No Single Player offline Mode then?
- Thread starter Brandon31
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That's disingenuous. The game didn't arrive on your desk in it's current state, presenting you with a difficult problem of how to make it work off-line. You've been developing a game for months with no intention of making it work off-line, or you'd have been making your development decisions with that requirement in mind. You clearly took the decision some time ago to take development in a direction that would preclude off-line play. Please be honest about that.
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I don't get it. When you guys turn on your computers, are they not automatically online? Where do you people live?
Mine does, yes. But three of my friends have paid into the kickstarter for this and bought the collectors edition boxed version because they KNEW they could play it at home when it was launched and yes none of these three have home internet (nor want it) so that's going to be three refunds right there.
I feel pretty guilty because I was the one who talked them into buying it and I was the one that said they could play it offline.
I feel it's pretty crazy to make such a big decision so close to launch. The contempt for their loyal fans is approaching EA/Ubisoft levels. I really feel bad for my mates
Hi Michael,
I don't really want to refund unless I have to.
Could I ask for some FD input on this thread -
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=58838
regarding whether it is possible to host ED's servers somewhere geographically more convenient for a lot of your international players? I am dependent on a great deal of internet infrastructure to connect to ireland from eastern australia (saving a thought for people in western australia, which will be even worse), which often has heavy loss and latency issues.
Originally Posted by ICDP 
Can those who want a refund get one please?
Im starting to find Michael's cryptic answers rather cute. He certainly would have made a fine politician had he not been lured by the darker side.
I will bravely assume that he means 'Yes, you can get a refund', and if this is the case, then I must commend FD for at least providing an avenue for backers to receive some compensen.
Can those who want a refund get one please?Im starting to find Michael's cryptic answers rather cute. He certainly would have made a fine politician had he not been lured by the darker side.
I will bravely assume that he means 'Yes, you can get a refund', and if this is the case, then I must commend FD for at least providing an avenue for backers to receive some compensen.
Ok, thanks. I am hugely disappointed, but I understand your decision. ED was in large part my nostalgia for Elite II, reason I backed and the reason I wanted to play the game that way. This does make that impossible, but won't be the end.
I do feel like I misled people who follow my ED videos, etc, so I am sure you feel pretty crappy yourself right now for the same reasons.
If you'll take advice, you're going to get heat from this, I would suggest pre-emptive action explaining why, and what options people have on refunds, etc, giving them a cutoff date to apply for one.
I've been here all night simply because I wanted to know, I haven't been offensive, etc, but they'll be coming... Good luck mods.
Plans don't always work out, go ask Egosoft how their plans for X-rebirth have worked out. You are in danger of repeating their mistake, if you do the reviews are going to be dire resulting in no new customers leading to an uncertain future for the game. I wanted an offline mode because whatever happens with Frontier as the developer I would have something to play.
I was worried by the short timescale for release as I don't see the game as ready. What concerns me even more is that the newsletter did nothing to assuage these concerns only heighten them. I would have at least wanted to see some specifics on extra features to be in gamma/preview maybe not everything but something. Access to five new ships what does this actually mean, which ships, do they have to be paid for, when will they be available. Even if you don't name them a few screenshots or silhouettes would have been nice.
As a KS backer I feel cheated, I wanted offline play, I also paid more so that I would get a better starting ship but it now looks like everyone gets that.
To sum up I think Frontier have badly interpreted what their player base consider fundamental features.
They do have a ruddy long way to go before they can match the outlandish heights of those publishers and their behaviour.
Frontier, even though this has annoyed me, are an awesome developer.Please stop the trolling. Why else would it have been moved from general to beta? Can you come up with a decent answer?
And Kickstarter backers? I don't wish to throw my toys out of the pram, but I gave you a big chunk of money because you stated very clearly that there would still be a game to play if FD ever folded. I accepted the risk of ED never being made, but I didn't accept the risk of it being made and then being rendered unplayable by FD going bust subsequently. Given the choice again, I would have backed the game, but not to anywhere near the same level.
The Devs have kept this tone throughout the entire Development Process. I truly don't understand how this is forgotten. It's not like David Braben just came up with this crazy idea for a cool space game with ships named after snakes and an amazing backstory/lore yesterday. This game has a special place in his heart, and likely, the hearts of the entire Dev team. They will not let it die easily, and honestly, even as only one person, neither will I. I love what this game has become, and if they say they need a constant internet connection, fine.
For those who were asking where the toxicity I reference comes from, the posts you are referencing are the ones I'm referring to. Thank you for being a voice of logic in this discussion.
I suggest perhaps you guys should of made it public when the decision was made rather than waiting till so close to release
Anyway if you guys can't figure it out (or just don't have the time/resources) then how about releasing all the specs on the packet structures and let the community come up with an offline server? Could earn you a lot of the lost reputation and trust back.. I know, I know... But it was worth a try wasn't it? Frontier could be the first after all.
This is a custom engine, and one that they've worked hard on specifically for this game. I doubt that this early in what will likely be a long life-span, will they release all the bits, bobbles, and secrets that they've worked so hard on. I'm sure they will have a contingency plan if and when the servers finally need to be shut down.
How is needing to maintain an online connection to allow server based calculations and computations that our PCs couldn't handle DRM? This doesn't scream DRM to me. I'm legitimately asking because I don't see it.
Mine does, yes. But three of my friends have paid into the kickstarter for this and bought the collectors edition boxed version because they KNEW they could play it at home when it was launched and yes none of these three have home internet (nor want it) so that's going to be three refunds right there.
I feel pretty guilty because I was the one who talked them into buying it and I was the one that said they could play it offline.
I feel it's pretty crazy to make such a big decision so close to launch. The contempt for their loyal fans is approaching EA/Ubisoft levels. I really feel bad for my mates
Tell them to hold on to their unopened collectors boxed editions. They'll turn a nice profit
Mine does, yes. But three of my friends have paid into the kickstarter for this and bought the collectors edition boxed version because they KNEW they could play it at home when it was launched and yes none of these three have home internet (nor want it) so that's going to be three refunds right there.
I feel pretty guilty because I was the one who talked them into buying it and I was the one that said they could play it offline.
I feel it's pretty crazy to make such a big decision so close to launch. The contempt for their loyal fans is approaching EA/Ubisoft levels. I really feel bad for my mates
I have probably misled people into buying the game using that as an argument (on reddit).
It's a pretty crappy feeling, and I don't even know them. Doing that to my actual friends would suck.
And the way this information has been practically hidden (and according to Brookes kept under wraps for some time) while they let people keep buying the game under false pretenses is... sickening.
I used to promote the game and defend Frontier's way of doing things. Now I'm terribly ashamed of that.
They do have a ruddy long way to go before they can match the outlandish heights of those publishers and their behaviour.
Well said. And I don't buy EA/Ubisoft games any more. Frontier had to make a harsh decision, one they knew would cause backlash. And if they believe that its' removal makes the overall game better because of it, then I support the decision.
Provided the multi-player issues are addressed
XR was genuinely impossible to play for me. That's why it failed in my eyes, at least.
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