So, we now have a reasonable idea of what FD have put into Beyond Chapter 1. Here's my thoughts on it... This is just my personal take on what we've seen so far so feel free to discuss or ignore as you desire 
To set the scene - Kickstart backer no longer really playing the game. I dip in periodically, but for 1-2 years I've just found what was being added as offering too little (new) depth/interest to me. ie: For me the developments are too often simplistic bolts ons, or entirely questionable in their outcome and/or they bring little to the game (eg: Point and click Generation Ships. Almost pointless Multi-Crew gameplay).
Crime & Punishment
There's some promising new mechanics here. It seems a more logical, reasoned and thankfully a simpler approach to the topic.
Potential Issues:-
Wing Missions
These seem like a long overdue step towards actually promoting and rewarding Wing co-op play.
Potential Issues:-
The Chieftain
A new ship. Nice but ultimately I'm more interested in improvements to what we can do with our ships than simply more ships.
Planetary Visual Improvements
This seems a nice step in improved graphics. I was hoping this might include slight more improvements to surfaces, but it's a nice step toward hopefully what's coming in Q4.
Megaship Gameplay
This is a nice move, but I would say once again it ultimately just feels like more mini-game bolt ons in an attempt to offer something as quickly/easily as possible?
Potential Issues:-
Trade Data Improvements
Some nice changes here. I sort of feel a more dedicated view might be more useful than it being buried within the galaxy map. But it's a nice addition, if not long overdue.
The Tech Broker
To me this almost just Risks being The Engineers pt2 (see below). ie: Yet more modification to your ships, by doing the same (X year old) gameplay, so you can then continue to to the same (X year old) gameplay.
Ultimately, I'm not entirely sure how these are suppose to offer a "personal narrative" instead of just more things to unlock and yet more things to add to the ever increasing balance woes of the ever increasing paper-scissors-stone combat. I guess time will tell.
Engineer Changes
Now The Engineers is a big bugbear of mine, for two main reasons:-
Suggestions:-
Material Trader
Mechanics of this type have been proposed for years to try and take the edge off The Engineers. ie: To stop forcing people to undertake gameplay they don't enjoy just to get elusive materials. Hopefully this new feature will help.
Suggestions:-
Ship Voice
Nice. I wonder how long until it's used for micro-transactions.
GalNet Audio
Nice. Hopefully it will lead to CMDRs at least getting a bit more of what's going on...
So, Chapter 1 for me
I'll be frank; I didn't expect Chapter 1 to offer much in the way of new or deeper gameplay (which in truth is what I personally need to bring me back to the game). So while it will not bring me back to the game, it does generally bring nice features, which I sincerely hope show the beginnings of a change of course for FD. The content from the past two or so years has all too often seriously concerned me with its design choices/goals and outcome on the game. Too much has been simplistic bolt-ons. Too much has been almost pointess (IMHO). And too little has even tried to add new gameplay depth and layers, which is what I feel the game truly truly needs.
So, I'm fairly positive about Chapter 1, and I'm hoping Chapter 2 and 3 (Q2 and Q3) follow suit and continue to show nice additions and improvements. And while I also doubt these will bring me back to the game, I'm hoping they all ultimately lead to a truly impressive Q4 that will.
I'm hoping Quarter 4 will finally show some long overdue solid new impressive gameplay depth and layered mechanics, both in what Chapter 4 brings, and also in what the payable DLC brings. I'm hoping some long overdue exploration improvements of note will arrive too (fingers crossed for atmospheric landings/exploration) ... Because if it doesn't, I think I may just then give up hope on FD's vision of the game ever matching mine TBH.
It'll be a long wait until the end of the year for me... Fingers crossed!
To set the scene - Kickstart backer no longer really playing the game. I dip in periodically, but for 1-2 years I've just found what was being added as offering too little (new) depth/interest to me. ie: For me the developments are too often simplistic bolts ons, or entirely questionable in their outcome and/or they bring little to the game (eg: Point and click Generation Ships. Almost pointless Multi-Crew gameplay).
Crime & Punishment
There's some promising new mechanics here. It seems a more logical, reasoned and thankfully a simpler approach to the topic.
Potential Issues:-
- Does the new mechanic rein in gankers? - If someone is habitually seal/explorer clubbing, does it penalise them effectively?
- Does it penalise fun PvE NPC gameplay? - If you like undertaking assassination missions (of NPCs) are you now going to (needlessly) get a huge rebuy/bounty penalty thanks to an ever increasing Notoriety?
- Anarchy system are still murder-hobo friendly? - For some reason I still can't fathom, FD still like the idea of allowing the next alien find of some sort to become the murder-hobo site of choice. And to allow these toxic individuals to fill their boots with grief at no downside or blemsih to their CMDR at all. It makes no sense to ignore Anarchy systems from a game universe point of view, or a gameplay point of view.
- Murder-hobo tactical mutual destruction - Will groups of murder-hobos simply tactically destroy each other to clear their Notoriety? Especially if CMDR bounties get very high?
