Modes The Solo vs Open vs Groups Thread - Mk III

[Mohrgan]

Hasn't anybody else figured that by now, everything that can be said on this topic already has been? I think the FD have enough data to make decisions about this by now. And they haven't changed anything. So they probably ain't gonna. Can we let it drop and talk about something that hasn't been killed to death?

Some of us stick around to get the new comers up to speed. Some of the complaints about the modes come to players later in their carriers, and new players show up all of the time. I stay to dispense the Pro-Modes side to players that are new to this debate.

 

[Jockey79]

Hasn't anybody else figured that by now, everything that can be said on this topic already has been? I think the FD have enough data to make decisions about this by now. And they haven't changed anything. So they probably ain't gonna. Can we let it drop and talk about something that hasn't been killed to death?

FD said this, I've quoted it - several times.

 

[Jordan Cobalt]

Really?

OK Jordan I know your not dense so why are you acting like it? As I said... "If people don't want Open to be the wasteland some claim it is THEY need to clean it up themselves."

I knew what you were getting at, I was intentionally misunderstanding you. It's up to fd to fix the game not an open defense force.

 

[why fi at all]

Solo may be a better choice if your only goal is to grind. I don;t argue that the modes should be equal end equivalent, I say that the field is leveled because everyone has equal and equivalent access to all of the modes. If you are looking for some PvP action, Open is surly the way to go. If you want to concentrate on a PvE goal, open may be better suited. That you feel that open is your preferred mode, then you have to accept the results of that choice.

There is a parade of "where is everyone", "where can I find a fight", "we need to incentivize open" threads. I dare say just as many "I got ganked, so I'm going to solo" threads. I've seen open referred to as a "wasteland', 'ghost town', and 'deserted' by others frequently, so I think you may have to readjust your view there.

In this thread alone, there are a number of players that have said they just plain prefer solo. Because of connections, disabilities, shyness, or just a quiet place to wind down from the trials of everyday life. There is even a large group of players that expected to get a completely offline version of Elite, but were offered SOlo as a reasonable substitution. Players may just prefer to control the people who they interact with. That's all we're talking about here. Just a choice of whom we spend our game time with.

You must have skipped the myriad posts in this very thread, and/or it's cousins, expressing that very sentiment. Read back through the Threadnaught and you just may change your mind. The 'I'm going to solo' threads aren't from established players who fear an insurance claim. It's from new players being preyed upon by the bullies looking for an easy kill. It's not hard to understand their motivation. Leaving the modes available to all even gives those guys a later chance, when they have their 'space legs', for some revenge. When I want to mix it up with other commanders I have to jump dozens of times to find anyone up for a fight.

What extra risk there may be in open is totally selective. You can, as evidenced by many posts, effectively play 'solo' in open if you avoid the hot spots. SPace is vast and many times this thread has been given advice on how to 'stay safe' in open, just to encourage participation. The fact that the games instancing rules can 'hide' you from potential adversaries for any of the uncountable reasons within the matchmaking code, brings the risks in open and solo much closer together. Finally, with the 'submit, boost, jump' mechanic firmly in place, just about anyone can avoid combat more often than not. Any extra risk in open seems so minimal, to an experienced player, that it hardly deserves a reward.

very pleased to give you plus one rep for this post.

 

[Mohrgan]

I knew what you were getting at, I was intentionally misunderstanding you. It's up to fd to fix the game not an open defense force.

FD's solution is Mode switching. If you don;t like one environment, try another, if you can't find one you like, make your own. If you (read: Players in open) want a larger population, you may have to self police to get that. Otherwise FD is just as happy to have the Modes sort it out.

 

[Jockey79]

.....you may have to self police to get that....

I'm going to have to dig out that video with DBOBE saying this is what is supposed to happen.

 

[Mouse]

I knew what you were getting at, I was intentionally misunderstanding you. It's up to fd to fix the game not an open defense force.

And Open will still have the issue and become the wasteland because those who want Open to be a place people want to go will instead sit on their hands and wait.

 

[Cowboy Bats]

A LOT of players start out in open, but ditch into solo the second they see any kind of conflict in a system they want to travel through... then once they drop into the space station, BOOM.. they are back in open again, safe behind the walls of the station. How is this type of game play good for the community at all? In any way?

