Less than 5k cmdrs logging in now.

[taniwha-qf]

1) On foot missions feel laborious when they don't reward much & can easily go wrong.

Up the rewards yourself. Last night, I had two heists (one for SDPs (in the end, decided to hand in the mission and get the weapons test data), and one for a bio sample (MI reward?)). However, as a bonus, I got two power regulators (and the warm fuzzies of doing a squeaky-clean (no shots fired by anyone) heist for the SDPs) because I decided to take down the settlements while I was there (second heist, not so clean: they shot at me, but I simply ran).

2) There's no reward I am looking forward to... for a while I was grinding to an Imperial Clipper but tbh mehhh My Anaconda does the same stuff.

If you're happy with what you've got, then cool!

3) I'm never going to be able to afford a carrier... mining is boring and involves scanning stuff unsuccessfully for ages. Hanging around a nav point and killing wanted people gets boring. Conflict zones are much the same. In foot combat has gotten boring even though my FPS increased a bit. Community goals seem to be the same (bring stuff / shoot stuff). Exploring so I can scan 2-3 things gets boring and repetitive. I don't like teaming up with other players (i have no IRL friends who play ED).

Find the Pilots Trade Network if you really want a carrier. They'll sort you out right quick (if you ask nicely).

 

[RogerO18]

I wanna believe it!!@ really! But that other game beckons!!
I'm holding out cos I pray I'm wrong..truly

I play that other game 90%, ED 3% and Odyssey 7% of my game time. The other game is just better.

 

[Viajero]

There's a lot of strange waffle in this thread. However you cut it, the graph does look bad. It's an undeniably low drop at the end.

The build up of excitement on the run up to may 2021 is clearly visible, people playing to prepare for the launch of the new update, big spike at launch, and a huge drop to the lowest point it has been since the game launched. I'd say that's pretty telling and worth discussion.

View attachment 275635

That chart suffers from the same confusing issue as the one here: https://steamcharts.com/app/359320#All :

Once you go past a few months from present (cant remember if it was 3 or so) the charts dont track the same numbers. They dont track actual average concurrent but maximum peak concurrent. Dont ask me why. You can see that transition for what is actually plotted around August in the chart, highlighted with a red line:

For example if you take a look at the historical minimum concurrent average players that happened in April 2016 (which was 2,841) you will also see to the right the max peak concurrency in that month to be 5,337 which is around the same level you see plotted in your chart for those days in April, i.e. not the 2,841.

On the other hand the last few months in your chart do not plot maximum peaks but actual average concurrent which are always to show much lower than peaks. Both maximum peaks and current averages are mixed in the same chart, which makes it thoroughly confusing to use and lead often to the wrong conclusions.

In case of doubt it is much better to use the actual average concurrent monthly tables here, below the chart: https://steamcharts.com/app/359320#All

 

[TSINI]

That chart suffers from the same confusing issue as the one here: https://steamcharts.com/app/359320#All :

Once past a few months (cant remember if it was 3 or so) the charts dont track the same numbers. They dont track actual average concurrent but maximum peak concurrent. Dont ask me why.

For example if you take a look at the historical minimum concurrent average players that happened in April 2016 (which was 2,841) you will also see to the right the max peak concurrency in that month to be 5,337 which is around the same level you see plotted in your chart for those days in April, not the 2,841.

View attachment 275828

On the other hand the last few months in your chart do not plot maximum peaks but actual average concurrent which are always to show much lower than peaks. Both maximum peaks and current averages are mixed in the chart, which make sit thoroughly confusing to use and lead often to wrong conclusions.

In case of doubt it is much better to use the actual average concurrent monthly tables here: https://steamcharts.com/app/359320#All

ok well then that's great info to know. yeah very odd to change the stats within the same graph and on the same line. stats need to be consistent to be reliable, readable, usable (any 'able' word really), if not consistent then not reliable. so the thread should probably be closed based on that info alone.

 

[LeoBartlet]

Relax people I logged in early this morning.

