Are we hairsplitting? There was a public alpha then. Or whatever you call the access period prior to release. They even monetised it.
Drew Wagar's Thoughts
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Yes but as @Factabulous says they really weren't concerned, talking about branch developments and so on. Somewhere something had been missed obviously but I do think it's fair that both coming in under-target on content and framerates can be attributed to covid albeit for different reasons. Unfortunately from our player point of view and for quite a few people obviously, two in one was always going to be hard to take. Add on a few other factors, if not internet hysteria certainly some amping up, first world problems stylee and like you say running alpha close to launch and you've got covid madness on a stick, with sprinkles. Drew bleating on about lore, at a time like that, I hate to say it seems a bit of an unnecessary cherry to determindly put on the top.
Deleted member 182079
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Egosoft's X4 DLC Cradle of Humanity released in 2021
Hello Games' NMS got several (free) DLCs this year
SCS released DLC expansions in their usual quality for both ETS2 and ATS
Asobo released several (free) content and 'under the hood' updates for MSFS2020 this year
And I was even able to enjoy industry punchbag CP2077, completed the main story without any game-breaking issues while it looked and played smoothly and looking fabulous, on my second playthrough currently
These are merely examples from my own library from the top of my head, and I probably missed a few others.
Different mix of developers, large and small, capable of releasing stable, quality products during these challenging times (caveat on CP2077 obviously, but in direct comparison to Odyssey it runs rings around it from a tech and gameplay perspective, and it's a full game, not just a DLC). Frontier is somehow different though, got it.
Classic whataboutery hardly worth responding.
The fact is the launch of Ody was a monumental disaster and I'm not the least bit interested in relitigating that with only half the facts known to us the customer.
Nice. Not a punchbag o7 but from what I know those are expansions for the most part built on existing engines.
I don't think Frontier are different but I do think Odyssey represents a new engine (within the game).
It added feet which is a definite engine expansion rather than DLC per se, even though there was some UI reskinning in it too.
EDO is still a foul up, definitely but imo still not a capital offence.
Deleted member 182079
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Yes it's true, but as a consumer I shouldn't really have to care about what goes on under the hood (even if I may be interested regardless, YMMV), and I would even argue that a DLC shouldn't have such an impact on the existing base game. As far as I'm aware nobody asked for an engine replacement that impacts all areas of the game (not just the Odyssey specific stuff). I'd say Frontier are probably kicking themselves now in hindsight for making the decision to develop an engine update concurrently with new content... of course, it would be fascinating to hear the exact reasons why they did and maybe that would make us understand better the rationale.
To me feet are merely a variant of the SRV, with a different control model and avatar attached to it. What I did find interesting were the settlements, but the problem is they don't contain the kind of content that you'd expect from a game in 2021. All very bland, copy/paste and barebones in terms of interactivity and gameplay loops involved (again, YMMV). And they really dropped the ball when it came to properly integrating Odyssey into Horizons. I can see why they did it, easier to maintain it as a separate DLC, but it's the easy way out and the game suffers from it.
But of course it's not a capital offence, though it is pretty much the worst game content I purchased in recent years (if it had been any other game I'd have simply refunded it and moved on, but because I was so invested in Elite here I still am), and I'm sorry to say this, but that includes CP2077 - despite its flaws.
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No, but as you had already made the effort to mention alpha, it just made your comment appear even less informed.
So, what did you think of Odyssey when you tried it, you appeared to have sidestepped that response?
Elite is one of these games where the gamers have a huge passion and thoughts of where it should be going .
We have two sides .
Drew is on one side but has put his thoughts as to why and some may or may not like his reasons but they are his and relevant to some.
The game is broke and it will take a while for it not too be . And it's down to the individual gamer to make up their own minds .
We can all think we know why it was dropped in such a state but our opinions are irrelevant. It has happened.
Fdev have a lot to do fixing the game and repairing the trust to the player base ( my opinion) .
We have two sides .
Drew is on one side but has put his thoughts as to why and some may or may not like his reasons but they are his and relevant to some.
The game is broke and it will take a while for it not too be . And it's down to the individual gamer to make up their own minds .
We can all think we know why it was dropped in such a state but our opinions are irrelevant. It has happened.
Fdev have a lot to do fixing the game and repairing the trust to the player base ( my opinion) .
No, it's no secret that I never tried it and it's no secret that you don't have to try anything before forming an opinion about it. Especially since I was talking about a period where noone had had the opportunity to "try it out" but instead had to read between the marketing lines what it would be that they were about to "try out".
