Modes The Solo vs Open vs Groups Thread [See new thread]

[Erna Jedermann]

Hi
I think I can add something why I use Solo-Mode

I am a "lone Wolf" Carthographer .... the only time when I return to my Homebase (Hutton Orbital.. ) is, when the Suns eaten to much of my CIIIEX Nostromo.
So 95% of the time I am lonely ... and I like it.
For what I should use Open/Group, if I don't want to talk, or get killed for no reason ????

Did I play ED ..NO, I really only use it, because ED is not a Game for me.... its only a Programm, which give me the possibility to fly around our Galaxy.

 

[Bigcheese]

I agree with this on all points. Right now system security is so laughable and NPC AI so inept, that players are advised to treat EVERY system as lawless anarchy. Trust no one, and always be on the lookout.

Which is a shame as it removes a lot of diversity from the game world.

To me, some of the design decisions are just crazy.

We have a game where you can always have a private army to help you kill ships. It's like nobody even bothered testing this stuff.

Why are the designers such wimps? Why is the enemy AI so bad? It's comical how they sit there and let themselves die. This game is unbelievably easy and there's no challenge to be found anywhere other than pvp, which doesn't work well because the game is for people who hate any kind of risk apparently.

The game really bends over backwards so nobody has to ever die, which is why ghost mode exists.

 

[PhazonAran]

- Make the bounty values meaningful, so if you have a 400 cr bounty on your head, system security will interdict you and will let you go with a warning, but if you have a 100K cr bounty, they'll hunt you down and kill you.

This point bugs me out. Let's be clear, a bounty is a bounty, people are willing to pay to see you dead. If such little offense could be turned in a fine on the other hand...

 

[Leper Messiah]

The problem is the pirates' impunity. If the game dealt correctly with pirates, gankers and griefers, private groups like Mobius' wouldn't be needed at all.

- Make the security level of systems meaningful and effective. So wanted peoples would be relatively safe in anarchy systems, but would definitely risk their lives in high security systems.
- Make the bounty values meaningful, so if you have a 400 cr bounty on your head, system security will interdict you and will let you go with a warning, but if you have a 100K cr bounty, they'll hunt you down and kill you.
- Make it so that pirates cannot pay their bounties to the faction that want them. So if they are wanted in the Federation, they'd have to go to an Empire or Independent system to pay their bounties off.
- Make it impossible for them to even dock at a station where they are wanted ("request denied, system security deploying").
- And make it dangerous for them to even travel through systems where they are wanted.

This would only be realism. Some guy parking near a starport and shooting or ramming with impunity the ships that exit wouldn't be possible in real life (except maybe in some anarchy systems) and is completely immersion breaking. Make the game's reaction to that kind of guys realistic and I'll be in Open all the time!

Like others have said I agree 100% with all this.

Especially the inability to dock at space stations. I would like it so that someone who Pks excessively inferior craft (traders)....eventually can NEVER dock at any reputable station and would be forced to the dodgier stations. The game needs repercussions for players actions, especially illegal actions.

 

[Lenroc elisav]

To me, some of the design decisions are just crazy.

We have a game where you can always have a private army to help you kill ships. It's like nobody even bothered testing this stuff.

Why are the designers such wimps? Why is the enemy AI so bad? It's comical how they sit there and let themselves die. This game is unbelievably easy and there's no challenge to be found anywhere other than pvp, which doesn't work well because the game is for people who hate any kind of risk apparently.

The game really bends over backwards so nobody has to ever die, which is why ghost mode exists.

I've played EVE for 6 years (just the other day my three months expired and you can check my name on battleclinic if you fancy), I've played in high in low, null and worm-hole space. I have never had a problem to assume risk where I knew the rules and could make an calculated decision. In ED I don't even know if the commander I see it's a "bad apple" or not, I may be bumped to death in the highest security system next to the entire police force, can be killed next to a station for no reason and the killer can FSD out then back in and smuggle himself into the station to pay a ridiculous amount to "repay" his deeds. The only way to play in open now is to assume everybody is out to get you and that's not something I want to experience every single gaming session.
I'm aware that the above is worse case scenario and not bound to happen but it's not my style to swing it and see what's gonna happen. Heh, I'm a bit of a control freak , I know.

 

[CMDR Sheehy]

This point bugs me out. Let's be clear, a bounty is a bounty, people are willing to pay to see you dead. If such little offense could be turned in a fine on the other hand...

yeah - but hey, if it was realistic, an elite level NPC would like at that and go pfft, not worth my while. However, you have a mostly-harmless Sys Auth rookie NPC see that and go... yeah man. I'll have that. That would be realistic.

 

[Flip]

This point bugs me out. Let's be clear, a bounty is a bounty, people are willing to pay to see you dead. If such little offense could be turned in a fine on the other hand...

