We are play game, not played by game.

[Wily Rites]

Elite combat might be more pay-to-win than any other game I've played, not overtly within-game, but because fighting without flight assist is quite difficult without analog control. I'm not sure if a casual KBM player can ever hope to do much good against a practiced HOTAS or HOSAS player. (Granted, I say this having never tried sticks, based solely on how difficult I personally find 6DOF flight to be with KBM). The learning curve is definitely steep, and if I really wanted to compete in PVP, the first thing I would do is find myself a planetary ring and start circling and shooting asteroids with flight assist off until I got good at controlling the ship without flight assist. I think that's probably more important than prismatics, but my opinion is inexpert, because that has never been how I have wanted to spend my time (and/or money).

Ah yes I see what you mean, and the thought has occurred to me too that not having good sticks is a massive handicap. But that said one of my trainers, who is exceptionally good, uses mouse and keyboard. I'm battling away with a PS5 controller, which is far from perfect, but I'm sure that it is possible to hold my own with, or it will be eventually.

Oh yes, for competitive play, and against ganker spaceport guardian trolls, you really do need to have prismatics and rather a silly amount of shield banks.

But I really am getting the feeling that PowerPlay might fix all that somewhat, as you can certainly engage in PvP more easily now and with folk in all sorts of states of different repair after they've been fighting it out for their PowerPlay affairs, and when you are collecting black boxes, which also bring in a decent amount of credits, you have to have a cargo hold and ideally a collector limpet too. All of which makes you easier to fight, I'm really hoping that folk will engage with that, and that PvP becomes a little less 'orchestrated' due to it.

Also some of the power play NPC's are a lot of fun to fight now too, and for decent merits as well, I'm certainly glad of the little training that I've had in PvP now fighting some of those for 129 merits a pop, and some times you get 2 or 3 even 4 in one battle, but I would not say that they are 'easy' to kill. It does quickly rack up the merits and it is fun to do.

 

[mtfatboy3006]

I'm battling away with a PS5 controller, which is far from perfect, but I'm sure that it is possible to hold my own with, or it will be eventually.

I thought about the X Box Elite controller, but it's as expensive as a decent entry HOTAS setup. Then again, it might not raise flags with the wife. Hmmm...

 

[bdbdkxd]

I see other players occasionally, but they don't fight me; I don't fight them. There are a handful of regularly trafficked systems; you must have found some. I did neglect mentioning several areas of greater concentration just because seeing players there doesn't equal getting ganked. Shinrarta Dezhra, of course. Robigo, Ceos and Sothis. The Colonia region was a little more densely populated by players last I was there (that's the one place I was ganked while trading in open). All engineer systems (Deciat is the only one I have been ganked in, although one guy did ping the shields of one of my Anacondas with a pair of small rails while I was pulling out of Black Hide once. I don't count that as an attempted gank because he had no chance of taking me down with his attack and I just ignored him and went on my way). Now, power stronghold systems and some of the systems that sell rares. The various systems for grinding mats. I see players in these frequently, but I've never been attacked outside the circumstances I mentioned before. Things like Robigo runs and mat grinding need to be done solo anyway just for the availability of docking and the materials being ground.

In ordinary trade in the open bubble, I see players at a rate I would estimate at once every twelve hours or so, but they aren't gankers. But for trade I don't frequent the high traffic areas because they suck for trade--lower supplies, lower demands, worse corresponding prices. There's no point mining those systems. There's no point exploring them. The only reason to be in them in open is to find other players to fight, really, so unless one is looking for a fight or doesn't know that Deciat is gank alley, one very rarely finds combat. If you're getting ganked every time you try to play casually, I would suggest finding different systems to play casually in.







Watching the Premier League on C-band is a fantastic experience for any football fan. But to add more excitement to the matches, I often check out bull betting platforms. They make every goal, pass, and tackle even more thrilling. It’s incredible how sports have evolved, and now we can engage with games on so many levels. Has anyone else tried enhancing their football viewing experience with something similar?

Thanks for the information!

 

[LBV 2012-26]

Elite combat might be more pay-to-win than any other game I've played, not overtly within-game, but because fighting without flight assist is quite difficult without analog control. I'm not sure if a casual KBM player can ever hope to do much good against a practiced HOTAS or HOSAS player. (Granted, I say this having never tried sticks, based solely on how difficult I personally find 6DOF flight to be with KBM). The learning curve is definitely steep, and if I really wanted to compete in PVP, the first thing I would do is find myself a planetary ring and start circling and shooting asteroids with flight assist off until I got good at controlling the ship without flight assist. I think that's probably more important than prismatics, but my opinion is inexpert, because that has never been how I have wanted to spend my time (and/or money).

ED's fight is difference with SC. At least a few of my PvP friends' opinions are that KBM is the highest cap mode of operation in PvP, above joystick

 

[varonica]

I feel the same was as the OP about some aspects of this game but mainly FC upkeep. I may have an hour or two a week and it's like a 2nd job to come home and grind for the upkeep for a few weeks so I can play a couple days without worrying.

One Statum Tectonicas will give you upkeep for a couple of months, get a few and you are set for a year.

 

[kofeyh]

Elite is a commitment. Should it be? Probably. Is that bad? Yes and no.

Frontier are torn between trying to give people literal months of investable time, and also to make the game approachable. They have a diverse community that often holds diametrically opposed ideals (eg: I want to fight other players/ I do not ever want to see other players) and as a whole, seldom agree on much of anything. That said, one of the few things people will likely agree on, is that Elite has that certain something that just gets under your skin, like nothing else.