Is there any evidence of this practice, because as it stands it makes no sense. If it was a player's intention to retreat to solo at the first sign of conflict, why would said player bother with logging into open in the first place, let alone go through all of the trouble of dropping out to solo then logging back into open to dock?

I'm not buying it. The aforementioned player who wants to avoid conflicts with other players isn't likely to be in open in the first place.

 

[Asp Explorer]

The aforementioned player who wants to avoid conflicts with other players isn't likely to be in open in the first place.

A purely hypothetical player who just wants to annoy other people can do that all day. The only people who get annoyed by that are those who only wish to shoot at other people. Some people like to annoy those who only wish to shoot other people. The RAEG can be epic!

 

[Mohrgan]

A purely hypothetical player who just wants to annoy other people can do that all day. The only people who get annoyed by that are those who only wish to shoot at other people. Some people like to annoy those who only wish to shoot other people. The RAEG can be epic!

Asp can be naughty. Would you believe the old bait and switch ploy? (I suspect this may be too obscure of a reference. I'm showing my age again.)

 

[Asp Explorer]

Asp can be naughty.

Guilty as charged M'lud!

 

[why fi at all]

Perma-banning griefers would do more for open than a credit boost or supercruise adjustment.

i agree.
it will never happen, but it would make all the difference to me.


edit. OK maybe not ALL the difference, but enough the i would most likely spend more time in open that any other mode.

 

[why fi at all]

So.

Either -

Open is a wasteland, devoid of any player interaction (mostly interpreted as "having no players to shoot at")

or

Open is far more risky due to player interaction (mostly interpreted as "being shot at by players")

I'm confused.

hhmmmm.
now that you mention it, i had not thought of the connection you point out here.

+1 rep to you.

 

[why fi at all]

It's easy;

There is no Open,
There is no Groups,
There is no Solo.

There are too many players upon us,
There are too few players upon us.

We are alone among many,
There is only self.

we should have a contest to name this new religion.

 

[why fi at all]

"I IZ pew-pew u coz u suckzoorz an haz no skillz! F34R my pew-pew n00b! U suxxors lame and cry coz u haz NO SKLLZ!!"

google translate says that is english.

well i guess languages evolve.

 

[relayer]

ninja'd by Mouse

 

[Nonya]

But it's not just server costs. It's would be a lot more complicated than just running multiple copies of the BGS and PP. There are community goals which are injected manually by the Devs, GALNET articles etc. all of which would have to be different for the two versions and which would presumably grow farther and farther apart as time goes on (different outcomes to CGs etc).

So what you're really saying is that FDEV is too lazy to implement two separate BGS running at the same time?
They already do this with the shadowban.

The only people who do not like the idea of separate "saves" (read: BGS) for solo/private groups and open are those that use the current system as an EXPLOIT.
They like to fly in open and pretend their gangster until they see other players coming for them and when it's time to do gangster "stuff", they combat log, jump to solo, get to the station, log back in OPEN and whine/complain/talk smack.

 

[why fi at all]

Welcome to Scotland* - where REAL men wear skirts

* alas, I don't live in Scotland any more - but I do get a good laugh out of yanks wearing it wrongly

how can a man be a man without a kilt?
http://www.scotclans.com/scottish-shop/kilts/

 

[relayer]

I knew what you were getting at, I was intentionally misunderstanding you. It's up to fd to fix the game not an open defense force.

First, if you are going to "intentionally misunderstand" people, there's no point in engaging any of your posts/arguments. You might want to rethink that strategy.

Secondly, I think FD is letting Darwinian selection happen: the lack of players in open pretty much says that most people don't really find it that much better and many of them leave to avoid the Funboy crowd, who infest open.

The metagame is playing itself out. FD doesn't need to fix anything about the modes.

- - - Updated - - -

I'm going to have to dig out that video with DBOBE saying this is what is supposed to happen.

I would like to see that. I will rep you for effort

 

[Asp Explorer]

how can a man be a man without a kilt?
http://www.scotclans.com/scottish-shop/kilts/

[video=youtube;pDJflQfNUE8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDJflQfNUE8[/video]

Drunks of Sol approve!