Story mode

[molgrips]

Has anyone suggested a story mode for ED? It'd be another option on the main menu alongside open/solo etc, it would be solo only, and it'd just be a series of scripted missions, hopefully with a good amount of gameplay say 30 hours or so. They could release new ones every so often.

Fun diversion, no?

 

[Jons_ails]

It could be called Wing 4'20

 

[CHEWYBAKA]

I wish ED has a story, the possibility is endless in space. they can reference space tv/movie/whatever it is to create a great space action adventure story.

 

[Amy Pendergast]

Elite itself has a elaborate lore but that is fleshed out very little ingame. There are some very good books which tell part of the missing story.
It always followed the philosophy to hand you the galaxy and let you create your own stories. It's still a sandbox after all

But yeah, they could start again with more emergent gameplay, small storylines you could stumble upon and such things.

 

[CMDR Corlas]

I think your idea could be fun in theory, but I don't think FD should really focus any Elite resources towards it.

What could be really cool though - and still get your story mode fix - is if Frontier built and released scripting tools to let players create their own solo-mode story mission modules, that other players could then download and play.

I think that would be more in Frontier's area of expertise, the community could and would create some amazing content, and so players would end up with a far wider variety of (and frankly, higher quality - no offense FD) story missions to play through.

 

[CMDR Morkar]

I would like mission packs you can buy as dlc. The missions as such would start when you reach an approbiate rank in something (combat, trade, exploration...). The mission givers would be semi-randomized dependent on where you are and marked as unique missions. The missions as such would have scripted elements or just mission chains with voice-over and a story attached. Story shouldn't be something like Hero rescues the universe but just approbiate missions with some hooks and turns and good storytelling.

I actually like all the tutorials and it would be cool for new players or commanders starting over when you could play these with your newly generated character in a row in the starter zone as an introduction. After the on foot part you get to buy your sidewinder (or whatever ship you got from Kickstarter) and then do the flight tutorial. After that you can make a some free roaming in the starter zone and you get the Horizons tutorials like srv etc. with the female voiced commander who introduces you in these things. You could do a job for her, get some money for your help and make your first ship upgrades. Would create actually some nice storytelling already and leads new players around.

 

[Amy Pendergast]

I think your idea could be fun in theory, but I don't think FD should really focus any Elite resources towards it.

What could be really cool though - and still get your story mode fix - is if Frontier built and released scripting tools to let players create their own solo-mode story mission modules, that other players could then download and play.

I think that would be more in Frontier's area of expertise, the community could and would create some amazing content, and so players would end up with a far wider variety of (and frankly, higher quality - no offense FD) story missions to play through.

You will never get a real solo mode in Elite, even the existing "Solo" mode is completely in the same world as the open one, you just don't get instanced.

Modding tools for that would be like modding the world of WoW

 

[CMDR Corlas]

You will never get a real solo mode in Elite, even the existing "Solo" mode is completely in the same world as the open one, you just don't get instanced.

Modding tools for that would be like modding the world if WoW

That's true, but I don't see how it's relevant. The Solo-only thing is just to make sure other people can't mess with your module's scripting and vice-versa.

 

[Amy Pendergast]

That's true, but I don't see how it's relevant. The Solo-only thing is just to make sure other people can't mess with your module's scripting and vice-versa.

Everything you do in solo mode has influence on other players. Only because you can't see them, you still influence the same background simulation "BGS" like market, factions etc you experience in the open.
Btw this leads to one of the oldest "exploits" some people would love to be removed: You can do support for instance a faction in solo and the resulting shift of powers will be seen in open as they are one and the same.

 

[CMDR Corlas]

Everything you do in solo mode has influence on other players. Only because you can't see them, you still influence the same background simulation "BGS" like market, factions etc you experience in the open.
Btw this leads to one of the oldest "exploits" some people would love to be removed: You can do support for instance a faction in solo and the resulting shift of powers will be seen in open as they are one and the same.

Ok, again, I know that. And again, I don't see how it's relevant.

All you have to do is make it so that scripted items/cargo/NPC's/etc can't influence the BGS. That really shouldn't be complex, because the BGS isn't even generating them, so they're already distinct.

The player doing BGS-influencing stuff while also doing a mission is fine to influence the BGS because, again, it's by definition separate and distinct from what was scripted.

You're just sort of referencing obvious things that everyone knows about, but not really explaining how you think it would create and insurmountable obstacle.

 

[Amy Pendergast]

Ok, again, I know that. And again, I don't see how it's relevant.

All you have to do is make it so that scripted items/cargo/NPC's/etc can't influence the BGS. That really shouldn't be complex, because the BGS isn't even generating them, so they're already distinct.

The player doing BGS-influencing stuff while also doing a mission is fine to influence the BGS because, again, it's by definition separate and distinct from what was scripted.

You're just sort of referencing obvious things that everyone knows about, but not really explaining how you think it would create and insurmountable obstacle.

The BGS is the galaxy, so you can't do anything in there without influence Short of building a separate server setup for this.

