Star Citizen v. No Man's Sky v. Elite: Dangerous

Elgered

Elgered
For me it is Elite.

First of all because it always was. I loved Elite, loved Frontier, loved First Encounters.
Then, yes because it is available.
Because it IS fun.
Because it still is being developed and getting better (mor or less^^) every patch.

NMS is another style. Not really mine. Some of it will be great, but overall it rather reminds me of "Spore" than a space-sim.

SC could become a great game once it is released. It is another generation of games and we do not know if its ever going to be released.
My first impression of SC was the trailer, showing the Wing Commander II Intro remake. I loved it an thought to myself: "Wow, the Tiger's Claw"
I got my first ship immediately (and two others in the following years) and still wait for anything "useful" (Squadron 42). What we've got now is some graphics demo and Space-Coaster.

There also was X-Rebirth, a title I waited for. I saw X as a "new" Elite since BTF and loved the series. BTF, X-tension and the thread for the story (The first books were great) and X3 for the complex economy, and all the games parts for their overwhelming graphics (at their time).
Rebirth was one of the greatest disappointments in my personal gaming history. Something like a mobile rail-shooter version of Half Life^^


Elite Dangerous was a much smaller project. I didn't notice it at all, when it was on Kickstarter and didn't really care for it in Alpha and Beta, because I thougt to myself: "Oh no - not another SC. No cooperation with Ian,..." and I remembered an old Interview with David about old games... So my first contact was in late December 14, and all I got was the release version. A release Version! He did it. There already was a game, that offered more than a hangar.

That's half a year now, and I still love the game. When the servers have issues, I play FFE3D and hope its additional elements will be implemented into ED. I don't like PowerPlay as it is now, would still love to see more love to the Wings (Groups like "Guilds" or "Corporations", homebases with storage, etc.), and a lot more variety and diversity. But what we've got here so far is a great game.
 

Bruce Warren

B
Elite for me.

It's out, it's fun and I don't need a Cray Supercomputer to run it on. For me that latter feature is important. We can't all afford the latest whizz bang technology. In fact it was the requirements even back in kickstarter days that stopped me backing Star Citizen. Heaven alone knows what you'll need to run the finished program on (assuming they stop the feature creep and actually get it finished)

I wouldn't want to have to rent computer time on a DOD mainframe to play it.
 

MarktJones

MarktJones
Elite, it's delivered a game I enjoy (but I've always liked playing Elite). I don't like the look of NMS, I've got the feeling it will be a puddle of a game (no depth). Might look at Star Citizen for the single player game but it looks a little ropey at the moment.
 

Zanten

Z
Obvious and inevitable 'not out yet' for the other two, so I'll instead address how the three games, (in the case of Elite, my experience playing, and in the case of the other two what I've been able to glean WILL def be a part of it,) make me feel, down in my squishy bits.

Star Citizen looks like it has the potential to either be the most fantastically intricate wonder title ever... ooooor a whirling, sparking maelstrom of shattering gears as the entire mess comes toppling down. My roommate, who was keeping track of some parts of development, mentioned that apparently there was an instance where some dev was walking about the reflection on the character's helmet or something, some REALLY inane detail they wanted JUST RIGHT to show how super hardcore they were about this... and all he could think was 'JUST FINISH THE CORE GAME, DAMNIT.' At this point I've stopped even trying to keep track of that game, as it seems like they just kept tossing on new layers as their funding levels increased.

In the case of Elite, looking back on my time playing it, (I wandered off shortly before the Wings update was released,) I've decided the primary issue I ended up having is that even though there is really cool stuff to DO, (pew pew!) especially in PvP, and of course I loved to huggle my Anaconda's nose and polish it lovingly with a rag, the actual place I was doing it IN ultimately felt... flat. Keep in mind that I'm someone who generally prefers more of a lone wolf/intimate group of friends situation than running off to make new pals, (aside from the occasional skirmish with a random player) so for me a big part of engagement is feeling the locale, and the role I'm playing... in this case, badass space pilot. And while that feeling was strong when I started- when all the mechanics, planets and stations were new and shiny- as time went on, and I became increasingly familiar with every ship and stellar object, I started to feel that magic fade. This wasn't simply due to BEING familiar with it, though; I've murdered by way through the city of Rapture so many times, I know where absolutely everything is, yet I still get engrossed on every playthrough, along with many other fictional realms I know like the back of my hand. Rather, it was because once the 'newness' of the mechanics faded, it didn't feel like there was enough meat in my surroundings- in the experiences I was discovering through my playthrough, in what my senses were being fed or what my brain could fabricate to color it- to sustain my engagement. At one point, in order to work on the rep needed to get an Imperial Clipper, I migrated from my comfortable pocket of space hundreds of light years until I was firmly in the Empire... and yet, aside from some station palate swaps, and of course seeing more NPC Clippers, I didn't FEEL the journey. The system I was in now could have been thirty light years from Empire space instead of three hundred, and as long as it was Independent it likely wouldn't have made a difference. I was engaged in the mechanics well enough, but the setting largely lost me.

