The game isn't the same anymore.

[SergMx]

I'm sorry for this post but I wouldn't write about it if it was just my opinion, I've been hearing it from other people lately.

I was always interested in playing Elite because it was always a mystery. Finding something mysterious and obscure and trying to figure out what it was.
I remember spending months looking for Guardian bases and tapping every stone there, hoping to find something.

Thargoids, exploring their bases, generating starry skies, spires, exploring the Thargoids themselves - everything is interesting. Even the war - always wondered what would happen next.

There is a whole thread on the forum about Raxxla, people are trying to find it and solve the riddles.

And what do we have now - PP2, Colonization ? And what is mysterious and interesting about it ? Stupid construction or capture, routine.

So what's next for the Elite?

 

[ꝁestrel]

I remember when I built my first ship for deep space exploration. I naively installed every scanner that I could in the utility slots because I was hoping to find something worth scanning/investigating. Later I learned there's no point.

There's definitely something exciting about going into the unknown and pulling on the thread of some deep mystery. Even better when there's a payoff at the end like exotic material or some form of wealth generation.

I just don't know how that can scale to tens of thousands of players all seeking the same thing. There can only be one Indiana Jones.

 

[Coolgroove]

So what's next for the Elite?

Guild system update. New ships.

Maybe open-world game Elite would get something in the second update later this year, nothing else except for that chance.

 

[Monk]

This game has changed a bunch of times. It will change more times in the future too. I remember when exploration was actual exploration...having to use parallax movement to detect stars/planets outside of the range of the discovery scanner. or before engineering when skill was king. or before 1.0 when we just had the "pill"

 

[Dougie]

Do people (who have been on here longer than my month or so) feel that the SCO drives have spoiled some of the game? I read about the "Hutton run" (no I didn't go to claim a free Anaconda) but I suppose even that is insignificant distance-wise any more in something built for SCO.

So has making space travel faster been a spoiler or a boon?

 

[Coolgroove]

Do people (who have been on here longer than my month or so) feel that the SCO drives have spoiled some of the game?

Nope. It removed waiting, and replaced it with fun. Best change of 2024.

I read about the "Hutton run" (no I didn't go to claim a free Anaconda) but I suppose even that is insignificant distance-wise any more in something built for SCO.

You should check out new Hutton Orbital then, much more significant

 

[Robert Maynard]

Do people (who have been on here longer than my month or so) feel that the SCO drives have spoiled some of the game? I read about the "Hutton run" (no I didn't go to claim a free Anaconda) but I suppose even that is insignificant distance-wise any more in something built for SCO.

So has making space travel faster been a spoiler or a boon?

For me it's been a definite improvement, speeding up egress from the system entry point and gravity wells. I did over 20 runs to Hutton Orbital during the CG for the Hutton Mug - and I don't mourn its passing as a bit of a "gotcha" for players taking missions unaware of the extreme distance of the outpost from the main star.

That said, the spirit of the Hutton Run still exists, albeit in a new location - with a new Hutton Orbital in the Dabih Major system - 15,649,664 Ls (0.496LY) from the system entry point.

 

[krylite]

I think it depends on the type of player. Some or plenty are content to just immerse in the world of ED, partially roleplay a cmdr in a various role, such as being an agent for a power in powerplay. Or just being a humble taxi driver or freight "space trucker" making a living in this nicely realized hard sci-fi world , bringing to life classic sci-fi ideas in media and books. With colonization, a cmdr being an architect is investing partially into a business role with dividends from facilitating colonizing a system for mining or habitation interests. They could just leave up to pioneering explorers to discover and map out the system beforehand before one day a colonizer ship comes to build a platform.

As for the sco drive, I think it was a good compromise and overall sorely needed. The jumpdrive making interstellar jumps using frameshift tech isn't precise enough to be able to jump to a system body or location within a system based on lore (or FDev's planning and considerations to make it less of a complex headache for this hybrid mmo, just as the old Elite method of traveling using sublight fusion drive and dreamtime speedup was replaced with partial frameshift cruising and 'interdiction' ). Considering the old Star Trek TOS series lore equated average warp speeds to 60 to 100c only, with warp 10 being 1000c in the old system and approaching infinite with the TNG scale which the ships could never reach. So basically Kirk and crew were on shift duties traveling 5 to 8 Ly only per day. The Hutton challenge was just an outlier that had a distance of a fraction of a lightyear, but it would be routine travel for a star trek crew used to spending days and weeks on duty. Where as cmdrs , most of us don't have the time in-game to cruise an ED ship for days. I actually like this compromise very much, and it puts to rest prior detractions of how the game took too long of game-session time to travel anywhere for various mission goals or otherwise, without compromising the ambition and vision of the ED interstellar galactic scaled simulation.

As for 'loss of mystery', there's just a first time for a new player to discover and experience the initial wonders and mysteries of what's implemented so far in the game world. But I have faith and am optimistic ED will continue to be updated and improved upon and this colonization is just start for a continuing new era and decade of ED and that there will be more and new things for various player interests in the spacesim.

 

[Monk]

Do people (who have been on here longer than my month or so) feel that the SCO drives have spoiled some of the game? I read about the "Hutton run" (no I didn't go to claim a free Anaconda) but I suppose even that is insignificant distance-wise any more in something built for SCO.

So has making space travel faster been a spoiler or a boon?

Generally a boon. Long supercruise travel just becomes an "alt-tab" affair while I engage with something interesting.

I like the way it is limited, too. Performs like crud on old ships but really smoothly on the new ones. But its still there for the older ships, and thats great. The biggest thing I've noticed is I'll find it more worth it to full-scan far away stuff that I'd usually just skip while exploring.

