Frontier needs to decide: Game or Simulation

Cageman

Cageman
Brrokk said:
There's no way ED is a simulation. To mention just a few points:
Faster-than-light travel.
"Hyperspace".
No relativistic effects.
Frame shift drive, apparently compressing the space in a whole system, while being unnoticed by all the inhabitants.
A few tons of fuel getting from one system to another.
A top speed in normal space.
Gatling guns on spaceships (yay, steampunk!)
Instant refuelling.
Non-material shields stopping solid objects.
Spaceships carrying armour.
Random elements having unexpected uses for randomly improving the performance of ship components.
... etc.

So it's a game, one among many. The only reason to play it is if it's a good game; I happen to think it is.
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ED has a lot of simulation in it, and, in many cases, real science to it (which goes hand in hand with the simulation parts), even if some of that is still on the fiction side of things.

*Milky way (a theoretical simulation of our entire galaxy) = Science + Simulation
*All bodies in the galaxy have orbits, rotation and produce gravity wells = Science + Simulation
*Landable planets have simulated gravity = Science + Simulation
*Most actions in the game, affects the BGS = Game mechanics / Activities that feeds the Simulation of system states (Boom, War, Civil War, Election, Lockdown, etc).
*Large Starports are rotating to create artificial gravity = Science

Of course, it needs to be a fun game as well. So the FSD is certanly one of the more gamey aspects of it, or... lets call it Sci-fi... the simplified "Flight Assist ON" is clearly a game mechanic to make it a bit more fun and allow for an "easy" mode when traveling in normal space.

Yes, what you mentioned are certanly aspects of ED that makes it a fun game, but... it is also has a lot of simulation and science in it.

:)
 

2Karl

2Karl
Brrokk said:
So it's a game, one among many. The only reason to play it is if it's a good game; I happen to think it is.
Click to expand...

Oh man! If only games could ALSO be simulations! I'm going to write to my MP to get the law changed! Suggest you all do the same!
 

Ktonos

K
In rpg terms regarding futuristic settings there are the hard and the soft sc if genres. ED's aspects are closer to hard sci fi rather than space opera /soft sci fi.

It especially reminds me if traveller 2300ad, if anyone else here is into pen and paper rpgs he will probably know of it.
 

kofeyh

kofeyh
Anon Sin said:
@Kofeyh; actually if you had read to the end of what i wrote,i said it was both in that it is "A mixed bag of both".
Also it only started to become game like with the introduction of the Engineers with their RNG,then tele-presence so on and so forth.
Please try and keep up Commander! o7
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It was always both, will always be both; mechanics will be introduced and changed over time. But it was decided over 5 years ago when Frontier pitched the game. It's not ever not been both.

Was always both. Will always be both. Folks are somehow desperate to retcon it wasn't always both, so they can then complain about it being both, even though it was always both. The only thing in denial, isn't the game. It's commanders.
 
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kofeyh

kofeyh
Waagenator said:
Wow I just posted this same post in general discussion.

It's got elements of both, but isn't entirely either. I believe this the reason for the very mediocre reception on steam.

Especially when the gameplay experience FDEV advertises is an outright lie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwvjElmFCfE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-4xHtCP1Yo
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No, it's both. Always been both. I remember exactly what frontier advertised, I was a kickstarter backer; and the entire selling point - that it was both. A bit over optimistic? Sure. But they never lied in that respect.

The mediocre reception is due to the grind being less well rewarded over other titles that make such grind a little more tolerable; and people believing they would have more say, than they do.
 
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