2020 release date discussion

Muzz UK

Muzz UK
Not really here to slag off or question Frontier... couple of friends work in or have worked in game development and testing. I appreciate game design is no longer mashing a few levels together in the world of mass multiplayer games.

I personally think Elite is excellent and a technical master piece when you consider the galaxy size and creation involved plus all the bloody numbers and data that hold it together. However I fully expect 2020 paid expansion to be delayed and release autumn or winter 2020 and not in the 2nd quarter as we've been told.

Will Flanagan recently released the "Fleet carriers" delayed news.

This statement caught my eye about updates:

We are expecting to have a series of these updates, which will be rolled out (approximately) every three to four months.

Given that 2nd quarter of 2020 is less than 6/7 months away his statement would suggest Frontier plan on doing a lot more bug fixing and tweaking of the game. Updates 3-4 months would suggest only two more to drop before 2020 paid update but this statement really makes me feel like Frontier are projecting a lot of working on and fixing of the game.

Either way 2020 is going to be huge if it includes fleet carriers and the leaked content rumours of base building and space legs.

As a life timer and prem beta back this news is frustrating and I really do feel like Elite Dangerous isn't Frontiers priority project anymore but thats fine business IS business at the end of the day. I'm sure the hard working development team and community managers are fully committed. Though I do expect 2020 sales to project the future for the game in terms of development size, I don't think there's any risk of the game being ended or shelved but I predict a smaller dev team if sales are weaker than expected.

Whatever happens I've gotten 2,000 hours out the game and various websites show strong player numbers.

What do you guys think and feel?
 

Vasea Azure

Vasea Azure
Nah they lost me like a year ago. 2020, 2021, 20... whatever. I cant say I`m excited for any of this. Still got my money worth like dozens of times so still happy about my time in ED!
 

Factabulous

Factabulous
They're doing exactly the same as they've done for the last few years - quarterly releases of 'stuff' Just so happens they've been forced to make the 'stuff' next year be unspecified bug fixes rather than new content. And the Q2 release will have carriers as well as bug fixes. Maybe.
 

MDHansen

M
7000hrs and counting (fast) since December 2014. Like I said in another thread (I think it was the info thread from Will) I expect 2 major bugpatchupdates and 3-4 correction patches inbetween, up to FC release in May/June.
I really hope spacelegs isn't in 2020, spend Dev time on more feasable matters. Base building could be on the board for sure.

My wish is BGSmkII and PP to get a complete overhaul, with the mission system remake mkIII.
 

Rubbernuke

Rubbernuke
MDHansen said:
I feel like I've heard that one before :unsure:
Click to expand...

I really, really want to believe FD as they are nice guys. But I've said 'next update, next update, next update' thinking its going to happen and each time things I enjoy get taken away or remain undeveloped. Lore removal and no player stories got me, then 5 years of Powerplay sitting on the naughty step, balance and bugs....makes sad panda face
 

MDHansen

M
Rubbernuke said:
I really, really want to believe FD as they are nice guys. But I've said 'next update, next update, next update' thinking its going to happen and each time things I enjoy get taken away or remain undeveloped. Lore removal and no player stories got me, then 5 years of Powerplay sitting on the naughty step, balance and bugs....makes sad panda face
Click to expand...
Yeh. I don't do PP, looked in to it a few times. It definately needs some proper lovin'. And in general I believe what is allready in the game needs a polish.
 

VR SenseiMatty

VR SenseiMatty
steve_muzz said:
We are expecting to have a series of these updates, which will be rolled out (approximately) every three to four months.
Click to expand...

You can read that as "every 4 to 5 months" 'cause that's actually the typical frequency everytime they say "3-4 months"
Ref. 2019 had the same 3-4 months announced frequency but in the end we had April update and September update and I really doubt we will see anything at all in December
 

Dillon Fallon

Dillon Fallon
I'd love to see much of what is already in the game expanded on. I just wonder if all the things that are put in the game which have been suggested to be unfinished (powerplay, SRVs, navy ranking etc.) and all the things that people would bring new content to the game such as space legs, atmospheric landings, ice world reworking, small seismic charges, etc. are something that in the cold light of day the devs are finding each are going to take something like 6 months (based on major update timings in 2018) to do and as a result, at least some of it is impractical to put in the game due to development time.

