A certain other game launched 1 1/3rd years after ED and has 10000 times more variety in land-able planets. It has many different kinds of alien creatures, vegetation, you can even travel underwater in a submarine. The procedural generation of planets in ED is very basic comparatively.
The difference is that "certain game" is not based on any real data, where Elite's galaxy is a true and to scale representation of the real galaxy we live in, all of that based on scientific data, real astronomy and a simulation of big bang and however many years have passed since then until 34th century.
I will take realistic Elite galaxy over No Man's Sky cartoon stylistics and fantasy, unrealistic worlds.
We want more than simplistic planets covered with monotonous dirt and rocks! ED's planets have endless sand, dirt and rocks as far as the eye can see. Sometimes, if we're lucky, we find a little primitive flora. We want more natural features, explore alien forests, jungles teeming with life.
Yes, we do! I can agree with that.
So why is ED very primitive with procedural planets? Why aren't there more terrains, creatures, plants etc?
Because to achieve that, FDEV need to develop their Cobra engine to be able to support the technology required to create this.
Atmospheres of varied type.
Varied flora.
Varied fauna.
AI for the new creatures.
Many different weather types.
Many different environment types - from lava worlds to water worlds.
Advanced terrain modelling.
Physics.
Models.
Textures.
Animations.
FX of all kinds.
Atmospheric flight model.
Remember to multiply the above by itself. I.e. weather types for all the different types of planets, including gas giants. AI for single animals, AI for pack animals. And so on. It all has to be based on the real data, just like the rest of the game. It all has to work together and make sense.
It seems that Frontier is focusing too much of their resources on other IPs (Planet Zoo, PC and JWE).
Yes they are. But take a step back and think about it, all of the technologies and things I have listed above are actually being developed as part of all of the FDEV's other games. So it's a VERY good thing they commit resources to do it, because it means alongside those games the technologies for future of Elite are being developed.
Am I happy that it takes so long? Hell no! Do I want to be amazing? Hell yes! Am I happy to wait a bit more if it means it's going to be amazing? Guess
So, dear OP, while I agree with your sentiment that it's been a while and we should have it by now - and believe me, I would take the simplest implementation of atmo planets over pointless multi crew or very poorly implemented CQC - I will gladly wait a bit more, because I did play both PC and JWE and from what I've seen in those game - the technology for atmo planets is being actively developed and it's actually quite impressive.
And please... Comparing NMS to Elite Dangerous is like comparing Mario Cart to Asetto Corsa. Neither are a bad game, but they're completely different type of a game and completely different league. Pick another game to compare Elite to next tim... oh wait, there ain't any other game like that!
