[Video] Open letter from community to Elite Dangerous

[cheesenbiscuits]

It is in the game and is a headline feature of 1.3. Don't you think headline features should have at least something added to them as time goes on? Its been in since 2015, and has no significant gameplay added to in the years between. If its so perfect, why is it the general perception of it so poor? Why was it, the devs forgot to mention collapse (one of the pillars of its gameplay) was missing, despite telling us it was in? Why is it, in a feature that relies on large groups of players FD have been so slow to stamp out 5C which just grinds legitimate players into the dirt, putting people off and sending it into a decline? Surely such a social feature requires the dev to keep it attractive?

Don't forget the proposal Sandro posted is ten items, with no new assets, a few menu swaps and its mainly changing formulas and rules? How is that minuscule offering disrupting any other update exactly? You've had multiple helpings of C + P, exploration, mining, fleet carriers, squadrons, new BGS, moon landings, map upgrades, nav upgrades, UI upgrades, market upgrades, engineering twice over....how long should you wait for such a major feature to see something as well?

Shouldn’t FD just make the game they want to make and effectively remove the dilemma.

So by that logic, you shove out any old toss and when its found to be wanting, you just ¯\(ツ)/¯ and excuse incredibly poor design because 'its my vision'.

Elite is many things to many people,to you it’s PP.
It’s never interested me and i’m sure I’m not alone. And you say that PP has lost players.
It certainly sounds like something that shouldn’t be a priority.

 

[Nerth]

I didn't say that, I said you were unhappy with the outcome of your choice after you explained that you were unhappy with exactly that.

Give me an example of a false promise and I'll fact you on it.

I'll give you one:
Fleet carriers being a Squadrons feature. By that, I don't mean it was a part of the same update but that it was an intrinsic part of the Squadrons feature.

I was there at FX17 when Sandro said "As an extra little treat we're going to allow Squadrons to purchase their own fleet carriers. So these really large vessels, really large dockable vessels are going to act as a mobile base of operations for Squadrons where its members can refuel, rearm and respawn so hopefully it's gonna be quite a bit of fun!"

When FCs finally got announced they were personal not tied to Squadrons. We waited 2 years for the "mobile base of operations" only for it to not happen. Like I said to Will at the time, I'd have been fine with this if we'd been told about this change when the decsion was made but they instead left us in the dark until the announcement.

 

[operant]

There are aspects of the game and development process I wish were different.
I have no problem with giving FD robust and caustic feedback.
A petiton to request changes is not unreasonable - to show the strength of feeling etc.
But much of the 'Community Request to FDev for ED' is for me rather arrogant, self-important, self-entitled nonsense.
Not that I do not agree with some of the points and opinions about the game mechanics, content and development process.
I hope FD do not spend time pandering to such a group, whatever their influence as 'youtubers' - whom btw I love, although maybe not as much now.
YVMV of course.

 

[Stigbob]

I'll give you one:
Fleet carriers being a Squadrons feature. By that, I don't mean it was a part of the same update but that it was an intrinsic part of the Squadrons feature.

I was there at FX17 when Sandro said "As an extra little treat we're going to allow Squadrons to purchase their own fleet carriers. So these really large vessels, really large dockable vessels are going to act as a mobile base of operations for Squadrons where its members can refuel, rearm and respawn so hopefully it's gonna be quite a bit of fun!"

When FCs finally got announced they were personal not tied to Squadrons. We waited 2 years for the "mobile base of operations" only for it to not happen. Like I said to Will at the time, I'd have been fine with this if we'd been told about this hange when the decsion was made but they instead left us in the dark until the announcement.

They still are squadron features since you can set permissions to allow your squadron access and all the resupply things are still in, they altered it to allow solo players to get them as well in response to players requesting exactly that feature.

You've lost absolutely nothing, solo players have gained somthing.

Thats not a false promise, its FDEV listening and responding to the playerbases desires.

1-0 to stigbob.

Next.

 

[Burke]

But much of the 'Community Request to FDev for ED' is for me rather arrogant, self-important, self-entitled nonsense.

Why is it self entitiled? The people who play the game are desperately trying to signal to Fdev that they have scewed up everytihng they touched in ED sinse beyond ch4 pretty much.

 

[Shinji Ikari]

They still are squadron features since you can set permissions to allow your squadron access and all the resupply things are still in, they altered it to allow solo players to get them as well in response to players requesting exactly that feature.

You've lost absolutely nothing, solo players have gained somthing.

Thats not a false promise, its FDEV listening and responding to the playerbases desires.

