This game needs more excitement

[peteuplink]

Before I begin I want to say that this is not a complaint, it's an observation.

This morning I decided to have a proper play session on ED, something I've not really done since the launch of Horizons (I've played the game since Beta). I've been playing since around 9:30 this morning and have been doing some low level trading in my Cobra Mk III and completing some delivery and courier missions. In three hours I've not been attacked or interdicted by the AI once, and I've been to a wide variety of high and low security systems including anarchy systems and systems in a state of war either with neighbouring systems or civil war. In fact everything has felt so safe that I'm actually kinda bored now and thought I'd just pop on here to voice my opinions before I shut the game down and get on with something else. Okay, I've not bothered with USS's, so I probably missed out on some action there, but shouldn't there be a higher rate of AI interdictions against the player? Every trip was basically a cruise from one system to another and after an hour and a half I had to keep motivating myself to keep going with a little "Well, something will happen in a minute", but it didn't. It felt more like Elite Very Safe than Elite Dangerous.

In comparison, last night I played the original Elite for an hour or two. Every trip from system to system was an adventure. Every time I jumped into a system and travelled toward the station I had no idea what was going to happen. Would I be attacked? Would I make it there alive? Were Thargoids going to show up? Every time a ship showed up on the scanner I was thinking "get ready! You might get attacked here!" There was an uncertainty to the gameplay that made the game thrilling. I didn't have to go looking for adventure or danger, it found me. I died a few times, but I also survived a lot of encounters and really liked it.

Now I'm not saying that ED should be quite as extreme as the original game where you could get attacked every single trip and there was a chance that you could be seriously outnumbered by 3-4 more powerful ships and die in seconds. But I think a better ratio of trips to interdictions in ED would be something like a 1 in 3 chance that you'll meet something hostile during your journey. They don't have to be ridiculously overpowered encounters, just something to ruffle the players feathers and create a bit of urgency, some more excitement, in the gameplay.

 

[Robert Maynard]

Pledge to a Power.

Gain a bounty.

Smuggle contraband.

Transport high value cargo.

Pretty sure you'll find that the game becomes more "interesting"....

 

[Whiterose]

Run missions delivering items when two elite FDL's are trying to kill you, if that doesn't get your heart racing nothing will.

 

[peteuplink]

I've done all of those things. But you shouldn't have to do any of those things to make the game interesting. Danger should come to you, you shouldn't have to go looking for it. Yes, I was just trading and not really looking for trouble, but just the act of a small trader entering an anarchy system or a system at war should be enough to bring on some combat. You're on your own, it's a low security anarchy system, or a war zone, so it should really be a chance of WHEN you get interdicted not IF.

Run missions delivering items when two elite FDL's are trying to kill you, if that doesn't get your heart racing nothing will.

I do delivery missions all the time, some of them have been for high value cargo. I hardly ever get attacked. The only time I'm attacked is if I go into a USS and the very occasional interdiction.

 

[Whiterose]

I've done all of those things. But you shouldn't have to do any of those things to make the game interesting. Danger should come to you, you shouldn't have to go looking for it. Yes, I was just trading and not really looking for trouble, but just the act of a small trader entering an anarchy system or a system at war should be enough to bring on some combat. You're on your own, it's a low security anarchy system, or a war zone, so it should really be a chance of WHEN you get interdicted not IF.



I do delivery missions all the time, some of them have been for high value cargo. I hardly ever get attacked. The only time I'm attacked is if I go into a USS and the very occasional interdiction.

I got interdicted 16 times doing 7 missions. Perhaps NPC's just don't like me.

 

[777Driver]

You shouldn't have to do any of those things to make the game interesting. Danger should come to you, you shouldn't have to go looking for it. Yes, I was just trading and not really looking for trouble, but just the act of a small trader entering an anarchy system or a system at war should be enough to bring on some combat. You're on your own, it's a low security anarchy system, or a war zone, so it should really be a chance of WHEN you get interdicted not IF.



I do delivery missions all the time, some of them have been for high value cargo. I hardly ever get attacked. The only time I'm attacked is if I go into a USS and the very occasional interdiction.