That said, it is, what it is. I do believe Frontier will continue to improve how approachable the game is this year, as they did last year. Turns out, if you invest time and effort, players appreciate it and jump on board (it is unfortunate Frontier learned this the hard way, with other titles not doing overly well, but learned they have, all the same). Over time, I think Frontier has come to realise the game wasn't really where it should have been, and has been making solid inroads to correct that.

That is not a trivial thing to balance, and although (imho) there have been some minor missteps this year, overall, the game is light years ahead of where it was. But they cannot and will not change everything, and give everyone everything they want; it's an impossible ask and task.

This is perhaps a few too many words, to say the obvious thing; Elite requires time investment. How much, is up to you. That isn't inherently wrong. Or inherently right. It just is. Virtually all games with this level of complexity and scale, require time be invested. That's just how it is.

But I would argue, that intent and attitude makes a huge, huge difference to the experience. One can be angry at every little thing, knowing full well perhaps only some of those things will be addressed. Or one can recognise that one cannot change what is, or what will be, and adapt accordingly. I, personally, find that obsessing over every little thing just leads to infinite disappointment. I cannot change those things; so I accept them (warts and all) and move on. I enjoy the game a great deal more, as a result.

I would say this for most any game however; if it's making you angry - particularly irrationally so - take a break. Come back fresh. No game is worth burning out over.

 

[varonica]

Elite is a commitment. Should it be? Probably. Is that bad? Yes and no.

Elite can be either, it depends on how you want to play it. Anyone can just casually jump on and travel for a couple of systems scanning planets and doing bio then log off, no stress, no rush. You can also take a few on foot missions, fly out and do some deliveries, explore the ground stations and generally have a poke around, no stress, as long as you follow the guards directions of course. Maybe pop out to a few 0 threat USS and gather some data and mats, scan a few wakes for data, none of this requires hours of time.

You can also take on things that require some serious time and commitment such as PP 2.0, but the choice is entirely up to the player what level of commitment they take on, there is no "have to" in Elite, most complaints do come from people thinking they "have to" have this X item and to get this X item they have to spend X hours doing Y, no, that's a player choice really, not a game requirement.

 

[GloatingSwine]

In Elite? Don't kid yourself, we've always been yanked hither and yon by whatever the latest gold rush is.

 

[Jinx Chrome]

Elite never 'yanked' me. It was always my decision if I wanted to participate in something or not. Following any 'gold rush' is completely on the player. One can enjoy the game a lot (I do for a decade now) without running behind credits, mats or the latest engineer unlock which are all self imposed targets.

 

[Rat Catcher]

In Elite? Don't kid yourself, we've always been yanked hither and yon by whatever the latest gold rush is.

I've not...
But then, I play for fun and the 'gold rushes' get passed by happily. Excluding that nice CG that paid silly credits for Tritium - that bought 2 alts FCs for a few hours play!

 

[Cmdr Esteban]

"We should do what is right, not necessarily what is easy or popular." - Felicia Winters

Nice quote. Although I want to point out to you that your Inara sig image shows you pledged to Trump Archer. Might want to fix that.

Anyway, carry on. I don’t participate in powerplay but if I did I too would be pledged to Kamala Harris Felicia Winters.

Forward the Federation! (not back).

 

[cmdr chequers]

This design itself is highly problematic and should allow the player to enjoy the content of the game rather than the process of acquiring it. Good design is to let the player enjoy the convenience and benefits of Powerplay modules, not to let the player do boring things repeatedly in the process of acquiring these modules. This is more likely to wear down the player's patience. Even if fdev chose to include some more distinctive rewards for each level, such as modules that used to appear in CGs, or give some modules must redeem with materials, instead of this perfunctory-as-hell mini care pack, it would be much better than what that have now.

I have 3018.6 hours in the game and have never touched Powerplay or any on foot combat, Just do the game loops that you have time for and enjoy the game.

 

[varonica]

I have 3018.6 hours in the game and have never touched Powerplay or any on foot combat, Just do the game loops that you have time for and enjoy the game.

You need to pump those numbers up a bit, over 9000 hours according to my calculations, and nope not a single hour spent on powerplay. Just doing what I enjoy!

 

[Bigmaec]

Just doing what I enjoy!

You're doing it wrooooooooong

 

[Cmdr Esteban]

You need to pump those numbers up a bit

 

[kofeyh]

Elite can be either, it depends on how you want to play it.

Ah, but there's the rub; folks have endless opinions on how other people should play. What I find comical is the absolute knots that some will fold into to hold both positions (no time is required/ endless time is required) simultaneously.

 

[Shadowsnog]

(no time is required/ endless time is required) simultaneously.

Schrodingers grind

 

[Ryuto]

I'm just waiting until I can tell some AI Agent to be like 'Grind Merits for me.' LOL.

 

[Ni]

The worse grind is remapping the controls when you have a HOTAS. Why is this the only game to wipe your settings. I've tried the so called fixes, they don't work.

 

[aRJay]

The worse grind is remapping the controls when you have a HOTAS. Why is this the only game to wipe your settings. I've tried the so called fixes, they don't work.

I have no idea, I would say the fixes always work for me but honestly it is hard to tell as I am not sure I lost the bindings even before changing the name and the second line of the file.
I am amazed that the basic “fix” of having a backup in another directory failed though.