-
Greetings Commander, want a more instant approach to your questions and need for help? Check out the Galactic Academy Discord server!
Feel free to join the Galactic Academy Discord server by clicking here!
Newcomer / Intro My take on Elite (in short: it's boring)
- Thread starter Plage
- Start date
have had a great time playing so far. have got my self a type 6 104 ton cargo space and the option to make more money and get a better upgraded ship. Then the other day I came to the point where I just could not be bothered to go from one place to another and repeat and repeat and repeat . I am going to take a break from the game for a while and come back when I feel refreshed . The game has so much potential, but if you just trading it can get very boring after a while. I have tried other parts of the game but the type 6 is not exactly good in combat
. But I want to make the money so one day the grind will continue . I have also tried the docking computer . Once it took almost fifteen minutes to dock. I did laugh and had to take over in the end . To be honest I think that is something that should have been fixed before release as its a very important part of the game for a new player and it may help to start with . Like I say great potential but at moment for me I am just a little bit bored , but I will return in a little while and fly again and start my grind again for credits to achieve my goals
. But I want to make the money so one day the grind will continue . I have also tried the docking computer . Once it took almost fifteen minutes to dock. I did laugh and had to take over in the end . To be honest I think that is something that should have been fixed before release as its a very important part of the game for a new player and it may help to start with . Like I say great potential but at moment for me I am just a little bit bored , but I will return in a little while and fly again and start my grind again for credits to achieve my goals
Another Exciting thread about Boring.
(Yawn) The irony...
(Yawn) The irony...
have had a great time playing so far. have got my self a type 6 104 ton cargo space and the option to make more money and get a better upgraded ship. Then the other day I came to the point where I just could not be bothered to go from one place to another and repeat and repeat and repeat . I am going to take a break from the game for a while and come back when I feel refreshed . The game has so much potential, but if you just trading it can get very boring after a while. I have tried other parts of the game but the type 6 is not exactly good in combat
Why is everyone so focused on making as much money as possible as quickly as possible? Have modern games so trained us to click click click for the next big thing we've forgotten how to enjoy a game, that there's more to it than having the biggest and "best" stuff?
Find a ship you like and and an activity you enjoy, and fly your ship/do that activity. Credits will come, albeit at a slower rate for certain careers than others, but who cares? You don't "win" once you hit a certain credit balance.
its nothing to do with a win with credits. i set my self a target and what i want to achieve in the game as it is , but just a little bored of the grind to get what i need at moment. I play other games that need a grind, but the grind feels a little more enjoyable to me , so taking a break untill i am ready to continue thats all .
Last edited:
Gotcha - apologies if I misinterpreted. I see a lot of folks posting about how they're done for a while (or for good) because trading's boring and it's the "only thing" to do to make money, because they're laser-focused on getting one of the big, multi-million credit ships. There's so much more to Elite than grinding out a ton of credits and/or owning an Python/Type-9/Anaconda, and you can experience a lot of it with just the stock Sidey! It just feels like a lot of new players are so focused on their credit balance for the sake of the credit balance, they're missing the game.
Upgrade gradually.
I don't think the game is actually boring. At the moment it is certainly repetitive, and mission content is still shallow, but the positive thing about it being an online game is that this can, and very likely will, change as the game develops. I think it's a bit unfair to criticise the devs, as they seem to be be an exceptionally committed and enthusiastic group of people, excited not only about the game they have already delivered, but for the things they want to incorporate into the game as it moves forward. It's a game that tends to suck you in, as did it's predecessors, so you may end up playing for many hours at a time, so yes, it will on occasion lose it's sparkle. Regarding the bugs, specifically the landing pad identifier, they are being chipped away at, and this one, which according to Michael Brookes was a complicated one to address will as others have been pointed out be addressed in the 1.1 update. My personal view on more automation is that ultimately that would make the game more boring, not less, but that's just my view. I try and use the hands on aspect of the game to improve my piloting skills, which can at times be a fun mini-game in itself.
Last edited:
So, you expected a game that revolves around flying a spaceship to automatically fly that ship for you? Just out of curiosity, if there was a game designed like that how do you envision player's role in it - just watching the scenery while on-board computers do the flying?
