The great thing is, if one doesn't like the 'new era', one is not going to be forced to buy it
IF Space Legs, Atmospheric Planets and Base Building are not part of New Era...
- Thread starter VR SenseiMatty
- Start date
DB never said you couldn't go to atmospheric planets on your own ship.
On the other hand, Frontier has said on their own newsletter the exact opposite: https://us2.campaign-archive.com/?u=dcbf6b86b4b0c7d1c21b73b1e&id=ac1081437f#launch and beyond
This newsletter was after the game had already launched, so much later than the dev diaries.
I'll quote:
Also in the same newsletter, for all the space legs deniers:
What a strange idea. I've never heard any previous suggestion landing in our own ships was ruled out, it doesn't even make sense when it was part of the previous games and currently works for non atmospheric worlds. It's one of the 2 most requested features, legs and atmospheric landings, that fdev devs and community team have repeatedly confirmed are on the plan. I mean the plan may never be completed, but the official line is they are on the plan.
The great thing is, if one doesn't like the 'new era', one is not going to be forced to buy it
This...^^^
And after reading my DCS World weekly email this morning, which describes coming features this year, I may be spending my money and time flying a spaceship...err...airplane (they fly similarly), in an atmosphere and firing cannon and rockets instead of lasers and plasmas.
In a much more detailed world with a dynamic campaign system.
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Not sure where you got any of that from regarding DBOBE from. From my recollection, he has never said anything like that.
Again, would people pay for that as an expansion. I can't see it myself. Most seem happy with the game as is on the whole. Having to pay for it to look more glossy is not worth the money in my view.
I'm pretty sure it will include at least one of those. It's definitely something big.
I know people like to point to all the disappointing low-content updates, delays, and bugs as proof that they'll never pull it off, but my theory, somewhat supported by things FDev themselves have stated, is this:
Everything since Horizons -- maybe since 2.0 -- has been a B-team skeleton crew working away, while most of the team have been full-steam ahead on New Era since 2016/17. The "delays" and "bugfixes" have been FDev buying for time, rationing out that small amount of content to keep some degree of interest alive until the new whole-game-sized update is ready.
So I think it will be something substantial, like legs, base building, cities. Whether that "big thing" will be executed well or not remains to be seen.
I know people like to point to all the disappointing low-content updates, delays, and bugs as proof that they'll never pull it off, but my theory, somewhat supported by things FDev themselves have stated, is this:
Everything since Horizons -- maybe since 2.0 -- has been a B-team skeleton crew working away, while most of the team have been full-steam ahead on New Era since 2016/17. The "delays" and "bugfixes" have been FDev buying for time, rationing out that small amount of content to keep some degree of interest alive until the new whole-game-sized update is ready.
So I think it will be something substantial, like legs, base building, cities. Whether that "big thing" will be executed well or not remains to be seen.
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Crossplay is never happening. Space legs, if implemented, will leave a lot of people disappointed. Same goes for atmo landings. The only thing I'm hoping for is for them to finally update placeholder gameplay mechanics, a complete overhaul of certain professions/activities like bounty hunting and smuggling, fundamental stuff like that.
This military slots were not there before hand. The reason why they were added was to make them better at combat then the multirole ships. If you make them normal cargo slots, then they outshine the multirole ships as multirole ships. That shouldn't happen.If the "New Era" gave us nothing more than the removal of restricted module slots, I would be happy man.
The argument that it prevents a combat-focused ship from being used in different roles (and thus impinges on the intended function of multi-role ships) is one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. The year is 3306. If a pilot wants to tweak a Vulture to make it a 64t capacity core miner, that's their business. Innovation and diversity should be turned loose, not contained by arbitrary role assignments.
Sure it has 2x restricted slots, but I'm squeezing 47ly out of a FAS anyway. Because screw you, that's why. So just make my life easier, ok?
It's an unfortunate byproduct of having a a flawed module system.
If that was in and we had carriers dropping out the sky like Battlestar Galactica launching fighters, I'd need medication to calm me down.
If the "New Era" gave us nothing more than the removal of restricted module slots, I would be happy man.
The argument that it prevents a combat-focused ship from being used in different roles (and thus impinges on the intended function of multi-role ships) is one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. The year is 3306. If a pilot wants to tweak a Vulture to make it a 64t capacity core miner, that's their business. Innovation and diversity should be turned loose, not contained by arbitrary role assignments.
Sure it has 2x restricted slots, but I'm squeezing 47ly out of a FAS anyway. Because screw you, that's why. So just make my life easier, ok?
Balancing ships around 'roles' is fairly easy given how Elite is designed...
