The "problem" with the current Thargoid attack gameplay

[NeilF]

"We must evacuate damaged stations," I hear some CMDRs telling us. "We must repair damaged stations," I hear some CMDRs telling us. The problem is, what's unfolding risks feeling like a set of switches being flicked each Thursday morning, so IMHO it's not surprising many CMDRs simply risk responding with, Why?


Let's consider for a second where we are supposedly in the ED universe. Thargoids are now attacking stations. So what should we be doing logically?:-

• Possibly sending out scouting parties trying to spot the enemy. Seeing if they're building up in numbers etc etc. ie: Tactical information where they might be heading to next?
• If possible, try and hit them first before they can reach a station? ie: A first strike to stop an attack or reduce their numbers?
• Supply stations at threat to potentially build up defense related assets, to help them defend against any Thargoids arriving there?
• Defend stations, so if Thargoids do turn up, there's forces there or at least nearby to help reduce the damage done?
• And during evacuations/repairs, maybe defense could still be an issue, at least early on there would be the threat of Thargoid ships still potentially turning up again?

Instead, what we currently have is:-

• Thursday morning server tick - Station(s) damaged.
• "Safe" evacuation gameplay.
• "Safe" repair gameplay.

So all we see is a distant shadow of what's supposedly taking place in these terrible attacks...

And we're suppose to feel engaged how? We're suppose to feel motivated why? We're suppose to buy into this threat because?


Anyway, this is my take at least on the current position... Looking at it at the moment, personally I don't feel much motivation to get involved because, (a) there's not much gameplay involved that attracts me (this is a game not a job), and (b) I don't feel I/we can make any/much of a difference.


ps: And a minor comment along these lines - Maybe if a station is damaged by a Thargoid attack, any CMDRs who left their ships onboard should face a rebuy screen next logon This is suppose to be Winter in Elite Dangerous is it not?

 

[babelfisch]

+rep, absolutely agree with that.

 

[Cosmo]

Seconded. Need some live station defense gameplay. Now we only arrive after Thargoids wrecked a station.

 

[zombieapocalypse]

Yeah, that would be cool.

 

[babelfisch]

Seconded. Need some live station defense gameplay. Now we only arrive after Thargoids wrecked a station.

I think also all the stuff about scouting and intercepting them sounds good.

 

[GreyAreaUK]

No arguments here.

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

+1

Basically what I said in another thread.

With instancing and modes, it's not possible to really counter a station attack in real time.

But, Thargoids attacking stations could use some sort of torpedo.
Each registered hit, per instance, on the station adds points to the Thargoids side. Each destroyed Thargoid, or torpedo adds points to the station side.
Stations can be bolstered to resist Thargoid attacks better using conventional CGs, and whatnot. (So traders/miners can enjoy it)

Who ever ends with the most points, wins.
If the station has far more points than the Thargoids, the station takes little to no damage. Or visa versa, the station could be obliterated completely.

 

[vidslo]

Can't disagree with you here. I get the idea of FDev wanting to roll out the narrative of 'The Return' over time, but when it's on a scheduled, weekly dump of material, it takes away from a more natural feeling of an invasion.

When the first encounter happened a year ago, no one really had an idea that anything was different until one Cmdr got ripped out of hyperspace.

Currently, we can count on something happening every Thursday. It might be stations attacked, it might be a new Thargoid type, or it might be nothing, but the idea that our new content is on a predictable schedule definitely takes away from the surprise factor. I'm sure there's far more work in the background with server outages/etc, but I hope FDev would consider a bit more random (and a bit quicker) roll out.

 

[GG7]

Seconded. Need some live station defense gameplay. Now we only arrive after Thargoids wrecked a station.

I'm currently on my way out to MAIA to check out Obsidian Orbital and see what the Thargoids did to it last night. Before I even get there I already know what my gameplay options are going to be.

I already know there is going to be a "rescue ship" parked nearby with the Economy Passenger cabins I will need to buy in order to evacuate the station's population.

I already know that I can use Collector Limpets to snag debris from inside the docking barrel if I want.

I already know it will be HOT inside the station and I will need Heat Sinks.

