Its coz u folks think you're better coz u play a game with "elite" in the title. Yet youre playin Farm Simulator in space
Elite is a convoluted mess
- Thread starter eyerobot61
- Start date
I love that you are telling me how I think.. Have you read the Annual Reports? I have and I know what the plans are - these are also somewhat legally binding due to the nature and type of the report. You can make all the claims about us you like, I know what my thinking is and the other smaller investors. The large institutional investors don't give a crap either way, they only care for ROI.
The biggest issue with Elite is its reluctance to present a seamless, simple and user friendly way of getting involved in its continually expanding feature list. Often, you need to look outside of the game to discover how even basic features work.
Fortunately I have played the game on and off since its launch, and therefore were not exposed to all of the game's features at once. Still, some of the new features I haven't really bothered with, because it's always the same information grind outside of the game. I am not surprised to see new players being turned off by the overwhelming amount of features and complexity thrown at them at once.
Which is a shame, because there is actually a good game buried beneath it all.
Fortunately I have played the game on and off since its launch, and therefore were not exposed to all of the game's features at once. Still, some of the new features I haven't really bothered with, because it's always the same information grind outside of the game. I am not surprised to see new players being turned off by the overwhelming amount of features and complexity thrown at them at once.
Which is a shame, because there is actually a good game buried beneath it all.
OP makes some very valid points, I still see no need for mode switch and they are absolutely correct on keyboard/button bindings.
I don't think the game is complex. It's rather unorganized which makes it seem complex.
There is a manual (albeit slightly out of date but all the basics are there), training scenarios that I bet were never tried, asking for help in game, i bet that was also never tried. I was just in the noob sector myself with my alt account and oh boy.
Folk are struggling with the most basic concepts like selecting menu's, or "going up". Clearly very few have even looked at, let alone tried even the most basic scenarios before jumping in at the deep end and wondering why they drown.
Folk are struggling with the most basic concepts like selecting menu's, or "going up". Clearly very few have even looked at, let alone tried even the most basic scenarios before jumping in at the deep end and wondering why they drown.
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Deleted member 38366
D
Let's make this constructive and tackle it one at a time (I checked the entire Thread and to my surprise saw nothing really explaining - which is a bad Forum attitude towards a new Player after 6 Pages IMHO... Not nice.).
That's an interesting one - because that's indeed an issue.
Just a few days ago, a buddy of mine asked me where the "Leave FSS Button" was in the Controls Setup.
I realized I couldn't find it myself - after 15 Minutes. And I have it assigned and it works for myself... I just couldn't find it.
So indeed, that's still one of the weak points of the Controls Configuration. Not everything is where you'd logically think it would be.
If it helps, things were even more difficult in the distant past, when we had only a single Page you'd have to scroll a dozen screens down.
Flying the Ship in ELITE requires 3 different modes of travel by design.
You can target anything within a System via Nav Panel or System Map while still in normal space and align the Ship already with it before activating Frame Shift Drive to enter SuperCruise if you wish.
(the delay and countdown before you can enter SuperCruise - or make a Hyperjump - btw. is closely connected to Combat. If there was no countdown of any sort, escaping a losing combat scenario would be risk-free and a given. The way it is, it takes some skill to properly time an egress from a fight going downhill)
The inability to use the FSS while just sitting in normal space has been discussed alot after the introduction of that very scanning mode and mechanic.
I can only assume that the whole FSS process/screen doesn't handle Ship motion very well, thus the Ship needs to be stabilized and at minimal speed/idle.
There are also some (not typical) scenarios where things might be too close to the Ship to be successfully scanned - in which case it is very useful to be able to simply leave the FSS Mode, swiftly fly the Ship a short while to a better position and then complete the FSS scan from there.
Before the FSS, the whole mechanics were entirely different. A "honk" of the Advanced Discovery Scanner revealed the entire System (visually) - but it required you to manually fly to each and every Object within a System to scan it from quite short Range.
On top, things of interest on Planets you could land on were >not< displayed at all. You had to manually fly the Ship over the Planet and search the entire surface - meaning you stood exceedingly little chance to discover something there.
The FSS and its frequency tuning takes a while getting used to - but it'll not only perform a Detailed Surface Scan over any distance, it'll also give you quite precise Info if there's anything of interest. This is invaluable and saves >alot< of time.
The key is to properly configure the FSS mode, so you can operate it swiftly and intuitively. That takes a little while - but is well worth it, as it'll improve the FSS experience, usability and execution speeds massively.
(I personally use Mouse to pan around, Mouse Wheel to Zoom in/out, left/right Mouse Button to tune frequency down/up - which allows me to very quickly scan entire Systems at ease)
You merely forgot about the Prospector Limpet controller (firing a Prospector Limpet at an Asteroid tells you exactly what an Asteroid has to offer) and the Collector Limpet Controller(s) - firing those without anything targeted will have little Limpets collect everything for you until they expire.
