[O.A. VIDEO] Does Elite Dangerous Have a Content Problem?

[Jex =TE=]

Sag A. Been planning that trip for a while

haha - if they finally put in some exploration content, I'll be heading out somewhere and I like it that I have no idea where. Maybe I'll just choose the second star to the right and straight on till morning.

 

[Stigbob]

You mean like SDC?

or any number of unofficial affiliations that already exist in game doing what they do to ruin someone elses day.

No I mean demanding tribute, omerta, territorial control, forced recruitment, enforcement through fear and intimidation, dealing harshly with people who leave and the worst part is it can sometimes bleed over into real life drama. Which isn't a good look for a fun video game. Basically game guilds facilitate people being a bit ish, unless they are kept effectively powerless.

SDC are a comedy bunch of salt clowns, good fun but irrelevant and powerless.

 

[biot]

Wheel of Fortune time!

"What will be the name of the largest guild in ED?"

M_b__s

 

[Skeloton]

haha - if they finally put in some exploration content, I'll be heading out somewhere and I like it that I have no idea where. Maybe I'll just choose the second star to the right and straight on till morning.

You mean gameplay that is more that simply jumping, honking and pointing, yes?

 

[-VR- Max Factor]

No I mean demanding tribute, omerta, territorial control, forced recruitment, enforcement through fear and intimidation, dealing harshly with people who leave and the worst part is it can sometimes bleed over into real life drama. Which isn't a good look for a fun video game. Basically game guilds facilitate people being a bit ish, unless they are kept effectively powerless.

SDC are a comedy bunch of salt clowns, good fun but irrelevant and powerless.

Yep, I don't want to see any of that in the game either and hopefully it will never get like that.

 

[lenna]

....

First off, Max was not insulting you. Secondly, I am not wrong despite your protestations (at least based on the post I originally responded to).

We have all heard the "inch deep, mile wide" refrain and your "lack of depth" comments combined with disdain for the work FD have done to date speaks volumes - it is the same tired old arguments summed up in a single paragraph with a nice tidy bow. If you think this is mis-representing what you meant then perhaps you should rephrase your question, because that is exactly how it read.

Where content and ED is concerned, we know FD are working on several different aspects for 3.0. What they are working on for the next 6-12 months (perhaps longer) is unlikely to significantly change in nature regardless of what is discussed here.

 

[lenna]

I think as far as content goes, the only real issue might be in how varied it is.

Every game has that issue to a greater or lesser degree - FD has plenty of variety in content IMO.

 

[Vasco Sapien]

No I mean demanding tribute, omerta, territorial control, forced recruitment, enforcement through fear and intimidation, dealing harshly with people who leave and the worst part is it can sometimes bleed over into real life drama. Which isn't a good look for a fun video game. Basically game guilds facilitate people being a bit ish, unless they are kept effectively powerless.

SDC are a comedy bunch of salt clowns, good fun but irrelevant and powerless.

Well ive never experianced that kind of thing before and ive been about in the MMO scene since Ultima Online.
Im not saying it doesnt happen, im just not sure how pervasive it is. I would hope that a social tool improvement in game would also include some degree of enhanced moderation controls and countermeasures by Fdev and controlled by Fdev.

But maybe Fdev don't want that overhead.

--

But reading your list there i would say that people falling victim to that kind of belligerent cult behaviour inside of a video game must be pretty sad.
I mean its a game right.... if they dont have a spine in a video game then how bad must they be in real life.

 

[Skeloton]

Where content and ED is concerned, we know FD are working on several different aspects for 3.0. What they are working on for the next 6-12 months (perhaps longer) is unlikely to significantly change in nature regardless of what is discussed here.

The Q4 update, which at this point is all talk, is probably closest thing to amending some of the major issues.

 

[-VR- Max Factor]

The Q4 update, which at this point is all talk, is probably closest thing to amending some of the major issues.

Lets see what they are first. I am desperate for some nice exploration gameplay.

 

[lenna]

The Q4 update, which at this point is all talk, is probably closest thing to amending some of the major issues.

Patience is a virtue - Rome was not built in a day - and all that.

I think many would agree with you about the Q4 update but nothing can be gained from "are we there yet?" type threads. Things will come clear in time, FD just need to get their ducks in a row - more constructive debate can only really happen when we have access to the Beta, or just prior to it when FD know how things are going to pan out both technically and otherwise.

 

[Navigare Necesse Est]

Lets see what they are first. I am desperate for some nice exploration gameplay.

I'd reinstall the game for some nice exploration as long as they don't shove that cancer-engineers in my face.

 

[Stigbob]

Well ive never experianced that kind of thing before and ive been about in the MMO scene since Ultima Online.
Im not saying it doesnt happen, im just not sure how pervasive it is. I would hope that a social tool improvement in game would also include some degree of enhanced moderation controls and countermeasures by Fdev and controlled by Fdev.

But maybe Fdev don't want that overhead.

--

But reading your list there i would say that people falling victim to that kind of belligerent cult behaviour inside of a video game must be pretty sad.
I mean its a game right.... if they dont have a spine in a video game then how bad must they be in real life.

EVE is the extreme example of guilds going way too far, as you said it's just a game.

The key is denial of actual effective territorial control, without that it all falls flat which is why it's such a common demand. It's also one of the reasons the modes are such a good idea, everything being optional means no player or group can ever dictate.

 

[-VR- Max Factor]

I'd reinstall the game for some nice exploration as long as they don't shove that cancer-engineers in my face.

I'm sure they wont do. As I said before engineers are not so bad now. In my view much more engaging then the last version. But I am sure not everyone will feel like that. Don't knock it till you try it.

