And what is the number of things that could be affecting this outcome?
UPnP on or off?
Firewall settings?
Your network speed?
Your connection to the matchmaking server?
Your time zone?
Did you type anything into chat, to see if others were about - as the chat is cross mode, so you'd know if others were in the same system as you?
Just because you've had zero encounters, doesn't make that true for everyone.
I've died more than once in Open Mode, to a stranger, while I'm in a haulier type ship.
This is why I no longer fly open unless I'm flying a combat ship.
GMT+1
This thread is not about a certain open-vs-solo argument. I'm an experienced CMDR with many hours of flight in various modes. My idea was just to use an alt to get a feeling of open-only playing the game, and to document this here. Nothing more, nothing less.
I've had many player encounters in the past in PG and even open in my main account, both in casual scenarios and mass gatherings (e.g. DW2), so there should be nothing seriously wrong in the networking layer of my setup.
I think the #1 contributor to the lack of encounters with my alt is the fact that it is Horizons, not Odyssey. It is not legacy, of course.
I'm also looking forward to the first participation in a CG, because I hope even in Horizons, this should show more traffic. Currently it is what it is, though.
AFAIK they can't. Basically it is the same situation as with consoles in the past: Only Odyssey players can see each other, only Horizons players can see each other. For example, if you own Odyssey and want to visit my Spectator alt somewhere on the road, you'll have to start the client up in Horizons mode (Live, not Legacy, of course) in order to instance with me. This is where I think the small number of encounters is coming from: most players will have bought into Odyssey by now, and start it by default. After all, there is no more downside in relation to Horizons mode, because the performance-hit in contrast to Legacy is there, anyway.
Really?
You may want to re-read your introduction;
It certainly reads just like the comments those "griefers and gankers and whatnot" people have been saying for 10 years in the SOG threads.
Especially when you're touting that you've gone an entire week without seeing anyone.
You're in Horizons, over the holiday season. I'd be more surprised if you did see people.
And with your vast experience, you've listed. How different do you think it would be if you were playing the most current version of the game (Odyssey)?
For the sake of £10 on the Epic store, would it be worth trying the same experiment but in the most recent version?
I see what you mean. However, it was meant as a more tongue-in-cheek introduction to the genesis of the idea. It is not meant to be a "here, you see, it is perfectly safe to fly in open, don't be a coward" kind of thread. I was a solo CMDR for most of the time as well, and I'm also far from being a ganker.
I'm not touting at all, just writing what happened. The "entire week" was exactly one session. I think you are reading too much into this personal experiment and my statements. Then again, nothing stops you from running your own.
My experience is nothing I can turn off, so yes, I am trying to get the feeling of open-only play with the resources I've at hand. The free Epic alt is all I have for the moment. I've already acknowledged that this is perhaps the #1 reason for the lack of encounters. I also posted the fact of running Horizons only for the time being in the first post. I'd gladly take donations from you to buy the DLC and restart the experiment with it immediately.
Yes - it's been going on at least since the Odyssey release that sometimes you'll get engineers randomly deciding you've met their requirements. https://issues.frontierstore.net/issue-detail/31295
It's really funny... during my travel now to The Blaster, I received the invitation to Juri as well! Feels like I'm on a golden ticket right now.
Indeed Tod would let me do engineering, but unfortunately I don't have Nickel, so I'm on my way to BD+19 2443 in order to trade down some of the PP rewards.
2 encounters already. One T7 on my way through the orbital cruise approaching Black Hide, one Python on my way back into orbit. No coms, though, I guess too little time since I was basically zipping by both of them. I'm now on course back to the CD-49 3617 system, where I have some PP duties to complete.
Funny enough, I've got another engineer hickup with Cheung being unlocked as well. That sure is bugged somewhat, but for new CMDRs it might be a godsend.
Funny enough, I've got another engineer hickup with Cheung being unlocked as well. That sure is bugged somewhat, but for new CMDRs it might be a godsend.
Interesting experiment you've got going here. It would be nice to see what difference having Odyssey makes. Do we know with any certainty that's where most players are at? Do we have any idea what the player distribution is between Horizons 4.0 and Odyssey?
Most players by headcount, almost certainly not. But by in-game activity levels, that's more possible. Certainly the AX leaderboard shot up in quantity of bonds with the Spire Orthrus hunts, for example.
I've gone for weeks not seeing anyone in Odyssey either, though that's not so much evidence of which server people are on as that I'm mainly hanging around fairly quiet systems to start with.
No, I don't think so. I suppose since in this specific case we're only really interested in Open, the following expirement could be done:
- pick a popular station in a busy system (Farseer's base, Jameson Memorial, etc.)
- dock a small ship (to avoid getting in the way) and record over a couple of hours (the longer the better, really) how many new players are added to your contacts in Horizons
- compare this with the system traffic report shown at the end of the sampling period
- next week, do the same thing at the same time in Odyssey
That should equalise everything which can be equalised, though of course it'd only be an approximation still.
(If you had two computers on the same local network, and two accounts, you could get both samples at the same time, which would be better)
I've been doing PP for Delaine for the [past 2 weeks (well week and a half starting Thursday before last) Open Odyssey the whole time and encountered 3 Cmdrs.
1st was unpledged and didn't seem to notice me. 2nd was an Aisling pledge flying a corvette, upon seeing me apparently decided the best course of action was to high wake. 3rd was another Delaine pledge who ignored me.
1st was unpledged and didn't seem to notice me. 2nd was an Aisling pledge flying a corvette, upon seeing me apparently decided the best course of action was to high wake. 3rd was another Delaine pledge who ignored me.
Interesting. Like other's have said; I think you need Odyssey. I suspect most players are in Odyssey nowadays.
I fly (almost) exclusively open. It's great; very occasionally see other players to say Hi. Have to be aware in popular systems (CGs, engineers, Sol, ShinDez) for gankers but if I cannot avoid being interdicted then I can generally outrun them. Gets annoying if it's repeated interdictions but repeatedly outrunning a recent ganker had him bleating about 'how unfair I was being' by 'not playing the game' and I 'should just be in solo'. I think I spoiled his fun.
I fly (almost) exclusively open. It's great; very occasionally see other players to say Hi. Have to be aware in popular systems (CGs, engineers, Sol, ShinDez) for gankers but if I cannot avoid being interdicted then I can generally outrun them. Gets annoying if it's repeated interdictions but repeatedly outrunning a recent ganker had him bleating about 'how unfair I was being' by 'not playing the game' and I 'should just be in solo'. I think I spoiled his fun.