You're right. There shouldn't be such small bounties. They should be fines, until they reach a certain amount or if you didn't pay them in time.

At the moment, you get such a ridiculously small bounty for accidentally hitting a security ship, or for opening fire at a wanted ship before you're done scanning it (even if you already know it's wanted and the security ships around know it too and are actually firing at it already). But really these should only be fines (unless you targeted the security ship and tried to destroy it, of course).

 

[DarkWalker]

The problem is the pirates' impunity. If the game dealt correctly with pirates, gankers and griefers, private groups like Mobius' wouldn't be needed at all.

Actually, they would still be needed. While the impunity, the immersion-breaking mindless aggression, are issues, a number of players would still have issues with the open mode even if there was no abuse at all. Some players eschew PvP completely as something undesirable, some (myself included) like PvP but will never accept taking part in the non-consensual variety, so a way for players like me to still play with others while completely avoiding unwanted PvP is a very interesting proposition and, for some, absolutely essential for playing the game.

The game really bends over backwards so nobody has to ever die,

It's what happens when devs attempt to make a game that simultaneously has harsh death penalties and attempts to be a mass market game. It's why nearly every actually hard game, such as the Souls series, has laughable death penalties. And it's why I want ED to sharply reduce death penalties while increasing the actual difficulty.

 

[Flip]

Good point, DarkWalker. I should have said "private groups like Mobius' would be much less needed".

 

[DarkWalker]

Good point, DarkWalker. I should have said "private groups like Mobius' would be much less needed".

Yep. There are players right now that would want to play in open if it was the way DB and Frontier described back before the game's launch, but that given the current state of open have decided to take refuge in solo or groups for the time being. Those specific players not only wouldn't need private groups if consequences for attacking other players out of the blue in open were fixed, they would likely enjoy the game more as a result.

And, for the inevitable comment about how it's not that bad in open: you don't know the preferences and tolerances of other players or if they had a string of bad luck, you have no control or information about the other player's experience, and for many people a single bad experience can ruin a large number of positive ones, particularly so in a game that is supposed to be enjoyable. The fact open might be fine for you don't mean it's fine for anyone else. While I would recommend everyone that doesn't have an issue with non-consensual PvP to at least try open once, there is no shame in not enjoying that mode and choosing to play elsewhere.

 

[AluminumAlloy]

I could sit on my office chair all day long eating popcorn, watching people debate about the other debater and argue instead of debating about the topic. It's very entertaining.

 

[Jorlin]

I could sit on my office chair all day long eating popcorn, watching people debate about the other debater and argue instead of debating about the topic. It's very entertaining.

too many people part of the problem and not the solution...

but what do i complain... i'm also guilty

 

[DHMeyer]

I didn't expect the forums to be so helpful from my very first day here, but looks like I have already learned something new about the game.
I'm not playing ED yet (probably will have to consider a new PC) but I was wondering which mode to choose and I was thinking about staying in solo mode in every situation when I'm running anything other than the stock Sidewinder. So basically anything apart from learning the basics. Which is kind of sad, because I'm not a totally antisocial person. It's not that I mind PvP, after all, no real money is involved, so it may be interesting. But the impression of the game I got is that it takes time to achieve something, getting a spacecraft a bit better suited for space travel than Sidewinder and outfitting it takes some time and effort. So I just wasn't sure if after, for example, visiting 100 systems and coming back with exploration data, in a battered, barely holding up together ship, I want to get killed by somebody who just wanted to kill whoever happened to be a player. Or have to constantly re-buy ships for the very same reason. But thanks to this forum I have found out about Mobius and I'm really glad I did. Because this means I don't have to play solo.
A challenge is a good thing. But when you reach a certain age, there are times when you don't need to get frustrated by any kids other than your own. Also, you get to understand that people tend to enjoy different things, different gamestyles.
PVP is totally valid as a form of entertainment, but in my opinion, players have the right to choose whether they want to participate in it, or not. If somebody is repeatedly killing other players, especially newbies and there is no penalty for that, it means that there is something wrong on the side of the game design. I do get the idea of a cutthroat galaxy and it's neat, PvP can make sense and play an important role in all of this. But senseless killing of other players just for the sake of making somebody's day worse doesn't make for enjoyable experience for anybody apart from the killer. Perhaps there has to be some sort of reputation system on top of the bounty system. Something that can't be cleared in a nearest station.
Anyway, good to know there are some options for meeting other players and not playing solo in order to avoid griefers and sad people.