Which brings me to No Man's Sky. I'm trying to keep my hype levels low- often involves looking at videos of Spore- but from what I've seen and read it might end up being my personal 'winner.' Whatever degree of complexity the mechanics have- and to be fair, between their modular technology upgrades as well as buy outright better ships/suits/weapons, the ability to synthesize new compounds with mined elements, (they have their own made-up periodic table, so you can combine different elements to make more complex compounds, ones that you could then sell for greater profit or use to help build some of the aforementioned modular upgrades,) and hints of environmental artifacts such as a planet-to-planet portal thing, they might actually HAVE a similar level of pure mechanical complexity to Elite, even if it manifests in different ways- it still looks like it might give me what I've been craving; a fascinating and beautiful galaxy I can explore. I can fly to a solar system, land upon its most interesting looking planet, use a plasma weapon to burrow a tunnel deep into the planet, mine for valuable resources and hope there aren't any Sentinel drones that'll try to laser my head off, or that it's populated by aggressive spine-backed land squids. Or find a planet with a large, crashed ship (curious as to what purpose THOSE will serve,) or a portal that takes me to another planet entirely, or... gaaah, I'm feeling hype just thinking about it. ._.
 

kilvenny

kilvenny
Three very different games based in space.

Here is an example of some of the high level differences we know currently. Only ED is released and its obviously incomplete so its impossible to do a comparison in any real detail other than comparing wish lists and maybe's which I think at this juncture makes no sense.

1) Different graphic styles - NMS is retro, ED is functional, SC is more detailed
2) Approach to space - NMS is fictional but ginormous, ED is based in in reality, SC fictional and small
3) Flight model - All 3 flight models are different
4) Is it an MMO - SC yes, ED - hybrid, NMS - Not really
 

adoredtv

adoredtv
I know people are excited about the potential of the other two games but it's important to realise that Elite is growing as a game all the time too. I'm really looking forward to CQC and it should bring in a lot of new players. Being released first counts for a lot and Elite was first by a long way.

Anyway the real threat to all of them is likely to be Eve: Valkyrie.
 
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Arithon

Arithon
I've said this before, but if they were DINOSAUR games then in the parlance of Jurassic Park...

Elite: We want more dinosaurs.
No Man's Sky: Hey, the dinosaurs are all Barney!
Star Citizen: Hello? You do plan to have dinosaurs on your dinosaur tour, right?
 

Pomerlaw

Pomerlaw
Arithon said:
I've said this before, but if they were DINOSAUR games then in the parlance of Jurassic Park...

Elite: We want more dinosaurs.
No Man's Sky: Hey, the dinosaurs are all Barney!
Star Citizen: Hello? You do plan to have dinosaurs on your dinosaur tour, right?
Click to expand...

hahahaa nice one!
 

1500

1500
Arithon said:
I've said this before, but if they were DINOSAUR games then in the parlance of Jurassic Park...

Elite: We want more dinosaurs.
No Man's Sky: Hey, the dinosaurs are all Barney!
Star Citizen: Hello? You do plan to have dinosaurs on your dinosaur tour, right?
Click to expand...

So many good lines describing SC. CIG is so focused on what they could do they are not thinking of "if they should". Does a feature really add gameplay, if the answer is no, why are you doing it. NVM the first bit about pricing is historically accurate, CIG even had a "coupon day", with a discounted package.

[video=youtube;4PLvdmifDSk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PLvdmifDSk[/video]
 
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