Design decision forum member

Styggron · Dec 3, 2012

Hello all.

Bar what is written on the pledge for £300 does anyone have any additional info about being a design decision forum member ?

My take on it is this, please let me know your views and if Ashley or anyone else from Frontier can shed more light that would be great.

1. Such a person would obviously have access to a restricted forum where they would be shown ship designs/station designs etc and they can comment and maybe even vote or at least they would have Frontier's closer ear.

2. I don't think that would cover things like gameplay design....or would it ?

3. Can I ask if there are any ELITE players here from 1984/85 that are part of that tier.

Cheers in advance everyone.

SnowGhost · Dec 3, 2012

The cynic in me points out that they say you're a member. Absolutely nothing about FD listening to you. So it could just be that you get to see what FD are talking about.

I'm interested, but, same as Styggron, it's nearly $500 for that level for me and, well, with a mortgage and a kid it's an aweful of lot disposable $$$. It's doable, but it's a stretch.

Aewarin Jameson · Dec 3, 2012

Styggron said:
2. I don't think that would cover things like gameplay design....or would it ?

3. Can I ask if there are any ELITE players here from 1984/85 that are part of that tier.

2) Why not - one of many reasons that suggested pledging higher was an attractive offer
3) yes.

Carsten · Dec 3, 2012

I am interested in this info as well

Aewarin Jameson · Dec 4, 2012

http://forums.frontier.co.uk/showpost.php?p=28648&postcount=105
"Susimetsa has hit the nail on the head here. The problem with getting answers for many of the questions asked here, is that there currently isn't an answer I can get you. Whilst most of the tech is in place, the majority of the design decisions will be made in the months after we reach our pledge level, drawing heavily from the feedback and suggestions of the community and pledgers."

1) Yes, but it's more than just ship design decisions
2) Yes it's more than just chosing ships
3) Yes

Styggron · Dec 4, 2012

Liqua said:
1) Yes, but it's more than just ship design decisions
2) Yes it's more than just chosing ships
3) Yes

Excellent.

So Liqua I gather you are in the £300 tier. I was just curious to know if there were players from 1984 on there to see it all goes the right way so to speak.

I can't afford the $460+ to be in the tier I'm afraid.

Aewarin Jameson · Dec 4, 2012

Styggron said:
I was just curious to know if there were players from 1984 on there to see it all goes the right way so to speak.

I am but 1 voice amongst many ... but I will do my best to steer this the right way

G_nome camp__ · Dec 4, 2012

I am tempted to go for that tier but the jump from £150 to £300 will only give me the alpha test and the design forum. For me I would like a few more things to warrent doubling my pledge. I have put in another £50 for a mug and a tshirt but unless a) There are new tiers put in later or b) We are not going to make the final amount, I can't see myself pledging that much.

Ashley Barley · Dec 4, 2012

To give a little bit of clarification on this pledge tier. Whilst we will be taking suggestions from all of our pledgers and community members, and providing regular updates of course, the design discussion forum will get the opportunity to give their input on key design decisions which will be communicated to them through the forum.

Say, for example, we're working on a particular element of the game. The initial stage would be to use existing community suggestions and the expertise of the dev team to create multiple solutions to this game element. We could then share these various options with the design discussion forum and let them give their views, which would then in turn help to inform our final design decision.

Whilst I don't know exactly what design elements would go through this process at this stage, it is fair to say that it could cover quite a broad range of game elements and also give members of that forum a much better insight into how development of ED is going.

QuartzHair · Dec 4, 2012

What I don't quite understand is that other Kickstarter projects such as Double Fine and Star Citizen did this for all backers. Most also granted access to alpha or beta for low level backers.

Part of me feels that the high price for what on other Kickstarters is included in lower tiers - is yet another barrier to Elite.

And as you point out - it isn't all that clear what it actually means anyway...

StefanOS · Dec 4, 2012

I am in, and I played ELITE on my C64 for years...

[VR] Shadowman · Dec 4, 2012

You have your opportunities to voice your opinions on here and on the KS, as does everyone who backs the project. The design decision forum member for me, suggests that those who aren't just passing by and who have invested quite heavily in the game, get a little more input. This sounds perfectly reasonable to me.

I for one am glad this and the alpha and beta are not set to a really low level, because FD will never be able to satisfy *everyone's* desires. Opening it up will generate far too many opinions from people who at the end of the day don't really care about the game, they just want to have their moment. I could be wrong about this ofc, because I don't know what's included in the forum, but that's my take on it at the moment.

