Horizons Wait, but, really, how long should a game be fun?

[TyphoonOfDvina]

Hi everybody,

Let me just share my thoughts on one topic that I find particularly interesting these days.
I am for sure just a rookie by any standards of player base community, I've been playing only for 3 months or so and as such I find it very interesting to read discussions of people, who have been playing for years.

One of the stereotypical topic that appears on forums again and again in many variations is, when somebody is complaining that after so and so months of playing Elite Dangerous, there is nothing left for him in the game. That the game is no longer fun to play. That he has tried all roles and scenarios.

And such a person usually goes on asking where did developers make a mistake.
And this is it, this is what is leaving me with my jaw dropped.

Some guy was recently writing his version of this after having been playing ED for 2 or 3 years.

Wow! I'm shocked.
Am I the only one who is missing something?

What I am missing, is discussion on how long should a game offer amusement before becoming boring and worn out.
Only when this time period is defined and rationalized, only then one is justified to write, OK, this requirement was not met and I don't like it.

But these people are basically saying: the game should be fun to play for ever.
It looks as though "indefinitely" is a generally accepted premise not deserving any word.

Of course it becomes worn out very soon.
Our human brains are wired for much more complex world to live and have fun in than any virtual world possibly achievable by current state of computer technology.
So how can anybody expect game to be an ever lasting source of "tasty brain nutrition" for more than a few days/weeks of game play?

This guy, who plays ED 3 years and yet is complaining...

Forgive me expression on my face, but, come on! Really? I am genuinely lacking empathy to grasp such a mind set.

Why on Earth should a game offer something new to a person who is playing 4-8 hours daily for 3 years?

(Anyways, have FD ever gave any such promise?)


By the way, I myself am done with the game after 3 months.
I own fully equipped A class modules Python, Asp Explorer and Cobra MKIII, I have tried and achieved everything what I wanted and I'm going to do something else in my free time.
Not for a moment am I going to complain that I want more from the game.
On the contrary, I am surprised that it was fun for so long. It was absolutely amazing and worth of my money.

Don't get me wrong. I just wanted to present an alternative perspective to this topic.

 

[Daitya Zo]

Imagine the game of tennis.

Some people may buy a racket and get into tennis for a few weekends, and then decide it's not for them. Some people may buy a racket to play with friends, and may only enjoy playing when their friends are available-- they never fully get into the game as a hardcore fan. Some people may get a better racket after a few enjoyable weekends, and get further and further into the game, and add it to their life. Some people may play for a year and then other things come along, perhaps cheerleading or a big programming project or a new baby, and then they only stop because something new is in their life.

It's the same way with games. Not everyone experiences tennis the way you experience tennis.

Some people may buy the game and get into the game for 60 hours, and then decide they got their money's worth. Some people may buy the game to play with friends, and may only enjoy playing when their friends are available-- they never fully get into the game as a hardcore fan, but it's awesome socialization! This may go on for only one or two weekends, or perhaps for two or more years! Some people may get a joystick or HOTAS setup after a few enjoyable weekends, and get further and further into the game, and add it to their life. Some people may play for a year and then other games come along.

There are plenty of people who don't give a crap about tennis. And there are people who really CARE about the game of tennis, and ~their~ game of tennis.

Similarly, there are plenty of people who don't give a crap about computer games. But there are people who really CARE about good computer games. They never give up the hope that companies will fine-tune and create games (like, for instance, tennis) that they can make a part of their life.

No need to drop your jaw because you see someone who really enjoys tennis. Similarly, no need to drop your jaw because you hear person-x whining at a "sporting activity creator" to fine-tune their art in ways that let person-x truly commit to that particular invented sporting activity.

Some people are ever searching for the ideal game for them-- something they can sink their teeth into.

I think all the whining to devs is gloriously crappy, useless, and also counterproductive. However, I love and adore the passion of people looking for a game that can become a part of their life. For better or for worse, those people will be vocal about what they thing they need.

Slightly off topic: I just started playing ED. Let me tell you. I am a professional software architect. I got sick of waiting on Star Citizen. I give ED an unqualified 9 out of 10. Bugs? Give me a break. There are so few, I have not seen any, in almost two weeks of play. I have had a grand total of three disconnects. I have owned 5 ships, and just made Lord of the Empire, with the most enjoyable minor grinding that I have EVER had in any MMO. They are doing an insanely good job with this game. I wish saving and sharing joystick mappings was easier, and I wish there was a built-in plot, even a very minor storyline which was just cascading missions, because then my wife would play. But this game is super solid and I'm impressed as hell.

 

[TyphoonOfDvina]

@Daitya Zo: I've got your point, there are many people with different tastes and I can only agree with you.
(btw, does this forum allow me to "mention a person" more formally comparing to what I've done above?)

The point of my original post was to tell that there are also people like me, who don't see a problem if ED is playable only 3 months (3 weeks worth of in-game time actually). For me it was a hell of an experience and I liked it.
Check my other post, where I praise devs: https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php/309495-Bravo-FD!

"Yaw dropped" was maybe too expressive of a term.

I come from the same world as you - software engineering.
Let me then use a metaphor from our field:

When users complain about a software, it can generally fall into two categories:

• user is actually saying that SW doesn't meet agreed upon requirements (usually very knowledgeable user, we like constructive criticism like this)
• user is actually informally expressing their emotions saying that SW doesn't fit their highly personal tastes

If I am user from the the first category, I am entitled to say: Hey, devs, you screwed up, fix it or I'd feel deceived.
If I am user from the second category, I can only say something like: Hey, devs, please, if there are more people like me, kindly consider amendment.

My impression is that the vast majority of complaints by user fall into the second category, but they are complaining in the style of the first category.

Well, one can argue that there has never been a formal public spec for ED (I don't know I just presume) and therefore nobody can act like user from first category.
And even if there was such thing as spec it could never have expressed those emergent properties of the product, which you can experience only when you finally play it.
And I have to fully accept this argument.

Sorry, my entry is becoming two theoretical at this point. I'd rather stop.

Btw, I know what is it to play game for years and never stop enjoying it.
In my case, it's CIV series and also some space based strategy games (GAL CIV, MOO etc.).
In terms of genre, for me, ED is a rather huge detour, but a good one