Well, i just uninstalled one of the game installation i had and Frontier even fails at that because it left more than 13 GB on my HDD. I still have the Steam install though. Will have to see how long i keep that around.
From my point of view E-D turns more and more into a major disapointment. Broken promises (Offline Mode anyone), broken features (Missons, Powerplay, BGS and as a cherry on top: the new AI). While i still think the game has some potential, i belive that Frontier is not willing or capable to bring it to bear, especially not as long as they do not put up more work into fixing what is there instead of bringing new overhyped and in the end disapointing features. The fact that they also try to force people to certain activities instead of allowing the players to choose what they do and how they solve problems (ie. use ships to deal with ground bases, skimmers, etc, p.p.) and the fact that they add more and more obstacles and RNG on top is just showing myself that they do not develope a game for ME or even US, the playerbase, but that they do what they want and basicly show the middle finger to the rest.
The fact that there is still no open PvE Mode and their reaction to the incursions into the Mobius Groupe are enough proof that they do not listen to a great part of the community. And while i can understsand that people want more challenge in the game with the new AI and i can understand why certrain people that love die hard combat love it, i myself am part of the other part of the community that doesnt like combat all that much (not to mention that i am just a medicore pilot and dont care to *get good* because i have better things to do tbh.).
For me the old AI allready was challenge enough, although i admit that it had certain bugs that needed fixing. Not to mention the new bugs introduced with every change they make because their QA is non exsistent and their deadlines are more important than everything else.
The entire Horizons expansion did, until now, not introduce anything worthwhile for me. Nothing that improves my day to day Elite Dangerous life, nothing that brought me more enjoyable game time. Just grind, just frustration and a lot of grief and anger towards Frontier. I feel like i did throw out my money when i bought it and the actual only good thing that came with it until now where those Black Friday Paintjobs for my ships.
I did sink more than 8 weeks into Elite, so it can hardly be said that i didnt give the game a chance. I tried everything the game has to offer at least once, have accomplished quit a bit while doing it and still think the base game is okish, simply because of its scope and the ability u get to travel to the stars in the night sky.
But even than, once there, there is not so much to see there tbh. Which is a bit disapointing in itself. I came to the realization that this game is far from finished and even more far away from being polished in the way that it needs to be to hammer out all the rough edges and also that it wont be for a long time.
That 10 year development plan is a very frightening thing from my point of view, because it means that only after those 10 years, when all things in that plan have been introduced in what ever form, than will Frontier start ironing the stuff out that they did break while rushing features out.
And i guess it will be another one or two years after that when things will start to get polished. Because that timespan will be needed to fix at least the most game breaking bugs. And i expect a lot of those that still are around now will plague us even in 10 years.
I am sorry, but i simply can not change my core feelings regarding the game. I might have a look from time to time how things stand, but i wont be spending more money on the game, nor will i keep it as my main game and occupation. The disapointment is just to great.
Funny thing is, i had a similar experience with Eve Online before, but that took more than 8 years to reach the same point. ED didnt take even 2. And i sadly have to say that Eve even now is the better core came and always will be. At least their the low level PvE stuff works. Something that never was true for ED.
Actually, i'd like to hear if someone would like to bet on when the missions in ED will finaly all work as intended and stop being broken.