Never go Mining without these two Controllers and sufficient Limpets restocked in your Cargo hold to use them. Makes Mining 100x easier.
(in the very early days of ELITE, we indeed didn't have these and had to manually collect fragments to refine them.... and yep, that was darn hard work).
As explained, it seems it all merely boils down to a mere few things :
PS.
When I started >6 years ago, without Instruction Manual and only a Forum full of Backers/Testers, it took me more than one attempt to get comfy with the Controls myself.
That's completely normal, the Game offers a ton of Inputs which take time to a) understand and b) then logically distribute to whatever you have at your disposal.
That's an interesting one - because that's indeed an issue.
Just a few days ago, a buddy of mine asked me where the "Leave FSS Button" was in the Controls Setup.
I realized I couldn't find it myself - after 15 Minutes. And I have it assigned and it works for myself... I just couldn't find it.
So indeed, that's still one of the weak points of the Controls Configuration. Not everything is where you'd logically think it would be.
If it helps, things were even more difficult in the distant past, when we had only a single Page you'd have to scroll a dozen screens down.
Flying the Ship in ELITE requires 3 different modes of travel by design.
- normal space, in-game typically only used to fly around within maybe 15-20km distances, the mode you are in after undocking from a Station or disengaging into normal space from SuperCruise. You'll be typically traveling at speeds well below 1000m/sec.
- SuperCruise, after activating the Frame Shift Drive; this is used to cover the vast distances within Systems. 30km/sec is the min. speed in idle, reaches upto 2001c (c = light speed). This is what you need to reach i.e other Outposts/Stations in the game.
- Hyperjump, after activating the Frame Shift Drive with another Star System targeted; that's how you reach other Systems many light years away and also travel throughout the Galaxy, jump after jump
You can target anything within a System via Nav Panel or System Map while still in normal space and align the Ship already with it before activating Frame Shift Drive to enter SuperCruise if you wish.
(the delay and countdown before you can enter SuperCruise - or make a Hyperjump - btw. is closely connected to Combat. If there was no countdown of any sort, escaping a losing combat scenario would be risk-free and a given. The way it is, it takes some skill to properly time an egress from a fight going downhill)
The inability to use the FSS while just sitting in normal space has been discussed alot after the introduction of that very scanning mode and mechanic.
I can only assume that the whole FSS process/screen doesn't handle Ship motion very well, thus the Ship needs to be stabilized and at minimal speed/idle.
There are also some (not typical) scenarios where things might be too close to the Ship to be successfully scanned - in which case it is very useful to be able to simply leave the FSS Mode, swiftly fly the Ship a short while to a better position and then complete the FSS scan from there.
Before the FSS, the whole mechanics were entirely different. A "honk" of the Advanced Discovery Scanner revealed the entire System (visually) - but it required you to manually fly to each and every Object within a System to scan it from quite short Range.
On top, things of interest on Planets you could land on were >not< displayed at all. You had to manually fly the Ship over the Planet and search the entire surface - meaning you stood exceedingly little chance to discover something there.
The FSS and its frequency tuning takes a while getting used to - but it'll not only perform a Detailed Surface Scan over any distance, it'll also give you quite precise Info if there's anything of interest. This is invaluable and saves >alot< of time.
The key is to properly configure the FSS mode, so you can operate it swiftly and intuitively. That takes a little while - but is well worth it, as it'll improve the FSS experience, usability and execution speeds massively.
(I personally use Mouse to pan around, Mouse Wheel to Zoom in/out, left/right Mouse Button to tune frequency down/up - which allows me to very quickly scan entire Systems at ease)
You merely forgot about the Prospector Limpet controller (firing a Prospector Limpet at an Asteroid tells you exactly what an Asteroid has to offer) and the Collector Limpet Controller(s) - firing those without anything targeted will have little Limpets collect everything for you until they expire.
Never go Mining without these two Controllers and sufficient Limpets restocked in your Cargo hold to use them. Makes Mining 100x easier.
(in the very early days of ELITE, we indeed didn't have these and had to manually collect fragments to refine them.... and yep, that was darn hard work).
As explained, it seems it all merely boils down to a mere few things :
- getting comfy with the Controls (yes, this can take a little while and might be a little frustrating on occasion... but you'll get it worked out)
- understanding which function really does what (learning curve)
- knowing your Equipment and how to use it (that easily makes the difference between frustration and "why is this so bad?" - and seeing yourself suddenly becoming very effective at doing things
PS.
When I started >6 years ago, without Instruction Manual and only a Forum full of Backers/Testers, it took me more than one attempt to get comfy with the Controls myself.
