Since I weighed-in on patches 3 and 4, thought I should probably reply to today's Tritium Efficiency Update, as well.
The forum reactions are notably mixed and fall into two camps:
Today, FCs were handed an "easy" button. Range is doubled. Most of the galaxy is reachable for round trips on a single fueling. Deployment of future DSSA carriers just became easier. Logistics and the necessity to mine Tritium deep in the black just went away. The bar has been lowered and not a single DSSA fleet carrier will need to be fueled enroute.
As DSSA CMDR SpaceTrash67 noted in FleetComm Discord this afternoon, "So with range doubled - I have more than enough fuel already on board...aside from some last minute outfitting/engineering- I am ready to launch."
He is absolutely right.
And more broadly, I think deep space just became much more accessible to many more fleet carriers. This is especially good for solo FC owners, who can buy the fuel they need in the Bubble and head out to areas they otherwise could not have reached.
That said, we don't all play the game the same way.
If you caught yesterday's livestream on the DSSA, you heard my pitch for emergent, player-driven game play based on the new meta for exploration – the search for overlapping Tritium hotspots. The too long; didn't listen is that up to patch 3, overlapping Tritium hotspots in the black were extremely valuable discoveries. Fleet carriers would go well out of their way to stop at one for necessary refueling, hence the search to locate them in strategic areas.
That refueling is no longer necessary. The overlaps have been nerfed. Hotspots are relatively homogenized. Group-driven, organized, game play that centered on finding overlaps is, I suspect, a thing of the past. The notion of DSSA-based Tritium depots is shelved for lack of need.
Tritium mining in general, at any kind of hot spot, doesn't make a lot of sense anymore. Thoughtful CMDRs will skip Tritium altogether, mine for credits in the Bubble, then buy all their Tritium on the market for far less effort than actually mining it.
As Erimus Kamzel noted in FleetComm Discord,
So, where does that leave things?
The DSSA is probably better off in the sense that it's now easier to deploy FCs to the furthest reaches of the galaxy. I anticipate, too, that FCs may play a role as ferries taking CMDRs and their ships/modules out and back again (on a single load of fuel) to various DSSA sites.
I can't help feeling, though, that a lot of compelling, small-group oriented game play just disappeared. And that's actually a real loss for the game. It's the downside of the "easy" button.
The forum reactions are notably mixed and fall into two camps:
- Yay, Fdev fixed the problem!!
- Salty, Fdev just ruined the game!!
Today, FCs were handed an "easy" button. Range is doubled. Most of the galaxy is reachable for round trips on a single fueling. Deployment of future DSSA carriers just became easier. Logistics and the necessity to mine Tritium deep in the black just went away. The bar has been lowered and not a single DSSA fleet carrier will need to be fueled enroute.
As DSSA CMDR SpaceTrash67 noted in FleetComm Discord this afternoon, "So with range doubled - I have more than enough fuel already on board...aside from some last minute outfitting/engineering- I am ready to launch."
He is absolutely right.
And more broadly, I think deep space just became much more accessible to many more fleet carriers. This is especially good for solo FC owners, who can buy the fuel they need in the Bubble and head out to areas they otherwise could not have reached.
That said, we don't all play the game the same way.
If you caught yesterday's livestream on the DSSA, you heard my pitch for emergent, player-driven game play based on the new meta for exploration – the search for overlapping Tritium hotspots. The too long; didn't listen is that up to patch 3, overlapping Tritium hotspots in the black were extremely valuable discoveries. Fleet carriers would go well out of their way to stop at one for necessary refueling, hence the search to locate them in strategic areas.
That refueling is no longer necessary. The overlaps have been nerfed. Hotspots are relatively homogenized. Group-driven, organized, game play that centered on finding overlaps is, I suspect, a thing of the past. The notion of DSSA-based Tritium depots is shelved for lack of need.
Tritium mining in general, at any kind of hot spot, doesn't make a lot of sense anymore. Thoughtful CMDRs will skip Tritium altogether, mine for credits in the Bubble, then buy all their Tritium on the market for far less effort than actually mining it.
As Erimus Kamzel noted in FleetComm Discord,
Its pretty bad for miners as there's very little reason to take mining teams along on deep space Carrier events now, unless someone is planning to circumnavigate the galaxy or something. As far as the DSSA is concerned, any Carriers that are still yet to deploy have no practical reason to do it as an expedition with players signing up to help out. Carrier Commanders can solo their way out to whatever region they're destined for.
Its a big blow for a potential DW3 too since the expedition would have had logistical support for the DSSA as one of its core aspects. Mining, prospecting, hauling are roles that would have fostered teamwork, which help bind a large scale event together. With them effectively being made obsolete, we're in a bit of a quandary.
l think we're solely relying on Odyssey to offer something for exploration and expeditionary events to work with now.
So, where does that leave things?
The DSSA is probably better off in the sense that it's now easier to deploy FCs to the furthest reaches of the galaxy. I anticipate, too, that FCs may play a role as ferries taking CMDRs and their ships/modules out and back again (on a single load of fuel) to various DSSA sites.
I can't help feeling, though, that a lot of compelling, small-group oriented game play just disappeared. And that's actually a real loss for the game. It's the downside of the "easy" button.
- in the final phases of launch prep...
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