I already know all this because I have previously been to other attacked stations, and they all offered identical gameplay mechanics.

Right down to the fact that the "Voice Overs" of the various station staff are all the same identical audio files. The same voice (s) at every single station I visited, despite them being light years apart from each other.

So... When it is suggested that Frontier is "Phoning In" this entire chapter of the 2.4 content, that isn't hyperbole! Its the most descriptive term any of us could use if we have actually gone out to these stations and checked out more than one of them.

Hard to not be disappointed when the modest level of effort expended on these by Frontier begins to become glaringly apparent.

 

[CMDR Carbo]

There is also no point in repairing any Aegis stations because they could just be ticked "destroyed" again the following Thursday and there is nothing anybody could do about it.

 

[babelfisch]

+1

Basically what I said in another thread.

With instancing and modes, it's not possible to really counter a station attack in real time.

But, Thargoids attacking stations could use some sort of torpedo.
Each registered hit, per instance, on the station adds points to the Thargoids side. Each destroyed Thargoid, or torpedo adds points to the station side.
Stations can be bolstered to resist Thargoid attacks better using conventional CGs, and whatnot. (So traders/miners can enjoy it)

Who ever ends with the most points, wins.
If the station has far more points than the Thargoids, the station takes little to no damage. Or visa versa, the station could be obliterated completely.

Basically just a CZ around stations. I don't even need to see how it gets destroyed in real time.

 

[UnhappyDev]

Let's consider for a second where we are supposedly in the ED universe. Thargoids are now attacking stations. So what should we be doing logically?

---snip---

All good ideas. I was expecting that at some stage that there will be some kind of Station defence gameplay along the lines you suggest. I would imagine plenty of dev effort required though - and Q1 is ticking.

 

[Schlack]

I'm currently on my way out to MAIA to check out Obsidian Orbital and see what the Thargoids did to it last night. Before I even get there I already know what my gameplay options are going to be.

I already know there is going to be a "rescue ship" parked nearby with the Economy Passenger cabins I will need to buy in order to evacuate the station's population.

I already know that I can use Collector Limpets to snag debris from inside the docking barrel if I want.

I already know it will be HOT inside the station and I will need Heat Sinks.

I already know all this because I have previously been to other attacked stations, and they all offered identical gameplay mechanics.

Right down to the fact that the "Voice Overs" of the various station staff are all the same identical audio files. The same voice (s) at every single station I visited, despite them being light years apart from each other.

So... When it is suggested that Frontier is "Phoning In" this entire chapter of the 2.4 content, that isn't hyperbole! Its the most descriptive term any of us could use if we have actually gone out to these stations and checked out more than one of them.

Hard to not be disappointed when the modest level of effort expended on these by Frontier begins to become glaringly apparent.

essentially what FD have introduced is new types of instances and in keeping with FD tradition will be subject to overuse. Don't get me wrong, these instances are great, really well done aesthetically , have a logical reason for cmdr actions within an overall context. However it is the same butter spread over too much bread... again.

 

[Lightspeed]

"We must evacuate damaged stations," I hear some CMDRs telling us. "We must repair damaged stations," I hear some CMDRs telling us. The problem is, what's unfolding risks feeling like a set of switches being flicked each Thursday morning, so IMHO it's not surprising many CMDRs simply risk responding with, Why?


Let's consider for a second where we are supposedly in the ED universe. Thargoids are now attacking stations. So what should we be doing logically?:-

• Possibly sending out scouting parties trying to spot the enemy. Seeing if they're building up in numbers etc etc. ie: Tactical information where they might be heading to next?
• If possible, try and hit them first before they can reach a station? ie: A first strike to stop an attack or reduce their numbers?
• Supply stations at threat to potentially build up defense related assets, to help them defend against any Thargoids arriving there?
• Defend stations, so if Thargoids do turn up, there's forces there or at least nearby to help reduce the damage done?
• And during evacuations/repairs, maybe defense could still be an issue, at least early on there would be the threat of Thargoid ships still potentially turning up again?

Instead, what we currently have is:-

• Thursday morning server tick - Station(s) damaged.
• "Safe" evacuation gameplay.
• "Safe" repair gameplay.

