Change Wake-Scanning for Quality of Life improvement

[Brrokk]

The purpose of this for me is just to allow for the natural earning of wake-data over the course of playing the game naturally.

Personally I think that earning engineering materials should just be a natural function of playing the game, and not something you have to go out and explicitly farm for hours for.

With commodities, you're out of luck unless you have a carrier because there's no long-term storage, but with materials you have large amounts of long-term storage, so a natural accumulation over the course of playing the game would really be fantastic.

Before anyone says "But you do" no you don't.

With manufactured material, every single ship you kill drops 4-6 materials, but with wakes you only get 1 or 2 per scan, which is basically zero in the grand-scheme of things--worse, most players blow up dozens of ships per hour playing Elite Dangerous, but most players DO NOT naturally hang out in areas where dozens of ships per hour are jumping in and out of the area unless you're explicitly farming for Wake data, which is what I want to avoid. With manufactured materials you will basically always accidentally accumulate enough of several materials to do something useful, but with wakes and other data this just does not occur. Any other solution to this problem would be fine in my eyes, just as long as it increases the natural, passive rate of engineering material accumulation without having to go out of our way to farm them.

The worst thing in this game is dedicated, repetitive, log in/log out farming for materials, and the best, most player-friendly way to remove that gameplay loop is to make it obsolete by making regular gameplay give our sufficient amounts of what we all need.

Eh? Fit a wake scanner and just scan a wake or two each time you leave a station.

This whole thread looks to me like "give me the stuff even though I won't fit the module needed to get it". Probably to free up the slot for an extra shield booster?

Even my Cobra has room for a wake scanner.

 

[Mphoenix92]

Eh? Fit a wake scanner and just scan a wake or two each time you leave a station.

This whole thread looks to me like "give me the stuff even though I won't fit the module needed to get it". Probably to free up the slot for an extra shield booster?

Even my Cobra has room for a wake scanner.

I have enough of everything. I've farmed out everything I need to get G5 everything on 3 or 4 ships, including a Vette, and I still have plenty more to do a few more should I want or need to.


I'm fine, but having experienced it the grindy way, I was thinking about how it might be nicer for future players.

If I scan a wake or two every time I leave a station, I'd maybe have enough to get one G5 FSD in like a month. Totally worth it. /s

 

[V'larr]

This thread is similar to a number of others that we have had recently. I believe it started with "all ships should have two cargo capacity in the cockpit (to allow ships without cargo holds to collect black boxes and escape pods". This mutated into "all ships should be able to interact with all random events on at least a basic level". Followed by "SRV cargo capacity should be available to the ship and not restricted by the ship cargo carrying capacity".

And all because (at least I believe), so as not to use module slots for non-combat related items. Basically, money for nothing.

Steve 07.

Praytell how you make any remarkable amount of money with only 2T of cargo? Let alone specificially S&R targets like escape pods and black boxes? Your description of "money for nothing" amounts to finding a quarter on the sidewalk. It's a pittance.

 

[Greasetrap42]

Praytell how you make any remarkable amount of money with only 2T of cargo? Let alone specificially S&R targets like escape pods and black boxes? Your description of "money for nothing" amounts to finding a quarter on the sidewalk. It's a pittance.

If the OP didn't care about a slot being used by the wake scanner, they wouldn't have posted the idea. Evidently the slot is valueble to them.

Its all about making room for docking assist + supercruise assist + DSS + 2 slot MRP + limpet controller etc. And freeing up larger slots by shuffling small modules out of the larger slots. Pretending otherwise is pretty silly.

In the case of the wake scanner, its for freeing up a utility slot for another shield booster, heat sink launcher, or whatever.

 

[SteveWW57]

Praytell how you make any remarkable amount of money with only 2T of cargo? Let alone specificially S&R targets like escape pods and black boxes? Your description of "money for nothing" amounts to finding a quarter on the sidewalk. It's a pittance.

It was suggested by a CMDR who felt excluded from various gameplay loops such as collecting black boxes and escape pods (because of a failure to prepare and take advantage when they were infrequently encountered) and not about making money.

"money for nothing" is an expression about gaining something without outlay or effort.

Also a rocking Dire Straits song. I prefer "Sultans of Swing" though.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTP2RUD_cL0


Steve 07.

