ED:The waiting game ...that sends me back to X3

Sir Flemming · Dec 23, 2014

I want to like this game! I really do! I loved the original on my C64 and it influenced my life in many ways. I have really been looking forward to this ...but something is missing ...or maybe I am missing the point?
This post is not meant as a general critisism of Elite Dangerous and everything in it. Neither is it a comparison between space sims. I just want to share my thoughts. I have a feeling I can't be the only one...

I just clicked 'Save and Exit'. Huh!? Why!? What's wrong here? My girlfriend is out and I have the whole evening to myself, but instead of enjoying hours of space exploration in my newly purchased Viper, I find myself ...well, writing this post and I bet that afterwards I will load up my last save in X3:Terrain Conflict (which I bought a month ago). Why?

I guess I am simply not having enough fun in ED. I do not feel immersed. I work 40+ hours a week and when I finally get the chance to fire up my pc and dive into a game, I want to have fun and I want to be absorbed. (Don't get me wrong. I am not the kind of player who wants everything served on a silver platter in the shape of fast paced action and big flashing hints. I have been a pc gamer for 25 years. I like long streched games, I like challenges, I like perma-death or a steep learning curve.) I want to feel part of the universe I am playing in. I want to be consumed, fascinated, challenged, and I want to be able to shape and control which ever game universe I am in... but in ED I find myself waiting.

I am waiting for my Viper to arrive at the station, I am waiting for a space platform to grant me a docking permit, because 15 sidewinders are queuing up. I am waiting for the blue 'jump' indicator so I can check out the unknown signal ...oh, it was just that high tech transporter again ...well, I will go wait some more for something to happen. It just feels tedious, slow and dead somehow. And it never really feels as if all the other online players are there (except when everyone is trying to dock at the same time). I don't really feel as if I am part of the universe, I feel as if I am flying around 400 billion stars with no aim, and every time I want to do something, explore something, experience something I end up spending my time ...waiting.

Some might say it is up to me, that I am not getting it. And maybe they are right. I sincerely hope they are. I am not giving up on ED. I am still hoping for this game to win me over and I intend to give it a fighting chance ...but tonight I choose X3:TC. I have had enough for now of supercruising the galaxy without going anywhere (...or going too far). In spite of X3 being a solo game (and an old one) it gives me the feeling of being part of a universe which seems much more vast and alive. And best of all, there are so many posibilities, so much to do ...and I don't have to wait all the time.

gazzareth · Dec 23, 2014

Sir Flemming said:
I am waiting for my Viper to arrive at the station, I am waiting for a space platform to grant me a docking permit, because 15 sidewinders are queuing up. I am waiting for the blue 'jump' indicator so I can check out the unknown signal ...oh, it was just that high tech transporter again ...well, I will go wait some more for something to happen. It just feels tedious, slow and dead somehow. And it never really feels as if all the other online players are there (except when everyone is trying to dock at the same time). I don't really feel as if I am part of the universe, I feel as if I am flying around 400 billion stars with no aim, and every time I want to do something, explore something, experience something I end up spending my time ...waiting.

Some might say it is up to me, that I am not getting it. And maybe they are right. I sincerely hope they are. I am not giving up on ED. I am still hoping for this game to win me over and I intend to give it a fighting chance ...but tonight I choose X3:TC. I have had enough for now of supercruising the galaxy without going anywhere (...or going too far). In spite of X3 being a solo game (and an old one) it gives me the feeling of being part of a universe which seems much more vast and alive. And best of all, there are so many possibilities, so much to do ...and I don't have to wait all the time.

TBH I hated X3 until I got rid of the plot and installed the guilds and a lot of other mods - after that it was ok. Although I never felt like I was in space, because of the daft "gate" system and the fact the planets are just a backdrop. On the plus side there is a LOT more traffic in a much, much smaller space compared to Elite.

I much prefer the mechanics of Elite, but occasionally it seems to take an age to get to the USS's in particular - in fact if I am going fast enough for the speed to be rated in "c" then I ignore them, just go to them when I am at slower speeds. Going to the stations isn't so bad because at least you can be manouvering around the planet, and as I don't play in open then queuing isn't an issue for me - but that is a choice you make by playing open and hanging around busy systems, if you don't like that aspect of the game (and I would hate it tbh) then either drop to group / solo or head off to a less populated cluster. Hopefully over time the amount of NPC traffic will be increased as well as the chance of getting interdicted in the more lawless areas of space.

