Engineers Lack of direction on where to find each material = FRUSTRATION and BORING GAMEPLAY

[ChaosCloud]

I've been finding those in surface POIs, crashed old style satellite type I think? I'll pay more attention next time I'm down

Yeah I've been getting almost all my cracked firmwares from those. No specialized one though afaik.

As for the community building point, that'd work nicer if there'd be ingame tools for it, like it noting down what you've gotten from what nodes (just the what, not the % chance as cool as that'd be too) and then having the option to sell that as exploration data for example.

That'd be actually exploration data gathered in an interesting way, rather than pointing at crap for 10sec and holding a button down.

 

[frostypaw]

As for the community building point, that'd work nicer if there'd be ingame tools for it, like it noting down what you've gotten from what nodes (just the what, not the % chance as cool as that'd be too) and then having the option to sell that as exploration data for example.

That'd be actually exploration data gathered in an interesting way, rather than pointing at crap for 10sec and holding a button down.

I really like this idea - actually acknowledge in game the distribution of materials and allow people to fill that out per-planet as they prospect and store it as saleable data alongside the system map.

Much as the mapping of different levels of materials on planets with the surface scanner looks awesome i think that level of variability could make it nigh-on impossible to work out what's going on for cmdrs without the DSS.

 

[Sashenka]

All great games become boring to a certain point. You play it to death. And hope that there are random missions whatever the game.

ED is a lot slower for me, (mildly boring) as I solo and want to learn to play each part of the overall game. Except combat! I hate combat unless I have a bigger stick than the other guy.

STALKER series, Skyrim, Witcher 3, and of course tada ... Freelancer. I love them but I kick ass in those games because I am able to get the biggest stick in the universe.
So yes, they become boring to a point, but hey, go down the street and have a coffee. Or 3. You can sleep when ya dead!

I really liked Freelancer, I know it wasn't realistic but being lost in the Badlands and an Ice Cloud was magical. I play ED an hour or two each evening then switch to Witcher 3. I don't want to burn out too fast on the game since, in general, I like it.

 

[ChaosCloud]

Yeah actually thinking about it, the % composition of surface node types would be nice and why not offer it with increasing accuracy as players gather the data?
Just have it be like exploration data only that a sample on it's own is not worth that much but ramps up the more you collect to a certain point where the data is somewhat sufficient where additional data doesn't net much more.

Like after 1000 samples per node or something where the % chance for materials is likely pretty clear. And until you sell the data where it'd get revealed to everyone DSS'ing the planet or buy the systems exploration data is it only useful to you. Or along that.


I also still don't get the whole thing about small populated systems being unmapped despite them being known... Did they populate them over night behind the backs of the powers that be? <.<

 

[Aewarin Jameson]

I didn't say that they're that challenging, I said that I would never come across them in the first place if I were to follow this "solves all issues with engineers" suggestion of "playing normally".

100% - 'play the game' as a suggestion is rather insulting when that's what you're already doing. What they mean to say is 'play differently' - not how you want to (blaze your own trail) but how FD is forcing you to.

I utterly hate mining, tried it in the past and what a complete waste of time, but sadly I have to in order to complete the recipe for 1 upgrade. Started down the path, can't swap as that costs a fortune (1 ship - selling components nets a 10% loss ... wonderful) so I have to keep mining until I find the mats. 4 hours later not 1 piece so F that, will play some thing elsE.

That what you wanted FD ?

 

[frostypaw]

That what you wanted FD ?

I have 3 praesodymnium i can drop you if that's what you're looking for, did one roll and got bumped to grade 3's so don't need it anymore. A friend who was more experienced mining helped me, i found him a bunch of rocks full of precious metals and he found me praesodymnywotsit - was fun.

I think they wanted us to work together

 

[Chaz]

I think they wanted us to work together

If that's the case then they really need to improve wing features. Perhaps by adding stuff like:

- Mission sharing
- Ship to ship cargo transfers
- Being able to share trade profits
- Better formation flying controls in SC and normal cruise, like being able to match speed with the lead ship in SC or only being able to plot routes in the gal map that the least capable ship in the wing can achieve.

Right now in wings we can, sort of jump to SC at the same time, and we can share bounties. In other words, not a lot. I think just mission sharing alone would get a lot more people playing together.

In context of this discussion, in terms of finding the materials on the ground, perhaps having 2 SRV's in close proximity could boost the scanning range and clarity of their wave scanners.

But if FD really do want more people to play in wings and work together then they really need to make the whole experience of doing so a lot better and much more worth while than it currently is.

 

[NeilF]

But if FD really do want more people to play in wings and work together then they really need to make the whole experience of doing so a lot better and much more worth while than it currently is.

Yep, I was quite annoyed that exploration actually penalised working in a wing really...

 

[frostypaw]

If that's the case then they really need to improve wing features. Perhaps by adding stuff like:

- Mission sharing
- Ship to ship cargo transfers
- Being able to share trade profits
- Better formation flying controls in SC and normal cruise, like being able to match speed with the lead ship in SC or only being able to plot routes in the gal map that the least capable ship in the wing can achieve.

