Hail, pilots. Hope everyone's been enjoying their treks across the galaxy as much as I have. Elite Dangerous has been a breath of fresh air for me in a sea of MMO's and grindfests, and I genuinely love it.
However...
Even just a few short weeks after my very first training mission, I immediately see areas of the game that could use some definite tweaks. Some things are personal gripes, and some things are objectively in need of work. A few UI elements, a few logically missing pieces of equipment, and a few redundancies that could be corrected with minimal loss. There's also plenty of things I'd love to see in the game of course, as I'm sure some of you (hopefully many of you) will agree after the fact.
Please take all these suggestions with a grain of salt, and keep in mind a few things: first, I do not have Horizons. No landings, no SRV's, and no Cobra mkIV (sadface.) Also note I can't read the minds of the developers, so if something here is already planned or in development, please don't be snide. Finally, remember these are suggestions that I've based on personal observation with the intent of opening up and utilizing as much design space as ED has to offer. The current foundations of the game have left an ENORMOUS amount of room for growth and tuning, and I wish nothing more than to see it grow, evolve, and fill in the gaps with the most sensible and enjoyable things.
In other words: I love ED, and want it to be the best possible game it can be. Without further ado, let's pick this thing apart! (With the best intentions, mind you.)
GRIPES -- these are things that bug me, plain and simple. There's no reason they should be as is (not that I can see, anyway.)
Now for the fun part: SUGGESTIONS!
However...
Even just a few short weeks after my very first training mission, I immediately see areas of the game that could use some definite tweaks. Some things are personal gripes, and some things are objectively in need of work. A few UI elements, a few logically missing pieces of equipment, and a few redundancies that could be corrected with minimal loss. There's also plenty of things I'd love to see in the game of course, as I'm sure some of you (hopefully many of you) will agree after the fact.
Please take all these suggestions with a grain of salt, and keep in mind a few things: first, I do not have Horizons. No landings, no SRV's, and no Cobra mkIV (sadface.) Also note I can't read the minds of the developers, so if something here is already planned or in development, please don't be snide. Finally, remember these are suggestions that I've based on personal observation with the intent of opening up and utilizing as much design space as ED has to offer. The current foundations of the game have left an ENORMOUS amount of room for growth and tuning, and I wish nothing more than to see it grow, evolve, and fill in the gaps with the most sensible and enjoyable things.
In other words: I love ED, and want it to be the best possible game it can be. Without further ado, let's pick this thing apart! (With the best intentions, mind you.)
GRIPES -- these are things that bug me, plain and simple. There's no reason they should be as is (not that I can see, anyway.)
First off, landing pads at exterior orbital platforms need to either stop requiring a specific facing when landing, OR stop spinning us around on takeoff. In a coriolis, it makes sense, because there's one entry and exit; it's only considerate since it saves us the trouble of turning around ourselves. In an exterior pad, it's actually a constant aggravation. Facing or turning; there's no logical need for both. If we descend into the hangar, fine. If all we do is land and leave, the spin is pointless and wastes our time.
Next up, ship internals. The way these are presented needs distinction. It can be misleading to new players especially to see all those juicy internals when looking to purchase a ship, only to find out most of them are taken up by required equipment. In both the shipyard and the outfitting hangar, critical internals need visual distinction. Even just a small space between the vitals and optionals would do wonders to distinguish them at a glance (in outfitting.) In the shipyard, it would make sense to list the internal sizes next to their critical components, instead of in a completely separate part of the preview window. It takes up way too much space, requires lots of scrolling, and doesn't tell us much when virtually every ship comes with the same default starting equipment of varying sizes. (Seriously, every ship just reads 'powerplant' and 'FSD.' That tells us nothing.) The section that shows 'internals' should only list EXTRA internals; dedicated slots should be clearly denoted right there on the purchase window. It would save screen space, remove the need for scrolling, and convey much more useful information much more quickly, with a lot less confusion for new players.
