We're all familiar with the changes that make the 1.6 update one of the most significant updates ever to grace ED. Some players love the changes, and an equal number hate them. My initial impression placed me in the former; however, a new experience placed me in the latter. For the sake of brevity, a summary of my point is: engineer mods are over powered making "adapting" impossible; and, but for the absence of multiple difficulties, the game has lost its cathartic value.
The latter seems to be a point I haven't seen mentioned. As a single player game, ED is worse off for not having a selectable difficulty. Some people--such as myself--play exclusively in solo mode. Our reasons are myriad, however Frontier recognizes the demand for single player by making it an option. Unfortunately, unlike most single-player games, there is no option to modify the difficulty to suit the player's preference. Before 1.6, many considered the difficulty to be "Easy." I was one such player. As a person who holds theives in particular in very low regard, I found enormous catharsis bringing the swift, harsh hand of justice to space pirates. What's more, I did it without a sweat, making me feel special and god-like: the best pilot in a universe of stupid, pathetic wrong-doers. Most of us are not special or god-like in our real lives and we use video games to realize a potential we don't actually have--this feat is what separates best video games from every other form of entertainment, and it's what makes video games the BEST form of entertainment. I recognize that many play games to be challenged; however, the point is; many players play games to transcend their mundane, average lives.
And therein lies the logic setting forth the requirement for custom difficulty for any and every single-player game. A good game can suit both of the foregoing players--those seeking challenge, and those seeking catharsis. ED should be such a game. I anticipate many would declare the existence of an "Easy" difficulty to give an advantage to player who grind up to an Anaconda in Solo, then join open to grief people. The answer is to do what other games have done in the past: Frontier should not intermingle Solo and Open game saves. This requires very little effort on Frontier's part, and solves the issue definitively. Until such time that this happens, 1.6 ED only suits one kind of player.
Lucky am I then, that I also accept a good challenge on occasion. When the game went from "Easy" to "Hard" I was initially enthusiastic to have NPC enemies that were almost human in their desire to continue living. I had to earn my money. Bounty Hunting became hardly profitable, or so it seemed. But then I tried adapting. I changed my loadout, and I practiced more advanced flight maneuvers that were not necessary before. I chose High Rez sites, and followed security around, making short work of space pirates with little risk. Until I obtained a bounty amidst a fleet of Anacondas.
I am positive I scanned the wanted ship before I opened fire. Even if I did not, it's is a huge and long-standing oversight for Frontier to consider open firing on a wanted ship to be a crime until the ship is scanned. Nevertheless, the ship was scanned before I fired, and I do not know how I obtained a bounty, but suddenly I found a handful of security Anacondas and Eagles open firing on me. I fled and swallowed shield cells. My frame shift drive began to charge--then it turned off. My shields were good, and hull at 100%. A look at modules shows that I've exceeded my power plant capacity when just a moment ago everything was fine. I can only assume I was hit by something that either leeched power or reduced the capacity of my power plant. I had to manually begin turning off almost everything that was not necessary, just to power up my drive. Then my shields went down and my hull started falling apart. Then I lost my thrusters and all hope was lost. This loss was unnecessary, but not by any act I could have foreseen. The sudden and unanticipated loss of my power output is what killed me, and as far as I know there is not any way to counter such an occurrence if this was in fact the result of a weapon. If it wasn't a weapon, then I have no explanation.
I also hear tell of weapons that instantly remove shields, and similarly powerful effects. This is the last straw. Whereas before one could know the various setups one's foes may possess, now it's all a mystery. I can adapt to dangers that I know, but all I can do to unknown dangers is react; but, the dangers are so severe that if you find yourself reacting then you are already lost. That's not the kind of game I want to play.
Which is too bad. This was the game that made VR worthwhile for me. It's what I used to blissfully kill time. It was my Up when I had a Down day. Now, it's just another Down. Too bad. Until such time that Frontier recognizes the single-player users, and offers them ability to be the Gods of space they want to be, this cmdr is retired.
The latter seems to be a point I haven't seen mentioned. As a single player game, ED is worse off for not having a selectable difficulty. Some people--such as myself--play exclusively in solo mode. Our reasons are myriad, however Frontier recognizes the demand for single player by making it an option. Unfortunately, unlike most single-player games, there is no option to modify the difficulty to suit the player's preference. Before 1.6, many considered the difficulty to be "Easy." I was one such player. As a person who holds theives in particular in very low regard, I found enormous catharsis bringing the swift, harsh hand of justice to space pirates. What's more, I did it without a sweat, making me feel special and god-like: the best pilot in a universe of stupid, pathetic wrong-doers. Most of us are not special or god-like in our real lives and we use video games to realize a potential we don't actually have--this feat is what separates best video games from every other form of entertainment, and it's what makes video games the BEST form of entertainment. I recognize that many play games to be challenged; however, the point is; many players play games to transcend their mundane, average lives.
And therein lies the logic setting forth the requirement for custom difficulty for any and every single-player game. A good game can suit both of the foregoing players--those seeking challenge, and those seeking catharsis. ED should be such a game. I anticipate many would declare the existence of an "Easy" difficulty to give an advantage to player who grind up to an Anaconda in Solo, then join open to grief people. The answer is to do what other games have done in the past: Frontier should not intermingle Solo and Open game saves. This requires very little effort on Frontier's part, and solves the issue definitively. Until such time that this happens, 1.6 ED only suits one kind of player.
Lucky am I then, that I also accept a good challenge on occasion. When the game went from "Easy" to "Hard" I was initially enthusiastic to have NPC enemies that were almost human in their desire to continue living. I had to earn my money. Bounty Hunting became hardly profitable, or so it seemed. But then I tried adapting. I changed my loadout, and I practiced more advanced flight maneuvers that were not necessary before. I chose High Rez sites, and followed security around, making short work of space pirates with little risk. Until I obtained a bounty amidst a fleet of Anacondas.
I am positive I scanned the wanted ship before I opened fire. Even if I did not, it's is a huge and long-standing oversight for Frontier to consider open firing on a wanted ship to be a crime until the ship is scanned. Nevertheless, the ship was scanned before I fired, and I do not know how I obtained a bounty, but suddenly I found a handful of security Anacondas and Eagles open firing on me. I fled and swallowed shield cells. My frame shift drive began to charge--then it turned off. My shields were good, and hull at 100%. A look at modules shows that I've exceeded my power plant capacity when just a moment ago everything was fine. I can only assume I was hit by something that either leeched power or reduced the capacity of my power plant. I had to manually begin turning off almost everything that was not necessary, just to power up my drive. Then my shields went down and my hull started falling apart. Then I lost my thrusters and all hope was lost. This loss was unnecessary, but not by any act I could have foreseen. The sudden and unanticipated loss of my power output is what killed me, and as far as I know there is not any way to counter such an occurrence if this was in fact the result of a weapon. If it wasn't a weapon, then I have no explanation.
I also hear tell of weapons that instantly remove shields, and similarly powerful effects. This is the last straw. Whereas before one could know the various setups one's foes may possess, now it's all a mystery. I can adapt to dangers that I know, but all I can do to unknown dangers is react; but, the dangers are so severe that if you find yourself reacting then you are already lost. That's not the kind of game I want to play.
Which is too bad. This was the game that made VR worthwhile for me. It's what I used to blissfully kill time. It was my Up when I had a Down day. Now, it's just another Down. Too bad. Until such time that Frontier recognizes the single-player users, and offers them ability to be the Gods of space they want to be, this cmdr is retired.
