I do not like exobiology

[Juniper]

I like exobiology. It's a big draw of Elite for me - the idea of heading out into space, where nobody has gone before, and finding strange new life on other worlds. Someone really ought to make a TV show about that one day... anyway, I digress... I like exobiology.

Unfortunately, what Odyssey provides in that regard is not worth anyone's time - and that's really sad. Could have been great... wasn't.

 

[SpaceGibbon]

Yeah on the run up to the odyssey release I wasn't fussed about the combat aspect, I was excited about the exobiology, it sounded interesting.
But right now it doesn't have much replayability once you've catalogued 1 or 2 different things. It's pretty meaningless, shallow, overly simple. And is just the same gameplay as the usual - go there, get the thing, bring back for credits. End.
It just isn't very interesting.

edit: I am kinda hoping that the plan from Fdev has been to lay the groundwork for future development. (Odyssey on-foot stuff etc) and then go back and start increasing the depth and interest of the content. For example the missions - making them more complex, each being an interesting little narrative with unexpected twists so it's a bit different each time. Connecting things together more like on foot stuff and ship stuff, and the powerplay thing, expanding exobiology. But I'm starting to have my doubts about it. I hope the next big update isn't just more expanded framework full of short shallow gameplay loops to grind credits.

 

[Frop]

Unfortunately, what Odyssey provides in that regard is not worth anyone's time - and that's really sad. Could have been great... wasn't.

The only problem I'm having is that I think it could've been done better, but as soon as I think how one would implement that in the ED framework I'm drawing a few blanks as well. What would make for compelling gameplay that doesn't feature fancy science labs in ship interiors? One of the (rather cheap) "gameplay" mechanics that would come to mind is to be able to enhance and speed up the process with better and more automated equipment, but as for actual depth, I can't really think of that much else.

 

[LKx]

For a start

 

[Andro]

It could really use some more depth. I'll add this if someone hasn't already repeated it in this thread: we need to be able to see the flora's description + some other scientific tidbits about it during or after scanning.

 

[RyuStaar]

Wait, I have something for this...

 

[Chaparral]

Of all things not to proedurally model, Plants.

In this game that procedurally models the galaxy, doing plants was beyond the reach of the team?

Bio exploration in Odyssey represents a philosophical break from the core Braben approach to ED in my opinion.

With the long lore history around drugs in ED, and there is just zero connection to that source material with the plants in this game.

Clearly this is the most dry of bones tossed to the exploration community.

Sad.

Stand and scan one of what 60 ish models?

 

[Linnunrata]

The current iteration would be palatable reason to visit planets and marvel sunsets if they at least removed the mandatory three sample mechanism that doesn't really contribute anything but frustration. It's both boring to search for that third elusive mold stain and it just underlines how badly on-foot gameplay is tethered to SRV/ship.

The single canister thing also... djeez.

 

[Mogen Teras]

If you don't like exo biology, then don't do it.

If you don't like Engineering, don't do it.

If you dislike combat, don't do it.

If you hate trade, don't do it.

If mining sucks for you, don't mine.

At what point do we concede that a lot of mechanics in this game are just designed to not be fun. You can only tell someone to "just not do it" so many times before they are stuck not doing anything.

 

[dgrafix]

I like the idea of the exobiology, but it certainly needs... something... adding to it. The way it is now, micro paying and very tedious kinda puts me off, but if you like it fine, each to their own. But i just cannot really call it fun in it's current state (so do not do it)
I would like to see more variety, the surface scanning thing is odd at the best of times, and needing to scan 3 divergences which seems a bit OTT.
It would also be good if there was some danger element to it as well sometimes, hostile fauna, geological danger or -something-.

 

[metatheurgist]

The only problem I'm having is that I think it could've been done better, but as soon as I think how one would implement that in the ED framework I'm drawing a few blanks as well. What would make for compelling gameplay that doesn't feature fancy science labs in ship interiors? One of the (rather cheap) "gameplay" mechanics that would come to mind is to be able to enhance and speed up the process with better and more automated equipment, but as for actual depth, I can't really think of that much else.

I'll give it a shot.

1) The pointless mini-game of pointlessness. Seriously, who ever thought that was a good idea? There's nothing wrong with it but success in that game should have a reward! So, for e.g. if you can get all 3 cycles in one go you have made all 3 scans. Congrats you are done. Only got 2 cycles? You need one more. It's basic game design, success should have a reward.