In a similar vein, I would appreciate seeing matching module types be listed first by default when seeking to replace a module. If I select my shield generator for replacement, shield generators should logically be the first thing I see, then sorted by the desired method. It might mean a little scrolling when attempting to completely switch modules, but for upgrading and downgrading, which seem far more common, having the existing module type appear first just makes sense.
Scanning is an anomaly to me. I like exploring, and intend to map out as much of the galaxy as I can in my travels, but I often question the nature of scanning and the required equipment. Your first scanner pings and reveals 500LS worth of objects, which obviously will miss TONS of things. Your second scanner doubles that range--misses less, but still leaves out countless distant objects (400 thousand LS cruise, anyone?) The third simply dispenses with the hunt and goes "Screw it, here's all of them." Seriously? That seems a bit...lazy to me. Part of exploring the galaxy should involve EXPLORING THE GALAXY. I would have understood if each rating of scanner increased your range and each class added a multiplier for exponential range increase, but to just throw our hands up and go "bah! just give it to them" seems a little...defeatist to me. I would have rather enjoyed some form of sonar-like scanner that points us in the right direction of new objects so there's actually something of a hunt. Exploration would be more of adventure if it was less of a handout. Why doesn't the distance to the object affect the amount of data we get, or the time required to scan? I've gotten detailed scans of objects more than 6500LS away, yet they still took 30 seconds and got as much detail as an asteroid cluster which required me to be 5LS away. Gravity and interfering objects, etc etc, yes I know, but there's just no symmetry here. It's still the same passive activity of 'close in until scan starts, wait, profit.' I think we could do more to enhance the activity of scanning and make it more involved, rather than a 'sit and wait' kind of mechanic.
On a related note, I find detailed surface scanners kind of silly. Perhaps Horizons makes more use of them, but as is, they do nothing but increase the credit value of scan data at the cost of an entire internal slot. Exploration may not be the most profitable career in ED, but not only is it not SUPPOSED to be, but this isn't the way to close the gap. I think it would make more sense for the main scanners to incorporate more details as you upgrade their rating and class. This would allow the discovery scanners to incorporate a more...complete rating scale and get rid of an internal that adds no gameplay by itself. does the detailed surface scanner even do anything without a discovery scanner? If the answer is no, then it wouldn't be missed if it was folded into the main mechanic. I would not complain about scanners that actually required real mass and power if they added functionality; detailed scanners add none; only greater income.
Finally, my last real gripe. Preface: I know all about cultural differences and language barriers, and I understand they add challenges.
The game's text is riddled with odd typos, grammar errors, and little hiccups in the wording. Some of it is due to algorithms that fill in the blank with words that don't make a right-sounding sentence when spoken aloud, but there are several times when there's an unneeded punctuation mark or misspelled word. Since they're couched in things we see often, like mission briefings and NPC communiques, they're hard to miss and even harder to look at time and again without cringing. It's far from the worst example of English use in this day and age; it just needs a little review and editing. Yell grammar
all you want; I see it as careless for a professional product. It wouldn't take much to go through the dialogues of the game and do a little spellcheck here and there. Hell, I'd do it for free, just for the sake of the game.
Next up, ship internals. The way these are presented needs distinction. It can be misleading to new players especially to see all those juicy internals when looking to purchase a ship, only to find out most of them are taken up by required equipment. In both the shipyard and the outfitting hangar, critical internals need visual distinction. Even just a small space between the vitals and optionals would do wonders to distinguish them at a glance (in outfitting.) In the shipyard, it would make sense to list the internal sizes next to their critical components, instead of in a completely separate part of the preview window. It takes up way too much space, requires lots of scrolling, and doesn't tell us much when virtually every ship comes with the same default starting equipment of varying sizes. (Seriously, every ship just reads 'powerplant' and 'FSD.' That tells us nothing.) The section that shows 'internals' should only list EXTRA internals; dedicated slots should be clearly denoted right there on the purchase window. It would save screen space, remove the need for scrolling, and convey much more useful information much more quickly, with a lot less confusion for new players.