Combat:
- Higher Quantity of Hardpoints
- Larger Thrusters and Power Plants
- Generally Improved Agility
- Lacks in FSD Range due to Mass from Armor
- Lacks in Optional Slot sizes due to focus on combat
Trade:
- Larger and/or Higher Quantity internal Options
- Additional Utility Slots for Defense
- Larger Life Support and Distributors
- Generally Improved Shielding
- Lacks in Agility and Speed
- Large slots (for cargo) are usually low in quantity, forcing sacrifices of other modules
Exploration:
- Many Optional Slots of varying sizes
- Larger FSD and Sensors
- Lighter Mass and Cockpits are functional for viewing
- Lacks heavier armor and hardpoint versatility
- Lacks larger core internals to specialize in other roles
Multi-Role
- Average number of optional slots but large variance in sizes
- Higher than average Core Modules, but none terribly great
- Well appointed hardpoints of at least two sizes
- Typically SLF capable or has additional slots for more utility
This is obviously an oversimplified list and many ships don't meet that criteria. The main places of potential balance are in hardpoints, quantity of optionals, and size of those optionals. Combat ships need more weapons or very big weapons, trade ships need more internals or very big internals, exploration ships need variety but in small sizes with strong FSD to mass ratios, and multi-roles essentially fit the midpoint between these three: average hardpoints, average internals.
But I'm also a fan of games that have redundant ships. As in, give me Lakon's version of the python. Or ZP's version of the Chieftain. Or Core Dynamics take on the Asp Explorer. I like choice more than role-specialized.. Min-maxxers and meta-hunters will find the 'best' in any game, but that doesn't mean its pointless to have lots of choice for the rest of us.
I just want to fly a ship that does what I like to do, and looks good (in my opinion of 'good') doing it.
Because that's fun.
And I like games that are fun.
Followed up by a hard hitting pamphlet campaign.
Space legs has masses of potential but one of the biggest complaints people have about ED is that it does not deliver on its potential, so aye I can't help but agree.
I can already see about 30 rough notes that will turn into Open letters regardless of what's added or not added. So I'll go first...
Dear FD,
WHAT ARE YOU DOING? I Specifically asked for legs! But why can't I get a 7 foot hairy sidekick to pass me a hydrospanner? I mean c'mon! You've got 1000000 devs at work and you still can't get me a wookie? Or a new couch to shoot stuff from?
*saltiness continues for another few pages. Ends with DOOOOMMEED I'm leaving forever
Dear FD,
WHAT ARE YOU DOING? I Specifically asked for legs! But why can't I get a 7 foot hairy sidekick to pass me a hydrospanner? I mean c'mon! You've got 1000000 devs at work and you still can't get me a wookie? Or a new couch to shoot stuff from?
*saltiness continues for another few pages. Ends with DOOOOMMEED I'm leaving forever
I see it bit differently:
End 2015 Horizons was released.
Then the big team moved to other games and a small team (B-team) developed the rest of Horizons.
End 2017, 2018 a small part of A-team started New Era pre-production while B-Team kept working on Beyond for the complete 2018.
Second half of 2018 the complete A-team with new devs (roughly 80 devs in total) started the full production of the New Era. In 2019 part of B-Team moved to New Era too, leaving a minority of B-team on the small and poor quality updates that we had in 2019.
This is one of the arguments against space legs. It spreads valuable dev resources too thinly. It's a zero sum game, ie you can do 1 focused thing very well or you could do 10 things and have them all be substandard.
Personally I want the idea of space legs, I just feel given the resources Frontier has, it will struggle to live up to its potential.
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Well, yes, sort of and I hope not. Still, you can see why they might if it sets things up to be better up long term. Could set a relatively low price or a discount for existing players, perhaps port some commander details, perhaps discoveries.
I don't think it will be this though to be honest, I think they are more likely to more incrementally refine the core and continue to build extras on top. We'll pay for those extras. Kind of like they have been doing really.
If not refresh then another alternative?
Perhaps much more ground based content, so expand bases but without legs or atmospherics or perhaps even building. You could add more types of ground stations, more types of interactions and add extra vehicles and modes of transport. Be snarky add a mech suit, almost legs but not quite
Plus side, you could argue standard cockpit controls still make some sense..Yeah, not convinced myself. Maybe though if it was sold as version 2 and all existing commanders got a heavy discount and the previous version wasn't sold any more..
If it were true that combat ships are ostensibly better than multirole ships at combat, why do so many people use multirole ships in combat?
The answer is simple: they can be outfitted and engineered to do the job brilliantly.
The Krait MkII... the Python... the Anaconda... hell, even the Phantom. These can be turned into PvE and PvP combat beasts. The fact that combat ships have restricted military slots and marginally heavier hardpoints isn't really helping them perform significantly better, especially since so much of it comes down to the individual pilot's skill. So just get rid of the restrictions and have ships. Let us work with those ships, free of prescribed intention, and allow us to make our own fun.
Not to derail the thread, but restricted slots are something that has always bothered me. They removed passenger cabin restrictions. Good call. Did doing so obliterate the Saud Kruger line? Of course not. Removing restricted slots from combat ships and allowing them to be re-purposed is no different. In my opinion.
The answer is simple: they can be outfitted and engineered to do the job brilliantly.
The Krait MkII... the Python... the Anaconda... hell, even the Phantom. These can be turned into PvE and PvP combat beasts. The fact that combat ships have restricted military slots and marginally heavier hardpoints isn't really helping them perform significantly better, especially since so much of it comes down to the individual pilot's skill. So just get rid of the restrictions and have ships. Let us work with those ships, free of prescribed intention, and allow us to make our own fun.
Not to derail the thread, but restricted slots are something that has always bothered me. They removed passenger cabin restrictions. Good call. Did doing so obliterate the Saud Kruger line? Of course not. Removing restricted slots from combat ships and allowing them to be re-purposed is no different. In my opinion.