Fly in Open, makes things a lot more interesting. I agree that Anarchy systems should be a lot more dangerous.

 

[digitalscream]

I can understand this - for me, there hasn't really been any "WOW!" excitement since I was involved in the original UA discoveries and the Hutton CG. Both of those events were largely player-driven, and brilliant fun.

I guess I've been treading water since then. The solution might be to join in with the Cannnnnnonnnnnn (I always forget how many consonants go in there) on the UA stuff - since there will be new stuff to discover with the release of 2.1 - or perhaps go exploring the Formidine Rift (there's been something in there since 1.0, and nobody's found it yet).

 

[anikaiful]

Before I begin I want to say that this is not a complaint, it's an observation.

This morning I decided to have a proper play session on ED, something I've not really done since the launch of Horizons (I've played the game since Beta). I've been playing since around 9:30 this morning and have been doing some low level trading in my Cobra Mk III and completing some delivery and courier missions. In three hours I've not been attacked or interdicted by the AI once, and I've been to a wide variety of high and low security systems including anarchy systems and systems in a state of war either with neighbouring systems or civil war. In fact everything has felt so safe that I'm actually kinda bored now and thought I'd just pop on here to voice my opinions before I shut the game down and get on with something else. Okay, I've not bothered with USS's, so I probably missed out on some action there, but shouldn't there be a higher rate of AI interdictions against the player? Every trip was basically a cruise from one system to another and after an hour and a half I had to keep motivating myself to keep going with a little "Well, something will happen in a minute", but it didn't. It felt more like Elite Very Safe than Elite Dangerous.

In comparison, last night I played the original Elite for an hour or two. Every trip from system to system was an adventure. Every time I jumped into a system and travelled toward the station I had no idea what was going to happen. Would I be attacked? Would I make it there alive? Were Thargoids going to show up? Every time a ship showed up on the scanner I was thinking "get ready! You might get attacked here!" There was an uncertainty to the gameplay that made the game thrilling. I didn't have to go looking for adventure or danger, it found me. I died a few times, but I also survived a lot of encounters and really liked it.

Now I'm not saying that ED should be quite as extreme as the original game where you could get attacked every single trip and there was a chance that you could be seriously outnumbered by 3-4 more powerful ships and die in seconds. But I think a better ratio of trips to interdictions in ED would be something like a 1 in 3 chance that you'll meet something hostile during your journey. They don't have to be ridiculously overpowered encounters, just something to ruffle the players feathers and create a bit of urgency, some more excitement, in the gameplay.

There's a lot of interesting things. Most don't come at you saying "hey, i'm interesting" tho. Being attacked is a tedium, not "interesting".

 

[Chris Simon]

Fly in Open, makes things a lot more interesting. I agree that Anarchy systems should be a lot more dangerous.

The Anarchy systems ought to have this Mos Eisley "Oh crap what did I step into" kind of vibe, yes.
Otherwise I find the game pretty exciting. It nover bored me for a minute.

But if you want, OP, we can crank up the excitement a notch!

GIVE ME E! GIVE ME L! GIVE ME I! T! E!!! *sways hands*

 

[srfrogg23]

Before I begin I want to say that this is not a complaint, it's an observation.

This morning I decided to have a proper play session on ED, something I've not really done since the launch of Horizons (I've played the game since Beta). I've been playing since around 9:30 this morning and have been doing some low level trading in my Cobra Mk III and completing some delivery and courier missions. In three hours I've not been attacked or interdicted by the AI once, and I've been to a wide variety of high and low security systems including anarchy systems and systems in a state of war either with neighbouring systems or civil war. In fact everything has felt so safe that I'm actually kinda bored now and thought I'd just pop on here to voice my opinions before I shut the game down and get on with something else. Okay, I've not bothered with USS's, so I probably missed out on some action there, but shouldn't there be a higher rate of AI interdictions against the player? Every trip was basically a cruise from one system to another and after an hour and a half I had to keep motivating myself to keep going with a little "Well, something will happen in a minute", but it didn't. It felt more like Elite Very Safe than Elite Dangerous.