In a similar vein, I would appreciate seeing matching module types be listed first by default when seeking to replace a module. If I select my shield generator for replacement, shield generators should logically be the first thing I see, then sorted by the desired method. It might mean a little scrolling when attempting to completely switch modules, but for upgrading and downgrading, which seem far more common, having the existing module type appear first just makes sense.
Scanning is an anomaly to me. I like exploring, and intend to map out as much of the galaxy as I can in my travels, but I often question the nature of scanning and the required equipment. Your first scanner pings and reveals 500LS worth of objects, which obviously will miss TONS of things. Your second scanner doubles that range--misses less, but still leaves out countless distant objects (400 thousand LS cruise, anyone?) The third simply dispenses with the hunt and goes "Screw it, here's all of them." Seriously? That seems a bit...lazy to me. Part of exploring the galaxy should involve EXPLORING THE GALAXY. I would have understood if each rating of scanner increased your range and each class added a multiplier for exponential range increase, but to just throw our hands up and go "bah! just give it to them" seems a little...defeatist to me. I would have rather enjoyed some form of sonar-like scanner that points us in the right direction of new objects so there's actually something of a hunt. Exploration would be more of adventure if it was less of a handout. Why doesn't the distance to the object affect the amount of data we get, or the time required to scan? I've gotten detailed scans of objects more than 6500LS away, yet they still took 30 seconds and got as much detail as an asteroid cluster which required me to be 5LS away. Gravity and interfering objects, etc etc, yes I know, but there's just no symmetry here. It's still the same passive activity of 'close in until scan starts, wait, profit.' I think we could do more to enhance the activity of scanning and make it more involved, rather than a 'sit and wait' kind of mechanic.
On a related note, I find detailed surface scanners kind of silly. Perhaps Horizons makes more use of them, but as is, they do nothing but increase the credit value of scan data at the cost of an entire internal slot. Exploration may not be the most profitable career in ED, but not only is it not SUPPOSED to be, but this isn't the way to close the gap. I think it would make more sense for the main scanners to incorporate more details as you upgrade their rating and class. This would allow the discovery scanners to incorporate a more...complete rating scale and get rid of an internal that adds no gameplay by itself. does the detailed surface scanner even do anything without a discovery scanner? If the answer is no, then it wouldn't be missed if it was folded into the main mechanic. I would not complain about scanners that actually required real mass and power if they added functionality; detailed scanners add none; only greater income.
Finally, my last real gripe. Preface: I know all about cultural differences and language barriers, and I understand they add challenges.
The game's text is riddled with odd typos, grammar errors, and little hiccups in the wording. Some of it is due to algorithms that fill in the blank with words that don't make a right-sounding sentence when spoken aloud, but there are several times when there's an unneeded punctuation mark or misspelled word. Since they're couched in things we see often, like mission briefings and NPC communiques, they're hard to miss and even harder to look at time and again without cringing. It's far from the worst example of English use in this day and age; it just needs a little review and editing. Yell grammar
all you want; I see it as careless for a professional product. It wouldn't take much to go through the dialogues of the game and do a little spellcheck here and there. Hell, I'd do it for free, just for the sake of the game.Now for the fun part: SUGGESTIONS!
Let's start with some basic stuff: mechanics. Some of these may be difficult to program, but I've tried to suggest the most practical route I can with each. I'm not a programmer; I don't know the code, but I know it's always efficient to build off of existing mechanics where possible.
It surprised me that we don't have any real communication options with NPC's. Ships in distress, traders who might know a good route or want to buy some cargo, police who wander into your multi-cannon's fire in the split-second your concentration lapsed and deserve an apology--the list goes on. We already have a communications panel and a contact panel; their functionality could do for some expansion, and there are tons of basic things they could be used for. We have a multi-click solution to request docking, so why don't we have other functions for acquiring info or other services?
