For the convenience of the developers of Elite Dangerous, I've included here a conglomeration of several varied aspects which need to be added to the Elite game engine, like, YESTERDAY!
Firstly though, I want to commend you on beginning to concentrate on the FPS portion of the game, and making it such an integrally important part. I absolutely love this new FPS aspect, as it opens up brand new realms of gameplay depth, mission types, and social interaction - including the possibility for some really interesting FPS drama! This implies that some merely potentially interesting FPS situations can quickly escalate, and become bonafide legend!
Take this age old example, for instance:
'Who shot first?!"
Wow! That's just one example of a situation which could occur in the FPS portion of the game! (SPOILER ALERT! Han Solo shot first.)
Okay, back to it. FPS mechanics. If what I'm hearing about the Odyssey expansion is true, then I'm very excited that a major emphasis is being placed upon FPS aspects of the game.
However, I'm severely disappointed that Odyssey will not be including the ability for players to land on Earth-like planets, water worlds, and planets with thick atmospheres. The pre-alpha test footage seemed to indicate that landing and going FPS on Earth-like worlds, as well as alien worlds with thick atmospheres, would be a major upgrade to the play mechanics, adding an exciting new aspect to the realism of actually exploring large planets with thick atmospheres!
Why players are only allowed to land on barren planets with no atmospheres just makes zero sense, and it makes this aspect of the game really boring. Players should be able to land on and explore planets with thick atmospheres, with appropriate atmospheric conditions. For example - careful attention should be paid to atmospheric lighting effects, including:
Realistic volumetric lighting effects, such as crepuscular rays and rainbows.
Accurate sky colors according to different worlds. For example, a Mars-like planet would have a salmon pink sky, and an Earth-like planet would of course have a blue sky. If one were to land on Venus, the sky would have a permanent, yellowish overcast.Titan would have a very dark, brownish colored and permanently overcast sky, with many cloud types visible.
Accurate weather mechanics should be on the tippy top of the list, even before the FPS implementation, concerning upgrades in new Elite module releases, beginning with realistic clouds of every type on every world, according to its' kind.
All cloud types must be represented, from puffy, scattered cumulous clouds to giant cumulonimbus storm clouds which rise several kilometers into the atmosphere, causing violent weather and high winds.
All types of weather should be represented appropriately on each planet, including clear and calm skies, violent thunderstorms, dust storms, snow and blizzards, all types of rain from light showers to torrential downpours, dangerous electrical storms, plus the rare hurricane, tornado, and water spout here and there. Weather should play an integral role on whether or not a ship can land, take off, and fly in dangerous weather.
I've already covered this in detail, but it can't be said enough: players should be allowed to land on Earth-like worlds, water worlds, and alien worlds with thick atmospheres. Landing on barren planets and moons with nothing but black skies and stars gets really boring!
Along with being able to land on any world regardless of its atmosphere, some worlds, including Earth-like or terraformed worlds, should be populated with bases, ranging from colonial settlements to the occasional full blown metropolis now and then, which would really expand the FPS portion of the game. ESPECIALLY for people who are playing strictly FPS!
I have one final observation, a game mechanic that really needs to be put into effect, pronto! I'm talking about ram-scooping fuel from gas giants instead of stars. Gas giants should be the primary refueling method, in systems which have gas giants of the correct composition. In most popular fictional lore, as well real life feasibility, ram-scooping the coronae of stars, while feasible, really is just a bit ridiculous. Gas giants are the obvious go-to for ram-scoop refueling, and I have no idea why this hasn't been incorporated into the game from the get-go.
Ask yourself this question, developers. In the year 3000, where do you think people are going to be landing their spaceships? Just on barren moons with no atmospheres? Hell naw! We are going to be exploring those earth-like planets, the water worlds, and other types of planets with thick atmospheres consisting of very interesting chemistry!
So, hop to it, developers! Incorporate these new game mechanics I've outlined as soon as possible! Here, I'll even help you out a little bit. Point you in the right direction, so to say.
Ever heard of Flight Simulator 2020, or Space Engine? Those are the kinds of details I'm talking about which need to be applied to every single alien world with a respectable atmosphere, both for the visually dramatic elements, and also for the realism!