1-0 to stigbob.

Next.

So "the community" requested fleet carriers not to be implemented?

 

[Nerth]

They still are squadron features since you can set permissions to allow your squadron access and all the resupply things are still in, they altered it to allow solo players to get them as well in response to players requesting exactly that feature.

You've lost absolutely nothing, solo players have gained somthing.

Thats not a false promise, its FDEV listening and responding to the playerbases desires.

1-0 to stigbob.

Next.

Incorrect. It was specifically a Squadron feature that was removed from Squadrons with no prior comms. The fact that members of Squadrons can still use them does not make them a Squadrons feature. I was in the room at FX17. There was no ambiguity: they were a Squadrons feature.

 

[Mohrgan]

I'll give you one:
Fleet carriers being a Squadrons feature. By that, I don't mean it was a part of the same update but that it was an intrinsic part of the Squadrons feature.

I was there at FX17 when Sandro said "As an extra little treat we're going to allow Squadrons to purchase their own fleet carriers. So these really large vessels, really large dockable vessels are going to act as a mobile base of operations for Squadrons where its members can refuel, rearm and respawn so hopefully it's gonna be quite a bit of fun!"

When FCs finally got announced they were personal not tied to Squadrons. We waited 2 years for the "mobile base of operations" only for it to not happen. Like I said to Will at the time, I'd have been fine with this if we'd been told about this change when the decsion was made but they instead left us in the dark until the announcement.

Just a bit if reality, the personal fleet carriers can still be used as a 'mobile base of operation'. Now, a Squad' can have multiple 'mobile bases of operation'. Why would more inclusion, personal instead of Squad', be something to complain about?

 

[EUS]

Want a seat at the table? Want FD's ear?
Put your money where your mouth is, git gud; buy shares, get your say.
Or
Stop shopping with them.

 

[Shinji Ikari]

Have we forgotten about offline mode?

 

[Guywired]

hey guis, wuts goin on in dis thread?

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

I swear there's something poetic about these posts being back to back like this.

 

[Burke]

Want a seat at the table? Want FD's ear?
Put your money where your mouth is, git gud; buy shares, get your say.

Its interesting you say that cause i would have been willing to pay for a better game.

 

[Nerth]

Just a bit if reality, the personal fleet carriers can still be used as a 'mobile base of operation'. Now, a Squad' can have multiple 'mobile bases of operation'. Why would more inclusion, personal instead of Squad', be something to complain about?

Because there was explicit discussion of cooperative gameplay around obtaining, maintaining, moving, upgrading a Squadron fleet carrier. I don't deny that personal fleet carrier is great for individual players but it removes the possibility of in-game-supported internal squadron gameplay.

 

[Stigbob]

Incorrect. It was specifically a Squadron feature that was removed from Squadrons with no prior comms. The fact that members of Squadrons can still use them does not make them a Squadrons feature. I was in the room at FX17. There was no ambiguity: they were a Squadrons feature.

Its still a squadron feature.

 

[zimms]

1-0 to stigbob.

Next.

What about powers in PP being able to crumble and be removed?

 

[zimms]

Elite is many things to many people,to you it’s PP.
It’s never interested me and i’m sure I’m not alone. And you say that PP has lost players.
It certainly sounds like something that shouldn’t be a priority.

So that's why the priority is now Planet Zoo?

scnr

 

[Stigbob]

What about powers in PP being able to crumble and be removed?

I don't do PP or follow it so you'll have to dig up the dev quote and then I'll be happy to explain phrases like "we plan" and "hopefully" to you.

 

[Nerth]

Its still a squadron feature.

You can keep saying that but it doesn't make it true. There's a reason they changed the name to 'personal' fleet carrier. Squadron members can wing together; does this make Wings a Squadron feature?

 

[Ian Doncaster]

Like I said to Will at the time, I'd have been fine with this if we'd been told about this change when the decsion was made but they instead left us in the dark until the announcement.

I'm probably misunderstanding something here, but how would they have told you that a change had been made without announcing it?

Do you mean some sort of statement in (hypothetically - I've no idea when they actually decided) February saying "we still don't have a release date for Fleet Carriers, but we've decided to make them available to individuals rather than squadrons when they do come out"?

 

[Stigbob]

You can keep saying that but it doesn't make it true. There's a reason they changed the name to 'personal' fleet carrier. Squadron members can wing together; does this make Wings a Squadron feature?

Of course its true, nothing you've said makes the carrier a non-squadron accessible feature.

I think you just got carried away with theorycrafting.