Misplaced priorities?

[Scream Cheese]

Couldn't agree more. The amount of time spent creating the worst elements of gaming (IMHO) into ED (PP (dull, grind-until-you-bleed-from-the-ears, weekly turn-based, gaming mechanic) and CQC (pew pew pew arenas)) could have been better used to squash bugs and/or make ED look and feel more populated and lived in. Just because FD have been spending a lot of late nights and long weekends preparing for Gamescon doesn't mean that it fills me with high hopes, especially after PP and CQC. I appreciate the reasoning behind CQC in order to expand the player base, but PP? I mean, seriously, that's all FD could come up with with the time they've had? So, yeah, missed priorities IMO.

PS: Still, ED has plenty of room to shine, so fingers crossed!

The thing is, conceptually, PP is something that E: D desperately needs if the multiplayer aspect is to be successful. It's something that's objective-focused and which players can get together to progress in, and which develops a story 'organically' through the gameplay rather than having one imposed top-down. The problem is that the implementation is a mess and the whole thing desperately needs an overhaul so that it makes sense and the mechanics actually work the way they should.

 

[RustyLeg]

If I could choose between V1.4 being
- some "super-secret great new Feature announced soon(tm)"
OR
- a complete Feature-freeze and a pure, major bugfix-, immersion-, depth- and "stuff makes sense now" Update

I'd sure know where I'd put my money on (the latter of course).

And my Asp!

But, as was said above, bug fixes aren't shiny new things to bring in new players to support the business model.

 

[marktay]

If I were cynical, I would say that the KS and paid-for betas got money out of the old school elite fans. The first release gets money out of space sim fans, pp gets money out of turn-based Risk style game fans, Xbone gets the console crowd cash, CQC gets the fighty shoot 'em up fans money and anything FP probably will have FPS elements so attract those types of fans's money The one constant is FD got all the money each time, so where is the incentive to make anything already in-game better? Why bother to improve or fix stuff when you can focus on adding more new play styles or platforms to get more cash. I am glad I am not a cynic.

 

[Schattenbogen]

The thing is, conceptually, PP is something that E: D desperately needs if the multiplayer aspect is to be successful. It's something that's objective-focused and which players can get together to progress in, and which develops a story 'organically' through the gameplay rather than having one imposed top-down. The problem is that the implementation is a mess and the whole thing desperately needs an overhaul so that it makes sense and the mechanics actually work the way they should.

+1

Game need a lot of polishing (most interfaces are more hostile than friendly and gameplay has huge issues), but top priority should be the multi-players aspects.
"Wings" is bugged as hell and as long it is so, it will be hard to convince friends to come on this game.

 

[{SAS}Stalker]

I just read newsletter #82 and was disappointed by its contents. The team is spending "a lot of late nights and long weekends" preparing for some major news at Gamescon. First it was Powerplay. Now it's CQC. Who know's what major new feature will be announced at Gamescon? But more importantly...who really cares about that when so many aspects of the game as-is need real work?

Thats a really good point. Personally speaking, if its anouther element added as a "layer" and not intelligently integrated into the base game then like PP they will have wasted their late nights and long weekends completely.

 

[Kramster]

Fix bugs do not make money. New functionalities (even bugged) brings money

This echoes my feelings on what is coming in the very near future, the next cash grab.
I have no doubt that they will do some minor stuff to the core game along the way but probably too slowly and not enough to keep enough interest to take this game to what others have suggested is a 10 year plan. Without a solid, imaginative and playable core game ED is in danger of withering away as other games take centre stage, which would be such a waste.

 

[askavir]

Bug fixes may not make money, but keep players happy, and happy players are better publicity than cool cutscene trailers.

I would really like to see more diverse content at the moment, instead of more features. More stations, more interiors, more things out in space, more "life".

 

[bendover]

Anybody can critizise something, It maybe more constructive to suggest how "You" think the game
My be improved,Plus i have always advocated the Idea if you dont have any ideas of your own, Complaining is just someone flapping there mouth for no reason

 

[Psycho Romeo]

I work in software development and from my own experience I think the issue is one that affects many companies (software and otherwise), that the people making the product are divorced from the people making the decisions.

I completely agree with this. Thank you for getting this on the first page of the thread. I hope more people read and acknowledge it.

