Frontier Trading Statement & Roadmap Update: Elite Dangerous' next paid-for release targeted for launch at the end of 2020

[Stigbob]

I really hope (and doubt it is) this is not the case. IF FD are genuinely happy with something and think it is at a state suitable to the standards they set themselves then a complaint / threat thread supported by a small minority of the player base should not lead to an up to 12 month delay
(And i say that regardless of my specific view of features)
If FD delayed it is imo because they knew they had to.
Hell a feature very dear to my heart NPC crew had a massive amount of support 2 or so years ago. If this logic is correct FD should have got on that and implemented them. They didn't

Its all subjective.

The "hugely buggy" release that triggered some parts of the open letter for me meant a single instance of having to press '4' twice to clear a mission board softlock and I avoided remote engineering for 24 hours by flying a ship already G5'd. Hardly a gamebreaking issue.

Then there's the demand for a return of player beta testing, which I've done before in ED and think are a bit pointless. Since they mostly involve people testing out ships/modules they don't have access to/can't afford to see if they want them in the main game. The usual suspects with personal bugbears and wishlists demanding to know why their chosen thing isn't in the beta. And a neverending constant background noise of why doesn't beta progress carry over and why do the lazy dev's want us to work for them for free instead of doing the testing themselves. Afterwards people who didn't do beta testing gripe that the players who did were lazy and missed things.

I prefer the release and hotfix method. Since I expect bugs in new releases and just take a break if I can't be bothered with them. Other people have different tastes, for me its not a big deal in the grand scheme of things either way.

I think the threat of bad press probably swung FDEV on it, which isn't something I'd ever bow down to as it just encourages armchair game dev's to demand their own way no matter how bad or unrealistic their ideas are. I like and buy games made by FDEV, couldn't really care less what random internet bods think they should do instead since none of them have ever made a game I've ever heard of let alone like.

YMMV.

Edit : the return of beta's are going to mean a massive free ARX tantrum, either because people keep them or don't.

 

[thistle]

Its all subjective.

The "hugely buggy" release that triggered some parts of the open letter for me meant a single instance of having to press '4' twice to clear a mission board softlock and I avoided remote engineering for 24 hours by flying a ship already G5'd. Hardly a gamebreaking issue.

Then there's the demand for a return of player beta testing, which I've done before in ED and think are a bit pointless. Since they mostly involve people testing out ships/modules they don't have access to/can't afford to see if they want them in the main game. The usual suspects with personal bugbears and wishlists demanding to know why their chosen thing isn't in the beta. And a neverending constant background noise of why doesn't beta progress carry over and why do the lazy dev's want us to work for them for free instead of doing the testing themselves. Afterwards people who didn't do beta testing gripe that the players who did were lazy and missed things.

I prefer the release and hotfix method. Since I expect bugs in new releases and just take a break if I can't be bothered with them. Other people have different tastes, for me its not a big deal in the grand scheme of things either way.

I think the threat of bad press probably swung FDEV on it, which isn't something I'd ever bow down to as it just encourages armchair game dev's to demand their own way no matter how bad or unrealistic their ideas are. I like and buy games made by FDEV, couldn't really care less what random internet bods think they should do instead since none of them have ever made a game I've ever heard of let alone like.

YMMV.

All true, but it's also possible Fdev themselves weren't happy with the last few releases in terms of bugs going live. I'm not sure any open letters or the endlessly whiny forum really had much effect.

 

[babelfisch]

what did you FD guys do that you think you deserve any new money?

the Gnosis Fail? The C&P system fail? The sept. update fail? broke the BGS? more fails i dont remeber now?!

Hey FDEV, Nemac decided that you don't deserve any new money. Stop working on that expansion immediately.

More seriously, that's not how it works. You are not a charity, so giving people money is not an act of generosity. Either they create something you want and you buy it. Or you don't.

 

[Tikanderoga]

Well, the quote specifically said "new features". I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you.

