IF Space Legs, Atmospheric Planets and Base Building are not part of New Era...

There are four space games Im aware of where you pilot ships and get out on your feet, 1 has no gameplay beyond what I described, 1 is a tiny focussed puzzle game in effect, the others have boring mile wide, inch deep pointless gameplay.

None of the games closest to Elite has any real benefit to having space legs, and if you think FD can put together something even as "comprehensive" as Star Citizen you are fooling yourself.

Legs will neither fix the issues people have with the current gameplay in ships, and will introduce a whole threadnoughts worth of new criticism of the mile wide, inch deep kind.

Just come back to this thread if we do get space legs, i'll write it now:

TOLD YOU.
I don't expect anything like Star Citizen or any of the other games you talk about.

If the update is to be Elite Feet, it will be its own thing. I certainly don't expect to only be able to do the same thing from walking around with what you could in your ship.

If you expect Fdev to only do that, then I think you are wrong. There would be little to zero point in doing that and nobody would bother buying it. Nope, there are other ways elite feet can be added without treading on the toes of the main game. There doesn't even need to be "space station" gameplay to begin with.
 
Biggest challenge for legs in VR is going to be controlling/moving in VR. There's no universal method for movement in VR, so it's not as easy as just a first-person camera moving around. That's probably going to be the greatest challenge to making it work for VR.

Yeah, as a VR player that was my major concern, but the player preference approach works well in NMS (free first-person movement or teleportation). If a small developer like Hello games can achieve it then Frontier should be able to. I'm interested to see how the new Half Life game approaches the problem. Personally I'm completely comfortable with free movement.
 
Could they really justify the term "New Era" on that basis, or indeed the fanfare of a distinct paid expansion? Also, isn't Fleet Carriers just delayed content and independent of the New Era?
They could justify anything they wanted to. Managing player expectations and rumor control is not part of their job. We’re the ones who keep making things up, throwing everything against the wall to see what sticks and then blame Frontier when we’re wrong, which, track record, is always.

We’re also the ones who repeatedly make ridiculous claims about in-game dangers based on the title, simply because the word “dangerous” is there.

What lies in store for us with this “New Era”? Only time will tell, but I promise, laundry detergent won’t be a part of it, despite “Era” being in the title.
 
We’re the ones who keep making things up, throwing everything against the wall to see what sticks and then blame Frontier when we’re wrong, which, track record, is always.

We’re also the ones who repeatedly make ridiculous claims about in-game dangers based on the title, simply because the word “dangerous” is there.
'We'? I sense a generalisation effect.
 
What actually is part of e.g. a community manager's job in your opinion? Or is CM nothing more than a synonym for marketing?

Marketing, arbitrating community activities and events, resolving disputes, that sort of thing. Frontier has a strong Zero Information policy when it comes to upcoming release material.
 
I was expecting a thread like this to emerge. I was planning to post something similar - glad it landed. Here is my two cents:
  • Revamped C&P system.
  • Separation of BGSs from open, PGs & solo
  • BGS fixes & optimizations
  • Bug fixes
  • Gameplay enhancement: e.g. (and that is only one e.g ;) ) more direct engagement of cmdrs with BGS and / or a storyline / multiple storylines.
  • Fleet Carriers
  • Network optimizations & better instancing e.g. better handling of massive multiplayer events without server crashing (ok lol)
  • Offline mode (lol) ok I mean it seriously..
  • Graphic enhancements:
-planetary: ice planet revamp, negative slop cliffs, canyons, natural bridges, caves with cave structures such as stalactites & stalagmites,
-space: ring shadows on planet surface, shadows & lighting from multiple star light sources, eclipse shadow bug fix, solar flares and coronal mass ejections with damaging potential on our ships similar to neutron star / white dwarf jets, neutron star/white dwarf/black hole accretion disks (3d preferably) with damaging potential on ships, supernova (lol probably impossible).
- Removal of permit locked areas of the galaxy and possible relation with Thargoid / Guardian and/or other alien civilization.

As you can see all the above is quite substantial amount of work and can easily warrant to be called "New Era" without space legs and/or atmo planet flight and/or planetary base building. But if none of the major three arrive, at least 80% of the above must make it to the new era to justify its naming (imho :) ).
 
