This will probably be my final weekend with this game.

I love Elite Dangerous. I wish it would love me back.

I came in during the waning days of late Beta. Lived through Gamma, and up to just before 1.1 before I simply stopped. I lost the drive to keep playing.

Why?

It was obvious that I wasnt getting anywhere. I spun the wheels one too many times. I felt the cold shoulder treatment the game was giving me finally. The honeymoon was over.

I'm 30 years of age, I realize that I'm not as young, as healthy, or as free as my younger, more "hardcore gamer" self. I work two jobs, have health issues, suffer repetitive stress injury in my arm and hands too often, and thanks to IRL stress management issues, I've been told that I'm now required to go through an anger management course from one of my employers. I cant blame them. I need it.

I played like how everyone started. Sidewinder, did some BBS courier jobs to get some starting capital. Moved up to the Eagle for some pewpew, then started saving up to the Cobra (making the mistake of skipping the Viper), and tried everything. Did a spot of mining (fell asleep from the boredom), rare trades (may have tapped the rare trades open "exploit" back in the Gamma days to gain some much-needed cash to upgrade things a bit. Was good the first run. Hated the next 4), normal trades (profit margins are way too low, was bored, then started hating it, then fell asleep smashing against a station, blowing me up and losing my cargo of platinum). Trading is too close to being a third job to top my first two. No thanks.

Realizing trade isnt for me, I went ahead and set myself up for exploration. Got pretty far, about 2k-ish LY from the closest civilized system I could find. Felt the pressure of realizing that if I F- up, I lose everything, didnt like it. Started hating the fear and pressure, had a stressful 3 nights booking my ass back to the closest station.

Went ahead and started combat professions. Hated the low pay of combat zones (even with the buff, still too low IMHO), moved to interdicting big pay targets in super-cruise. Thoroughly enjoyed it, felt like I was really hunting down marks for my paycheck. Enjoyed it even more with the bounty buff. Found several systems I could set up "camps" to find my bounties. Discovered RES node bounty hunting, started upgrading my Cobra to top-of-the-line A-grade.

Then from a suggestion, I downgraded to the Viper, discovered the great joy of a true combat ship, wanting more. Scored my first Anaconda assassination mission in that ship. Flew that ship into the ground. Flew my hands and arms into the ground as well from so much combat flying, pressed an indentation of my joystick in my hand. Didnt care, was having a lot of fun.

Tried upgrading to the Asp, discovered the repair and running costs were too high, downgraded back to the Viper, realizing the week's worth of free time in that ship was a pure waste, and this is where I started hating the grind, and the lack of combat ships. To add to this, discovered the earning potential of trade Asps was significantly higher than my credit-per-hour. People who started later than me (launch) are in Type 7's, Clippers, Dropships, Pythons. I'm still in my Viper. People start talking about these ships. I'm still in my Viper.

Then the Anaconda videos and posts started showing up, my personal goal and dream in Elite Dangerous. A dream too bloody far.

I had it, I just stopped. The amount of grind, the obvious mechanics focus on trade vs the multiple mechanics negatives combat-oriented play styles suffer, too much time in the Viper coupled with the now-disappointing combat performance of the Cobra and the even more disappointing experience I had with the Asp was too much.

Now with 1.2, I'm giving the game one last chance. I did the unprecedented act of requesting time off (something I've never done in nearly 7 and 5 years of working two jobs) for the weekend to let the game convince me its still worth my meager time and effort.

I'm not liking my chances personally. 2 days to go from a Viper to a Vulture. Already I'm fuming at the extremely high cost of the supposed "combat-oriented" ships. I am not doing trades or exploration. I've tried them, I didnt like them, I didnt have fun with them.

I intend to have fun with this game. If it wont happen, I guess I'll have to move on as much as I dont want to. I'm too unwell and too busy not to.

EDIT: Started early with an hour. Bounty payouts are still the same as far as I can tell. This'll be a tough slog.
 
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This again points to a lack of options between the Cobra and the million dollar ships. I sometimes wonder how many issues with the "Grind" would be fixed if we had more mid range options.
 
Usually I never say this, but in this case perhaps it's justified - maybe this simply isn't the game for you?

+1 rep for not raging about your issues, and I hope the 1.2 build provides a better play experience.

Fly safe.
 
Private msg sent with my personal "secret" to bounty hunting fun. It may not work for you, but it works for me.
 
there's still 13(right?) more new ships to be released in the coming months, I'm sure some of them will fill in the gaps in the lower and mid sized ships.
 
"You don't stop playing because you grow old, you grow old because you stop playing" Screw this 30 years crap!

The game is only about grinding if you make it that way!

