I was right, you were wrong

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I got the impression, from Zac's Announcement, that the Ice Planets stuff was been rolled into the 2020 update.

As far as the Fleet Carriers, as FDev have been quiet on them, they're either coming as one of the smaller updates later in the year, or are been reworked in a different form for the 2020 update. Paige has said that they're still part of the plan at the moment but as we all know, plans can change.
 
Dear Frontier. You know what would put an end to speculations, complaints, accusations, sarcasm, and all that?

A roadmap

A clear, unambiguous, transparent, and honest roadmap.

Which does not need to specify the exact date and time for new features to drop. It simply needs to list what is coming, and a reasonably defined launch window (a month, a quarter...)

To announce/showcase new features/tech with vague or no timeframe was a colossal mistake. Need I remind you that you spoke of fleet carriers at the 2017 Frontier Expo (19 months ago) as part of what was coming with Beyond? Or that you showed some WIP of the new ice planets at Lavecon 2018 (12 months ago)?

This bait and switch (even if well-intentioned and caused by internal delays) is at best unprofessional.

You define a roadmap (as extensive as it needs be). You present it to the public. You stick to it as closely as possible. It's really not that hard.
 

Robert Maynard

Volunteer Moderator
Publishing a roadmap would not change the tone of the discussion - as there would be those bitterly disappointed that their pet feature was not on the list; those who consider that what is on the list does not go far enough, those who will moan when the feature is not delivered exactly as envisaged (or even cancelled due to lack of feasibility), etc...

.... and perish the thought that there might be any delays....

Then there are those for whom no amount of information will ever be enough to satisfy their desires.
 
You define a roadmap (as extensive as it needs be). You present it to the public. You stick to it as closely as possible. It's really not that hard.

Unfortunately i think they did.

2019: Nothing, making it completely clear to have no expectations. I guess some people are excited about hotfix patches.. the same people who get joy from updating their iphones i guess.
2020: Nothing until the end of the year.
Space legs.

Could be worse, and probably some will check out but.. space legs!!!! Better be good. I hope the winds change internally for frontier in the next 2 years.

Maybe the trick is to accept that nothing means nothing?

EDIT: And that frontiers try at leaking pr has had some effect. They're probably just not certain that any part of it will actually succeed so they wont tell us. Fair enough if they carry an air that everything is only perfect then ice planets and fleet carriers happened. Or are the pro atmospheric people really that fanatical about it?
 
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Publishing a roadmap would not change the tone of the discussion - as there would be those bitterly disappointed that their pet feature was not on the list; those who consider that what is on the list does not go far enough, those who will moan when the feature is not delivered exactly as envisaged (or even cancelled due to lack of feasibility), etc...

.... and perish the thought that there might be any delays....

Then there are those for whom no amount of information will ever be enough to satisfy their desires.

Pretty pessimistic view of a forum, isn't it? So no matter what actually happens, there will always be the same level of complaints and bitterness? I personally disagree.
 
Publishing a roadmap would not change the tone of the discussion - as there would be those bitterly disappointed that their pet feature was not on the list; those who consider that what is on the list does not go far enough, those who will moan when the feature is not delivered exactly as envisaged (or even cancelled due to lack of feasibility), etc...

.... and perish the thought that there might be any delays....

Then there are those for whom no amount of information will ever be enough to satisfy their desires.

I'd argue that the tone of the arguments set by a segment of bitter people on the forums shouldn't dictate the overall policy.

Many games do extremely well by setting a clear roadmap. If bitter people are going to be bitter no matter what, then surely it's best to ignore them and instead focus on those who would appreciate the information.
 

Robert Maynard

Volunteer Moderator
I'd argue that the tone of the arguments set on the forums shouldn't dictate the overall policy.

Many games do extremely well by setting a clear roadmap. If bitter people are going to be bitter no matter what, then surely it's best to ignore them and instead focus on those who would appreciate the information.
Indeed - however it seems to me that Frontier are "once bitten, twice shy" in relation to pre-announcing content that may, or may not, be implemented ever or in the stated timescale.

