Poor communication = frustration

[Frobitz]

Nope it's just a somewhat bemused opinion on why you can't quite get to grips with:

A. The games unfinished so stuffs a bit strange and opaque at times.

B. Your refusal to put in a bit of effort to read up on what you don't understand even though you put a lot of effort into complaining on this forum.

C. Your assumption there should / will be tutorials for every aspect of the game rather than the basics of flying the ship and learning by experience or studying manuals or wikis, if you choose to, eventually.

Not every game has to reveal its systems immediately or easily. Some of the most critically praised of recent years don't do this.

 

[Darkfyre99]

You and Mr Frobitz are conflating two unrelated matters: accessibility (what you call dumbing down or handholding) and depth.

To take a classic example, chess is extremely accessible: the rules can be summarized in a few sentences, and a single gameplay will teach them to most people. Yet it is one of the most complex games out there, subject of intense study and great history.

A game can be extremely accessible, with great tutorials and in-game tips to guide you through the paces, yet contain immense depth.


I'm having really hard time understanding why people are against accessbility for a game (I would imagine) everyone wants to be successful. It can only make the game better. If you want lack of accessibility, most games have the option to turn tips and tutorials off.

Is this a manifestation of some kind of masochistic elitism?

Fair enough. I have a hard understanding why anyone would ignore the wealth of information Frontier Developments has provided already for beta testers. How on earth are you supposed to know whether you're supposed to get an attempted murder bounty for freeing an imperial slave, if you don't read the design document on slavery? Or whether your cargo and load out is supposed to affect range if you don't read the design document of fuel?

Just how many tutorials does this beta test need, IYO? The single-player tutorials already do a magnificent job walking you through the hardest part of the game, the flight mechanics. Do we need a tutorial about how you shouldn't shoot at people without a bounty? A tutorial about setting your screen's resolution? A tutorial on how to load the tutorials?

There's an old saying: it takes two to communicate, a sender and a receiver. Many of us here have absolutely no issues accessing the wealth of information that Frontier Developments is sending. If you're not receiving it, perhaps the problem is at the other end.

 

[VR jefranklin18]

You and Mr Frobitz are conflating two unrelated matters: accessibility (what you call dumbing down or handholding) and depth.

To take a classic example, chess is extremely accessible: the rules can be summarized in a few sentences, and a single gameplay will teach them to most people. Yet it is one of the most complex games out there, subject of intense study and great history.

A game can be extremely accessible, with great tutorials and in-game tips to guide you through the paces, yet contain immense depth.


I'm having really hard time understanding why people are against accessbility for a game (I would imagine) everyone wants to be successful. It can only make the game better. If you want lack of accessibility, most games have the option to turn tips and tutorials off.

Is this a manifestation of some kind of masochistic elitism?

*Sigh*
Ok reiterating topics that have been brought up before it is shouldn't really need repeating but let's do it anyway because repetition is king:

• It is a simulator not an X Wing knock off - expect some form of learning curve
• It is beta so not complete - you would think this should be clear now but apparently not
• Tutorials (if included in the FINAL game) will be the low down the development activity so will not be in the beta
• Hard copies of the game are going to come with detailed manuals - you know, like the old flight sims when PC gaming wasn't aiming for the LCD

Personally, I find tutorials as in MS Flight (the old version, not the LCD version released a couple of years) where you are handheld through every aspect of the game infuriating. If tutorials make it into the game, fine for those want them but give me a manual to read, whether it is for Elite, Flight or Gunship (showing my age).

 

[Lobstris]

An essential read? Are you seriously suggesting players to read a ONE HUNDRED AND FOURTEEN PAGE DOCUMENT before they play a game.

Get real.

And this sums up exactly what I miss about the 'golden age of flight sims' - getting a game in a nice big box, and leafing through a spiral bound manual, before taking to the virtual skies. Think my documentation and supplemental material for Falcon 4 is in the region of 1600 pages. Paid £20 for the aftermarket manual for DCS Black Shark, which is 15 chapters of 10-30 pages each. The Black Shark cockpit controls section is 107 pages alone.

Not needed a manual for Elite: Dangerous on the most part - it's systems are pretty simple to figure out, but I will be annoyed if the final game doesn't come with at least a pdf of 100 pages plus.

However, back on topic, I do agree that something needs to be done to make comms clearer. Another commander was talking to me last night, giving me advice about a potential situation in Aulin station, and I didn't realise till he was long gone, 'cus I had my head down using Track IR to fiddle with menus in the cockpit. A better audible alarm for (important) incoming messages would help.

 

[CaptainSodom]

To several posters above, I quote my OP (emphasis added):

I'm well aware it's beta. And I'm fine with difficulty. But poor communication is just frustrating, and needs to be improved upon in future builds.

I offered suggestions in the OP to improve the communication. In future builds.

I'm fine with the approach they are taking right now, by concentrating on making a good game rather than documenting half-ready features.

But it appears that at least some of you would be fine with lack of tutorials and hints as they are right now even at launch, which I don't get, at all.

 

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

But it appears that at least some of you would be fine with lack of tutorials and hints as they are right now even at launch, which I don't get, at all.

I think it is a little bit of nostalgia and self-discovery which old games done so well. They didn't hold hands, but they where consistent, thus allowing discover things ourselves. It's a tinkering logic.

However I agree, well made optional tutorials at least outside the game (Youtube, or just official site) are must. If someone will want to discover things themselves, they will easily do so, but it will help others. I would like to see how much description text FD plans to add to the game...but I guess that's something can be done during last weeks.

 

[Gwyvern]

If looting pirates as you demolish them is illegal i hope they raise pirate bounties, combat is only profitable right now while farming federal distress beacons >.>