 

[V'larr]

It was suggested by a CMDR who felt excluded from various gameplay loops such as collecting black boxes and escape pods (because of a failure to prepare and take advantage when they were infrequently encountered) and not about making money.

"money for nothing" is an expression about gaining something without outlay or effort.

Also a rocking Dire Straits song. I prefer "Sultans of Swing" though.

I understand the expression. My point still stands. How is the "money", the gain, you refer to in any way an amount sufficiently large to be considered a problem?

 

[V'larr]

If the OP didn't care about a slot being used by the wake scanner, they wouldn't have posted the idea. Evidently the slot is valueble to them.

Its all about making room for docking assist + supercruise assist + DSS + 2 slot MRP + limpet controller etc. And freeing up larger slots by shuffling small modules out of the larger slots. Pretending otherwise is pretty silly.

In the case of the wake scanner, its for freeing up a utility slot for another shield booster, heat sink launcher, or whatever.

I feel like you lost track of the suggestion here, where the aim is to make it more worthwhile to use a wake scanner, not less. Though the issue of utility slots is complicated by the existence of shield boosters, which in the large majority of cases are the obvious choice for general gameplay...one more situation of many that would be improved by a comprehensive combat outfitting overhaul.

I don't find the act of scanning wakes, currently, to be very engaging nor important or meaningful in the slightest, and I'm not sure simply automating the process as suggested in the OP is the right cure, but it is an issue, and in lieu of something to make scanning wakes a more meaningful activity for general gameplay loops, I can see the rationale in at least providing the repetition with some QOL.

 

[SteveWW57]

I understand the expression. My point still stands. How is the "money", the gain, you refer to in any way an amount sufficiently large to be considered a problem?

It is the OPs problem. He wants to gather wake scan data without fitting a wake scanner.

My problem is the several recent suggestions about some players wanting the ability to do things like collecting escape pods/black boxes when no cargo racks are installed or collecting wake scan data without fitting the appropriate scanner.

Steve 07.

 

[Greasetrap42]

I don't find the act of scanning wakes, currently, to be very engaging nor important or meaningful in the slightest

It really doesn't matter what YOU think is engaging or important.

If a player thinks its important, they can equip a scanner. If not, then don't. Its really a very simple choice.

 

[V'larr]

It is the OPs problem. He wants to gather wake scan data without fitting a wake scanner.

My problem is the several recent suggestions about some players wanting the ability to do things like collecting escape pods/black boxes when no cargo racks are installed or collecting wake scan data without fitting the appropriate scanner.

Steve 07.

Yes, how silly of players to want to engage with this game instead of the game acting like it's necessary to hamstring one's experience in it whenever possible.

 

[V'larr]

It really doesn't matter what YOU think is engaging or important.

If a player thinks its important, they can equip a scanner. If not, then don't. Its really a very simple choice.

Yes, it does. If it is unengaging and unimportant, then it's not fun and not contributing anything to the game's quality. Why does everything have to be a binary either-or scenario?

 

[MDHansen]

Yes, how silly of players to want to engage with this game instead of the game acting like it's necessary to hamstring one's experience in it whenever possible.

If you can't do what you wan't in the ship you are in, change to a ship that can better do it? or just simply change modules on the ship you're in and currently consider isn't doing the job for you because of the modules you've added
Many players here take the "play it your way" to the extreme. Though, I blame FD, because what it really means is "play the game your way with the tools we've given you"

I am somewhat agreeing with OP, and in particular also with Ian Doncaster, for collecting engineering materials, the wake scanner is really not needed. FD can change the action over to the other built-in scanner


MDH

 

[MDHansen]

Also I'm gonna say this, because I know it's gonna annoy a few people, but I stand by it. This is not your average 150hr game, done and dusted, level 500 dwarfpony by weekend. It should be, and is, punishing. Although I wish it was as punishing as it was back in 2015-2016 before the big inflation over the course of 5-6 years.

 

[Mphoenix92]

If the OP didn't care about a slot being used by the wake scanner, they wouldn't have posted the idea. Evidently the slot is valueble to them.

Its all about making room for docking assist + supercruise assist + DSS + 2 slot MRP + limpet controller etc. And freeing up larger slots by shuffling small modules out of the larger slots. Pretending otherwise is pretty silly.