Certainly there are those who crave information - however, a roadmap is no guarantee of implementation nor timescale in game development.
 
I log in ever other day fly a to b and b to a, that's really all I can think of doing now, done everything else. Can't wait till next year.
 
Of course, there is always the possibility they are also working on something that no-one envisaged ..... and no-one asked for ... hence the silence. Can you imagine what would have happened if CQC was in the roadmaps of the past ? :(

Im honestly looking forward to planet zoo. Not gushing like i was for jwe because i don't want to be fanboy crushed like that again.. but if they get it right i can't wait.

 
Of course, there is always the possibility they are also working on something that no-one envisaged ..... and no-one asked for ... hence the silence. Can you imagine what would have happened if CQC was in the roadmaps of the past ? :(
Guardian Even-more-shield-Reinforcements incoming 2020? :LOL:

I'm torn on this one. On the one hand the community is somewhat "trigger-happy" to call it politely.
On the other hand the for-the-time-being scuttle of the carriers left many people very disappointed, a clear roadmap would help imho.

I guess the biggest problem with roadmaps is if you write something in it and then later don't deliver. Which obviously never happens in Elite 😅
 
Indeed - however it seems to me that Frontier are "once bitten, twice shy" in relation to pre-announcing content that may, or may not, be implemented ever or in the stated timescale.

Certainly there are those who crave information - however, a roadmap is no guarantee of implementation nor timescale in game development.


As said above, you're being overtly pessimistic. Will there always be people who complain? Sure. The problem is: right now, people have all the rights to complain because nobody knows anything at all.

As Ant noted above, many other game companies work pretty wall with roadmaps. And yes, a roadmap (a proper roadmap, not a document hastily put together to placate the mob) should be guarantee of implementation and timescale. If in the context of an official roadmap I promise, say, that in Q2 2020 I will offer you the ability to build surface bases...I better give you the ability to build surface bases no later than the 31st of June.

That's not customers being whiny. It's simply running a transparent business. Especially so now that the freebies are over, and we'll have to pay to get whatever new features we'll get.
 
Dear Frontier. You know what would put an end to speculations, complaints, accusations, sarcasm, and all that?

A roadmap

A clear, unambiguous, transparent, and honest roadmap.

Hello. This thread exists because a clear, unambiguous, transparent & honest roadmap element got pushed down the line.

I think you may be overstating the power of roadmaps ;)
 
I guess the biggest problem with roadmaps is if you write something in it and then later don't deliver. Which obviously never happens in Elite 😅

But that's not a problem with roadmaps. That's a problem with developers who commit to roadmaps not considering all the contingencies and that therefore fail to deliver.

nobody is pointing a gun to their head while drafting the roadmap. You need time? Take time. But once you commit, you stick to it. And you do not present vague new info about potential new features and then stay quiet for a year about it.
 
Of course, there is always the possibility they are also working on something that no-one envisaged ..... and no-one asked for ... hence the silence. Can you imagine what would have happened if CQC was in the roadmaps of the past ? :(

Can some people get over it already? CQC was part of a quarterly update, and mostly introduced stuff they were planning to get into the main game (and did put into the main game) anyway. One would almost get the idea that FD spend years developing CQC. CQC was just a combination of several new things for the main game (SLF, installations), functioned as a 'demo', brought some extra income to FD when it was sold stand-alone and provides fun to a bunch of people to this day. Seems like a fine way to spend a few weeks of dev time, even if you yourself don't happen to like it.

Honestly, the incessant whining about CQC is a prime example of why FD unfortunately would do best to be as silent as possible.
 
Hello. This thread exists because a clear, unambiguous, transparent & honest roadmap element got pushed down the line.

I think you may be overstating the power of roadmaps ;)

No, that was not a clear and transparent roadmap. It was a placeholder "hey look, we'll get to this stuff eventually" kind of announcement. That's not how you make a solid business plan.
 
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