Try Before you Cry...

[Hooplah]

So many posts that I see on the Forum are about a limited experience playing the game and then making ultimate decisions based on this experience as well as comparing it to other games that have been played. "Fix this or else I quit...I will post negative comments on the Internet...I'm done with it all!" seems to be a reoccurring occurrence.

Elite Dangerous is a complex game in that everything one does has repercussions. Yes, it challenges a player with every decision they make and can often be a severe loss when one makes the wrong ones. But there are multiple paths to succeed very well in this game. Many have accomplished this as they went through all the mistakes to arrive at a level where the game is quite easy to play. Then they complain about it being boring! Such is life in Elite Dangerous.

Give the game a chance. Don't stop short when the first issue seems unsurmountable. When one is stuck that's what this Forum is all about with so many players willing to help others succeed. Getting too many interdictions starting out in a Hauler and losing profits every time? The answers are here. Moving up to the next ship and getting opinions from other players who have been there and done that? Again the answers are here.

As a new player you have accomplished two great advances in your game play.

1. You bought the game.

2. You joined the Forum.

Use the Forum to your advantage. Disregard the negative posts as there are so many more positive ones to answer the questions you need to advance in the game. THEN one can complain about the game structure while they are making millions of credits playing it.

Note use Google "Elite Dangerous..." followed by your question as the Forum search is quite limited. You will find the results you seek.

Regards and Fly Safe!

View attachment 101836

 

[digdig66]

I disagree with most of this. Elite Dangerous isn't a complex game and people critiquing the game by comparing it to similar games is perfectly valid. As it stands right now there are basically only 2 ways to get rich in an interesting way: trading and fighting. The former is incredibly boring now since, as I've heard, rare trading is borked. The latter isn't really too much fun when most are forced into solo play against predictable AI. Mining isn't viable and most of the missions involve one or two of the aspects previously mentioned. I'm going to compare this game that has been released for at least a year now to a game that isn't even out yet: Star Citizen; it blows it out of the water in every way and it's only in closed alpha. Hell, from what I've seen it has more now than what Elite has.
I'm not even going to mention the fact that they're selling an unfinished patch for 40 dollars that adds no conceivable value to the game. Features, mind you, that were sold to people who were around in the beta like myself. So yes, this game sucks and I've been around long enough to realize it sucks. Stop defending a game that has gotten all the second chances it deserves.

 

[Hooplah]

I disagree with most of this....Stop defending a game that has gotten all the second chances it deserves.

You are certainly welcome to your opinion which I respect. You will not tell me or others what we should or should not do. Let's keep it on the discussion and not personal.

 

[GJ51]

I disagree with most of this. Elite Dangerous isn't a complex game and people critiquing the game by comparing it to similar games is perfectly valid. As it stands right now there are basically only 2 ways to get rich in an interesting way: trading and fighting. The former is incredibly boring now since, as I've heard, rare trading is borked. The latter isn't really too much fun when most are forced into solo play against predictable AI. Mining isn't viable and most of the missions involve one or two of the aspects previously mentioned. I'm going to compare this game that has been released for at least a year now to a game that isn't even out yet: Star Citizen; it blows it out of the water in every way and it's only in closed alpha. Hell, from what I've seen it has more now than what Elite has.
I'm not even going to mention the fact that they're selling an unfinished patch for 40 dollars that adds no conceivable value to the game. Features, mind you, that were sold to people who were around in the beta like myself. So yes, this game sucks and I've been around long enough to realize it sucks. Stop defending a game that has gotten all the second chances it deserves.

WOW

Tell us how you really feel...

Great response

Unfortunately, directed to a totally different audience than the one the OP was addressing.

How odd, that someone so thoroughly disenchanted with the game still wastes time reading and posting on the forum.

You must really be bored.

Strange, I would surely have thought you'd be too busy playing SC Alpha.

Just think of how gratifying it must be for the Backers who coughed up as much as $18,000 in the SC kickstarter.

I surely hope you're not this bored IRL, or are you one of those under 25 multi-billionaires already?

+1 OP for encouraging new players. who do face a steep learning curve.

 

[DragoonKnight]

WOW

Tell us how you really feel...

Great response

Unfortunately, directed to a totally different audience than the one the OP was addressing.

How odd, that someone so thoroughly disenchanted with the game still wastes time reading and posting on the forum.

You must really be bored.

Strange, I would surely have thought you'd be too busy playing SC Alpha.

Just think of how gratifying it must be for the Backers who coughed up as much as $18,000 in the SC kickstarter.

