Please implement cross play and cross progression for PC and console clients.

[BurnyBurns]

Coming from a console centric video game discussion platform with a small Elite Dangerous player base and being both PC player and console user, I'd really like to see Frontier implement cross platform play and a unified Elite Dangerous account across all clients.

While the Elite client is largely the same on all platforms, some visual adaptions notwithstanding and the world state is already shared, being synchronized to and from the same backend maintained by Frontier, it's simply a pity that XBox/PS4/PC players don't get directly play with each other. Even more so for those, who'd like to play with friends (Squadrons!), who're on a different platform and cannot. The consoles have HOTAS solutions available and with recent updates M+K also became available to XBox One users. Frontier also already pretty much synchronizes their update releases across platforms. Apart from that, the unified account would allow players to freely switch the platform, e.g. living room TV + console vs. desk based gaming PC, depending on their current preference and available hardware, without losing their account progress in the process.

The role model here are Fortnite and Minecraft. GaaS, cross platform capable and unified accounts. At the very least between PC, XBox, and Mobile (& Switch in Minecraft's case). Maybe someday crossplay will als be common between XBox/PS4, when Sony management pulls their heads out, which they already did for Fornite after enough pressure, meaning there's precedence.


Especially looking at the upcoming Squadrons, dear Frontier, please implement both cross play and unified accounts!

 

[Paige Harvey]

Hey BurnyBurns,

We've addressed this before

Hello everyone,

First off, the news of this cross-platform beta for Fortnite is really exciting. As it’s just announced, we'll be watching with interest to see how it goes!

Though we’re excited, we've nothing to announce on how this could effect Elite Dangerous in the future. However, you'll find all the information here on our forums, across our newsletters and social pages should that change.

Thanks

 

[BurnyBurns]

Hey BurnyBurns,

We've addressed this before

Thanks! I'd be positively delighted if it doesn't stay at watching development unfold elsewhere in the videogaming world, but if an implementation of both features followed in time.

 

[GreyAreaUK]

Actually, once question I've never been clear on the answer to: with the three platforms being essentially separate, does that mean that there could be three instances of any given Commander name? As in, three different players (one on each platform) with the same Commander name?

 

[JustJon]

Indeed - that was a classic fob off - told you absolutely nothing!

I am interested in it because as people say the PS4 open is very quiet - no idea how many ps4 players are in private group or solo mind you.

And I am concerned it is going to go the way of the MAC version.

 

[Drelthar]

Actually, once question I've never been clear on the answer to: with the three platforms being essentially separate, does that mean that there could be three instances of any given Commander name? As in, three different players (one on each platform) with the same Commander name?

Yes.

Though I'm sure that would be a fairly minor issue to resolve if they do manage to implement cross play (Which they absolutely should, yesterday)

 

[GreyAreaUK]

Yes.

Though I'm sure that would be a fairly minor issue to resolve if they do manage to implement cross play (Which they absolutely should, yesterday)

I'm not so sure it's a minor issue. It has lots of implications for things like Friends lists. Not insurmountable obviously, but maybe not as simple as it first appears.

 

[BurnyBurns]

I'm not so sure it's a minor issue.

It's never. But solveable nonetheless. As I said: precedence exists and it's unlikely to go away. Steam also has non-unique profile names, as does Battle.net etc. etc.. The tuple of information (account-name, platform) at the very least is unique. Especially cross-progression and unified accounts don't seem trivial from the outside, since that involves all kinds of things. From account linking + progress merging for players, who already played on different platforms, to handling purchases through different storefronts and the corresponding "platform holder tax" that may or may not apply (Frontier store, Steam, Playstation Store, MS Store). To handling that an account may be re-used when the player purchases the client for another platform and purchases (skins etc.) made through that platform's storefront need to be usable on other platforms. Or the case where a player bought just Elite without Horizons on XBox, but owns Horizons on PC. That applies to all other payed addons that might be released.

But Elite, really, is a GaaS. Since there's precedence for other such games, I'd like to see these features implemented. I'd like to just play Elite. With whomever I chose and on whichever platform I chose (and bought the client for). Not "Elite on Xbox" or "Elite on PC", each having no progress persist to the other client and each being limited to the pool of players on the same platform.


Where there's a will, there's a way.

 

[ForteanApe]

I'll put my vote behind this on a similar thread in the past. As an owner of both Xbox and PC versions (both with Horizons), I would love to be able to merge the two. Allowing me to use my far more played Xbox commander on my PC, would mean I'm not having to replicate weeks (months!) of playtime to reach a similar level of resources to that available to me on the PC.

Yes, I can use the Windows Xbox app to stream the Xbox version to my PC and play, but I'm restricted to the Xbox controller, and can't use the HOTAS or Rift I have available to the PC client.

Given how close the Xbox and PC servers and environments should be, I can't imagine it would be a huge amount of work to allow PC and Xbox synchronisation at the very least. True cross play may be more difficult, but having a single Elite commander which is synchronised between both of these platforms should be achievable.

 

[Athan]

Hey BurnyBurns,

We've addressed this before

Hello everyone,

First off, the news of this cross-platform beta for Fortnite is really exciting. As it’s just announced, we'll be watching with interest to see how it goes!

Though we’re excited, we've nothing to announce on how this could effect Elite Dangerous in the future. However, you'll find all the information here on our forums, across our newsletters and social pages should that change.

Thanks

Off-topic... but could you be sure to clear any colours when pasting in ? The above does not work well with the "Elite Tempered" forum theme. Thanks!

 

[thistle]

I dont think the problems are with Fdev implementation, considering they have suggested they would like it themselves. But there's a difference between Sony making tentative moves towards allowing crossplay at the behest of Fortnite - which makes hundreds of millions of dollars *per month* - and allowing Elite Dangerous to do the same anytime soon.

