Elite Dangerous | System Colonisation Beta Details & Feedback
- Thread starter Paul_Crowther
- Start date
update : found a faction in a colonised system located over 300 LY from its home system
I'd like to set up a colony I can call 'home', but I am really put-off by the impression that it's yet another samey grind. It's especially galling that there's a new commodity, the CMM Composites, where a couple of dozen 'entrepreneurs' (I could think of a more rude name for them) have cornered the market and are selling them on their carriers for hugely inflated prices.
I'm not even going to begin, then. I don't really care, tbh; I'm happy doing what I was already doing in the game, and branching out into colonisation appears to be yet another kludge - something that looks good but isn't actually used all that often. I do hope that others enjoy it, though; I'm sure it's right up some people's streets!
I'm not even going to begin, then. I don't really care, tbh; I'm happy doing what I was already doing in the game, and branching out into colonisation appears to be yet another kludge - something that looks good but isn't actually used all that often. I do hope that others enjoy it, though; I'm sure it's right up some people's streets!
so, in the normal BGS, there's a distance for an expansion, and you have to work hard to achieve it
in power play, it's the same, there are influence bubbles, 20 and 30 LY
in colonisation, the range is 15 LY
but apparently, if you are in a squadron and make a colonisation far from your home system, this generate an automatic expansion of your faction. without any limit of distance.
Am i the only one to think it's an anomaly ?
in power play, it's the same, there are influence bubbles, 20 and 30 LY
in colonisation, the range is 15 LY
but apparently, if you are in a squadron and make a colonisation far from your home system, this generate an automatic expansion of your faction. without any limit of distance.
Am i the only one to think it's an anomaly ?
I've tried going to a populated system way out the bubble in hopes of cutting down thousands and thousands of ly's to reach my destination point. Alas it seems past a certain amount of distance from the bubble, colonisation services are suspended. Heck, even seen some weird things like some of my hopeful systems to colonize have building spots, but no starter spot while at the same time, a mere 50 ly away there's a system with only a black hole where it does have a starter location.
For now colo is definitely a bubble activity only. I'm hoping the "out in the black" will become true and viable some day... As for wondering if being able to do another colony from a newly colonized system, for people that want to reach certain places, if we need to wait an entire week... cries
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I believe most people are blinded by the issue of huge material requirements of building an outpost. This is not the root cause.
The root cause is lack of gameplay.
For example, to purchase a fleet carrier you need 5 billion credits. 5 billion credits can be achieved by doing a lot of gameplay activities, including but not limited to exploration & exobiology, trading, tourism, mission board, Thargoid hunting... basically, the goal can be achieved with ORGANIC gameplay. Same is true for Community goals, Powerplay, etc..
Now you see the problem: the means to achieve the goal in colonisation (building an outpost) is: hauling, and hauling ONLY. The difference being hauling material A, B, C, D from different locations to a fixed location. There is no gameplay loop besides loading cargo, going to supercruise, unloading, rinse and repeat.
Thus, by including varies missions on colonisation ship, colonisation can be much enjoyable:
Tourism missions for construction workers, rewarded by extended deadline;
Elimination missions against hostile factions, rewarded by reducing material requirement;
Build local reputations, rewarded by receiving construction materials through time;
And the list can go on.
Fdev chose the most monotonic gameplay for the colonisation patch, which, in the long run, will hurt players' enthusiasm for colonisation.
The root cause is lack of gameplay.
For example, to purchase a fleet carrier you need 5 billion credits. 5 billion credits can be achieved by doing a lot of gameplay activities, including but not limited to exploration & exobiology, trading, tourism, mission board, Thargoid hunting... basically, the goal can be achieved with ORGANIC gameplay. Same is true for Community goals, Powerplay, etc..
Now you see the problem: the means to achieve the goal in colonisation (building an outpost) is: hauling, and hauling ONLY. The difference being hauling material A, B, C, D from different locations to a fixed location. There is no gameplay loop besides loading cargo, going to supercruise, unloading, rinse and repeat.
Thus, by including varies missions on colonisation ship, colonisation can be much enjoyable:
Tourism missions for construction workers, rewarded by extended deadline;
Elimination missions against hostile factions, rewarded by reducing material requirement;
Build local reputations, rewarded by receiving construction materials through time;
And the list can go on.
