Repeat the same Guardian unlock 18 times? Really?

[npcole]

I’m one of those players who doesn’t mind too much doing a bit of work — in that sense I do like some sense of immersion. I made a terrible mistake in the community goal recently and faced numerous rebuys (before remembering too late that I need to have a high-wake jump plotted for emergencies). My poor commander retreated to one corner of the bubble, nursed his wounded pride and worked on scan missions for a few evenings. No cheating by relogging and quite enjoyable. I checked the mission board before (Earth) Work and filled up with any available missions. Spent the evening flying them and a few more. My commander has a modest balance again and some of his confidence back. It was a relaxing way to pay for a mistake.

I’d been ready to get in to the Cobra and head out to explore the Guardian sites. I haven’t explored any of the Guardian content yet, but unlocking one or two of the modules would be fun. I don’t need to have everything.

This thread has made me think again. If the experience would be evenings of relogging multiple times it’s not going to be much fun.

For me it’s not the repetition that gets me so much as the need to trick the game in to issuing the prizes. Every time the game requires you to exit to the menu and then come back just to get something to work, or jump out of and then back in to an instance, that’s what breaks the immersion for me and spoils the fun.

But I’m not just relogging over and over to do the same task. That’s crazy.

 

[Robin of Spiritwood]

Well I hope you are right on that one.

Won't make too much difference to me either way though, because like you, it's highly unlikely I will actually go and do that. It's fun the first few times, but the definition of insane to go do it that many times.

Ha ha, I'm good just watching you do it on the channel!

 

[Ddtdmbow]

F f s, I just done the new gardian mission. I have lots of guardian mats, but not that many blue prints.
I have enough for some items, but really.... doing the six pylon thing to get a single blueprint. And then do this another 8 or 18 times, get a bit rediculas

So you need to make 48 pylons come out the ground and use 8 relics, and shoot approx 60 sentinals to obtain 8 blue prints. To do this you need synth mats to reload and refuel srv a few times.

Why can't the blue print give 3 like everything else. Then I would need to process third less pylons.

So I have to go back again to guardian structures

I've been back 5 days and have spent everyday gathering materials, to upgrade my hrps a little. Already level 5, but I have to convert to level 4... and roll roll roll ..... 8 times per full level 5... per hull reinformance package. And that'd just for level 5 alone. Oh wait I started on level 5 and was close to maximum achievable.

Oh I m loving the material quantities Ive needed to collect to cover all my hull reinforment packages.

I'm certainly living the dream.... one day I will stop collecting materials and get involved in the thargoid thing.

Or they could have made the Guardian ruins more involved, a dungeon-like experience that is a bit more complex and interesting, gives more rewards, and is fun enough to want to repeat.

It seems like FDev need some actual quest designers and writers on staff.

 

[Enderby]

Instead they just thought it would be a good idea to make it boring?!

That they even thought that it was a good idea? And added it.

I mean, doesn't that just spell it out, in large lettering on the wall, the kind of 'game' design they think is, well, 'game'. Doesn't bode well.

Doesn't bode well at all, I say.

 

[Kaocraft]

Would it hurt the game in any way if you could unlock a guardian module with *one* complete run-through of a given site? What if different sites unlocked different modules, and/or each site could only be "harvested" once per CMDR? So you would have an incentive to visit multiple sites, becaus you'd get something new at each site, but you'd have no incentive to run the same site over and over. Would that be bad?

 

[Chaparral]

So this Guardian "puzzle" isn't a Rubics cube where people try to speed complete it or do it blind folded to demonstrate their mental wizardry, right? I did it once and that was enough thank you.

It's a tedious mechanic, you're required to do over and over.

FDEV really needs to play other mmos. When they set up a new boss or jumping puzzle they want you to repeat, they include extra "achievement" tasks. Complete all of the extra achievements and get some skin or perk or title.

This is just like those Monty Python monks walking in a circle beating themselves in the forehead stuff the way it is now. So sad.

 

[Enderby]

I think there might a touch of spiiiiiining out minimal content as faaaaaaaaaaaaaaar as it will spiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin.

But, as long as those ship skins are selling, eh.