I don't think the game is actually boring. At the moment it is certainly repetitive, and mission content is still shallow, but the positive thing about it being an online game is that this can, and very likely will, change as the game develops. I think it's a bit unfair to criticise the devs, as they seem to be be an exceptionally committed and enthusiastic group of people, excited not only about the game they have already delivered, but for the things they want to incorporate into the game as it moves forward. It's a game that tends to suck you in, as did it's predecessors, so you may end up playing for many hours at a time, so yes, it will on occasion lose it's sparkle. Regarding the bugs, specifically the landing pad identifier, they are being chipped away at, and this one, which according to Michael Moore was a complicated one to address will as others have been pointed out be addressed in the 1.1 update. My personal view on more automation is that ultimately that would make the game more boring, not less, but that's just my view. I try and use the hands on aspect of the game to improve my piloting skills, which can at times be a fun mini-game in itself.
Hold on there!
When did they hire this guy!!
(Michael Brookes is the name you are looking for.
)A fully kitted out Viper isn't that expensive (it's relative to how much money you have of course), but is a fun little combat craft, and also cheap to replace on insurance when you come out the wrong side of a dogfight, whereas the larger ships, Cobra and Asp, although potentially stronger ships, can end up costing much more than 250,000 cr to replace.
- - - - - Additional Content Posted / Auto Merge - - - - -
Hold on there!
When did they hire this guy!!
(Michael Brookes is the name you are looking for.
LOL Thank you!
If that's how you want to play the game, then sure. Personally, i made about 2 million trading rares early on in my Hauler, which is the smallest part of the my overall capital now (12 million total). The rest i've made through exploring, bounty hunting, and missions (mainly take kill missions these days since they tend to bring in the most).
The problem you have, if i may be so bold OP, is that you are fixated on gaining money. Lose that fixation, you'll have a lot more enjoyable time. There is no endgame, there is no need to rush to the biggest ships (look at all the arguments about how the Viper is probably the best combat ship!).
Try approaching the game with different eyes, you might see you've missed something.
PS: Docking is easy. Really easy. If you want it harder, you can do things like turning flight assist off, or trying to fit your ship between two type 9s that are trying to enter/exit at the same time
I had two. With the first I lost ~35k which isn't that much but still not that great if you just started. The second time the cargo was back in the cargo bay after I had logged in again luckily.
I already have a pimped Type 6 and a fully upgraded Cobra. Now I'm even more bored because I really don't know what to do except jumping back into my T6 and playing Euro Truck Simulator in space.
They had enough time. How long is this game in the making already? It maybe won't die but it can't be their goal to have 10k hardcore fans playing it in the end.
This is not in any way a major flaw. A major flaw would have been if this made it completely impossible to land, which it doesn't...it's mostly just an inconvenience at the moment. It's a temporary bug in regards to a mechanic that have worked previously. Gremlins in the code is nothing new in development and since ED is always going to be "in development" to some extent they are always going to be around the corner. Of course the devs will do their best to minimize bugs, but they are always going to be there as in all other games. Expecting anything else in a game that will have major feature updates every 1-2 months is unrealistic.
Maybe because it isn't blocked? You can easily squeeze by with both small and medium ships even with a Lakon Type 9 in the middle of the entrance. If anything this adds gameplay since you need to be on alert when entering. Making a game interesting is not about making it "logical" or "realistic". It's about making an interesting balance between risk and reward. Should I try to enter even with the Type 9 blocking the port (faster but higher risk) or wait until it has passed (slower but safer)? If you simply block the port you just removed a gameplay option from the player.
It's also a matter of finding flow in the game. To much complexity can potentially slow down the gameplay too much. In the original design proposal there where a lot more things described, but I assume some of these steps where later removed/dropped (even if some of them might still come along later) since they would make the docking take even longer which would slow down the game too much. I think they have found a pretty nice balance between getting in and out of the stations quick and still having an interesting docking procedure.
The original design proposal is over here:
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=8124
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=8349
Some players DO take these into account...I do most of the time. I guess they could later make it so that smaller NPC ships used the correct lane, but this is hardly a priority compared to many other things.
Yes, everyone not agreeing with you "have no clue". Who can argue with that solid reasoning!
