News Update #7: Dynamic Economy / Missions

[Kipper]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uKD1ap5hsI&feature=plcp

Not much more than concept art for eye candy, however very interesting info on how the galaxy will evolve over time.

Sounds exactly as I'd hoped with there being 'one' galaxy for all, affected by player actions. I love the idea that fairly innocuous actions might end up starting a war etc.

I'm only assuming at this point that for every space station built, opened and upgraded there will be people wanting to take space stations down too.

I guess there'll be a slow, gradual expansion of the inhabited galaxy over time which means E: D will just keep getting bigger and better!

I really want to pledge £300 and get in the design forum... anyone lend me about £260?

 

[Alien]

I'm not sure if anyone else has realised this yet, but if you take what DB has described logically, it means that a single-player game is going to completely separate from the Free-For-All multi-player and possibly the private multi-player as well.
How can I know this? You can't have a single player game developing systems and influencing the game and then have that sync seamlessly with a multi-player game, esp the FFA multi-player.
So that means the FFA multi-player will be its own separate universe.
The only way a private multi-player could sync with a single player game is if the people you invite play in YOUR universe.
I repeat again : the Free For All multi-player will be its own universe.

 

[Geraldine]

I really want to pledge £300 and get in the design forum... anyone lend me about £260?

You and me both Kipper
And yes the update, a dynamic galaxy. Thinking of the possibilities......this is the most important update to...er...date. Flashy graphics are all well and good, but when you have all this going on "under the hood" of the game......amazing

 

[Kipper]

Yeah, unless single player involves just dipping into the 'main' universe but switching off all encounters-in-space with other players.

That would be seriously unbalancing though on account of 'single players' being able to shape the universe and there's nothing you can do about it.

Having a single player game on your hard disk (or whatever) that you can just invite a few friends into or play alone sounds viable as long as its alongside the main universe though; because it would be interesting to play through games and see the game evolve in a different way from each fresh start (maybe even randomly seeded at the start so it begins differently each time in terms of alliances and stations etc).

I'll still look forward to playing in the main universe with everyone else as well too, though. Two games in one, superb

 

[Kipper]

Flashy graphics are all well and good, but when you have all this going on "under the hood" of the game......amazing

Carrying on from what DB said, so a dignitary comes in for the station opening ceremony and somebody assassinates them - that could/would start off a whole new chain of events affecting the economy and alliances of the system that dignitary is from.

What about if someone killed the president accidentally? Say he's not universally liked so he's traveling on a small, fast ship trying not to draw attention and it gets hit by a pirate who was just after a few tonnes of cargo. If you're that pirate you might end up getting chased half way across the galaxy for something you didn't mean to do love it.

Maybe he was a bit of a warmongering leader, and after a few weeks, it turns out you've inadvertently brought peace to a system that had been at war for months.....

The possibilities!

 

[Sir.Tj]

That's a great update. If everything in the update is implemented its going to be the game I've been waiting for all these years.

A fully dynamic universe which your actions can affect.

Fantastic!!!

 

[shrapnel]

The possibilities!

Indeed! I am very excited by this development. I presume the single player game just keeps up with the MP world, things change, you just have less influence over them because you are but one person.

In MP there will be discussions, and potentially journalism/media that can determine the direction things go in. If you play single player, then a system may just change allegiance, and that's that. You can still read the media, still know where to take what and who to kill when. I guess.

 

[Kipper]

You can still read the media, still know where to take what and who to kill when. I guess.

True; but the immediate problem I can see with that approach is that as a single player - you might pick up missions to carry assassination targets and nobody can come and try to kill them. When you arrive safely, does that action affect the whole MP world?

Likewise you might pick up an assassination mission you can't fulfil, because you're in single player and the target is on another players ship you are unable ever to see.

They'd surely need to be separate, or single player would have to be stripped of potentially some of the most exciting missions vs. other players.

 

[shrapnel]

Yea, true. So the single player "universe" would have to branch off at some point and be different. Or just have random, unexplained things happening.

Does that, thus, potentially mean that any given assassination contract can only be performed by one player?

No idea how this would work in the "only friends" version, unless you and your friends have their own universe too.

 

[The Space Pirate]

I'm loving the sound of this new dynamic galaxy!

Planets that can fall into famine... a completely dynamic galaxy! Are we ever going to need another game?

Large Warships confirmed in the game.