Both of us know you stopped playing the entire game some time since... Unless you had a change of heart and picked up again. But I suppose the forum is a nice, social space, even for those who no longer play.
Deleted member 182079
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I'm going to use next weeks' patch 8 as my own make or break moment (it's almost here now so may as well wait for a few more days) - been spending way too much time here discussing its issues and shortcomings (there's really not much left to say at this point), and much less time actually playing the game since May, and I feel if the trend in terms of what the patch brings is pointing into the wrong direction then maybe it's time to clear my head of this particular hobby; while it's not a big issue in the greater scheme of things of course, it still takes focus and energy (purely out of habit at this stage) away from other things I could be wasting my time on instead.
I think I'm using the word engine wrongly. You're right really that it is an SRV with legs, though avatar interaction into the BGS and a few other things besides, I think it is a bit deeper than that. Generic buildings? Yes sure. Did you see Dom Corner on Supercruise News this week, or Buur Pit's synopsis. If I was to take I guess I think Frontier still see ED very much in terms of it's code as a development, seeing reskinning as pretty much trivial, once you've locked down the functionality properly. In mentioning settlement NPC (and emotes) Dom was even quite specific that they are fully aware, it's almost deliberately bare-bones at this point.
As far as planet surfaces go though, I'm sure you'll remember they were originally intended to be the last part of Beyond! So kicking themselves for the ambition I doubt it, nil points for execution though! Actually I think it's quite a bit better than nil, as for the me the new planet surfaces look brilliant. Is Drew campaigning for the Odyssey surface textures to be migrated onto Horizons's planets, so familiar planets stay that way? Because changing the topgraphy really was a bold move. Personally I can live with it because of the update to bio/geos and overlay. It doesn't sound like Drew's Tour can though!
It is indeed. The main interest ususally shifts elsewhere, of course.
What are you playing now?
Deleted member 182079
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At the time I purchased the "Alpha" we didn't even know the release date. That was only announced towards the end of it if I remember correctly. And yes, I was surprised how you could have an Alpha so close to release, skipping Beta entirely and deliver those news with a straight face as if this was all planned long in advance.
Although I admit I had concerns about their schedule well before Christmas - because I think the preorder sales started in Autumn, the Alpha schedule was only announced early 2021 I believe?, so I wondered how they can squeeze both Alpha & Beta in before releasing it still in May, I actually assumed they'd simply delay release by a few weeks - and I still went ahead buying into it because I liked what they showed in the trailers (I also naively assumed the trailers and the Alpha only contained a smaller part of the content), and figured I'd buy it either way AND didn't expect it to be as bad as it turned out to be in the end. I didn't request a refund either because I felt assured by the whole 'main trunk' fairytale - that's on me for being so gullible and the money itself... water under a bridge, but won't make the same mistake again.
Everyone knows that youtubers can do all the thinking for some folk...Away from well informed and considered opinion you mean?
There appears to be a handful or so of posters here who have opinions formed by others rather than themselves, some are even quite vocal on those opinions, not the poster in question so much, though
Come now it is not even a year since they pulled this lame marketing stunt with us. And still the quality of the product is quite questionable.Away from well informed and considered opinion you mean?
I wish Drew a fond farewell. Most of our crew have stopped playing the game. Whether it's those who have SSD or Nvidia and cannot play seamlessly or those fed up with the actual gameplay. Not everyone wants a first person shooter. Where are the automated mining modules? Where are the temporary bases you could build? Instead we have grind for Merits, grind for Engineers, grind for anti Thargoid engineered weapons, first person pew pew on foot and the game simplified so much for the me now generation it makes a mockery of the name Elite Dangerous.
I just want to fly my ship, do things without the grind. I couldn't care less about on foot shoot 'em ups. If I wanted any of that I would not be playing Elite.
I just want to fly my ship, do things without the grind. I couldn't care less about on foot shoot 'em ups. If I wanted any of that I would not be playing Elite.
There went quite a few of us... When pre-orders were announced there were probably others, as well as me, who were under the impressions that alpha would be much earlier in the year, then told it would be Spring...
Alpha was worth paying for, for me, because it was fun and there was a lot of hours bought for just a tenner...
Release still has issues after 5 months, Update 8 has had the "significant" removed from performance improvements and pushed to Update 9, or later... But, at least the content appears to be having some of the expected launch features gradually added.
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