 

[Maka Gucci]

Would it hurt the game in any way if you could unlock a guardian module with *one* complete run-through of a given site? What if different sites unlocked different modules, and/or each site could only be "harvested" once per CMDR? So you would have an incentive to visit multiple sites, becaus you'd get something new at each site, but you'd have no incentive to run the same site over and over. Would that be bad?

That would make so much sense.

 

[Muetdhiver]

That would make so much sense.

Indeed. Developping ED as an open world adventure game instead of a freemium game without the premium part would help a lot.

That and getting a few good quest writers/designers on board.

 

[Ddtdmbow]

Would it hurt the game in any way if you could unlock a guardian module with *one* complete run-through of a given site? What if different sites unlocked different modules, and/or each site could only be "harvested" once per CMDR? So you would have an incentive to visit multiple sites, becaus you'd get something new at each site, but you'd have no incentive to run the same site over and over. Would that be bad?

No, not at all. That would be a welcome change to be honest.

I get that these weapons are supposed to be “hard” to get. That’s fine too, but repetition doesn’t equal hard or challenging.

If they still wanted this to be difficult they could have either made the puzzle element harder and added some randomness to it so you can’t just look up a solution online, or make the combat portion of it more difficult. Or even just put the sites out there even further so the difficulty is getting out there and making it back in one piece.

 

[DeathStroke]

Just another bad game decision, seems to be happening more and more frequently.

 

[William J Smith]

I must admit I'm dis heartened by the guardian thing.

I want guardian weapons to blast thargoids with, so I want to scavenge guardian structures for the bits.... but while out there I'll take along the ram tah mission for some extra credits

Grabbing samples from a live thargoid in an AspX is good fun... bit of a thrill, some mad flying and hope it does'nt get too angry, bit of grind grabbing a thargoid probe, but found out an AspX with muilt-cannons can take out thargoid scouts. and its off to where ever the heck it is

grabbed 3 weapon blueprints and 1 module blueprint and a host of skimmer bits, power cells etc etc etc, and thought.... Inara for what else I need.

TEN!!!! blue prints....... or 8 or more......... I'm sorrry thats like 10 hrs messing about in guardian sites, logging and re-logging... dodging skimmers and hoping the power cell towers work. (and finding the danged things)

I'm on my disappointed way home now


I can cope with a run to Sgr A* and back, because you've got a target , especially if you're not explorer elite yet.
I do trading, smuggling, combat bonds, bounty hunting, CGs and mining for a couple of sessions each at best before I need to go do something else, which has kept me flying in Elite.
Occasionally stopping on a planet to pick up materials or a USS was ok because I'd drop in and jump out.

But that guardian thing....... if I wanted a 12 hr grind to earn stuff I'd stay at work for it. [sad]

Bill

<<hates his real life job

 

[Maka Gucci]

Always look on the bright side of life (or death, for that matter).
This guardian stuff seems to be first thing to unify the otherwise pretty divided community.
I haven't seen any "the grind is in your mind" posts in this thread yet.

lol, very true.

I always thought it would be the Aliens attacking that would unite humanity, but it was the grind for the weapons to defend ourselves that finally did it.

 

[Stealthie]

Someone will no doubt tell you that the "intended" way to play, is to complete the site, and then fly off to another site. [haha]

The sad thing is, I'd be perfectly okay with that - if there was a plausible reason to do it.


If it was me, I'd probably have set it up so there were 2 or 3 sites where you could obtain a "key".
Each "key" works, say, half a dozen times and then it's battery is flat.
You can get one "key" from a site and you can't get another one for, say, 7 days. Re-logging wouldn't change that, just like with (some?) data-points.

Each Guardian tech' item would require between, say, 3 and 6 unique blueprint fragments.
Some Guardian sites yield fragment A, some yield fragment B, some C etc.

You set off for one of the "key" sites, grab a "key" and then you head for the sites where you can obtain blueprint fragments using the "key" to activate the puzzle at each site.

You could obtain a "key" and then use it 6 times at the same place, doing the same puzzle 6 times and stockpile the fragment available there.
If you did that you'd have to travel to a different location and collect a different "key" before obtaining more fragments.

Alternatively, you could obtain 1 key, tour around a bunch of different sites to collect a bunch of different fragments and unlock a single Tech item.