More CG/II with more fetch missions and.... 25% more interdictions.

 

[Tikanderoga]

"whilst being specifically designed to be a compelling, attractive and welcoming entry point for new players"

FPS confirmed

With purchasable dances and emotes to attracts younger players?

 

[Viajero]

Yes we are walking on eggs and bananas here.

Space legs confirmed!

 

[-VR- Max Factor]

"whilst being specifically designed to be a compelling, attractive and welcoming entry point for new players"

FPS confirmed

I would say more first person perspective gameplay is more likely.

 

[Rubbernuke]

Space legs confirmed!

Hopefully said legs are not prone to having bugged kneecaps...

 

[Stigbob]

Hopefully said legs are not prone to having bugged kneecaps...

I hope to be kneecapping the bugs in FPS. If we do get space-feet.

 

[Cosmo]

I imagine it is no coincidence to fall in place with the targeted Xbox Scarlett and PS5 release dates.

There is a high probability that ED will be released on the PS5 and new Xbox. It makes sense with the new FPS gameplay to bring it to more platforms to increase sales and the player base. In that case, it should fully support the power of the PS5 with new graphics features.

ED base game + Horizons + the New Era expansion should be sold as one full priced game.

 

[ArchEmperor]

I want snow that I can step on and listen to the sound it makes when using Space Legs in Elite.
And it should sparkle from the stars from above. Just like the best of the Christmas past.

 

[Old Duck]

Well then.

 

[The Chairmaker]

There is a high probability that ED will be released on the PS5 and new Xbox. It makes sense with the new FPS gameplay to bring it to more platforms to increase sales and the player base. In that case, it should fully support the power of the PS5 with new graphics features.

ED base game + Horizons + the New Era expansion should be sold as one full priced game.

I think basically what they will do is remove the current base space flying game from sale and replace it with the new game which starts with elite feet in which it has many features associated with first person shooter style mechanics. It probably has some voice acted missions (we have seen these in hidden files) to guide the new starter along. They then can play a predominantly ground based multiplayer game . Players can at various points decide to take up space ship flying. Indeed the game would encourage them to do this through certain incentives eg access to high level weapons, rare items etc. Spaceship flying would in essence become end game content.
Those of us who already own the legacy game will already be regarded as being the space jockeys and have access to the traditional though improved space flying aspects of the game. We would have to purchase the DLC to get access to Elite Feet side of things and the extra gameplay that brings.

Frontier would therefore sell "Elite feet" dlc for those owning elite dangerous base game already and wishing to upgrade. £35
"Elite New Era" for all new players £50.

In terms of branches of the game this would leave two in play.
traditional elite space flying game a la 2014 with updated flying mechanics like fss.
Full game with Horizons and New Era ground based content buitl in.

 

[babelfisch]

I think basically what they will do is remove the current base space flying game from sale and replace it with the new game which starts with elite feet in which it has many features associated with first person shooter style mechanics. It probably has some voice acted missions (we have seen these in hidden files) to guide the new starter along. They then can play a predominantly ground based multiplayer game . Players can at various points decide to take up space ship flying. Indeed the game would encourage them to do this through certain incentives eg access to high level weapons, rare items etc. Spaceship flying would in essence become end game content.
Those of us who already own the legacy game will already be regarded as being the space jockeys and have access to the traditional though improved space flying aspects of the game. We would have to purchase the DLC to get access to Elite Feet side of things and the extra gameplay that brings.

Frontier would therefore sell "Elite feet" dlc for those owning elite dangerous base game already and wishing to upgrade. £35
"Elite New Era" for all new players £50.

In terms of branches of the game this would leave two in play.
traditional elite space flying game a la 2014 with updated flying mechanics like fss.
Full game with Horizons and New Era ground based content buitl in.

There are still people without Horizons so you'll need at least 3 versions. I agree that it makes sense to bundle Horizons and the new era stuff though.

 

[Lightspeed]

....... It probably has some voice acted missions (we have seen these in hidden files) to guide the new starter along .......

