Endgame - High Rank Wing Missions

[fuub]

Games without Ends, games that can never really have any sort of End Game Content, have to be able to challenge advanced players in new ways, or players simply have to accept that they have reached a pinnacle from which there really is only one alternative - a fresh start.

In many ways, I've found myself staring at this very conundrum - I can pretty much park my Corvette in a CZ, Haz RES or CNB with a hold full of pirate bait and leave a fighter and turrets set to fire at will and watch Netflix while enemies suicide against me. So what did I do? A few things - I build a Beluga that is combat capable, and I fly that often when I feel like fighting. I also set off to various corners of the galaxy to study the INRA bases, chased leads and dead-ends to find bits of lore, done things I've done thousands of times in different ways, in different ships, to find what entertains me.

That is exactly the problem of not having an endgame, you need to make up for things to do when you have reached "high level" because the game doesn't offer enough challenge, which is the point of this thread, challenging endgame (with proper rewards).

 

[zZCannonFoddaZz]

High rank very difficult assassination missions with good rewards could provide one cool and fun coop PVE endgame that the community is asking for so long. As long as FD doesn't nerf rewards to the ground as they did with multicrew rewards basically killing the incentive to do it. Good rewards and hard difficulty are key here.


High rank delivery missions into anarchy systems with a lot of pirate interdictions that makes escort wingmates needed to defend the transport ship, can make awesome escort missions as well, as long as everyone gets rewards and is WELL REWARDED.


If the rewards are balanced right(which FD can't seem to do it unfortunately) these wing missions format could bring a fun endgame at last.

Hmmm, sounds like,
we want a raid!
we want raid loot!
we want a harder raid!
we want snowflake princess loot that the filthy casuals can’t get!

 

[B1rdy]

I believe the real term we're looking for here is "Difficulty Scaling".

This. Even this rank-tied NPC spawning system, doesn´t create much of a challenge. ED (still) lacks areas, which create different levels of challenge. Or let´s say at least, ED caters to challenge level 1-4 on a scale of ten, especially regarding MP content.

Edit: Funny thing: Apart from Thargoid battles, ED was most challenging (fun) when bugged, during Robigo smuggling runs and when the AI had OP weapons.

 

[Urbanski101]

OP...I think using the word 'endgame' is the issue here and why you're getting flak.

If you just say, 'challenging and rewarding wing missions for high ranked cmdrs' I doubt anyone will have an issue. Use the word 'endgame' and people will point out (as they have here) that ED has no endgame so therefore cannot have endgame content etc... despite the fact it's fairly clear what you mean.

It's a weird phenomenon on this forum that certain words create a whole lot of push back for some strange reason.

Another word that triggers certain forum dwellers is 'placeholder'....use that and watch them melt down

 

[Bran Tse Mallory]

[/B]man if you don't know what endgame means in gaming just google it.
[/SIZE]

I would suggest you do the same.

End game is normally referred to as the latest high level content - However, in Elite we do not have a clue at which 'level' we are at in the grand scale Frontier have mapped out for us. Certainly in terms of story and ships we are nowhere near the end of the game. Players ask for End Game content as if that's all there is for them to do. This has now grown to the point where 'End Game' content means nothing more than the latest grind fest designed to keep content hungry players from leaving the game. It normally results in the high level players getting angry after just a few weeks as they will of finished all the grinding for gear they need to. In Elite I don't see an end game of content that could be considered as such for quite some time... You may well be the greatest PvE pilot ever who can single handedly take down a wing but there will always be someone better at something - Indicating you (in general not 'you' personally) are not ready for 'End Game' content as that should be something even the PvP players have a hard time completing.

Understanding that Elite has no end in sight at any time soon is a big part of understanding why there will never be any conventional end game content for many years... If ever.

