No Single Player offline Mode then?

[badsector84]

The nature of the problem as described is one of proceedural generation, which as I have said is far from unsolvable. Is it work? yes, but this is work that could have been avoided by designing the game with offline only in mind at the beginning. This is a design decision dressed as a technical one, and it must have been taken early on for this to happen. That's why I'm now getting quite gratey about it.

I only register to say that your post is exactly the same what I think.

It looks like FD build this game always online from the start obviously for DRM. It's a shame the multiplayer or MMO parts of the game are feels empty despite of that design decision.

 

[enbeekay]

It's the ongoing lack of communication that's the killer in this matter.

...It's weekend, the newsletter was posted on a Friday evening.
Lack of communication on a weekend is to be expected, I was actually shocked to see Michael Brookes posting so much on a Saturday.
Maybe there'll be a response in full from FD after the weekend?

 

[Hermit]

it's a fact of life for it to work properly it needs to be online.

I'm sorry, as someone who buys DRM-free games from places like GOG and Gamersgate, I have to disagree with you there. As would many others. The idea that your software must be connected at all times is one that's been gradually imposed upon users by companies that want DRM on all their products. Steam being one place that's responsible for such viewpoints, and one of the reasons I avoid it.

 

[Zmidponk]

EA and Blizzard have both said they had VERY GOOD technical reasons at the time why they could not deliver offline modes to Simcity and Diablo 3 respectively. They were adamant, it was technically not possible! Beyond the scope of their mighty abilities, that to do so would compromise the vision of their game and would wreck their careful designs!

And what makes this funnier is that, suddenly, this technical impossibility was suddenly forgotten when EA patched in an offline mode to Sim City in March this year.

Personally, I'm not too fussed if Elite does require a net connection, because the benefits of it outweigh the annoyances that come with that. However, if, as has been said, an offline mode was something promised back in Kickstarter, then breaking the news that this promise would be broken a month before release in a casual comment in the newsletter is hardly the ideal way to do it, and FD do need to do something to address this. My suggestion is a stickied post that firstly apologises for delivering the news in a somewhat kack-handed way, and also announces that anyone who wishes to get a refund of all money spent on this game because of the absence of the promised offline mode may do so and explaining how they go about that. Even leaving aside accusations of 'bait and switch' and so forth, doing this would simply be good customer service.

 

[ToddlerfromHell]

I suppose this is the crux of the argument isn't it?
People do not feel that Frontier spending a year trying to implement it was not enough effort.

Sorry, sir, but where's your proof? All we have is their word on this, and right now said word is being questioned.

-Toddler

 

[lollover]

Frontier team if you are reading these messages then stop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
I brought this game and paid for the early access has a beta backer, if i would have known about no offline/solo mode i would not have invested in you!!!!!!.
I am a quiet person who doesn`t normally play in pvp/mmorg games, i prefer to silently play the game in my own space and time. I have many a bad experience of griefers/bullys/wallet warriors who abuse/troll the players with lower abilities/cash funds.

There is a easy fix thou for ppl like myself who are shy and not game kings/queens, just add a pvp switch ( allow a passive non aggresive commader to go about his/her duties without hassle, which can easily be activated/deactivated if you become an aggressor and attack a npc or fellow commader ! )

 

[Half Giant]

I only register to say that your post is exactly the same what I think.

It looks like FD build this game always online from the start obviously for DRM. It's a shame the multiplayer or MMO parts of the game are feels empty despite of that design decision.

So Frontier always intended it to be online only but they thought let's lie about it and get a load of money then pull the offline away? The trouble with this logic is that no-one would of created this problem for themselves, knowingly, in advance. It is a simple mistake. Mistakes happen. It shouldn't of happened but it has. Let's not create conspiracy theories.

 

[lollover]

Dev team read this !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




Frontier team if you are reading these messages then stop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!.
I brought this game and paid for the early access has a beta backer, if i would have known about no offline/solo mode i would not have invested in you!!!!!!.
I am a quiet person who doesn`t normally play in pvp/mmorg games, i prefer to silently play the game in my own space and time. I have many a bad experience of griefers/bullys/wallet warriors who abuse/troll the players with lower abilities/cash funds.

There is a easy fix thou for ppl like myself who are shy and not game kings/queens, just add a pvp switch ( allow a passive non aggresive commader to go about his/her duties without hassle, which can easily be activated/deactivated if you become an aggressor and attack a npc or fellow commader ! )

 

[Zieman]

Frontier team if you are reading these messages then stop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
I brought this game and paid for the early access has a beta backer, if i would have known about no offline/solo mode i would not have invested in you!!!!!!.
I am a quiet person who doesn`t normally play in pvp/mmorg games, i prefer to silently play the game in my own space and time. I have many a bad experience of griefers/bullys/wallet warriors who abuse/troll the players with lower abilities/cash funds.