Don't look at the big numbers, play for fun an eventually you'll get to the bigger ships, but here's the thing, if you don't enjoy the game with the smaller ships you will not enjoy with the bigger ones. So just do whatever you feel like doing in the game, play for fun! And if you want a teammate to take some Elite Condas down, count me in, I'm flying a Vulture now ;)


Also, you should take a look at RES now, lots of Anacondas with 70K+ bounties flying around, Bounty-Hunting got a big boost in 1.2.
 
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KazumaKat, in my opinion, as soon as someone starts thinking of the game as credits-per-hour, then it becomes a grind and isn't fun anymore.

Sounds like you need a break, so take one. No harm, no foul. Then come back just to have fun.
 

(-o-)

Banned
its the journey towards the goal that counts.. not the goal itself.
its futile to try compete with a few who dedicate themselves only to get the "end of the line" ship asap.. unless u also prepared to get bored really fast once u get there, or more likely long before... just like many of those "rush to the end of the line"-guys

or: who dreams about his or hers 100th birthday party, not enjoying the 99 other birthday partys to come before that... only to die soon after once that goal been reached!

dont leave just yet... ;)
 
I would take a break just as I have done myself.
If you're combat orientated you make virtually no credits at all in this game, hence why I am still in a cobra since launch.
 
"You don't stop playing because you grow old, you grow old because you stop playing" Screw this 30 years crap!

The game is only about grinding if you make it that way!

Don't look at the big numbers, play for fun an eventually you'll get to the bigger ships, but here's the thing, if you don't enjoy the game with the smaller ships you will not enjoy with the bigger ones. So just do whatever you feel like doing in the game, play for fun! And if you want a teammate to take some Elite Condas down, count me in, I'm flying a Vulture now ;)


Also, you should take a look at RES now, lots of shieldless Anacondas with 40k bounties flying around, Bounty-Hunting got a big boost in 1.2.

Totally agree Salad..

Ive not done a whole lot of combat till today.. usually just fighting off Pirates when im trading in the Python, decided to trade-grind my ass off to get the Vulture. I geared it up, then headed over to a RES.. WOW!! Was thinking the tag on the Vulture was kinda pricey, and theres always the option to trade it in and get my money back.. but man is this ship worth it. If this ship was any cheaper, noone would fly anything else for combat, they would need to change the name to Elite:Vulture.

I hope this weekend helps you find your ED MOJO OP, if not, all the best. The game will still be here if you ever decide to come back to it.

Regards
 
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Not sure any of the replies actually read what you typed!

RL is more important than any game, though obviously this game (and forum) is important enough for you to post this thread.

Being 20+ years older than you (as many are on this forum) I wish you the best in whatever you need to do...and maybe you'll return in version 3.09 with all the DLC, or buy the newly released SC and enjoy both :D
 
I understand your point of view, and sadly I think 1.2 is not going to do anything for you. The Vulture is over 20m and then about the same again to equip. 40-50m total. You can't do that in 2 days unless you have an exploit. Incidentally if you can't go back to a Cobra after flying a Viper then you won't like an Anaconda. You should probably forget about that as an end goal.

But if you enjoy fighting in your Viper then why not just keep doing what you enjoy. Focus on your combat rank or simply your self-assessed skill level instead of money or ship progression.

What you're saying boils down to the wealth progression being too slow for you. That's a fair criticism, but not one that is easy for FD to solve. Giving people everything too easily also makes them lose interest. If they balance the game for people like you with limited time and an unwillingness to do anything other than combat then they will lose players with more time/inclination to grind. But to be blunt those players are more likely be around to buy the expansions in a year or two than you are. And given that you haven't enjoyed anything but combat so far there's a good chance you won't enjoy whatever they add in the expansions anyway.

I do think some of the ships are too expensive. The Fer de Lance doesn't make a lot of sense being more expensive than a Python. The Vulture is probably twice what it should be as well. But even a Vulture that costs 20m to buy and equip is going to be too much for those who are unwilling to do anything other than combat to make money. And yes, there is a certain ridiculous in having combat ships that are essentially unobtainable for the players the care most about combat. Probably the best thing FD could do for you is to introduce an arena mode. That's been rumored so perhaps they will. It'll still be a way off though I think.
 
I'll be honest: I have had the same feelings as everybody. I just roleplay, work on making my favorite Imperial systems better places and wait some more content.
 
there's still 13(right?) more new ships to be released in the coming months, I'm sure some of them will fill in the gaps in the lower and mid sized ships.
Those ships should have been released first. Allow the low end market to build up, the same way you'd play the game. Introducing more multi million credit ships just makes people think the game is going to be a huge grind for the next ship. Introducing ships with a slow incline in price allows players to see the steady ramp up, (if there actually is going to be a steady ramp up that is). Personally, I can see newer ships coming in with more 20-50 million price tags.

