CQC and Exploring

[Allitnil]

From today's update:

As announced at E3 we have a new game mode coming to Elite: Dangerous with CQC Championship. This multiplayer arena style combat uses specialised ships for quick dip in and out combat. The ships in CQC Championship are separate from the ships you own in the main game and there is no penalty for destruction in the same way as in the main game. Naturally this mode will feed into the main game and we’re considering it as another career role that players can take part in. Within CQC Championship there are two paths of progression.

The first is integral to CQC Championship itself and provides a ladder of upgrades and prestige as you rise through the ranks. Players earn experience by completing various actions in matches (such as kills or assists) and so progressing through the ranks. Different ranks will unlock ships, equipment and abilities and once the top rank is reached then it is possible to wrap around to further increase your status.

The second and parallel path connects with the main game with its equivalent of the Pilots Federation ranks. Players can also earn credits with the matches which are then available in the main game. As it is structured event outside of the normal flow of play it makes it easy to partake and a boon for explorers who are often thousands of light years away from civilization!

I'm interested in getting explorers' thoughts on the implications of the last paragraph of this quote (whether CQC is in itself a good idea or not isn't an explorer issue).

To my mind it is immersion breaking to be able to both take part in CQC whilst tens of thousands of light years from home AND for it to affect the "real" ED universe. I've no issue with CQC itself and I would be happy for it to be implemented as either (a) something totally separate from the current game which any CMDR can take part in at any time or (b) something tied into the game but you need to be docked at a station to take part. Both of those seem perfectly valid choices which don't adversely impact on any part of the current game. What I'm not keen on is that all of a sudden we are supposed to be able to be able to compete against CMDRs many thousands of LY away in a context that is firmly within the ED universe. For me that requires a level of technology far ahead of what we currently have in-game. Indeed, with such technology there is no reason whatsoever to not have our discoveries automatically registered as we make them. Or for us to have the ability to teleport back home to indulge in some pew-pew or other gameplay element any time we wish and then teleport back to our exploration ships. And, for the avoidance of any possible doubt, I consider the isolation from the other parts of the game to be a major advantage of exploring

But what do the rest of you think? Do you think the ability to take part in CQC wherever you are is a "boon" as the devs think or a negative as I see it?

 

[Asp Explorer]

My understanding is that is a self-contained and completely different game. We'll get to find out soon enough.

Earning credits from participating I would handwavium as placing bets on the matches via Galnet or somesuch, and the proceeds simply sent to you. Would be interesting if you had losses too

 

[dannywhac]

As it's only cold hard cash that gets transferred over to the main game, it's not got a major impact for people out in the black - after all, you can't spend it till you're back. I'm sort of thinking CQC as the equivalent of a mini game you can jump out of your pilots seat, crack open a cold one and play - bit like Dejarik.

If we could register our disco's and teleport, that would knacker exploring - getting your data back is tbh the only real up front risk we have at the mo.

I think the phrase 'immersion breaking' is bandied around a little too much on the forums. That's not a dig at you Allitnill - more so others that use the phrase every other thread they start.

 

[AntiDisco]

From what they said so far, it's just a VR game set up by Hudson for recruitement purposes.
That brings us back to the data transfer problem and honestly they messed that up with the newsfeed integration of PP, so it doesn't make much of a difference anymore if there is another "immersion breaker".
In my opinion the possibility to particpate as an explorer is the main interesting thing about CQC. I'm no big fan of the whole Quake in space thing...

 

[gooddoc]

But I'm an Explorer....I go out & explore!

If I was interested in the 'pewpewpew...if it moves, blast it to bits' side of the game, then I'd hang around stations & grief noobs.

More updates for the game...more pewpew for the game

 

[CMDR Alonso]

You want inmersion? Easy, roleplay this:

When you play CQC you're a different commander (for example: the brother/sister/frinds of your commander) and you send the credits you earn to your friend/borther/sister commander who's explorating the galaxy.

Seems even better

 

[Ulysses_W]

When I first saw that paragraph I really wanted to say something similar to what you posted, but it would have been the first reply to the OP, and to be honest, I chickened out.

I've often thought about opening a second account so I can get involved in some pew pew but my inner self knows it would be a massive mistake.

I'm an explorer, and I made a very conscious decision to leave civilisation behind to explore the Galaxy. Even though I say so myself, I'm proud of what I've achieved, and I feel that I belong to a rather exclusive club of like minded players who have the highest regard for.

CQC should IMHO, be something that takes place in the main game. The arenas should be constructions that we plot a course to, dock our working ships with it, pay our entry fee and pew pew till we drop. I'm all for that.

To have CQC as a menu option similar to the training courses, and have the credits carry over to the real game is, to me, simply ludicrous.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

As it is structured event outside of the normal flow of play it makes it easy to partake and a boon for explorers who are often thousands of light years away from civilization!

Does anyone at Frontier Developments explore? My gawd man, they really don't understand do they?

*ahem*

The whole flipping point of flipping exploring is the flipping immersion you experience. If they think the exploring mechanic in itself is a fun mini-game which I enjoy they're completely dislocated from reality here. Christ in a rowing boat. Did they shoehorn "explorers" in there so they can say: see! we're keeping you in mind. Honestly.

Right, need to cool down. Putting on some Creedence and scanning some planets out of spite.

 

[Katejina]

I personally like the idea but fear potential freak accidents that may cause one to lose data when reappearing in your own ship...

We could always treat it as a simulation run by our on-board computers. Credits are treated as vouchers until we return to occupied space. Could be treated as an "incentive" for doing well in CQC since it is sort of treated as a recruitment mechanism.

 

[Dommarraa]

Cant be bothered with combat, and even less bothered with fighting humans.

 

[Sysmon]

Right, need to cool down. Putting on some Creedence and scanning some planets out of spite.

Don't spitefully scan, that leads to Dark Things!

S

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Don't spitefully scan, that leads to Dark Things!

S

Just scanned the crap out of an ice world. Never knew what hit it.

I like dark things.

 

[Kloothufter]

I must say I like the idea, towards the end of my 6 weeks journey I was really itching to do some fighting. But then again, I'm only a casual explorer

 

[Sysmon]

Just scanned the crap out of an ice world. Never knew what hit it.

I like dark things.

You hang in space over a titanic snowball, whispering to it: "I know you..."

 

[Gut Rumble]

All I like to do is Explore or mine , I have no interest in shooting people.
.
Even my home base where I mine is not in a PP zone

 

[iain666]

You hang in space over a titanic snowball, whispering to it: "I know you..."

But then it whispers back "not like I know your mum" and it all gets weird.

 

[John Smallberries]

Before I read this I had been thinking someone should be organizing gladiator matches, with organized betting. ED could use more entrepreneurial spirit, but a max instance of 32 might be limiting. ED could also use a cash transfer mechanism. That being missing, someone rich players who play a lot could start to function as a bank, conducting transactions between players in metals, maintaining accounts...storing the goods would be a challenge. If only type 9s were cheap enough, they could maintain fleets of ships with full holds. People who weren't flying ships with metal on board could still conduct business with other players, more conveniently.

I don't play enough but wish I had the time to build something like that, until Frontier included it...