I surely hope you're not this bored IRL, or are you one of those under 25 multi-billionaires already?

+1 OP for encouraging new players. who do face a steep learning curve.

No one forced them to. I backed SC for $45.

 

[digdig66]

WOW

Tell us how you really feel...

Great response

Unfortunately, directed to a totally different audience than the one the OP was addressing.

How odd, that someone so thoroughly disenchanted with the game still wastes time reading and posting on the forum.

You must really be bored.

Strange, I would surely have thought you'd be too busy playing SC Alpha.

Just think of how gratifying it must be for the Backers who coughed up as much as $18,000 in the SC kickstarter.

I surely hope you're not this bored IRL, or are you one of those under 25 multi-billionaires already?

+1 OP for encouraging new players. who do face a steep learning curve.

I only stick around because I bought into this game with the expectation that it could be so much more than it is at this point. OP is criticizing people for pointing out that the game isn't hard (though maybe it's artificially hard) it's just boring. You can grind up to the next ship and the next rank but then what?
Try and reply without straw manning me to the hayloft. I have no stake in Star Citizen, simply pointing out that the game, as I said, has more in it in closed alpha than this game does 1+ year after release.
This game doesn't even reward or encourage people to participate in one of it's most marketable features: Exploration. In the past there have been a number of bugs disincentivizing people from doing it and it certainly isn't a good way of making credits. You could almost mine for more money per hour.

 

[GJ51]

OP is criticizing people for pointing out that the game isn't hard (though maybe it's artificially hard) it's just boring.

Well, therein lies the crux of where we disagree.

Deficient though my reading comprehension skills may be, I totally misunderstood and thought the OP was encouraging new players to be a bit more patient before deciding what the game could be for them by providing clues to resources they may find helpful.

My apologies for not seeing what he really meant.

Thank you for correcting my error.

 

[digdig66]

Well, therein lies the crux of where we disagree.

Deficient though my reading comprehension skills may be, I totally misunderstood and thought the OP was encouraging new players to be a bit more patient before deciding what the game could be for them by providing clues to resources they may find helpful.

My apologies for not seeing what he really meant.

Thank you for correcting my error.

Am I wrong in saying that most of the negative posts on here are essentially how the game is boring? The thing is, there's nothing else to direct new players to. The grind is all there is and defending that, in MY opinion, is asinine. Asinine because complacently enjoying the meager game that Elite is doesn't push the game to be better than it could be. And my original example is Star Citizen which, as I keep saying, has more features in it in closed Alpha than this game has now. Criticism pushes things forward, complacency keeps things stagnant.

 

[Hooplah]

Am I wrong in saying that most of the negative posts on here are essentially how the game is boring?...

You are trying to promote your view of the game and what it is lacking in a thread trying to help new players decide for themselves after they spent quite a lot of money purchasing it. This is not a thread comparing Star Citizen to Elite Dangerous. It is not about improving the game as you have decided that it should progress. Let's help the new players in a direction of play that let's them move forward in the game as it exists and decide for themselves. Try helping them out. Other discussions as I am sure that you have participated in would be more appropriate with your comments so far.

Let's help the new players. That is what this thread is all about.

 

[Cynaqq]

Am I wrong in saying that most of the negative posts on here are essentially how the game is boring? The thing is, there's nothing else to direct new players to. The grind is all there is and defending that, in MY opinion, is asinine. Asinine because complacently enjoying the meager game that Elite is doesn't push the game to be better than it could be. And my original example is Star Citizen which, as I keep saying, has more features in it in closed Alpha than this game has now. Criticism pushes things forward, complacency keeps things stagnant.

Sticking with a game to see where it goes and generally getting experienced with it gives you better tools to criticise the game with though. I appreciate the negative posts from an experienced player much more than I do from a player just started. One is probably speaking from experience but the other is either misunderstanding something or parrotting criticism they heard from some youtube video. It happens a lot, you can detect them by the exact phrases they use such as '1+ year after release such and such is still blah' or 'SC alpha has more content than ED'.

Well, ED has much more low level features than SC alpha which gives it a much more robust base to be built upon. These are not things you can easily see since most of them are related to the game engine and the algorithms that run it. SC uses the cryengine, which is a fantastic engine for FPS games but its capabilities for a space game are rather limited. The bulk of ED programming time goes into perfecting the cobra engine to incorporate all the future content FD is intending to add to the game.