In the case of the wake scanner, its for freeing up a utility slot for another shield booster, heat sink launcher, or whatever.

Absolutely not. I would be happy to fit a wake scanner, otherwise I wouldn't have suggested its utility.

 

[Mphoenix92]

Also I'm gonna say this, because I know it's gonna annoy a few people, but I stand by it. This is not your average 150hr game, done and dusted, level 500 dwarfpony by weekend. It should be, and is, punishing. Although I wish it was as punishing as it was back in 2015-2016 before the big inflation over the course of 5-6 years.

"I like the grind, make me suffer FDaddy"

 

[DemiserofD]

Eh? Fit a wake scanner and just scan a wake or two each time you leave a station.

This whole thread looks to me like "give me the stuff even though I won't fit the module needed to get it". Probably to free up the slot for an extra shield booster?

Even my Cobra has room for a wake scanner.

Have you considered the possibility that multiple people complaining about something indicates there may be a problem?

Also, have you considered that it's possible to make a game that is enjoyable to more people than just yourself?

 

[Greasetrap42]

Have you considered the possibility that multiple people complaining about something indicates there may be a problem?

Every game has the 4% players that are going to complain. It doesn't mean there is something wrong with the game, it means there are 4% that try it, kinda like it, and want it changed to their personal preferences.

I'm not saying ED is a perfect game. It obviously is not. But this constant complaining by yoursef and a few others about not having enough slots to fit everything you want into a ship is really silly. A primary aspect of ED is ship building. Making decisions on what to include. Making compromises. Sure I get it... some players don't want to make decisions. They want to just pick from a selection of pre-fabbed vehicles from a menu. Well that's not ED.

 

[DemiserofD]

Every game has the 4% players that are going to complain. It doesn't mean there is something wrong with the game, it means there are 4% that try it, kinda like it, and want it changed to their personal preferences.

I'm not saying ED is a perfect game. It obviously is not. But this constant complaining by yoursef and a few others about not having enough slots to fit everything you want into a ship is really silly. A primary aspect of ED is ship building. Making decisions on what to include. Making compromises. Sure I get it... some players don't want to make decisions. They want to just pick from a selection of pre-fabbed vehicles from a menu. Well that's not ED.

I trust you have a source for that number?

Because thus far, all evidence completely contradicts everything you've said. In fact, I would say the absolute opposite is true; there are only about three stubborn players hellbent on preventing any change whatsoever. Meanwhile, there have been literally thousands of cases of people complaining about the engineering grind, many of which who have actually quit because of it. Hundreds of forum threads. Thousands of steam reviews.

Honestly though, I do appreciate your presence. By being so steadfast in your argument, yet having such terrible logic, you keep these threads at the top of the forums without weakening them in any way, constantly keeping them in the minds of any developers that might be reading. Keep it up.

 

[Greasetrap42]

I trust you have a source for that number?

Based on basic bell curve concept. There will always be a certain percentage of outliers on either end of the curve. I don't need a source for basic math concepts. My estimate of 4% complainers is actually unrealistically large. Consider yourself special.

there have been literally thousands of cases of people complaining about the engineering grind

Literally? Thousands? Maybe you have a source for that.

 

[Mphoenix92]

The fact is, the single worst part of the game is just how grindy anything and everything is when it comes to acquiring the necessary components for engineering or unlocking of new modules. The fact that the game engine makes it so that it's unavoidable that someone can log out/log in to reset an instance and infinitely farm for materials is not important; the fact that its such an onerous task that we prefer to emulate hamsters on wheels for 2 hours rather than play the game just so that we can unlock a thing faster IS the problem.


Ergo, making materials the likes of which we need for unlocking or upgrading more commonly awarded from playing the game in its intended gameplay loops is crucial to patching this egregious hole in the gameplay experience.


If people need X or Y or Z sets of materials to upgrade or unlock something, instead of flying to some obscure crash site or finding a specific system under specific conditions to log out/log in repeatedly to farm an instance, they should just... play intended gameplay loops. Mining for raw mats (but like, actually a lot of them, T3s and T4s. Nearly as much as you'd get for farming the bad way), killing pirates or partaking in war for manufactured (this one is fine as it is, just maybe improve the T5 droprate), and a better way to get data, like the one I suggested in the OP.

That's really it.