Is this community actually this small minded?

[ellay]

I like playing alone, simply because I don't think I could promise enough time to be loyal to a clan/faction.

But I have no problem with other people doing that if they wish,

The galaxy is a BIG place and if factions were to introduce a bit of variety, I can't see how that would be a bad thing.

 

[Jason Pegasi]

The people have spoken.

Hardly. Did you see how small the poll sizes were? A hundredish people in one, a few hundred in the other. Keep in mind that the average forum-goer is not necessarily the same as the average general player.

This sampling size is too small to say it accurately reflects the entire community of the game. We need a much bigger poll than this, on more areas than just the forums, to be sure. Use a poll on Galnet in game or something.

 

[Rankaze]

Alright, this is another thing that puzzles me.

Why on earth is a functionality rejected on the sole reason that it happened to be a functionality in Eve? Is Eve now wholy defined by the fact that it contained some kind of way for players to cooperate longterm towards a mutual goal? Will we find Elite to be a Eve clone when you wake up the day after people get the cooperate?

Cooperating is a very very basic desire that humans have, not wanting to do anything together with others is the exception here, not the other way around.

You don't understand because you choose not to. It isn't "we don't want this because EVE has it." It's "We don't want this because we have seen the results (in EVE) and we don't like those results and we don't want them."

But let me note something else. Star Citizen looks much more like the kind of game you are looking for. I intend to play that game also, and i will avail myself of those features in it. But I don't want Elite to be Star Citizen and I don't want SC to be Elite. I play Elite: Dangerous for what it is. It is Elite. It has its own soul. I do not want that to change!

 

[jgm]

Deep and complex does not require groups, it requires deep and complex mechanics. Grouping usually leads to a reduction in complexity rather than an increase. I'd rather the devs spent their time on the mechanics (which, from changes made to-date, they are) than worry about how to rebuild their game to work with groups.

With better mechanics everyone benefits. With groups group-oriented people benefit. By definition the former is a larger group than the latter.

 

[Cosmos]

Please let people state their own motivation.

Because you haven't got the foggiest about them.

Been here a while mate I'm confident I've seen all the opinions so far.

 

[Ydiss]

Well hate to say this but Mr Braben doesn't always get everything right, and Frontiers games haven't exactly been amazing for a long time. Did you know that his initial reaction to the Rift was that it wouldn't be good because others couldn't see the game, like people share console games in the living room. It twas pointed out that PC gaming is usually a solitary affair and low and behold Rift support came.. that turned out well.

He's not infallible, no. Not that I said he was right. But what I said is still true, nonetheless.

Not every game must have everything that everything else has. It's OK for some games to have a divergent vision to the norm. And I respect that.

 

[Jason Pegasi]

OP, I totally agree with you about the scale of the game and how great it would be if we could get more player faction content in the future, if not specific stuff, at least the ability to sort of "write" a faction story with game mechanics.

But at the same time, don't worry about these polls too much. The sampling sizes and media outlet options are too small and scarce to actually be reflecting the community of this game. Anyone who uses a poll of 100 to measure the opinion of the community of a game that has sold at least 300,000 copies so far.

 

[Mephane]

On a serious note, I'd love to see a poll on simply allowing clans/factions to form that have no influence whatsoever; simply a private chat channel, an in-game [CLAN] tag, and possibly the ability to see other members on the galaxy map.

That's the type of guild/clan support I suspect a lot of people would be perfectly fine with.

No they won't. Two weeks later, they will ask for clan-owned space stations, custom clan decals, clan-only content and rewards.

 

[iLOVEwindmills]

There ARE guilds in this game.. just the way you want, OP. It's called getting together with like minded people, either in-game or in other social medias, comming up with a common goal, and doing it together. Just because there is no in-game organization of such a group doesn't mean you can't run one or be a part of one. It's the best way to do it, and it's already in the game.

And do what? There is no purpose, there is nothing to achieve, nothing to aim for.

 

[Sapient6]

Here's my clan/faction proposal:

Players can create clans for a LOT of money. Membership in that clan grants three things: Private chat channel, an in-game tag/guild abbreviation, and the ability to see other clan members within 100ly on the galaxy map.

Clan leaders/founders can ally the clan with one specific minor faction in the ED universe, and receive favorable trader status or better missions or some other fairly intangible benefits. Maybe reduced reload/repair/refuel costs, or a randomly generated rare commodity for faction members only. Whatever. Nothing major. Multiple clans could ally with the same minor faction, there's no reason it'd even have to be limited to one clan per faction. Clans would have to earn the new status level via normal ED game mechanics, where you run missions/turn in bounties/etc. and partial credit applies to your clan's ally status.

Any "control" of the universe comes via the standard, existing game mechanics of helping your clan's minor faction extend it's influence in neighboring systems. Nobody owns a space station, nobody "controls" space, but the mechanics are still there for territorial control of the precise same sort that already exists in-game.

