The only legitimate criticism...

ledpup

L
(The only legitimate criticism) I've had of this game so far is the rotational correction inside the space station. That has really bugged me. I know this game isn't overly realistic (shackled Newtonian over relativity, space dust like it's a fish bowl, visible lasers, etc.) but it was the automatic rotation inside the space station that really got to me. I don't want to be coddled!

I didn't realise it was an optional flight assist! Fantastic!

What I love:

* The dogfighting is extremely compelling. I still can't finish the last wave of Incursion, but getting closer every try.
* The controls are very well done. They are better than many complete games. I bought a full set of CH products after only a few days with my Logitech Extreme 3D (which plays it very well, btw)
* Graphics are excellent (will need a desktop upgrade soon!)
* Ships are really cool. Not fancy, but distinct. Even the Sidewinder vs the Cobra has the scale difference to distinguish them. Seeing a Cobra fly into the station makes me feel small in my trusty Sidewinder. (The Anaconda is a bit blah though)
* I love how the scanner has made it through intact from 30 years ago (I started playing Elite around '89 and played for months and months and months. Probably a couple of years.)
* My long shelved TrackIR finally has a use. Worked straight away, without any configuration.
* The trading is just how I remember. It's tedious but there is always a significant goal in view. Compared with other MMOs and games I've played (about thirty hours in WoW or Diablo III, for example) the tedium vs reward is balanced. I'm happy to do another trade run, 'cause I'm going to get another pulse laser!
* The attention to detail. There is a point to everything. I've yet to turn off flight assist or escape with silent running, but I will one day and it'll be extremely cool when I do.
* I love how the stars in the skybox are a render from the galaxy model. Very simple idea in many ways (probably only took a few days to code) but so incredibly insightful and immersive.
* The sound is really well done. It's better than X-Wing. It's better than Frontier (though I remember the sound on a starting planet that had an ambience to it that I truly loved). Actually, I can't think of a game with better sound. There probably is one, I just can't think of it.
* System-engine-weapon management. Ripped straight from X-Wing! But it was an excellent idea so well done in the acquisition! Plagiarism is necessary. Progress implies it.
* The tightness of the game development. You're doing things in the correct order and doing them extremely well.
* Not a single crash to desktop yet!!!
* After waiting about 20 years for Frontier to get off their arses and do what they do best, all the programmers, modellers, sound technicians, designers, office staff, etc. are doing it much better than it's been done before.


What I want:

* Let me turn off the freaking "space dust"
* I want to be able to point my ship at a star, target it and say "Right, I'm going there!"
* Shield management like X-Wing (I know it's coming)
* To be able to pilot or co-pilot the Cobra with a friend, with meaningful roles for each, just like we did back in '89-'90. (But right now, I'll be super happy to fly wingman come next release.)

To conclude, fabulous game guys. I've wanted to play this (again!) for such a long time. And now it's coming and it's much, much better than I expected!

Commander Led Pup




PS After the initial Kickstarter pitch, I couldn't believe how rubbish ED seemed like it was going to be. I almost didn't put any money down. But it was Elite! I simply had to! I just thought Star Citizen were going to do it, rather than Frontier. Then I downloaded the SC hanger module. Hmm... Then I saw the ED alpha videos. Hmm... Then I tried Arena Commander. Hmm... Then I watched https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKOZtoH30e4. Then I bought the PB. Maybe SC will deliver (they'll need to make massive changes to do it). I don't care.
 

forger

forger
ledpup said:
PS After the initial Kickstarter pitch, I couldn't believe how rubbish ED seemed like it was going to be. I almost didn't put any money down. But it was Elite! I simply had to! I just thought Star Citizen were going to do it, rather than Frontier. Then I downloaded the SC hanger module. Hmm... Then I saw the ED alpha videos. Hmm... Then I tried Arena Commander. Hmm... Then I watched https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKOZtoH30e4. Then I bought the PB. Maybe SC will deliver (they'll need to make massive changes to do it). I don't care.
Click to expand...