I'm happy to wing up with you at some point if you like and help you out with the unlocks if that is possible.

 

[lenna]

I'm sure they wont do. As I said before engineers are not so bad now. In my view much more engaging then the last version. But I am sure not everyone will feel like that. Don't knock it till you try it.

I agree. Where engineers are concerned: Reduction in RNG impact and the introduction of material traders has made a HUGE positive difference to Engineers IMO

 

[Vorxian]

I have no idea why people keep on confusing content with gameplay.

Content is what you do and what you engage in. Exploration, planets, bases, stations, weapons, stars, all of that is content.

Gameplay is how you engage that content and interact with the game. Pressing J to make a loading screen pop up, navigating the menus, pressing trigger 1 to until things go boom is all gameplay.

Depends how you want to drill down.

There are levels of content, and gameplay that's contingent on that content.

For example. A kitchen

FDEV have provided a very clean, very big kitchen loaded to the teeth with hardware. One could not want for better or modern equipment in their kitchen. The problem is, there's NO content in the cupboards. because of this absence of behind the scenes content, what you can do in the kitchen is very very limited.

The kicker is, when you see photos of this kitchen you're lured in. It's perfect show room quality, it's all show, from the gleaming spotlights reflecting off the polished work surfaces. It's very very easy to get drawn in and attracted to it. And people love what they SEE, and people bite.

The players cannot fill the cupboards themselves, they need content, ingredients, seasoning. Chefs need ingredients to create master pieces. We're all chefs in the making here, in this already fantastic kitchen. We need provisions to allow our imaginations to create, build and demonstrate our own individual visions. Cooking our own food, blazing our own trail.

So you're right, The kitchen has plenty of level 1 content. We lack level 2 content, and what suffers is the game play.

 

[Vasco Sapien]

I agree. Where engineers are concerned: Reduction in RNG impact and the introduction of material traders has made a HUGE positive difference to Engineers IMO

I will also admit that my recent complete new ship conversion and upgrade was a much more enjoyable and streamlined experience.
I will admit that the new Engineers system is an improvement in many respects.

 

[Jools]

I'd say we're pretty much drowning in content, there's an entire galaxy for frack sake,

Although i agree with your differentiation between gameplay and content as well as where you put the blame for the blandness, I would still say that the content we have also has the problem of feeling repetitive, bland and somewhat the same because it relies on PG which is still in most areas very lacklustre... Its getting better... after 3 years we finally have some different station interiors, and planets have some colours now... but it`s still not enough to populate the gameworld and make it feel like real unique places instead of endlessly repeated content

They (David and other lead designers) knew that providing the feeling of uniqueness and familiarity of places is critical to the success of a game***, they also knew that PG is prone to "the feeling of sameness" and repetition***** and that this is a problem that will emerge unless they make their PG algorithms heavy on interconnected rules and variables as well as heavily varied building blocks that come from the artist

Their plan and intent for the content was quite clear from the start, it`s visible in firtst 30-40 newsletters, and it is manifested in stellar forge, which is just like that heavy on interconnected rules and variables that in turn mass produce interesting content... The problem is that after beta2.0 the game shifted to low budget MVP development and they never went further than "1 for each type, out of the three types" for most things

*** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NSMMTfwTOU&t=2m32s
***** http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTBvpd3_Vqk&t=6m0s

So despite agreeing with you that gameplay problems at this point are more pressing than the content ones I still have to say that the problem with lack of content is very real and that content wise FD still haven`t produced enough to be able to say that they have achieved their MOST BASIC and CRITICAL design goals that they have outlined in the design phase

 

[-VR- Max Factor]

Depends how you want to drill down.

There are levels of content, and gameplay that's contingent on that content.

For example. A kitchen

FDEV have provided a very clean, very big kitchen loaded to the teeth with hardware. One could not want for better or modern equipment in their kitchen. The problem is, there's NO content in the cupboards. because of this absence of behind the scenes content, what you can do in the kitchen is very very limited.

The kicker is, when you see photos of this kitchen you're lured in. It's perfect show room quality, it's all show, from the gleaming spotlights reflecting off the polished work surfaces. It's very very easy to get drawn in and attracted to it. And people love what they SEE, and people bite.

The players cannot fill the cupboards themselves, they need content, ingredients, seasoning. Chefs need ingredients to create master pieces. We're all chefs in the making here, in this already fantastic kitchen. We need provisions to allow our imaginations to create, build and demonstrate our own individual visions. Cooking our own food, blazing our own trail.

So you're right, The kitchen has plenty of level 1 content. We lack level 2 content, and what suffers is the game play.

I think there is content in the cupboard, just not enough of it and not varied enough. Also not all the ingredients go well togther either. You want the recipe's to mix together to make the dish great, but that is not happening at the moment.

I will also admit that my recent complete new ship conversion and upgrade was a much more enjoyable and streamlined experience.
I will admit that the new Engineers system is an improvement in many respects.

I think with the massive boost in material storage and that the storage is now being filled up, people are now seeing that it is nowhere near as bad as they thought it was going to be and in a lot of cases far better.

 

[lenna]

The players cannot fill the cupboards themselves, they need content, ingredients, seasoning. Chefs need ingredients to create master pieces. We're all chefs in the making here, in this already fantastic kitchen. We need provisions to allow our imaginations to create, build and demonstrate our own individual visions. Cooking our own food, blazing our own trail.

I disagree with the perspective that the ED Kitchen is lacking in ingredients. However, to continue the kitchen analogy, I can see how the provided ingredients may not suit everyone.