Hi All,
I have been playing this game since launch day and I have some suggestions as to how I would like to see the game develop. First a few caveats:
1. I love the game and play all the time (pretty much every day), and I am positive about it.
2. I am NOT one of those people who thinks there is 'nothing to do' in the game. There are lots of things to do. I have not yet tried many of the missions or Powerplay, for example.
3. Generally I think FDEV have done a great job, esp. considering this started out as a Kickstarter project.
4. The suggestions below are how I would like to see the game develop, I realise FDev may not have the same intentions or plans and that's fine.
5. I don't play a lot of other computer games and have no knowledge of servers or code or anything else. These ideas might not be implementable (is that a word?!).
So, that said, here goes:
THE GAME SHOULD BE COMMUNITY DRIVEN
This game is a multi-player game and I strongly believe the content should mainly be generated by players. At the moment, most new content or story-lines are 'drip fed' from above. That is fine sometimes but the game would be more satisfying if players could leave a permanent mark. With Horizons there is an effectively unlimited amount of 'real estate' in the game to be colonised by players etc. Let me give some examples about what I imagine:
1. Powerplay missed a trick. Players should be able to form their own factions. I understand FD don't want 'clans' taking over the Galaxy or what not, but that's ok, just limit the number of players in a faction.
2. Having formed a faction, players should be able to feed money into an account for that faction. They should be able to use this money to create planetary outposts where they could store ships, mined materials etc. I personally think that players should be able to build orbital platforms as well, maybe even actual space stations (perhaps in so far uninhabited star systems and construction would be incredibly expensive). Imagine this scenario: the faction 'seeds' an orbital platform in orbit. This then shows up as 'x faction orbital platform construction site'. Then the faction can create a community goal (and decide how much they will pay) for other players to bring in the required metals etc. Now community goals REALLY ARE community goals.
Imagine another scenario, you find an unexplored system just outside the bubble - it has a gas giant with pristine metal rings and a land-able moon in orbit. A player / faction could build themselves a small outpost (they'd have to bring in the required metals etc.) with a landing pad. Now, with a buddy in say a T6, they can mine the rings and load the cargo for transport out. Eventually they could upgrade to a planetary outpost and set their OWN price for the metals they mine, as well as exporting. Now the economy in ED becomes real, or at least has a player driven element. In addition, if a player / faction didn't want to mine the newly discovered ring, then when they turn in the exploration data they should have the option to 'lodge a mining claim'. Now, any player that mines that belt will have to pay a fee or percentage of the sale price automatically to the claimant. Now there is a REAL incentive to explore all those rings and metal rich planets.
With what I have outlined above, we would gradually see the 'bubble' expand ever outwards to new worlds! All driven by player generated activity and content.
2. MISSIONS
I envisage that when you look at a Bulletin Board, most of the missions on it should be player generated (with templates so any player can create a mission for others to complete). Examples:
1. That swanky Orbis station you just built with your faction is fast running out of meat to feed the inhabitants. Better put a mission on the board for a player to get you some. (or just get your own of course).
2. Some Cmdr pirate in an Anaconda destroyed you just for giggles. No problem - you put a bounty mission on his head! I would suggest that you get the option to set a bounty for a Cmdr to claim, and perhaps an automatically lower bounty is payable if an NPC can do the job!
3. FD UPDATES
I would strongly urge FD to think about upcoming updates to the game. If it adds content and player involvement then great. If it is just another visual addition to the game I would put it on the back-burner.
There are probably other ideas I had that I have forgotten!
I have been playing this game since launch day and I have some suggestions as to how I would like to see the game develop. First a few caveats:
1. I love the game and play all the time (pretty much every day), and I am positive about it.
2. I am NOT one of those people who thinks there is 'nothing to do' in the game. There are lots of things to do. I have not yet tried many of the missions or Powerplay, for example.
3. Generally I think FDEV have done a great job, esp. considering this started out as a Kickstarter project.
4. The suggestions below are how I would like to see the game develop, I realise FDev may not have the same intentions or plans and that's fine.
5. I don't play a lot of other computer games and have no knowledge of servers or code or anything else. These ideas might not be implementable (is that a word?!).
So, that said, here goes:
THE GAME SHOULD BE COMMUNITY DRIVEN
This game is a multi-player game and I strongly believe the content should mainly be generated by players. At the moment, most new content or story-lines are 'drip fed' from above. That is fine sometimes but the game would be more satisfying if players could leave a permanent mark. With Horizons there is an effectively unlimited amount of 'real estate' in the game to be colonised by players etc. Let me give some examples about what I imagine:
1. Powerplay missed a trick. Players should be able to form their own factions. I understand FD don't want 'clans' taking over the Galaxy or what not, but that's ok, just limit the number of players in a faction.
2. Having formed a faction, players should be able to feed money into an account for that faction. They should be able to use this money to create planetary outposts where they could store ships, mined materials etc. I personally think that players should be able to build orbital platforms as well, maybe even actual space stations (perhaps in so far uninhabited star systems and construction would be incredibly expensive). Imagine this scenario: the faction 'seeds' an orbital platform in orbit. This then shows up as 'x faction orbital platform construction site'. Then the faction can create a community goal (and decide how much they will pay) for other players to bring in the required metals etc. Now community goals REALLY ARE community goals.
Imagine another scenario, you find an unexplored system just outside the bubble - it has a gas giant with pristine metal rings and a land-able moon in orbit. A player / faction could build themselves a small outpost (they'd have to bring in the required metals etc.) with a landing pad. Now, with a buddy in say a T6, they can mine the rings and load the cargo for transport out. Eventually they could upgrade to a planetary outpost and set their OWN price for the metals they mine, as well as exporting. Now the economy in ED becomes real, or at least has a player driven element. In addition, if a player / faction didn't want to mine the newly discovered ring, then when they turn in the exploration data they should have the option to 'lodge a mining claim'. Now, any player that mines that belt will have to pay a fee or percentage of the sale price automatically to the claimant. Now there is a REAL incentive to explore all those rings and metal rich planets.
With what I have outlined above, we would gradually see the 'bubble' expand ever outwards to new worlds! All driven by player generated activity and content.
2. MISSIONS
I envisage that when you look at a Bulletin Board, most of the missions on it should be player generated (with templates so any player can create a mission for others to complete). Examples:
1. That swanky Orbis station you just built with your faction is fast running out of meat to feed the inhabitants. Better put a mission on the board for a player to get you some. (or just get your own of course).
2. Some Cmdr pirate in an Anaconda destroyed you just for giggles. No problem - you put a bounty mission on his head! I would suggest that you get the option to set a bounty for a Cmdr to claim, and perhaps an automatically lower bounty is payable if an NPC can do the job!
3. FD UPDATES
I would strongly urge FD to think about upcoming updates to the game. If it adds content and player involvement then great. If it is just another visual addition to the game I would put it on the back-burner.
There are probably other ideas I had that I have forgotten!
