Long term content for players as ED becomes a mature game

[kilvenny]

As games mature (ED is closing on 5 years now) the player base tends to have explored the content or at least the content they are interested in experiencing, creating a new thirst for new content. However the new content is quickly exhausted and the thirst for the next content update begins. Leaving a question in the meantime of whether to play something else and potentially leave the game for good.

What new content could be introduced that would maintain players interest over a longer term?

One example to get the ball rolling.

One of the things that struck me was that the quest for Elite or triple Elite drove players on, but there is nothing after that. With limited game time that has been my goal, but as I close on two of the ranks I am assailed by the feeling that I will have done it and that is it.

What if that attainment of Elite was a platform to another level of rankings. eg combat ranking Elite gave you the opportunity to join a ranking of Elite combat pilots, so that players in game were ranked against each other. Now there is an opportunity to be no 1 in the Galaxy at eg combat. You could have a quadruple Elite ranking combining all 4 in some fashion, averaging your ranking in all the individual rankings. Would that create sustained engagement?

 

[TheSynopticVision]

As games mature (ED is closing on 5 years now) the player base tends to have explored the content or at least the content they are interested in experiencing, creating a new thirst for new content. However the new content is quickly exhausted and the thirst for the next content update begins. Leaving a question in the meantime of whether to play something else and potentially leave the game for good.

What new content could be introduced that would maintain players interest over a longer term?

One example to get the ball rolling.

One of the things that struck me was that the quest for Elite or triple Elite drove players on, but there is nothing after that. With limited game time that has been my goal, but as I close on two of the ranks I am assailed by the feeling that I will have done it and that is it.

What if that attainment of Elite was a platform to another level of rankings. eg combat ranking Elite gave you the opportunity to join a ranking of Elite combat pilots, so that players in game were ranked against each other. Now there is an opportunity to be no 1 in the Galaxy at eg combat. You could have a quadruple Elite ranking combining all 4 in some fashion, averaging your ranking in all the individual rankings. Would that create sustained engagement?

I would avoid introducing new forms of rank grind in order to offer new content for long-term players.

Looking at other MMOs, the answer to your question is relatively simple: in order to keep a game alive you need to offer flexible tools for emergent gameplay, and let the players create the structure for "new content".

Look at what the Elite community managed to do with DW2. Now imagine we had real tools for emergent gameplay, rather than broken, limited instances; actual stuff to do when exploring apart from scanning and screenshotting; cooperative projects that go beyond the "gather materials and then one fine day we'll godhand a new station into the game"; an actual player-driven economy, allowing for investments, market manipulation, the creation of cooperatives for profit, and so on.

Unfortunately, since day 1 Frontier never exactly knew if Elite was supposed to be an MMO, or a single-player game, or a single-player game with just a bit of multiplayer... So either you get heavily involved in out-of-game activities/player groups, or the game actually gives you precious little to motivate long-term playing.

 

[Rubbernuke]

Or how about, call me crazy, something like a weekly conflict fought in Open where each team (all them 'Powers' or something) fight to be number 1...players could then use the skills and ships they have in a dynamic and emergent way?

 

[Siobhan]

Or how about, call me crazy, something like a weekly conflict fought in Open where each team (all them 'Powers' or something) fight to be number 1...players could then use the skills and ships they have in a dynamic and emergent way?

We have something like that now, though without the artificial restriction of this thing called "Open", which is a terrible idea and should be removed completely.

 

[Rubbernuke]

We have something like that now, though without the artificial restriction of this thing called "Open", which is a terrible idea and should be removed completely.

Unless FD can make NPCs consistent, threatening and persistent then you'll never have long term satisfaction. Right now PvE is abstracted pockets with nothing joined up. I have never seen or experienced an NPC bounty hunter chase me across systems, follow me and attack intelligently.