Here's a quote from an uninformed youtube person:

I am really looking forward to this and I have pledged but there appears to be an elephant in the room - the X Universe. I will be buying this game anyway, assuming it gets the funding and gets made, but I would like to hear how this is going to be fundamentally different to the X games. It's ironic, I know, given that those games were obviously massively influenced by Elite in the first place. It's just that every time I hear that this is going to be different I think of X.

The X Universe an 'elephant in the room'? X and its crappy universe are of no consequence when it comes to Elite!

 

[Steve O B Have]

I'd have to say that the scope of politics and economies that David is talking about is far beyond what I was expecting or even hoping for. This game is going to be huge!

 

[Aewarin Jameson]

So that means the FFA multi-player will be its own separate universe.

Indeed - in a similar way to Blizzards Battle.Net system.

You had an online character that played with other online characters, you could create new games and invite players, but all online via Blizzards servers. (Closed BNet)

You could also create a single player character and enjoy the game offline - When you wanted you could host the world, invite other friends using their single-player character and game together using Blizzards match making system. (Open BNet)

Both worlds couldn't meet which gave Blizzard some control over the closed characters - Whilst you could cheat in whatever way you pleased in single player (Open BNet) mode you couldn't cheat with your online character at that was saved on the servers.

I expect it will be something similar.

This game is going to be huge!

Indeed ... 1 year development time (plus slippage) - I honestly hope they deliver as it's a very impressive goal.

 

[Steve O B Have]

Indeed ... 1 year development time (plus slippage) - I honestly hope they deliver as it's a very impressive goal.

Yeah, I'm hoping that the core of the game gets sorted and released and then, if DB and Frontier have a whole host of other ideas, they can then release them as the game progresses. The economy AI sounds seriously ambitious and then linking that between players so that there is a congruity in 'universes' sounds like a bit of fun as well. Having said that, it's the economies and the factions that drive the universe so they kind of need to be there from the word go.

I'm hoping to be spending a VERY long time playing this game

 

[Styggron]

I am really concerned that single player needs to do some kind of online sync.

Single player I am really hoping is compeltely and utterly offline. I want to have multiple saves with different careers testing things out. Every save would be a new stand alone universe.

I should be able to take the DVD out of the box, load it up and play it in the middle of nowhere without ever having any kind of internet connection.

So
1. Single player completely and utterly offline
2. Multiplayer (which will then sync of course to stop you trying to cheat

and a single player game can never go multiplayer.

This is a really important thing for me, as Alien said, the single player should be it's own universe.

If single player needs sync / internet connection then it is a deal breaker at least for me.

 

[Aewarin Jameson]

I'm hoping to be spending a VERY long time playing this game

You and me both!

 

[PaoloMariani]

I'd have to say that the scope of politics and economies that David is talking about is far beyond what I was expecting or even hoping for. This game is going to be huge!

Yes, you really have to appreciate the ambitions here. It sounds like a really dynamic galaxy. My expectations just reached a new level.

 

[Steve O B Have]

Yes, you really have to appreciate the ambitions here. It sounds like a really dynamic galaxy. My expectations just reached a new level.

Heh - indeed, David is doing a rather expansive job when it comes to setting expectations. Here were we thinking that we were asking a lot to have the markets 'live' and off he goes and makes the societies and planetary infrastructure live. Sheesh!

 

[Capt. Hook]

Latest update is great news and looks really imaginative

I wonder how all these different 'World events' will be linked, by which I mean are they endless recycling similar scenarios across the galaxy which players take part in adhoc or will a longer term narrative develop that sees a cascade of systems changing hands - e.g. the rise of a new Empire in space and whatnot.

My other thought is that if players can start to shape the universe around them, how does the game prevent one player from having a disproportionate level of influence in the multiplayer game? If an affliated group can muster 100 ships to always fight for one side, at the behest of one player for example, could this be off putting to any others unable to organise such numbers as the larger group would almost always win? I'm presuming the one player is supported by others and organised out of game if no corporations/guilds etc exist in-game

 

[The Space Pirate]

Let's face it, Elite 4 was always going to revolutionise the gaming world all over again - statements like this only confirm that!

 

[Susimetsa]

I must say that I was very happy with that DevDiary since it pretty much confirmed one of my 9 wishes for the game: a living galaxy. Almost word-for-word, in fact.

Also, it is great to see David Braben chuckling aloud to some of the things that he describes. Really shows that he's enjoying making this game and it is not just something that "his past has forced upon him" if you know what I mean.