The Planetary landing and planetside missions discussion Thread

[Patcher]

Do you believe I will take lots of time to just walk around and see all the beautiful landscapes in Skyrim, Cyrodill and also the Ferelden. And I also take hundreds of hours in Outerra and Space Engine?

More interactive playable content is important yes, but explore the unknown world is also very exciting, especially they are very beautiful.

 

[Morbad]

I really want to brain some of you CMDRs with a brick and then fly off in your ship...so, yes.

 

[gurugeorge]

So in summary, the eye-candy of walking round your ship or landing in a planet may require a lot of development for very little usage once you've experienced it once. I think suggestions along the lines of the ones given above would maybe set it apart from star Citizen which is already going for this persistent universe as they call it but which may have little long-lasting appeal. The original Elite was a great game when played as a single player but since ED is a multiplayer game I think that's what should be focused on as its the interaction with others and the unpredictability of human nature which will give it longer lasting appeal.

It's more than eyecandy, and some people will use it a lot, it's worth having in the game. Game needs all sorts, social players included, and social players tend to like hubs where their avatars can interact. It's necessary for a multiplayer game to have that kind of thing.

If feasible within constraints set by the values of other parameters, like more content, and tweaking and bug fixing of what exists.

The developers have to balance all the things.

 

[AV2012]

I can see the attraction for planet landings, but walking around stations can't see the point.

Really? The Orbis Stations look fantastic. The potential for gameplay opportunities is incredible. Black Market contacts? Go and meet them in a shady bar. Assassination missions? Find the person you need to kill and take them out. Looking out from the lush agriculture part of the ring at the planet the station orbits. If anything walking around stations will be more interesting than landing on planets!

 

[Smugallo]

Yes we need it. It was part of Elite II & III. It would also actually add meaning to exploration.

 

[orfeboy]

When I was a kid I used to imagine a computer game that included all the best games I have played all wrapped into one. The combat and immensity of Elite, the exploration of Mercenary, the npc interaction of Bloodwych, the mystery of Dungeon Master. All of things were assigned to a single game individually. When I see the concept of taking one really well made game and strapping it onto another really well made game then I say make this a reality...

 

[Derath]

I think planet landings and walking about on station is about as shallow as you can get, meeting black market contacts in a bar is just a graphic on top of the bulletin board, I'd take some concrete and meaningful content over this anyday I mean at least you can fly a new ship. Whats needed is more depth and adding station walks at the moment would just be another broad shallow element, meat on ribs, not more ribs!

 

[HoshiQaVam]

I think you're rather missing the point.

Planetary landings isn't just eye candy, it allows for a more dynamic trade system. In other words, you have the additional option of whether you should be trying to land on a station or a planet to buy or sell your goods. For example, bio waste is something you're only likely going to be trading to space stations - expect a fine if you try to enter an atmosphere with that (a feature from Elite II). Likewise food commodities whose price is directly affected by how fresh it is, such as fish, are going to be cheaper to buy from a planet and worth a lot more to sell to stations.

That's just an example of the simple stuff. What you get beyond that is things like ground-based combat. FD have spoken about not just adding wildlife to planets, but actually allowing you to hunt them, for example. Then there is things like boarding capital ships to help capture or destroy them, or even boarding ships as an additional means to piracy or bounty hunting.

That's really the point. Unlike EVE, FD aren't just looking to add planetary landings and ship interiors as a cosmetic feature. They're looking to add entirely new methods of gameplay to help improve the whole package. That's why it isn't it yet, that's why it's an entire expansion, and that's almost certainly why it will be a long time before we see it.

Even just achieving the first few lines of this post is important, but if they can truly expand on that it really will take Elite Dangerous into a realm that no other game has really achieved - and that is very exciting.

 

[Bambi]

Considering the total lack of variety in space, planetary surfaces is one way that they could still add some interesting things to see and find. If on top they add variety to how planetary cities and bases work compared to space stations it would be an extra bonus.

 

[PsychoFish]

I am not in the mood to go through 11 pages of discussion, but I will comment on the original post:

I like where you are going in some ways. First: What gameplay mechanic can planetary landing and walking around ships bring us? <--- THIS!!!!! I also think FDev should think about improving or adding gameplay that is not simply there, but has a purpose.

For example the current mechanics:
1. Trading: People do it to get money. From midgame onward it's the only way to fund your progress.
2. Fighting: People do it for fun. It yields a little bit of money, but at a risk.
3. Exploring: People do it for fun. You cannot earn a fortune. It's just fun.
4. Mining: People do it for money early on. Later it gets repetitive and not profitable.
5. Missions: People do them to progress the lore. It's basically the storytelling. Taking over systems and stations, helping poor indipendent fighters or rich corporations.

Most of the current main mechanics can be hugely improved. This has to be priority before adding more dull content. A lot of people are complaining, that the game is boring. I do not agree, but I can see why they feel that way. 1.-5. are not yet fleshed out enough. Exploring can be improved by statistics, rare finds that unlock missions and add to the lore and so much more. The background-sim doesn't look to work as intended. Money making in the later game has to be easier than grinding traderoutes. (More difficult mission. More rewards.) Missions in general have to vary more and can maybe include long-term goals. (Help Company XY to take over another station. Find a water planet within x Ly for a scientist. ...)

