The most Fundamental Flaw of Elite - And How to Fix It

[UFO Reality]

I read and have posted some awesome suggestions that would make this game a real AAA+ title but a lot of the time I wonder if the game code could handle some of the ideas that I have read.

There is also the complexity of introducing any new concept into the game causing problems (eg. the new C&P system).

I think that if you look into it further the coders/devs are just employees with a boss and whose motivations could have the same dynamics as in any office or factory where even brilliant workers will never put in 100% due to the fact that nobody likes to be exploited, and then there could be the possibility of other nasty business of working with others that may have friction/personality clashes being involved.

Maybe a brilliant boss/manager could encourage its employees with great incentives such as bonuses and gifts for brilliant work and find a means of identifying and cultivating talent in its team. (mind you I don't know none of the FD team personally and have not received any money to write this)

Since playing ED I have learnt and realized how complex game development is and that it is a fine balancing act between business, skills and art.

I admire the effort that everyone involved in making ED a great little game as this game has given me hours of enjoyment and lets me fantasize that I am flying a spaceship and yes, of course I often think how much it could be done better.

My rig that I have built which is a 43 inch monitor right in front of a a recliner with dual Thrustmaster joysticks bolted on, a surround sound system and a decent gaming PC has kept my inner child satisfied in the spaceship daydream department.

This setup has totally enhanced the game and its only be a step under a VR setup which I am waiting and pondering on whether I will ever cough up and get a rig to have such a setup.

I have over a thousand hours on this game and still have a love/hate relationship with it but overall I do like the idea that this game can only keep improving if the devs stay motivated and appreciated.

 

[Daynen]

Thanks.

More and more as I return to playing on and off, I find that when I log off after an hour, it's because of a lack of stuff to do.

But there's lots to do, some argue.

Well...is there lots to DO? Or...is there a lot to LOOK AT, while DOING very little?

I want to fly ships. I want the game to require focus and attention. And occasionally effort. If I want to watch Netflix, I'll log off and do that. To my mind, if a game is a good chance to watch Netflix, it's a BAD game.

So give me more time using the amazing flight model. Then refocus Support mechanics on getting me back in ship and flying as quickly and as efficiently as possible. If I want to stare at menues on a screen, I'll go back to work.

This man gets it. The era of "idle games" is a plague and I see the notion infecting games at all levels of production. There are times when even a game with as much potential as ED becomes an exercise in sheer patience. Mind you, there are times when it MAKES SENSE that we have a bit of a wait ahead: a long SC flight to a distant star in a system, a drive to close in on a mineral deposit we found on a surface, and so on. Unfortunately, BC is right in that if a game sells itself on how much it makes you wait, it has done something wrong. There is potential in ED, SO MUCH potential. It has some crucial pillars of game design in place that give the devs immense design space to work with and they've expressed a vision of vastness that few games dare to attempt, let alone actually implement...

But it keeps getting mired in the same "gameplay loops" that people think are required for a game to be fun. It keeps bouncing around the buff/nerf cycle as if it really matters which ship is the best. It keeps getting more content that demands the player stop what they're doing, completely refit their ship and pursue the new stuff to the exclusion of all else. It keeps on adding more randomness and canned responses to our actions instead of trying to implement the slightest sprinkling of common sense. It keeps getting "new" stuff that's really just variations of the same old thing (passenger missions, anyone?)

ED could be a legendary game that stands the test of time and offers a uniquely immersive experience for years to come, if only Fdev would get their heads on straight and start thinking with their brains instead of following industry trends and listening to the "I don't wanna play WoW but I want my games to do what WoW did even though I won't admit it" crowd...

If that last statement made anyone mad, then I rest my case. You know who you are and you know I'm right.

 

[CMDR Spadino]

I read and have posted some awesome suggestions that would make this game a real AAA+ title but a lot of the time I wonder if the game code could handle some of the ideas that I have read.
...
Since playing ED I have learnt and realized how complex game development is and that it is a fine balancing act between business, skills and art.
...
I have over a thousand hours on this game and still have a love/hate relationship with it but overall I do like the idea that this game can only keep improving if the devs stay motivated and appreciated.

Definitely I share those points with you, UFO Reality. Indeed, ED it's a game with an huge potential. I believe that yes, many things probably can't be implemented or there are no real will to implement them but, beside that, that game is great.

...Unfortunately, BC is right in that if a game sells itself on how much it makes you wait, it has done something wrong. There is potential in ED, SO MUCH potential. It has some crucial pillars of game design in place that give the devs immense design space to work with and they've expressed a vision of vastness that few games dare to attempt, let alone actually implement...

But it keeps getting mired in the same "gameplay loops" that people think are required for a game to be fun. It keeps bouncing around the buff/nerf cycle as if it really matters which ship is the best. It keeps getting more content that demands the player stop what they're doing, completely refit their ship and pursue the new stuff to the exclusion of all else. It keeps on adding more randomness and canned responses to our actions instead of trying to implement the slightest sprinkling of common sense. It keeps getting "new" stuff that's really just variations of the same old thing (passenger missions, anyone?)

ED could be a legendary game that stands the test of time and offers a uniquely immersive experience for years to come, if only Fdev would get their heads on straight and start thinking with their brains instead of following industry trends and listening to the "I don't wanna play WoW but I want my games to do what WoW did even though I won't admit it" crowd...

I agree with those your statements too, Daynen. I really hope that the devs and, first to all, the boss, actually get or is getting to that awesome piece of work and art the attention and abnegation it deserve.

See you all in the dark, fellows!

 

[Jubei Himura]

Man, BC, some really great ideas! Hell, it looks like you sparked some imagination from others too. +1 rep.

I honestly have nothing to add right now, but if I think of something I'll post it here!

 

[Ender424]

Great ideas!

 

[John Guevara]

good idea! would be great if you have to fly something before you start mining, because not all asteroids contains ore.