 

[Cosmo Bozo]

yes,

best thing FD could do is get rid of the guy who started it.
sell the game on to a real developer.
the current FD team just does not have the programming knowledge to do what needs to be done.
you can see they are struggling.
FD doesn't even attend most gaming meets, has very little to do with its community, look at the question of the week rubbish with the scripted question and answers etc, just weak.

FD will lose the core players who actually want this game to do well.
look at the state of the multi player aspect, grouping is totally broken.

FD need to set up some servers with a couple of guys to admin it, get the MMO side sorted or players will bail as soon as something else comes along.
FD you need to start having more evolvement with us.

Either that or the board needs to step in , remove Mr Elite and take over the direction of this game.
Power play setup is another red light alert at how bad the current team has no clue

Surely if what you want is basically a different game made by a different developer, you should just buy one rather than waiting around for something incredibly unlikely to happen. Plenty to choose from....

 

[Sgt Doom]

Either that or the board needs to step in , remove Mr Elite and take over the direction of this game.
Power play setup is another red light alert at how bad the current team has no clue

What on earth makes you think the board of directors is going to treat the players better? Throughout the entire gaming industry, the board of directors of a company are precisely the ones who care the least about the players once they've handed over money.

 

[kilvenny]

Every time you add functionality you will add bugs, so I don't think it makes a lot of sense to go endlessly bug hunting. What is needed is to look at some of the mechanics of the way things are currently done and look at how it could be improved.

e.g. The galaxy needs a method of enabling regime change so that the political climate can change over time. That is what PP is designed to achieve. However the mechanism by which it is achieved is flawed exposing it as a turn based grind.

1) The weekly update implies a turn based game - This needs to be removed, so regime change happens when a set of criteria are met, rather than when they are met and its period end.
2) Players within a faction need to be able to communicate with each other, know whether other players are on line and indicate their commitment to Power tasks.
3) The tasks involved in power play need to be more diverse
4) Within a power there should be player merit rankings - For some this is controversial, but I think for many players in an MMO context ranking is an actually a key driver in offsetting the grind.

Speaking generally in my view points 2) and 4) are two key areas across the whole game that need to be looked at. Its an MMO so you should know you are 600,000th in combat. You should be able to easily communicate, text, chat and know who is on line.

 

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

I think it's not said enough, so I will repeat that.

Only FD knows how to put their game together. And sometimes people think why they care about PP when theres other stuff to do - yes, but that other staff can be added later down the road, as core is well done. However, PP is core. There will be another layers put upon that.

Gamers really need some reality check sometimes regarding expectations and how games come together.

 

[Flimley]

I agree with the OP. At this point I would be very happy for the background simulation to 'just work', supporting minor factions so they can grow and spread into other systems etc. Dynamic people led trading where you really have to keep up with what's most valuable and where in the galaxy the commodities are. Better missions and ranking fixed and all that.

I would be really happy to see extra "things" in game to look at...like new and different space station and outpost types, people in the windows moving around. Let US move around the stations! Maybe even a few broken and abandoned space stations dotted around, reminders of how dangerous the galaxy is?! Even some more "real" nebulas brought forward from outer space and pinned to the background to give the background a bit more interst and colour.

I would love to involve myself in powerplay, but, there is nothing I see to draw me in emotionally, and therefore it's meaningless to me, the leaders have no depth and do not speak, they're not animated in anyway so may as well just be different colours to choose from. Pick your favorate colour And pledge to that. Ultimately the "powers" are not allowed through the game coding to expand "too" much...so, you know.

Anyway Planetry landings soon so that will be nice. As long as it works as intended

All said I still enjoy this game and hopefull all will happen eventually.

I am Flimley.

 

[Commander Pickle]

My original post didn't intend to create a big debate about the appeal of powerplay, rather a general talk about where energy is focused. I have no problem about powerplay being in the game. It COULD BE incredible -- IF they solve the many problems with it first! And before big new features, let's get some that work completely!

For example: before introducing the complex merit ranking system with powerplay, make it possible for someone to rank up to an imperial baron without literally 20 bugs ruining progress from start to finish.

The point is not that I'm trying to hijack the development and complain. The point is...let's make the core elements work great before adding on a bunch of flashy new features. I'd rather have a game with one or two perfect core elements than a game with 6 or 7 bugged, "always in progress" elements.