The problem of sterility, an open letter.

[Muetdhiver]

More like meaningfull choices and consequences.

A bad game uses player's RP to fill the gaps, while a good game empowers player's RP.

To support player's RP, a game needs :

• consitent situation (problems to get involved with, in a world that makes sense)
• hooks/bangs (reasons to get involved in said situation)

• meaningfull twists & complications + rewards & consequences.

 

[Adonnay]

As for the NPC faces on mission boards, I don't really think that makes sense. Do you really think there's a (fictional) person waiting for you to call him about a mission? I can very well accept that missions are given out via a bulletin board as it is now. It's not so far from what we have today in a smaller scale (ticket system in customer support i.e.).

What I would like to see in the future (and this might hopefully come up with the craft & loot system) is more customization. What I cannot comprehend is that all ship components are so universal that a two digit designation is all they need. I read most explanations on why this might make sense but I don't buy it. I want to see different manufacturers offering slightly different shield generators in the same class category but still different pros and cons. The one from Fluffy & Strauss is a few tons lighter but also slightly less efficient while Bonkers Delight has a better recharge rate. I don't want just "5A Shield Generator", that looks like a place holder.

 

[Von Shadow]

A slightly telling thing was in another thread the other day .... someone asking similar things and someone from FDev said along the lines of 'Players have created and continue to create excellent narrative and story'

Thats the issue .... Players are having to do this in the absence of game story rather than just augmenting / supplimenting it
I was hopeful with the whole Patreus / Duval assassination thing, then we had the shadow president shuttle disaster, we had patreus extorting money from systems and other short-lived arcs..... but these story arcs just seem to get 'Eye of Sauron' treatment (like Jaques station) .... we get a week or so of decent story then it just stops dead.

Don't get me wrong.... i play little else other than E for a year now .... but i'm craving story / a feeling of being part of a bigger thing... yes i carve out my own fiction like many others do in places like Loreweavers groups .... but i want to intertwine my own trail with a wider story

 

[Muetdhiver]

The thing is : player's don't need large background stories & such.

What is really needed is for players to have a reason to pick a side, and invest in them in a meaningfull way.
Want to be a pirate : join a pirate faction, get good standing with them by helping them and get consequences from it :

• Better fence prices, intel on juicy targets in nearby systems, warning about dangerous bounty hunters and offers to buy intel about their current location and so on...
• Be hated in nearby lawefull systems, hunted on sight by federal authorities by meaningfull forces (go bad enough => Fed's equivalent of FBI gets on your back)
• Get such reputation locally that traders drop cargo upon being interdicted by you.

And so on, but in short : meaninfull situations and consequences. Having a large scale story to relate to is a plus, but not enough by itself.

 

[orfeboy]

To a certain degree. I don't think they are combat zones where you can choose a side, or am i wrong about that?

No, they are not combat zones, but civil wars spawn ships continually attacking stations now. They die by the slaughter outside while you are sitting in dock.

 

[Urbanski101]

OP I agree 100%

Another slightly telling thing was this weeks newsletter - a huge explanation of PP and how factions work.

I feel this is like explaining a joke - if you have to explain it - it isn't funny.

Nice to know the maths behind it but I still don't care. PP does not interest me, 8 rather unpleasant individuals and their political agendas is not interesting to me in real life or in a game. Nor does the plight of the faceless cookie cutter factions. I'm not a fan of getting attacked on site by other factions either and the rewards for all of this is....some credits and the chance to buy a slightly altered weapon...hmmm.

Give me a reason to care.

I have a horrible feeling that PP is 'the content'. PP is the 'game' part of ED which is being driven by the BGS. And from the newsletter it's clear this will be developed further but I get the impression that ED see the missions as 'working as intended'.

I really hope I'm wrong.