Fdev chose the most monotonic gameplay for the colonisation patch, which, in the long run, will hurt players' enthusiasm for colonisation.
Well as they built systems like that in the bubble I wouldn’t be too sure that it isn’t part of their anticipated outcome of letting us loose.
Best summary ever.
I'd throw in that the logistic puzzle is very much part of the gameplay, and needs some preservation in it... but that is separable from the issue of hauling being the only activity here.
It's the only way FD could sate groups who support factions that are, as it stands, completely isolated in the middle of the bubble. But it's ok, because the BGS isn't meant to be fair.
Did you even try first? Or are you just absolutely convinced otherwise?
you need to get get a bit smarter in the way to locate supply then.
Excatly. Here I posted a few ideas how to diverse it a bit. https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threa...on-beta-details-feedback.634055/post-10559371
Any additions are welcome
Because not all of us are (on/want to be on/can get on) discord.Why pay NPCs to haul stuff when you can pay other players to do it...
Colonization Form — Operation Ida
www.operationida.com
This is the second major feature, along PP2, that doesn't write any of the game events in the player journals. If this is something more than an omission, and it reflects a conscious decision to isolate the 3rd party tools and developers from enhancing our journey, as they've successfully done in the past, I must say I find it very disappointing.
Unfortunately, I can't help you with that...
They've generally been keeping their newer cards closer to their vests. I think this trend will continue. Why are they doing it this way? I have no idea.
However, this started, noticeably to me, when Ody launched and Fleet Carriers no longer had some of the journal entries needed to make a certain fleet carrier jump automation add-on work.
Because others build their own stations. And they have no idea what to do with the money they have. FDev has designed the game in which money are not used.
Critique and Recommendations
First and foremost, well done! With every update, you continue enhancing the game, making it more engaging and enjoyable. However, does this apply to the entire community?
Last year was fantastic—we finally saw the conclusion of the Thargoid War. That content will remain a cherished memory for all who participated. With a wealth of third-party tools, everyone was engaged and had a great time. The war spanned two years, which was justified, as it provided content in phases, keeping players invested.
Then came PowerPlay 2.0. Everyone jumped in, working together to conquer system after system. I’m sure the stats reflect how different factions engaged in this new competition, reshaping territories. This also impacted BGS-focused players, who had to rebalance and defend the systems they had long managed.
From a player perspective, opinions are mixed. Some see it positively—a long-term game with fresh content and endless possibilities. Others, however, focus on the persistent and newly introduced bugs. I won’t go into detail, as the community could easily write an essay listing them all.
But now, with planned expeditions like DW3, involving thousands of players, how will we manage when jumps take over an hour—or worse, return a “No Time Slot Available” error?
What changed? Why was this never an issue before? Fleet Carrier jumps rely on a specific server handling their locations. Two weeks after an update, the issue seems to resolve itself. Why? Does it take that long for the servers to sync? Probably not. Instead, it appears that after an update, players log in to explore the new content, but after two weeks, many stop playing. If Fleet Carrier jumps return to normal after this period, does that mean players engage only briefly with new features before moving on?
We’ve learned the mechanics, and as expected, there’s a heavy grind involved just to establish an Outpost. For those who truly play the game long-term, we have a few observations:
b. Give features time to mature. Why release PowerPlay 2.0 without addressing its bugs first? Why not expand it further with CGs or Open Play mechanics, like rewarding PvP combat at strategic locations with significantly more merits than Solo/PG play?
c. Analyze player engagement. If many players leave two weeks after an update, find out why. Consult content creators and community leaders to understand what keeps players engaged long-term.
b. Shift from system-based to planet-based colonization. Players should build stations and settlements around planets, not just claim entire systems.
c. Reduce the grind. Colonization should be about expansion and strategy, not excessive material hauling that burns out players. Most of us are adults with jobs and families—this isn’t an RPG where we grind to max out a character and move on. This is a game meant to last for years.
d. Balance supply and demand. Ensure resources are available in quantities that make colonization feasible. Do we really need to wait 10 minutes just to restock materials?
Oh, and one last thing—please, I’m desperate for new LARGE ships! My Arx are ready!
First and foremost, well done! With every update, you continue enhancing the game, making it more engaging and enjoyable. However, does this apply to the entire community?