Elite was never this much of a grind and people enjoyed playing it. Pity DB hasn't realised this. People want a game thy can enjoy playing, not another job.
 
Usually I never say this, but in this case perhaps it's justified - maybe this simply isn't the game for you?

+1 rep for not raging about your issues, and I hope the 1.2 build provides a better play experience.

Fly safe.

I agree with this assessment.

I myself would say, why does it HAVE to be about the full grind? Just enjoy each ship as you play..unfortunately..the grind is pointless right now in this game anyways as if you do reach the "big" ships then you will be at the "end game" and there is none. I am optimistic about all the progress I see FDev making with each patch...but I am not holding my breath just yet.

Especially being older like you, I am 37, work full time and have three near teenage daughters..so the play time has to be justified with some content because the general fun of solo combat sure does wear off. I have no gamer friends except one and he quit the game a week after release (typical of him)
 
Giving people everything too easily also makes them lose interest. If they balance the game for people like you with limited time and an unwillingness to do anything other than combat then they will lose players with more time/inclination to grind.

Well, if people really do get bored and quit that quickly, I think that means there are deeper flaws in the underlying game; there are plenty of games that can sustain hundreds of hours of gameplay without being boring and without forcing the player to "grind" - which I would define as playing the game not because you're having fun, but because you anticipate it will enable future fun. And when you get down to it, the goal of a game isn't to keep players hooked the longest, it's to give players a great experience. Some games do both (Skyrim) but many of the very best are short and sweet. There's nothing wrong with making an Elite that people play for 40 or 50 hours and then are done with, if it's a great 40 or 50 hours.

But even a Vulture that costs 20m to buy and equip is going to be too much for those who are unwilling to do anything other than combat to make money. And yes, there is a certain ridiculous in having combat ships that are essentially unobtainable for the players the care most about combat.

20m isn't that unreasonable in combat - I've earned that through bounties and assassinations so far. 40m would be a real stretch, though, and I'd reach Elite in combat long, long before I could afford an FDL.
 
Not to come off sounding a bit judgmental, but it sounds like you have RL things to sort out before worrying about gaming. I sincerely hope you can get on top of it, repair, recover, de-stress and find some happiness. I think you will find gaming more enjoyable afterwards.

I went through a similar period some time ago too, took a big break from all the 'normal' things I did and concentrated on me, and me only. Improved my health, changed my habits.

All the best and hope to see you back one day! :)
 
I've been enjoying playing ED almost every day since release. I only spent two or three days trading a while back in January (I think), and earned 3 million credits. I wasn't wanting to buy a bigger, "better" ship. Rather, I just wanted to buff up the ships I had; Viper, Eagle, Sidewinders, and Cobra. I mean, I do want a more expensive ship eventually but it isn't a huge, short-term goal. I'm just flying mostly in the Cobra or Viper, taking the Viper into conflict zones and the Cobra for bounty hunting and exploration. Notice, I didn't include trading in that previous sentence because I don't do it. In every space game I've played I rarely do trading, and I always hate having to do it. But, in space games I've played, it's necessary at some point if you want to acquire huge sums of wealth. From my experiences, trading is simply a part of space-sim games. Like in most RPGs like Final Fantasy, you got to grind for XP here and there. It's just something I expect.

However, Kazuma, I can understand what you mean by there being such a focus on trading in ED. If you want the big ships fast, you got to trade and trade hard. After three days of trading back in January, I said I wasn't doing it again, at least for a while. But, I have found that you can explore and fight and still make profits. Since I've focused my exploration on the more lucrative astronomical objects, exploration has become perhaps my greatest source of revenue. FD has acknowledged this gap between the profitability of each job/role by buffing payouts in conflict zones and bounties. So, I wouldn't say there's no hope of improvement. But I also wouldn't hope for exploration or combat to become more profitable than trading. It's always going to be the fastest track to making big $$$.

And they really need some more variety in the middle area ships. I'm know they have more ships planned in the future, but I think they'll likely continue focusing on the smaller and largest ship types. I hope I'm wrong, but that seems to be how FD wants this game to be.

I hope you find what you're looking for in ED in the coming days, but I doubt it. I love ED, mostly for the exploration, but I can see how most folks couldn't stomach it. You really, really got to love space games to stick with ED. It's a real quality space game IMO, but lots of stuff I don't like, too. FD seems to listen to their fans, so who knows what might change in the coming months.

Plus, if bigger ships = more fun, in your opinion, then you'll likely still feel ED is a big grind. I really enjoy exploring and battling as it is (for the most part), and the Cobra and Viper seem to suffice in those capacities.
 
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