I was expecting a thread like this to emerge. I was planning to post something similar - glad it landed. Here is my two cents:
  • Revamped C&P system.
  • Separation of BGSs from open, PGs & solo
  • BGS fixes & optimizations
  • Bug fixes
  • Gameplay enhancement: e.g. (and that is only one e.g ;) ) more direct engagement of cmdrs with BGS and / or a storyline / multiple storylines.
  • Fleet Carriers
  • Network optimizations & better instancing e.g. better handling of massive multiplayer events without server crashing (ok lol)
  • Offline mode (lol) ok I mean it seriously..
  • Graphic enhancements:
-planetary: ice planet revamp, negative slop cliffs, canyons, natural bridges, caves with cave structures such as stalactites & stalagmites,
-space: ring shadows on planet surface, shadows & lighting from multiple star light sources, eclipse shadow bug fix, solar flares and coronal mass ejections with damaging potential on our ships similar to neutron star / white dwarf jets, neutron star/white dwarf/black hole accretion disks (3d preferably) with damaging potential on ships, supernova (lol probably impossible).
- Removal of permit locked areas of the galaxy and possible relation with Thargoid / Guardian and/or other alien civilization.

As you can see all the above is quite substantial amount of work and can easily warrant to be called "New Era" without space legs and/or atmo planet flight and/or planetary base building. But if none of the major three arrive, at least 80% of the above must make it to the new era to justify its naming (imho :) ).
All of which is not supposed to cost extra, or should be part of of an actual expansion. I don’t see many people wanting to pay $40-$60 on that stuff.
 
All of which is not supposed to cost extra, or should be part of of an actual expansion. I don’t see many people wanting to pay $40-$60 on that stuff.

Ok. I am biased. I am a LEP owner and for me it is not going to cost a penny. So I would definitely want to buy it :p:LOL:.
Aside from the joke above, what if it didn't cost $40-$60 but was in the range of $30-$35? Would it be worth then? All of the above (aside from off-line mode and supernova - unrealistic expectations) would require a substantial amount of work imho although I am not a coder.
 
I was expecting a thread like this to emerge. I was planning to post something similar - glad it landed. Here is my two cents:
  • Revamped C&P system.
  • Separation of BGSs from open, PGs & solo
  • BGS fixes & optimizations
  • Bug fixes
  • Gameplay enhancement: e.g. (and that is only one e.g ;) ) more direct engagement of cmdrs with BGS and / or a storyline / multiple storylines.
  • Fleet Carriers
  • Network optimizations & better instancing e.g. better handling of massive multiplayer events without server crashing (ok lol)
  • Offline mode (lol) ok I mean it seriously..
  • Graphic enhancements:
-planetary: ice planet revamp, negative slop cliffs, canyons, natural bridges, caves with cave structures such as stalactites & stalagmites,
-space: ring shadows on planet surface, shadows & lighting from multiple star light sources, eclipse shadow bug fix, solar flares and coronal mass ejections with damaging potential on our ships similar to neutron star / white dwarf jets, neutron star/white dwarf/black hole accretion disks (3d preferably) with damaging potential on ships, supernova (lol probably impossible).
- Removal of permit locked areas of the galaxy and possible relation with Thargoid / Guardian and/or other alien civilization.

As you can see all the above is quite substantial amount of work and can easily warrant to be called "New Era" without space legs and/or atmo planet flight and/or planetary base building. But if none of the major three arrive, at least 80% of the above must make it to the new era to justify its naming (imho :) ).
Only thing on that list I'd be willing to pay for is #5 gameplay enhancements and those would have to be massive. Everything besides Fleet carriers is just fixing the game or stuff I don't care about. I've already paid for Fleet Carriers several times over with over priced cosmetics (I'm not complaining) so if Fleet Carriers get pushed back and rolled into the expansion to justify a $40-$60 I'd just wait for a big sale on it or just go without.
 

Viajero

Volunteer Moderator
It could, but it could also enhance it a lot!
Have you tried Lone Echo, or the free version Echo Arena? Damn I have shiver when I think we could get the same in ED inside our ships!
Echo Arena has been my very first experience in VR. The very first VR application I tried and I was terrified and excited at the same time. I will remember that moment for the rest of my life!
Echo Arena is indeed a very strong first VR experience. Enders Game made flesh. Have you tried ADR1FT? A bit slower first person motion than EA but also something I could easily see in Elite.
 
Few things which could enhance/enrich ED:
  • npc crew improvement including possibility use cmdr creator and ability to have them in ship cockpit
  • creation of places with small landing pads only and missions/tasks prepared specially for small ships
  • further improvement of BGS including more 'visible' impact on systems including infrastructure
  • more diverse and live planets and places for visits and regular gameplay
  • improvement to the missions system with new tasks and chains
  • improvement to tipoff missions and special tasks offers
  • getting PP more rich and linked with MF bgs (it can greatly enhance gameplay not only for these cmdrs involved in PP)
  • more for surface exploration (one type SRV really isn't enough 🙂)

... except new planetary types it's mostly about improved application of what we already have in the game but is rarely used for a reasons. ... For me, spacelegs are nowhere in my wishlist.
 
