Elite Dangerous is not a Game you own, its a Service

DoppelGanger

DoppelGanger
To be more precise it's Game as a Service (GaaS)

There were many threads and requests about the game having offline mode, but the FD have yet to respond about it as far as I know.
The moment the company decides it's not profitable to keep the servers running, you will not be able to operate the software.
Also, making the game possible for offline mode single player is challenging and once the shutdown happens, why a company is inclined to provide such a software if they already have the money?
Sometimes companies refund what you purchased, but it's not a guarantee.

Of course, that could be 5, 10, 15, 20 years away, but it's inevitable and it will happen.
Recent games that come to mind are WildStar, Evolve, Firefall, Lawbreakers etc.

The reason for bringing this up is the recent video posted by Accursed Farms which makes a long list of good points with sources and examples.
Starting from this timeline is where the major points begin imo, but I would suggest to watch entire video.
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUAX0gnZ3Nw&feature=youtu.be&t=1077


As gamers, we should thrive for an option to keep the game running once the company decides to shutdown the servers for one reason or the other.
So remember kids, you don't own Elite Dangerous, you only purchased a service to access it.
 

CMDR Carbo

CMDR Carbo
You're a few years late.

ED was supposed to have an offline mode, but it was dropped a few month before release.
As far as I know, people that didn't agree with that but already spent money on the game could get a refund back then.
 
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GreyAreaUK

GreyAreaUK
CMDR Carbo said:
You're a few years late.

ED was supposed to have an offline mode, but it was dropped a few month before release.
Click to expand...
Wasn't it more the case that an offline mode was added to the "we'll see if it's feasible" list, and was found to not be? Not sure it was ever supposed to be there.
 

Gimi

Gimi
DoppelGanger said:
To be more precise it's Game as a Service (GaaS)
There were many threads and requests about the game having offline mode, but the FD have yet to respond about it as far as I know.
<snip>
Click to expand...

Everything you say is true and known except the part about FDEV never having responded to this.

FDEV announced the cancellation of offline mode just prior to release in 2013 and their reasoning behind it.
There was a huge debate about it and refunds were made on a case by case basis at the time.

As for the server going offline in the future, that is inevitable.
Release of an offline mode when that does happen is in my view unlikely, I suspect that there is no economic sense in doing that.
I'm hoping for a sequel when the time comes, but we are not there yet.
 

GreyAreaUK

GreyAreaUK
Gimi said:
Everything you say is true and known except the part about FDEV never having responded to this.

FDEV announced the cancellation of offline mode just prior to release in 2013 and their reasoning behind it.
There was a huge debate about it and refunds were made on a case by case basis at the time.

As for the server going offline in the future, that is inevitable.
Release of an offline mode when that does happen is in my view unlikely, I suspect that there is no economic sense in doing that.
I'm hoping for a sequel when the time comes, but we are not there yet.
Click to expand...
I seem to recall Frontier have said something to the effect of "we'll release the server code so others can take it on", but I may be misremembering.
 

Gimi

Gimi
GreyAreaUK said:
Wasn't it more the case that an offline mode was added to the "we'll see if it's feasible" list, and was found to not be? Not sure it was ever supposed to be there.
Click to expand...
Not really.
They promised an offline mode during the Kickstarter, and then it went quiet up to the point where they canceled it just before release.
 

Gimi

Gimi
GreyAreaUK said:
I seem to recall Frontier have said something to the effect of "we'll release the server code so others can take it on", but I may be misremembering.
Click to expand...
Yes, that was discussed, but they never made a promise. That was put on the "we will consider it" list.
There is a video, a few years old now, where FDEV presents the server architecture for Elite Dangerous. The video focuses on how ED uses AWS (Amazon Web Services).
Having watched that, I really can't imagine how they can release something that can be run on private servers without a major rewrite of the entire back end.
But this is just my opinion.
 

Rat Catcher

Rat Catcher
I can't see an issue, sooner or later ED will go offline and will no longer be available, we all know that, when it happens it just adds another 'box' to the pile of other games sitting gathering dust.
Maybe I am less attached to a single game from my collection than some, but will enjoy it while it (and I) remains alive :)
 

Ian Doncaster

Ian Doncaster
GreyAreaUK said:
Wasn't it more the case that an offline mode was added to the "we'll see if it's feasible" list, and was found to not be? Not sure it was ever supposed to be there.
Click to expand...
Remember that it was only this week (!) that the main menu text was updated to take out "save and exit" references which only made sense in the context of an offline game that was never released.
 

