Don't we WANT to support the devs RIGHT NOW?

[Limoncello Lizard]

It all comes down to the lack of transparency in communication. It's been a week since the announcement and still no word except Sandro's giggling.

Are you really that surprised?
With the typical overreaction that FD get from whatever they say, they are far better off letting the forums just flame on until players actually try it out in Beta or 2.2. This will all roll over and be accepted, just the way that instant ship replacement on rebuy is, since it's excactly the same instant movement in game.

 

[Monk]

That's kind of sad...

Anger management is a real thing.

I'm a big guy so it is definitely scary for people when I lose my top in person.

I'm getting help, no worries.

 

[COOPER TTE]

I found Sandro's reasoning's insufficient and his stance closed off.

For example, he said ship transfer would be instant or take a long time. So in the spirit of making the most happy and "taking down barriers to fun" they are going with instant. No mention of compromise between the two extremes. That got my blood simmering.

Then he goes on like they aren't going to change it and uses some examples many of us believe would be detrimental to the experience of the game. The Jaques example, to be specific. My blood started to boil.

Later, I see MB talking about how instant txfr was chosen because of possible points of failure and other complications with delay (though he was unspecific, as usual). At this point my blood probably would have sublimated if exposed to air. I should have bit into a baby asprin and had some 'recreational' help at this point but I was so red zone. Like an amped up attack dog I started biting at everything (though, I'm pretty sure I never attacked anyone personally but my attitude was something I'm not proud of).

I bored my wife with the intricate details, had a sleep and am now looking at this with fresh eyes. I'm still not happy about it, but I'm content to wait and see while offering my opinion where appropriate.

My post didn't make clear my initial views - i was similarly appalled. Sandro, like anyone, is "just zis guy, you know?" and the way he made his points on a given evening (under fairly amateur interrogation and conditions to be fair) shouldn't be seen as the company's views or reasoning. I'm pretty sure a pre-prepared question would have received a more comprehensively satisfactory answer. But would the same result with better framing have been more fulfilling? Is Sandro a worse dev manager because of one bad live interview?

 

[Alric]

How people can get so stressed and ragey about something they haven't even tried yet is beyond me

This particular type of change is not something unique to Elite Dangerous. It's likely that a good chunk of the player base has more direct experience with how changes to travel/equipment transfer time affect online games than the devs do.

 

[Monk]

My post didn't make clear my initial views - i was similarly appalled. Sandro, like anyone, is "just zis guy, you know?" and the way he made his points on a given evening (under fairly amateur interrogation and conditions to be fair) shouldn't be seen as the company's views or reasoning. I'm pretty sure a pre-prepared question would have received a more comprehensively satisfactory answer. But would the same result with better framing have been more fulfilling? Is Sandro a worse dev manager because of one bad live interview?

Perhaps, but the facts at the root of it all are still the same and I don't agree with the basic premise.

Could it have been handled with more tact? Yes, and that would have probably resulted in less vitriol (though some have it no matter what). Sometimes I gotta remind myself that FDev put their developers out there with their necks exposed. It is very brave and perhaps a bit foolish. Compare that to the CoD devs who stuff their interviews full of artists who are completely prepped and will deliver the messaging in the best light possible.

 

[VR jefranklin18]

I have been critical of Frontier, although more for delivery and communications than execution. I am frustrated that nothing about 2.3, 2.4 & 3 were shown at Gamescom, I am frustrated about the general lack of comms and frustrated that the season 2 schedule has slipped so much. However I have come to the realisation that badgering Frontier constantly is not going to fix any of it though. They have chosen their execution strategy, so I either accept or move on.

 

[AstroCreep]

Everyone's entitled to their opinion, sometimes we agree with FD and tell them, sometimes we don't and tell them, no harm done.

 

[Lobstris]

TBH. I really appreciate that we did get a fourth Elite game, and if ever I'm passing through Cambridge I'd happily buy any FDev geezers who were in the same drinking establishment as me a pint, or some wasabi peanuts for the Loach. They eat peanuts right?

