They build console games for Microdaft. Do you really think they rely heavily on a bunch of self proclaimed Beta's for their quality assurance...?
Is this really it? Is this the whole game? Did I miss something?
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They build console games for Microdaft. Do you really think they rely heavily on a bunch of self proclaimed Beta's for their quality assurance...?
I don't think he'll just release it and leave it alone, but once you miss that sweet spot just after release where the game can snowball from people buying, then enjoying, then reviewing, then talking to their friends, then their friends doing the same, etc etc, the game's future can be severely damaged. So although we might get a great game later on, if it releases like the skeleton of a game that it is, we won't be seeing any big expansions or anything because they won't have the income to justify it. And that's pretty sad, because the engine is great. There's just nothing else to it.
I agree with everything you've said, and felt the same way about the two predecessors. I HOPE that FD have plans to add a highly dynamic mission system, but suspect that what we see as a fundamental flaw in lack of gameplay they see as working as intended.
What he thinks are missing are missions. What he feels are missing are quests. What he feels are missing are main linking story arcs you find in GTA, Red Dead Redemption, Skyrim and Oblivion to name just a few. All the stuff that is in the game as we have seen it is only comparable to the background side activities of those games. Elite needs interesting stories and random encounters to become embroiled in to bring the game to life. So far we have seen evidence of none of this. I am hoping that when this game comes out they will be there and what we have been seeing is just a shallow empty game mechanic.
When this game was pitched in the kickstarter it promised everything most of us could want from a game like this all heaped ontop of a very much aged but very much dear game called Elite from yesteryear. So far all we have gotten is Elite word for word. No more no less. Well sorry, the only thing different is that we can now buy different ships. Everything else preety much is the same only done in a more moder way but that is only to be expected - better graphics etc. None of the promise of what we all immaginesd back when we were youngsters of what this game might be if computers were better has come to pass. The features are not there.
So what are we to think? People are dissapointed and the game is not even out yet. While I sympathise with the OP and I am guilty more than most on this forum for voicing my concerns of the game so far since I brought up this same topic months back as to the lack of missions and how rubbish that bulletin board is I am starting to be a little more optimistic. FD know what they are doing and everything they have showed us so far has been of a very hight quality. I have looked back at some of Braebens videos on youtube and in one he refers to how reputations grow and how missions are offered on this basis. He even says that feature is already in the game! Now if this is true we have not been given the full game to test and there is reason to be hopeful. In another video he is lechturing at a games convention about how they went about building the game and his display board behind him shows the structure of the game and clearly it reads 'random encounters' as one of the features. This gives me hope so all we can do now is wait and see...
The same could be said for your posts.
Games are always repetitive, imagination is required to enjoy them also.
In the average MMO say GW2 or WoW do you think players do not just kill NPC's for hundreds of hours collect loot and rinse/repeat?
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Everyones definition of content can vary. Some like combat and things that focus around it. Like me for instance, I want pvp and corpses to stroke. I don't want your cargo, just your corpse. So, tell us more about the things you wish to see and do. This is how constructive efforts go to making things better, not the usual doom and gloom aspects.
FD, did infact remove or tweak aspects of the game for us to test other areas. Yes, they controlled the testing cleverly by herding to one direction or another. We're testing what I would call a platform for more variation. Such as the bulletin board system. I do feel we will see much more and more variation to what we have now. We are testing the various platforms they sit on, so to speak. Combat, well yes, it does need improvement for lag and other things and we've seen a lot of improvements in this area. If some base the lag or stuttering on my live streams, then perhaps they should know that my cpu is spiking 100 degrees. It's an old gaming machine of which I've now ordered a new one for full release of this game. I have faith that FD will deliver the vision of Elite Dangerous, even if it takes them years to accomplish that. I'm in it for the long haul which is why I pledged a lot at the start for alpha onwards.
As for soul, I give it soul. In one of my recent live streams I did SC out from a nav point and rather than turn tail and run. I decided to return and get revenge on the unexpecting. I caused an effect and came through. They were my choices I took, and it worked to my advantage and way that other games just wouldn't give me. And, this is only beta
For the live stream of the combat: http://www.twitch.tv/shoklar/c/5485788 you can watch it here, 32mins in.
Shok.
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Summary so far: Backers have been testing componants of the game. The game 'Elite Dangerous' has not been released yet.
Yeah, you can keep saying the same things over and over again, but it won't make them true. Wait, you also like doing the same things over and over again, apparently for hundreds of hours. Well, that explains that...
What are you referring to?
You can be as condescending as you like, but you do not decide for me and others what we like or do not like. If I state that there is more than enough content in the game already to entertain me and others for hundreds of hours, then that is true, it is simple fact.
As I said... this is obviously not the game for you. It requires a different gaming mentality. Deal with it.
To me this game is heaven, even in its current unfinished state.
And this...
You seem to know very little about what is planned for this game, because there will be truly game changing content added in the form of expansions after retail release (I would call that a 'huge influx' indeed.) This has been known from the start. This strict compartmentalization of development is what has brought us the incredible quality we have now. You might want to read up on what is planned in the DDF.
...is simple fact too.
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Well, that is not what I said.
We will see how many of these features will be announced to be included in the gamma. I highly doubt there will be all of them.
I count on the following to be in:
- Event driven and generating background simulation (there are already parts of this visible with the missions)
- Reputation system (already in game, only not really transparent and visible)
- Captain's journal
- probing/scanning of asteroid fields (not single asteroids) for exploration
- additional Galaxy Map features (though not all of them)
Of these I believe they will be in Gamma. And I'd be rather surprised if they weren't.
EDIT: Oh, and not to forget 25 playable ships, 3 factions and 400 Bn stars waiting for us to explore.
