The weirdness of progression in Odyssey.

If only the game had a true endgame, an actual target or objective to work up to, then engineering and all that stuff would probably feel a little more enjoyable because there's a point to it all. It could have been powerplay - a competitive political game that encourages direct pvp and group coordination. But sadly that's been sort of left to "exist" with no ongoing development or refinement of the system and so it languishes, ignored by most. Wasted opportunity. Anyway, in most online persistent world games there is some ultimate tier or objective that you spend time working towards, whether it's raids in WoW or nullsec in EVE. Elite doesn't have that and so the grinding starts to feel useless after a while.
 
Are you actually saying that the focus of Odyssey is not FPS?

Please.

Every suit comes with weapons.

Unlocking the EDO engineers and engineering the suits and weapons requires FPS.

There is the tiniest of slices of gameplay loops in EDO that are not FPS connected.

Stare and scan plants, carry cargo, pick up cargo, salvage level 0-1 sites. Every other activity has the potential or requirement for FPS.

I suppose you would say that explorers or traders do not have to engage in any combat activity in EDH.

I seriously doubt that most current explorers do not have the Guardian FSD booster fitted. The unlock requires SRV combat.

Traders and Miners are always subject to NPC pirate interdiction.

Stop ignoring the obvious. EDO is built with its focus on FPS.
It's got a focus of roughly 1/3 on combat, just like the ships.

But then, if you take all the hours I spent playing EDO, laid them out in a line and quantified how much of that time was spent shooting a gun, I guarantee you it's not even close to 1/3 of the time. Way lower than any FPS I've played. Combat is a big focus in the game, though. I'm unsure why anyone lead you to believe it might be otherwise. Saying it's not solely focused on combat isn't the same as saying "it's not an FPS". It's not an FPS, it's a game that has FPS elements, which can be entirely ignored if you choose.

I'd say that there's a bit less to do in EDO if you ignore combat than there is in EDH, so if that's your point then I can't really disagree with that; EDO could use more non combat stuff to do.
 
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If only the game had a true endgame, an actual target or objective to work up to, then engineering and all that stuff would probably feel a little more enjoyable because there's a point to it all. It could have been powerplay - a competitive political game that encourages direct pvp and group coordination. But sadly that's been sort of left to "exist" with no ongoing development or refinement of the system and so it languishes, ignored by most. Wasted opportunity. Anyway, in most online persistent world games there is some ultimate tier or objective that you spend time working towards, whether it's raids in WoW or nullsec in EVE. Elite doesn't have that and so the grinding starts to feel useless after a while.

I think it does (have endgame content) and I don't see it as complicated or particularly obscure either.

The game starts with basic equipment and there is a natural tendency for the player to want to improve it. More offence, more defence, better jump range, speed, manoeuvrability, even just looking cooler in the eyes of the player. That's all progression and there is enough of it that that can be all there is to the game for many.

Then there is the desire to compete against and co-operate with other Cmdrs, explore, to support a faction, to improve the rate of progression (finding the meta for any given activity), these are all endless or effectively endless, the player can keep going until they have had enough.

A common trap some players following 'helpful' how-to guides fall into is to bypass the 'learning how the game works' part of progression play, only to find themselves with the 'best' gear but no thoughts on what they are actually going to do with that equipment. I think there is a significant overlap between these players and those that complain about grind.

imo figuring out how the game works is half the fun :)
 
Ships are going to be getting involved in ground combat as shown in the Community stream "turret sabotage" videos. Ground troops/scavengers have alreadyt attacked my ship. How more integrated can it be?
SRV gameplay involved collecting mats used in ship engineering. What EDO FPS gameplay enhances ship gameplay?
 
They do not require combat. My alt CMDR has unlocked them.

Steve 07.
Screenshot 2022-01-18 184150.jpg
 
Nobody is asking anyone to do that. You either enjoy it or you don't. I enjoy Odyssey as an expansion of the original game. I don't play it as a dedicated FPS, becuase it isn't one, so I won't compare it to one either, because it would be silly to do so, in my view.
The point of the OP is about suits, engineering and progression. It isn't about take it or leave it. Stay on point.
 
It's got a focus of roughly 1/3 on combat, just like the ships.

But then, if you take all the hours I spent playing EDO, laid them out in a line and quantified how much of that time was spent shooting a gun, I guarantee you it's not even close to 1/3 of the time. Way lower than any FPS I've played. Combat is a big focus in the game, though. I'm unsure why anyone lead you to believe it might be otherwise. Saying it's not solely focused on combat isn't the same as saying "it's not an FPS". It's not an FPS, it's a game that has FPS elements, which can be entirely ignored if you choose.

I'd say that there's a bit less to do in EDO if you ignore combat than there is in EDH, so if that's your point then I can't really disagree with that; EDO could use more non combat stuff to do.
1/3 Hmmm - Here is my count:


Combat related
Surface Conflict Zones
Exterminate Gang Members
Takedown: Kill X
Covert Assassination
Settlement Raid
Shutdown: Disable Power
Heist: Acquire X

Combat likely/possible
Larceny Threat 3 and Higher
Theft
Digital Espionage
Covert Espionage
Salvage Threat 3+
Transportation of Illegal material/data
Covert Sabotage (combat on failure)
Non-violent Sabotage (combat on failure)
Covert Shutdown (combat on failure)



Non Combat Activities/ Non Combat Potential
ExoBiology
Transport legal goods
Salvage Threat 0-2
Retrieval

I think there may be a mission to restore power, but the station I am in is not currently offering it.

Pretty sure you have your 1/3 reversed.
 
