Hi,
so I started playing Elite and thought I give the devs some feedback from the perspective of a new player.
No clue if they read this, so I just put down some bullet points.
-Cool atmosphere, it has most of the features that Star Citizen only promises to have. Though Elite does it in a smart and "small scope" way. I like that.
-However, I feel like 90% of the game I am just jumping around. For that I find the jumping a bit to underwhelming. ESPECIALLY graphically.
-For an activity that I seem to be doing REALLY a lot, I think the variation in graphics, style and mood should be much diverser. At this point I could even paint on paper every single galaxy image that is being thrown at me during the hyperspace "animation".
And one of those textures seems really low res, it even sticks out a lot (the white one with the rift). I would really suggest to invest some time into this to make it more beautiful as the player spends so much time doing it.
-Ground missions are very confusing. I failed trying to "interact" with a data hub several times. I think these missions could get some more love so they are clearer. Or maybe they are bugged, because I couldnt scan anything down there, nor could I "interact" with them. The points you could target also weren't called "data hub", but communications array and other words.
-Accepting missions that require stuff you currently don't have fitted on your ship should give you a warning. For a new player it is very frustrating to accept the mission just to find out you lack somethig to do them when on the way.
-The ship voice does not change when changing the game's language. It can be changed with Arx only. So if you install the game in the wrong language, you are stuck with the wrong language in the cockpit, even after you changed the game's language to your proper language.
-Why no hotkey to keep pressed so that the mouse cursor can be used in the cockpit?
-The default bindings are from hell. I mean, no disrespect to the designers here, but it doesn't look like they play many games out there. Driving a car has default accelerate/decelerate on Q/E instead of W/D which is used in the ship. Just why? Then we also have default key-bindings that you use all the time, far away from the WASD area on the keyboard, while having keys like C unbound, which is a really near and convenient key. The whole default binding were VERY confusing to me.
-The Frame Drive's usability is very incosistent and confusing to a new player. Instead of having 2 proper seperate modes on 2 seperate keys, you have a mix-up of supercruise and hyperspace functionality on one key, and the functionality depends on the nav-point you look at. But even then, the functionality changes, depending on if you are already in supercruise or if the target is obstructed. It all seems like a "grown feature" that got more and more convoluted with time. To a new player it is not easy to figure out.
Some examples:
-Pressing J with a distant system targeted = Spool up drive, but stay in normal velocity mode. When you align, it becomes a hyperjump.
-Pressing J with a local location targeted = Spool up drive, and go supercruise and WITHOUT alligning to anything. However, both target NAV GUIs (a local location vs a distant system) look the same: Always a yellow circle.
-Pressing J while in supercruise at lower speeds drops you out of it, BUT pressing J in supercruise while having a distant system targeted activates hyperspace.
-Pressing J with a distant system selected that is obstructed: No FSD start-up. BUT Pressing J with a local location selected, FSD starts, THEN you can select a distant system (even if it is obstructed) and are allowed to fly in supercruise to a point where the target is no longer obstructed and you are able to jump.
So why in the first place do I need to have a NOT obstructed target?
-Changing the target from a distant system to a local location will still keep the route on the navmap, but without a way to switch back to the route's target. So you have to go to the map, uncheck and re-check the route to get that target back.
Over all, this is very overdesigned. I would suggest a clear distinction in modes, GUI language and buttons for inner-system supercruise related design aspects vs hyperspace aspects.
-Different marker on the HUD
-Different button
-Different sound and "graphical mood" sourrounding it.
Generally speaking, divide them apart and make it clear. I think it would really increase the usability of the whole jump-mechanics. Something that other games have done also. Like: K is supercruise drive, and it glows blue, and it makes a wizzing noise, and the target is a blue diamond shaped icon. And J is hyperspace mode, it glows red and it makes a bassy noise and the target is a red circle icon. Just as an example.
-When hyperspace jumping, the ships always seems to be on a direct collision course with the sun. It would be really nice and less annoying if we could control the throttle setting when in hyperspace, so that when the ship exits hyperspace, the new throttle setting is immediatelly applied. I find it a bit evil to be honest, to have a design that forces you to stay to watch an ugly hyper jump, not allowing you to go get a coffee or go AFK quick, because you will always enter the suns orbit and get some hull damage otherwise.
Well, there is more which I cannot remember right now, but I thought as a first impression I just leave it here for whoevers consideration.
Overall I think this game seems quite fun even if gameplay-time is a bit too much on the hyperspace jumping side imho.