This is exactly why SC has more top level content, aka stuff you do and interact with in the game but such terrible performance. It can't do a full size system. It has to be tiny. Planets can't be large, they are about a thousand kilometers accross. Its base structure is abysmal. That's the reason it's alpha with all that content and ED is in a much better working condition. So when you say SC has more features, you mean top level features. Under the hood though, ED has a lot more going on than SC as it currently is, which gives ED the advantage of being able to support whatever is being built upon it. SC is a flimsy aluminum frame under all the glass ceilings and tall windows with arches weighing two tons each, which CIG is trying to reinforce a little before they can release so it won't collapse immediately.

Only informed criticism from experience pushes things forward. Most criticism is a misleading waste of time. Fortunately, good game developers know how to distinguish between the two.

 

[CMDR Atmosfera]

the game can be as complex as you want it to be

 

[Gully Foyle]

SC sells ships for real money correct?
Isn't that Pay2win?
I've also heard that the flight model mechanics are kind of wonky. If SC can't get even basic flight mechanics right...

We all have our own opinions, all valid.
I have never grinded playing Elite.
I play for the fun of it, for the variety of tasks, for the cool CMDRs I've had the honour to meet and add as friends or wingmates. I am not concerned at all with having all the ships, or the big ones nor do I think I must accumulate tons of credits to be successful.

I have very little time to play and when I do it is very precious to me. I love that there is no end game and that there is an almost endless amount of places to visit and varied things to do.

I've played since premium beta and have never felt bored or tired of the gameplay.
I don't play any other games now.

This game is constantly evolving and growing and I believe Braben and his gang are on the right track.i don't want a game like all the others, the value of Elite is in its originality and uniqueness, IMHO.

I agree with the OP. A very positive and honest description of what goes on here on the forum.

Respect and Fly Safe!
o7

 

[Marc_Hicks]

The complaint I hear the most is equivalent to "I'm obsessed with getting ranks & ships as quickly as humanly possible, because I'm under the delusion that there is some kind of end-game.....yet I hate how much of a 'grind' the game is!" Meanwhile, I've been playing the game for over a year, am still getting around in a Vulture, have just shy of 6 million credits in the bank......& have only achieved the rank of Ensign in the Federal Navy. Do I care? Nope, because I've just enjoyed the experience of immersing myself in the in-game universe, taking missions & tackling roles as they come along. It's been a hoot. Now, can they improve aspects of the game? Most definitely! Are they trying to rectify the problems that currently exist & generally improve the game-play experience? Well everything in the Dev updates since January suggest they're definitely on top of it, with 2.1 being a massive game changer (literally, it might mean I become less of a drifter & settle into one system so as to align myself with a specific minor faction).

I guess the difference for me is that I've followed the development of the game since June 2014, & read back through every Dev Update & Newsletter since Alpha kicked off, so I had no illusions as to how this game was going to be released. It's the journey, not the destination that matters.

CMDR Marcus Hicks.

 

[PhoenicianSon]

There have been few games that have kept my interest as long as this game has and despite its known shortcomings, namely, the lack of depth, redundancy, and the grind. Nevertheless, and even with so many speaking out against the game or how fed up they are with the game, they still play... like me, just from a different perspective.

Sure, the game could use some more depth rather than constantly adding new features, but considering what is up and coming with the new patches coming through as part of this season a lot of those shortfalls are being sorted out. Let's consider them...

1. The mission system seems a bit disconnected, shallow and useless to anyone not garnering a means to increase naval rank
FIX: This season, Frontier is overhauling the mission system to separate regular missions from military type missions and expanding upon the current mission structures and offers (which we have seen some variety come already with the Horizon's release)

2. Cooperative multiplayer is lacking with only Power Play which has its own set of issues, and wings.
FIX: Muti-person ships, and allowing players to have docked ships in their ships for use by NPCs or Players (assuming this all comes out this season, but even then, its in the works)

3. Disconnect from your and other persona in game.
FIX: Character generator, and Engineers, soon to hopefully further that prospect with faction based character archetypes that you can interact with on base/BB

4. NPC's fly in predictable flight and fight patterns.
FIX: Frontier has announced that NPC ships will receive a major overhaul whereby, NPCs will be better at modulating the resources within their ships during battle the more experienced they are including but not limited to power management and proper use of ordinance as well as utility modules

5. There is very little, if any customization that you can implement with your ship.
FIX: Frontier has also announced that crafting will be expanded to include the ability for players to craft special modules including but not limited to new and unique weapons.

