This game is rated 6/10 on steam

[Ian Skippy]

A score of 6/10 on steam literally means that 60% of ED owners on steam recommend the game. It doesn't mean that the game is a '6'. Before you make a purchase you get the option to read why they do or don't recommend it (so the reviews work as a warning).

That is exactly true. But now this:

If I were to ask thousands of people their opinion on my favourite books, films, food, music, whatever, I am pretty sure many would not recommend the stuff I like. The big question becomes: so what? Suppose you dont like Radiohead, am I now supposed to stop listening? Is there some critical threshold below which one should stop enjoying something? Should you hypothetically not liking something I like a be problem for me?

There is a lot of stuff I dont like. I have never went to band forums, or movie fanclubs or some such, just to tell everyone I didnt like it myself. Nor would I ever presume that me not liking something is relevant to anyone in anyway, beyond tiny financial consequences for the producer. Does it matter I dont care about the next Fast & Furious? No, they are doing well enough without me to carry on anyway and those who enjoy it can have fun. Should I go around complaining 'those fanboys dont respect me and think I must be stupid?" No.

I just dont get this fetish for being a critic comes from.

Yes they absolutely *are* entitled to have (and share!) an opinion about the current (not future, not promised, not anticipated, but RIGHT NOW) state of the game they bought.

Sure, you have the right to complain about whatever you want, whenever you want.

Big deal.

 

[OnePercent]

Actually acurate rating I must say. Not on the whole appeal of the game, nor the flight model, available mechanics etc, it's simply due to the game lacking gameplay that is meaningful.

 

[Kaocraft]

It's not just the launch trailer that set expectations, though. Every trailer for every expansion since launch has been that way. It's one thing to use pre-rendered scenes to sell a vibe or a feeling... But the trailers for Wings, for PowerPlay, for Horizons all the way up to 2.4's The Return all tease screens and functionality that just don't exist in game. I was so pumped when I saw the PowerPlay trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWPhk5Gclbo

The multicolored territorial map was cool, and is in-game. Check! So far, so good.

Then a quote from one of the Denton Patreus rewarding success... a galnet-like interface appears with a story "Denton Patreus recruits mercenaries for invasion" - OMG! THAT LOOKS AMAZING. In game? Weekly generic power play numbers that shift back and forth.

A mission interface pops up, with Power-specific missions: "DESTROY THE REBELS," "CONSTRUCT MILITARY INSTALLATION," "ASSIST MINING EFFORTS TO INCREASE SHIPBUILDING" - Holy crap! My chosen leader is tapping me for important operations! In game? Limited to hauling PowerPlay widgets 30 at a time, or Killing PowerPlay targets. No trading, mining, exploration, bounty hunting, or actual missions to be found.

Torvall appears, something about "honorable legacy" - Cool, the different powers will have different ways of conducting business! Peaceful powers will depend on diplomacy, while militaristic ones will be aggressive. This'll be just like Civilization! Errr no. All the powers offer the same options for hauling widgets or massacring opponents, with some spreadsheet bonus in the background for tangentially related activities like bounty hunting or exploration which don't change PowerPlay standings.

Cut to Hudson going on about firing the last shot, and a dramatic spacebattle cutscene with a wing of Federation Diamondbacks engaging an Imperial capital ship. Awww yeah this is the money shot. This is what it all boils down to, the big boys and girls taking the gloves off and pounding the everloving snot out each other until only one is left standing. In game? You wanna haul widgets or kill traders? No massive engagements, no turning the tide of a war from well picked battles. Just shuffling numbers back and forth.

Oh yeah, and here it is two years later and not a single Power has been eliminated, because it can't happen.

All of ED's trailers set up pretty big expectations about upcoming features that for whatever the reason don't make it into the released product. Some of it is marketing, yeah. Never trust a trailer as they say. But as you point out with the Euro Truck trailer, SCS showed exactly what the game was without sexing it up at all. If it looks boring as hell to you, you won't waste the time or money, let alone get excited about it. Nor will you post a negative review. ETS2 is exactly what is shown in the trailer.

ED on the other hand goes for broke in every trailer, and then everyone wonders why so many players end up disappointed - and voicing their opinion about it.

Oh, man. Every time I watch any trailer for Elite or any of its updates, I am newly disappointed in the game all over again. Some jerk posted one of David Braben's excited Kickstarter videos recently. THAT was a major bummer.

The trailers are outright lies at worst, willful misrepresentation at best. And if anyone watched the numerous trailers put out over the years and used that as their basis for understanding what the game is all about, well you would absolutely expect them to give a "not recommended" rating to the game after playing it and finding NOTHING even remotely resembling the experience (or style of experience) on offer here.

The standard rejoinder is "well they're idiots for trusting the trailer then!"

Well, OK then Frontier is marketing their game to idiots and we shouldn't be surprised when they act like idiots.

 

[House0fDerp]

Lots of people with 500 hours played voted not recommended.

If it was that bad why didn't they stop at 100
or 200
or 300
or....

Personal answers:

Because I was AFK
Because steam counts the launcher being open as time played
Because early on when progression felt reasonable and I was able to indulge in my personal sci-fi fantasy of amassing a varied fleet it felt much better
Because bugs stole some progress or delayed something I was doing
Because the progression system was built to yank that same feeling away after a certain level
Because realistically one starts to see more flaws with deeper engagement and investment
Because after the realization mentioned above I came to know my months of bounty hunting was useless in getting a corvette
Because I thought I could blitz to Rear Admiral and get that unpleasantness taken care of but broke something inside myself instead
Because flying in space is fun, so I keep doing that from time to time, but some of the things surrounding that are genuinely bad IMHO
Because there are no alternatives in a genre of 1

 

[Kigre]

More like 5/10.

Every goddam update is bugged or some things just arent added or straight out doesnt work.
We are playtesting an early access game. At least thats the feeling im left with after 4 years.