I think that is your problem right there bud. Solo is like training wheels and I think you are missing out on an awful lot by not playing in Open.
No skill
- Thread starter jockmcplop
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I think that is your problem right there bud. Solo is like training wheels and I think you are missing out on an awful lot by not playing in Open.
ED really is extremely easy. Nothing in the game is especially "hard", save perhaps the game of patience. If patience is a skill, then you do indeed need mad skills to get far in Elite. The AI presents very little challenge in any form. The main problem is that, once you know how to fight a certain ship, the AI absolutely cannot compensate. And Honestly, I dont think getting mobbed in a SSS is any kind of real solution to the problem.
Some people argue "Oh, but it's up to the individual to make their own story, goals and challenges", which pro tip is utterly irrelevant and I dont get the people who bring that up. Some people like to be actually challenged, and when they're victorious against a genuinely difficult opponent or task, and had to use all their skills, knowledge and available equipment to do it, that's what they're talking about "skill". Not "BWA! That pack of sidewinders was BRUTAL" -> Flying with a single size 1 pulse laser, no shields and a downsized engine. Sure, it might take skill to do that, but it's not what people mean and frankly daft to expect people to conform to that.
The best fight's I've ever had, usually resulted from something going horribly wrong first. Like "oh crap, I just bumped the silent running button and my joystick came unplugged". Beyond that, I can practically feel my actual piloting skills erode away. I know that I'm a worse pilot now that I'm in a Vulture than I ever was in a Cobra. I cant imagine if I had something like a Python or Anaconda. I'd probably just stop thinking all together.
Some people argue "Oh, but it's up to the individual to make their own story, goals and challenges", which pro tip is utterly irrelevant and I dont get the people who bring that up. Some people like to be actually challenged, and when they're victorious against a genuinely difficult opponent or task, and had to use all their skills, knowledge and available equipment to do it, that's what they're talking about "skill". Not "BWA! That pack of sidewinders was BRUTAL" -> Flying with a single size 1 pulse laser, no shields and a downsized engine. Sure, it might take skill to do that, but it's not what people mean and frankly daft to expect people to conform to that.
The best fight's I've ever had, usually resulted from something going horribly wrong first. Like "oh crap, I just bumped the silent running button and my joystick came unplugged". Beyond that, I can practically feel my actual piloting skills erode away. I know that I'm a worse pilot now that I'm in a Vulture than I ever was in a Cobra. I cant imagine if I had something like a Python or Anaconda. I'd probably just stop thinking all together.
Dwarf Fortress. Though you can never really beat Dwarf Fortress.
Incidently it's a really good example of a procedurally generated world, with rich unfolding stories and lore. Hopefully the staff at Frontier give it a go, there's a lot to take away.
I know the OP is a bit hyperbolic but the first words were 'Aside from PvP'. The whole thread is centred around the level of skill required from a solo player.
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I would probably play in Open if I hadn't been put off open world PvP for life by other MMOs. If you want to see epeen stroking they're the folks to talk to
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The initial information load in Elite: Dangerous is a bit of a hurdle to overcome. But once you've cleared that initial barrier the difficulty and challenge falls away, maybe not to zero but pretty close.
The skill set that you develop in that first hour or two doesn't really advance, if any thing the improved ships and weaponry means the challenge and skill required diminishes (a fact I was trying to highlight with my reference to end game in other MMO games) not increases.
Picking out which planet is a water world and which is a Methane on the system map when exploring is a learned skill.
There is a lot of detials that go into those sprites and you can learn to tell the difference and thus if it is worth making the trip to the planet to scan it.
Smuggling can require a modium of skill picking a moment when the system authoity ships are distracted.
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unReal world
Survive in a fictional version of Iron Age Finland.
There is a lot of detials that go into those sprites and you can learn to tell the difference and thus if it is worth making the trip to the planet to scan it.
Smuggling can require a modium of skill picking a moment when the system authoity ships are distracted.
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unReal world
Survive in a fictional version of Iron Age Finland.
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Hadn't heard of that one, that's sound like my kind of game - will give it a go.
I think you've missed out on the entire point of this thread which is about the solo game and not the open PvP.
Yes you're quite right although I can't help but think of ED as a multiplayer game.
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I personally see it more as a game where you can play with (or against) friends, if you like. 90% of the game is still a solo experience though...