Never really felt like I was waiting for something though, then again I played FSX for years so perhaps I am just used to it (after a LOT of transatlantic flights - even with time compression)....

G

anikaiful · Dec 23, 2014

Played X3 for a whooping 10 minutes... got bored. ED, not bored at all after 300+ hours.

Vikinger · Dec 23, 2014

That's the beauty of being a gamer consumer. We have many games we can choose to play.
If I simply don't like a game I move on to next.
You always have the option to come back when they have evolved the game more, so it maybe suit the things you are looking for in a game, or maybe the concept it self is not your cup of tea

PhanttoM · Dec 23, 2014

That's a very interesting example of "each to their own"

As someone who is generally not interested in empire building and just wanted the "me and my ship" experience, I eventually got tired of X3 Terran Conflict because of a similar thing — Waiting for tedious and slow travel times. (Even with SETA)

"supercruising the galaxy without going anywhere"
That's the funny thing. I felt exactly that in X3 — I am never able to visit the dark side of planet, or travel to nearby star.

Generally speaking X3 was a game that I would play while doing something else at the same time, because the game can literally play itself once you have an empire running.

Miimis Maks · Dec 23, 2014

This is sandbox game. Use your immagination. All galaxy is free for you.

weisenheimer · Dec 23, 2014

After nearly 10 years of being a dedicated eve player I've been won over by ED. I joined the beta really more out of curiosity, but lets face it 10 years is a long time at anything, so I was really looking for a change anyways. I can see where this game is not going to be for others like it is for me, but when a game can reach the imagination of my inner child with an experience that of being a space pilot and the never- gets -old thrill of saying " punch it chewie" as hyperdrive kicks in, there is something very right about ED which I hope continues to improve going forward and sticks around for a very long time.

gregs4163 · Dec 23, 2014

I also love the X3 series played them all, but I am also enjoying ED. There are things in X3 I wish were in ED like the idea of dedicated factories and stations and the amount of traffic running between them and the ability to hire pilots for your extra ships to fly trade runs while you go off and do other things! my dream game would be a merge of the two!

dan0h · Dec 23, 2014

X3 series is truly fantastic, the rewards take time to build up, but they are near limitless, from your own fleets and wings, to owning your own station complex...

cygnusa · Dec 23, 2014

I enjoyed X3 very much.... but the 'gate system' as someone else mentioned blew the immersion up. I felt like I was living in a N/S/E/W universe. It felt FLAT and small. But otherwise, the ships, the economy, the ability to build stations and trade networks. Automated convoys. Pure awesomeness.

With Elite (I don't like to use the term ED, it sounds like a male medical condition LOL), its a different sort of game. There is a lot to do, but it takes some effort to do 'it'. Whatever it is you want to do. Trading takes some patience, planning, and you need to be detail oriented to get the most out of it. Combat is quite fun. I enjoy it very much. But the USS system seems a bit like sifting through random encounters hoping for something good. Finding missions has been a chore. It feels like random chance. It works. Its just a game. I make the most of it.

As for Elite, the immensity of the galaxy is mind boggling. I suspect a vast majority of system will go unexplored for many many years.. there will surely be systems that are never visited. Ever. They did a great job given the lofty goal they set for themselves. There is a HUGE amount more that can be done, and I hope Frontier Dev continues to evolve and expand the game for years to come. It will only get better.

The answer for busy station queues: My logic is if the system is too busy, profits will be diminished. I quickly move on to systems where I have a corner on the market, and the profits.

Muthax · Dec 23, 2014

People have different tastes, forcing one self to like something, is never a good idea. Maybe give it a try back in a couple of months when they add wings and the galaxy 'grows' a bit

It's B2P after all

obliterator · Dec 23, 2014

This is sandbox game. Use your immagination. All galaxy is free for you.

If I simply don't like a game I move on to next.

"each to their own"

People have different tastes, forcing one self to like something, is never a good idea

According to some people here, it seems like the game is absolutely perfect. If you don't like something, it MUST be because you're not getting it, because the game is 100% flawless -_-

Void Dancer · Dec 23, 2014

Dear OP,

You should play the game that gives you the most fun. Elite won't spoil and rot and since you already own it, just leave it and come back in a few months.
I get the impression that you don't like the unfinished edge of Elite, the missing features ect.
X3 was a debacle (like any other Egosoft release, but less so than their latest attempt) at launch. It took years to fill with content, clean out the bugs. And in my opinion the really rough edges were smoothened by the awesome community and their great mods (check out the X3:TC total conversion mod).