On a related topic, why don't all ships in the galaxy have a distress beacon as standard equipment? I see distress calls all the time while cruising; why don't we have that option?There've been countless times when people would dearly love a chance to receive emergency aid from nearby rescue vehicles, and yet those same rescue ships are busy scooping up valuable salvage instead?? I can't be the only one who sees opportunity in design here. It wouldn't take but a single option on our HUD to flip on a distress beacon and get refueled/repaired/towed by these rescue vehicles...that aren't really rescuing anyone. Hmm. That sounded more like a gripe than a suggestion. Sorry about that.
On a topic related to THAT topic, I humbly request more thorough support functions for those craft who wish to actually aid their fellow pilots in dire straits. The most basic support tool I feel we deserve is a simple, old fashioned refueling line. Attaching it to another ship could allow us to refuel our neighbor as much or as little as we want without using up cargo space (the limpet method seems...inelegant and impractical to me.) This method would logically require both ships be either completely stopped or matching speeds, and would take time, leaving both ships vulnerable during refueling. The line would also have its own mass and power needs, obviously, but I think it would be a practical, straightforward, and most importantly, sustainable alternative to the limpet fuel system. It could even be used alongside limpets to allow a ship to refuel multiple vessels at once, if desired. (Bring extra tanks!)
This segues nicely into my next thought: extra ammo storage. Even a basic sidewinder can carry four tons of cargo on the stock model; why can't we use that for ammo storage? Imagine how much your wingmates would love you for carrying fuel and ammo for them so they can enjoy their rail guns and multicannons all day? Ah, but of course, we'd need a way to transfer said ammo! This is where limpets would actually shine. I picture a cargo vessel carrying ammo for all the weapons he predicts the need to rearm, and upon targeting a vessel, a normal scan would identify the ship's ammo needs, loading the limpet appropriately. At that point, it's fire and forget. Fight on, wingmates.
Ever wish you had a way to collect cargo that didn't take up the space you were trying to fill? Yeah, limpets are strange like that. I propose a low-tech cargo grappling hook. A short range cable mounted near your cargo scoop would be a great way to speed up collection without automating it and taking up valuable space. It'd obviously require mass and power, as well as a little aim, but shouldn't be too difficult to use. Higher grades/ratings could extend the reach and winch speed. Perhaps a higher class would add the ability to fire more than one hook at once, removing the need to wait for the first item to be retracted. Of course, this whole thing would add the potential vulnerability of having your cable cut...perhaps something magnetic would be more practical.
Failing all that, it would be nice to be able to recall a limpet once its work is done and allow it to recharge. Presumably, they expire because their battery dies; why not allow the controller to use extra power draw for the time it takes to recharge the limpet? It wouldn't be much different than the extra power draw our weapons require just to deploy; the draw would go up until the limpet is fully charged, then go back to normal. It would add a consideration for our powerplants in exchange for reclaiming all that cargo space limpets take up. The controller's limpet capacity, based on its grade, would logically be the maximum limpets it could carry, and they'd be accounted for in the initial price and mass. I feel this would be a more elegant solution than having to go into the restock menu just for limpets. I literally never use that window for anything else; the repair/reload/refuel all buttons in the port's home window cover all other resupply needs, and could cover this one, if so applied. In fact, with this rendition of limpets, the game could almost dispense with the restock window entirely...almost.
The final support function I'd currently love to see is good repair tools. I recall hearing potential out-of-ship welding and repairs in the future, so this may be obsoleted, but I would enjoy seeing a sort of short-range welding beam to allow us to patch up our fellows somewhat. It would be bad to allow it to fully repair people in the field for free, but a simple limit on the maximum health %, based on the tool's grade, would nip that problem in the bud, I think. Some limit on supply could also keep the abuse in check, alongside a hefty heat generation and a need to target and accurately hit the desired subsystem for repair. No tailing your buddy and healing him through railgun fire!
It surprised me that we don't have any real communication options with NPC's. Ships in distress, traders who might know a good route or want to buy some cargo, police who wander into your multi-cannon's fire in the split-second your concentration lapsed and deserve an apology--the list goes on. We already have a communications panel and a contact panel; their functionality could do for some expansion, and there are tons of basic things they could be used for. We have a multi-click solution to request docking, so why don't we have other functions for acquiring info or other services?