In comparison, last night I played the original Elite for an hour or two. Every trip from system to system was an adventure. Every time I jumped into a system and travelled toward the station I had no idea what was going to happen. Would I be attacked? Would I make it there alive? Were Thargoids going to show up? Every time a ship showed up on the scanner I was thinking "get ready! You might get attacked here!" There was an uncertainty to the gameplay that made the game thrilling. I didn't have to go looking for adventure or danger, it found me. I died a few times, but I also survived a lot of encounters and really liked it.

Now I'm not saying that ED should be quite as extreme as the original game where you could get attacked every single trip and there was a chance that you could be seriously outnumbered by 3-4 more powerful ships and die in seconds. But I think a better ratio of trips to interdictions in ED would be something like a 1 in 3 chance that you'll meet something hostile during your journey. They don't have to be ridiculously overpowered encounters, just something to ruffle the players feathers and create a bit of urgency, some more excitement, in the gameplay.

This has not been my experience on most days. I've had days where I couldn't sneeze without being interdicted. I've been interdicted so many times that it has become routine (be careful what you wish for, when it rains, it pours).

Have you tried going into a High-RES or Haz-RES site? Those tend to get a bit crazy.

 

[shadragon]

Fly a stock D-rated shieldless T-7 with a full load of gold in anarchy space. Let the good times roll.

 

[Dakron Nova]

Pledge to a Power.

Gain a bounty.

Smuggle contraband.

Transport high value cargo.

Pretty sure you'll find that the game becomes more "interesting"....

Oh and sell your shields.

 

[Robert Maynard]

Oh and sell your shields.

Good point - I knew I'd forgotten something....

 

[Kayweg]

This is an "interdiction frequency" thread then, ok.
Personally i'm happy with the status quo.
There are ways to increase the frequency, as others already described.
You chose not to use them and instead suggest to impose a higher frequency on everybody.....for "excitement".
All it does is adding more highwaking to day to day gameplay, as exciting as cueing up for the bus, a delay.
It's just an added annoyance, nothing more.

 

[Tarman]

I'm getting plenty of excitement already, no need to dial up the tethering. Right now I find I'm getting attempts upon my spaceperson pretty commensurate with the areas I'm in and the work I'm doing there.

 

[Commandr Sam]

Before I begin I want to say that this is not a complaint, it's an observation.

This morning I decided to have a proper play session on ED, something I've not really done since the launch of Horizons (I've played the game since Beta). I've been playing since around 9:30 this morning and have been doing some low level trading in my Cobra Mk III and completing some delivery and courier missions. In three hours I've not been attacked or interdicted by the AI once, and I've been to a wide variety of high and low security systems including anarchy systems and systems in a state of war either with neighbouring systems or civil war. In fact everything has felt so safe that I'm actually kinda bored now and thought I'd just pop on here to voice my opinions before I shut the game down and get on with something else. Okay, I've not bothered with USS's, so I probably missed out on some action there, but shouldn't there be a higher rate of AI interdictions against the player? Every trip was basically a cruise from one system to another and after an hour and a half I had to keep motivating myself to keep going with a little "Well, something will happen in a minute", but it didn't. It felt more like Elite Very Safe than Elite Dangerous.

In comparison, last night I played the original Elite for an hour or two. Every trip from system to system was an adventure. Every time I jumped into a system and travelled toward the station I had no idea what was going to happen. Would I be attacked? Would I make it there alive? Were Thargoids going to show up? Every time a ship showed up on the scanner I was thinking "get ready! You might get attacked here!" There was an uncertainty to the gameplay that made the game thrilling. I didn't have to go looking for adventure or danger, it found me. I died a few times, but I also survived a lot of encounters and really liked it.

Now I'm not saying that ED should be quite as extreme as the original game where you could get attacked every single trip and there was a chance that you could be seriously outnumbered by 3-4 more powerful ships and die in seconds. But I think a better ratio of trips to interdictions in ED would be something like a 1 in 3 chance that you'll meet something hostile during your journey. They don't have to be ridiculously overpowered encounters, just something to ruffle the players feathers and create a bit of urgency, some more excitement, in the gameplay.

