Someone is going to be disappointed

[VR SenseiMatty]

According to FDEV, the 2020 update went in full production somewhere around Q2 2018 and it is expected to be released around Q3-Q4 2020.
So we have 100 devs working at it for almost 2.5 years.

I'm not a software developer and I don't work in this business but I would be curious to know, according to the manpower advertized by FDEV, what could be feasible or not for this update considering the long wishlist of the community:

• Atmospheric Worlds
• Space Legs: combat and ships interactions, social areas in starports.
• Base Building
• New Missions (for legs and atmospehric worlds)
• New Ships
• New SRV's
• Universal Limpet Controller
• New gameplay on planets (SRV's AI)
• New exploration contents
• Black holes with accretion disks
• Thargoid motherships combat scenario
• Powerplay v.2
• BGS v.2
• NPC Multicrew visible and operating in cockpit
• New graphical engine

 

[Wotthe Dickens]

250 man/woman years sounds a lot, but one of the problems FD has is that it is building on existing patched code base.
Another important point is that the 100 people quoted include devs/creatives/management/sales/QA and who knows!
We can only guess at how much ‘refactoring’ of existing code must be taken to support any new features.
Aka: I haven’t a clue.

 

[-VR- Max Factor]

According to FDEV, the 2020 update went in full production somewhere around Q2 2018 and it is expected to be released around Q3-Q4 2020.
So we have 100 devs working at it for almost 2.5 years.

I'm not a software developer and I don't work in this business but I would be curious to know, according to the manpower advertized by FDEV, what could be feasible or not for this update considering the long wishlist of the community:

• Atmospheric Worlds
• Space Legs: combat and ships interactions, social areas in starports.
• Base Building
• New Missions (for legs and atmospehric worlds)
• New Ships
• New SRV's
• Universal Limpet Controller
• New gameplay on planets (SRV's AI)
• New exploration contents
• Black holes with accretion disks
• Thargoid motherships combat scenario
• Powerplay v.2
• BGS v.2
• NPC Multicrew visible and operating in cockpit
• New graphical engine

It is unfortunately not a big team when you consider over a 1000 people worked on GTA 5 and over 2000 people worked on RDR2.

I can see either Space legs or Atmospherics with a mixture of some of the others. I would be surprised if it was both. I also don't expect full on earthlike planets, especially if its both and Elite Feet I expect to be focussed on a specific area if/when it comes out which can then be expanded upon. Something like missions would make sense for space legs to begin with.

 

[Kenneth McGrew]

According to FDEV, the 2020 update went in full production somewhere around Q2 2018 and it is expected to be released around Q3-Q4 2020.
So we have 100 devs working at it for almost 2.5 years.

I'm not a software developer and I don't work in this business but I would be curious to know, according to the manpower advertized by FDEV, what could be feasible or not for this update considering the long wishlist of the community:

• Atmospheric Worlds
• Space Legs: combat and ships interactions, social areas in starports.
• Base Building
• New Missions (for legs and atmospehric worlds)
• New Ships
• New SRV's
• Universal Limpet Controller
• New gameplay on planets (SRV's AI)
• New exploration contents
• Black holes with accretion disks
• Thargoid motherships combat scenario
• Powerplay v.2
• BGS v.2
• NPC Multicrew visible and operating in cockpit
• New graphical engine

Frontier have just gone through the list and to ensure you get a quality update they had to drop a few things, here's whats left;

• Atmospheric Worlds
• Space Legs: combat and ships interactions, social areas in starports.
• Base Building
• New Missions (for legs and atmospehric worlds)
• New Ships
• New SRV's
• Universal Limpet Controller
• New gameplay on planets (SRV's AI)
• New exploration contents
• Black holes with accretion disks
• Thargoid motherships combat scenario
• Powerplay v.2
• BGS v.2
• NPC Multicrew visible and operating in cockpit
• New graphical engine
• Bugs... LOTS & LOTS of bugs, existing ones but more importantly plenty of new ones
• one more half baked idea to go with the other half baked ideas we're yet to fully cook properly,

 

[Heater]