lol, this is how i feel, except i never thought ED will be rubbish as i loved original elite and knew that it will be good game, i just didn't think they are hiding so much valuable information from us so initial thoughts were similar to yours ;)

but more i learned about ED more i realized how wrong i was - one project is doing all in complete silence while other one is spitting out information like a machine gun but nothing solid is made even now.

as for selecting stars and jumping there it might be even possible:
Colonel Kenney: David thank you for rekindling our passion! Has your team come up with any sort of method to integrate the skybox into the galaxy map so that we can maybe put our hud into a type of "exploration mode" (Similar to supercruise)? SO we could point at a star from our cockpit have a context menu come up that will link us to the galaxy map data? Then maybe an option if within range to set as the current target?
David Braben: I'm not quite sure what you're asking for, but you will be able to select stars to jump to directly from the night sky.
 

Toumal

Toumal
Fully agree with your points there. Can't wait for the galaxy to open up some more. I also hope there's gonna be a bit more eyecandy in the form of space nebulae or similar, because at the moment space can be a bit drab at times.
 

Nutter

Nutter
ledpup said:
but it was the automatic rotation inside the space station that really got to me. I don't want to be coddled!
Click to expand...

I agree with most of what you say, with regard to the rotation in space stations.

Going through the toast rack forces you to rotate with the station and I guess the computer takes over. Plus the physics of air and what not. But I take your point, it would like flying into the center of a washing machine, making unassisted landing very interesting lol.

Think taking off is slightly different as you are already rotating with the station when landed.
 

ledpup

L
Nutter said:
Going through the toast rack forces you to rotate with the station and I guess the computer takes over. Plus the physics of air and what not. But I take your point, it would like flying into the center of a washing machine, making unassisted landing very interesting lol.

Think taking off is slightly different as you are already rotating with the station when landed.
Click to expand...

Yes, but my point is that you can turn the rotational flight assist off and the station starts to rotate! Not near my PC to try it, but it'll be cool to see it, even if I can't land without aid.
 

Zvanya

Z
forger said:
one project is doing all in complete silence while other one is spitting out information like a machine gun but nothing solid is made even now.
Click to expand...

Although ED isn't quite doing it in complete silence the essence of your comparison to SC is spot on.

ED - Constant visible progress. The videos I see are mostly about gameplay and things people have done (already).

SC - Constant hype. The videos I see are mostly of people talking.

I hope SC does well - it has an impressive planned feature list. But damn I'm sick of getting "10 for the chairman" videos in my suggestions box
 
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Rog

Rog
ledpup said:
What I want:

* Let me turn off the freaking "space dust"
* I want to be able to point my ship at a star, target it and say "Right, I'm going there!"
* Shield management like X-Wing (I know it's coming)
* To be able to pilot or co-pilot the Cobra with a friend, with meaningful roles for each, just like we did back in '89-'90. (But right now, I'll be super happy to fly wingman come next release.)
Click to expand...

  1. Hopefully coming soon.
  2. I believe this is going to happen.
  3. And this.
  4. Yup, this one too eventually
:D
 

ledpup

L
Zvanya said:
I hope SC does well - it has an impressive planned feature list. But damn I'm sick of getting "10 for the chairman" videos in my suggestions box
Click to expand...

I'll have a go at calling Star Citizen as a failed project. I thought at the time of the (initial) crowd-funding that some of the funding goals were too ambitious. I.e., not nearly enough money to be able to deliver the feature(s). Having now tried what they've delivered thus far, I don't think they can do it.

I've seen this sort of thing before. I don't work in games, but I've seen a lot of money thrown at a project and the project just completely fails. You need money, sure. Lots of it. But you need something else. You need the right people. And they have to have the motivation. And you need people to call out aspects of the project as a waste of time or a side-track. When I saw the video for the asteroid hanger, I finally thought, "Hmm... I think these guys are finished." Sure, they'll come out with something. It might be okay. But it won't have the certain something. The detail, the tightness, the focus, the stability and fun-factor that'll make it a truly memorable game.