Spacegamer · Dec 4, 2012

I see the £75 tier you get access to the "Private backer's discussion forum", what ever that means?.
Probably not what I am thinking

unfortunate choice of words they used there.

Styggron · Dec 5, 2012

Liqua said:
I am but 1 voice amongst many ... but I will do my best to steer this the right way

Cheers Liqua

@Ashley thank you so much for giving us that info.

Capt. Hook · Dec 11, 2012

Ashley Barley said:
To give a little bit of clarification on this pledge tier. Whilst we will be taking suggestions from all of our pledgers and community members, and providing regular updates of course, the design discussion forum will get the opportunity to give their input on key design decisions which will be communicated to them through the forum.

Say, for example, we're working on a particular element of the game. The initial stage would be to use existing community suggestions and the expertise of the dev team to create multiple solutions to this game element. We could then share these various options with the design discussion forum and let them give their views, which would then in turn help to inform our final design decision.

I'm chewing over this again and wondering if this pledge level will be some kind of high level polling service? Vote 1, 2 or 3 for game direction etc or will it be more than this? I hope so.

Slawkenbergius · Dec 12, 2012

QuartzHair said:
What I don't quite understand is that other Kickstarter projects such as Double Fine and Star Citizen did this for all backers. Most also granted access to alpha or beta for low level backers.

Part of me feels that the high price for what on other Kickstarters is included in lower tiers - is yet another barrier to Elite.

And as you point out - it isn't all that clear what it actually means anyway...

I think the problem with opening it to all backers would be that you'd get a lot of input from people who maybe aren't as closely involved in the game. If all pledge tiers sell out, there will be 905 members of the DDF (if my counting is correct), with a subset of those being prolific contributors. It's more of a focus group, consisting of people who care strongly about the game and will read a large majority of posts, which wouldn't be possible or worthwhile if there were 20,000 members!

I for one am looking forward to being a member. If there's a section on sound design, I'd love to be a moderator there if anyone's listening!

Dr Wookie · Dec 12, 2012

Slawkenbergius said:
If all pledge tiers sell out, there will be 905 members of the DDF (if my counting is correct), with a subset of those being prolific contributors. It's more of a focus group, consisting of people who care strongly about the game and will read a large majority of posts, which wouldn't be possible or worthwhile if there were 20,000 members!

That's quite a big if at the moment, although some more might be attracted in the last big push. At the moment there are about 270 pledges at DDF level or above. This includes me

!

*PLUG* I"m actually a professional astronomer, being payed by NASA to hunt for black holes in nearby galaxies (mostly the Andromeda galaxy at the moment). I would be very happy to lend expertise on spacey things! *PLUG*

Cmdr Sharky · Dec 16, 2012

I'm a DDF member, and I played Elite on the Beeb back in '83 or '84.

I have no delusions of grandeur regarding my membership. If they just share details and canvass general opinions and then make their own decisions, then that's fine. It's their game.

Likewise, I have no illusions about alpha or beta playability. I was in the Mists of Pandaria beta, and there were loads of "entitlement brats" whinging that they had been robbed because the game wouldn't run on their PC and that they therefore didn't have the "access" that they were promised. If it won't run on my PC then I will do everything I can to help diagnose and solve the problem, but I won't complain or about it, and I will have no sympathy with anyone who does not take a constructive attitude.

[VR] Shadowman · Dec 16, 2012

PhilHibbs said:
I'm a DDF member, and I played Elite on the Beeb back in '83 or '84.

I have no delusions of grandeur regarding my membership. If they just share details and canvass general opinions and then make their own decisions, then that's fine. It's their game.

Likewise, I have no illusions about alpha or beta playability. I was in the Mists of Pandaria beta, and there were loads of "entitlement brats" whinging that they had been robbed because the game wouldn't run on their PC and that they therefore didn't have the "access" that they were promised. If it won't run on my PC then I will do everything I can to help diagnose and solve the problem, but I won't complain or about it, and I will have no sympathy with anyone who does not take a constructive attitude.

Well said. I think along the same lines.

The Space Pirate · Dec 16, 2012

£300... I'm tempted to go to £100 for the alpha/beta/whatever it is test, maybe £150 at an absolute push, but £300 is out of the question for me.

*PLUG* I"m actually a professional astronomer, being payed by NASA to hunt for black holes in nearby galaxies (mostly the Andromeda galaxy at the moment). I would be very happy to lend expertise on spacey things! *PLUG*

Really? Cool! I might have tried to get into that line of work, had I been this interested in Astronomy at school. Hindsight is a wonderful thing...