Is there Enough Actual New Content in Beyond Chapter Four?

[Cosmo]

So Beyond Chapter Four brings major improvements to core gameplay features such as mining, exploration, Codex, background sim, squadrons, lighting, scenarios and many quality of life improvements.

This is all awesome of course. However, is there enough actual, truly new content on the surface of planets and in space rather than new tools to find stuff that's been in the game for years?

We found some space crystals, tube worms and odd objects in the Lagrange Clouds. That's cool, but is that it?

Where is for example the next phase of the Thargoid surface sites? Those have been the same for many months.

Did Frontier not include such actual new content in the beta or does the beta represent everything of Beyond Chapter Four?

Frontier shouldn't underestimate how quickly people consume new content. Procedural tech could solve this issue.

 

[LeoBartlet]

Yes for some

No for some.

Pretty much sums it up.

/thread

 

[Ian Skippy]

So Beyond Chapter Four brings major improvements to core gameplay features such as mining, exploration, Codex, background sim, squadrons, lighting, scenarios and many quality of life improvements.

This is all awesome of course. However, is there enough actual, truly new content on the surface of planets and in space rather than new tools to find stuff that's been in the game for years?

We found some space crystals, tube worms and odd objects in the Lagrange Clouds. That's cool, but is that it?

Where is for example the next phase of the Thargoid surface sites? Those have been the same for many months.

Did Frontier not include such actual new content in the beta or does the beta represent everything of Beyond Chapter Four?

Frontier shouldn't underestimate how quickly people consume new content. Procedural tech could solve this issue.

Yes for some

No for some.

Pretty much sums it up.

/thread

As has been said over and over and over, there is new content not included in the beta. Noone knows what it is, how much, if it is any good or anything else. This topic is absolutely pointless.

 

[JohnRoberts]

Q: Is there Enough Actual New Content in Beyond Chapter Four?
A: Yes.

 

[SlickPBW]

Does the proverbial bear do his business in the woods?

(Child-friendly, rhetorical)

 

[M00ka]

Considering the entire aim of Beyond was to improve the core engine, fix things that were broken and tinker with bits that needed tinkering, I am amazed at all the new content we are getting. I didn't expect it, and delighted we are getting it.

 

[Philip Coutts]

It's a yes from me as well. Very happy with what's being added.

 

[bitstorm]

On live they'll enable a whole raft of new discoverables.

(Maybe)

 

[Dural]

There have been a hundred people making this all year, it hasn't even been released yet and someone is already telling them they haven't done enough work

 

[CmdrJacks]

A lot of it serves to tie in what was already there. I think it was long everdue.

As for whether there is enough, that I suppose would depend on what is beyond "Beyond" and how far away it is. Maybe a better question would be:

"how long is this update good for?"

I'd like there to be quarterly updates until the bigger things have been delivered (atmospherics, legs, boarding etc), but I have my doubts.

 

[StuartGT]

So Beyond Chapter Four brings major improvements to core gameplay features such as mining, exploration, Codex, background sim, squadrons, lighting, scenarios and many quality of life improvements. This is all awesome of course.

We found some space crystals, tube worms and odd objects in the Lagrange Clouds.

Yep.

However, is there enough actual, truly new content on the surface of planets and in space rather than new tools to find stuff that's been in the game for years? That's cool, but is that it?

Where is for example the next phase of the Thargoid surface sites? Those have been the same for many months.

Did Frontier not include such actual new content in the beta or does the beta represent everything of Beyond Chapter Four?

FDev have never demo'd Thargoid or Guardian events/sites/locations/puzzles in livestreams prior to an update's arrival (because spoilers) - why do you expect different this time?

Frontier shouldn't underestimate how quickly people consume new content. Procedural tech could solve this issue.

Elite Dangerous already uses procedural tech - in combination with hand-crafted assets - and will continue to use it.

Is there Enough Actual New Content in Beyond Chapter Four?

Yep. Will it stop a small number of whiners? I hope not - I enjoy eating popcorn

 

[Stealthie]

Is there enough new content in 3.3?