I find the same thing, while at the same time the forums are full of people claiming their game is ruined by being interdicted soooo much...

 

[Nick Sticks]

That's funny, my story is slightly different. I haven't had any problems with interdictions either on my way back from Merope to Founders World in my Cobra III. Even so I thought before I take my T6 or T7 out I'll test the space waters with an easy mission to get some Animal Meat and stay in the Cobra.
.
The mission did say someone may try to stop me fulfilling the mission but I thought that might be on the way back. I've got 16 cans of Performance Enhancers in my hold which can sell for a good profit at Bunda. On exiting the jump I turn round and head for Faraday Ring and start to swing my feet onto the dashboard.
.
Suddenly it happens - the interdiction - and the taunts. I submit immediately, boost then deploy weapons, swinging round to target this rude NPC. I'm rusty at combat, and never was that good, but I've got him down to one ring on his shields when mine go completely. Boost, weave, boost, boost, weave. What's that? - missiles, keep boosting. But they hit me more than once. More fire hits me, then I hear something that fills me with dread - my Thrusters are offline.
.
I can't move, except I'm spinning round and round. I'll have to chance it and jettison 6 Performance Enhancers. My foe scoops them up and then says something like "I've got company" and he disappears.
.
Then silence with me spinning. I can now check my modules and sure enough the Thrusters are down to 0%. What can I do, I have no maintenance module. I contemplate self destruction and the cold ride home in an escape capsule.
.
But then what's this - Repair and Reboot, it's worth a shot. Select and wait as the system does its stuff and finally finishes. The Thrusters come back on line with 1% - enough to get me going and on to Faraday Ring. I limp in through the entrance and land as smoothly as I can and go straight to the garage. Phew, made it.

 

[Commandr Sam]

That's funny, my story is slightly different. I haven't had any problems with interdictions either on my way back from Merope to Founders World in my Cobra III. Even so I thought before I take my T6 or T7 out I'll test the space waters with an easy mission to get some Animal Meat and stay in the Cobra.
.
The mission did say someone may try to stop me fulfilling the mission but I thought that might be on the way back. I've got 16 cans of Performance Enhancers in my hold which can sell for a good profit at Bunda. On exiting the jump I turn round and head for Faraday Ring and start to swing my feet onto the dashboard.
.
Suddenly it happens - the interdiction - and the taunts. I submit immediately, boost then deploy weapons, swinging round to target this rude NPC. I'm rusty at combat, and never was that good, but I've got him down to one ring on his shields when mine go completely. Boost, weave, boost, boost, weave. What's that? - missiles, keep boosting. But they hit me more than once. More fire hits me, then I hear something that fills me with dread - my Thrusters are offline.
.
I can't move, except I'm spinning round and round. I'll have to chance it and jettison 6 Performance Enhancers. My foe scoops them up and then says something like "he's got company" and he disappears.
.
Then silence with me spinning. I can now check my modules and sure enough the Thrusters are down to 0%. What I can I do, I have no maintenance module. I contemplate self destruction and the cold ride home in an escape capsule.
.
But then what's this - Repair and Reboot, it's worth a shot. Select and wait as the system does its stuff and finally finishes. The Thrusters come back on line with 1% - enough to get me going and on to Faraday Ring. I limp in through the entrance and land as smoothly as I can and go straight to the garage. Phew, made it.

Its great how exciting having tough AI can make the game.

 

[Agony_Aunt]

In three hours I've not been attacked or interdicted by the AI once,

Not sure what you are doing "wrong" here. I can fly around sometimes and not get attacked, but usually, if i'm packing missions or cargo, i get attention.

 

[lysan]

Pledge to a Power.

Gain a bounty.

Smuggle contraband.

Transport high value cargo.

Pretty sure you'll find that the game becomes more "interesting"....

Done all that, pretty safe still, well wasn't a few days ago, but still not as dangerous as some people claim it is.