I wonder if we might be confusing content with skills? For sure, right now, ED is light on meaningful content, thus making people feel that they have mastered the game, but hopefully that will change going forward and more challenging and interesting gameplay through missions will appear. The problem with needing 'skills' to play a game is that if you cannot master them, then the game will suck. In so far as combat skills go, imagine the kinds of posts on here if AI's were so strong that they constantly killed players. It's certainly true that there is room to make them harder, and wings might start to do that, although so far when I've been interdicted by a wing, after taking out the primary attacker, the rest of the wing jumps away almost immediately. I'm sure there is room to make AI's more challenging, but the trick is getting the balance right. For the hardcore person, I imagine PvP combat is the only way of feeling they are displaying combat skills, but I'm pretty sure plenty of people are quite happy shooting up AI's.
As others have pointed out on this thread, there are plenty of ways to challenge yourself in this game, if you want to do it. Use FA OFF, only use fixed weapons, don't install the myriad of defensive items from outfitting, all of these will make combat more of a challenge, even against AI's I should imagine, until you master those skills, if that is your goal. It won't make the game more interesting in terms of what you are doing, but it should challenge you, at least initially.
It's certainly true that there is room to make them harder, and wings might start to do that, although so far when I've been interdicted by a wing, after taking out the primary attacker, the rest of the wing jumps away almost immediately. I'm sure there is room to make AI's more challenging, but the trick is getting the balance right. For the hardcore person, I imagine PvP combat is the only way of feeling they are displaying combat skills, but I'm pretty sure plenty of people are quite happy shooting up AI's. As others have pointed out on this thread, there are plenty of ways to challenge yourself in this game, if you want to do it. Use FA OFF, only use fixed weapons, don't install the myriad of defensive items from outfitting, all of these will make combat more of a challenge, even against AI's I should imagine, until you master those skills, if that is your goal. It won't make the game more interesting in terms of what you are doing, but it should challenge you, at least initially.
I think the trouble is the opposite. All the content in Elite: Dangerous is meaningful, in that it all contributes to the credits you earn and those credits are what ultimately determine your level of power (ship, module rating, etc...)I wonder if we might be confusing content with skills? For sure, right now, ED is light on meaningful content, thus making people feel that they have mastered the game, but hopefully that will change going forward and more challenging and interesting gameplay through missions will appear. The problem with needing 'skills' to play a game is that if you cannot master them, then the game will suck. In so far as combat skills go, imagine the kinds of posts on here if AI's were so strong that they constantly killed players.
While you need a basic level of skill it doesn't really scale (the first exploration you do is no easier or harder than the 100th, you may pick up a few nuances, but the core challenge level remains the same). Once you learn the basics of flying out of a station and cockpit placement (really here is the biggest trick, put your ego in check and fly out at a reasonable speed, just look at how the AI ships potter out
) take off and landing don't change (if anything once you get the docking computer it gets easier... although if it bugs out while you're afk it can be expensive). Even combat in solo hits the point where you are able to sleepwalk through engagements, the only issue being when you are swarmed by angry security forces for a paltry 200cr fine..
Maybe I just grew up in an era where games expected you to improve your skill to progress through the game and the ability to gain certain items was tied to that progression. It seems in the current game market the mainstream mindset is to make the core game as easy as possible so everyone who makes the purchase gets to finish. Of course with a game like Elite: Dangerous there is no end, but to me that's more reason for putting in difficult content. Not as a complete block on progression, because you can always go off and pursue other avenues but at least a point of reference to see if you are improving.
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Not sure if anyone remembers the Star Wars: Tie Fighter but I got as much enjoyment out of the training simulator as the main game. bare in mind that it's 20 odd years old now...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBFZHCKMiPQ and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsuFQII9FZY
I just dug these clips off of You Tube, not me flying
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This is a personal bugbear of mine. It shouldn't be up to me as a player to set the challenge level for content it should be the developers responsibility. In a game with scope as large as Elite: Dangerous there is no reason why certain areas shouldn't be limited to skill, there will always be safer (relatively speaking) areas to play in and some systems where it's not safe to venture alone. Don't you feel slightly cheated that you can hop in a fairly basic ship with a fuel scoop and fly across the galaxy and back... I don't know I was expecting something kind of dangerousAs others have pointed out on this thread, there are plenty of ways to challenge yourself in this game, if you want to do it. Use FA OFF, only use fixed weapons, don't install the myriad of defensive items from outfitting, all of these will make combat more of a challenge, even against AI's I should imagine, until you master those skills, if that is your goal. It won't make the game more interesting in terms of what you are doing, but it should challenge you, at least initially.