See you around in a few months and have fun whatever game you choose to play!

xxiii · Dec 23, 2014

anikaiful said:
Played X3 for a whooping 10 minutes... got bored. ED, not bored at all after 300+ hours.

Well, I found both games to have a sluggish, slow start. Its not enough to just buy a better ship, you also have to upgrade its components. Once you've got a better FSD and better thrusters in there, it becomes much more responsive and "faster" to do things. Upgrading the FSD doesn't just improve your range and weight capacity, it also improves super-cruise, and how quickly it will ac/decelerate, and probably some other things.

My first fuel scoop, you had to get really close, and it would take forever. With my current fuel scoop I can stay in the low to mid 90%s and fill up pretty quickly, and I think its only a D. I'm dying to see what the A scoop will do, especially with supposedly unscoopable (at least with the lower grade scoops) stars.

My point just being that at the beginning, you're kind of saddled with stuff that kind of takes the fun out of it; but having to earn it will make up for it when you do get there (more than if you just had it to start with).

I had a lot of trouble getting into X3 at first, but once I got past the beginning, it opened up and became much better; at least until I ran out of stuff to explore, and my empire got to that "just sit back and watch it make money for me" point (which would be fine, if it had stuff to do with that money, and places to still explore).

X3 kind of prepared me for ED having the same sort of slowish-start, but even so I had a few days at the beginning where I was questioning my purchase, but I'm fine now.*

* assuming that development continues, as expected.

Muthax · Dec 23, 2014

obliterator said:
According to some people here, it seems like the game is absolutely perfect. If you don't like something, it MUST be because you're not getting it, because the game is 100% flawless -_-

So people say that tastes are different and that is a bad thing because...?
What?

Antigonos · Dec 23, 2014

dont stress yourself, i think best is to come back in 6+ Months, and see if enough different content is now there for you.

Gédéon_Lecanard · Dec 23, 2014

I loved X3, and especially Terran conflict. I spent more than a thousand hours in there. You're right, danoh, the sense of progression is incredible. From a puny M5 al the way up to galactic mogul who can wreck economy/states powers as he pleases. I enjoyed experimenting with the economy mechanics, to flood a system or deplet it and watch as the result spread around the other sectors. Receiving a distress call from one of my hundreds of pimped to the max traders and burst into the system fast to exact revenge on the pirates. Then, out for even more blood and waste entire pirate sectors with a crushing force. Haaaaa those were the days. Then X-Rebirth broke all that. I lost faith in Egosoft after waiting for some time, got a refund, and moved on.

But in ED, I'm looking for something different. Something that the game does incredibly well: having you pilot a spaceship in the galaxy. With the according scale, immersion, amazement that it supposes. Everytime I undock and throw my Cobra in the void, every single time, I get the chills, and all I ca think of is "my, oh my it's what I always dreamed of". ED is the toy I wanted all along as a child, a teen and an adult. A place to dream. FD nailed it right. It may not be finished, but it was the way to do it. It is the initial setting for what's to come. I have so much faith in the project.

I loved X3, but I adore ED.

Riepah · Dec 23, 2014

I feel you, OP. I wish they hadn't so terribly messed up X:Rebirth. I like E

, but the whole supercruise thing with instances makes the galaxy feel much less alive to me than it did in X3. I strongly hope future updates will add plenty of things to do, because currently, I don't think I'll be motivated long-term. Owning your own stations, complex and fleet is what gave me a long-term goal in X3, in E

I didn't find a goal for myself at all so far. Bounty hunting seems to be the only thing I currently enjoy, and I do it at Nav beacons rather than trying my luck with USS.

I've been wondering about Nav beacons anyway; what is their purpose? Is there any reason why NPCs hang out at Nav beacons at all, or are they really just there so we can scan for wanted targets?

BellatorMonk · Dec 23, 2014

I love the sandbox posts and use your imagination suggestion. Most of us are not 12 years old and rolling 20 sided dice on a table using our imaginations. I don't wan't to pretend I am a Bounty Hunter because the game mechanics lack the ability to make it feel that way. When I played that old sandbox MMO SWG...I didn't have to pretend I was a bounty hunter, a crafter or trader. I was those professions because the game actually had working mechanics to fulfill those functions.

This is not a sandbox..this is a space trading sim currently with some space combat.

Druid · Dec 23, 2014

This is a good post OP . Its an honest personal opnion without moaning . I dont feel the same about ED but thats the way games go . I hope things improve for you and I am sure they will over the next few months . I have every faith in FD to spice up the universe.