Right now in wings we can, sort of jump to SC at the same time, and we can share bounties. In other words, not a lot. I think just mission sharing alone would get a lot more people playing together.

In context of this discussion, in terms of finding the materials on the ground, perhaps having 2 SRV's in close proximity could boost the scanning range and clarity of their wave scanners.

But if FD really do want more people to play in wings and work together then they really need to make the whole experience of doing so a lot better and much more worth while than it currently is.

100% with you there! Could not agree more - tho it's so easy and quick prospecting with friends idk. Makes it much more fun - it's the solo experience that needs a boost if anything.

Everytime I see the devs in their wings tshirts (a lot) i think you guys KNOW how much this matters - ask us if you need to convince anyone there should be more development.... i think you'll find everyone's behind you

 

[NeilF]

If that's the case then they really need to improve wing features. Perhaps by adding stuff like:

- Mission sharing
- Ship to ship cargo transfers
- Being able to share trade profits
- Better formation flying controls in SC and normal cruise, like being able to match speed with the lead ship in SC or only being able to plot routes in the gal map that the least capable ship in the wing can achieve.

Right now in wings we can, sort of jump to SC at the same time, and we can share bounties. In other words, not a lot. I think just mission sharing alone would get a lot more people playing together.

In context of this discussion, in terms of finding the materials on the ground, perhaps having 2 SRV's in close proximity could boost the scanning range and clarity of their wave scanners.

But if FD really do want more people to play in wings and work together then they really need to make the whole experience of doing so a lot better and much more worth while than it currently is.

Ship to ship docking to allow all manner of transfers? - https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=238907

 

[Aewarin Jameson]

I have 3 praesodymnium i can drop you if that's what you're looking for, did one roll and got bumped to grade 3's so don't need it anymore <snip> I think they wanted us to work together

Thank you - I am away on vacation right now until next week (Good old Blighty ! ) so if you still have it then sure - will give you some credits (AKA cargo) in exchange.

Working together is fine ... predicted though a Saturday "swap-shop" style event would start where people offer up goods they don't need in exchange for others and Yaffle started just a thread ... I am genius

 

[Frenotx]

Direction:
- Material X is known to be rewarded in missions
Gameplay:
- Jump from station to station to station to station to station blindy checking every mission if the material is in the rewards and don't find it.

Direction:
- Material Y is known to be in planet surfaces
Gameplay:
- Jump from planet to planet to planet to planet to planet blindly trying to get the material you want and don't find it.

Direction:
- Material Z is known to be in found in signal sources
Gameplay:
- Jump to USS after USS after USS after USS after USS blindly trying to get the materials you want and don't find it.



Seriously FD don't you see how bad is the gameplay? SERIOUSLY?

Everything should be a lot clearer on where to find to avoid players wasting time flying without direction and don't feel frustrated.

Its just BAD DESIGN.



edit:

Suggestion to add gameplay to engineers on finding each material by spawning them in difficult to find locations in the galaxy here:
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=257225

Agreed. I would be fine with the material hunt if there were more player agency involved. Stumbling around and just hoping a mission with the right material (that you qualify for, too) pops up is quite lame.

 

[frostypaw]

Thank you - I am away on vacation right now until next week (Good old Blighty ! ) so if you still have it then sure - will give you some credits (AKA cargo) in exchange.

The weather knew and in it's usual cruelty has been gorgeous It's unlikely to survive til then but my mining mate was swimming in the stuff and throwing it away at me so things can be arranged

 

[Osakablade]

It`s all to do with supply and demand, If there is a demand for items used by engineers. One would have thought some clever NPC`s would setup shop somewhere in the engineer`s system trading said items. Seems logical to me.

 

[ChaosCloud]

It`s all to do with supply and demand, If there is a demand for items used by engineers. One would have thought some clever NPC`s would setup shop somewhere in the engineer`s system trading said items. Seems logical to me.

Like https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=258470 ?

Or we could do it https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=256876

I know that I linked mine already but both are a little undervisited :x


Edit: I just found out that except for the pharmaceutical things are the materials for the G5 Dirty Drive Tuning easier to get than the G3 ones, because I have loads of Cracked Firmwares, loads of Cadmium, and the exhausts can be bought.
Yet for the G3 I need Specialized Legacy Firmaware (came across 4 so far, compared to like 12 Cracked ones, and these all from POIs were all SLFs minus 1 were from missions), Mechanical Manipulators (I don't even know how I managed to get across these in the first place at all, rare as     ) and Chemical Manipulators (also rare as      unless you're blowing up harmless trade ships all day). And oh yeah, cooling hoes, mission only.

So yeah, RNG is bad, crap balancing is worse : (

It's basically an insult: "here find the materials for the good upgrade easily, but don't get access to it easily, and be sure to look a loooong time for the materials for which's recipes you have access to."