Open Play experience just blows…

[Lateralus]

In the first 4-5 years after launch, open was pretty busy (key systems generally). Some of the best online gaming I've ever had during that period... Unfortunately FDEV never made the multiplayer experience a priority, choosing to focus on flashy but disconnected white-elephant features instead. Open has since mostly withered up... 95% of the 300 or so players on my friend list haven't logged in in months... shame really. A high potential MMO game near-on killed by bad management decisions.
Things that should have gone in this game but never did (suggestions specific to enhancing open play/multiplayer):

• PvP bounty hunting mechanics and galactic most wanted lists
• Squadron territory control, diplomacy features and inter squadron warfare
• Law enforcement pathway/features (active if player is pledged to controlling power of current territory - enhanced powers if territory is squadron controlled)
• Open only Powerplay (or at the very least, an open-only feature list for Powerplay)
• Expanded CQC options to include main ship duelling and squadron wing-fights/leagues/tournaments (with spectator mode via camera suite)
• Planetary base building - would fill the galaxy with interesting player driven content. Could link to squadron territory control.
• Info panel alerts if hostile/interdicted player has activated the 15 sec menu logout

There's loads more things, too many to mention. But I think these are the most glaringly obvious missing features with Elite.

 

[Danieros]

Open, PC, Odyssey CMDR here. Let me see...

Over the last couple of weeks I've -

1) significantly interacted with CMDRs in HIP 22460 and surrounding systems pre and post Proteus wave.
2) interacted cooperatively with CMDRs engaged in operation Wych Hunt in the relevent systems ejecting Asimuth
3) Collected and loaded mugs and gin in open with CMDRs needing both re the 2HOT2MESSY. Both at Hutton Orbital itself and other systems by arrangement.


1 & 2 were organic. 3 was by design.

Tell me again of open being dead because every time I go looking I can't help but fall over other players

I also don't see the problem here. You'll just look to instance in the newest DLC client, or if you're setting up a meeting with someone you'll decide the client.

The 3.8/4.0 seems more about keeping whoever wants to play with the old tech while letting players use the new tech without going full Odyssey. But if they ever release Ody-only weapons/ships hopefully they'll keep those out of Horizons 4.0 for balance.

 

[Chaparral]

Open, PC, Odyssey CMDR here. Let me see...

Over the last couple of weeks I've -

1) significantly interacted with CMDRs in HIP 22460 and surrounding systems pre and post Proteus wave.
2) interacted cooperatively with CMDRs engaged in operation Wych Hunt in the relevent systems ejecting Asimuth
3) Collected and loaded mugs and gin in open with CMDRs needing both re the 2HOT2MESSY. Both at Hutton Orbital itself and other systems by arrangement.


1 & 2 were organic. 3 was by design.

Tell me again of open being dead because every time I go looking I can't help but fall over other players

Not dead - just toxic.

 

[Sakashiro]

Also make sure that if you do have one, that UPnP is working correctly or manually forward the port that is set in the networking settings.

Usually that's not necessary. UDP hole punching does the trick. I'm PORT_RESTRICTED with no UPnP and no port forwarding configured, and I've seen 10+ players instancing with me during peak hours easily. The most important thing is to keep your block list empty!

Outside peak hours however, ED can be quite a wasteland because the matchmaking server appears to keep players separated by geographic region. Only teaming up with someone across the pond will break that invisible barrier.

 

[CMDR Egmont]

Why would I choose to play with real people in my space-trucker sim game?

I play this to get away from humanity.

I don’t care what you do. I’m asking what happened to that segment of players who preferred Open. They are gone and the people who should be most concerned seem not all concerned.

 

[CMDR Egmont]

I'm 99%+ Open. The only times I go Private Group is when I really need to be left alone, in order to accomplish something specific.

There are reasons for the current state of Open. In my opinion, it's largely driven by two factors: gankers (who drive players away from Open) and server stovepipes (which impact instancing). Again, that's my $0.02. Your mileage may vary.

I don’t buy that. For every risk-averse player there is one who embraces the adventure of confrontation.

 

[The Old Coder]

I don’t buy that. For every risk-averse player there is one who embraces the adventure of confrontation.

Judging from the desert Mobius has turned into it looks like the risk-averse players have left as well. That describes the over 70 member group I used to play with. They're all gone now. Most just gave up hope that anything would be fixed and wrote off Elite.

