions for some commodities, but you can buy the others).

I have not done the guardian SLF unlocks yet, so I do no know how long it will take to unlock them, although I suspect the limiting factor will be finding the magical rainbow unicorn barf that is epsilon data.

My issue is that after having done it once, or maybe twice in a different location, the novelty wears of quickly and it becomes one of the few things in the game I consider to be textbook examples of a grind: repetitive, no alternative, virtually no challenge. Beyond some Engineer unlocks (ugh!) most other things have different ways of getting things done, and I feel this should happen with guardian stuff (and engineer unlocks) too. Or have people do it once or twice and unlock everything with it. The "do the same thing but now another 250x" isn't compelling game design.

 

[Noddie]

Yeah, it's boring. I don't mind doing a "lot" of something to earn something, provided it's otherwise fun or rewarding. But just pointlessly playing a shell game over-and-over to see if you want win enough unobtainium isn't gameplay.

 

[Kaocraft]

The big problem with the old community goals was they were all about getting a "thing".

Problem was. You either got involved and got a part of the "thing". Or you didn't, and still got the part of the "thing". They couldn't really make anything part of the CG too advantageous, or all the people who didn't get the "thing" would be annoyed. And that would make the game all about the "thing", as you'd essentially have to play it that way to get the amazingsupergun or unbreakableshieldofpower because, if you didn't, then everyone with those "things" would have an unassailable advantage. And anyone who's played games for more than a few years knows where that leads. IE, nowhere good.

So if I understand you correctly, those who do not participate in the II will not be able to use the Megaship?

 

[Ian Skippy]

So if I understand you correctly, those who do not participate in the II will not be able to use the Megaship?

All we know is in the very brief video. More info will be available at the date mentioned in the OP. Dont stress so much, you'll have plenty of time to complain next week, no need to get a head start.

 

[Tacticus2711]

How is this new Initiative different from the regular old bog-standard Community Goals in ANY way? This appears to be exactly the same thing as the old CGs but with a different name.

What am I missing here?

It will have a more profound and permanent effect on the game play, normally the interactions of players would just give a ending story for the one CG where as what I have read this new interstellar initiative will make a lasting effect on game play as well as generating a new story instead of just a enabling a different set of story ending the CGs did

 

[Noddie]

So if I understand you correctly, those who do not participate in the II will not be able to use the Megaship?

My point was more that the old community goals were intrinsically limited by the need for them not to have a massive impact on gameplay. Hopefully these new interstellar initiatives will be a bit more involved. I'd like to see examples of "players Vs Game" more than "players Vs players".

 

[MK Regular]

My issue is that after having done it once, or maybe twice in a different location, the novelty wears of quickly and it becomes one of the few things in the game I consider to be textbook examples of a grind: repetitive, no alternative, virtually no challenge. Beyond some Engineer unlocks (ugh!) most other things have different ways of getting things done, and I feel this should happen with guardian stuff (and engineer unlocks) too. Or have people do it once or twice and unlock everything with it. The "do the same thing but now another 250x" isn't compelling game design.

Fair point. When I finished the grind the other day, I ended up doing 9 runs of the weapon blueprint site in one sitting. Normally I would have given up and gone done something else after 4 or 5 runs, but it turns out that the repetitive nature of the guardian ruins is more tolerable once you're on your 3rd or 4th drink. As an added bonus, once you know how to deal with the sentinels there is almost zero risk with the ruins, meaning that unless you're completely plastered it is almost impossible to screw up.

Try doing the guardian ruins after a few drinks and see if it's any better.

 

[RooksBailey]

Wow! Frontier upping their game! This sounds great! Well done, FDev! o7

 

[Tacticus2711]

Fair point. When I finished the grind the other day, I ended up doing 9 runs of the weapon blueprint site in one sitting. Normally I would have given up and gone done something else after 4 or 5 runs, but it turns out that the repetitive nature of the guardian ruins is more tolerable once you're on your 3rd or 4th drink. As an added bonus, once you know how to deal with the sentinels there is almost zero risk with the ruins, meaning that unless you're completely plastered it is almost impossible to screw up.

Try doing the guardian ruins after a few drinks and see if it's any better.