Here there is a big IF, because tbh all discussions about Legs and Base Building come from an unofficial leak and, even worse, atmospheric planets is purely players speculation.
So what IF the New Era of Elite Dangerous is about none of the three?

Let's prepare ourselves to a B-Plan: with such a "big" manpower of roughly 80 developers working at this project for more than 2 years, what would you expect or wish to see as an alternate content release?
Something to truly move the gameplay and depth forwards like Grade 6 engineering?
 
So I thought about it and here I have a list that could actually make the game more interesting and justify the 2.5 years of development. I wouldn't call it a New Era though, because there would be more depth to existing contents rather than fresh new stuff.

  1. Ice planets (as shown for Beyond, then delayed) and overhauled planet surface generation with more interesting geological features and terrains variety.
  2. New farming/synthesis interface that allow you to create new modules and enchance current ones. It would be an alternative to engineers. It would require much less materials but you need to go through a new gameloop (puzzle type). Possibility also to create backup units for exploration data (see below new survival elements to exploration)
  3. Universal Limpet Controller (this is a must). Not something you just buy. You need to combine all controllers you want and go through the new farming interface. The more controller you combine the more complex is the operation.
  4. New SRV's for new planetary gameplay loops:
    • New vehicle variants: SRV transporter with several tonnes of cargo space, Miner with mining tools, Explorer as a faster and lighter vehicle with new dedicated exploration tools, Touristic vehicle with passenger cabins.
    • Planetary mining on lava/volcanic/toxic planets with more survival elements and new specific commodities.
    • New exploration SRV with new tools to scan planet composition and geological information. Exploration information gathered can be sold at high price if it turns out that a planet is rich in minerals or it got some specific feature. The activities involved to completely scan a planet could take up to one hour and the reward in terms of credits and materials should be balanced accordingly to the time spent of course. Some planets should also have ruins as evidence of ancinet life now extinct.
    • Caves exploration with geological/alien phenomena.
    • Earthquakes and asteroids impacts added as survival elements
    • Gameplay to save and backup exploration data (so the survival elements don't impact the exploration danger of losing weeks/months of achievement).
    • Comets with new associated gameplay to approach and land and explore.
  5. Complete new and overhauled Mission System:
    • New chained procedural generated missions for a total of hundreds of different combinations. Missions can be chained with multiple scenarios (exploration, combat, investigation, trading) or single topic only (only exploration or combat only).
    • New passengers missions for SRV's to reach touristic spots in caves and other places where ships can't land. New bonus to increase rewards and reputation: passengers can evaluate driving/flying performance (smooth or rough driving)
    • Customized passengers missions: players can define commuter or touristic routes with existing or customized beacons and passengers pay the ticket based on the economy situation and on the travel disance (from start system and from entry point in target systems).
    • New rescue missions with hints and clues available both at starports and as logs on planets or USS for explorers far from home.
  6. NPC's visible in our cockpits and working for us. They can cover several roles (each NPC is specific to one). They provide a bonus to such activity.
    • first officer: they add a PIP to the power distributor
    • engineer: they provide a temporary bonus to one of your modules
    • flight attendant: they are mandatory to transport more than 100 passengers or for 1st class and luxury cabins. If you have a flight attendant for less than 100 passengers you get 20% more credits reward.
    • dispatcher: you are always updated with all the latest economical information about the commodity market.
    • explorer: honk time is faster by 50%. They can probe all planets with the DSS (but you don't get any efficiency bonus).
    • mechanic: they can repair hull and and all modules from 1% to 95%
    • flight engineer: modules damage is reduced and ship integrity gets weaker slower.
  7. The moon: our moon with huge precedural generated cities and planetary bases
  8. Planetary cities: procedural generated cities and more variety of bases and starports. Roads that interconnect cities or outpost for SRV transporters.
  9. Life at Starports: people walking around, crew providing services to ships on landing pads and so on.
  10. Elite Dangerous Shop should be updated with new handcrafted contents/adventures/missions, so we could spend our ARX with more detailed game loops rather than only cosmetics.
This is a list that, as I said before, could refresh the interest in the game and add much more depth to game contents. It would not be a New Era as most of us probably expect though.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom