My Response to the Elite Community and Thoughts on "Colonia and the Thargoids" – Video by ObsidianAnt

[CMDR-AD]

... If we get some kind of fast-travel system ....

This question is not directed at you specifically, HAL-9000, but I must ask at this point... where is this idea of fast-travel being suggested or implied by Frontier? I read both the CG messages and I didn't get any impression like that from them.

Have they made some other statement I'm missing or unaware of?

 

[lunithy]

You will pleased to know I went to Colonia on a whim hardcore after seeing a friend out past Colonia I used a python with no engineering no rover with the power dist on all the way two large multi cannons ...... :S I know the fail is strong with this one and did I mention a 14ly jump range OH and at the half way mark Obsidian mentioned that there were out posts at least I had a scope [big grin] and detailed scanner so by the time I got there I had made 200+ mil from scans and dam! did bounce some stars I'm still out there some where.

 

[ITZC0ATL]

This question is not directed at you specifically, HAL-9000, but I must ask at this point... where is this idea of fast-travel being suggested or implied by Frontier? I read both the CG messages and I didn't get any impression like that from them.

Have they made some other statement I'm missing or unaware of?

I believe there were ideas floated that megaships could be used to transport our own ships before they were introduced. Obviously that hasn't happened but FDEv do have a habit of releasing content in stages. Perhaps it was only speculation on the part of the community. The idea of a 'freight and passenger transport system' to me implies something more than just some handy stations along a long route. Having said that, this could easily manifest itself as just something text-based. What comes next is still speculation of course, but there are some potentially interesting implications of what FDev have thus far announced.

 

[Kayweg]

Presumably, explorers go exploring while on their way to Colonia. I certainly have and did during the Repair Jaques Station CG. Likewise, racers race. Speaking of which, it's my understanding that racers can already get there within a few hours of playing. That's hardly what I would call a long time, considering many people have invested many thousands of hours in this game. You'd even have this sort of thing further trivialized? For the sake of what? Again, people don't have to go to Colonia if they don't want to. There's plenty to get up to much closer to the "bubble."

Either way, why are you worried about the worth of what some other people like to do in this game? Having the opportunity to accomplish some significant milestones is a nice optional thing to do for some people.

Sorry, but aren't you the one worrying here about the "worth of what some other people like to do in this game" ?
You can fly straight past those new stations and do it your way, the trip hasn't become a single ly shorter, and nobody prevents you from playing the game the way you want to.
Your sense of achievement can remain exactly the same as it was, unless your sense of achievement solely depends on how somebody else did it. I can't help but suspect that that's what this really is about.
And if anything, shouldn't your sense of achievement be even bigger, knowing you went there without docking ?


In another post here you refer to "become Elite explorer the traditional way".
I don't even know what that is, or who the authority is to define that.
Everybody can get to elite in exploration without moving 10s of thousands of ly away from the bubble, never been further away than 15k ly myself.
At no point in the lifetime of the game was it required to travel excessively big distances to achieve that rank, there simply is no "traditional" way.
You're simply defining that for yourself and then claim universal acceptance for that definition.

 

[CMDR Minion Blob]

With respect to hardcore explorers, nobody is forcing you to upgrade your FSDs or use the Neutron Highway. In fact, for the ultimate realism--and if it was even possible to keep servers up that long--no need to use FSDs when one can super cruise in generational ships. For me, "exploration" in its current form--hundreds or thousands of "hops" from one procedurally generated blob to another--is about as exciting or rewarding activity as manually defragmenting my hard drive.

Bumping along in an endless succession of procedurally generated random blobs maybe the regarded as aspiring by the game's creators and players alike but it requires no special skill at all...just enormous amounts of unproductive time dedicated to ANY computer game.

OA's videos have been very helpful to follow the events and developments happening in this game for me even about aspects of exploration. Partially of his narration, objectivity and efficiency in their final, edited form.

Whatever future developments happen in Elite to open up access to more aspects of the game to different play styles I think it's a good thing. That won't make any past achievement by anyone using older mechanics or methods.

 

[Alec Turner]

I didn't say I personally think it is going to happen. I said "some people are speculating that..." Speculation = "This might happen". Not = "I believe this is a 100% certainty".

You are quite right, there's a good chance it is RP flavor text.

You're right, and I apologise for the accusation (I wrote that on the train and haven't had a chance since then to correct my statement slightly). Your video was of course speculation and interesting speculation at that. Personally my gut feeling is that it's RP, never even occured to me that it was anything but. We'll see I guess!

 

[Alderius]

I fail to see what all of the fuss is about. Obsidian Ant put together a nice little video clip speculating/pondering some of the possibilities in the future of ED, that's all. I ponder these things occasionally, I wish I had the time and skill that Ant has to put that out there myself! Having said that, he's clear that it's just his own speculation, it may or may not happen, no need to get in a knot about it.
As I read it, the OP has an issue with the CG making it easier to get to Colonia through station building, I think that's really stretching the point. Personally, I don't want to spend X hours just to travel out there, and a few stations in between won't make it any faster/easier/delightful, so what is the difference? None that I can see.
And if someone wants to have a challenge/overcome some obstacle, they shouldn't limit themselves to Colonia as a goal/destination, it's a big universe out there with plenty to do.

In any case, there is plenty to do/accomplish, have fun out there!

 

[Aashenfox]

Holy overreaction batman! Lol

 

[danteuk]

I don't a problem with a few more stations en route.
The current 5 waypoint are not in a straight line so actually if you go via the current 5 way points it takes longer than just going straight!
However the 5 are in interesting looking locations so are nice little detour en route

I'm against fast travel, but a cheap service to ship a ship to colonia would be nice - the cost is too high right now to make it worth while. Currently it's cheaper to sell your ship at the remote site and rebuy it at the Colonia - assuming they stock it and the required modules! ( what about engineered modules ? )

 

[Pyrobee]

There's a very large thread dedicated to listing Commanders that achieved the equivalent of getting the Elite Explorer rank the traditional way. Many people want to be able to accomplish these sort of things, but continually making these sort of milestones easier to accomplish removes this opportunity for players.

If you don't like doing something in the game, no one is forcing you to. Please try and refrain from diminishing the opportunities of others to achieve something that they feel is worthwhile.

ever considered that new colonies may pop up, your assumption that colomia is somehow special and shouldn't let the commoners in is just arogant and infantile.

 

[WR3ND]

IMO It's only a challenge to get there in regards to "How much boredom am I willing to put up with".

There's no real challenge to flying to Colonia. It's just jump, jump, jump, scoop, jump, jump, jump, yawn, scoop etc...

If it was an actual challenge to get there and I actually had to play what feels like a game rather than performing a simple set of actions over and over again I'd go.

If you're interested in going there, from personal experience, I can only really suggest taking your time and going as an explorer, looking for unique and interesting systems, and checking them out along the way. It works as sort of like a treasure hunt, and you never know what wonders the next system might hold.

This will take a lot longer though, maybe even weeks depending on your jump range, how long you take investigating each system, and how frequent and the duration of your play sessions. Though this does take much longer, I personally find it to be the more compelling and enjoyable method of travel for this sort of thing. I must, or else I wouldn't prefer going exploring in a fully combat loaded Vulture, The Ronin.

On the other hand, if someone is wanting to just get out to Colonia quickly, it is possible to within a few hours racing out there in a stripped down long range ship with a good fuel scoop – always have the best fuel scoop you can get, by the way. Personally, I don't have the mental stability and zen like state of mind for this sort of thing. All due respect to those racers and others that are driven and capable in this way.

 

[WR3ND]

ever considered that new colonies may pop up, your assumption that colomia is somehow special and shouldn't let the commoners in is just arogant and infantile.

You misunderstand me completely, or are intentionally being pedantic. Anyone is free to go out to Colonia of course, even those who would often be and are called "griefers," PVPs, and the like, and they have, and I congratulate them on their efforts and accomplishments. Either way though, it's nice having goals worthy of bothering to achieve. Making the trip too easy, not just in this case but as a general approach to "progress" within the game, is a missed opportunity for individual and future players in having that thing that is worthy of achieving to them.

This is evident in the thread I was referring to.

 

[WR3ND]

So in an effort to make the game less boring, FDev are now going to allow super quick transport services to Colonia? So what was all the fuss about a 1:1 scale galaxy then if you're allowing shortcuts?

Perhaps the better way to approach this would be to add gameplay to "the boring bits"?

I'm pretty sure that's what us explorer lot have in general been asking for for quite some time now. [up]

This is where many of us would like to see the game continue to progress.

 

[Eldragon]

I believe there were ideas floated that megaships could be used to transport our own ships before they were introduced. Obviously that hasn't happened but FDEv do have a habit of releasing content in stages. Perhaps it was only speculation on the part of the community. The idea of a 'freight and passenger transport system' to me implies something more than just some handy stations along a long route. Having said that, this could easily manifest itself as just something text-based. What comes next is still speculation of course, but there are some potentially interesting implications of what FDev have thus far announced.

It would be really fun and cool if there was a fast and easy way to move your ship out to Colonia and back again. Either by Stargate/Mass Effect style giant jumpgate, parking your ship and waiting for the next departure cycle, or any other method.

I do hope the Thargoids are actually a galaxy wide, bubble effecting event and not just some text I read and in the weekly email. Giving players the option to "Escape" the 'goids would be part of that story arc.

 

[WR3ND]

...

I'm not the one who made the thread, nor am I even listed among its ranks. For me, there is no such thing really as an Elite Explorer rank beyond just an, "Oh, hey, you seem to have been at this sort of thing for a bit. Here's your pass to Shinrarta Dezhra."

On the other hand, these sort of things are a big deal to many people. People want to be able to achieve these sort of things and feel they've earned them. Continually moving the goal posts closer and closer deflates some people, their motivation, and their feelings of accomplishments within this game.

Here's a link to the thread I mentioned so you can go and check it out yourself, assuming you care to. → https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showt...rs-Hall-of-Fame-and-Myriad-Manifest-continued

 

[Eldragon]

I'm not the one who made the thread, nor am I even listed among its ranks. For me, there is no such thing really as an Elite Explorer rank beyond just an, "Oh, hey, you seem to have been at this sort of thing for a bit. Here's your pass to Shinrarta Dezhra."

On the other hand, these sort of things are a big deal to many people. People want to be able to achieve these sort of things and feel they've earned them. Continually moving the goal posts closer and closer deflates some people, their motivation, and their feelings of accomplishments with this game.

How does someone's decision to not do something diminish your decision to do something? Its the journey, not the destination.

Is there some kind of "I've been to Colonia and all I got was this lousy t-shirt" prize I'm not familiar with?

 

[WR3ND]

...what about engineered modules ?

Perhaps it's worth it to have just those shipped, if someone is considering moving their base of operations out to Colonia.

Often what people seem to do is take their largest and most expensive ship out there "manually," and have the rest shipped to save on costs of doing so.

 

[WR3ND]

How does someone's decision to not do something diminish your decision to do something? Its the journey, not the destination.

Is there some kind of "I've been to Colonia and all I got was this lousy t-shirt" prize I'm not familiar with?

Getting to Colonia is the prize. I'm not really following what you're asking specifically though. Surely you're aware that people often assign meaning to arbitrary milestones as motivational tools, times for reflection, morale, and a sense of accomplishment. My current exploration related one that I've set for myself is reaching 100,000 systems visited.

Colonia is a prime bastion for this sort of thing with it being on the frontier, half way across the galaxy, near the galactic core, and for me personally, rescuing Jaques Station. Explorers and adventurers alike are naturally drawn to the place, so, reaching that location is a significant milestone. I'd rather not see this sort of achievement diminished by convince.

"The hallowed halls of Colonia" – sure, it's a bit of nonsense in the grand scheme of things, I suppose, but it's fun.

 

[Eldragon]

Getting to Colonia is the prize. I'm not really following what you're asking specifically though. Surely you're aware that people often assign meaning to arbitrary milestones as motivational tools, times for reflection, morale, and a sense of worth. My current exploration related one that I've set for myself is reaching 100,000 systems visited.

Colonia is a prime bastion for this sort of thing with it being on the frontier, half way across the galaxy, near the galactic core, and for me personally, rescuing Jaques Station. Explorers and adventurers alike are naturally drawn to the place, so, reaching that location is a significant milestone. I'd rather not see this sort of achievement diminished by convince.

Your journey to that location would not be diminished if FDev offered a faster/easier way of getting there. You took the hard road, if someone takes an easier route your memories of that journey are unchanged.

What you're demanding is that Colonia remain tedious to reach just for pure bragging rights. Would you feel better if FDev gave everyone who reached Colonia the hard way a forum badge/ship decal?

 

[WR3ND]

Your journey to that location would not be diminished if FDev offered a faster/easier way of getting there. You took the hard road, if someone takes an easier route your memories of that journey are unchanged.

What you're demanding is that Colonia remain tedious to reach just for pure bragging rights. Would you feel better if FDev gave everyone who reached Colonia the hard way a forum badge/ship decal?

The "hard way" as you put it, is an opportunity for people to achieve something. With there being ever easier and easier ways of going about doing things, then there is no reason to do things the "hard way." That would seem to be a rather meaningless waste of time. Wouldn't it? It's not really about bragging rights so much as it is about overcoming a worthy and noteworthy challenge to accomplish someone's goals. Doing things the "hard way" just for the sake of it isn't what this is all about. It's about being able to achieve a goal and accomplishing something.

If there's an "easy way" of doing something, then people aren't really accomplishing much in terms of worth and meaning by doing something the "hard way." At that point it's more of a sport than anything else, really.

To each their own, but I'm not really keen on the idea of playing Elite: Dangerous as a sci-fi sports game. I'd rather stick to exploration and adventure.