Horizons [OPINION] ED:H like Crusader Kings 2, is most enjoyable when just starting and vice versa

[VR andysonofbob]

How many people deleted their initial save file to start again with Horizons? I did and I am really enjoying it.

Now I know the majority of the game's mechanics and have come to realise the end game ships aren't the best reward unto themselves, restarting felt liberating. And the feel of ED's start reminds me of Crusader Kings 2

I think CK2 is at its best when you are just starting out as lowly count struggling to rise to power from count to Duke to King to emperor.

I begin get bored in CK2 during the king to emperor phase because I am usually tooled up and tough enough to look after myself and getting to emperor becomes a grind. I tend to restart at this point and roll another count level character.

Likewise in ED, as soon as I have a combat spec Vulture I can take on anything and win and with an Asp E I can do everything else! From that point, going for bigger ships feels like a grind (ranking and/or cash) and worse, the rewards of owning the bigger ships don't feel worth the effort imo! It certainly feels less fun than upgrading those noob ships

CK2 is best played ironman. I think Ed is too; it certainly makes upgrading those early ships more urgent!

I think Horizons adds that little extra required to make the initial struggle to mid stage progressions more immersive and fun and therefore more like CK2. And because this stage now feels far more rewarding to play compared to later stages I feel happier to restart, allowing for more different and iron man role-playing opportunities.

Awesome!

 

[ChaosBlades]

I have an A class Cutter, Clipper, Courier, and Imperial Eagle. I fly all of them about equally. Just because I have a Cutter or Anaconda does not mean I have to fly it. I personally like taking the Imperial Eagle into High RES and see how long I can survive without having to worry about keeping up with insurance costs. Also I am not deleting 468 hours of progress just because the game can't managed to make itself fun for a long term player. I have lifetime expansion and I am still holding out hope for ED to create some engaging gameplay instead of just making the sandbox bigger and bigger.

 

[Loskene]

Well, you're certainly entitled to your opinion.

I have no intention of resetting my save given the godawful amount of grind it took just to get what I have. As someone who likes best the feeling of flying the ships, I want to own all of the ships, which unfortunately means plenty of grind ahead of me too. That said, there is absolutely no difference between early game and endgame in elite. Same universe, same dumbass NPCs, same illogical and unrewarding missions, the only way to change the experience is to change what ship you're in, and you can do that without sending yourself back to a startwinder.