I suspect the announcement will be for a new add on where players can buy landing pads on outposts and charge rent to other players (not NPCs). Once all the pads on an outpost are bought by one player he/she can start upgrading each pad to one of two levels (provisionally titled green and red). This costs money and upgrades have to be balanced across pads but it means more rent from other players.
Naturally this mode will be available to those in solo, private or open.
They gave us Risk, is Monopoly that unlikely?![]()
I agree that content is what is needed. I hope it's an announcement about imminent new features, as opposed to "planetary landings coming summer 2016" and then no more info on anything else.
Sorry to hear you wouldn't feel up to backing another kickstarter. Each project is different and carries different risks.
Ultimately I think Elite will deliver a fantastic game, it's just going to take time.
At least you are remaining positive, which is a good thing - re-reading my post it does sound a little bitter, although that's not how I feel fully. I just really want DB's original vision of ED, not the way it's currently going - I love the game, just like its predecessors it's a great game, but it can be so much more!
As for kickstarter thing, I may have just been unlucky - but so far everything I've backed has changed its tune once they have your money, especially the gaming industry.
Now that PP and arena combat are basically out of the way, I am actually more excited about what is next and what FD will announce at Gamescom.What are the chances of this fleshing out to happen outside of a paid expansion though? Pretty slim I'd wager.
Practically everyone craves content. That means all kinds of things to different people, but I see it often associated with persistent NPCs, fleshed out multi tier missions and the likes. Basically, things that require a whole new game to be designed and build within ED's current framework. I don't see how that'll happen outside of the quasi-announced future paid expansion.
While things like CQC and powerplay on the other hand mostly interconnect existing assets and mechanics and don't need much story writing/scripting/asset creation. Probably not as much as to occupy a significant part of a 100 (?) person strong team for upwards of a year at least. That'll have any dev with any sense look for monetization.
+1 and same here. I've taken a month hiatus already. Right now I'm enjoying a few hours a week just bounty hunting and slowing kitting out a Viper. I'm sure I'll take another break this summer and spend a load of time outdoors. I hope the fourth quarter of 2015 has some cool announcements. The way I look at it is PP provides Tier 1 NPC and lots of background noise for GalNet plus consensual PvP for those so inclined. The great thing is you can participate in many parts of the game or not as you see fit. Now that PP is out, most of the devs will move on to the next sprint project with a few doing bug squashing and tweaking. For instance the graphics folks that did the galaxy map have already moved on to whatever is next. It isn't like development is stopping.I am still positive on the whole, and if I put my objective trousers on I can see why the whole console CQC thing needed to come now to secure longer term revenue for the game, therefore allowing for all the missing features to be added over time. But I must confess I am impatient, and having played for over a year now I'm seriously considering a bit of a break-maybe to Christmas, so I can recharge my elite batteries and come back when (hopefully) more features have been added. It's a double edged sword backing early. You get the initial access and contribute (in a small way via betas) to shaping the game, but at the same time u get all the bugs, have to put up with the missing content and run the risk of burning out before the game reaches its potential. It's a no subscription model and I've already put easy 700 hours plus into the game so from that perspective I have massive value for money. But I kinda envy the random punter that chances upon Elite in late 2016 where every element is fresh, loads more features and ships have been added, bugs ironed and the thargoids are roaming the stars!!
For Gamescom something realistic and exciting would be Persistent Tier 2 NPC. Personally I am rooting for that as it will open up a whole lot of further avenues and enhance gameplay. But it could realistically be anything from the dev videos or design docs, plus new ships, and of course the CQC Space Elevator that FD said "was repurposed for PvP" in the last newsletter.
Totally agree... but 99.99999% it going to be Thargoids.
Now that PP and arena combat are basically out of the way, I am actually more excited about what is next and what FD will announce at Gamescom.
DB has confirmed in multiple recent interviews both free updates and paid expansions are ongoing work and there are over 100 staff actively working on ED development. http://dagbladet.brightcove.com.edge...vid-Braben.mp4
Planet landing will be the first paid expansion and will be phased with airless moons first as they are the easiest to do and can be given Outpost like settlements. Plans with links to DB and dev quotes here: The future of Elite Dangerousn on Reddit with links to Dev comments.
Point updates to the existing space ship part of the game do not require a new engine and talk of a paid expansion is still a bit premature. FD spent years building up their Cobra engine specifically for an Elite IV. They do have a plan, even if they aren't sharing it in detail. A lot of that plan has to do with necessary pre-requisites and staged order of development. Fleshing out the core game we have today will be free and in my opinion free for some time to come. Continued enhancements will drive ongoing sales and also existing players to return and buy skins and other game items.
DB has said in a recent E3 streamed interview that passenger missions are coming but there are some pre-requisites and competing priorities. Flying ships and the Bulletin Board/ mission system are already in-game so the foundation is there- it isn't like we can't even pilot a passenger ship yet.Kerrash has said he hasn't seen anything in the design documents "crossed off the list". MB and DB both say Orrey view is still on the list. Comets are in the engine but not in game yet via MB comments.
For Gamescom something realistic and exciting would be Persistent Tier 2 NPC. Personally I am rooting for that as it will open up a whole lot of further avenues and enhance gameplay. But it could realistically be anything from the dev videos or design docs, plus new ships, and of course the CQC Space Elevator that FD said "was repurposed for PvP" in the last newsletter.
Planet landings will be more likely a Christmas present for the initial release and not a summer announcement. Walking around our ships could be a simultaneous announcement, but that too will be a phased roll-out and we will be confined to ship interiors for some time.
+1 and same here. I've taken a month hiatus already. Right now I'm enjoying a few hours a week just bounty hunting and slowing kitting out a Viper. I'm sure I'll take another break this summer and spend a load of time outdoors. I hope the fourth quarter of 2015 has some cool announcements. The way I look at it is PP provides Tier 1 NPC and lots of background noise for GalNet plus consensual PvP for those so inclined. The great thing is you can participate in many parts of the game or not as you see fit. Now that PP is out, most of the devs will move on to the next sprint project with a few doing bug squashing and tweaking. For instance the graphics folks that did the galaxy map have already moved on to whatever is next. It isn't like development is stopping.
Personally I won't hold my breath on SC Mike. In June last year I lumped in for the starter ship package which I later upped to $140 of Freelancer. I received a ship that even now I can only keep in my hanger. Doesn't even have a flight model. I can race the lent ship in a race and lose or lump some more cash and buy a racing ship. I can take the loaner around the tiniest area you can imagine and either attempt to fly it in circles and pretend I am in space or shoot down a few Aliens which I used to be able to do. Then they changed the flight model and now my Saitek Rhino can't keep on the aliens mobs long enough to kill more than a wave, and the hotas is a total nightmare to set up. All I see coming from SC is a bigger stable of virtual ships that may never even be able to fly. TBH at least some game developers have been kept in work for a while with our KS.
Here in ED things are better than that, but again as a KS backer I have to admit to disappointment at the games general direction. I see posters saying why the DDF proposals are not binding, but the enthusiasm from DB when he was first describing ED's future and putting lots of good stuff forward in principle through the DDF led me to believe, while some may not make it into the game, most would. But all I am seeing atm is stuff that was never put forward being introduced which for me and I imagine for many others is quite disappointing. It makes me think that 5 years down the road if ED is popular it will look nothing like DB's inspiration and it will be a sad day.
Both SC and ED have certainly ensured one thing for me I will never back another indy developer in a KS campaign, feels to bait and switch to me. You can call me what you like for my words, that's sadly how I feel.
Planetary landings would not work if you can't leave your ship. That is from a game play perspective.
So first walk around then landings![]()