Last year was fantastic—we finally saw the conclusion of the Thargoid War. That content will remain a cherished memory for all who participated. With a wealth of third-party tools, everyone was engaged and had a great time. The war spanned two years, which was justified, as it provided content in phases, keeping players invested.
Then came PowerPlay 2.0. Everyone jumped in, working together to conquer system after system. I’m sure the stats reflect how different factions engaged in this new competition, reshaping territories. This also impacted BGS-focused players, who had to rebalance and defend the systems they had long managed.
The Game in General
New features always bring back dormant players and attract newcomers. We’ve seen this happen with every update. The community understands that continuous content is essential for a game developer to keep things moving forward. Financially, through strategic releases, FDev saw positive profits last year.From a player perspective, opinions are mixed. Some see it positively—a long-term game with fresh content and endless possibilities. Others, however, focus on the persistent and newly introduced bugs. I won’t go into detail, as the community could easily write an essay listing them all.
Fleet Carrier Jump Times
One recurring issue is Fleet Carrier jump delays. This started appearing mid-Thargoid War. Before that, since pre-Odyssey, we had grown accustomed to planning 20-minute jumps in expeditions. Carriers were a game-changer, allowing us to store exploration data safely, and we frequently organized events without fear of losing progress.But now, with planned expeditions like DW3, involving thousands of players, how will we manage when jumps take over an hour—or worse, return a “No Time Slot Available” error?
What changed? Why was this never an issue before? Fleet Carrier jumps rely on a specific server handling their locations. Two weeks after an update, the issue seems to resolve itself. Why? Does it take that long for the servers to sync? Probably not. Instead, it appears that after an update, players log in to explore the new content, but after two weeks, many stop playing. If Fleet Carrier jumps return to normal after this period, does that mean players engage only briefly with new features before moving on?
Colonisation
A fantastic addition to the game, Colonisation was introduced as a feature allowing players to settle across the galaxy. However, nearly every unclaimed system within the Bubble has already been taken—except for those with bugs or those containing only stars with no planets.We’ve learned the mechanics, and as expected, there’s a heavy grind involved just to establish an Outpost. For those who truly play the game long-term, we have a few observations:
- A player manages to find an unclaimed system within 15Ly of an existing station and claims it. Excited, they decide to build an Orbis/Ocellus station for 25 million credits—only to realize the insane amount of materials required, some of which are difficult to obtain. Filling up their Fleet Carrier 8-10 times and making multiple trips is simply not feasible. Discouraged, they abandon the claim, only to discover they cannot reclaim the system and must settle for an Outpost instead, in a different system.
- A group of five players forms a squadron, working together to haul materials and establish a single station in one system. After months of effort, each player finally has a system with just one Coriolis station. But to grow, they need additional stations and settlements, which means even more hauling. One of them realizes that getting their systems fully up and running will take several more months.
- We were told we’d be able to expand beyond the Bubble. A squadron sets a plan to establish a colony 350Ly away, aiming to create their own mini-bubble. But is this even possible within the current mechanics?
Recommendations
Game in General:
a. Fix the bugs. Dedicate development resources to long-standing issues. Some bugs are tolerable, but persistent ones hurt the experience.b. Give features time to mature. Why release PowerPlay 2.0 without addressing its bugs first? Why not expand it further with CGs or Open Play mechanics, like rewarding PvP combat at strategic locations with significantly more merits than Solo/PG play?
c. Analyze player engagement. If many players leave two weeks after an update, find out why. Consult content creators and community leaders to understand what keeps players engaged long-term.
Colonisation:
a. Remove the 15Ly restriction entirely. Let players settle where they want, allowing true galaxy-wide colonization.b. Shift from system-based to planet-based colonization. Players should build stations and settlements around planets, not just claim entire systems.
c. Reduce the grind. Colonization should be about expansion and strategy, not excessive material hauling that burns out players. Most of us are adults with jobs and families—this isn’t an RPG where we grind to max out a character and move on. This is a game meant to last for years.
d. Balance supply and demand. Ensure resources are available in quantities that make colonization feasible. Do we really need to wait 10 minutes just to restock materials?
Final Thoughts
These are just my thoughts, but I hope you take the time to listen to the community. Understanding our strategies, achievements, and frustrations will ultimately benefit the game. More engaged players mean more revenue and a thriving community.Oh, and one last thing—please, I’m desperate for new LARGE ships! My Arx are ready!
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