Keep up the good work.
so I started playing Elite and thought I give the devs some feedback from the perspective of a new player.
No clue if they read this, so I just put down some bullet points.
-Cool atmosphere, it has most of the features that Star Citizen only promises to have. Though Elite does it in a smart and "small scope" way. I like that.
-However, I feel like 90% of the game I am just jumping around. For that I find the jumping a bit to underwhelming. ESPECIALLY graphically.
-For an activity that I seem to be doing REALLY a lot, I think the variation in graphics, style and mood should be much diverser. At this point I could even paint on paper every single galaxy image that is being thrown at me during the hyperspace "animation".
And one of those textures seems really low res, it even sticks out a lot (the white one with the rift). I would really suggest to invest some time into this to make it more beautiful as the player spends so much time doing it.
-Ground missions are very confusing. I failed trying to "interact" with a data hub several times. I think these missions could get some more love so they are clearer. Or maybe they are bugged, because I couldnt scan anything down there, nor could I "interact" with them. The points you could target also weren't called "data hub", but communications array and other words.
-Accepting missions that require stuff you currently don't have fitted on your ship should give you a warning. For a new player it is very frustrating to accept the mission just to find out you lack somethig to do them when on the way.
-The ship voice does not change when changing the game's language. It can be changed with Arx only. So if you install the game in the wrong language, you are stuck with the wrong language in the cockpit, even after you changed the game's language to your proper language.
-Why no hotkey to keep pressed so that the mouse cursor can be used in the cockpit?
-The default bindings are from hell. I mean, no disrespect to the designers here, but it doesn't look like they play many games out there. Driving a car has default accelerate/decelerate on Q/E instead of W/D which is used in the ship. Just why? Then we also have default key-bindings that you use all the time, far away from the WASD area on the keyboard, while having keys like C unbound, which is a really near and convenient key. The whole default binding were VERY confusing to me.
-The Frame Drive's usability is very incosistent and confusing to a new player. Instead of having 2 proper seperate modes on 2 seperate keys, you have a mix-up of supercruise and hyperspace functionality on one key, and the functionality depends on the nav-point you look at. But even then, the functionality changes, depending on if you are already in supercruise or if the target is obstructed. It all seems like a "grown feature" that got more and more convoluted with time. To a new player it is not easy to figure out.
Some examples:
-Pressing J with a distant system targeted = Spool up drive, but stay in normal velocity mode. When you align, it becomes a hyperjump.
-Pressing J with a local location targeted = Spool up drive, and go supercruise and WITHOUT alligning to anything. However, both target NAV GUIs (a local location vs a distant system) look the same: Always a yellow circle.
-Pressing J while in supercruise at lower speeds drops you out of it, BUT pressing J in supercruise while having a distant system targeted activates hyperspace.
-Pressing J with a distant system selected that is obstructed: No FSD start-up. BUT Pressing J with a local location selected, FSD starts, THEN you can select a distant system (even if it is obstructed) and are allowed to fly in supercruise to a point where the target is no longer obstructed and you are able to jump.
So why in the first place do I need to have a NOT obstructed target?
-Changing the target from a distant system to a local location will still keep the route on the navmap, but without a way to switch back to the route's target. So you have to go to the map, uncheck and re-check the route to get that target back.
Over all, this is very overdesigned. I would suggest a clear distinction in modes, GUI language and buttons for inner-system supercruise related design aspects vs hyperspace aspects.
-Different marker on the HUD
-Different button
-Different sound and "graphical mood" sourrounding it.
Generally speaking, divide them apart and make it clear. I think it would really increase the usability of the whole jump-mechanics. Something that other games have done also. Like: K is supercruise drive, and it glows blue, and it makes a wizzing noise, and the target is a blue diamond shaped icon. And J is hyperspace mode, it glows red and it makes a bassy noise and the target is a red circle icon. Just as an example.
-When hyperspace jumping, the ships always seems to be on a direct collision course with the sun. It would be really nice and less annoying if we could control the throttle setting when in hyperspace, so that when the ship exits hyperspace, the new throttle setting is immediatelly applied. I find it a bit evil to be honest, to have a design that forces you to stay to watch an ugly hyper jump, not allowing you to go get a coffee or go AFK quick, because you will always enter the suns orbit and get some hull damage otherwise.
Well, there is more which I cannot remember right now, but I thought as a first impression I just leave it here for whoevers consideration.
Overall I think this game seems quite fun even if gameplay-time is a bit too much on the hyperspace jumping side imho.
Keep up the good work.
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