Frontier have just gone through the list and to ensure you get a quality update they had to drop a few things, here's whats left;

• Atmospheric Worlds
• Space Legs: combat and ships interactions, social areas in starports.
• Base Building
• New Missions (for legs and atmospehric worlds)
• New Ships
• New SRV's
• Universal Limpet Controller
• New gameplay on planets (SRV's AI)
• New exploration contents
• Black holes with accretion disks
• Thargoid motherships combat scenario
• Powerplay v.2
• BGS v.2
• NPC Multicrew visible and operating in cockpit
• New graphical engine
• Bugs... LOTS & LOTS of bugs, existing ones but more importantly plenty of new ones
• one more half baked idea to go with the other half baked ideas we're yet to fully cook properly,

This pretty much sums up my thoughts on FDev right now, I hope they prove me wrong... but the track record today states otherwise.

 

[Ian Skippy]

This pretty much sums up my thoughts on FDev right now, I hope they prove me wrong... but the track record today states otherwise.

Don't worry, considering they've been able to deliver the quality that got you playing for thousands of hours and hang around here for over half a decade you'll be fine.

 

[Vetinari]

Pops in to mention that atmospherics can't be landed on due to the pollution from our engines and that's permanent....maybe a shuttle bus from the stations would happen but that's for another day.....toddles back off to play the game

 

[Rat Catcher]

You forgot the favourite "remove CL/Menu Log / increase timeout to 2.5 hours..."

Don't worry, considering they've been able to deliver the quality that got you playing for thousands of hours and hang around here for over half a decade you'll be fine.

I think many folk forget that minor point

 

[Stealthie]

It's difficult to discuss this without appearing critical, which is not necessarily my intention.

Having said that, I'd suggest considering the quantity/quality of people who worked on Horizons and Beyond, and the time they worked on those updates for, and using that as the basis for an estimate of what to expect from the 2020 Update.

Based on what FDev's produced (and what they haven't produced) previously and - arguably more importantly - the quality of what they've produced recently, I really don't want to think about what 2020 might bring.

Honestly, my only hope for the 2020 update is that it doesn't balls-up the game so thoroughly that I won't want to play it any more.

 

[Urbanski101]

250 man/woman years sounds a lot, but one of the problems FD has is that it is building on existing patched code base.

Well, here is a thought, what if they are not working on the existing code base....wild theory crafting at it's finest.

It is unfortunately not a big team when you consider over a 1000 people worked on GTA 5 and over 2000 people worked on RDR2.

Those are Triple A titles though and the level of polish, design & detail is astounding. I don't think anyone is really expecting that, and if they are they're going to be disappointed...just working as intended would be a good start.

Saying that a certain space game, who's name I will not mention has over 500 devs working across the world and has blown through a budget of over £350m in 7 years and is still barely in pre-alpha. Budget and numbers do not necessarily equate to quality or meeting deadlines.

Another space game who's name I shall not mention, after a very difficult launch have created some outstanding work with a much smaller team (although the team has grown over the years).

It's more about focus, efficiency, passion and having the right team. I have no idea what the current ED Alpha dev team are like, we will see next year....finger crossed.

 

[MDHansen]

250 man/woman years sounds a lot, but one of the problems FD has is that it is building on existing patched code base.
Another important point is that the 100 people quoted include devs/creatives/management/sales/QA and who knows!
We can only guess at how much ‘refactoring’ of existing code must be taken to support any new features.
Aka: I haven’t a clue.

devs/creatives/management/sales/QA and who knows! Fixed it for you

 

[Ian Skippy]

Saying that a certain space game, who's name I will not mention has over 500 devs working across the world and has blown through a budget of over £350m in 7 years and is still barely in pre-alpha. Budget and numbers do not necessarily equate to quality or meeting deadlines.

And as another team with less than 20 folks managed to add base building, fleet carriers and VR to their space game the opposite holds true as well. We'll just have to see. Until it releases all you get is people who have been chronically complaining use the time until release to pre-emptively complain. 2020 might be the awesomest thing ever, it might be absolutely terrible. Nobody knows anything about it whatsoever, so no opinion means anything at all beyond giving an insight into how that individual feels at the time.