 

[andrak]

Maybe stop focusing on the correct or incorrect usage of the term "endgame"

The reality is there is no challenge for those of us with in depth knowledge of the game to min max our internals with fully engineered Corvette/Conda/Cutter etc

There is certainly no challenge or fear of danger in non combat situations, since any missions that did have any skill level were removed (long range smuggling, thargoid corrosive material bulk shipping)

Create my own challenge? No thanks, not into self nerfing or making deliberately stupid choices like bringing gold to a haz res or outfitting in a non optimal way. Give me a mission for 10 mil to take out a federal convoy of 10 corvettes, I'll log in immediately. This is the kind of thing I want to see in the wing missions and I'll happily do those missions solo.

 

[fuub]

I would suggest you do the same.

End game is normally referred to as the latest high level content - However, in Elite we do not have a clue at which 'level' we are at in the grand scale Frontier have mapped out for us. Certainly in terms of story and ships we are nowhere near the end of the game. Players ask for End Game content as if that's all there is for them to do. This has now grown to the point where 'End Game' content means nothing more than the latest grind fest designed to keep content hungry players from leaving the game. It normally results in the high level players getting angry after just a few weeks as they will of finished all the grinding for gear they need to. In Elite I don't see an end game of content that could be considered as such for quite some time... You may well be the greatest PvE pilot ever who can single handedly take down a wing but there will always be someone better at something - Indicating you (in general not 'you' personally) are not ready for 'End Game' content as that should be something even the PvP players have a hard time completing.

Understanding that Elite has no end in sight at any time soon is a big part of understanding why there will never be any conventional end game content for many years... If ever.

Frontier didn't mapped out nothing for us stop being naive.

If there is a very hard group challenge, I mean really hard with a lot of npc engineer ships and better AI, people play the endgame only for the challenge and fun to complete these missions.

 

[Bran Tse Mallory]

Frontier didn't mapped out nothing for us stop being naive.

Right there is all the proof I need to show you are a player and have never developed any software. To do so without a long term plan is not how any company runs any project and survives this long.

Bash Frontier all you want but at least use arguments that have some weight behind them or at least a shred of proof.
(Those who know me understand the difference I see between a gamer and a player)

 

[fuub]

Right there is all the proof I need to show you are a player and have never developed any software. To do so without a long term plan is not how any company runs any project and survives this long.

Bash Frontier all you want but at least use arguments that have some weight behind them or at least a shred of proof.
(Those who know me understand the difference I see between a gamer and a player)

It was an FD dev to say in a live stream that they don't think about the game design but instead build the foundation, see how it plays and build from there, so no there isn't any grand long term plans for the game design unless some vague directions of where to go.

Also,
I'm actually a software developer.

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

If you're struggling with the concept of "End Game" in Elite, just imagine they said "Late Game" instead.

As a late game player, I could do with some more challenging and rewarding content, which isn't aliens.

Not really in to this "low risk high reward" gameplay.

 

[Jimbodiah]

Fuub needs to start playing another game, like Call of Duty.

 

[fuub]

Fuub needs to start playing another game, like Call of Duty.

haha so we reached the "maybe this game is not for you try cod" already. Hilarious.

But please keep on topic thanks.

 

[Bran Tse Mallory]

It was an FD dev to say in a live stream that they don't think about the game design but instead build the foundation, see how it plays and build from there, so no there isn't any grand long term plans for the game design unless some vague directions of where to go.

Also,
I'm actually a software developer.

If what you say is true then you above all others should know how poor software can be when there is no plan or project time line. Although this can change, and frequently does there is always a long term goal - You as a developer do not always need to know what that is but I as an ex developer turned project manager have learned that it is not always a good thing to bog a dev's mind with the potential future work load. I also see projects change over time and I'm certain that Elite's PM has had fun working out his new 'time line' for Beyond.

Without a plan Elite would be in the bargain bucket near the till of a garage and cost less than £2 a copy.

If you still think something as complex as Elite has no project plan then you are deluding yourself - As a developer, you know this to be true if you work for any decent size company.