Having said that, it wouldn't necessarily take all that much for Frontier to lose their way either. A few key people leave, some funds withdrawn, some silly decisions made by an irrational manager and bam, ED starts to lose the focus. It's difficult to imagine at this point, but it could happen.
 

deMangler

deMangler
ledpup said:
Having said that, it wouldn't necessarily take all that much for Frontier to lose their way either. A few key people leave, some funds withdrawn, some silly decisions made by an irrational manager and bam, ED starts to lose the focus. It's difficult to imagine at this point, but it could happen.
Click to expand...

Always possible of course, but there are checks and balances. In general the forum and FD seem to share a vision. And there is always the DDF.
The main thing is having a vision in the first place that is clear, even if people disagree with it, even if a really vocal minority disagree with it - at least it is clear what that vision is.
One of the great things about this whole process for E:⁠D is that that this vision has become clear. this makes me optimistic.
 

JeffRyan

JeffRyan
It's like I've ALWAYS wanted this game. And I imagined something pretty damned epic. Then when it came, even from Alpha 1, it's been better than I was imagining all those years.
 

Adept

Adept
I know how you feel OP. Braben is my childhood hero, so I had to kick in. I expected to get An updated Frontier. An impressive tech-demo but not a very exciting game. Now I think Elite will be the game of the decade, and quite possibly change MMOs and sandbox games forever :)
 

NoirWolf

NoirWolf
Visible lasers are realistic as by what I seen they are ablation types ( high energy , high amplitudes , pulse regime ) and space is not a vacuum so it would photoionize anything in the beam causing it to be visible to a degree. One thing I like is if colors can be swapped at a whim it means the lasers are free electron ones :3.
 

forger

forger
natte hond said:
oeps this tread is about to explode.
Click to expand...

why? :) we are entitled to our opinions and arguments are welcomed from both sides, but overall there is enough time for them to fix everything - the problem is they don't think that anything is broken, according to all information they released so far, and as "you cannot make a game for everybody" then for big part of humanity any game is a fail ;)
 

Iskariot

Iskariot
Adept said:
I know how you feel OP. Braben is my childhood hero, so I had to kick in. I expected to get An updated Frontier. An impressive tech-demo but not a very exciting game. Now I think Elite will be the game of the decade, and quite possibly change MMOs and sandbox games forever :)
Click to expand...

I agree. ED will be just as revolutionary as the first and second Elite games.

What most impresses me is not just the fact that ED seems to make all my personal dreams and wishes come true, but the fact that it's design process at least appears to be as solid as the Olympus Mons. There is real vision behind what is done here and the talent and the will to make it happen. FD seems neigh unstoppable. This company is really showing what it can do.
 

ledpup

L
Adept said:
I know how you feel OP. Braben is my childhood hero, so I had to kick in. I expected to get An updated Frontier. An impressive tech-demo but not a very exciting game. Now I think Elite will be the game of the decade, and quite possibly change MMOs and sandbox games forever :)
Click to expand...

I'd have to add Ian Bell in there as a hero. It seems like he did a lot of the really chunky stuff with the original. But then, Frontier and FFE were fairly amazing too, so Braben gets back up on those.

What I still don't get is that for a few years I'd check out the FD website and the only adult game they had was the Outsider. It sounded interesting, for another company to be doing. All I thought was "What the hell are you guys doing?! Do ELITE!!!!"
 

Nomadski

Nomadski
Btw in the op he linked to mr wheatleys video where you essentially get a lesson in keeping your cool among a sea of frustration.

I will think about that video next time I want to throw my monitor out of the window!
 

ledpup

L
Nomadski said:
Btw in the op he linked to mr wheatleys video where you essentially get a lesson in keeping your cool among a sea of frustration.

I will think about that video next time I want to throw my monitor out of the window!
Click to expand...

The frustration of people disconnecting? That doesn't bother me. Not that I've gone up against other players. The bit that really got me was at the end, against the Cobra, with the silent running. Amazing.
 
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