The Backers want a successful launch

[SirGirard]

As backers/investors we all want a successful launch and a game that will become a classic in a much more competitive game environment than existed 30 years ago. It is therefore incredibly important that some of the fundamentals of any game are got right! As a backer/investor it does not make you a whinger, negative or obbsessive to provide constructive critic on how the game is developing. After all that is exactly what FD wanted.

As a backer I want my investment in both time and money succeed, so I am confident that the FD team are addressing some of the fundamentals in readiness for launch date. namely

TECHNICAL .......Screen stutter, random crashes, difficulty accessing server. (Important as there is no offline mode.)

GAMEPLAY.........

Difficult player interaction, not good for an MMO.
Route planner navigation memory,
Sensor range setting changes after SC transits
Unrealistic trading markets. Too little variation on products/prices/availability on a regional basis.
No warehousing/office available at station for the serious trader.
No career choices available at start, you have a zero value craft and no module availability.
NO MODULE AVAILABILITY.

GENERAL.......

The stations need more life. People, offices.....activity.
More differences between Empire & Federation.

These are just my thoughts and I am sure other backers will have other positive inputs. Ideally, it would have been good to see some of the above addressed with GAMMA, but I like to think that FD are keeping something up their sleeves for the launch in 19 days time!

 

[SS_KONIG]

I can go along with what your saying here, i particularly like the warehouse storage idea, would be nice to rent storage and it would make it easier to make money from random missions as you might have what they need in stock.
Downside is it might ball & chain you to juat a few sytems/stations but none the less its a nice idea.
I also agree with you in reguard to meeting people in offices or bars on the station that would be really cool.
Have some rep SirGirard

 

[Spiggs]

Most of what you have highlighted seems perfectly reasonable and I wish to commend you for the reasoned, constructive and tempered manner in which you have raised these points and issues.

Kindly have some rep +1

 

[Daeron]

Not having a career choice from the start is sort of the whole point of the game though. Not to be railroaded into something. You are supposed to go into it with a blank canvas. This is Elite, remember? If you want something, you wil have to search for it. That's the concept down to the very essence of it.

 

[Half Giant]

Good points.

I'd disagree with a couple.

I like the trading as it is. There is the chance to spot big profits but they change so you have to move around after a bit. The trade missions work well and can nudge you somewhere you haven't been yet. I am also sure there will always be some fine tuning of trading and maybe I've just seen it's good side since Gamma.

I also like the career choices. At the start you can trade, be lucky and spot a mission or explore. I am not good enough to fight in the basic sidey but some are.

Part of what I hope might change at launch is the centralisation of important info. Maybe a lot of people's network issues could be fixed by adjusting the MTU or adding a port mapping to the firewall but unless that information is where people expect then won't be found by most people. Early adopters are generally fine searching a forum. I hope we see helpful info, both technical and gameplay, find a home at release.

 

[SirGirard]

Not having a career choice from the start is sort of the whole point of the game though. Not to be railroaded into something. You are supposed to go into it with a blank canvas. This is Elite, remember? If you want something, you wil have to search for it. That's the concept down to the very essence of it.

Yes of course I agree with you for the most part. I guess I am putting my backer's hat on and wanting to ensure that the game, at release, captures the imagination of a huge number of new players that will build the game into an epic! I believe this needs to allow for brand new players to look at 2 or three basic craft and fittings, then decide whether they want to try exploration, bounty hunting or trading first!

I remember in the original Elite, you were left a Cobra and 100 credits to start with. (Your aunty or relative left it to you), but you owned the craft and could trade it for credits and buy a fitted "Krait", "Viper" or other small craft as I recall and we all loved the game!

Yes it's good to start with a "Blank Canvas" as you put it, but even Picasso needed a selection of paint brushes and access to paint!