More exploration stuff... please
- Thread starter samuelb
- Start date
I would definitely like more, however more while keeping the overall astronomically correct theme they've had so far; so while I'd welcome having specialized probes and sensors (some for cataloguing life, others to find underground ore deposits, etc) I'd have to say no to silly non existent stuff such as Star Trek's "ion storms" and the like, which would be out of place in a game like Elite. Similarly, I'd love to see life in many more forms, in space and on planets, but I'd personally prefer a more subdued, scientifically grounded imagination of the same rather than go full on Star Trek "I'm an energy being, speak perfect English and I trapped your ship 'cause I'm bored" thing.
Agreed, I think all of us explorers want more - just needs to be done in the appropriate tone.
I'm hoping for comets in Oort Clouds, Kuiper belt objects, minor planets, visualisation of magnetospheres, protoplanetary disks and repairable plumbing in my ship.
You seem to be having a bit of a plumbing issue. Anything you want to share?
Ian Phillips
Volunteer Moderator
Please - not anything FROM the plumbing....
The problem with "unique" Star-Trek-style events such as oddball planets, bizarre anomalies, weird entities and such like, is that they pretty much have to be hand-crafted if they're going to remain "special" - this adds several layers of complexity:
- The difficulty of combining hand-crafted artefacts into a procedurally-generated universe.
- The devs might spend weeks of development time, creating the special content - only to have it viewed by only one or two players... or by none at all, if they hide it too well. Look at the meta-alloy barnacles: it took a month or more after they were added to the game before the player community actually started to find them... and that was with the Devs dropping all sorts of clues.
- The difficulty of combining hand-crafted artefacts into a procedurally-generated universe.
- The devs might spend weeks of development time, creating the special content - only to have it viewed by only one or two players... or by none at all, if they hide it too well. Look at the meta-alloy barnacles: it took a month or more after they were added to the game before the player community actually started to find them... and that was with the Devs dropping all sorts of clues.
The only thing I really really want is accretion disks around black holes and cataclysmic variables.
I'm sure tweaking the PG to produce some weird stuff on rare occasions is the way to go. I wouldn't want handcrafted content randomly spawning all over the galaxy. That would become realllly repetitive, like the planet POIs.
Edit: Not that I don't want handcrafted content. But if they'er gonna do it, make sure it actually is interesting and unique. Not the same stuff spawning for everyone all over the place.
The Formidine Rift mystery is example of handcrafted content I would like more of, very intriguing. But wrecks and aliens spawning random, not so much.
Edit: Not that I don't want handcrafted content. But if they'er gonna do it, make sure it actually is interesting and unique. Not the same stuff spawning for everyone all over the place.
The Formidine Rift mystery is example of handcrafted content I would like more of, very intriguing. But wrecks and aliens spawning random, not so much.
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Let's just say my cockpit regularly smells of class III and IV gas giants.
I HAVE to believe there's something unexpected out there for us to find. At least ONE thing. Hopefully more! How the heck could you design a real-life-galaxy-sized space game, with EXPLORATION as one of its primary activities, and not include some sweet easter eggs out there in the black??
Absolutely they should be in the spirit of the universe.. but we do know there is alien life in Elite (UA's, Barnacles, etc). And certainly doesn't need to be as sophisticated as live Thargoids necessarily (though I think that will happen at some point) but man I'd love to come across the old carcass of a downed alien ship, or ancient ruins of some civilization, or maybe signs of some primitive life on a distant planet or an unexplained non-natural rock formation. Doesn't have to be extravagant, it's the hope of even a simple discovery that keeps me going...
This is a very good point, thanks for your answer. I am not sure but with my, admittedly different area of, understanding surely an RNG (or similar) can bed run on top of the PG universe to generate events or even very subtly alter the base procedural content. A complex issue indeed.
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I got the joke, I just think that from a humorous comment, perhaps there is the seed of an idea?
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Agreed as I already stated and random content would have to be generated at very low intervals with sufficient differences to prevent a galaxy full of strange, inaccurate content. Thanks for replying.
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Thanks for the reply, nice to know someone else out there feels (and hopes) the same way I do.
The solution: a ship building mechanic like KSP, but for probes, that players could buildld, like tiny AI controlled ships with weapons and FSD and everything. These could be customized with a combination of things and sent out to explore on behalf of the commander. Possibly with remote viewing capability, so you could actually be in your probe that's flying a pre-programmed course.
Your probe, which is obviously insured, like a ship, will then be out there in the galaxy for other commanders to randomly encounter. Would add a nice layer of player customized little probes all over the galaxy