6. Lack of weaponry for larger hardpoints, namely Huge hardpoints
FIX: There have been podcasts, interviews and pictures that suggest that new weapons, perhaps by crafting or by design, will be available to expand and offer more versatility for hardpoints, including huge hardpoints; moreover, there have been releases or discussions about revamping missiles and how they damage ships.

Don't ask me to link each of these statements to some type of source in forum or out of forum, anyone and everyone knows at least a few of these updates are around the corner and this year. If you read the forums, you already know to expect all of these improvements, if not many of them, so search for yourself.

I am as interested in playing Star Citizen as probably many of you are in this forum. Even David Braben has mentioned that he is interested in playing that game in his own weekly newsletter, but comparing the two is like comparing apples to oranges. Sure, they both fall within the space simulation genre, and thus share that similarity, but they are different games entirely, and offer different experiences.

Enjoy the game while you can, because what goes up must come down, and Elite has pretty much single-handedly resurrected the entire genre to allow for a greater fan base for other developers to release great titles that fall within this genre. I haven't heard many people mention that fact, and for Frontier to have set the bar so high with such a massive sandbox, it is great to be a lover of space simulation games in 2015/2016. The game will never be perfect, but it sure has it's positive influence on gamers today interested in playing this type of game in this type of genre. For me, 1435 hours of gameplay in Elite and Elite Horizons collectively, and with each new game that comes out, Fallout 4, XCom 2, Witcher III, I played through them and kept coming back to this one once the other games' story lines were finished like many of you.

To me, that says a lot about a game... even if you are frustrated sometimes with its content or mechanics.

So, thank you Frontier for providing me with such a wonderful escape of gametime that may sometimes be a grind, but yet a nice departure from the grind I experience day to day with every day life.

 

[Phantasma]

That tiring old lark that Elite is this oh-so complex game and that one has to sink umpteens of hours into it before they could possibly see it in all its endless glory (and earn their right to voice criticism) has to die. I mean it.

The flight model, while having the greatest potential of all systems, is still quite curtated in comparison to other flight sims.
Don't get me wrong, i REALLY like it that way, a good mix between accessability and complexity.
But the learning curve, although being steeper in the beginning, flattens considerably after the first hours, then it's gradual finetuning. So far, so common.

Then we have trading. Find a good route (which is a mix of trial and error with a dash of common sense, carrots on agri worlds, washing machines are hightec etc.) and then it's milking until the cows come home.

Exploring, choose a direction, then point your nose at anything that doesn't look like dirt or water dirt. Wait until the spinning thingy finished, rinse and repeat.

Bounty hunting, park yourself in a res or a conflict zone, kill the bads, try not to die. If you feel particulary adventurous, buy an interdictor and pull your targets out of supercruise. Because they are still all procedural, no complex inter-system hunts. Target, shoot, cash in.

Ship outfitting is reasonably fun and has a good amount of things going for it.
Still, in some strategy games i mulled over my tactics for hours, weeks and even years, so still no real competition here.
Weapon balance as it is, with a sea of trash and a few to-go weapons, doesn't help either.
Oh and a willfully obscure outfitting window is not a sign of complexity, it's just bad design.

Mining. Well, yes mining. Shoot the rock, either do the funny dance to scoop up the chunks or let the drones do the work.
Still not rocket science.


See, i don't want to run the game down,.
All of these things can be fun, some challenging even, but they can be grasped by a moderately intelligent person after a few hours.
After you leave the starter ships behind (which happens astoundingly fast these days) and you dabble into the systems for a while you will have seen the better part of it in no time.
And then you are perfectly valid to form an opinion and voice your criticism as long as it is constructive. Oh, and constructive does not automatically mean it has to be sugar-coated or defensive. If you love something, you may well fight for it. Just stay classy and insult no one.


Like it or not, until Frontier does something about it, the criticism is here to stay.
And in general that is a good thing, the game could really benefit from it.

So don't panic, join the discussions and please, don't concentrate on the inevitable forum noise (on BOTH sides of the spectrum i might add)!


Edit:
Almost forgot, a final appeal.
Please don't use the term 'Crying' when referring to dissent.
It's very generalising and i would probably feel insulted if my critiques would be described like that.
It is on my p bingo card, right beside "Carebear" and "Do you want a million credit button with that?". It never helps the conversation.

 

[cherniq]

Am I wrong in saying that most of the negative posts on here are essentially how the game is boring? The thing is, there's nothing else to direct new players to. The grind is all there is and defending that, in MY opinion, is asinine. Asinine because complacently enjoying the meager game that Elite is doesn't push the game to be better than it could be. And my original example is Star Citizen which, as I keep saying, has more features in it in closed Alpha than this game has now. Criticism pushes things forward, complacency keeps things stagnant.