So all we see is a distant shadow of what's supposedly taking place in these terrible attacks...

And we're suppose to feel engaged how? We're suppose to feel motivated why? We're suppose to buy into this threat because?


Anyway, this is my take at least on the current position... Looking at it at the moment, personally I don't feel much motivation to get involved because, (a) there's not much gameplay involved that attracts me (this is a game not a job), and (b) I don't feel I/we can make any/much of a difference.


ps: And a minor comment along these lines - Maybe if a station is damaged by a Thargoid attack, any CMDRs who left their ships onboard should face a rebuy screen next logon This is suppose to be Winter in Elite Dangerous is it not?

Yes, +1. The only 'variety' I will get with these is experimenting with different ships Fun, but the novelty quickly wears off.

Couldn't they vary it a little ? Like, have the switch on a different day, occasionally? It feels like Thargoid Thursdays at the moment.

 

[Jorggs]

exactly this

+1

 

[GammaZ]

The problem is - it is all the same old hauling gameplay and nothing more. Apart from some flavor text and even some visuals (which are nice for the first time but get old fast) there is no difference between this and and other delivery missions or trade CG.
I've done enough hauling in elite for now and is not interested in doing it for whatever reason in any way, shape or form... and the reason why it happened is that trade CG-s got (ab)used for story-related things too much already...

 

[babelfisch]

OP you did it wrong. There is not enough controversy, everyone agrees with you. This thread will soon die.

 

[Exiton]

Lemme say for myself.

I will not go fixing those blasted station until FDev gives explanations

- Why the hell the stations are not outfitted for self-defense with the very same AX weapons that the organization they belong to manufactures and sells (and don't give me the crap about alien EMP, you don't need to shied entire station, just slap on weapon turret/generator/EMP shield combo on the outside of the station and it's done)?

- Why the hell are aliens leaving before completely destroying the stations?

Ideally alien invasion mechanic should be introduced. Hopefully more complex and believable than current powerplay mechanic.

 

[Martian Successor]

"We must evacuate damaged stations," I hear some CMDRs telling us. "We must repair damaged stations," I hear some CMDRs telling us. The problem is, what's unfolding risks feeling like a set of switches being flicked each Thursday morning, so IMHO it's not surprising many CMDRs simply risk responding with, Why?


Let's consider for a second where we are supposedly in the ED universe. Thargoids are now attacking stations. So what should we be doing logically?:-

• Possibly sending out scouting parties trying to spot the enemy. Seeing if they're building up in numbers etc etc. ie: Tactical information where they might be heading to next?
• If possible, try and hit them first before they can reach a station? ie: A first strike to stop an attack or reduce their numbers?
• Supply stations at threat to potentially build up defense related assets, to help them defend against any Thargoids arriving there?
• Defend stations, so if Thargoids do turn up, there's forces there or at least nearby to help reduce the damage done?
• And during evacuations/repairs, maybe defense could still be an issue, at least early on there would be the threat of Thargoid ships still potentially turning up again?

Instead, what we currently have is:-

• Thursday morning server tick - Station(s) damaged.
• "Safe" evacuation gameplay.
• "Safe" repair gameplay.

So all we see is a distant shadow of what's supposedly taking place in these terrible attacks...

And we're suppose to feel engaged how? We're suppose to feel motivated why? We're suppose to buy into this threat because?


Anyway, this is my take at least on the current position... Looking at it at the moment, personally I don't feel much motivation to get involved because, (a) there's not much gameplay involved that attracts me (this is a game not a job), and (b) I don't feel I/we can make any/much of a difference.


ps: And a minor comment along these lines - Maybe if a station is damaged by a Thargoid attack, any CMDRs who left their ships onboard should face a rebuy screen next logon This is suppose to be Winter in Elite Dangerous is it not?

+1 I agree and I like your proposals.

OP you did it wrong. There is not enough controversy, everyone agrees with you. This thread will soon die.

Or get moved to the PvP section

 

[Rennard]

Todays CG seems like a missed opportunity in this regard.

Handing in bonds for killing Thargoids could have been turned into short lived combat zones around the stations under attack.