GreyAreaUK

GreyAreaUK
Gimi said:
Yes, that was discussed, but they never made a promise. That was put on the "we will consider it" list.
There is a video, a few years old now, where FDEV presents the server architecture for Elite Dangerous. The video focuses on how ED uses AWS (Amazon Web Services).
Having watched that, I really can't imagine how they can release something that can be run on private servers without a major rewrite of the entire back end.
But this is just my opinion.
Click to expand...
It certainly wouldn't be trivial, so "we will consider" is about as fair as they can say currently. Well, seems that way to me anyway :)
 

zimms

zimms
Elite tries to be a GaaS type of game, but it isn't. It gets DLCs every once in a while, but there's not enough content updates and ingame events that would be necessary for GaaS.

Let's hope IIs will change that fot the better. With the passionate community Elite has, it's really Beyond me why Frontier haven't done more events during the last couple of years.
 

dognosh

dognosh
And converting from AWS to local PC servers, apart from the coding, would also require many point releases to fix the multitude of bugs it introduces, as we will moan until we get a stable and mainly bug free version.
Localised version of ED at its end of life won't happen.
 

SteveLaw

SteveLaw
David Braben said an offline version of the game "would be unacceptably limited and static compared to the dynamic, ever unfolding experience we are delivering".

"...being online lets us constantly both curate and evolve the galaxy, with stories unfolding according to the actions of commanders," Braben explained.
Click to expand...
www.eurogamer.net

David Braben responds to outcry over Elite: Dangerous' ditched offline mode

Frontier has responded to the outcry over its decision to ditch Elite: Dangerous' promised offline mode.
www.eurogamer.net www.eurogamer.net
2014
 

DoppelGanger

DoppelGanger
Gimi said:
Yes, that was discussed, but they never made a promise. That was put on the "we will consider" list.
There is a video, a few years old now, where FDEV presents the server architecture for Elite Dangerous. The video focuses on how ED uses AWS (Amazon Web Services).
Having watched that, I really can't imagine how they can release something that can be run on private servers without a major rewrite of the entire back end.
But this is just my opinion.
Click to expand...
Oh wow, for a moment I was relieved that Frontier said that they would release the server code once the main servers are shut down.
That's what I was afraid of. When the time comes, without making preparations or developing with a regard that one day the main servers could be shut down, it will probably be very difficult to run the game with emulated servers and so on, especially when they use Amazon Web Services, which is probably a black box for public.

Another solution could be to create an offline instance now for all players, but I really doubt they will go that route, so Im almost 100% sure we will not have an offline option once the servers shutdown.
 

GreyAreaUK

GreyAreaUK
dognosh said:
And converting from AWS to local PC servers, apart from the coding, would also require many point releases to fix the multitude of bugs it introduces, as we will moan until we get a stable and mainly bug free version.
Localised version of ED at its end of life won't happen.
Click to expand...
In its current form I agree it would be unlikely, but there's loads of time yet.

Probably...
 

DoppelGanger

DoppelGanger
SteveLaw said:
www.eurogamer.net

David Braben responds to outcry over Elite: Dangerous' ditched offline mode

Frontier has responded to the outcry over its decision to ditch Elite: Dangerous' promised offline mode.
www.eurogamer.net www.eurogamer.net
2014
Click to expand...
This is a complete cop-out by Braben because the game runs perfectly fine in Solo mode, the game is basically a multitude of instances, and the story already stagnates for long periods of time which might as well stay that way without the updates.

So he dodged the question and they will not be providing an option to keep playing the game with end of gamelife.
 

GreyAreaUK

GreyAreaUK
DoppelGanger said:
Another solution could be to create an offline instance now for all players, but I really doubt they will go that route, so Im almost 100% sure we will not have an offline option once the servers shutdown.
Click to expand...
This pessimism seems unnecessary at this point in time. Enjoy the game you have today, today. Worry about tomorrow, tomorrow.
 
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