I want to face a challenge using all the tricks and skills at my disposal to master it, or figure out its too much and run away, rather than face a basic challenge and have to play with a sub-optimal setup to feel any sense of difficulty.
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I wonder if we might be confusing content with skills? For sure, right now, ED is light on meaningful content, thus making people feel that they have mastered the game, but hopefully that will change going forward and more challenging and interesting gameplay through missions will appear. The problem with needing 'skills' to play a game is that if you cannot master them, then the game will suck. In so far as combat skills go, imagine the kinds of posts on here if AI's were so strong that they constantly killed players.
As others have pointed out on this thread, there are plenty of ways to challenge yourself in this game, if you want to do it. Use FA OFF, only use fixed weapons, don't install the myriad of defensive items from outfitting, all of these will make combat more of a challenge, even against AI's I should imagine, until you master those skills, if that is your goal. It won't make the game more interesting in terms of what you are doing, but it should challenge you, at least initially.
This game lacks both unfortunately. Unless you intentionally make it more difficult on yourself (which kinda defeats the purpose).
This is skill:
[video=youtube;sluYD0Hr3og]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sluYD0Hr3og[/video]
This is (links to) Content:
https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl
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To OP, who might be a troll or not. Why would exploring/trading requires skills? Would not add anything more to the game.
Mining requires skills and practice which is why everyone want it changed with drones and tractor beams...
But aside from pvp who should be based on skills not cash spent, i don't see why trading/exploring/ should require any skills. Knowledge yes, time yes, but not skills. Well now with star filtering Exploring is as trivial as you can make it, even trading requires more effort, just add an auto pilot and you can explore while sleeping with the trigger on a macro for the system scan.
Since PVP is part of everything else, mining/exploring/trading, it's fine.
Mining requires skills and practice which is why everyone want it changed with drones and tractor beams...
But aside from pvp who should be based on skills not cash spent, i don't see why trading/exploring/ should require any skills. Knowledge yes, time yes, but not skills. Well now with star filtering Exploring is as trivial as you can make it, even trading requires more effort, just add an auto pilot and you can explore while sleeping with the trigger on a macro for the system scan.
Since PVP is part of everything else, mining/exploring/trading, it's fine.
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Isn't this a basic problem with action games? The skill is all in learning how to control your character/ship/car/etc. Once you've done that, what else is there to learn? What's the skill in Skyrim? Or Mario Carts? Or Dark Souls?
Nearly every aspect of the game benefits from the application of skill.
Docking is a skill. Traveling in SC efficiently is a skill. Being able to judge which trade route is most profitable is a skill. Configuring one's ships for optimal effectiveness for the task at hand is a skill. Managing one's resources so as to be able to spend protracted time without repair or resupply, such while exploring, is a skill. Combat, even against AI, takes a degree of skill.
I find PvP (which is quite a broad topic itself) one of the more challenging and dynamic aspects of the game, but that hardly means it's the only thing that takes skill.
There is a lot more depth of skill for most tasks than just basic piloting.
Docking is a skill. Traveling in SC efficiently is a skill. Being able to judge which trade route is most profitable is a skill. Configuring one's ships for optimal effectiveness for the task at hand is a skill. Managing one's resources so as to be able to spend protracted time without repair or resupply, such while exploring, is a skill. Combat, even against AI, takes a degree of skill.
I find PvP (which is quite a broad topic itself) one of the more challenging and dynamic aspects of the game, but that hardly means it's the only thing that takes skill.
There is a lot more depth of skill for most tasks than just basic piloting.
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I'm going to break down what the OP is looking for. He (almost definitely a he) wants to play a game where as he gets better and better at the game his hair starts to float upwards against gravity. Tiny pieces of toe nails and cat hair will start to float around him and flashes of lightning begin to extend from his body while his hair turns a golden firey yellow. Then at the moment that he has gotten better than everyone else a huge crashing wave of energy extends out from him in all directions and all other players have to recognize that he is the legendary super player and all his time and effort will be recognized and he will forever be known for his greatness as it will be legitimized for all time in stories and songs.
Actually you don't have to, you can buy a module to do it for you ...