 

[Factabulous]

Or how about, call me crazy, something like a weekly conflict fought in Open where each team (all them 'Powers' or something) fight to be number 1...players could then use the skills and ships they have in a dynamic and emergent way?

Nah, sounds the kind of thing people would just complain about if they ever added it....

 

[Rubbernuke]

Nah, sounds the kind of thing people would just complain about if they ever added it....

If FD sorted out NPCs to actually be like players, and made the game less opt in I'd be more happy. People find ED dull because its opt in- the difficulty is flat and stays that way. Take something like X-Wing, the designers deliberately made the difficulty oscillate because its that sudden challenge that shakes you up. ED needs the same.

 

[Patrick_68000]

I have never seen or experienced an NPC bounty hunter chase me across systems, follow me and attack intelligently.

In FE2, NPCs chased you from system to system.

 

[Factabulous]

In FE2, NPCs chased you from system to system.

Yeah, they do in ED as well, I think RN has spent too much time in PP, needs to do (or fail) more missions

(Though admittedly NPCs not the brightest )

 

[Tikanderoga]

Look at what the Elite community managed to do with DW2.

Exactly - It's the community organising things like these. If it wouldn't be for the community to create content, the game would have even less than it does now.
That's basically a sign of a game lacking content because the community has to do the work.

Or how about, call me crazy, something like a weekly conflict fought in Open where each team (all them 'Powers' or something) fight to be number 1...players could then use the skills and ships they have in a dynamic and emergent way?

This is just asking for trouble to flock cheaters together and dominate the field being invulnerable.

As for OP:
Things I'd like to see:
Explore the ruins of an old city.
A massive bio dome than had a fault and sucked out the inhabitants into space, leaving ruins behind to explore. Doesn't need to be human, Goid or Guardian.
Add new ships! Ships that do make a difference. Or open up to modding!
Some sort of End Game. Something where your skills and wits are required, not the blessing of RNGeezus.
Engineer SRVs.
New SRVs!

The usual jazz of atmospheric landing would be awesome, opening up completely new worlds and opportunities. But that would blow the scope for what we have now.

 

[Rubbernuke]

In FE2, NPCs chased you from system to system.

If only we had that in ED..NPCs that have the same name and serial each system (not changing names) more than 2 canned responses, unpredictable patterns or loadouts. Or, that we had gangs of NPCs that acted like gangs, worked as a team with really random weapons.

 

[Rubbernuke]

Yeah, they do in ED as well, I think RN has spent too much time in PP, needs to do (or fail) more missions

(Though admittedly NPCs not the brightest )

Fail missions? Unless its for a BGS reason its impossible to fail them unless bugs get in the way.

 

[Rubbernuke]

Exactly - It's the community organising things like these. If it wouldn't be for the community to create content, the game would have even less than it does now.
That's basically a sign of a game lacking content because the community has to do the work.

For 210 weeks player groups have been making content for Powerplay trying to keep it alive- player driven plans that span weeks or even months. But as usual FD are blind to it.

This is just asking for trouble to flock cheaters together and dominate the field being invulnerable.

Or, call me insane, FD do something about it?

Explore the ruins of an old city.
A massive bio dome than had a fault and sucked out the inhabitants into space, leaving ruins behind to explore. Doesn't need to be human, Goid or Guardian.

So you have one shot content that once seen is then pointless? Its not emergent or keep people coming back.

Add new ships! Ships that do make a difference. Or open up to modding!

Maybe properly balance the ones we have (like the Anaconda and FdL), and sort out shield and hull balance.

And you can't mod as it would split the playerbase unless it was downloaded to everyone.

Some sort of End Game. Something where your skills and wits are required, not the blessing of RNGeezus.

Like Powerplay you mean?

Engineer SRVs.

New SRVs!

The usual jazz of atmospheric landing would be awesome, opening up completely new worlds and opportunities. But that would blow the scope for what we have now.

Unless 2020 has things to make use of that, whats the point? Engineering ships is fine until you try to find uses for them.