Having guilds that ally with a minor faction could be interesting if it had to be worked for (not just Bought). Such an alliance would have to be maintained. Members of the guild acting against that minor faction should damage the alliance, and with a little concerted effort the a single member should be able to irreparably break the alliance. Such things should be fragile at all times, confer worthwhile bonuses, but never amount to "control of the region" by a guild. Could be interesting.

I'd hate to see any major features be unavailable to Solo players, though, so there would need to be a vector by which a solo player could form similar alliances.

 

[Jason Pegasi]

You don't understand because you choose not to. It isn't "we don't want this because EVE has it." It's "We don't want this because we have seen the results (in EVE) and we don't like those results and we don't want them."

But let me note something else. Star Citizen looks much more like the kind of game you are looking for. I intend to play that game also, and i will avail myself of those features in it. But I don't want Elite to be Star Citizen and I don't want SC to be Elite. I play Elite: Dangerous for what it is. It is Elite. It has its own soul. I do not want that to change!

This game has 400 billion+ star systems. There is always somewhere else to escape to if you don't like alliance space here. EVE didn't have anywhere near that, and you could still easily avoid the entirely of nullsec alliance warfare if you wanted to. I played EVE for 3 years and I never once got involved, voluntarily or involuntarily, in alliance bull in nullsec.

 

[Ancipital]

Yeah. I am. By being forced into solo because I'm not going to jump through hoops for a bunch of random strangers who labeled themselves a guild.

Yep, it's because I am fed up with games that structure their content around guilds, forcing you to babysit groups of absolute cretins to get anywhere, that I am currently playing ED rather than various MMOs right now. I'm a little burned out on the whole subject of "gaming as daycare".

 

[iLOVEwindmills]

Yeah. I am. By being forced into solo because I'm not going to jump through hoops for a bunch of random strangers who labeled themselves a guild.


My point stands though. This thread is great irony. And since I find irony delicious I thank you for making it

It sounds like you have a lot of unresolved issues about something that happened to you because of a guild. You are being forced into solo? Somebody made you jump through hoops? Random strangers did something bad to you?

Your emotions aren't an argument though, so please post something relevant aside from these mysterious references.

 

[Varrag]

OK to anyone that hasn't tried the nastynes of EVE and its corps. spend 15 quid do a trial. get ganked at every turn by CODE and Gonswarm. along many other little epeen swinging wanabees. have your game time mashed into anger rather than fun. Come back and redo the poll.

Exaggerating much? I was playing EVE alone almost a year before couple of my RL buddies (they joined me later) and I stumbled upon a like minded group of people and made new corp with them. So even in this scary EVE, playing as lone wolf was totally viable way of ingame "life". With that said, almost none of us advocating for some basic guild mechanics in ED aren't calling for EVE-like experience, not even remotely, so it's a moot point anyway.

 

[Midian27]

And do what? There is no purpose, there is nothing to achieve, nothing to aim for.

Having fun with friends? Isn't that the point? The problem is you want yourself and your group to have more power based purely off your numbers. That's not going to happen.

 

[CMDR Aden Majes]

Deep and complex does not require groups, it requires deep and complex mechanics. Grouping usually leads to a reduction in complexity rather than an increase. I'd rather the devs spent their time on the mechanics (which, from changes made to-date, they are) than worry about how to rebuild their game to work with groups.

With better mechanics everyone benefits. With groups group-oriented people benefit. By definition the former is a larger group than the latter.

Well said.
And I think Wings function well enough for now. Let FD focus on other things.

 

[Ydiss]

And do what? There is no purpose, there is nothing to achieve, nothing to aim for.

Exactly!

You've hit the nail on the head as to why DB doesn't want guild play. They're not designing the game to support guild content (read "raids" for a very simplistic example). Their vision for the game is the lone pilot, with a few friends if they desire, to be able to do anything in the game without needing large numbers.

Introducing an empty guild structure would give rise to players complaining there's nothing for their guild to do. Designing content for them to do marginalises the lone pilot.

You can dance around that as much as you like but FD was never planned to support guilds.

I think his words, loosely paraphrased, were along the lines of "we don't want anyone feeling like they need to be part of a guild to achieve everything".

All other arguments are personal. I don't think DB cared if it's likely to result in eve like gankings. So it's pointless arguing that.

 

[Jason Pegasi]

Guys, just because you want to play alone doesn't mean you should basically work to keep other people who want to form groups from doing so. That's hugely selfish. This game is huge, and the developers are more than capable of handling one set of features at a time. There is more than enough space and development time for both types of players to get what they want here.

 

[Daeron]

When these ideas take the Elite universe into account, instead of trying to be some kind of implant based on homesickness from <insert title>, then it will probably also appear a bit more wholesome in shape or form. Bulldozing the primary building blocks of this universe, in order to get your way, is just not going to be a very popular move. Big surprise there, I'm sure.

 

[Oheck]

Well with over 300'000 copies sold, I don't see how those poll numbers represent a minority or majority.

Polls represent the minority of total players by a longshot. Hopefully FD realize that and move forward with due consideration.