 

[Speedcuffs]

Small seismic charges.

World peace. \o/

 

[MDHansen]

According to FDEV, the 2020 update went in full production somewhere around Q2 2018 and it is expected to be released around Q3-Q4 2020.
So we have 100 devs working at it for almost 2.5 years.

I'm not a software developer and I don't work in this business but I would be curious to know, according to the manpower advertized by FDEV, what could be feasible or not for this update considering the long wishlist of the community:

• Atmospheric Worlds
• Space Legs: combat and ships interactions, social areas in starports.
• Base Building
• New Missions (for legs and atmospehric worlds)
• New Ships
• New SRV's
• Universal Limpet Controller
• New gameplay on planets (SRV's AI)
• New exploration contents
• Black holes with accretion disks
• Thargoid motherships combat scenario
• Powerplay v.2
• BGS v.2
• NPC Multicrew visible and operating in cockpit
• New graphical engine

A lot of people are gonna get dissapointed, simple as that.
On that list of yours, I can see 4-5 features and things that probably will make it in to the game. Atmo and legs is absolutely most definately not one of those. MKII and III's of some existing ships I assume. More missions and exploration stuffs(tm). Improvements to the BGS (beware though, it's gonna break the game for months after the update). Universal Limpet Controller, together with the BGS v.2* are my favourites on that list.

*A complete remake of the mission/economy and minor faction features. Yeh, I'm gonna be dissapointed

 

[Stealthie]

Small seismic charges.

I'm sure it's on the list, along with gimballed AX weapons.

 

[Burke]

The human cost of Red Dead Redemption 2

Red Dead Redemption 2 launched at midnight last night and, right now, millions of people around the world are playing. …

www.eurogamer.net

Rockstar certainly seems to have a different work ethic. That said it sure does pay off.

 

[-VR- Max Factor]

Those are Triple A titles though and the level of polish, design & detail is astounding. I don't think anyone is really expecting that, and if they are they're going to be disappointed...just working as intended would be a good start.

The issue for me is that everyone seems to expect AAA polish, design and detail.

Saying that a certain space game, who's name I will not mention has over 500 devs working across the world and has blown through a budget of over £350m in 7 years and is still barely in pre-alpha. Budget and numbers do not necessarily equate to quality or meeting deadlines.

Yup. FDev when you look at the number of devs working on it the tiny budget compared to that other game, they have done a fine job overall.

Another space game who's name I shall not mention, after a very difficult launch have created some outstanding work with a much smaller team (although the team has grown over the years).

I know the game and have it and agree they have made it much better then what it was (it couldn't get much worse), but in my opinion (others will feel differently and that's fine), still nowhere near as good as ED.

It's more about focus, efficiency, passion and having the right team. I have no idea what the current ED Alpha dev team are like, we will see next year....finger crossed.

Yup, we shall see. I have my fingers well and truely crossed in the hope that it will be good/great/superb.

 

[VR SenseiMatty]

This pretty much sums up my thoughts on FDev right now, I hope they prove me wrong... but the track record today states otherwise.

That's at least the experience they gave us with Horizons and Beyond.

 

[-VR- Max Factor]

And as another team with less than 20 folks managed to add base building, fleet carriers and VR to their space game the opposite holds true as well. We'll just have to see. Until it releases all you get is people who have been chronically complaining use the time until release to pre-emptively complain. 2020 might be the awesomest thing ever, it might be absolutely terrible. Nobody knows anything about it whatsoever, so no opinion means anything at all beyond giving an insight into how that individual feels at the time.

I have come to the conclusion that even if it is the awesomest thing ever, people will find something to complain about.

 

[VR SenseiMatty]

250 man/woman years sounds a lot, but one of the problems FD has is that it is building on existing patched code base.
Another important point is that the 100 people quoted include devs/creatives/management/sales/QA and who knows!
We can only guess at how much ‘refactoring’ of existing code must be taken to support any new features.
Aka: I haven’t a clue.

devs/creatives/management/sales/QA and who knows! Fixed it for you

At the beginning I thought the same but FDEV corrected this and confirmed it's 100 devs.