- Notoriety - Should some missions/mechanics offer to cover up what you're doing so as not to increase it? (eg: Assassination missions?)
- PvP - The game desperately needs to orchestrated PvP gameplay (which will allow "legal" combat). ie: Even just some form of Open only CGs with some missions/mechanics to promote/orchestrate/reward it.
Wing Missions
These seem like a long overdue step towards actually promoting and rewarding Wing co-op play.
Potential Issues:-
- Will the actual activities/missions being offered grow in scope/depth? If they're too simple, I do wonder how popular this feature will be. ie: How long until we get a Wing missions to escort a convoy through an asteroid field, trying to get as many of the convoy through as possible?
The Chieftain
A new ship. Nice but ultimately I'm more interested in improvements to what we can do with our ships than simply more ships.
Planetary Visual Improvements
This seems a nice step in improved graphics. I was hoping this might include slight more improvements to surfaces, but it's a nice step toward hopefully what's coming in Q4.
Megaship Gameplay
This is a nice move, but I would say once again it ultimately just feels like more mini-game bolt ons in an attempt to offer something as quickly/easily as possible?
Potential Issues:-
- How much gameplay depth/interest will these new "mini-games" really bring to CMDRs, other than simply a means to farm materials for Engineers/Tech Brokers.
- How well balanced/considered is the gameplay - If you want to go into a Megaship guns blazing (as it's fun) will your Notoriety zoom up, basically preventing you from enjoying this PvE asset? Will one CMDR simply be able to open the Cargo hold, and fly off, while another limpets up the cargo without a worry in the world?
Trade Data Improvements
Some nice changes here. I sort of feel a more dedicated view might be more useful than it being buried within the galaxy map. But it's a nice addition, if not long overdue.
The Tech Broker
To me this almost just Risks being The Engineers pt2 (see below). ie: Yet more modification to your ships, by doing the same (X year old) gameplay, so you can then continue to to the same (X year old) gameplay.
Ultimately, I'm not entirely sure how these are suppose to offer a "personal narrative" instead of just more things to unlock and yet more things to add to the ever increasing balance woes of the ever increasing paper-scissors-stone combat. I guess time will tell.
Engineer Changes
Now The Engineers is a big bugbear of mine, for two main reasons:-
- It created a huge upper teir of performance which is little more than a needlessly raised bar forcing/bribing players so simply "grind" away to stay/become competitive.
- The gameplay offered to "pay" for Engineering is generally just rebadged gameplay which has all but remained the same for 2-3 years. ie: You have to carry on doing the same gameplay to pay for Engineering, and the reward is, you then get to carry on doing the same gameplay now with better modules. It all ultimately just seems too much like a needless set of upgrades which, because of poor balancing, has then caused issues issues to PvE and PvP.
Suggestions:-
- I'd like to have seen the overall power of combat related modules being reined in (lowered) as part of this rework.
- The magic side effects also annoy me (creates needless paper-scissors-stone gameplay), so personally I'd like to have seen some removed too. But I fear we'll simply be getting more at time passes.
- Take the edge of the needless G1->G4 grind with this - https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showt...-quot-grind-quot-G1-gt-G5-on-every-new-module
Material Trader
Mechanics of this type have been proposed for years to try and take the edge off The Engineers. ie: To stop forcing people to undertake gameplay they don't enjoy just to get elusive materials. Hopefully this new feature will help.
Suggestions:-
- I'd prefer if these were accessible at Engineer locations, rather than needlessly forcing CMDRs to just do more time consuming flying from A-->B-->A, just to get a material they realise they don't have at an Engineer.
Ship Voice
Nice. I wonder how long until it's used for micro-transactions.
GalNet Audio
Nice. Hopefully it will lead to CMDRs at least getting a bit more of what's going on...
So, Chapter 1 for me
I'll be frank; I didn't expect Chapter 1 to offer much in the way of new or deeper gameplay (which in truth is what I personally need to bring me back to the game). So while it will not bring me back to the game, it does generally bring nice features, which I sincerely hope show the beginnings of a change of course for FD. The content from the past two or so years has all too often seriously concerned me with its design choices/goals and outcome on the game. Too much has been simplistic bolt-ons. Too much has been almost pointess (IMHO). And too little has even tried to add new gameplay depth and layers, which is what I feel the game truly truly needs.
So, I'm fairly positive about Chapter 1, and I'm hoping Chapter 2 and 3 (Q2 and Q3) follow suit and continue to show nice additions and improvements. And while I also doubt these will bring me back to the game, I'm hoping they all ultimately lead to a truly impressive Q4 that will.
I'm hoping Quarter 4 will finally show some long overdue solid new impressive gameplay depth and layered mechanics, both in what Chapter 4 brings, and also in what the payable DLC brings. I'm hoping some long overdue exploration improvements of note will arrive too (fingers crossed for atmospheric landings/exploration) ... Because if it doesn't, I think I may just then give up hope on FD's vision of the game ever matching mine TBH.
It'll be a long wait until the end of the year for me... Fingers crossed!
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