Doing the guardian runs are fairly easy anyways when you know what your doing, the first time is the best when you sht your self when all that cool stuff happens (no spoilers) what I think will be terrible if this experience is made much easier as they will no longer need to travel to this location, tbh that’s just me and I think the larger jumps puts newbies off so this mega ship will tackle it but guardian weapons are really meant for the pros

 

[Commdor]

FDev is already working on making guardian tech more available. Look at the latest news. Ram Tah plans to work with Aegis.
What he said he was NOT going to do several months ago.

That was Sirius Corp. Ram Tah never said he wouldn't work with Aegis.

 

[Bloodsign]

Thank god,
Its nothing to do with the empire and the war of words that the young ones and old fuds are having over there new found family member...
So the empire wont be going to civil war...

Yet. I've always felt that Aisling was too much of an idealist for the hardline traditionalists to leave her alone; you can bet there will be an assassination attempt on her at some point.

Speaking of which, the Order of the Prismatic Sparrow could use a loyal devotee of the Prismatic Princess like yourself.

 

[Ian Skippy]

Fair point. When I finished the grind the other day, I ended up doing 9 runs of the weapon blueprint site in one sitting. Normally I would have given up and gone done something else after 4 or 5 runs, but it turns out that the repetitive nature of the guardian ruins is more tolerable once you're on your 3rd or 4th drink. As an added bonus, once you know how to deal with the sentinels there is almost zero risk with the ruins, meaning that unless you're completely plastered it is almost impossible to screw up.

Try doing the guardian ruins after a few drinks and see if it's any better.

Ha, I'll have you know that is my default state of mind when doing anything in ED. It also adds risk and challenge: reaching for open bottles of beer near your pc while wearing a VR set.

 

[GraphiteGB]

Yet. I've always felt that Aisling was too much of an idealist for the hardline traditionalists to leave her alone; you can bet there will be an assassination attempt on her at some point.

Speaking of which, the Order of the Prismatic Sparrow could use a loyal devotee of the Prismatic Princess like yourself.

The sites sig section is a bit out of date... it should be updating soon

 

[Bloodsign]

The sites sig section is a bit out of date... it should be updating soon

A pity, I'm certain we will need capable warriors ere long.

 

[whothe]

There are a handful of relics on any given guardian site. Your SRV can carry 2 at a time, requiring you to ferry them to your ship. Sounds like a lot of solo play and menu flipping to respawn the sites while you fill your cargo holds? Hope theres a lot more to it than that.

 

[Winterwalker]

Sounds like an interesting upgrade to the CG system ... looking forward to seeing this develop

btw. I'm not Flimley \o/

 

[Rubbernuke]

btw. I'm not Flimley \o/

Do you want to say it, or shall I?

 

[GraphiteGB]

There are a handful of relics on any given guardian site. Your SRV can carry 2 at a time, requiring you to ferry them to your ship. Sounds like a lot of solo play and menu flipping to respawn the sites while you fill your cargo holds? Hope theres a lot more to it than that.

They now allow small/medium ships to collect from planets as long as the land is flattish... SRV is only needed to activate the pylons the ships can collect directly from the ground now... This for example allow a DBX to collect items with out SRV as long as they are allreay exposed...
but a relog or exit and reenter the instance has always been required for fetch missions as the game engine does not spawn planet items while your looking diectly at there location...

 

[Rubbernuke]

FD, please also revisit ideas like your old Titan X treasure hunt. I'd cry tears of joy if we had a CG to scour the bubble following clues to recover a well known hostage, had to stop a runaway megaship colliding with a station, had an imminent, Gnosis like real time Thargoid mass attack (so you had to run to safety, or simply run), had to rescue survivors inside burning stations while under Thargoid attack, foil assassination of an Imperial figure based on clues- but please use your imagination. Show us something we have not seen before that makes us sit up and go 'huh, thats cool'.

It doesn't even need to be in the form of a CG- take that Thargoid idea:

When Ed did his 'Thargoids Return' livestream, he put out a message to everyone playing (like the weekly Powerplay server notices). Imagine after Eagle Eye had been destroyed, people are wondering whats happening.....then we have one story of a fleeing ship telling us of a massive Thargoid invasion just hours behind them. We get one of these messages that is like one of these:

and then it goes Gnosis all over. Its like the Purge- for a set amount of time you need to be very careful, craning your neck to see if 'they' are there....presto, a seamless event.