And kudos for implementing the FPS system! I'm really looking forward to it whenever I decide to purchase Odyssey, after all the bugs are ironed out.
Firstly though, I want to commend you on beginning to concentrate on the FPS portion of the game, and making it such an integrally important part. I absolutely love this new FPS aspect, as it opens up brand new realms of gameplay depth, mission types, and social interaction - including the possibility for some really interesting FPS drama! This implies that some merely potentially interesting FPS situations can quickly escalate, and become bonafide legend!
Take this age old example, for instance:
'Who shot first?!"
Wow! That's just one example of a situation which could occur in the FPS portion of the game! (SPOILER ALERT! Han Solo shot first.)
Okay, back to it. FPS mechanics. If what I'm hearing about the Odyssey expansion is true, then I'm very excited that a major emphasis is being placed upon FPS aspects of the game.
However, I'm severely disappointed that Odyssey will not be including the ability for players to land on Earth-like planets, water worlds, and planets with thick atmospheres. The pre-alpha test footage seemed to indicate that landing and going FPS on Earth-like worlds, as well as alien worlds with thick atmospheres, would be a major upgrade to the play mechanics, adding an exciting new aspect to the realism of actually exploring large planets with thick atmospheres!
Why players are only allowed to land on barren planets with no atmospheres just makes zero sense, and it makes this aspect of the game really boring. Players should be able to land on and explore planets with thick atmospheres, with appropriate atmospheric conditions. For example - careful attention should be paid to atmospheric lighting effects, including:
Realistic volumetric lighting effects, such as crepuscular rays and rainbows.
Accurate sky colors according to different worlds. For example, a Mars-like planet would have a salmon pink sky, and an Earth-like planet would of course have a blue sky. If one were to land on Venus, the sky would have a permanent, yellowish overcast.Titan would have a very dark, brownish colored and permanently overcast sky, with many cloud types visible.
Accurate weather mechanics should be on the tippy top of the list, even before the FPS implementation, concerning upgrades in new Elite module releases, beginning with realistic clouds of every type on every world, according to its' kind.
All cloud types must be represented, from puffy, scattered cumulous clouds to giant cumulonimbus storm clouds which rise several kilometers into the atmosphere, causing violent weather and high winds.
All types of weather should be represented appropriately on each planet, including clear and calm skies, violent thunderstorms, dust storms, snow and blizzards, all types of rain from light showers to torrential downpours, dangerous electrical storms, plus the rare hurricane, tornado, and water spout here and there. Weather should play an integral role on whether or not a ship can land, take off, and fly in dangerous weather.
I've already covered this in detail, but it can't be said enough: players should be allowed to land on Earth-like worlds, water worlds, and alien worlds with thick atmospheres. Landing on barren planets and moons with nothing but black skies and stars gets really boring!
Along with being able to land on any world regardless of its atmosphere, some worlds, including Earth-like or terraformed worlds, should be populated with bases, ranging from colonial settlements to the occasional full blown metropolis now and then, which would really expand the FPS portion of the game. ESPECIALLY for people who are playing strictly FPS!
I have one final observation, a game mechanic that really needs to be put into effect, pronto! I'm talking about ram-scooping fuel from gas giants instead of stars. Gas giants should be the primary refueling method, in systems which have gas giants of the correct composition. In most popular fictional lore, as well real life feasibility, ram-scooping the coronae of stars, while feasible, really is just a bit ridiculous. Gas giants are the obvious go-to for ram-scoop refueling, and I have no idea why this hasn't been incorporated into the game from the get-go.
Ask yourself this question, developers. In the year 3000, where do you think people are going to be landing their spaceships? Just on barren moons with no atmospheres? Hell naw! We are going to be exploring those earth-like planets, the water worlds, and other types of planets with thick atmospheres consisting of very interesting chemistry!
So, hop to it, developers! Incorporate these new game mechanics I've outlined as soon as possible! Here, I'll even help you out a little bit. Point you in the right direction, so to say.
Ever heard of Flight Simulator 2020, or Space Engine? Those are the kinds of details I'm talking about which need to be applied to every single alien world with a respectable atmosphere, both for the visually dramatic elements, and also for the realism!
And kudos for implementing the FPS system! I'm really looking forward to it whenever I decide to purchase Odyssey, after all the bugs are ironed out.