Set it up like that and you still force players to do the same stuff over and over again to unlock all the toys but at least it wouldn't feel quite so much like "You've got to re-tie your shoelaces 20 times before you're allowed to go outside and play".

 

[UmbraRex]

Would it hurt the game in any way if you could unlock a guardian module with *one* complete run-through of a given site? What if different sites unlocked different modules, and/or each site could only be "harvested" once per CMDR? So you would have an incentive to visit multiple sites, becaus you'd get something new at each site, but you'd have no incentive to run the same site over and over. Would that be bad?

This.

There should be a number of guardian sites, each should give one of a type of blueprint. Once. so you should never have to repeat a guardian site. and, if you get lucky and get the ones you want quickly you don't have to do the rest.

Unless you want a decal that says 'guardian expert'...

 

[PanTast]

It was very painful to get 12 weapon blueprint segments. The 4 module blueprint segments were even more painful because of having to deal with 4 drones before having access to the blueprint giver thingy. Low grav and bumpy terrain might be beautiful, but I felt like I was in the vomit comet. Usually I don't suffer from motion sickness, but this was too much. And there is no justification to torture players that way.

I will not try to get more of this stuff. I am really angry*. I get a headache when I think of going back there.

* wasn't allowed to use my wording

 

[Dutchman141]

I didn't even realise you need twelve blueprints for both weapons.
I just went to a Guardian site and when I arrived I had the time of my life.
The site is beautiful constructed, great atmosphere, nice puzzle, some fighting.
Then when I collected the blueprint from that cool sphere popping up I thought I'd look up on Inara what else I needed........

When I found out I needed twelve of those I packed my bags and headed home.
What a waste of time and what a shame reducing such beautiful constructed sites to grinding grounds.

 

[Stealthie]

It was very painful to get 12 weapon blueprint segments. The 4 module blueprint segments were even more painful because of having to deal with 4 drones before having access to the blueprint giver thingy. Low grav and bumpy terrain might be beautiful, but I felt like I was in the vomit comet. Usually I don't suffer from motion sickness, but this was too much. And there is no justification to torture players that way.

I will not try to get more of this stuff. I am really angry*. I get a headache when I think of going back there.

* wasn't allowed to use my wording

This too.

I'm not especially prone to motion sickness but the combination of the uneven terrain, the chaotic nature of the sites and the hazy lighting means that although it's very atmospheric, it's not the sort of place you'd want to visit routinely.

That's another reason why it'd be better if these missions worked in a "collect ONE item from half a dozen different places" way too.
You'd have a session in the bouncy-buggy and then a session of flying and it wouldn't be such a chore.

Thinking back to Ram Tah's original mission, that was terrifically enjoyable.
An hour in one of those confusing, chaotic, Guardian sites and then an hour flying to the next site.
Breaks it all up into manageable chunks.

If Ram Tah's mission had required me to go around the same site 10 times then my response would be two words, the second word being "off".


Also, maybe FDev could think about that a little bit?

The Guardian Ruins mission took players to 10 different sites.
This new thing just requires players to visit 1 site and relog multiple times.
That rather looks like FDev are just getting flat-out LAZY with the way they design things.

 

[TiberiusMaximus]

Obviously you’re meant to spread this out over a period of time, to make it more bearable (thats a phrase you want to hear, in an entertainment product,eh?). I think in a several months, you could have all this unlocked. I’m sure it’ll be worth the wait and effort, and there won’t be a whole new set of weapons and modules, you’ll have to start grinding immediately after. So in short, you’ll have these modules and weapons some time in 2019. Yay!

 

[Stealthie]

Obviously you’re meant to spread this out over a period of time, to make it more bearable (thats a phrase you want to hear, in an entertainment product,eh?).

Don't take this the wrong way but I really hope you're wrong about that, cos it makes absolutely no sense. [where is it]

I mean, if unlocking this stuff was something that you could do at some kind of randomly spawning USS then, sure.
Players would enter it, do what had to be done and then just not bother with one again until they felt like doing it.

As it is, getting to the sites requires a 2,000Ly round-trip so of course players are going to want to accomplish a lot of things while they're there.
Granted, it's not a massive trip but it's not trivial either.

So, yeah.
Given that players have to commit a significant amount of effort to this, it would have been nice if FDev had made more of an effort to make it an enjoyable experience.