Weirdly, still a non player...

[Britlion]

So I posted a while ago how intimidated I felt by Elite: D.

And also that I sucked completely at controlling the ship too. I played the tutorials a few times, and couldn't work out how to move. I think that put me off quite badly if I can't complete the tutorials.

Which means I put about £10 a minute into the kickstarter pot, by the way.

I had this weird idea that if I logged into the main universe and died (inevitable, since I can't control the ship at all), I'd lose all my KS privileges, or not be able to play. I bought a joystick (So, cost is now £15 a minute), and haven't logged in.

I can't quite decide why. Graphically I know it looks awesome. And I have fond memories of playing the original Elite. Though to be fair, I probably didn't play that half as much as I may remember through the misty fog of time. So perhaps I was wrong, and this isn't my game? Perhaps the announcement that they wouldn't allow solo offline play any more was the key? That bothered me a lot. I firmly believe that a universe with other humans in is a bad idea, because I've played MMO's before, and frankly, despite many people being great, the few bad apples just spoil the experience. And PVP? hate it. That my "yeehaw" is someone else's "aw crap" just plain spoils it for me. Add to that, that it's almost universally MY "aww crap" every few seconds, and well.

I'm a very intermittent player of anything, being so busy. Laughed myself out of my chair when I saw the "First to triple elite" prize. And now I'm laughing again. If I EVER reach a status of not "harmless" (I assume Mostly Harmless is still next up) that would be one to celebrate. Playing City of Heroes, I ran solo characters. Took me over 5 years to reach max level on my first character. Because of just intermittent play, and the penalties for being solo. (If I get half an hour to play, I grab a pickup team, and it takes half an hour for everyone to meet at the instance. At which point it's "Well, bye guys! Good luck." )

Again, perhaps this isn't my game. I know that Eve Online is a big political sphere, and drop in once a month players won't get much out of it. From what I've seen of E, it's the same. The old 8 bit game would let you pop in, make one trade run, and save out again. I'm thinking here you don't get much from it.

So. Am I flat wrong to feel intimidated because I don't have time to obsess over the game?

Don't get me wrong. I'm glad that my money went into making it. And as a thank you to Dave B and co for the original game, I can't really go wrong. (No I didn't pirate it. I had to work the damned lenslok like other paying customers). But yeah. Here I am wondering if it's just too big a hill to climb to work out how to play at all??

 

[beelbeebub]

Chin up! Don't worry about dying in the game, start in the free sidewinder, you can just get another one. Just fly around enjoying the view, the flying skill will come in time.

 

[PepsiDragon]

I was the same way. I couldn't hit squat. It is a skill you learn like anything else. I'm not nearly as bad now with a few days I crashed my sidewinder first time taking off and blew it up

 

[Britannkic]

Hey don't ever feel intimidated by a game because it's just a game

im quite competent, eased straight in, but I've still managed to crash my fully laden ship into various stations about half dozen times through distraction. Feeling a right plank is all part of the game

 

[Pulse]

you can learn the controls/docking/basic combat/trading system in a day. It's not as hard as people are making out at all, assuming you're not a simpleton.

 

[Ægishjálmur]

Also, don't worry about your time constraints. I've not played more than a few hours since launch but I find its perfect for dipping into for an hour or so one evening.

I play in Open mode because its nice to see other humans going about their lives in space but there's no direct competition. Doesn't make any difference to me if that guy's a millionaire or in the free Sidewinder like me.

Just give it a go, crash a few starter ships and have fun.

 

[Riedquat]

You actually sound very similar to me, I get little time to play so could never join guilds or long term groups as I just couldn't commit the time.

How about joining a PVE group?, look in the groups subforum, Mobius has a group with well over 1000 players who are only into Pve, being a private group there are no obligations to being online or anything.

I'm just playing my own game, I sometimes drop in for ten minutes, make a few trades and then log out.

Don't worry about dying, you won't lose anything with the free sidewinder.

 

[tsh]

If you want to get tthe hang of something easier with a stick, try some free flight combat (air-plane) games on steam. They're probably nasty from a realism point of view, but a much easier starting point (fewer free axes to move) to train your brain to a flght model.