I would hope that regardless of whether this is powerplay or something else, that some kind of proper competitive multiplayer activity gets put in the game in 2020 though.
 

VR Golgot

VR Golgot
steve_muzz said:
What do you guys think and feel?
Click to expand...

I've essentially put the game down until the DLC, so the further delays are just a further annoyance, not killer ;)

My most positive take on events is this:

  • ED was always trying to do too much. I don't mind the 'Game as a Service' strand being an area that takes a hit to narrow that scope. Either being mothballed for a bit, or dropped entirely, in terms of rolling mini-feature updates.
  • Seasons themselves were always a crappy delivery format, from this player's perspective. (And going by Horizons, from a design & dev perspective too). I'm glad they're gone. It's just proving a crazy long haul to the honey hit of the upfront DLC. (I did expect them to have transitioned faster than this, given how long ago they made the decision to switch).
  • They're putting a lot into this DLC. With the launch slot now pitched for Q4 2020 it's a longer full production run than even the launch game got. The claims of 100+ dedicated devs ring true to me. And it seems likely to me that the franchise itself is running in or near the red now. So they're likely drawing on the profits of other franchises to keep ED juiced up to the DLC finish line. They're investing in expanding it, when they could ultimately let it slide instead.

My worries are similar though:

  • The active community that has stuck with the game will surely thin down mightily during this period.
  • The DLC is a hail mary pass. It's all or nothing. If it does well in the first year, they'll maintain staffing. In a best case scenario, even grow it further. But if it fizzles, the game will too.
 
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[VR] wi03016

[VR] wi03016
steve_muzz said:
Not really here to slag off or question Frontier... couple of friends work in or have worked in game development and testing. I appreciate game design is no longer mashing a few levels together in the world of mass multiplayer games.

I personally think Elite is excellent and a technical master piece when you consider the galaxy size and creation involved plus all the bloody numbers and data that hold it together. However I fully expect 2020 paid expansion to be delayed and release autumn or winter 2020 and not in the 2nd quarter as we've been told.

Will Flanagan recently released the "Fleet carriers" delayed news.

This statement caught my eye about updates:

We are expecting to have a series of these updates, which will be rolled out (approximately) every three to four months.

Given that 2nd quarter of 2020 is less than 6/7 months away his statement would suggest Frontier plan on doing a lot more bug fixing and tweaking of the game. Updates 3-4 months would suggest only two more to drop before 2020 paid update but this statement really makes me feel like Frontier are projecting a lot of working on and fixing of the game.

Either way 2020 is going to be huge if it includes fleet carriers and the leaked content rumours of base building and space legs.

As a life timer and prem beta back this news is frustrating and I really do feel like Elite Dangerous isn't Frontiers priority project anymore but thats fine business IS business at the end of the day. I'm sure the hard working development team and community managers are fully committed. Though I do expect 2020 sales to project the future for the game in terms of development size, I don't think there's any risk of the game being ended or shelved but I predict a smaller dev team if sales are weaker than expected.

Whatever happens I've gotten 2,000 hours out the game and various websites show strong player numbers.

What do you guys think and feel?
Click to expand...
My expectation about the next paid expansion is end of 2021. FC will be in best case Q3 2020. I could imagine either that FD finish the development of ED end of 2020.
 

NeilF

NeilF
steve_muzz said:
I personally think Elite is excellent and a technical master piece when you consider the galaxy size and creation involved plus all the bloody numbers and data that hold it together.
Click to expand...
Indeed! What was released 5yrs ago, and added to with Planetary Landings was impressive bar raising stuff... But since then? How much developed has felt like well considered and designed bar raised features? How much has felt rather bolt on, shallow or ill considered?

Yes, it was released a technical master piece, but over the past four or so years I think a huge opportunity has largely been squandered by too much poor managment and poor design.
 
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