Or I could just buy all of the wireframe ship skins when they appear, just to give Ed more money for hair products.

 

[DragoonKnight]

It's a turbulent moment; some think recent and proposed game changes are miss-thought or damaging- even game changing. Maybe I agree with some aspects at the moment...

On all sides of every single debate going on right now (ship transfers, existing gameplay annoyances & bug fixes, lack of C&P solution and many more things) there are ultimatums, hurt and hyperbole being thrown round like this current change might be the end.

ED might right now be in a great position. Player numbers seem to be up whether that's due to Gamescom announcements, promised mysteries, new content promos, maybe other IP failures etc who knows? That makes it a great time to make things even more appealing to new buyers. Now is the time for all players - old and new - to constructively support development options and not make final demands. Why?

Planet Coaster went into pre-purchase just recently. A really great potential cross platform app that shouldn't need too much post-release attention but from which the income could really (likely) be a part of the plan to keep ED working for many years as hoped - DBOBE's dream.

In the meantime, some FD decisions could rankle and may or may not be reversed. But threatening to remove support for FD when individual decisions don't go our way will be counter productive. Trusting FDEV staff - even when mistakes are evident - and supporting them to improve will help to ensure a longer lifetime for this unique and amazing game. So what I'm saying is...

Yeah, I'm not happy with some recent decisions but much more IMPORTANTLY I want to support FDEV in their commercial endeavours and continue to give feedback so that ED can aspire to a 10-year improvement plan rather than a 4 year exit plan

Thank you CMDRs

My Credit Card is ready. Sell me paintjobs for the Corvette. Otherwise FD will have to wait a bit..... I am certainly going to purchase season 3. That is supporting them too.

 

[Darth CareBear]

Agreed. I wouldn't want anyone or FDev to think that my vocal dissent with recent choices is a sign that I'm going to give up on the game. I'm not a 5 year old who will just toss all my toys when things don't go my way. I will go on with the game because so much of it was and remains to be very appealing to me.

However, I am seeing a pattern in development that I believe does not coincide with core values of Elite. Rather, I see a pattern of development that is trying to cater to a larger audience that is not familiar with Elite or similar games of its nature. I'm seeing marginally successful attempts at attracting a more generalized crowd of gamers. However, I see every day how the attempts are not working. Every day there is another thread from someone who doesn't really "get" space games like Elite who then goes on a rant telling us how bad the game is and how they are upset they spent any money on such an "empty" game.

Focus on your core audience, heck, squeeze us for more money, if you have to. Just please stop trying to turn this into something everyone wants to play because that is impossible.

Perhaps thats the issue, the core gamers dont make up enough numbers to pay the bills, imagine the other side of casual gamers are larger and carry more cash? To...well keep paying the bills that gets us all to keep playing this game?!

If frontier shareholders and Braben are under cash and resource pressure, not saying they are, then what do you do to keep the game going?

Just saying...

 

[Julio Montega]

Perhaps thats the issue, the core gamers dont make up enough numbers to pay the bills, imagine the other side of casual gamers are larger and carry more cash? To...well keep paying the bills that gets us all to keep playing this game?!

If frontier shareholders and Braben are under cash and resource pressure, not saying they are, then what do you do to keep the game going?

Just saying...

On the other hand,
the "casual player" if you pardon the use of that wording
is in for quick action. A short lived investment,
where the hardcore player is willing to further the investment
in E: D by buying micro-transactions on the larger scale,
add to the game with fiction and being a part of the game
to make it a step more believable and active,
compared to stale gameplay.

 

[Iori]

When it comes to Frontier, its always a mixed bag of awesome and awful, I really don't know what stance to really take, love so much about them and yet so many things      me off.

 

[OriginalBadBoy]

Of course it's like that, making a change to the game that isn't well supported by the playerbase, it can easily lead to the alienation of your best customers, they might not go elsewhere immediately but they will in time, it's a slippery slope from sandbox to themepark, from fanboys to casuals, we're doomed I tell you

Talk about over reaction ....