 

[Jockey79]

I didn't expect the forums to be so helpful from my very first day here, but looks like I have already learned something new about the game.
I'm not playing ED yet (probably will have to consider a new PC) but I was wondering which mode to choose and I was thinking about staying in solo mode in every situation when I'm running anything other than the stock Sidewinder. So basically anything apart from learning the basics. Which is kind of sad, because I'm not a totally antisocial person. It's not that I mind PvP, after all, no real money is involved, so it may be interesting. But the impression of the game I got is that it takes time to achieve something, getting a spacecraft a bit better suited for space travel than Sidewinder and outfitting it takes some time and effort. So I just wasn't sure if after, for example, visiting 100 systems and coming back with exploration data, in a battered, barely holding up together ship, I want to get killed by somebody who just wanted to kill whoever happened to be a player. Or have to constantly re-buy ships for the very same reason. But thanks to this forum I have found out about Mobius and I'm really glad I did. Because this means I don't have to play solo.
A challenge is a good thing. But when you reach a certain age, there are times when you don't need to get frustrated by any kids other than your own. Also, you get to understand that people tend to enjoy different things, different gamestyles.
PVP is totally valid as a form of entertainment, but in my opinion, players have the right to choose whether they want to participate in it, or not. If somebody is repeatedly killing other players, especially newbies and there is no penalty for that, it means that there is something wrong on the side of the game design. I do get the idea of a cutthroat galaxy and it's neat, PvP can make sense and play an important role in all of this. But senseless killing of other players just for the sake of making somebody's day worse doesn't make for enjoyable experience for anybody apart from the killer. Perhaps there has to be some sort of reputation system on top of the bounty system. Something that can't be cleared in a nearest station.
Anyway, good to know there are some options for meeting other players and not playing solo in order to avoid griefers and sad people.

Follow the links in my sig dude, lots of people happy to help you get started

 

[DHMeyer]

Follow the links in my sig dude, lots of people happy to help you get started

I have found it already It will take some time before I upgrade my PC and am able to play, but it's great to find out there is a group like this.

 

[Grumpy181155]

I thought I would add to the discussion here and throw my two cents worth in. I have been playing solo because I have no interest in PvP and for me the game is about the journey and not about the adrenalin rush of beating someone else into oblivion. I have seen so many comments on the forums by 'pirates' and about how much they enjoyment they derive by destroying someone else that I have decided that I don't need the grief that comes with meeting someone like that in space.
The 'pirates' desire to play that way is valid, as is mine to play the way I want. I am over 60 y.o. and played the original Elite as did many others here and I have no real interest in having someone come and spoil my day just for their enjoyment. If solo play was abolished I don't think I would be playing Elite Dangerous at all.

 

[Ghost5550]

To me, some of the design decisions are just crazy.

We have a game where you can always have a private army to help you kill ships. It's like nobody even bothered testing this stuff.

Why are the designers such wimps? Why is the enemy AI so bad? It's comical how they sit there and let themselves die. This game is unbelievably easy and there's no challenge to be found anywhere other than pvp, which doesn't work well because the game is for people who hate any kind of risk apparently.

The game really bends over backwards so nobody has to ever die, which is why ghost mode exists.

It was originally going to have a single player mode which got cancelled. That is what got me interested in the game. Then the single player got cancelled and I lost interest until I learned that the game had a solo mode. I have said it before but if it wasn't for the solo mode I wouldn't have gotten Elite: Dangerous. Plus, I don't see the fun in getting killed randomly by another player. I don't like risk. I don't want to waste my time doing something just for someone else to come along and ruin it. That's why I when I play an MMO I make sure it has optional PvP with PvE servers.

I don't get what the big deal is about people playing in solo or open. People shouldn't be judged for what mode they play.

 

[deej]

I could sit on my office chair all day long eating popcorn, watching people debate about the other debater and argue instead of debating about the topic. It's very entertaining.

Some say... the forums are more entertaining than the game itself.

 

[CMDR Sheehy]

You know what, Bigcheese, you've finally convinced me after all this time being a fanboi.

Here's what I now think:

• Solo should be removed. It was boring anyway.
• Groups should each have a non-dynamic universe of their own so that group members can play with each other, which is why they are there.
• Open should be where any serious gamer should play Elite Dangerous.

There really is no excuse for these lame blinkers over who can see who. Once the Open world is flooded with disgruntled Han Solo's there will be no hiding place for griefers cause everyone will be mad after them.

Honestly, that's what I think now!

 

[Mephane]

You know what, Bigcheese, you've finally convinced me after all this time being a fanboi.

Here's what I now think:

• Solo should be removed. It was boring anyway.
• Groups should each have a non-dynamic universe of their own so that group members can play with each other, which is why they are there.
• Open should be where any serious gamer should play Elite Dangerous.

There really is no excuse for these lame blinkers over who can see who. Once the Open world is flooded with disgruntled Han Solo's there will be no hiding place for griefers cause everyone will be mad after them.

Honestly, that's what I think now!

For a moment you got me there.