 

[NeilF]

As games mature (ED is closing on 5 years now) the player base tends to have explored the content or at least the content they are interested in experiencing, creating a new thirst for new content. However the new content is quickly exhausted and the thirst for the next content update begins. Leaving a question in the meantime of whether to play something else and potentially leave the game for good.

What new content could be introduced that would maintain players interest over a longer term?

One example to get the ball rolling.

One of the things that struck me was that the quest for Elite or triple Elite drove players on, but there is nothing after that. With limited game time that has been my goal, but as I close on two of the ranks I am assailed by the feeling that I will have done it and that is it.

What if that attainment of Elite was a platform to another level of rankings. eg combat ranking Elite gave you the opportunity to join a ranking of Elite combat pilots, so that players in game were ranked against each other. Now there is an opportunity to be no 1 in the Galaxy at eg combat. You could have a quadruple Elite ranking combining all 4 in some fashion, averaging your ranking in all the individual rankings. Would that create sustained engagement?

Isn't the risk that probably the vaste majority players don't care about being 1st, and in truth aren't really interest in being ranked at all? If we look at Squadrons, how many players involved in that are interested in the monthly results? Heck, even FD don't seem very interested in them

I'd suggest more involved and challenging (new) content is always a good way forwards. eg: Had the Thargoid invasion brought along things like:-

• A dedicated Powerplay view showing the position/progress of the Thargoid invasion. And it offered tasks to undertake to affect that position.
• Tasks could be stealth related recon missions involving cold/silent running mechanics, which currently seem a shadow of the gameplay depth/purpose that was implied at Alpha stage.
• More involved station blockading mechanics, so you exit supercruise farther out from the station and need to fly in. eg: You have the opportunity to run or fight against the ships enforcing the blockade (eg: Thargoid scouts etc).
• CQC fighter type gameplay in the core game so you can deploy from Capital vessels and platforms to undertake protection tasks. eg: Against Thargoid scouts.
• Escort type missions so you escort civilian ships through asteroid fields to a final location, while coming under attack. (And being able to give simple commands to your NPC wingmen (attack this, defend that)

^ And try and mix and layer those mechanics...

Ultimately, layers of more involved mechanics and gameplay for me always seems a good way to engage your community, rather than where do you rank on league performance/grind table.

ps: And consider how many of those above mechanics could then be leveraged for missions or Powerplay tasks?

 

[Dommarraa]

If FD sorted out NPCs to actually be like players, and made the game less opt in I'd be more happy.

Thats only half the battle. You also need humans to act like NPCs.

 

[Navigare Necesse Est]

Grind your synapses out with engineers. After that you might be numbed enough to not notice the content was just pointless power creep.

 

[NeilF]

Grind your synapses out with engineers. After that you might be numbed enough to not notice the content was just pointless power creep.

Amen to that! The Engineers partly killed the game for me. Pointless bar raising unbalanced power creep, primarily introduced for the sake of giving value to all too often shallow grind tastic gameplay loops. And if we consider what it did to the overall balance of the game from a PvE and PvP point of view too?

Just wonder if/when Grade 6 upgrades will be introduced to add loads more depth and involved content to the game...

 

[Ian Skippy]

Grind your synapses out with engineers. After that you might be numbed enough to not notice the content was just pointless power creep.

Or the ability to use previously pointed ships which have now become able to do much more. A heavily engineered DBS is more fun to me than a non-engineered corvette, and can do much the same in gameplay terms.

 

[BDelacroix]

We have something like that now, though without the artificial restriction of this thing called "Open", which is a terrible idea and should be removed completely.

LOL. ...and then the fight started.

 

[Navigare Necesse Est]

Or the ability to use previously pointed ships which have now become able to do much more. A heavily engineered DBS is more fun to me than a non-engineered corvette, and can do much the same in gameplay terms.

I agree. There is samification galore. Not that I think it's a good thing, mind you.