 

[Helmut Grokenberger]

Do people (who have been on here longer than my month or so) feel that the SCO drives have spoiled some of the game? I read about the "Hutton run" (no I didn't go to claim a free Anaconda) but I suppose even that is insignificant distance-wise any more in something built for SCO.

So has making space travel faster been a spoiler or a boon?

I was one of those voices that always made the Douglas Adams "space is big" quote, and I was always very outspoken against watering supercruise travel down, making it instant, trivialising space travel. In general I like that things take an effort to a certain degree, it is what makes space feel big.

But I admit after an initial phase of scepticism and rejection I really like the SCO concept. I think Frontier found a nice balance. If I had to criticise anything I'd say that SCO is a bit too easy on the new ships. But the concept is well done.

 

[Vasco Sapien]

I'm sorry for this post but I wouldn't write about it if it was just my opinion, I've been hearing it from other people lately.

I was always interested in playing Elite because it was always a mystery. Finding something mysterious and obscure and trying to figure out what it was.
I remember spending months looking for Guardian bases and tapping every stone there, hoping to find something.

Thargoids, exploring their bases, generating starry skies, spires, exploring the Thargoids themselves - everything is interesting. Even the war - always wondered what would happen next.

There is a whole thread on the forum about Raxxla, people are trying to find it and solve the riddles.

And what do we have now - PP2, Colonization ? And what is mysterious and interesting about it ? Stupid construction or capture, routine.

So what's next for the Elite?

The Colonial push will cause the Thargoids to have a tantrum again as players push towards Witchead. (Watch those little lights turn on as a human tendril pushes its luck)

The story will continue.

Personally id love to see the Guardians return as either a flesh and blood splinter civilisation or the A.I versions.
This then opens up trade with a new game power in a new bubble that happens to be Alien.
Maybe even some sort of incursions into Thargoid space (which floats above Barnards loop).

Frontier better hurry up though and make use of all those permit locked systems... the game is a decade old now.

 

[oblivionmanman 2476]

the game has changed but its opened up many things ,we had the thargoid war now we have colonization,but the rest is still there,many players havnt tried all the aspects of the game,many places to go and look at,abandonded stations,guardian exploration.the list is there,get out the bubble its out there,after ten years im finding stuff i havnt done,exobiology and dare i say it odessy missions,take part in the cg,rememder building the colonia bridge best cg they had,o well had to stick my oar in just love the game,07

 

[aRJay]

Do people (who have been on here longer than my month or so) feel that the SCO drives have spoiled some of the game? I read about the "Hutton run" (no I didn't go to claim a free Anaconda) but I suppose even that is insignificant distance-wise any more in something built for SCO.

So has making space travel faster been a spoiler or a boon?

Yes.

 

[Hank]

What draws me back each time I've quit ED, is the Galaxy. The 1:1 Milky Way Galaxy is amazing. I like being able to point to a place in the sky and go there. The only other game that does that is SpaceEngine. Imho, SE is not a game but a space exploration or astronomy tool. It was originally based off a Russian Astronomer's work who accumulated a huge database of astronomical findings (but correct me if I'm wrong).
I've pulled up star systems in both ED and SE and found them to be very similar. SE also nailed procedural generation to where you can go to other galaxies and wander aimlessly. ... like I do most the time - just star gazing - looking for a good picture
The way you move through the galaxy with ED is more believable than other games imho. Most of the new features I have not tried. I don't have a FC either but I still enjoy ED.

Have a nice day

 

[Commander Biscuit]

Fingers crossed for the last update of the year. Hopefully it's lore/exploration based. Without a dedicated writer though, who knows. We're probably looking at another gameplay feature.

Then again, we don't necessarily need something new to have our imaginations recaptured. Head on into the black. Get away from the PP, bubble expansion, and community goals. See if it changes how you feel.

 

[ꝁestrel]

Hopefully it's lore/exploration based.

The dream.

 

[Tifu]

And what do we have now - PP2, Colonization ? And what is mysterious and interesting about it ? Stupid construction or capture, routine.

So what's next for the Elite?

Well, the lucky colonists in Pleaides may get regular Thargoid visitors and those near Guardian sites, Guardians or Guardian AI.

And most probably, none of the above will be friendly.

 

[SergMx]

Probably because of the translation, I didn't get the meaning right.

The discovery of derelict generational mega ships was a mystery, Nemesis was a mystery and it wasn't clear what was next, it sparked interest in further exploration.

And now what? What's mysterious about PP2 and Colonization? I'm not arguing that these are fundamental changes to the game but what then? Basically all these SKOs, PP2, Colonization are changes to the basic mechanics of the game but what about the game itself? Where is the further narrative of the game? The mysteries of space, other civilizations, unexplained discoveries, etc.

 

[AngryAntz]

Do people (who have been on here longer than my month or so) feel that the SCO drives have spoiled some of the game? I read about the "Hutton run" (no I didn't go to claim a free Anaconda) but I suppose even that is insignificant distance-wise any more in something built for SCO.

So has making space travel faster been a spoiler or a boon?

I am one that thinks it spoils things to a degree (not planning on rage quitting or anything), ED, for me at least, is about patience and sitting back and thinking about the great philosophical questions of our time like : If moderators make a naughty post, do they immediately report themselves. You know, the really big questions.

Or making and having dinner on my way to Hutton.

I know a "go fast" button is what forumites have asked for for years, so I imagine at lot are happy at its inclusion.

Having said that, I do like being able to get out of gravity wells quickly

 

[Rubbernuke]

SCO to me is like a little brother of this:

The only annoyance for me is that its split the new ships from the old.

And yes, I get the video was the point to point concept and not SC 'as we know it'