That's why I suggested such stories embedded in the galaxy, for instance you fly to Earth and start the mission line for something, like you would take every normal mission from the board. It already supports chained missions and it's just "create more complex and elaborate" chains.

In the end this would make no difference from the players standpoint but would make the whole playground more "lively".

 

[varonica]

Ok, again, I know that. And again, I don't see how it's relevant.

All you have to do is make it so that scripted items/cargo/NPC's/etc can't influence the BGS. That really shouldn't be complex, because the BGS isn't even generating them, so they're already distinct.

The player doing BGS-influencing stuff while also doing a mission is fine to influence the BGS because, again, it's by definition separate and distinct from what was scripted.

You're just sort of referencing obvious things that everyone knows about, but not really explaining how you think it would create and insurmountable obstacle.

Ah yes, and give the Open Only players more ammunition to demand that solo players can't influence the BGS, no thanks.

But seriously, missions, one of the problems with scripted missions is they rely on assets being in game for the missions to work, and sometimes assets are removed as part of the lore, sometimes assets are restricted in usage as part of the wider events of the game, such as Thargoid attacks. The events in the game happen in real time, I mean you can still do the Ram Tah mission, but it's pretty pointless because its only meaning now is the money.

I personally think FDEV would be better of concentrating resources into proper chained missions with some depth rather than scripted events because scripted events eventually become meaningless as the main game story line advances.

 

[Amy Pendergast]

Ah yes, and give the Open Only players more ammunition to demand that solo players can't influence the BGS, no thanks.

But seriously, missions, one of the problems with scripted missions is they rely on assets being in game for the missions to work, and sometimes assets are removed as part of the lore, sometimes assets are restricted in usage as part of the wider events of the game, such as Thargoid attacks. The events in the game happen in real time, I mean you can still do the Ram Tah mission, but it's pretty pointless because its only meaning now is the money.

I personally think FDEV would be better of concentrating resources into proper chained missions with some depth rather than scripted events because scripted events eventually become meaningless as the main game story line advances.

This - ED just is no single player game.

 

[CMDR Corlas]

The BGS is the galaxy, so you can't do anything in there without influence Short of building a separate server setup for this.

That's not really... no.

If you have a plug-in mission module that, say, generates some pirates that chase you, an allied NPC, and a cargo item you have to steal (or whatever, just an example) - that's all running local for you, they don't need to be registered server-side. Which is why having it be solo-only is the way to do it - it makes it technically easier to implement.

The BGS is still there and is still running server-side, yes. So you basically make a transaction flag that says "anything from a plug-in or touched by something from a plug-in doesn't get transmitted to the servers". So none of the plug-in transactions could affect the BGS. You're basically firewalling off plug-ins from the BGS. It's a pretty straightforward process.

I also like your idea of having more complex and elaborate mission chains, but there's no reason why something like what I suggested couldn't be done as well - and long term would actually probably be easier for FD to put into place.

 

[Amy Pendergast]

That's not really... no.

If you have a plug-in mission module that, say, generates some pirates that chase you, an allied NPC, and a cargo item you have to steal (or whatever, just an example) - that's all running local for you, they don't need to be registered server-side. Which is why having it be solo-only is the way to do it - it makes it technically easier to implement.

The BGS is still there and is still running server-side, yes. So you basically make a transaction flag that says "anything from a plug-in or touched by something from a plug-in doesn't get transmitted to the servers". So none of the plug-in transactions could affect the BGS. You're basically firewalling off plug-ins from the BGS. It's a pretty straightforward process.

I also like your idea of having more complex and elaborate mission chains, but there's no reason why something like what I suggested couldn't be done as well - and long term would actually probably be easier for FD to put into place.

Sure you can still suggest that, I just say it most probably won't happen.

 

[Breytac]

Fdev can't even get the sandbox part right...a story mode would be a nightmare

 

[CMDR Corlas]

Sure you can still suggest that, I just say it most probably won't happen.

I mean, yeah. But "Suggestions that will happen" isn't the point of this forum. "Good suggestions" is.

 

[CHEWYBAKA]

Frontier can start somewhere like on CMDR Jamieson, since the lore says his body was not found a story can be made for players to unravel. i really like the game but to pursue something and be part of it is really cool

 

[jackoisinthehouse]

I think ED already has a story but it doesn't force you to participate, you see how it goes using galnet news. It's a bit harder than other games but if you hit the news then you can feel already accomplished something in a huge world almost as the real life.

Examples: find raxxla or a ghost ship or participating in stations rescues, or xeno fighting

My two cents.

 

[Lord Rak]

Has anyone suggested a story mode for ED? It'd be another option on the main menu alongside open/solo etc, it would be solo only, and it'd just be a series of scripted missions, hopefully with a good amount of gameplay say 30 hours or so. They could release new ones every so often.

Fun diversion, no?

This whole game is a Story. You are Commander. You may want to Explore, Trade or Fight or all three. Follow GalNet and do Community Goal missions.