Forced gameplay?

Exploring horizons since returning it would seem that FD has made a design decision force you to engage in certain in game activities to obtain engineering upgrades.

Every aspect of the game must be dipped into, some more than others, in order to engineer your ship. You have to mine, you have to trade, you have to explore and you have to fight.

If someone enjoys each of these at different times then that's fine. But a constant activity which is unfun, to obtain needed materials is a bad design choice. And their is no option around it. If someone preferred combat above all else, there would be indirect ways to obtain something which you could use to get materials. Suppose you could trade combat bonds for materials? Instead of prospecting the tacked on ride a buggy around an airless rock shooting rocks which they call a feature. What about selling or trading exploration data for materials? It gives you an option beside doing something repetitive that you don't like, which is grinding. That way one of each profession which is liked by a wide range of players could still do the one they find most fun gameplay wise, while still being able to stay relevant in a post engineered world.

Someone came up with the brilliant idea that they know how to get players to do every in game activity. You want materials? You will explore. Mine. Trade, fight, prospect etc etc.

As an aside, how is it you can have such awesome spaceships in the 34th century but you have that god-awful buggy which just turns over on the slightest bump or going too fast? Could have used a hover craft or something, seriously? Come on.
 
Exploring horizons since returning it would seem that FD has made a design decision force you to engage in certain in game activities to obtain engineering upgrades.

Every aspect of the game must be dipped into, some more than others, in order to engineer your ship. You have to mine, you have to trade, you have to explore and you have to fight.

If someone enjoys each of these at different times then that's fine. But a constant activity which is unfun, to obtain needed materials is a bad design choice. And their is no option around it. If someone preferred combat above all else, there would be indirect ways to obtain something which you could use to get materials. Suppose you could trade combat bonds for materials? Instead of prospecting the tacked on ride a buggy around an airless rock shooting rocks which they call a feature. What about selling or trading exploration data for materials? It gives you an option beside doing something repetitive that you don't like, which is grinding. That way one of each profession which is liked by a wide range of players could still do the one they find most fun gameplay wise, while still being able to stay relevant in a post engineered world.

Someone came up with the brilliant idea that they know how to get players to do every in game activity. You want materials? You will explore. Mine. Trade, fight, prospect etc etc.

As an aside, how is it you can have such awesome spaceships in the 34th century but you have that god-awful buggy which just turns over on the slightest bump or going too fast? Could have used a hover craft or something, seriously? Come on.

Operating and SRV (Sliding or Rolling Vehicle) is not that hard, it just takes a little practice. Some of us are quite good with them. Others... well, there's a reason your license says "Pilot".

However, it is not "required" that you use one to obtain materials. Materials can also be acquired by mining, and ultimately traded for other kinds of materials as well, so that IS an option.

There is no material that can ONLY be obtained by combat. There are some that are easier to obtain that way, but easier does not mean only.
 
Or you know you can use mats trader.

But ED is enjoyed best if you like all those activities, true. If not, it is a bit of struggle, and not only from Engineering POV.
 
So imagine how i feel, after the the long trek thru the dry seas of bordom that is the engineer grind im finally getting ready to go explore and they inflict the FSS on us. :(
 
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The reply is quite problematic in here... saying that as a bloodthirsty Bounty Hunter who loves mining now!

With the recent update, Mining made itself launch from the last place of my activities list (around Piracy and Smuggling, due to their inefficiency - and don't try to convince me doing that Imperial Slaves/Slaves, cause that's not smuggling). Why? Because of searching for proper asteroid to make them explode... even if that alone is satisfying as well, if you know the ropes you can earn several millions per exploded asteroid.

Mining went more exciting and rewarding. Piracy and Smuggling - two of activities that should bring way more money than legit Bounty Hunting or Trading - are yet to be fixed. Risk-to-reward isn't just worth it in both cases... Some say "do it for roleplay!" But, come on, the reason for anyone who turns to doing illegal things is money - that's totally in character behaviour.
 
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Personally, I've never been forced into any particular type of gameplay that I didn't want, just for engineering.

I've always treated materials as a secondary currency gained on the side of my everyday activities. I mainly smuggle and will often collect high end materials as a reward for missions instead of straight credits. I also scoop up any G3 or higher materials I get from ships that try to jump me. Anything I can't get directly through my typical play style, I simply trade for at material traders using the high end materials I'm not using.

As I said, playing this way, I've never had to grind out materials or partake in a type of game play I don't enjoy.
 
I think the OP might be referring to the activities required to unlock the engineers, rather than the mat gathering. This is however, entirely optional for each engineer, and in no way forced.
 
I think the OP might be referring to the activities required to unlock the engineers, rather than the mat gathering. This is however, entirely optional for each engineer, and in no way forced.

I think the main problem is the fact that you cannot go Open Mode without Engineering.
 
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Harsh tbh. OP is talking about forced gameplay. The FSS fits that description perfectly. People are literally begging for choice but there is none.

FSS is way better than what we had before, because you don't want to kill yourself for flying to each separate planet, praying Thargoids Far God to end this. Until FSS, Exploration was... just staring at the screen and moving your ship time to time without much of actual gameplay. If I wanted to play a clicker game - I'd get one for my mobile.
 
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