News Important Community Update (01/03)

[Rob At Work]

What steam(ing) pile of Bull BIOWASTE!

 

[Skizomeuh]

Thanks for the feedback! It's all I needed: a rough timeframe to estimate the waiting (knowing delays could/will apply), being reassured ongoing QOL and content are planned.

Please, consider making this kind of feedback on a regular basis. We know you can't say everything, FDEV playing close to their cards, but do keep us in touch with progression, and when possible some teasing hints (like what Mr Braben shared glimpses of SRV gameplay back then...)

PS: so, we are to assume fleet carriers and planetary improvements won't be released before "DA HOMONGOUS UPDATE"?

 

[Knightshark]

Powerplay is another topic. Sandro had some in-depth conversations with the (incredibly patient) Powerplay community, and proposed some welcome, well thought-through changes. Then he got moved to another game, and we've heard nothing since - despite the widely-acknowledged problems with Powerplay.

Really? So who is lead designer now?

 

[Sir.Tj]

Really? So who is lead designer now?

Lawrence Oldham.

Nice guy... bit Shouty in the pub though

 

[Knightshark]

delete me

 

[znôrt]

1,5 year... buahahahhahaha lol just lol buahahah... and in 1,5 year we will get a delay, and than some things will end on the cutting room floor and we will get yet another buggy update to be improved later lol hahahhahahhaa

but thank you for the update, it`s allways better to know


LEP hahahhahaha 6 years... maaaaybe 2 expansions.. and we are still like 10% into the DDF lol

I`m very very excited the team has done a wonderfull job.. meanwhile new frenchise in 2019 buahahahhahahah

cruel, but this is an accurate description. except i don't expect significant delays, though, it's not their style (why delay if you can always release half baked stuff and pop some candy to keep the schedule going, business is business)

anyway, good they finally came forward. given the discussions we've had here since late 2017 bet a lot of forumites are shifting viewpoints now. or maybe not.

 

[Martind Forlon]

Thx for give us some info Will, we have not at least some timeframe information. But to be honest, 18+ months is long time, and I actually care much more about what we have now. It is more as two months after last version release and we still have in game quite big amount of bugs. Tell us that only a smaller part of the team is working on current game version doesn't looks too much positive and it actually may explain why bugs correcting takes so long. Bugs in missions (old, new, mix), some of BGS mechanisms, AX combat, chat, Codex and other areas ... this is not the best foundation for "long" wait. At least I can say that for me will be "waiting" much more pleasant experience if will be game working without daily dose of bugs.

p.s.: I still like to play ED , I only wish that some of already repeatebly reported problems were solved at much faster speed.

 

[Seablade]

This is no so great, and from a business standpoint I would think not the best decision. Hey down the road far in the future we are going to give you some great content, but until then we will string you along with some minor updates. Really! Sounds like Star Citizen!!!!! It takes a lot of money to maintain and update software, but Frontier seemly does a poor job of properly marketing and selling it's software which in turn effects the scope and capability of the game. Two areas I would think that would help is selling models of the ships i.e. Eaglemoss quality, toys, etc...and selling early adopters passes which will give users some additional content i.e. ship(s), character improvements, weapons, etc once the major update comes out in 2020. I don't believe small updates generate enough revenue to maintain and improve the software to the level expected by the community. In the Space Sim/first person shooter there is a lot coming out in 2019 that will compete directly against Elite Dangerous. Will you be able to compete and stay relevant until 2020...don't think so, but I have been wrong before.

 

[CMDR Hagglebeard]

Yeah but when I am I going to get my chance to shoot down CMDR Braben?

 

[znôrt]

"Latter half of 2020" .... that is, assuming Frontier Developments is still in business by then.

they likely will. keep in mind this is not about elite dangerous but about a whole portfolio and ... sales. and those are doing spectacularly well on most fronts. you just have to understand that ceos and financial and marketing hotshots don't think like players.

And to everyone thanking Will for the post, he literally told you nothing and you're thanking him for it? I really can't believe this community sometimes.

i thank will. he does what he's told, he's just the messenger and is a nice guy. besides, this communication is actually huge: it clarifies two full years of feet dragging and false expectations. that should be good.

 

[killminster]

Hah called it:

I'm not optimistic we'll be getting anything before 2020, and possibly quite some time into 2020, so it could be a long and barren wait. Maybe we'll get a ship or two, and didn't they say the carriers and ice world updates would not be rolled into future paid content? So maybe them too.