Compared to most other space games the docking in ED is one of the most developed ever. Most of the time you just approach the station in other games, choose a "dock" option, watch a cutscene and then suddenly find yourself inside the station. How thought out is the "docking procedure" in EVE Online for example?
Anyway, have fun...gotta get the kids to bed now!
Not a major flaw in the direction of a "game stopper" but a major flaw in one of the most relevant game mechanics. From my experience with the gaming business I don't have much faith in a developer that's not even able to address and fix such a major bug with the release or an fast update. It's really no magic to include a loop in the script that asks "is the pad marked, is the pad marked, is the..." until your ship is finally docked or something along the line. Maybe the devs here are different and I'm doing them wrong. I don't know as I'm just around for about a month. We'll see.
It basically is blocked. Each parking garage with a single line entry/exit has a traffic light on the in- and outside which shows you either a green or red light depending if the way is blocked/used or not but something like that seems to be really too much asked. What's the reward you're talking about? The few seconds you'll gain if you squeeze in between the T9? Who says that this shouldn't be possible while you get a "red light" just in case you want to try it? Nobody said that the one thing shouldn't be possible because of the other. Maybe the best solution would be to have both options?
What I suggest is neither too complex nor slowing down the game too much. It's your opinion and if you can get anything interesting out of the docking procedure good for you but for me and it seems I'm not the only one it's neither intuitive nor interesting but just a boring, repetitive procedure one has to endure.
I would rather have it that the most important mechanics are thought through and working fine before a game is released. Changing things like this later on can cause other problems not to talk about that the focus may has shifted to shiming out more content and not addressing the major flaws.
No clue as in what is out there in the form of other games or what is generally possible today.
I never played EVE so I can't comment on that.
I've already made clear that my major concerns aren't really related to not enough automatisation in the game but I'd welcome it if I'd at least would have the option in some cases. I've watched videos and read reviews. Non of them actually prepared me in how boring this game would actually be.
Some people also find it exciting to watch grass grow, sure.
have had a great time playing so far. have got my self a type 6 104 ton cargo space and the option to make more money and get a better upgraded ship. Then the other day I came to the point where I just could not be bothered to go from one place to another and repeat and repeat and repeat . I am going to take a break from the game for a while and come back when I feel refreshed . The game has so much potential, but if you just trading it can get very boring after a while. I have tried other parts of the game but the type 6 is not exactly good in combat
I'm flying mine without shields so it can carry 112 tons. I've found a relative lucrative, short and safe route on which I can easily make 1 mil in less than hour but it's boring. That's why I bought myself a Cobra to go hunting and exploring which is guess what still boring. Great potential...just wasted.
It maybe wouldn't be the main focus if the game would actually offer other incentives but I don't see any. Do you? If yes please point them out.
You're contradicting yourself. How can I find a ship I may like if I don't have the money to check out the bigger and better ones, eh? There's no activity I'm enjoying that much that I'd like to continue with it. I've really tried to find one but so far I had no luck unfortunately.
Like said I don't see this so "much more", sorry.
I don't think the game is actually boring. At the moment it is certainly repetitive, and mission content is still shallow, but the positive thing about it being an online game is that this can, and very likely will, change as the game develops. I think it's a bit unfair to criticise the devs, as they seem to be be an exceptionally committed and enthusiastic group of people, excited not only about the game they have already delivered, but for the things they want to incorporate into the game as it moves forward. It's a game that tends to suck you in, as did it's predecessors, so you may end up playing for many hours at a time, so yes, it will on occasion lose it's sparkle. Regarding the bugs, specifically the landing pad identifier, they are being chipped away at, and this one, which according to Michael Brookes was a complicated one to address will as others have been pointed out be addressed in the 1.1 update. My personal view on more automation is that ultimately that would make the game more boring, not less, but that's just my view. I try and use the hands on aspect of the game to improve my piloting skills, which can at times be a fun mini-game in itself.
