News Content Recap: Beyond - Chapter Four Livestream - Background Simulation and Scenarios

[rekurzion]

i like the check on aggressive expansionist. the background sim was becoming a bit one dimensional and too simple to manipulate. these changes are excellent.

however, i'm surprised we still cannot identify factions involved in a conflict from supercruise. this seems like an easy fix with all of the changes around providing more information. unless the new exploration features allows me to scan a conflict zone uss and determine the factions involved.

it's a bit much when an entire system is at war and there are 20 plus conflict zones having to go through each one to find what your looking for.

all in all great stuff FD, keep it coming.

 

[TheSisko]

Multiple States

• From Beyond - Chapter Four onwards, factions will no longer be limited to a single state. Instead a faction could be in multiple states per system.
• For example, rather than being in 'War' across all of the systems the faction is present in, the faction will only be at war in the single system in which the war is taking place.
• This new change means that the faction can also be in several different states at the same time. A faction could be in many different states, such as Bust and Civil Unrest.
• The Background Simulation is woven into the fabric of the galaxy, and so this change will impact everything from USS spawning to mission spawning. The systems your faction is present in may very well change up!
• The addition of multiple states means that managing an intergalactic empire will come with increased challenges. In order to make this more manageable we’ve added additional feedback to the game that should make interacting with the Background Simulation easier to understand.
• Part of this feedback includes how Local News works. We've expanded the faction summary news article, so that each faction has their own individual article which informs players of the states currently active in that system.

This alone is worth the free entrance fee for Beyond and should make mission boards very interesting. I was asking for this so I'm one very happy Commander tonight.

Thank you Frontier. [up]

 

[WorldsGreatestForumDad]

Wouldn't it be more interested if it was more meaningful? eg: A faction's mission/task to go and assault another faction's mega ship?

Wouldn't it be more interesting if it was more involved? eg: You were assigned a Wing of NPCs who you could give basic tactical commands to (attack this/defend that)?

As it stands, it's just another bolted on mini-game mechanic at almost a loose end. eg: Who's really going to participate in these? How often? Why?

And this was underlined in the livestream with, Yes, if another CMDRs was there they could sign up against you... Why would that ever happen unless the game orchestrates this via some joined up meaningful mechanics? eg: One Faction being told to attack a mega-ship, while another is told to defend it? And the game orchestrates this to facilitate meaningful PvP if that's what players are after. And God forbid Powerplay should try this, an obvious candidate to orchestrate PvP for those interested!

And of course conflict zones underline it too. Arrive in the mini-game and choose your side. It's as inconsequential as that. Surely with a war there should be more involvement than that? Surely your choice to fight for a side should mean more than the time until you next press "J" to jump out of the mini-game?

But as it is, we're 4yrs in and seeing baby steps of bolted on mechanics which even games from 20+ years ago trumped.


I wasn't expecting much from tonight, and Distress Calls to fly off and fetch something from somewhere else, to return it back to an NPC who simply won't care at all and will never join up with anything else, sort of sums it up...


I enjoyed the exploration changes. Any my big hopes for some really meaningful improvements are with mining now...

How do we say this without seeming like we are negative about it. Its hard.

I really like what they are offering here.

Huge changes. Its game changing.

However, when it comes down to two groups battling it out over a system. It boils down to who can complete the tasks quicker and how many times it can be done in the end with your group, and how much time each person has.

They added all this cool stuff. But its still going to be essentially a skilless NPC grind against Eachother.

Ill play around with this stuff a bit. But I wont get involved in any faction warefare. Or play the BGS in depth, until I can see the people on the other side.

We need defining winning and losing conditions when it comes to group vs group play.

Otherwise even with all the awesome stuff they have added. Its not far off from what we have now in terms of competitiveness. Which it has turned into.

 

[Garris]

I like the sound of this part too. Guys keep it coming and please don't back down.

 

[Captain Willard]

Nice work again. THX

 

[BromeTeks]

The war overhaul sounds fantastic! I don't know what other people are complaining about, that alone is desperately needed change that's been a long time coming. What I'm wondering-

Will the objectives & events also effect Powerplay conflict zones (eg Armed Revolts & Crime Sweeps)

Will events like the Alpha Squads include things like engineered enemy ships?

 

[NeilF]

How do we say this without seeming like we are negative about it. Its hard.

I really like what they are offering here.

Huge changes. Its game changing.

However, when it comes down to two groups battling it out over a system. It boils down to who can complete the tasks quicker and how many time it can be done in the end with your group.