The time between the announcement of Beyond and final delivery of a scaled back version of the original vision for it will have been about 14 months. Only speaking for myself but for this "new era" I'm expecting a lot more content and features than Beyond, and I mean a lot. Particularly as this will be a paid expansion, and I don't mind paying, but if they're going to charge game prices for it I will be expecting that sort of quantity and value from it.

So do you think that the "over 100 people working on Elite" can deliver that in 18 months? Remember that a portion of the team are still finishing Beyond. It's going to be 2020.

 

[racketear]

Thanks for the update Will.

I am glad the development and production team are mature enough to put all the negative seeming comments down to enthusiasm for the future. Hunger and thirst for more, more, more from the E mythos and universe can make people very frustrated. C'est la vie.

It's great to hear that there will be other little updates and more big improvements in the interrim.

I have to say that I am disappointed that you have all failed to become wizards of time and space! We never expected that it would take time to create huge volumes of new code, physics, graphics, models, audio, scenarios, ideas, transport types, gameplay, acting, motion capture, to test, market and so on, on 3 different platforms, 4 if you include VR...

E is ace!

 

[Jukelo]

Mmm, I feel like I'm one of the only ones not seeing this as positive news. I'm not sure if the game in it's current form can carry players that long. Unless the small updates will bring enough new content, I don't see the majority of players hopping around this galaxy for another 1.5 years while other games will be released in the meanwhile.

On the other hand does the game need to? Sure 1.5 years is a lot, and a lot of players will quit in the meantime, but nothing stops them from coming back when the next big expansion hits. There isn't a single game that keeps me entertained all year long for several years... and since there's rarely more than a couple really good new games every year, it leaves plenty of room for older titles and their new DLCs. I've been going back to playing Crusader Kings 2 for a few weeks every year for the past 7 years, buying whatever new DLC is out at the time.. same thing with TW:Warhammer and Stellaris. And I'm probably more likely to buy DLC for a game I haven't played in a while since I wont be burned out and the prospect of new content and mechanics will make me excited to revisit the old stuff I've half-forgotten.

 

[thistle]

Hah called it:

You certainly did It would be good if they included carriers in the minor updates over the next year ... we will see. I suspect ice planets might be bundled into the 'new era' though

 

[Wobblin-Gobblin]

Thank you Will and the team, but what about ice-planets and carriers? Will this content be released this year? Or have we wait till 2020?

Thank you in advance o7

 

[MadKingHastur]

"Content is coming. Its gonna be the greatest content ever. Theres gonna be so much content you wont know what to do with it. We promise, oh so much content. You wanted it, you asked for it, now you're gonna get content."

Pretty much the sum of this post.

 

[IAM GROOT]

Ok at least I can schedule in that hip and knee replacement I’ve been putting off

 

[Conch]

Wall of text with no interesting info.. nothing about carriers and nothing about the ice planets..

Should have become a politician.. they do the same thing..

 

[Alien]

They have a new franchise coming out Soon™. They already have 3 other profitable franchises....all of which have micropayment and DLC income coming in....they own the game engine that designs all this...and leases out the use for other developers...and they have a large investor in Tencent, and they have been around for over 20 years...they're not going anywhere....

The post did tell us that the next update would be in a year and a half....so, now we watch the forums to see what happens...and complain while we wait!

Perhaps you should try looking at the state of their finances, they are a matter of public record after all.

They had enough cash on hand in November 2018 to remain a going concern with no further revenues for approximately 2 years. They're currently getting revenues from 3 self-published games and have a 4th (as yet unannounced) self-published game is set to release at some point between June 1st 2019 and December 31st 2019 and their strategy is to release a new game each year from here on out. It's entirely possible they'll release 2 new games by the time this major expansion goes live.

Elite Dangerous is not their only income stream, they're certainly not going to go bankrupt because they choose not to tell the community what the content is at this early juncture.

You both would have valid points ... except business doesn't work like that. A product has to continue to make a profit, because when it no longer makes a profit it becomes a liability, and once a product is a liability, sooner or later that product is finished (or whatever the business term is). It is not good business sense to have one or more products supporting a failing product. You wouldn't want Elite Dangerous propping up Planet Coaster or Jurassic World Evolution any more than their communities would want to prop up Elite Dangerous.

I understand this, and I know diddly squat about business.

 

[znôrt]

hellion anyone?

ok, i'll get my jetpack ...

Ok at least I can schedule in that hip and knee replacement I’ve been putting off 

will it have spoilers?

(best of lucks!)