I'd like very much to have a talk with you. I should start by congratulating you on your success, well done. I can, without qualms, say Elite: Dangerous is the best space game I have ever played and I have played a lot of them in the last thirty to thirtyfive years.
Next, if I may, I'd like to talk about your "vision", the hopes and dreams for the future of the game you outlined prior to the release of Elite: Dangerous. I liked that vision. I liked it a lot. I liked it so much that I donated at the highest level available to me at the time ($250), ran out and bought a couple thousand dollars worth of upgrades and gizmos (SLI nVidia GPu's, x52pro, DK2, triple monitor stand, etc.) to give myself the most enjoyment possible while "testing" the game over the months until release. I don't blame you for my purchases and I don't regret them. At all. I've had the best gaming experiences with my purchases of my life, thanks to Elite: Dangerous.
What I'm trying to say is; the "vision", along with the Premium Beta I was able to access, was enough to motivate me to spend thousands of dollars (including extra ED purchase like skins etc.) on ED. That's a powerful thing, a very powerful thing. While ED is a great game, it's my opinion that it's still not reached the "vision", specifically and most importantly when it comes to gameplay cohesiveness. I can understand that ED is still evolving and growing, that's a great thing but, I feel it's important to point out what I personally feel is holding ED back from the "vision". Fragmentation, in a word. There's no "glue" for lack of a better term, that binds ED gameplay together. It very much, to me, feels like we are all playing in our own little galaxy with passing encounters with other players.
My understanding of the "vision" (please correct me if I'm wrong) was, at the most basic level, the galaxy and the gameplay in it would feel "connected" or shared by all players. I just don't get that from ED. It all seems so fragmented, compartmentalised and distant. The "vision", for me, held an open connected galaxy we could all play in and impact each other in, did I misinterpret the dream?
I don't want to criticise or sound harsh, that's not my intent.
Is that "vision" or dream still alive?
Next, if I may, I'd like to talk about your "vision", the hopes and dreams for the future of the game you outlined prior to the release of Elite: Dangerous. I liked that vision. I liked it a lot. I liked it so much that I donated at the highest level available to me at the time ($250), ran out and bought a couple thousand dollars worth of upgrades and gizmos (SLI nVidia GPu's, x52pro, DK2, triple monitor stand, etc.) to give myself the most enjoyment possible while "testing" the game over the months until release. I don't blame you for my purchases and I don't regret them. At all. I've had the best gaming experiences with my purchases of my life, thanks to Elite: Dangerous.
What I'm trying to say is; the "vision", along with the Premium Beta I was able to access, was enough to motivate me to spend thousands of dollars (including extra ED purchase like skins etc.) on ED. That's a powerful thing, a very powerful thing. While ED is a great game, it's my opinion that it's still not reached the "vision", specifically and most importantly when it comes to gameplay cohesiveness. I can understand that ED is still evolving and growing, that's a great thing but, I feel it's important to point out what I personally feel is holding ED back from the "vision". Fragmentation, in a word. There's no "glue" for lack of a better term, that binds ED gameplay together. It very much, to me, feels like we are all playing in our own little galaxy with passing encounters with other players.
My understanding of the "vision" (please correct me if I'm wrong) was, at the most basic level, the galaxy and the gameplay in it would feel "connected" or shared by all players. I just don't get that from ED. It all seems so fragmented, compartmentalised and distant. The "vision", for me, held an open connected galaxy we could all play in and impact each other in, did I misinterpret the dream?
I don't want to criticise or sound harsh, that's not my intent.
Is that "vision" or dream still alive?
