An Elite Campaign: An idea for a much needed lengthy "Lore filled" mission chain for all CMDRs.

[HunterwithGreenScales]

I think Elite really needs its equivalent to a "main story" thread of missions, much like many other open world games have.
There already exist in game mission chains that automatically "connect" after you complete the first mission. It would only take the addition of writers for the cohesive story, more additional unique in-game assets as places to visit (already existing locations could/would be used too), and the addition of unique rewards for each completed mission that can't be bought or found anywhere else (like special unique paintjobs, decals, modules, suits and weapons as a start).

As i imagine it; as soon as a new CMDR leaves the Pilots Federation District and docks at a Orbis station (veteran CMDRs would get the message as soon as they logged in and/or docked at an station) they will receive a message congratulating them on their rank promotion (if a new CMDR. It would be a congratulations on a successful career thus far if a veteran) from a mysterious benefactor. The mission chain would ultimately take you through a little bit of everything Elite has to offer. Mining, Combat (in space and on foot), Delivery, Passenger, Exploration, etc each mission contributing to an over arching story that you can progress at anytime. Just like the "main story missions/quest" from other Open World games!

Said "Mission Quest" should all-in-all contain roughly 40+ hours of content. I think. It would need to be a good long length. Thats 40+ hours of actual content mind you (ie story dialog. etc)! No counting the potential lengths of time any given CMDR would be expected to spend on any mission (like mining for example). You would want a CMDR to feel like they accomplishing something with each mission. All while they are "blazing their own trail". Perhaps the quest should be about a deep mystery, disconnected from the overarching lores going on elsewhere in the galaxy involving the CGs. One that helps flesh out old Elite history perhaps? Maybe even a name drop or two about the Raxxla mystery (note: obviously not saying give any hints. But just a mention about the mystery itself. So any new CMDRs can be made aware of it)?

Anyway. Thats paraphrasing my thoughts on this. Would anybody else think this would be an excellent idea? What other cool and good ideas do you think would make this work? Personally i think Elite could really benefit from a main story "quest" that a lone CMDR, or a wing even, could complete as apart of the ED journey.

 

[Bottom Hat]

blazing their own trial

Sometimes I feel bad pointing out comedy spelling errors, but this is quite a good semi-freudian one.

 

[HunterwithGreenScales]

Sometimes I feel bad pointing out comedy spelling errors, but this is quite a good semi-freudian one.

Oof. I tried. hit post too soon.

 

[Bottom Hat]

Oof. I tried. hit post too soon.

No prob, I just found it mildly amusing

 

[WR3ND]

Well I had kind of hoped it'd be something like that with the Engineers. It's a bit like that, but more material or similar type fetch quests, repeated over and over.

 

[RooksBailey]

I agree. There is a ton of content to be had in Elite, now it needs something to tie it all together. Ideal would be a tutorial-campaign like NMS offers - something that tells a story about the setting and your place in it, explains the various factions/powers/corporations, and shows you how to partake of the various activities the game now offers. Add in some cinematics like with the (now defunct?) Commander Chronicles of yesteryear, and you are cooking with fire.

Once EDO is fixed and up to snuff, perhaps. But I agree. The game would now benefit from such a campaign.

 

[HunterwithGreenScales]

Well I had kind of hoped it'd be something like that with the Engineers. It's a bit like that, but more material or similar type fetch quests, repeated over and over.

The recent talk about Engineer missions intrigued me. But this idea would be for CMDRs, both new and old. New CMDRs get a proper, and engaging introduction to the game at large, and long time CMDR get new stuff from completing each mission as well as the fleshing out of extended lore.

 

[TScal12]

I really want faction specific missions like Federal Navy, Imperial Navy, FIA, FSS, IISS etc. Would inject much needed life into the game

 

[[VR] Bulbulunufus]

One way you could approach this would be to get people to take a thread through the existing lore flavour assets scattered about the void (megaships, abandoned settlements, science vessels, Thargoid wrecks, generation ships, etc.).

You might have journalists/historians/clandestine industrial interests/novelists that you bump into in station saying they need source material/to re-examine scan data for things missed/eye witness descriptions of locations. Then you're given a list of locations to visit in order that join the dots in an appropriate order through some past galnet/lore arc. You return and they "download your ship log" and pay you for your time. You might even see some entry in the local news about it some time afterwards. In the process you've traced through a story arc that you perhaps weren't there to experience live.

Bonus is that the assets, logs, voice acted content, etc. are already out there. Just the flavour text of the mission and collation of a series of properly ordered location checklists through different arcs are needed.

 

[WR3ND]

I just happened to be going over some earlier ED related pics and came across this.

Spoiler

I think at the time it was Sandy or maybe Mike that said it would be too difficult to implement it in time for production, or something to that effect.

But I digress. This isn't my suggestion thread after all.

Cheers.

 

[Lacika2000]

Well, I don't need more missions in the MacGuffin style, to be honest. But if there was a story arc that would let me build and own a station in a system, that would be super cool. Assuming it is not a grind fest like engineering but an actual story...

 

[Cmdr John Lyn]

There should be areas meant for different on foot "campaign" mission sets. Each branch of the super powers and their star systems could host main-story campaigns depending on if players enlist in their militaries. The Galactic Cooperative and Pilots Federation and the major corporations could also have campaign stoyline missions and dedicated characters, even the Club's conspiracies could be given a campaign. Federation/Sol, Empire/Achenar, Alliance/Alioth Thargoid/Guardian

I agree we should be given cinematic cut scenes full of action and intrigue and a sense of impact on the galaxy. Seeing our favorite characters of the story be fleshed out and given purpose. It would be even cooler if CG's and poweplay could be fully integrated with a sort of forever campaign like WoW.

In mass effect you could choose Shepard's background like being Earth-born, a spacer, or colony-born and other tidbits of shepard's background. It would be so cool to look up other players backgrounds and see which planet they hail from, and other bits of info of their "life".

 

[Endealon]

There should be areas meant for different on foot "campaign" mission sets. Each branch of the super powers and their star systems could host main-story campaigns depending on if players enlist in their militaries.

I actually think this (just like OP's proposal) is a great idea. I am a new player with under 200 hours, and this would help me to understand each faction in depth, and more importantly, to understand many of the mechanics of the game from within the game itself. As it is now, I feel a bit tired of having to resort to external sources on the internet to get things done.