In the last couple years, we've seen Elite Dangerous evolve in terms of content and playability. With the introduction of player-owned fleet carriers comes a great opportunity for players to influence the course of events within the Elite Dangerous universe.
However, my prediction is that this is not enough. Players who are not cult-followers of the game will soon become bored with the option, and given that the fleet carrier represents an immense investment in time and effort; most of those players who are easily bored with the current lack of player agency will not stick around to invest the required time to acquire such ships.
My suggestion: expand the functionality of player organizations. Take a page out of "EVE Online"'s book (Developed by CCP Games), a game that keeps players engaged not through gameplay, but through a market that is remotely accessible, player owned corporations, player owned Stations, discovery and recovery of high-value artifacts, and virtually unrestrained ability to manufacture goods that can then be sold on the market.
At the moment, Elite Dangerous feels like a game most people who play, do so because they don't like "Star Citizen"'s (developed by Cloud Imperium Games) lack of permanence, or "EVE Online"'s lack of exciting gameplay. Elite Dangerous has both of these things, but lacks the spark that ignites player ambition.
On another note in this sequence, I must offer a question: What does a player do when they've flown every ship? Killed every iteration of the Thargoid interceptor? Traveled across the galaxy? Given up on finding the lost Guardian AI civilization?
We the players are not allowed to instigate a colonization effort, not allowed to stake claim on a planet, not allowed to create new independent factions, not allowed to manufacture ships. Despite the illusion of freedom which has carried me through 500+ hours of playtime, we the veterans are running out of reasons to play.
TLDR: give advanced players something to do besides waste hours in hyperspace between empty, useless star systems, or blow up inferior enemies or Thargoids (which offer little incentive to destroy). Make player organizations that can be founded by players. Make player owned structures a thing. Hell, even make player-controlled star systems a thing. Increase player incentive to play.
I am aware that this subject, or subjects mentioned within this post have come up in the past, you do not need to reiterate this to me.
However, my prediction is that this is not enough. Players who are not cult-followers of the game will soon become bored with the option, and given that the fleet carrier represents an immense investment in time and effort; most of those players who are easily bored with the current lack of player agency will not stick around to invest the required time to acquire such ships.
My suggestion: expand the functionality of player organizations. Take a page out of "EVE Online"'s book (Developed by CCP Games), a game that keeps players engaged not through gameplay, but through a market that is remotely accessible, player owned corporations, player owned Stations, discovery and recovery of high-value artifacts, and virtually unrestrained ability to manufacture goods that can then be sold on the market.
At the moment, Elite Dangerous feels like a game most people who play, do so because they don't like "Star Citizen"'s (developed by Cloud Imperium Games) lack of permanence, or "EVE Online"'s lack of exciting gameplay. Elite Dangerous has both of these things, but lacks the spark that ignites player ambition.
On another note in this sequence, I must offer a question: What does a player do when they've flown every ship? Killed every iteration of the Thargoid interceptor? Traveled across the galaxy? Given up on finding the lost Guardian AI civilization?
We the players are not allowed to instigate a colonization effort, not allowed to stake claim on a planet, not allowed to create new independent factions, not allowed to manufacture ships. Despite the illusion of freedom which has carried me through 500+ hours of playtime, we the veterans are running out of reasons to play.
TLDR: give advanced players something to do besides waste hours in hyperspace between empty, useless star systems, or blow up inferior enemies or Thargoids (which offer little incentive to destroy). Make player organizations that can be founded by players. Make player owned structures a thing. Hell, even make player-controlled star systems a thing. Increase player incentive to play.
I am aware that this subject, or subjects mentioned within this post have come up in the past, you do not need to reiterate this to me.
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