2) Extra rewards for success in the mini-game. Maybe some bonus chemicals for Ody engineers?

3) More variety. Yes, even procedural monstrosities would be better than the blandness we have.

4) Rares - we have an artificial limit to buy (easily circumvented so it's again pointless, see 1). What if you had to manually gather some rares (specifically the plants) and you had to ID them with the gene scanner. Now rares have a production limit based on real limits instead of arbitrary X tons or twice X in Boom. Maybe you can find some variations of plant rares on different worlds (and they are worth more $$$).

5) Already mentioned. Remove the limit of one scan at a time - it's asinine.

 

[Bigmaec]

I can't remember the alpha minigame any more. I didn't think it was so bad though.

Did we havd to find 3 samples each too, or were we done for if we went through the 3 stages of the minigame?

 

[Dragsham]

Elite ingame exobiology




Omg

 

[Riverside]

I quite like the exploration side of it. Landing on the 'new' planets, finding some plants, enjoying the views (especially with Update 9's new lighting). It's got a relaxing vibe to it if you ask me. However, I will agree with other posters that it needs a little more. Either more plant variety or something like being able to 'harvest' plants for mats or commodities, or even harvest mats from plants that can be synthized into commodities.

It actually being useful WRT the rest of the game would be nice.

Once I reached Salad Elite my enthusiasm for doing it dropped off a cliff. It remains something to do while exploring though, and a reason to explore a planet & look out the window

 

[Riverside]

I can't remember the alpha minigame any more. I didn't think it was so bad though.

Did we havd to find 3 samples each too, or were we done for if we went through the 3 stages of the minigame?

Both. But the samples were closer together I think.

 

[Factabulous]

I can't remember the alpha minigame any more. I didn't think it was so bad though.

Did we havd to find 3 samples each too, or were we done for if we went through the 3 stages of the minigame?

Yup. I think there were two issues with the minigame:

1) It was twitch-based gameplay in a very non-twitch based area (exploration)
2) It was very affected by frame-rate - for example I found it far easier when crouching and pointing towards the sky (higher FPS). This meant that ppl put out 'howto' videos to be helpful that showed you something that would never work if you had a different frame rate. And you might have a different frame rate based upon where you were looking in those days

Never been a fan of games where you know exactly what to do but need multiple tries before you can complete it, though some like that

 

[Rat Catcher]

I am just happy there is no Elite rank in Marmite Eating or I would be furious!

I'd be Elite V by now...

For non-Combat players EDO is near worthless.

Of course it is... (I guess you don't play the expansion at all)

At what point do we concede that a lot of mechanics in this game are just designed to not be fun. You can only tell someone to "just not do it" so many times before they are stuck not doing anything.

Simples... If nothing is fun, don't play... Which is obvious, surely? A mature person would only engage in things that they find interesting and engaging in a game, wouldn't they?
(I have literally hundreds of games in my collection that either failed to engage me, or no longer engage me. I don't play them, nor do I complain because they are redundant)

Edit: word missed

 

[Florizel]

Imitating exploring is difficult, and imitating science is even more complicated.

The current iteration would be palatable reason to visit planets and marvel sunsets if they at least removed the mandatory three sample mechanism that doesn't really contribute anything but frustration. It's both boring to search for that third elusive mold stain and it just underlines how badly on-foot gameplay is tethered to SRV/ship.

The single canister thing also... djeez.

Yep, i guess at least a belt with canisters would be good for start.
If another species comes across, the character will simply change the canister.

 

[Sethioz]

It's more tedium added on to an already tedious task, but at least with regular exploration it is still rewarding enough to be worth it. Finding a ringed Earth-like world? hell yeah! having to travel sometimes kilometers to scan 1 thing 3 times, and then do it again for the next, and again, and end up being on the same body seeing the same 2 different plants even though you got back on the ship, went far enough out to use dss to find the specific organism you haven't found yet, land and still see those same 2 plants and not the one you are looking for. no.
on top of that, grinding elite rank for it is the worst out of all the elite rank grinds, since you need to do all that tedium about roughly 1000 times. thanks but no thanks

then don't do them .. what's the problem? I don't like PvP, so I don't do it, simple as that.
I rather have game with MORE content than less .. I can't believe you're crying over having MORE content. Why not ask for a game with just 1 ship and 1 station and that's all there is, wouldn't that be amazing?

 

[OutofSpace]

For me, exobiology is a great addition to the game.

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