They added all this cool stuff. But its still going to be essentially a skilless NPC grind against Eachother.

Ill play around with this stuff a bit. But I wont get involved in any faction warefare. Or play the BGS in depth, until I can see the people on the other side.

We need defining winning and losing conditions when it comes to group vs group play.

Otherwise even with all the awesome stuff they have added. Its not far off from what we have now in terms of competitiveness. Which it has turned into.

Well, I've always found all this sort of gameplay just too disjointed, mini-game'esque and basically shallow, for me at least.

The fact you can participate in a conflict zone, simply by choosing side (A) or (B) for the duration of the mini-game until you press J has always frustrated me, as it demonstrates the lack of joined up gameplay, mechanics and indeed depth in the game. And although the new mega ship "battles" look interesting, they again look a little lost being introduced as a further mini-game. I'd much rather now be seeing some more joined up gameplay, and more important deeper gameplay. Yes, the megaship gameplay we saw tonight was as step towards that. But boy it was a small step over an X year period...

The game needs to orchestrate and offer more involved PvE and PvP gameplay... I just can't see it happening now TBH with the ethos we've seen over the past few years eg: Can you envisage the game ever orchestrating a PvP gameplay mechanic for opposing players in Powerplay to fight each other? Or as part of a Faction? Can you even imagine far more complex combat scenarions just for PvE, attacking and taking out pirate installations in fighters from a capital ship, or escorting ships through an asteroid field, commanding a Wing of NPC fighters trying to get as many to the destination Asteroid Station as possible? It's gameplay we've seen before, elsewhere... But I don't think we'll see this sort of stuff in ED now unfortunately... The aim seems to be self contained simple mini-games.


Anyway! Bring on the mining improvements and some depth there! Fingers crossed!

 

[Garris]

Well, I've always found all this sort of gameplay just too disjointed, mini-game'esque and basically shallow, for me at least.

The fact you can participate in a conflict zone, simply by choosing side (A) or (B) for the duration of the mini-game until you press J has always frustrated me, as it demonstrates the lack of joined up gameplay, mechanics and indeed depth in the game. And although the new mega ship "battles" look interesting, they again look a little lost being introduced as a further mini-game. I'd much rather now be seeing some more joined up gameplay, and more important deeper gameplay. Yes, the megaship gameplay we saw tonight was as step towards that. But boy it was a small step over an X year period...

The game needs to orchestrate and offer more involved PvE and PvP gameplay... I just can't see it happening now TBH with the ethos we've seen over the past few years


Anyway! Bring on the mining improvements and some depth there! Fingers crossed!

aint gonna snip it, but yeah if you chose a conflict side you should be stuck with it until the war is over, +1 for that

 

[WorldsGreatestForumDad]

Well, I've always found all this sort of gameplay just too disjointed, mini-game'esque and basically shallow, for me at least.

The fact you can participate in a conflict zone, simply by choosing side (A) or (B) for the duration of the mini-game until you press J has always frustrated me, as it demonstrates the lack of joined up gameplay, mechanics and indeed depth in the game. And although the new mega ship "battles" look interesting, they again look a little lost being introduced as a further mini-game. I'd much rather now be seeing some more joined up gameplay, and more important deeper gameplay. Yes, the megaship gameplay we saw tonight was as step towards that. But boy it was a small step over an X year period...

The game needs to orchestrate and offer more involved PvE and PvP gameplay... I just can't see it happening now TBH with the ethos we've seen over the past few years


Anyway! Bring on the mining improvements and some depth there! Fingers crossed!

Exactly, you can see what they want to do. I wish they would just pull the trigger already.

 

[Bard Voronwe]

A lot of great features, a really good job! But I've got some questions especially about conflicts.

It's been said that the trigger system will remain the same, and that conflicts will be now managed in 7 days, with daily battles that, if won, will determine the resolution of the conlfict itself. We saw that a starport, or an outpost or a planetary station is the object of the contest between the factions, but what happens if the factions have more than one facility to contend? How these facilities are chosen? Can more than one change the controlling faction if the system is won? And what happens if both factions simply have nothing to fight for? Do they engage in conflict anyway as it happens now?

Another question: we've seen that conflict zones have now a little bar that shows the progress of the conflict zone itself, what happens when it's completed? Is that conflict zone done and we have to go somewhere else? Do these new conflict zones spawn once in a while?