The question is why? If the game is moving across to "new code" why hide stuff in the old code? And why introduce stuff if it is hidden, anyway? I've seen references before to code allegedly for Legs in coding for space station assets, but I don't understand why it should be there. (As you can probably gather from these questions, I don't qualify as an armchair dev.)

 

[ArchEmperor]

The question is why? If the game is moving across to "new code" why hide stuff in the old code? And why introduce stuff if it is hidden, anyway? I've seen references before to code allegedly for Legs in coding for space station assets, but I don't understand why it should be there. (As you can probably gather from these questions, I don't qualify as an armchair dev.)

Code and data files are not the same thing. Old code and New code can both access data files no matter age ( unless outdated and obsolete format ).

If it is already in the game files, there is most likely ways of experience it in game. Like it is already part of epic quests and places not yet discovered by players (or using developer tool).

 

[[VR] Mad Mike]

All true, but it's also possible Fdev themselves weren't happy with the last few releases in terms of bugs going live. I'm not sure any open letters or the endlessly whiny forum really had much effect.

Indeed and incase I was unclear this is my opinion as well.

 

[[VR] Mad Mike]

There are still people without Horizons so you'll need at least 3 versions. I agree that it makes sense to bundle Horizons and the new era stuff though.

Or alternatively bundle horizons with the base game and keep new era separate .

Free dlc to get those who dropped ed and never got horizons to go encourage back into the game , and then maybe for all horizons owners an exclusive ships skin or maybe a few ARX as a thankyou? (Not essential in any way)

 

[Mengy]

"Codebase will be renewed." This phrase is the only basis for speculation which could mean anything. How much of the codebase? All of it? Some of it? The parts that we designed for legs years ago and have only now got round to renewing for 2020?

My gut feeling is the core code is being "renewed". In dev terms the main game loop, the foundation of the game which all other modules tie in to. Of course an update to the core means minor updating to other modules too, but stuff like Engineers, the Stellar Forge, ARX store, Power Play, and even the upcoming Fleet Carriers wouldn't likely need to be touched much if at all. Routines like Multicrew, SRV's, and SLF's would need to be heavily revamped, possibly even "renewed" completely.

I believe there are three main reasons why FD is taking the time to renew the codebase:

1. Space Legs. In order to really do Elite Feet justice the game needs to be refactored to model the world around the player character instead of how it does it now, which is around the player's ship. Look at games like Subnautica or No Man's Sky to see examples. In both of them the world is modeled around the player character and the vehicles / ships are objects which the player can take control. To do Space Legs in Elite properly, the game needs to be reorganized to generate the world like that. This would mean a total revamp and new approach to how the core loop of the game's code handles everything in game.

2. Multiplayer. The multiplayer code in the game is disjointed, and its resulted in vehicles being handled differently from each other. SLF's work in multiplayer but are leashed to the mother ship. SRV's are not multiplayer compatible but work independent of the ship. If they implemented space legs and the player avatar into the game which vehicle would it behave like, the SRV or the SLF? To work well it needs to be done in a new way, so why not revamp the SRV and SLF to also use this new way too?

3. Spaghetti Code. Each update seems to expose how fragile the game code is more and more. When a new decal can break the game there are serious issues. I think a lot of FD's slow development over the past few years has been a result of them struggling to keep the Frankenstein core of the game working. A "renewed" corebase developed and dedicated to a concrete vision for future updates could save a lot of time and headaches down the road.


All graphical assets could just carry over, much of the current game could just be reused, some of it could be updated and improved, and the core loop of the game could be totally rewritten and modernized.

Again, just my point of view.

 

[Tikanderoga]

I want snow that I can step on and listen to the sound it makes when using Space Legs in Elite.
And it should sparkle from the stars from above. Just like the best of the Christmas past.

In space, there is no noise.Your steps won't make any noise.
Remember, Mah Immershuun!!!! Else we'd have microjumps and instant ship transfer.