 

[Wlfric]

Well, you know, I rarely play in open after having been blown to bits by some small **** wonder interdicting scout ships. Hundreds of millions of exploration data and hours upon hours of gameplay gone in a flash because I forgot to go into solo before getting home with it.
Maybe if they added up the lost assets/exploration data of destroyed ships and made THAT the bounty for gankers, that would remain persistent across any ships they owned, it would cut down on it. If a ganker ever got blown up he'd be stuck in a sidewinder until he either made back those millions or closed his account and started another.

 

[varonica]

Of course the inhabited galaxy is way larger now, Colonia, the other inhabited mini-bubbles, players spread out over larger inhabited area is going to thin out the crowd except at places where FDEV funnel players in, like HIP 22460. I always play open, I think I saw a couple of other players in HIP 22460, but I often don't instance with other players even when they are around.

 

[Mersozz]

I don’t buy that. For every risk-averse player there is one who embraces the adventure of confrontation.

No worries if we disagree. I think most CG players, for example, prefer to concentrate on the CG, especially if it requires an all-around build. So, they will slip into Solo. I would imagine the same holds true for hardcore AX players, but I can’t really speak for them.

I say this as someone who prefers Open. It’s less risk aversion than aggravation aversion.

 

[Mersozz]

Well, you know, I rarely play in open after having been blown to bits by some small **** wonder interdicting scout ships. Hundreds of millions of exploration data and hours upon hours of gameplay gone in a flash because I forgot to go into solo before getting home with it.
Maybe if they added up the lost assets/exploration data of destroyed ships and made THAT the bounty for gankers, that would remain persistent across any ships they owned, it would cut down on it. If a ganker ever got blown up he'd be stuck in a sidewinder until he either made back those millions or closed his account and started another.

This post is a good example of what I’m referring to. A lot of players don’t care for the hassle.

 

[gorankar]

I still see a lot of people in Sothis, Ceos, and Robigo in open. I seldom interact with them past an o7. Teaming up is a pita most of the time.

 

[GJ51]

ED started going downhill when Itchy Nipples quit...

ED was really fun back then

 

[Morbad]

This post is a good example of what I’m referring to. A lot of players don’t care for the hassle.

Vocal minority, in all probability. A lot of players do want the hassle. Way more are largely oblivious or indifferent to it.

It was stated, quite a while back admittedly, that Open was far an away the most popular mode, and I doubt that's changed much. People have always had the option to use other modes, and the same incentives to; complaints about things like piracy and ganking go back to well before I started playing in Q3 2014, and despite what some people may think, unwanted hostile encounters didn't get any more common or dangerous with the introduction of Engineering. However, there are other factors that have likely impacted the odds of encountering other CMDRs that leave Open feeling more empty. Fewer average active players, spread across more hotspots, with more contraindicators to successful matchmaking will naturally reduce the frequency and quantity of encounters.

 

[CaptainPugwash]

Only teaming up with someone across the pond will break that invisible barrier.

I have been instanced with players from other regions quite regularly while using the ODY client, although I think it does prioritize closer regions.

 

[CaptainPugwash]

I also don't see the problem here. You'll just look to instance in the newest DLC client, or if you're setting up a meeting with someone you'll decide the client.

The 3.8/4.0 seems more about keeping whoever wants to play with the old tech while letting players use the new tech without going full Odyssey. But if they ever release Ody-only weapons/ships hopefully they'll keep those out of Horizons 4.0 for balance.

It is true though, that the split between horizons and ody has reduced the chance of a random encounter in open over the last year, and I can’t see why they won’t allow instancing between horizons/ody versions of the same 4.0 code base (while not on foot obviously).

 

[amigacooke]

Funnily enough, I went into solo mode for the big gun firing in 22460 as I expected any ‘gankers’ still remaining would make a b-line for it.

 

[Felix DiCestria]

Since the Azimuth finale Guardian space has been busy. I've had to go much further out to find quieter sites.

 

[Brrokk]

I think the "where have all my friends gone" thing happens in every game TBH. At least, if you're the kind of player who sticks with a game for a long time. Most players don't; they move on to the latest game which appeals to them. Now and then I still log in to Lord of the Rings Online which I played almost from its start about 15 years ago. I remember some great times, but the people I played with mostly moved on long ago.

 

[CaptainPugwash]

Funnily enough, I went into solo mode for the big gun firing in 22460 as I expected any ‘gankers’ still remaining would make a b-line for it.

Judging by the number of ships destroyed by the thargoids there I think gankers would be the least of your problems.

The ganking issue regularly gets amplified out of all proportion on the forums, and an AX ship is normally fast with a lot of armor.