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He's talking about the Colonia engineers.
By design, players in the bubble have to engage in combat to unlock all of the EDO engineers.

Let's also consider the mission types that give access the engineering mats most likely involve combat or combat adjacent/likely activities.
 
Are you actually saying that the focus of Odyssey is not FPS?

Please.

Every suit comes with weapons.
Every ship comes with weapons, the SRV comes with weapons, so ED is totally a FPS combat game then? Remember, everything in ED is in 1st person perspective.
By design, players in the bubble have to engage in combat to unlock all of the EDO engineers.
By design every player must engage in combat to unlock some engineers, in the game overall... You are aware that EDO is an expansion, not a different game.

So, do you agree that Elite: Dangerous and all of its expansions is simply a combat game, nothing else?
 
But nobody has to stay in the Bubble and unlock those engineers. All of the mods they offer are also available from the Colonia ones.
Unlike with ships, you cannot attach blueprints for future use. Therefore you have to go to Colonia with a plan as to which suits and weapons you want to upgrade and modify, complete and return to the bubble to play. It would be a PITA to have to make the journey again to add one more modification. Ideally take the items and materials with you as it is easier to gather materials in the bubble, and if possible have the suits and weapons upgraded to G4/5 before you go.

Steve 07.
 
1/3 Hmmm - Here is my count:


Combat related
Surface Conflict Zones
Exterminate Gang Members
Takedown: Kill X
Covert Assassination
Settlement Raid
Shutdown: Disable Power
Heist: Acquire X

Combat likely/possible
Larceny Threat 3 and Higher
Theft
Digital Espionage
Covert Espionage
Salvage Threat 3+
Transportation of Illegal material/data
Covert Sabotage (combat on failure)
Non-violent Sabotage (combat on failure)
Covert Shutdown (combat on failure)



Non Combat Activities/ Non Combat Potential
ExoBiology
Transport legal goods
Salvage Threat 0-2
Retrieval

I think there may be a mission to restore power, but the station I am in is not currently offering it.

Pretty sure you have your 1/3 reversed.
That's your takeaway from that whole post?

Don't know why I bother sometimes.
 
But nobody has to stay in the Bubble and unlock those engineers. All of the mods they offer are also available from the Colonia ones.
You are suggesting that players travel to Colonia to access core game features of EDO. This is a real reach.

Please concentrate on the OP. The point of the OP is about whether or not the progression mechanic in EDO is weird.

Again, there is a significant dedication by FDEV of EDO to FPS gameplay. You can pretend that it doesn't exist, or that it isn't a major feature, or that it isn't a necessary feature - but those views are not supported by FDEV communications, Game review articles or youtube pundits, etc., the EDO suit progression mechanics, or even the range of available missions. I could go on with screen caps of mission boards showing the heavy handed lean toward the number of combat missions in EDO, but I'm sure you would suggest - it doesn't matter because other missions are available.

You are not addressing the main feature of my point. The FPS progression mechanic in EDO is not consistent with skill tree and gearing progression mechanics in other games. The EDO suit engineering mechanic demands FPS and FPS adjacent gameplay, and each engineering path is a dead end without modular swapping (which exists in EDH). These characteristics of EDO progression don't require a "mental reset" to enjoy, they are simply unfun.
 
Every ship comes with weapons, the SRV comes with weapons, so ED is totally a FPS combat game then? Remember, everything in ED is in 1st person perspective.

By design every player must engage in combat to unlock some engineers, in the game overall... You are aware that EDO is an expansion, not a different game.

So, do you agree that Elite: Dangerous and all of its expansions is simply a combat game, nothing else?
All elements in EDH have an underlying expectation that combat is possible, and engineering in EDH (including guardian gear) demands combat.

The suit and weapon engineering requires combat or combat adjacent activities. The focus of EDO is FPS combat - in order to access the engineering in particular. The issue is that the progression mechanic in EDO around suits and weapons is inconsistent with FPS progression mechanics in other games. The EDO suit and weapon progression isn't even consistent with EDH with its dead end treatment of suits and weapons for modular upgrades. The EDO progression mechanic does not require a "mental reset" on what is fun (contention of the OP).

In the context of FPS gameplay, there are hundreds of alternative game offerings that EDO can be compared to (unlike the spaceflight /combat sim of EDH) - and in that arena, the progression mechanic is significantly lacking.
 
All elements in EDH have an underlying expectation that combat is possible, and engineering in EDH (including guardian gear) demands combat.

The suit and weapon engineering requires combat or combat adjacent activities. The focus of EDO is FPS combat - in order to access the engineering in particular. The issue is that the progression mechanic in EDO around suits and weapons is inconsistent with FPS progression mechanics in other games. The EDO suit and weapon progression isn't even consistent with EDH with its dead end treatment of suits and weapons for modular upgrades. The EDO progression mechanic does not require a "mental reset" on what is fun (contention of the OP).

In the context of FPS gameplay, there are hundreds of alternative game offerings that EDO can be compared to (unlike the spaceflight /combat sim of EDH) - and in that arena, the progression mechanic is significantly lacking.
So you agree that ED, in its entirely is solely a FPS game, good, it is great to have cleared up that little issue.

Otherwise I'd have the impression that you are attempting to suggest the game (EDO is an expansion) should be compared to a 1st person shooter, that doesn't have much spaceship activity in. That would be incredibly silly, wouldn't you agree?
 
by the time of horizons the idea that bigger ships was how progression was measured is a bit skewed. It was like that at the beginning but as credits got inflated and things like engineering was added. The ships were relegated to the early game. Progression was shifted far more toward engineering and goal setting.
 
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