Now let's talk about your suggestions I like:

1/ allow players to create missions. For example, I need a certain piece of equiment for my ship but can't be bothered running around star systems looking for it, post a mission that will reward someone for delivering it.

4/ allow players to employ others to do trading for them-that way they can make money even when off line as other players are doing their trading. In return the players doing the trading maybe get a percentage of the profit plus a large cash injection to allow them to get more storage space or weapons on their ships to aid in said job without them having to fork out the money for them.

7/ ability to hire out other players to escort you in a particularly dangerous missions or to do a particularly nasty illegal thing.

1. Brilliant idea! I am at XY Dock, find an A4 Shield and bring it here. Why not?

4. This could be possible and also expended to: I have to Kill XY - Kill him for me and we share the reward at a certain rate. This basically means: Pass on missions. It's not as easily made and balanced as it sounds in one sentence, but I think it's a good starting point.

7. A must have feature!!


Some of your other suggestions I think are OK, other I don't like. But I don't want to argue, rather try giving even more input and inspiration should some creative people ever read this.

 

[Sleepless_Knight]

I would simply say this:

I want it. Most of the people I have spoken to want it. And the majority of people that funded the game (including me) want it.

Many of us have waited decades for precisely that. I don't think they're going to be dissuaded by a few dozen people who don't want it.

For me it's about immersion. There are dozens of people I have spoken to who can't understand why I play this game when I can't get out of my chair and walk around. There is potential for Frontier to get it wrong... yes, I agree. But there is also an enormous pool of potential Elite Dangerous players out there who simply won't buy it if they don't. We might not care about them, but I'm pretty sure Frontier do.

I love this game, and I have over half my life for it... but I would be kidding myself and everyone else if I didn't say I bought into it, and funded it at kickstarter precisely because Frontier said they had this in mind for future expansions. I for one will be sorely disappointed if it doesn't happen.

 

[Phaedra]

I've already paid for both and I expect them both to be delivered. If other people don't want them that is fine. They don't have to buy the expansions when they are eventually released.

 

[Apollo Cochrane]

Heck YES we need landing on planets and walking around AT LEAST the ship. Personally, I want to be able to walk around my ship and see my cargo, fight off boarders, maybe fix something that got damaged in a dogfight! Frontier: Elite II had landing on planets and it was AWESOME! The game (for me) won't feel complete until i can fit Atmospheric Shielding, approach one of those beautiful planets, enter the atmosphere and glide down to the starport!

Edit: Oh yeah, I would LOVE to walk through the green areas of the Orbis stations too!

 

[Welp!]

the problem with walking around ship/stations is that people are playing with hotas setups, oculus, etc. it's a bit of an annoying burden to have to set all of that aside to switch to keyboard/mouse. (the oculus in particular is a very poor fps experience, at least at the moment). plus, how many people actually bought this game for the fps component rather than the space flying bit? i feel throwing in a second genre doesn't really make a lot of sense

 

[Geers]

You know what would be utterly hilarious?

Imagine you've been interdicted by a pirate, "yarr, give me ya cargo ya scurvy dog!"
"Sure thing mr scary pirate! let me just fly in a straight line real slow so all the cargo falls out in a nice line for you"
You set your course, and then run into your cargo bay, dump all the tea out of one of your canisters and hide yourself in it, then jettison yourself with the other cargo.
Pirate picks you up, you pop out in his cargo bay, sneak into his cabin and stab him in the neck.

 

[Zvanya]

Do we REALLY need planetary landings and ship/hangar walkabouts?

The Braben has said that we do, and that it will be good. The Braben will fix all that is broken and provide shiny new content to make our hearts glad!

Hallelujah to the Braben!

 

[ElGuappo]

Stuff planetary landings. Right now honestly, I would be more than happy to have a place in pretty much every station where you can simply look out over the docking area and see ships coming and going. That, to me, would REALLY add to making the game feel alive. If all the 'in ship' options you have when docked (markets, upgrades, ships buying etc) could be done there too it would more than fulfill my itch to not just look out of the same damn windscreen all the time. A few NPCs milling around would be nice, other players even nicer because ideally I'd like Open & Solo to merge in those places because, well, it would be neat, albeit wholly impractical. An external view of the ship that can be deployed as long as the player isn't in combat would also be lovely.

 

[ElGuappo]

the problem with walking around ship/stations is that people are playing with hotas setups, oculus, etc. it's a bit of an annoying burden to have to set all of that aside to switch to keyboard/mouse. (the oculus in particular is a very poor fps experience, at least at the moment). plus, how many people actually bought this game for the fps component rather than the space flying bit? i feel throwing in a second genre doesn't really make a lot of sense

I think there's probably more people who want a bit of walking around on planets and the like than there are people who'll be inconvenienced by having to change control methods.

 

[mitchman]

Planetary landings would be wicked, but there must be more to do than just land on a landing pad. We need to be able to explore the planet and such.

 

[darkcyde6666]

I want planetary landings so bad so.....

....that I can say "Was that the primary buffer panel?? Did something just fall off my goram ship??"