PvP and Open Play Should be Required to Unlock Engineers!

[xzanfr]

Players need to be exposed to all facets of the game. That's what people tell me, when I complain about unlock requirements...

If I'm required to go exploring to unlock Professor Palin & required to go mining to unlock Selene Jean, despite the fact that I have no interest in these activities, why shouldn't solo traders be required to play in open for 20 hours and win 5 PvP matches to unlock Felicity Farseer?

Fair is fair and everyone needs to broaden their horizons, no?

This needs to be implemented along with the following:

• CQC engineer - unlocked after waiting in the lobby for 8+ hours;
• Supercruise to Hutton engineer - unlocked after watching netflix for 4 hours;
• Flying to colonia engineer - press the jump key 2,500 times;
• Scanning mold engineer - unlocked after scanning 50+ invisible bits of mold on surfaces.*

*:this might actually be an existing one, it's too dull an activity to find out.

 

[Shinra]

I ain't scrolling through 10 bloody pages to hear OPs justification of the frankly awful idea in the original post.

But Moriarte above puts it well. I get that you don't want to grind (and to some degree, neither the hell do I) but that's the game, isn't it? That's what we bought and paid for?

As an example: in Destiny 2, I mostly play PvP. But I have to play the PvE endgame in order to get good rolls on my weapons that I'll only ever use in PvP. So I have to play PvE to get good stuff for PvP. I've made my peace with it, and I think you may have to in Elite too.

It sucks, but that's the game we bought.

 

[aRJay]

...

On the subject of Open-only, I once proposed a separate server copy with appropriate client that has only one mode: Open. This was inspired by the way the Odyssey alpha/beta was handled. It would cost FDev money to do this, but the technology is there and the development cost is marginable (just remove the other mode options from the client software). However, it would only be an experiment about how many are really interested in such a game, because all the current mechanics (P2P netcode, blocking feature, clogging) make "real" multiplayer play futile, anyway. Or in other words: there are so many ways to cheat away the PvP risk that the Open-only ideas are prone to fail. ED (although being an online game of sorts) is just not the game for this.

According to a quick search there are 6,000 players playing now on Steam given how many locations there are in the bubble alone never mind the whole galaxy there isn't much need to cheat to avoid PvP combat, scale is a major barrier to casual encounters.

 

[aRJay]

This needs to be implemented along with the following:

• CQC engineer - unlocked after waiting in the lobby for 8+ hours;

Timer resets each time you get a match.

 

[Felix DiCestria]

This needs to be implemented along with the following:

• CQC engineer - unlocked after waiting in the lobby for 8+ hours;
• Supercruise to Hutton engineer - unlocked after watching netflix for 4 hours;
• Flying to colonia engineer - press the jump key 2,500 times;
• Scanning mold engineer - unlocked after scanning 50+ invisible bits of mold on surfaces.*

*:this might actually be an existing one, it's too dull an activity to find out.

 

[Tyvolus]

Players need to be exposed to all facets of the game. That's what people tell me, when I complain about unlock requirements...

If I'm required to go exploring to unlock Professor Palin & required to go mining to unlock Selene Jean, despite the fact that I have no interest in these activities, why shouldn't solo traders be required to play in open for 20 hours and win 5 PvP matches to unlock Felicity Farseer?

Fair is fair and everyone needs to broaden their horizons, no?

Since the game wasnt made as a single player game, and meant as ONLINE -- the only option should have been one server, OPEN for all -- and just add an option to opt in or out of PvP for each ship you own. A huge mistake seperating the player base for an ONLINE game.

 

[TobiasFuzz]

Since the game wasnt made as a single player game, and meant as ONLINE -- the only option should have been one server, OPEN for all -- and just add an option to opt in or out of PvP for each ship you own. A huge mistake seperating the player base for an ONLINE game.

You could label it as online game, because it requieres a permanent Internet connection. If you do so, it is a misconception that "online" means "multiplayer"... what it does not. ED is not a multiplayer game. It is a space-opera role-play game first, and second a game with the rare possibility to instance together with other human players IF you wish to do so.

 

[Marvin the Martian]

and meant as ONLINE

Every game on earth does that now to help prevent pirating. That is the only reason it was ever done and it started around the late '90's.

This game was built as a single player game with the option to play in multiplayer, which is pretty much how most games throughout history have been made. Very few games ever made don't allow for a single player mode. In fact, I can't even think of a game that makes you play multiplayer PvP other than World of Tanks.

 

[Cageman]

Players need to be exposed to all facets of the game. That's what people tell me, when I complain about unlock requirements...

If I'm required to go exploring to unlock Professor Palin & required to go mining to unlock Selene Jean, despite the fact that I have no interest in these activities, why shouldn't solo traders be required to play in open for 20 hours and win 5 PvP matches to unlock Felicity Farseer?

Fair is fair and everyone needs to broaden their horizons, no?

Because Elite: Dangerous is as much a multiplayer game as it is a single player game. The reason why it works to have it both ways is because it is turn based when you, for example, engage PowerPlay and BGS.

 

[SgtMajRaz]

Since the game wasnt made as a single player game, and meant as ONLINE -- the only option should have been one server, OPEN for all -- and just add an option to opt in or out of PvP for each ship you own. A huge mistake seperating the player base for an ONLINE game.

The majority of multiplayer games that have PvP have it as an option even in online-only games because, and stay with me here, forcing players into PvP situations kills the majority of the population in your game. Most people are looking for single-player/co-op experiences unless the game is explicitly PvP.