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Right now I am utterly disappointed with the current state of ED.
I love Elite. Loved it on ZX Spectrum too. For me the pinnacle of a living universe is Freelancer. Here is why:
1. In Elite you can't interact with NPCs other than interdicting or shooting them. In Freelancer you could ask them where they go and they replied with a text message and voice, where they are from and where they go and WHY. That made a lot of difference to me, because I felt, NPCs have a PURPOSE and are not just randomly spawned like they are currently in ED.
2. In combat Freelancer pilots reported to their base about you, often making observations about your combat skill and so on. Id added a lot to immersion.
3. In Elite there are no "highways" for haulers, no pirates attacking outposts, no hidden REAL pirate bases (I know there are some placeholders ATM), no patrols you could join with, no gas clouds, no radiation you can take damage from, no hidden worm holes
4. In Freelancer the universe was small, but innovative and buzzing with life. In current build of ED even close to largest trading hubs, there is always 4 Vipers in formation patrolling and a few ships flying around. Far less than what I imagine under term "a busy place".
5. Even the very old game Hardwar had NPCs that had their own goals and were doing the same thing as player. Making trade, searching for scrap, trying to survive pirates... In ED I feel, the NPCs are just spawned and they don't really do anything except docking, undocking and then exiting SC close to random planet with no station at all.
6. Factions. In Freelancer you could see the faction's relationship with other factions. They had enemies, they had allies. They made sense and they had purpose in the universe. There were factions of bounty hunters, pirates, trading companies and military. You could work up your rep with them to get better gear of ships. You knew also what weapons is what faction using and if worked on your rep with them, you knew you could buy those cool weapons from them. No random equipment like in ED.
7. Exploration. In Freelancer you saw a nebula and you wanted to explore it because often there were destroyed ships from which you cloud salvage some cool weapons. I explored EVERY part of that universe until there was nothing to explore, because it was fun and rewarding at the same time. In ED I have no reason to leave the core systems at all.
I don't want ED to turn in to Freelancer, but ED could be so much more. When I backed it on Kickstarter, I was hoping to get the true continuation of the Elite series. Right now there is a beautiful game, with a shallow gameplay with far less functionality than it's predecessors. And this saddens me.
I love Elite. Loved it on ZX Spectrum too. For me the pinnacle of a living universe is Freelancer. Here is why:
1. In Elite you can't interact with NPCs other than interdicting or shooting them. In Freelancer you could ask them where they go and they replied with a text message and voice, where they are from and where they go and WHY. That made a lot of difference to me, because I felt, NPCs have a PURPOSE and are not just randomly spawned like they are currently in ED.
2. In combat Freelancer pilots reported to their base about you, often making observations about your combat skill and so on. Id added a lot to immersion.
3. In Elite there are no "highways" for haulers, no pirates attacking outposts, no hidden REAL pirate bases (I know there are some placeholders ATM), no patrols you could join with, no gas clouds, no radiation you can take damage from, no hidden worm holes
4. In Freelancer the universe was small, but innovative and buzzing with life. In current build of ED even close to largest trading hubs, there is always 4 Vipers in formation patrolling and a few ships flying around. Far less than what I imagine under term "a busy place".
5. Even the very old game Hardwar had NPCs that had their own goals and were doing the same thing as player. Making trade, searching for scrap, trying to survive pirates... In ED I feel, the NPCs are just spawned and they don't really do anything except docking, undocking and then exiting SC close to random planet with no station at all.
6. Factions. In Freelancer you could see the faction's relationship with other factions. They had enemies, they had allies. They made sense and they had purpose in the universe. There were factions of bounty hunters, pirates, trading companies and military. You could work up your rep with them to get better gear of ships. You knew also what weapons is what faction using and if worked on your rep with them, you knew you could buy those cool weapons from them. No random equipment like in ED.
7. Exploration. In Freelancer you saw a nebula and you wanted to explore it because often there were destroyed ships from which you cloud salvage some cool weapons. I explored EVERY part of that universe until there was nothing to explore, because it was fun and rewarding at the same time. In ED I have no reason to leave the core systems at all.
I don't want ED to turn in to Freelancer, but ED could be so much more. When I backed it on Kickstarter, I was hoping to get the true continuation of the Elite series. Right now there is a beautiful game, with a shallow gameplay with far less functionality than it's predecessors. And this saddens me.
I can't help asking.. Was that Freelancer beta you seen this in or was it the released patched version?
Shok.
My summary too ! Same old thread about beta game being judge as a 3years old released game.....
Robert Maynard
Volunteer Moderator
Was Freelancer released with all of the features that you quoted fully in place?
.... and how big was the play area?
I wonder if you said the same on the Freelancer beta boards before it was released and patched.
Shok.
MorkFromOrk
Banned
Nah, us realists don't debate as we already see the truth in all its pure unadulterated glory.
Robert Maynard
Volunteer Moderator
I sincerely doubt that we all want the same thing from the game....
.... and you forgot to include the surrealists!
Finance and backing has been talked about before, it is not something that is an issue, which is why they can make the game they want and not worry about the mainstream supporting future developments and expansions.
Generally, the original Elite players/fans are in their 40's and 50's and many of them are.... how can I put it.... bloody loaded, minted, rolling in it.... etc etc. Many of us are buying and backing it not just for the game but for the nostalgia... whats the price of nostalgia? I have paid $3000 purely for this game alone... so far. Happy to pay more. Others have paid much more.
I'm sure you will agree its not your normal fan base for a computer game as far as what the average $ an average player is willing to put in to keep this game going.
I understand your OP and agree with some of it but I can assure you, financial backing is not going to hold them back
and therefor expansions will be there if and when needed.- Status