No, of course not. Never.

Is there a reasonable, decent amount?

Sure, probably. Especially for a free update.


Personally, I would have liked to see more time spent sorting out bugs and fixing existing issues but, hey-ho.
What they've done instead seems nice too.

 

[Stealthie]

Frontier shouldn't underestimate how quickly people consume new content. Procedural tech could solve this issue.

Maybe worth addressing this part specifically too...

This is a fairly important thing.

When you consider how much time was spent creating, say, the content related to the Guardian SLFs and then consider how long players spend interacting with it (about 5 minutes), you've got to wonder if that's a wise investment of time and effort.
One can only hope this stuff will form the basis of more new gameplay at a later date too.

 

[Drelthar]

You know... I'm starting to think there isn't.

There is some stuff that will be cool for a while though, but enough to last "A considerable time" until the "new era of Elite Dangerous" ?

No way. Not even close.

 

[CMDR M. Lehman]

Considering that we're being given everything for free, I'd call it a bargain no matter what is or isn't there.

 

[Riverside]

I'd say so, yes. In fact I'd be in favour of dropping some of it (the FSS scanner Screen) & keeping the rest.

We have endless new fun with the BGS tweaks, including scenarios, USSs & CZs, RESs are seemingly being replaced with actual content for miners to mine more productively, no doubt many new strange things will be inserted and with the new DSS mapping tool, players will find them and with the codex, information on these discoveries will be broadcast to any other player that cares to look.

As a bonus we're getting a couple more ships to buy and argue over.

So yes, more than enough.

 

[Lucius-Darcia]

As has been said over and over and over, there is new content not included in the beta. Noone knows what it is, how much, if it is any good or anything else. This topic is absolutely pointless.

Amen

 

[Marc_Hicks]

So Beyond Chapter Four brings major improvements to core gameplay features such as mining, exploration, Codex, background sim, squadrons, lighting, scenarios and many quality of life improvements.

This is all awesome of course. However, is there enough actual, truly new content on the surface of planets and in space rather than new tools to find stuff that's been in the game for years?

We found some space crystals, tube worms and odd objects in the Lagrange Clouds. That's cool, but is that it?

Where is for example the next phase of the Thargoid surface sites? Those have been the same for many months.

Did Frontier not include such actual new content in the beta or does the beta represent everything of Beyond Chapter Four?

Frontier shouldn't underestimate how quickly people consume new content. Procedural tech could solve this issue.

As far as I'm concerned there most definitely is. There is also the fact that the *new* content also helps to unlock pre-existing content that I was previously locked away from (like geological & biological points of interest). That said, I agree Frontier should never "rest on their laurels". Unlocking assets-like Mega-ships, CQC assets & even outposts-to Procedural Generation is definitely worthwhile, & I definitely think they need to go back over things like Crime & Punishment & Engineers, both of which I still consider only "half finished" . Still, there is enough stuff in 3.3 to keep me from getting bored for many, many months. Indeed, I haven't been this excited about an update since 2.0.

 

[krylite]

I think the content that's come with Beyond is what could be expected (even beyond expected with pleasant surprises) for the limited time and resources of FD for a basically free season and considering their survival decisions as a business (PC/PS4-ED/JWE/building&moving to a new building/expenses hiring new people this year) supporting such an immense game. I would also bet FD are working on things for 2019 as it can take year(s) to develop new features such as carriers or atmospherics "done right".

Where I hope Frontier doesn't go bankrupt anytime soon for the next ten years, where ED could fall into danger of being bought out, as another pubisher would likely trash the stellar forge and either fill the galaxy with cartoony shortcut design crap like NMS, or cut down to 200 stars make it fantasy backdrop, slap on SJW narratives and design, and call it the "most fulfilling immersive spacegame" ever. ala COD:IW or ME:Andromeda.

 

[jasonbarron]

After the exploration reveal I kind of lost track of what's even been shown so far. Just the exploration and BGS streams, right?