Update 15, the Upcoming Feature Rework and More

Rubbernuke · Mar 23, 2023

Major Feature Rework
Last year we announced a major update that would rework a long standing feature. This is still being investigated, however a number of changes (not least the Thargoid War itself) have required our attention as a priority. We will share details of this investigation and our plans towards the end of this year.

gibbers

this has to be Powerplay, right?

right?

cries

Alec Turner · Mar 23, 2023

metatheurgist said:
I can tell you now one of the reasons I don't give a crap about the thargoid war is because I feel no investment in the bubble due to it being overtaken by PMFs.

You have more investment in npc factions than player factions?

Garud · Mar 23, 2023

Bruce G said:
Player Made Factions: Applications Closing

Ah! My goal of starting my own PMF will remain unachived I guess. The current squadron system is severely lacking and is good enough only for goals. PMF was THE way to make meaningful impact in the galaxy while working with like minded folks.

Bruce G said:
Our focus is now turning to investigate how upcoming systems will allow every player and player group to have a meaningful impact on the galaxy’s landscape.

I hope the upcoming systems are better than the PMF system. The fact is that in the PMF system, player groups could collectively OWN something, something that is not possible in the squadron system.

Ozric · Mar 23, 2023

Rubbernuke said:
gibbers

this has to be Powerplay, right?

right?

cries

zimms · Mar 23, 2023

Garud said:
Ah! My goal of starting my own PMF will remain unachived I guess. The current squadron system is severely lacking and is good enough only for goals. PMF was THE way to make meaningful impact in the galaxy while working with like minded folks.

I hope the upcoming systems are better than the PMF system. The fact is that in the PMF system, player groups could collectively OWN something, something that is not possible in the squadron system.

You can pick an NPC faction and pretend it's yours. PMFs don't offer much more than that anyway. You can't give orders, or buy or sell assets. The definition of 'own' is pretty vague there.

Xarionn · Mar 23, 2023

Alec Turner said:
Actually you kinda have a point. My head read "postponed" but .... "investigated"! That really does smack a bit of "not even started", in which case that's not a great look I'll grant you.

o7

Yeah, I'm not too disappointed about this overhaul not being part of U15, we had no information whatsoever about it so, hard to get hyped / excited about it.
What's bothering me a little is that it's not "postponed", they straight up have no idea about what they want to overhaul, which, for something announced almost a year prior is a bit strange.

In a couple of seconds, I can think of Powerplay, Engineering and BGS to some extend that could really use some attention but of course, they need to investigate what's feasible etc... But still... So long just to know what to rework...

LKx · Mar 23, 2023

Ozric said:
... I'm going to be honest though, the still unnamed feature rework being moved to the end of the year really isn't good. And considering we still don't know what it is, and you're only going to possibly tell us the outcomes of your investigations at the end of the year. I think it would be very easy to it just be forgotten about all together.
..

Probably, certainly won't happend anything about it before 2024.
What worries me is that they are still "investigating", so they still don't know where they want to go with that.

Maolagin · Mar 23, 2023

Frankymole said:
Nearly every inhabited system has a PMF presence in it now, so perhaps they just ran out of room.

Wow. I was all set to object but upon running a search, you're right! Out of over 20k populated, non-permit systems in the bubble, it looks like there's less than 300 left that would be eligible to place a new PMF (my search criteria being: no current PMF, six or fewer current factions, populated, no permit lock). I would guess the vast majority of those are in expansion range of an actively expanding PMF too. So, yeah, bubble's basically full.

Garud · Mar 23, 2023

zimms said:
You can pick an NPC faction and pretend it's yours. PMFs don't offer much more than that anyway. You can't give orders, or buy or sell assets. The definition of 'own' is pretty vague there.

I don't know about you but I have had loads of good times playing for my PMF since 2016. We were able achieve goals, push our narrative and powers to new systems, went to Colonia with our sister PMF, took part in the dangerous games of 3302, (made a ton of credits btw). So yeah, I have nothing but good memories associated with PMFs. Adopting an NPC faction is just not the same.