 

[Shiro Akai]

Blizzard solved that issue while implementing cross servers in WoW. Before that character names were unique and server restricted. You could re-use given name on different server. Problem arose when servers got connected into battlegroups, you could play with people that made their characters on different server but with exactly the same name as your character. Solution - Blizzard added -<server name> to character name so Arthazz-Kazzak could play with Arthazz-Eonar.

If we get cross platform playerbase I expect something similar. I would be CMDR Shiro Akai - PC and could meet CMDR Shiro Akai - PS4. Or we get platform icon in front of our names to distinguish platform we're using.

What really bugs me is the input difference. I know different games don't mix platforms due to sheer advantage of K+M combo over any controller (precision and speed wise). ED is special in that field due to console controllers and PC sticks are probably equal in terms of performance. I have X-box controller at home, tried flying with that once tho stick + Logitech G13 combo won. But since FDEVs are looking at the topic it means it's doable.

 

[Leadfoot]

Coming from a console centric video game discussion platform with a small Elite Dangerous player base and being both PC player and console user, I'd really like to see Frontier implement cross platform play and a unified Elite Dangerous account across all clients.

Based on other requests for the same thing in other threads concerning this same subject, the PS4 (owned by Sony, not by you) is not giving the green light on cross-play yet. As I recall, Sony is the big hold-up on this subject. Fortnite players screamed very loudly at Sony, so much so that Sony finally gave in and said "Ok, we'll let you do this, but let's not make this a regular thing, ok?"

Sony wants to keep as much "exclusive" content for themselves. "Why should I get this game on PS4 when I can get it on Xbox One or PC? And on PC I can set up a 3 screen system and a big chair from Office Depot and strap a joystick and thruster module to the arm rests."

Sony is going to have to understand that regarding any and all MMO's out there, if they want to play in that swimming pool, we're all going to have to swim in the same swimming pool together. And Sony doesn't realize we'd be happy to have all of you guys there. Makes for more fun. All they have to do is stop thinking "Money over Customer Happiness" and the world (and in our case, galaxy) will be a better place.

 

[BurnyBurns]

Based on other requests for the same thing in other threads concerning this same subject, the PS4 (owned by Sony, not by you) is not giving the green light on cross-play yet. As I recall, Sony is the big hold-up on this subject. Fortnite players screamed very loudly at Sony, so much so that Sony finally gave in and said "Ok, we'll let you do this, but let's not make this a regular thing, ok?"

I've both had and followed these same, circular discussions on said discussion platform when the Fortnite issue boiled up before and after the Switch client's release. As user of a GaaS I don't give a Pennyless Trader's behind how much Sony wants to wall in their userbase even with GaaS games developed by not Sony-owned teams, like Frontier, nor do really think that anybody should be waiting for Sony. Who've by the way opened the Pandora's Box with Fortnite by setting precedence, proving that their policies are holding up progress and nothing else. The "but let's not make a habit of it"-part doesn't work. Because I can very well make a habit of going to one of the other platforms the game is on. Much easier so, than selling PS4 to all the circle of players who might be playing on other platforms already, so we can play together.

Other example of GaaS with crossplay that adhere's to Sony being the spoilesport: War Thunder. PS4 to PC and PC to XBox crossplay is implemented, but anything involving PS4 and XBox isn't allowed. That's one way to go about it without waiting for Sony to catch up with the times.

Or really, just leave the PS4 out of it and implement the features for XBox and PC. it should be the PS4 users' and Sony's loss, not the loss of XBox and PC players or Frontier, whose business model should be to grow and strenghten their Elite userbase, not to give Sony a backrub.

If Sony's the spoilsport, the joke is on them. Here's a wonderful marketing piece from Nintendo and Microsoft indirectly mocking Sony with the mere fact that they're not as stuck up with their crossplay policies:

[video=youtube;0l8nJ_liqrw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0l8nJ_liqrw[/video]


It's not the customer's job to make the excuses for Sony. But Sony sure lets all of those who did look like fools, having caved with Fortnite.

 

[Achilles7]

Off-topic... but could you be sure to clear any colours when pasting in ? The above does not work well with the "Elite Tempered" forum theme. Thanks!

....or Frontier could just fix 'copy/cut & paste' with all themes on their fora!

Actually, nahhhh! Sorry, 'forgot where I was for a second there!

 

[kfenvy]

Actually, once question I've never been clear on the answer to: with the three platforms being essentially separate, does that mean that there could be three instances of any given Commander name? As in, three different players (one on each platform) with the same Commander name?

I play on both PC an console an on both accounts I use the same CMDR name so with my testing I want to say yes to your Q

 

[GreyAreaUK]

I play on both PC an console an on both accounts I use the same CMDR name so with my testing I want to say yes to your Q

Thanks.

 

[CMDR CPT. Boris]

i just don't want to the pc version being "bottlenecked" because of console (especially graphics), although it would be nice to have cross play.

 

[Requiem Mortis]

There are issues concerning the use of alternate accounts, basically as an XBox user I can game share and have alternate user accounts set up on my XBox letting me have different commanders, PC guys need a separate copy for each alternate they want.

Now I'm all for Cross Play [yesnod] and would suggest that a license per platform per commander (a la PC) would not be totally unwelcome :x, so if you want a unified commander you would need a license for each platform you intend to use it on and restrict the cross platform play to the Gold / PS+ account only, to be fair to PC crowd.

But even if you only use one platform you should be able to interact with the others.

 

[Kamiyoda]

i just don't want to the pc version being "bottlenecked" because of console (especially graphics), although it would be nice to have cross play.

Well its not being Bottlenecked by the PC Minimum system requirements so I fail to see what the issue would be.