A change to discovering the story of Elite

[space voyager]

A lot has been said about the storytelling in Elite. The latest update has again shown how it is currently executed; things appear in the world, waiting to be discovered. After they are, the finder posts it on YT and the rest of us flock to see it. Then there is a lot of blind experimentation, like taking all kinds of artefacts into the new found devices or even into space, randomly combining them and watching the results. Again, when somebody with a lot of time to play and stamina for blind guessing that I can only admire finally finds something, it is posted on YT or in one of the forums and the rest flock to recreate it. It is happening now with Thargoid whatever they are and it happened before with Guardian sites. Seriously, the need to have the exact combo of artefacts in the SRV while scanning each of the pillars has nothing to do with telling a story. For me, the only way to visit the sites was after all the combos were discovered and posted here.

This is very far from the personal, intimate experience of wonder and discovery I was hoping for in Elite.

I know I'm not the first to suggest a change but one more plea can't hurt... I'd love it if the game held my hand a bit more and led me through the discovery without the need for out-of-game sources. The first step could be waiting for a player to discover a site - if you really want the players to discover things first, though I'd prefer a set of triggers - then an engineer or any of the powers could throw out a mission to players all around the galaxy.

Similarely an egineer or whatever the scientist could give you hints what to do next based on your discoveries/scanning and slowly reveal the story or a scientific knowledge. This way you'd be given some illusion of actually discovering instead of recreating something already seen on YT.

Please, this is really annoying and while I'd love to take part of in-game events it seems completely hollow and pointless right now.

Naturally people would still be posting content on YT but right now I'm forced to watch it if I'm ever to see it at all. With game guidance I'd be able to do it without YT tutorial. I would definitely choose not to watch any of the content vids so that when I get to experience that content it would be something new and exciting.

I was going to propose content events to always be played in solo mode to keep that misterious feeling (which is kinda lost with all the SRVs rolling around) but since each can already decide for his/her own, that would be pointless.

Ok, that is it basicaly. I'll play the game in every case but this change would make it phenomenal for me. I do wonder if others feel the same way so please do tell.

 

[space voyager]

Any better solutions? Anybody likes the current system?

 

[amigacooke]

Any better solutions? Anybody likes the current system?

While I understand what the OP is getting at, the method used by FD means we all get the same discovery, but the game doesn't try to pretend we are all the first.

 

[space voyager]

While I understand what the OP is getting at, the method used by FD means we all get the same discovery, but the game doesn't try to pretend we are all the first.

This is the opposite of what I was tryin to say - as I see it we don't get to discover anything at all or at least I never had any feeling of discovery after seeing a YT vid and going to the site. Basically sightseeing. But it is interesting to see that perceptions differ.

I would like it much more if the game DID pretend I'm there first and actually doing something of importance instead of just looking at stuff.

 

[Krieger]

I agree completely OP. I've done some suggestions (braindumps / -farts) in other threads on this. For the current stories it's too late obviously. FDEV chose to implement these stories as if ED is a single player game and your post summarises the problems with that nicely. I hope a better implementation for multiplayer storytelling will evolve after release 2.4 as part of FDEV' s revisiting core gameplay in season 3.

The stories themselves are very good: complex puzzles, good mystery, beautiful graphics, very moody sounds (the puzzles maybe are a bit too nerdy for most). Such a pity we can't all experience them in a way that allows us to fit them into the trail we are blazing.

 

[amigacooke]

This is the opposite of what I was tryin to say - as I see it we don't get to discover anything at all or at least I never had any feeling of discovery after seeing a YT vid and going to the site. Basically sightseeing. But it is interesting to see that perceptions differ.

I would like it much more if the game DID pretend I'm there first and actually doing something of importance instead of just looking at stuff.

None of it is important, it's a game after all

Anything any player discovers has already had the devs crawling all over it, they made it after all. However, either method of discovery is fine, FD choose the one that's in the game because it seems best to them i suppose.

 

[space voyager]

I admit I do miss some dev input into the suggestion threads. If you look at the general "Dangerous Discussion" forum there is far more dev responses than here. No small wonder that people started posting suggestions in the general forum.

Answering to suggestions is IMO good for people to have an incentive to actually think what could be better in the game and for the players to know where the game is heading. By no means do I think this one is the most important of suggestions, though I'd love to see Elite handling storytelling differently...

 

[c00ky1970]

I don't believe Elite is an intimate game.

They have offered puzzles for players to crack, and they have, sometimes a lot faster than was expected.

I think the issue moving forward is the old chestnut of how can console players contribute/attack these same puzzles,a s the unit they utilise to interact with Elite doesn't have the ability to install audacity or even an Excel spreadsheet!

In addition if it becomes more in game tooling, could that just dumb it down to select object, mash right click /A/Square button and await success text to appear.

Braben has said that Elite isn't a universe where everyone can rescue the princess, indeed you can only first discover a planet one time.

Adding small story missions would be alot of effort from Fdev forb maybe 1-2 hours gameplay max and probably a subsequent YT vid that shows you how to cheese it and collect infinite amounts of engineers rocking horse doodoo

 

[Wizaerd]

Seeing as this is a sim, as well as a shared galaxy, I don't necessarily see why everyone should feel like they can discover everything, especially something that has already been discovered. If there are really adventurous folk with the time and inclination to solve the puzzles and riddles, then they should indeed be given the credit for discovering the solution. And anyone else who wants to see the results afterwards, will have to read the details in the media. And if they wish to reproduce it, they do so of their own volition. Just like in real life. While I personally will most likely not ever be involved in one of those discoveries, I have no problem whatsoever with how they're implemented.

 

[space voyager]

Interesting, really. And there I was, thinking we all wanted a more personal experience. I guess there could always be both, one time events (Salomé, first-time-scans etc.) and things everybody could feel we game-escovered it - game lore missions where something really cool would be shown to us. Thinking events likefirst contact with Thargoids or other aliens. Wouldn't it be great to be 'the accidentally chosen one' and lead the talks between humans and aliens? Naturally none of such events would have a lasting effect on the overall happenings in the galaxy, but still, only FD could add missions like that.