Repetitive = boring for me. I can understand your hopes and like said I don't know much about the devs here in special but from my experience with the gaming industry nowadays I'm not really too faithful in that direction. I think it's fair to critize them in a constructive manner and I'd say that's what I'm doing. We can discuss about the incompetent or lazy part in that direction but I see it like that...unfortunately. Like I said I've played the old Elite on the Amiga and compared to it the modern one is just a let down. I really remember how I literally pee'd my pants when I was attacked by a pirate or interdicted by a Thargoid. The sound of the impacting enemy fire on your hull alone could give you goose bumps but this somehow doesn't carried over to this one here. Which is a shame. I also remember very well the first time I fired up the Freelancer SP and got sucked in while later on playing it MP on the HHC server and there I never got bored like in the first month in Elite already. FL simply had everything right even if it was a watered down release and only a part of what was envisioned. I can't say this about this game here, sorry.
If this problem really is a complicated one for them to fix then we're back at incompetence. Interesting that you mention it as I also thought about that the docking could have been actually implemented at least a bit in the direction of a mini-game itself to make it at least a little more interesting but no.
Have you played Freelancer? There you only have auto-docking and things like trade-lanes and an auto-pilot that will keep you on course. Strange enough I never considered the game boring. Maybe that's because they got everything surrounding it right? I mean do you really consider docking as one of the most important things to do in Elite? How boring.
Last edited:
Seriously, ED costs roughly the same as a couple of Bluray movies which only keep you entertained for an evening or two, and would you use this much energy to complain about how bad some movies were?
ED can never quite become as original as the, uhm, original Elite, since its meant to be true to its history. Perhaps the multiplayer approach can turn it into something greater. If not, it's just an updated version. Last time I played it was in 1986 on the C64 and visually it certainly looks better. Yes, I'm a "fanboy" (I didn't hesitate a second when the Kickstarter project was announced). I would have been disappointed if it departed much from the original gameplay, which certainly was repetitive, yet addictive.
ED can never quite become as original as the, uhm, original Elite, since its meant to be true to its history. Perhaps the multiplayer approach can turn it into something greater. If not, it's just an updated version. Last time I played it was in 1986 on the C64 and visually it certainly looks better. Yes, I'm a "fanboy" (I didn't hesitate a second when the Kickstarter project was announced). I would have been disappointed if it departed much from the original gameplay, which certainly was repetitive, yet addictive.
I don't understand why so many people have trouble with colliding with other ships in the letterbox while docking. It's really quite simple. You're provided with all the tools you need to prevent this happening. All you need to do is use them.
Let me explain for the benefit of those people. When you approach the letterbox you look down at your radar. This will tell you if there is something in front of you. You look back up again and see a target square. You target it. To the left of your radar is an image of the targeted ship. If it is pointing away from you then it is also entering the station and it is safe to follow it. If it is pointing towards you then you know that it is leaving the station and depending on the type of ship that it is you may either wait until it has passed or take the chance and squeeze in.
There. I hope this has cleared things up for those who seem to be continually surprised by Type 9s that they couldn't see.
Let me explain for the benefit of those people. When you approach the letterbox you look down at your radar. This will tell you if there is something in front of you. You look back up again and see a target square. You target it. To the left of your radar is an image of the targeted ship. If it is pointing away from you then it is also entering the station and it is safe to follow it. If it is pointing towards you then you know that it is leaving the station and depending on the type of ship that it is you may either wait until it has passed or take the chance and squeeze in.
There. I hope this has cleared things up for those who seem to be continually surprised by Type 9s that they couldn't see.
InMemoriamSirocco
Banned
Or it gets you killed. It's a 50/50 chance, really.
Or a fun game, or an exciting game, or a challenging game, or a profitable game, or a finished game, what it is is a development company's first try to do all aspects of a new game, (that's actually just a really old game and it looks it) but they didn't have the experience to do it and it failed, it's not too surprising let's just hope they learn from it and the next game is one worth playing (for more than a few hours).
I agree with the OP, it is boring but it was a first try so it was expected.
Cradle2Grave
Banned
You seem to imply, while acknowledging that it's an unfinished game, that there is going to be a next game. You're correct, it is unfinished, they will be releasing free updates to expand the gameplay at fairly regular intervals, 1.1 next month and 1.2 in March, and sell additional paid content over time too. I think that was the reason they scrapped the offline mode just before release, because they want to grow the game. It doesn't detract from the fact that some people consider it boring, or shallow, or whatever words you want to use.