There is a easy fix thou for ppl like myself who are shy and not game kings/queens, just add a pvp switch ( allow a passive non aggresive commader to go about his/her duties without hassle, which can easily be activated/deactivated if you become an aggressor and attack a npc or fellow commader ! )

Solo online and private group options let you play without non-consensual PvP.
Solo online: you never see another player
Private group: you can encounter only other members of that group

 

[Sylv3r]

Frontier team if you are reading these messages then stop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
I brought this game and paid for the early access has a beta backer, if i would have known about no offline/solo mode i would not have invested in you!!!!!!.
I am a quiet person who doesn`t normally play in pvp/mmorg games, i prefer to silently play the game in my own space and time. I have many a bad experience of griefers/bullys/wallet warriors who abuse/troll the players with lower abilities/cash funds.

There is a easy fix thou for ppl like myself who are shy and not game kings/queens, just add a pvp switch ( allow a passive non aggresive commader to go about his/her duties without hassle, which can easily be activated/deactivated if you become an aggressor and attack a npc or fellow commader ! )

You are missleading .. there is a online solo mode with noone who can gref you as you will be alone. Thats not the point discussed here The point is offline mode missing and the future of the servers

 

[enbeekay]

I'm sorry, as someone who buys DRM-free games from places like GOG and Gamersgate, I have to disagree with you there. As would many others. The idea that your software must be connected at all times is one that's been gradually imposed upon users by companies that want DRM on all their products. Steam being one place that's responsible for such viewpoints, and one of the reasons I avoid it.

Steam has an offline mode.
I've used to to play many games.
Piracy is a huge problem and Steam has gone a long way to negating that issue. I'm against people working their arses off and having people steal their work. I remember at i10 many years ago, one of the jedi knight games had come out a day or two previously and somebody had bought it with 0 DRM on it. No CD key or registration. out of 900 people there there must have been 850 CD's burnt with copies of that game. *EDIT* Was Jedi Knight 2

What MB has pointed out is that for the actual economy to function and missions generated it needs info from the server. The game was so far along before they realised it would be affected like this. You can't expect a small dev like Frontier to be able to change that now, to make drastic/major changes to the way the economy works without the resources available to do that.

I dislike it being referred to as DRM because to be honest, it isn't.

 

[T@F]

Again, one question that bothers me most, Mr. Brookes: what if you have to shut down the servers because of insufficient funds? Is a monthly subscription fee the next bad surprise?

I would like to know the answer to that,they don't even have to shut down the servers for it to happen anyway,they could announce it before release or 6 months later.
But they keep avoiding the question.

 

[Milky82]

Frontier team if you are reading these messages then stop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
I brought this game and paid for the early access has a beta backer, if i would have known about no offline/solo mode i would not have invested in you!!!!!!.
I am a quiet person who doesn`t normally play in pvp/mmorg games, i prefer to silently play the game in my own space and time. I have many a bad experience of griefers/bullys/wallet warriors who abuse/troll the players with lower abilities/cash funds.

There is a easy fix thou for ppl like myself who are shy and not game kings/queens, just add a pvp switch ( allow a passive non aggresive commader to go about his/her duties without hassle, which can easily be activated/deactivated if you become an aggressor and attack a npc or fellow commader ! )

If you play solo online then you'll never meet another Player, it just means you're connected to the server when playing.

 

[littleminxundr]

Please remove some emotes and reduce the number of exclamation marks before people think you're a troll or are flamebaiting.

I agree that a PvP-flag should be an option for those who want to play in multiplayer but not have PvP forced upon them. Good point.

 

[CmdrZaratan]

You can still play solo mode...you just have to have an internet connection to play.

Also you can join a PvE group if you want other players without PVP.

 

[Shorn]

Solo online should be perfect for you then, no other human commanders to gatecrash your party

 

[Perramas]

This is why I never preorder a video game. I learned many years ago you do not preorder or back the development of a game based on promises. I am not angry that there will be no offline play as I did not lose any money. I also will not be buying the game now because of no offline play. I will happily buy the game in the future if it gets an offline mode.

 

[Fangrim]

I never realised the "it doesn't affect me so its not a problem" argument could actually, ever, get so much acceptance until this thread happened.

I will remember this, and use it in any applicable argument going forward, when [Insert Issue Here] affects [User Here].

Unless it happens to me, it doesn't matter and people should stop moaning. Gotcha.

I think it's more "I don't believe the problem is as big for you as you make it out to be".

There's some genuine complaints and a lot of valid points in this thread, but I am conviced that there's a large amount of people here yelling louder than they ought to.

 

[jmga]

What MB has pointed out is that for the actual economy to function and missions generated it needs info from the server. The game was so far along before they realised it would be affected like this. You can't expect a small dev like Frontier to be able to change that now, to make drastic/major changes to the way the economy works without the resources available to do that.

I dislike it being referred to as DRM because to be honest, it isn't.

Allow customers to maintain their own servers then. That is what being an online DRM Free game means.

 

[Hermit]

I dislike it being referred to as DRM because to be honest, it isn't.

Er, yes it is, by definition it is.
-
Yes, there are those that pirate DRM-free games, even GOG ones, but most don't because they appreciate the trust companies and devs give by making them available DRM-free.