Ladder Anxiety / Fear of loss / Crash out Burn out

[Windscreen Smudge]

I've pancaked into the reset button in Elite 4 times in the last 2 weeks and started over from a Sidewinder.

How long have I been playing? 2 weeks.

How many Elite games have I played? One. Elite: Dangerous.

When people start spending more time asking for Libertarian rights in their video games than their real-life political agenda, kittens die.

Yea, well, that's the problems with labels... or the misuse of them.

Anyhow, Scourge is right... people should try to learn to trust in developers again, 1000s of WoW and CoD clones should have been enough to show that "catering/listening to an audience" isn't really the right way to keep the games industry innovative and fresh.

And that is a poor assumption. All of the cloning in the industry comes from catering/listening to a publisher, and the wallet they are holding. Not the audience.

Developers are just as good at recognizing a good and bad feedback as you and I. But their decisions typically aren't motivated by making the best game, but the popular one, because they like to have a steady job.

 

[Windscreen Smudge]

Mistaken post. Sorry mods.

 

[warbaby2]

I just think of it as a personal choice. Do you go slow and steady, or do you take a short cut and gamble?

Decisions have consequences. Deal with it.

That's generation "everybody is a winner" for you.

Just kidding... the game will be what it's supposed to be, and personal choice is an integral part of that.

 

[gravityStar]

I think a lot of folks are missing the point of the OP.

Ladder anxiety is a real phenomenon and the Elite mechanic many of us love is indeed one that can create it.

The question actually being asked was answered precisely once, when it was pointed out that loans to cover insurance are planned for the final game.

I have to point out though, that the loans to cover insurance will not take away the phenomenon of ladder anxiety. They will merely dampen it. With a Lakon-6 or Lakon-9 your cargo can be worth more than your ship. And the cargo is entirely uninsured. Yes, you'll get a loan that will enable you to get your lakon back with.

But you may be forced to sell it and start saving up credits again with a lower class of ship. And in that case, a second wipe-out with full cargo and nothing in the bank could transition you from a lakon-9 with full cargo to a hauler that you can barely afford to fill with cargo.

 

[MajorEpeen]

The danger of this game is it's appeal to me. The fact I could lose everything is very exiting. Losing everything is unlikely however if you have been wise and kept enough money for insurance.

The number 1 cause of people losing everything is extending beyond you current means. This could be buying a ship you do not yet have enough to insure or putting your entire bank balance in the cargo hold. Once this happens once you normally learn from it.

 

[TrinityDejavu]

I was beginning to think that no one had noticed. Hopefully the OP noticed, and didn't get caught up too much in the energetic defence of ED.

I noticed .. and I'm not sure about how a loan mechanic would be fun & not simply abused. The initial thought is that players would burn cash till they couldn't burn any more and then quit if there was no way to zero the balance. Essentially using loans to learn to fly, then starting fresh if they were serious about playing. Loans imply repayment and that's not 'fun'. Mid game .. maybe.

In any case the signal to noise ratio is too high here to have a discussion around the 'hard mode' players brow beating.

 

[vonFelty]

Most of these problems would be solved if insurance costs were simply added into the cost of ship (one could uncheck this option if they wanted to save money at the extra risk).

That way players would know how much money they need to cover insurance up front rather than being unpleasantly surprised after the fact.

Besides whoever heard of insurance that you pay your bill after you crashed? Such a business would be out of business shortly.

 

[TartanDragon]

Most of these problems would be solved if insurance costs were simply added into the cost of ship (one could uncheck this option if they wanted to save money at the extra risk).

That way players would know how much money they need to cover insurance up front rather than being unpleasantly surprised after the fact.

Besides whoever heard of insurance that you pay your bill after you crashed? Such a business would be out of business shortly.

The cost of insurance already is in the cost of the ship you buy. The cost when you lose it is the excess/deductible. It's in the DDA. Sorry would provide links but I am on a not-so-smartphone.

 

[DeepFried]

Ladder anxiety, this game has it, typically it's found in games with a 1v1 ladder progression such as starcraft or hearthstone, only in this case 'the game' is your opponent.

I think this "difficulty wall" is a time honoured part of Elite, and although it will scare some away it wall also attract others. Games like Eve and X3 are hard/complex and they're not for everyone, however they both have a very loyal almost cult following and both did quite well financially.

I don't think this is a problem.

 

[hawkenfox]

If it's easy it's not worth my time, and obviously my opponent would be too easy on me, which of cos I do not expect players who just want easy as fun unless they enjoy being blown up again and again ... but that's not going to happen as most player who stay in a game better themselves ... there be no fun if I keep winning, I quit a game faster that way. I guess it's a personality thing. And yes planning, please plan your expenses and choices you make wisely ... don't blame the game, just be a responsible player, blame ourself for being clumsy, rash, greedy or just new to the game ... easier to survive a credit crunch that way.

Any yes what DeepFried said is absolutely true.

Elite have left the world of arcade style a long time ago, and there will hopefully not be a novice, veteran, expert level in the game play.

 

[cmdr awesome]

I understand and sympathise with the OP's views, but reducing the consequences of ship destruction will also reduce the fun and excitement so I do not support them.

I enjoy the sweaty palms that come when you're trying to land that new ship with a full load that you can't afford to replace. That's exciting. It's a feeling that every version of Elite has had in spades and has been missing from mainstream gaming for too long (there maybe exceptions out there that I haven't played).