#Isavedthegame

 

[Old Duck]

I'm not arguing semantics.
The fact is their isn't alot of cmdrs playing elite anymore.
Because.... well we all know why.
And yes steam figures are an accurate reflection of logins. Perhaps not all. But most I would argue.

I don't think Steam is an accurate reflection of the number of people playing Elite, but it is a good statistic sampling of trends. It'll be interesting to see if there is an uptick during the next sale of Odyssey, especially if it's a really good sale (like the upcoming Black Friday sale).

Regarding the future of the game, I don't think Frontier cares as much about how many people are playing as they do with how many people are PAYING. That is, how many copies of Odyssey and how many bundles of Arx are they selling? If those 5000 players are buying up every new pumpkin head outfit that Frontier produces, then the game will likely continue to be supported. Meanwhile, if there were a million players still in Horizons who are not spending a penny on Arx or Odyssey, then that would actually cost Frontier money since I assume that increases their server costs.

Speaking of playing vs. paying - I've bought three copies of Horizons (one PS4 and two PC), yet I'm just one person. I think Frontier is more interested in the money they made from me than the fact that I'm one rather than three players. Actually, I've been more of a zero lately, but Frontier still made good coin off me during my active years. If Frontier wants to make more coin from me, the numbers they need to focus on is their Steam ratings (ie - reviews) rather than player numbers.

 

[zimms]

Not true.
On foot there aren't many gankers, but why should there be? It's no consequences if ganked
In Space there are still gankers.
[...]

It's also impractical. In space you can see all ships in the system, but how do you find somebody who's strolling around on some planet taking pictures of bacteria for is instagramm?

 

[Northpin]

As it was mentioning Inara, I was just pointing out the numbers participating in the CG look terribly small compared to the registered users or the numbers FD mentioned in their
report. Any idea if this is a reporting issue or are there really so few CMDRs taking part?

It may be indicative to the fact that not that many people are following with the stories (Galnet / CG) or that are willing to interact with them or that can interact with them *()
I always assumed the vast majority of players usually mind their own business - be it exploring the galaxy or minding their own backyard in bgs or pp


*(which also makes me even more appreciative to the work they're doing with the Narrative, when apparently only a small part of the player base is following and/or interacting with the said Narrative)

 

[Northpin]

In case of doubt it is much better to use the actual average concurrent monthly tables here, below the chart: https://steamcharts.com/app/359320#All

that's the chart i used when i did extrapolate the numbers of reported monthly players in 2020 (500,000) to the averages reported by Steam

 

[CaptainPugwash]

And I'm still in VR on the old, outdated hardware and happily play for hours without fuss. Might be about time to write a positive Steam review now?

For me the CZs (in space) are still unplayable though in VR ..

 

[The Lawful]

For me the CZs (in space) are still unplayable though in VR ..

Well, that's actually what I started with when returning to EDO three months ago, and I do them regularly for the BGS. That's about the part that stutters most when things get crowded and may be challenging, but obviously my brain is so dumb fine-tuned already I don't have issues with them. ASW all the time, ofc. YMMV.

O7,

 

[CaptainPugwash]

Well, that's actually what I started with when returning to EDO three months ago, and I do them regularly for the BGS. That's about the part that stutters most when things get crowded and may be challenging, but obviously my brain is so dumb fine-tuned already I don't have issues with them. ASW all the time, ofc. YMMV.

O7,

ASW for me too (in fact I force the FPS to 45 to keep it always in ASW and save a bit of power), but I was in the 20-30 fps range last time I tried, albeit in the presence of a megaship.
(i7 4790k / gtx 1080)

 

[babelfisch]

That chart suffers from the same confusing issue as the one here: https://steamcharts.com/app/359320#All :

Once you go past a few months from present (cant remember if it was 3 or so) the charts dont track the same numbers. They dont track actual average concurrent but maximum peak concurrent. Dont ask me why. You can see that transition for what is actually plotted around August in the chart, highlighted with a red line:

View attachment 275832

For example if you take a look at the historical minimum concurrent average players that happened in April 2016 (which was 2,841) you will also see to the right the max peak concurrency in that month to be 5,337 which is around the same level you see plotted in your chart for those days in April, i.e. not the 2,841.