NGE was a cluster**** of epic proportions. There are so many changes in 2.2 that are going to affect the game anyway, ship transfer is just one part of that. I have seen nothing that even approaches that level of insanity. Also don't forget that of all the types of people that SOE decided to pee off it was hardcore Starwars fans. Those guys are mentally unhinged anyway and are so emotionally invested it was going to happen at some point. At least TOR has redeemed that to a point.

Players may go elsewhere over time anyway ... thats just part and parcel of running a game over a long period.

 

[Parmo]

Do the devs want to support us?
If FD was a utility company it would have appalling flak from Ofgem UK for shoddy customer services never mind the Trade Descriptions Act 1968: an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which prevents manufacturers, retailers or service industry providers from misleading consumers as to what they are spending their money on. The universe is BIG and DANGEROUS - it ain't convenient.
In the latter respect the software industry seems to live in a charmed universe.

 

[COOPER TTE]

Perhaps, but the facts at the root of it all are still the same and I don't agree with the basic premise.

Could it have been handled with more tact? Yes, and that would have probably resulted in less vitriol (though some have it no matter what). Sometimes I gotta remind myself that FDev put their developers out there with their necks exposed. It is very brave and perhaps a bit foolish. Compare that to the CoD devs who stuff their interviews full of artists who are completely prepped and will deliver the messaging in the best light possible.

I don't agree with instant ships as a premise either, at all. Long term backers setting up ultimatum with FD about short-term player needs doesn't help long-term funding for the game either. Mistakes may be made but long term support from all committed players old and new will allow for correction and redevelopment over time. Threatening to walk, cut funding, and leave the future of the game in the hands of 'casuals' (a total fallacy btw) is only to kill the game we dreamt of

My Credit Card is ready. Sell me paintjobs for the Corvette. Otherwise FD will have to wait a bit..... I am certainly going to purchase season 3. That is supporting them too.

That's the spirit!

 

[Darth CareBear]

On the other hand,
the "casual player" if you pardon the use of that wording
is in for quick action. A short lived investment,
where the hardcore player is willing to further the investment
in E: D by buying micro-transactions on the larger scale,
add to the game with fiction and being a part of the game
to make it a step more believable and active,
compared to stale gameplay.

Also valid point, casual is such a non specific word, i just see it used so much. If i had to describe myself i would be a casual...only coz i have 2 hrs a day not everyday, coz real life like most of us...but i still see myself as here to the end and have been for last 2 years.

So does that not make me a hybrid with some hardcore flair. I never go on rants that say im leaving...no really im leaving...but i do take breaks.

I plow on average $60USD monthly on various games and wont mind doing that for ED if they needed it and to support...i imagine thats who they would mostly tend to try and cater for...i still am reserved on the changes as a wait and see before i vent!

 

[askavir]

Perhaps thats the issue, the core gamers dont make up enough numbers to pay the bills, imagine the other side of casual gamers are larger and carry more cash? To...well keep paying the bills that gets us all to keep playing this game?!

If the only way a restaurant can keep its door open is by stop serving steak and serve fish instead, and I don't like fish, why would I care if it keeps its doors open? I'd rather go eat someplace else that sells steak. A closed steak restaurant and an open fish restaurant are exactly the same to me: places I won't go for a meal.

If a game begins to radically change design direction and its no longer the direction that lured me into the game in the first place, it becomes the new fish restaurant, and likewise why should I care if the fish pays the bills if I don't like fish?

 

[OriginalBadBoy]

If the only way a restaurant can keep its door open is by stop serving steak and serve fish instead, and I don't like fish, why would I care if it keeps its doors open? I'd rather go eat someplace else that sells steak.

If a game begins to radically change design direction and its no longer the direction that lured me into the game in the first place, it becomes the fish restaurant, and likewise why should I care if the fish pays the bills if I don't like fish?

Eat chicken instead.... Much simplier

 

[Chris Simon]

Anger management is a real thing.

I'm a big guy so it is definitely scary for people when I lose my top in person.

I'm getting help, no worries.

I meant Sandro's performance, not yours. :

 

[askavir]

Eat chicken instead.... Much simplier

I like chicken. As long as its not fish.