The whole 400 billion star systems poster from E3 got me thinking. If Elite does really well and gets as many as 2 million players (and that's a high estimate), it basically leaves 200000 star systems each for us to play around in. Sure there's gonna be enemy and friendly NPC's and sure there will probably be a few areas that may be designated as hubs but for the most part I don't think we'll see many actual players flying around.
Think we'll ever see another player in the full game?
- Thread starter Corralis
- Start date
Human space comprises of "only" about 70,000 systems at the start of the game, so the core worlds should be somewhat busy.
There'll also be events to encourage players to congregate. Famines, civil wars, gold rushes... they all provide opportunities that will attract players of all stripes.
There'll also be events to encourage players to congregate. Famines, civil wars, gold rushes... they all provide opportunities that will attract players of all stripes.
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If Manhattan had the average person per area of Alaska, it would have 14 people*.
Just to illustrate that averages can be deceiving
*result of a fast google query. Not validated
Only the human colonized worlds will have stations and hence be viable for trading, missions, bounty hunting, or piracy. Those systems are probably just a subset of the systems with real distance and star spectral data from the Hipparcos catalog (118,000 stars within 650 ly). Human space is centered on the birthplace Sol, and as you'll note from the Galaxy Map, extends in radius little farther than Achenar, the Empire capital, at a radius of 43 pc = 136 ly from Sol. In a sphere with a radius of 43 pc, there are roughly 330,000 systems at the local density (~1 star / cu pc), but the numerous (80% of stars) but dim M class are poorly represented that far out in astrometric catalogs.
So, my guess is there's under 10,000 colonized systems, and further guess around 25,000 players online at any given time (optimistic, comparable with EVE). Those estimates suggest 2.5 players per colonized system, but players will be highly concentrated in trade hubs or systems in conflict or transition. So at any given time, most human systems will be empty of players, but a few dozen will have hundreds of players, perhaps thousands.
Outside of that core of colonized worlds, there will be exploration teams ferrying fuel and repair supplies to explore points of interest: Ie, Beta Lyrae (960 ly), Orion Nebula (1344 ly), V4641 Sgr (1600 ly), perhaps even Sgr a* at the galactic core (26,000 ly). Their only contact will be with fellow team members and perhaps the occassional Thargoid.
So, my guess is there's under 10,000 colonized systems, and further guess around 25,000 players online at any given time (optimistic, comparable with EVE). Those estimates suggest 2.5 players per colonized system, but players will be highly concentrated in trade hubs or systems in conflict or transition. So at any given time, most human systems will be empty of players, but a few dozen will have hundreds of players, perhaps thousands.
Outside of that core of colonized worlds, there will be exploration teams ferrying fuel and repair supplies to explore points of interest: Ie, Beta Lyrae (960 ly), Orion Nebula (1344 ly), V4641 Sgr (1600 ly), perhaps even Sgr a* at the galactic core (26,000 ly). Their only contact will be with fellow team members and perhaps the occassional Thargoid.
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You are right, if you leave it to chance you might not encounter other players very often. But that will not be how it works I think. Many mp-ers will deliberately meet up in Elite's universe. Friends will want to work together, protect each others back, hunt together, trade together, explore together. I think that will be an important part of mp in ED.
And of course people will want to do some combat, especially when they have become richer and can afford to risk one of their ships. I think we might see some kind of organized tournaments later in the game.
So if someone decides to go to the vast unexplored areas of space, they will probably end up screwed as they will have no fuel to get home and most likely have no base to land on? That could make for a long journey back home
Well, fuel scoops will allow you to refuel off of gas giants or perhaps stars.
So if someone decides to go to the vast unexplored areas of space, they will probably end up screwed as they will have no fuel to get home and most likely have no base to land on? That could make for a long journey back home
Well, yes. If they point themselves towards the rim and forget to pack a fuel scoop.
There will be plenty of safety nets for people operating within the reach of players and NPCs. However, if you've got yourself into the position where there is literally no one out near you and you've not brought the right kit, that's time for permadeath. (Of course, explorers will probably have access to really small, really powerful escape capsules, because we couldn't actually have a character die, could we?)
Fuel scoops mean you can keep going until your ship wears out.So if someone decides to go to the vast unexplored areas of space, they will probably end up screwed as they will have no fuel to get home and most likely have no base to land on? That could make for a long journey back home
In Frontier, you could travel for about a year before lack of servicing made your hyperdrive turn to scrap. Jumps took days or weeks in that game, but you could still legitimately get pretty far out (you could get even further by exploiting bugs!).
In Elite Dangerous we can equip specialised long range equipment, as well as carry repair drones and engineering crew (and possibly spare parts). If you wanted to disappear into the wide yonder, it's entirely possible. It might not be quite as empty as people think though...
Hmmm... in FE2 and FFE exploration was limited by the need to have your ship serviced once a year - is there going to be a similar mechanic (no pun intended) in E: D?
On topic, I imagine the multiplayer game would cater equally to those who base themselves entirely in the core systems, to those lone wolves who disappear into the black and never see another human soul in game, and everything in between.
EDIT: Tooterfish answered my question while I typed lol
If you play ironman, yes.
So if someone decides to go to the vast unexplored areas of space, they will probably end up screwed as they will have no fuel to get home and most likely have no base to land on? That could make for a long journey back home
Um? That's what specially designed "explorer" ships are are for, keep this in mind yes?
<chuckles>
Wrong question: Will you ever know you've met another player
I assume they will be the one's blowing you into space dust?
I think you'll see a ton of human players around the core systems ...and most likely Sol will be crowded until Elite 5 comes out in 2050
Really cause I would have thought that a lot of the players would want to get away from the majority of people (or the place's where they congregate) cause it's a lot less dangerous.