View attachment 275828

On the other hand the last few months in your chart do not plot maximum peaks but actual average concurrent which are always to show much lower than peaks. Both maximum peaks and current averages are mixed in the same chart, which makes it thoroughly confusing to use and lead often to the wrong conclusions.

In case of doubt it is much better to use the actual average concurrent monthly tables here, below the chart: https://steamcharts.com/app/359320#All

I think I created a thread about that back in 2017.

Discussions about Steam Charts

We all know that according to some the game is dying since a few years and most of the time they'll show us some numbers from Steam Charts as proof. http://steamcharts.com/app/359320 Problem with Steam Charts is that the data is not really reliable: - PS4, Xbox and customers of the Frontier...

forums.frontier.co.uk

By the way, also found this thread from 2015, looks like the game always was doomed:

Horizons tanked in sales?

Only 21k sold on Steam after 5 days and it has even dropped out of the top 10 sellers. The original elite dangerous was a number 1 top seller for a couple of weeks! I think its safe to say that what frontier tried to pull simply did not work for many factors that have already been discussed to...

forums.frontier.co.uk

 

[Viajero]

By the way, also found this thread from 2015, looks like the game always was doomed:

Horizons tanked in sales?

Only 21k sold on Steam after 5 days and it has even dropped out of the top 10 sellers. The original elite dangerous was a number 1 top seller for a couple of weeks! I think its safe to say that what frontier tried to pull simply did not work for many factors that have already been discussed to...

forums.frontier.co.uk

"Doom, doom never changes"

Seriously, after 9 years from Kickstarter and 7 from release at some point in the not too distant future ED will probably cease to be commercially viable or be left obsolete by new tech. And so if you call for Elite´s doom every year you are bound to be right at some point.

 

[LeoBartlet]

I think I created a thread about that back in 2017.

Discussions about Steam Charts

We all know that according to some the game is dying since a few years and most of the time they'll show us some numbers from Steam Charts as proof. http://steamcharts.com/app/359320 Problem with Steam Charts is that the data is not really reliable: - PS4, Xbox and customers of the Frontier...

forums.frontier.co.uk

By the way, also found this thread from 2015, looks like the game always was doomed:

Horizons tanked in sales?

Only 21k sold on Steam after 5 days and it has even dropped out of the top 10 sellers. The original elite dangerous was a number 1 top seller for a couple of weeks! I think its safe to say that what frontier tried to pull simply did not work for many factors that have already been discussed to...

forums.frontier.co.uk

Damn and I just started playing 6 years ago

 

[babelfisch]

Damn and I just started playing 6 years ago

It's doom, but the very slow kind of doom.

 

[LeoBartlet]

Only 21k sold on Steam after 5 days and it has even dropped out of the top 10 sellers. The original elite dangerous was a number 1 top seller for a couple of weeks!

I think its safe to say that what frontier tried to pull simply did not work for many factors that have already been discussed to death. The question now is: What went so wrong within frontier and what's next?

The situation I feel is so dire that something drastic needs to happen before everyone is off on holidays. Plenty of developers have apologised, made drastic changes in the past without even being in such terrible position that Frontier is at the moment.

This is amazing and most of it could've been written at any point in the lifecycle of Elite.

 

[Viajero]

This is amazing and most of it could've been written at any point in the lifecycle of Elite.

It actually has been written at all points in the life cycle of Elite. Perhaps by different people and with slightly different words, but all with the same intent. Each. And. Every. Year. Since. 2012.

 

[babelfisch]

Elite doom threads the trailer:

 

[LeoBartlet]

There should be a thread probably in off-topic where we post quotes from doom threads but with no attribution (to prevent naughty stuff) and all we need to do is guess the date it was posted.