Northpin · Mar 23, 2023

Thank for the update Bruce - quite curious about what we missed (or what we just avoided

) with the postponing of the feature overhaul

Old Duck · Mar 23, 2023

Frankymole said:
Nearly every inhabited system has a PMF presence in it now, so perhaps they just ran out of room.

There are a lot of orphaned / abandoned PMFs that could (and arguably should, especially those with annoying names) be removed from the game, which would free up room.

Rubbernuke · Mar 23, 2023

Ozric said:

I know, I'm tearing up inside*

*only kidding, I have no emotions

But I'm not exactly confident about it now. Donning my tinfoil hat I'd say that U16 was to be Powerplay but with Derin going I assume this has messed things up, just as when Powerplay in 2018 was getting some love only for Sandro to leave ED disrupting the work on what I'd say was EDs most complex feature.

If FD were truly confident about it something would have been said, which would suggest (tin foil at max) that if it is Powerplay in U16 the rework is radically different and requires / will pose multiple issues swapping over an already established system, making it self sufficient as well as living up to the Thargoid war level of intensity.

*sad Pranav face

MVBanks · Mar 23, 2023

No new puzzles about Seo Jin-Ae, No community goal, No Update 15 in April (May is also questionable), No Major Feature Overhaul (never), No PMF, No this and No that. Am I really excited?. No.

Riverside · Mar 23, 2023

Garud said:
Adopting an NPC faction is just not the same.

It is functionally identical.

zimms · Mar 23, 2023

Garud said:
I don't know about you but I have had loads of good times playing for my PMF since 2016. We were able achieve goals, push our narrative and powers to new systems, went to Colonia with our sister PMF, took part in the dangerous games of 3302, (made a ton of credits btw). So yeah, I have nothing but good memories associated with PMFs. Adopting an NPC faction is just not the same.

Sure, my point was simply that you could have had the same experiences with an "adopted" NPC faction.

Alec Turner · Mar 23, 2023

"rework still being planned, we'll hear more about it at the end of the year"
Bruce, just now on the livestream.

Rubbernuke · Mar 23, 2023

Riverside said:
It is functionally identical.

Its just a label and some blurb, a bit like branded toothpaste v generics.

xzanfr · Mar 23, 2023

Northpin said:
Thank for the update Bruce - quite curious about what we missed (or what we just avoided ) with the postponing of the feature overhaul

I don't think they've decided yet.
It's still at the "written on a packet of rothmans in the passenger footwell of the car" stage.

Flimley · Mar 23, 2023

All rework and no rework make Flimley a dull boy. All rework and no rework make Flimley a dull boy.All rework and no rework make Flimley a dull boy.All rework and no rework make Flimley a dull boy.All rework and no rework make Flimley a dull boy. All rework and no rework make Flimley a dull boy.All rework and no rework makes Flimley a dull boy.All rework and no rework make Flimley a dull boy.All rework and no rework make Flimley a dull boy. All rework and no rework make Flimley a dull boy.All rework and no rework make Flimley a dull boy.All rework and no rework make Flimley a dull boy.

Flimley

StuartGT · Mar 23, 2023

Garud said:
I don't know about you but I have had loads of good times playing for my PMF since 2016. We were able achieve goals, push our narrative and powers to new systems, went to Colonia with our sister PMF, took part in the dangerous games of 3302, (made a ton of credits btw). So yeah, I have nothing but good memories associated with PMFs. Adopting an NPC faction is just not the same.

Wait, i'm confused... you've enjoyed playing with your PMF (and a secondary PMF), but earlier you said you haven't started it?

Garud said:
Ah! My goal of starting my own PMF will remain unachived I guess. The current squadron system is severely lacking and is good enough only for goals. PMF was THE way to make meaningful impact in the galaxy while working with like minded folks.

I hope the upcoming systems are better than the PMF system. The fact is that in the PMF system, player groups could collectively OWN something, something that is not possible in the squadron system.