The things we've seen: The narrative of exploration and how it can inform gameplay enhancements

[MarcusVatta]

In the past, I've called the exploration community of ED a bunch of space cats: individual, independent, and loners. That said, these forums bring us together as a community and I think that they hold the keys to how best to enhance exploration gameplay.

For example:

• Exploration can take time: We don't mind being out for weeks and months. Some of us thrive on it.
• The rare and the beautiful are valuable: Water giant? Neutron Star orbiting a black hole? Ring systems that stretch 20 times the diameter of the planet? Nebulae? It's what we post here, and it's what is important to us.
• The science matters: We notice "impossible planets", and we try to find ways to make them fit into known science.
• The journey is its own reward: Most players are happy that they can make a living off of explorations, but the reward is not what's driving them, and if they don't need the money, many don't even return to the bubble.
• We look for the narrative of the places we find: How did this place come to be? What happened here? What would it be like to live here?
• The questions we ask should have answers, but the game doesn't need to provide them: What causes the neutron fields? The Briar Patch? ELW around a neutron star? It's important that the game should know the answers (ie the stellar forge's physics constraints allow for this to exist) but the game, like the universe, does not need to give up its secrets explicitly.
• New, Unknown, but persistent: Not all of us are planting "1sts" in systems, but it's important that some of us are. It's equally important that there are more systems that don't have 1sts, and that the systems are permanent, and not fleeting, instanced places that are only real while we are there.

These observations, and others that can be made by reading these forums, should form the basis for enhanced exploration gameplay. As the scale of our discoveries shrink, from Star systems to planets to surface features, and eventually to rocks, plants and animals, the scope of our exploration will increase exponentially. The amazing beauty of a procedural universe is that it is possible to find a rare and beautiful binary star system one day, and an equally rare and beautiful tree the next day. At any scale, though, any gameplay that supports what we value here in these forums will be, I think, a success.

 

[CMDR AKIRA MASAKARI]

This very forum is where all the multiplayer part of exploration takes place. After the wow factor it's the only reason to keep going.

 

[Katejina]

I wish it were easier to explore together. One of my favorite things to do in life is share my happy experiences with others. Unfortunately, I can't really think of a good way this is possible in Elite, even when they eventually allow us to have co-pilots. Instancing would be so difficult to manage unless they operated the game in a way similar to CQC: When you choose to fly with another commander and you are not the pilot, you create a new instance of yourself, but only as a person. Any experience or discoveries you make as this person stay with this person until you return to the bubble. This way, no matter where your friend is, your character is always available to them when you log in. Even that seems a bit difficult, though, as it would be unrealistic and unfair if you were to just appear next to them as they are running around a planet's harsh jungle or desert. Perhaps you can only connect to the player if they are in their ship, a save point if you will. That would prevent the function from being taken advantage of.

 

[MarcusVatta]

I'm hopeful that there will be more multiplayer as exploration gets more granular. Right now, one cmdr can explore a system on his/her own. In future we might travel in groups to cover ground (literally) more effectively.

Of course, this only makes sense if we're looking for something. If we're just seeing what's over the next hill, that's more a solo experience.

 

[Katejina]

I'm hopeful that there will be more multiplayer as exploration gets more granular. Right now, one cmdr can explore a system on his/her own. In future we might travel in groups to cover ground (literally) more effectively.

Of course, this only makes sense if we're looking for something. If we're just seeing what's over the next hill, that's more a solo experience.

I like exploring IRL, too. I'm lucky enough to live in central California, so I get a chance here and there to go hit the beaches and hunt for minerals/geodes. I definitely prefer doing it with another person and I imagine ED will be that much more fun when you can be like "DUDE COME CHECK THIS OUT LIKE RIGHT NOW". Of course, that might lost it's novelty after a while, but I feel like it would have more... I don't know, immersion, rather than posting about cool finds on the forums.

Imagine if the forums were only accessible via the dashboard or while aboard a station.