Features you say ... hmmm lets See what SC have shall we - yep there is a working universe , the travel between systems is better , trading is LY ahead , planetary landings are much better and exploring is amazing. O wait .... it isn't - whit what ? Some of this things are missing how so ?! But but but SC is better game in alfa tha ED coss I sad so !!! Bu-hu , sniff.

Now seriously. Give me honest answer , why did you compare something that is out and paper promises ? Yes , most of SC BETTER thing are only on paper or special crafted demos. I hope it turns ok coss many people put money into it and we need good games and competition. Judging your comment you must be 10 ( i mean the "bu-hu" thing ).
Don't get me wrong , ED has many thing to fix , improve even to introduce. And also want to ask you : You thing it will never got boring to go to a console , order "my ship to the landing pad" , go to the landing pad in the station getting into the craft ( the animation is amazing the first 20-30 times then gets on my nerves - my personal feeling ) every time I travel 2-3 LY to drop a mission or to see a friend. ED hinted it will be there , but it will not be WAY to do it . Walking will be addition ( I hope it is ) to the system in place now, so if you want to explore the station off you go. In a sense you are like the PvP master race who want Solo to be forbidden so they can engage in more PvP - completely missing the point the PvP is not the center of the game.
SC promises many things , the release date get pushed back again, now the sq42 will be standalone game. So let's be honest they are not out of the woods yet. Like I sad , i really hope it delivers.

And last but not least : Not every game is liked by everybody. I don't say don't criticize but at least put some thoughts into it a.k.a. real arguments.

CMDR Cherniq

- - - - - Additional Content Posted / Auto Merge - - - - -

SC sells ships for real money correct?
Isn't that Pay2win?
I've also heard that the flight model mechanics are kind of wonky. If SC can't get even basic flight mechanics right...


Respect and Fly Safe!
o7

It is pay2Win if you have a game in witch to win !

Soryy , I'm bad , but I couldn't help ,myself . In reality I hope they pull it off.

 

[BillD]

....snip
Use the Forum to your advantage. Disregard the negative posts as there are so many more positive ones to answer the questions you need to advance in the game. THEN one can complain about the game structure while they are making millions of credits playing it.

Note use Google "Elite Dangerous..." followed by your question as the Forum search is quite limited. You will find the results you seek.

Regards and Fly Safe!

View attachment 101836

+1 You even preempted what was going to happen in this post.

I must admit, from the title that I thought you were going to describe what has happened to me in the past, where I have been using a ship for a while and upgraded a module after making some cash. And of course I don't even think of testing out that everything is still OK. I go out into the black and get into a fight. No Probs....I Deploy weapons only to find I have overloaded power now and everything shuts down right when I am under attack.... panic panic hehe.
Try before you cry

This rarely happens to me now BTW. Not because I am a seasoned pilot, but because I always reallocate the priority on my modules to control which modules should shut down as power is reduced. I have at least 4 levels to help control the shutdown.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Am I wrong in saying that most of the negative posts on here are essentially how the game is boring? The thing is, there's nothing else to direct new players to. The grind is all there is and defending that, in MY opinion, is asinine. Asinine because complacently enjoying the meager game that Elite is doesn't push the game to be better than it could be. And my original example is Star Citizen which, as I keep saying, has more features in it in closed Alpha than this game has now. Criticism pushes things forward, complacency keeps things stagnant.

Your posts are superficial, boring and lack a lot of content. Compared to a lot of posters it lacks decent argumentation, consists of merely negativity and lacks ideas about solutions to what you consider flaws in the game.

That was my criticism in order to push your things forward, you're welcome. .

 

[5thNovember]

The latter isn't really too much fun when most are forced into solo play against predictable AI.

Forced into solo? Hogwash. Open is generally only fractionally more challenging, and that is rarely to boot.

That said, I don't disagree with some of the other things you mentioned

 

[Lianachan]

Yes, there's lots of good info for newbies (and oldbies) on the forums.

Although:

You are certainly welcome to your opinion which I respect. You will not tell me or others what we should or should not do. Let's keep it on the discussion and not personal.

Spoiler

ED isn't perfect, and (pedants note - this is my OPINION, not a measurable fact) it's lacking so many things that would make it much better. But it's gradually improving. I wish they'd waited and released a complete game, though.