On a related topic, why don't all ships in the galaxy have a distress beacon as standard equipment? I see distress calls all the time while cruising; why don't we have that option?There've been countless times when people would dearly love a chance to receive emergency aid from nearby rescue vehicles, and yet those same rescue ships are busy scooping up valuable salvage instead?? I can't be the only one who sees opportunity in design here. It wouldn't take but a single option on our HUD to flip on a distress beacon and get refueled/repaired/towed by these rescue vehicles...that aren't really rescuing anyone. Hmm. That sounded more like a gripe than a suggestion. Sorry about that.
On a topic related to THAT topic, I humbly request more thorough support functions for those craft who wish to actually aid their fellow pilots in dire straits. The most basic support tool I feel we deserve is a simple, old fashioned refueling line. Attaching it to another ship could allow us to refuel our neighbor as much or as little as we want without using up cargo space (the limpet method seems...inelegant and impractical to me.) This method would logically require both ships be either completely stopped or matching speeds, and would take time, leaving both ships vulnerable during refueling. The line would also have its own mass and power needs, obviously, but I think it would be a practical, straightforward, and most importantly, sustainable alternative to the limpet fuel system. It could even be used alongside limpets to allow a ship to refuel multiple vessels at once, if desired. (Bring extra tanks!)
This segues nicely into my next thought: extra ammo storage. Even a basic sidewinder can carry four tons of cargo on the stock model; why can't we use that for ammo storage? Imagine how much your wingmates would love you for carrying fuel and ammo for them so they can enjoy their rail guns and multicannons all day? Ah, but of course, we'd need a way to transfer said ammo! This is where limpets would actually shine. I picture a cargo vessel carrying ammo for all the weapons he predicts the need to rearm, and upon targeting a vessel, a normal scan would identify the ship's ammo needs, loading the limpet appropriately. At that point, it's fire and forget. Fight on, wingmates.
Ever wish you had a way to collect cargo that didn't take up the space you were trying to fill? Yeah, limpets are strange like that. I propose a low-tech cargo grappling hook. A short range cable mounted near your cargo scoop would be a great way to speed up collection without automating it and taking up valuable space. It'd obviously require mass and power, as well as a little aim, but shouldn't be too difficult to use. Higher grades/ratings could extend the reach and winch speed. Perhaps a higher class would add the ability to fire more than one hook at once, removing the need to wait for the first item to be retracted. Of course, this whole thing would add the potential vulnerability of having your cable cut...perhaps something magnetic would be more practical.
Failing all that, it would be nice to be able to recall a limpet once its work is done and allow it to recharge. Presumably, they expire because their battery dies; why not allow the controller to use extra power draw for the time it takes to recharge the limpet? It wouldn't be much different than the extra power draw our weapons require just to deploy; the draw would go up until the limpet is fully charged, then go back to normal. It would add a consideration for our powerplants in exchange for reclaiming all that cargo space limpets take up. The controller's limpet capacity, based on its grade, would logically be the maximum limpets it could carry, and they'd be accounted for in the initial price and mass. I feel this would be a more elegant solution than having to go into the restock menu just for limpets. I literally never use that window for anything else; the repair/reload/refuel all buttons in the port's home window cover all other resupply needs, and could cover this one, if so applied. In fact, with this rendition of limpets, the game could almost dispense with the restock window entirely...almost.
The final support function I'd currently love to see is good repair tools. I recall hearing potential out-of-ship welding and repairs in the future, so this may be obsoleted, but I would enjoy seeing a sort of short-range welding beam to allow us to patch up our fellows somewhat. It would be bad to allow it to fully repair people in the field for free, but a simple limit on the maximum health %, based on the tool's grade, would nip that problem in the bud, I think. Some limit on supply could also keep the abuse in check, alongside a hefty heat generation and a need to target and accurately hit the desired subsystem for repair. No tailing your buddy and healing him through railgun fire!