Hi there,
At the moment this game really does feel like it has the kind of social networking that David Braben would have originally wanted in the original Elite or Frontier if it was technically feasible. And that's the problem, when I do engage in a 'multiplayer' experience it just feels more like co-op from a 1998 game and not a 2016 game where multiplayer social experiences have advanced so far.
*A new type of communication system similar to in-game IRC would be nice. So when you joined a system with 'real people' they all showed up in a chat screen - this way we could easily feel 'less lonely' in the game. Much easier to communicate. I really don't like the idea of just sending out messages in to the local space hoping someone might respond.. Each system having it's own 'chat room' would be awesome IMO.
* A nicely integrated 'clan system' would be nice too. This could be incorporated in to the in-game IRC chat that I suggested - where you have a system chat room and then a private clan chat room. This would make the social aspect amazing. We could then arrange activities with ease, and so many other possibilities. Like distant worlds for instance: All the players could have been invited in to an expedition 'clan' and had the communication chat channel active during the trip. And with the chat windows, have the text logged so you don't miss out on conversations that are taking place when you log back in.
A recent example of the loneliness this 'multiplayer' game seems to have is in the recent Distant Worlds expedition. Me and my friend got all the way to way point 5 but didn't see a single soul on the entire journey. We couldn't be at the base camp at the exact meeting time because of time differences - but we would arrive a day early and hang around as much as possible. We thought out of a flotilla of 1000 ships we would be bound to stumble upon a few people.. but nothing. Anyway that's an example of how things aren't exactly ideal on the social side.
I realize that by creating better social systems you run the risk of lowering the realism, but come on this is a game. We need to have the social aspect otherwise it can just feel like Elite from years ago with pretty graphics.
Anyway, that's just my opinion...
At the moment this game really does feel like it has the kind of social networking that David Braben would have originally wanted in the original Elite or Frontier if it was technically feasible. And that's the problem, when I do engage in a 'multiplayer' experience it just feels more like co-op from a 1998 game and not a 2016 game where multiplayer social experiences have advanced so far.
*A new type of communication system similar to in-game IRC would be nice. So when you joined a system with 'real people' they all showed up in a chat screen - this way we could easily feel 'less lonely' in the game. Much easier to communicate. I really don't like the idea of just sending out messages in to the local space hoping someone might respond.. Each system having it's own 'chat room' would be awesome IMO.
* A nicely integrated 'clan system' would be nice too. This could be incorporated in to the in-game IRC chat that I suggested - where you have a system chat room and then a private clan chat room. This would make the social aspect amazing. We could then arrange activities with ease, and so many other possibilities. Like distant worlds for instance: All the players could have been invited in to an expedition 'clan' and had the communication chat channel active during the trip. And with the chat windows, have the text logged so you don't miss out on conversations that are taking place when you log back in.
A recent example of the loneliness this 'multiplayer' game seems to have is in the recent Distant Worlds expedition. Me and my friend got all the way to way point 5 but didn't see a single soul on the entire journey. We couldn't be at the base camp at the exact meeting time because of time differences - but we would arrive a day early and hang around as much as possible. We thought out of a flotilla of 1000 ships we would be bound to stumble upon a few people.. but nothing. Anyway that's an example of how things aren't exactly ideal on the social side.
I realize that by creating better social systems you run the risk of lowering the realism, but come on this is a game. We need to have the social aspect otherwise it can just feel like Elite from years ago with pretty graphics.
Anyway, that's just my opinion...
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