That's completely normal, the Game offers a ton of Inputs which take time to a) understand and b) then logically distribute to whatever you have at your disposal.
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It took me about a month of play to get my bindings 'right' for me... I have some sympathy for the OP there as, particularly since 3.3, some of the bindings are a little elusive.
But, as pointed out in some less than kind language above, there is a learning curve to climb and choosing to mine to make credits in the first couple of hours isn't going to be particularly satisfying gameplay (in my opinion) for some.
Come back, OP, take it a bit slower and learn some of the other loops in the game, you may be pleasantly surprised!
But, as pointed out in some less than kind language above, there is a learning curve to climb and choosing to mine to make credits in the first couple of hours isn't going to be particularly satisfying gameplay (in my opinion) for some.
Come back, OP, take it a bit slower and learn some of the other loops in the game, you may be pleasantly surprised!
I have to agree here - I still haven't mapped things that I don't use either, and I have no idea where to find most of it either - getting in the srv after a break is always entertaining, apart from for the srv itself!
One more thing regarding controls - if you’re using a gamepad (I use a wireless Xbox 360 pad with “default context” setting) you can press and hold any of the four face buttons and a help legend will appear with all the sub-functions assigned to that key.
It really helped me when new things were added like the FSS - and the odd occasions when I have a brain-fart and can’t remember that the cargo scoop is B+DpadUp (I think? I’ve only been playing for the last 6 years
).
It really helped me when new things were added like the FSS - and the odd occasions when I have a brain-fart and can’t remember that the cargo scoop is B+DpadUp (I think? I’ve only been playing for the last 6 years
).
I agree some of the OP's points are quite valid, some things are indeed needlessly convoluted.
However, some other points are just him doing things the wrong way, or in a very inneficient way, like his mentions of mining and supercruise for instance, and he ruins his case because instead of simply asking "is this how it's done" or "am I doing this right" he immediately jumps to "game is stoopid, devs are stoopid, everything is stoopid".
Which is exactly why he gets the responses he does.
Well, efficiency comes with experience. He's obviously just started so he is lacking that little aspect... I agree that his post is bit aggressive in the wrong places...
Aside from the apparent departure of the OP, who seems to have posted and left to play something else,
He (I assume a "He", apologies if I am wrong) does have a point though, the game in places IS overly complicated, and the keybinds needs a lot of patience to find what you are looking to change. He is right that it's not intuitive.
As for the lack of ore mined, all I can say there is that there is a re-balancing coming. I hope the OP comes back and sticks with it, the game can be fun, but you need to look at it a certain way, that's why many of us say "don't grind, have fun" because it really does come down to how you look at it.
The most valuable thing the OP did though, was give us an idea of what it's like for a brand new player to come into the game, something very few of us can claim to understand.
He (I assume a "He", apologies if I am wrong) does have a point though, the game in places IS overly complicated, and the keybinds needs a lot of patience to find what you are looking to change. He is right that it's not intuitive.
As for the lack of ore mined, all I can say there is that there is a re-balancing coming. I hope the OP comes back and sticks with it, the game can be fun, but you need to look at it a certain way, that's why many of us say "don't grind, have fun" because it really does come down to how you look at it.
The most valuable thing the OP did though, was give us an idea of what it's like for a brand new player to come into the game, something very few of us can claim to understand.
The UIs are indeed horrible. Some random observations:
1. When I started it took me ages to find out how to buy limpets.
2. Now the carrier UI has different option layout for doing the same things as Advanced Maintenance.
3. "Are you sure" confirmations are applied very erratically throughout.
4. Why is "request docking" so well hidden?
I could go on...
1. When I started it took me ages to find out how to buy limpets.
2. Now the carrier UI has different option layout for doing the same things as Advanced Maintenance.
3. "Are you sure" confirmations are applied very erratically throughout.
4. Why is "request docking" so well hidden?
I could go on...
He's obviously lacking a little REspect, which is probably why he's getting so many snarky replies. I actually agree with the title - ED is a convoluted mess, probably because it's a "build the plane after it takes off" project, but on the other hand, I don't want ED to become the simplistic easy-mode arcade game that the OP seems to think it should be. It's like someone buying Microsoft Flight Simulator and complaining that it's not Ace Combat.
ED is in many aspects Ace Combat pretending to be DCS
In order to tell us, he had to creat a forum account. Surely that's his whole weekend gone.
Patience of OP trying the game: 0
Patience of OP to type that massive whinge about it: 100%
Entertainment factor as forum loses its mind and salt gets thrown around like confetti: limitless
Patience of OP to type that massive whinge about it: 100%
Entertainment factor as forum loses its mind and salt gets thrown around like confetti: limitless
THIS^^ I can live with the other things but hiding docking request is beyond my little brain capabilities...