 

[Joey2o15]

we're making a few changes to the Background Simulation

You're kidding me !! You're completely destroying the current BSG, some player groups have spent years working out how the BGS works and you're just gonna toss that out the window and start again. How are groups supposed to deal with multiple wars at once...having to fight in multiple battles a day... How much time do you think people have to play the game??? For many groups it'll be impossible to fight in half the daily battles, never mind in multiple systems. Large player groups will be wiped out. People have spent years building up their groups so this is massive you to them. Player groups have brought many players together and you're going to destroy that....unless you're able to field a large number of players at multiple times during the day for a week. Which few groups will be able to do. Years of hard work destroyed by one update....

We'll end up with a couple of huge players groups who'll be the only ones to have any hope of defending their space and have the ability to wipe out other smaller groups at will...

 

[Suhono]

Was anything said that addresses the current over-effectiveness of ship murder to influence BGS, especially as it compares to its law-abiding counterpart, bounty hunting?

 

[Quantis Trap]

I like what ive read about, but not sure about the term "happiness" makes the game sound very my little pony.

Prosperity would have been my word of choice.

Bad guys can be happy reeking destruction! Can destruction be prosperous? Hmmmm!

 

[Quantis Trap]

Was anything said that addresses the current over-effectiveness of ship murder to influence BGS, especially as it compares to its law-abiding counterpart, bounty hunting?

I too hope the balancing during the beta will be successful!

 

[ratcom]

So instead of "fixing" power play your going to destroy all the large PMF out there? really? Did anyone really sit down and think what this means to large groups?

Honestly disappointing, its like you dont want players who group together to succeed?

And that comment about "large factions have just not managed there states" is a insult to some of us.

..... and megaships..... so you want my faction to look after it while in my space for zero benefit.... wow[SUB]^{<strike> </strike>}[/SUB]
edit - My problem here is with the zero limits to system states, some groups could have 60 wars to fight at the same time! Other than no hard limit most of what you
​

 

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

Was anything said that addresses the current over-effectiveness of ship murder to influence BGS, especially as it compares to its law-abiding counterpart, bounty hunting?

That's to changelog and beta to discover. I suspect with rewrite of BGS they will plugged tons of bugs within it.

 

[BromeTeks]

You're kidding me !! You're completely destroying the current BSG, some player groups have spent years working out how the BGS works and you're just gonna toss that out the window and start again.

Hahah, the BGS is an obtuse trainwreck right now. It needed to be changed. Yeah it means that people who figured it out will have to learn the new system, but surely you cannot mean to suggest they should leave it in it's current state.

The fact that only a few player groups could make heads or tails of it is itself a problem. It needs to be transparent enough for everyone who wants to jump in to understand.

 

[CMDR-AD]

Good steps forward. Thanks Frontier for the presentation and work.

 

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

You're kidding me !! You're completely destroying the current BSG, some player groups have spent years working out how the BGS works and you're just gonna toss that out the window and start again. How are groups supposed to deal with multiple wars at once...having to fight in multiple battles a day... How much time do you think people have to play the game??? For many groups it'll be impossible to fight in half the daily battles, never mind in multiple systems. Large player groups will be wiped out. People have spent years building up their groups so this is massive you to them. Player groups have brought many players together and you're going to destroy that....unless you're able to field a large number of players at multiple times during the day for a week. Which few groups will be able to do. Years of hard work destroyed by one update....

We'll end up with a couple of huge players groups who'll be the only ones to have any hope of defending their space and have the ability to wipe out other smaller groups at will...

I don't know...just maybe....just maybe...if you are small group you just can't manage to own more than few systems?

It sounds like that's how always should have been. Expansion has been way too easy.

 

[Quantis Trap]

That's to changelog and beta to discover. I suspect with rewrite of BGS they will plugged tons of bugs within it.

Yes, I like my bugs fresh!

You're kidding me !! You're completely destroying the current BSG, some player groups have spent years working out how the BGS works and you're just gonna toss that out the window and start again. How are groups supposed to deal with multiple wars at once...having to fight in multiple battles a day... How much time do you think people have to play the game??? For many groups it'll be impossible to fight in half the daily battles, never mind in multiple systems. Large player groups will be wiped out. People have spent years building up their groups so this is massive you to them. Player groups have brought many players together and you're going to destroy that....unless you're able to field a large number of players at multiple times during the day for a week. Which few groups will be able to do. Years of hard work destroyed by one update....

We'll end up with a couple of huge players groups who'll be the only ones to have any hope of defending their space and have the ability to wipe out other smaller groups at will...

Personally, I think faction expansion should be easier at first but get much harder as the size of the faction expands and I think that's where they might be going with this. If so I'm all for it, but we won't know until the beta.