 

[Rat Catcher]

I just want to make sure as many people as possible are forced to do activities they don't want to do.

But didn't you say that you had done them already?

I've been playing since 2017 and have every engineer unlocked too... And I don't enjoy mining, 'exploring' (but quite happy to spend some time sightseeing, on occasion') and trading was done at the start of playing and I had well over 50 markets unlocked before I took any notice of engineering.

Done PvP with a group, in stock sideys or eagles, and spent thousands of hours playing in open.

The fortunate thing is that unlocking the 4 common knowledge engineers unlocks the Colonia ones, and Colonia is far more fun than the bubble, in my opinion.

 

[HansAcker]

In fact, I can't even think of a game that makes you play multiplayer PvP other than World of Tanks.

Well, there's EVE. A vaguely space-themed game where it's safe to assume that if you meet someone in an area where they can get away with a kill, they'll try. So you either shoot first or warp fast.

 

[insanephoton]

I think skimmer and ground troops xp caps out quite early.

Skimmers might cap out. It's much faster to grind combat ranks on ground troops, especially in high rated ground combat zones, than any ship to ship combat, even scouts

 

[Darrack]

Players need to be exposed to all facets of the game. That's what people tell me, when I complain about unlock requirements...

If I'm required to go exploring to unlock Professor Palin & required to go mining to unlock Selene Jean, despite the fact that I have no interest in these activities, why shouldn't solo traders be required to play in open for 20 hours and win 5 PvP matches to unlock Felicity Farseer?

Fair is fair and everyone needs to broaden their horizons, no?

Er no

And just in case the thread becomes YET ANOTHER OPEN THEAD

O7

 

[AkenBosch]

Since the game wasnt made as a single player game, and meant as ONLINE -- the only option should have been one server, OPEN for all -- and just add an option to opt in or out of PvP for each ship you own. A huge mistake seperating the player base for an ONLINE game.

That's a groundbreaking idea, completely different from the always online, always open for all, galaxy background economy and factions simulation, with the option to opt in and out of potential PvP (open mode) on the fly, regardless of the ship you own, that we have always had until now.

...

 

[K Olley]

That's a groundbreaking idea, completely different from the always online, always open for all, galaxy background economy and factions simulation, with the option to opt in and out of potential PvP (open mode) on the fly, regardless of the ship you own, that we have always had until now.

...

That sounds good but too exploitable, switch mode only available when docked or landed and shown by shield colour.

On the fly switching would allow someone to attack and then switch to make themselves invulnerable.

 

[AkenBosch]

@K Olley - I'm afraid you missed both the content and the sarcasm of my reply

 

[K Olley]

Just woke up, brain not in gear yet

 

[Darrack]

CMDR A: Any Anti-Solo group like ours must reflect such a divergence of interests within its power-base.

CMDR B: Agreed, Commander C?

CMDR C: I think Commander A's point of view is valid here, provided the movement never forgets that it is the inalienable right of every Commander to not get involved in PvP

CMDR B: Furthermore, it is the birthright of every Open Commander

CMDR D: Or Soloer

CMDR B: Why don't you shut up about Solo, Commander, you're putting us off.

CMDR D: Soloers have a perfect right to play a part in CGs and Power Play

CMDR A: Why are you always on about Soloers?

CMDR D: (pause) I want to be one.

CMDR B: What?

CMDR D: I want to be a Soloer, from now on I want you all to agree that im fine in CGs and I can bring my Fleet Carrier too

CMDR B: What!?

CMDR D: It's my right as a Paying commander

CMDR A: Why do you want to be Soloer?

CMDR D: I want to fly a shieldless T9

CMDR B: You want to What?!?!?!

CMDR D: It's every Commanders right to fly a T9 without getting shot at whilst trading and visiting Engineers

CMDR B: But you can't have a T9 or a Fleet Carrier in the CG system

CMDR D: Don't you oppress me.

CMDR B : I'm not oppressing you, Commander the Pvpers, all 15 of them will go nuts if they cant get their gank Fleet Carriers 3ft from the CG station

CMDR A: Here! I've got an idea. Suppose we agree that he can't actually take part in CGs, not being in Open, which is nobody's fault, not even Fedvs, but that he can have the right to be in CGs?

CMDR C : Good idea,We shall fight our Open only comrades for your right to be in CGs in open only

CMDR B: What's the point?

CMDR C: What?

CMDR B: What's the point of fighting for his right to be in the CG when hes in Solo only?

CMDR C: It is symbolic of our struggle against the oppression of the nasty PvP gankers

CMDR B: It's symbolic of his struggle against our attempt to lure more unsuspecting, unarmed merchant T9s to Open for easy kills.

O7

 

[Slamdance_Kozmopolis]

AFAIK none of the engineer unlocks require you to play in one specific game mode (open, PG, solo). I see no reason for that to change.

I thought I made it pretty clear. I want EVERYONE to be forced into doing something they would not otherwise do in order to advance in the game. I'm forced to explore and trade against my will. Players who enjoy those activities need to feel my pain.

Since many of these players are carebears, I want them to be subjected to openplay and PvP against their will.

Or, we could just do something like what FDev proposed here:

Focused Feedback - Balancing Ship Engineering & Material Gathering

Greetings Commanders Now that Update 8 for Odyssey is live, we'd like to reignite the series of balancing changes that started before Odyssey's release. Now, it's time to turn our attention to ship Engineering. We recognise there has been significant feedback for on-foot Engineering too, but...

forums.frontier.co.uk

...and allow people to play the way they want. It is a game, after all.