Don't bother with trading, playing missions is a good enough starting point. And use the 'free starting ship'. If you start in the sidewinder, you always get it back for free (so don't repair, just go and risk all in a USS). If you take a KS startig option, not sure what the 'replace/insure' choice is, but you always have the 'restart' option back at any valid staring option.

 

[Katkon]

OP - it's just a game. You really should dig in. Your money helped make it; you've earned the enjoyment. What's the worst that can happen? In the bigger scheme of things: nothing!

 

[CMDR Brock Samson]

Play the game already!If a noob like me(never played a space sim/flight simulator) can play it with KB/M, anyone can.

 

[Stressfest]

Apart from the original Elite, when I joined the Beta club there were no tutorials at all.. It was pretty much learn by doing and there was a lot of learning done in a short period of time, a lot of iffy landing, a few boosts into the wall but in the end I got there. Learning the basics takes no time at all to be honest.. to master them, still working on that.
In my opinion this isn't one of those 'you will complete in 150hrs' type of jobbies.. It's a lifetime commitment. Saddle up Commander, your ship is waiting

 

[Tenshi]

So I posted a while ago how intimidated I felt by Elite: D.

And also that I sucked completely at controlling the ship too. I played the tutorials a few times, and couldn't work out how to move. I think that put me off quite badly if I can't complete the tutorials.

Which means I put about £10 a minute into the kickstarter pot, by the way.

I had this weird idea that if I logged into the main universe and died (inevitable, since I can't control the ship at all), I'd lose all my KS privileges, or not be able to play. I bought a joystick (So, cost is now £15 a minute), and haven't logged in.

I can't quite decide why. Graphically I know it looks awesome. And I have fond memories of playing the original Elite. Though to be fair, I probably didn't play that half as much as I may remember through the misty fog of time. So perhaps I was wrong, and this isn't my game? Perhaps the announcement that they wouldn't allow solo offline play any more was the key? That bothered me a lot. I firmly believe that a universe with other humans in is a bad idea, because I've played MMO's before, and frankly, despite many people being great, the few bad apples just spoil the experience. And PVP? hate it. That my "yeehaw" is someone else's "aw crap" just plain spoils it for me. Add to that, that it's almost universally MY "aww crap" every few seconds, and well.

I'm a very intermittent player of anything, being so busy. Laughed myself out of my chair when I saw the "First to triple elite" prize. And now I'm laughing again. If I EVER reach a status of not "harmless" (I assume Mostly Harmless is still next up) that would be one to celebrate. Playing City of Heroes, I ran solo characters. Took me over 5 years to reach max level on my first character. Because of just intermittent play, and the penalties for being solo. (If I get half an hour to play, I grab a pickup team, and it takes half an hour for everyone to meet at the instance. At which point it's "Well, bye guys! Good luck." )

Again, perhaps this isn't my game. I know that Eve Online is a big political sphere, and drop in once a month players won't get much out of it. From what I've seen of E, it's the same. The old 8 bit game would let you pop in, make one trade run, and save out again. I'm thinking here you don't get much from it.

So. Am I flat wrong to feel intimidated because I don't have time to obsess over the game?

Don't get me wrong. I'm glad that my money went into making it. And as a thank you to Dave B and co for the original game, I can't really go wrong. (No I didn't pirate it. I had to work the damned lenslok like other paying customers). But yeah. Here I am wondering if it's just too big a hill to climb to work out how to play at all??

Try joining a pve only group for multiplayer or just go solo play. You are still online just that you wont see another player when solo.

I sometimes manage a trade run before work as I drink my tea (I don't watch TV) So it is possible to pick the game up and save/quit after a few minutes.

When I first tried the game I was very shaky on the controls over time and with practice I got a lot better at it. Then even I have smacked a type 9 full of gold into a station and lost it all due to lack of insurance. That was embarrassing, but i managed to get back out of the Sidewinder and into a type 9 very quickly as I knew what to do.

 

[Alric]

Perhaps the announcement that they wouldn't allow solo offline play any more was the key? That bothered me a lot. I firmly believe that a universe with other humans in is a bad idea, because I've played MMO's before, and frankly, despite many people being great, the few bad apples just spoil the experience. And PVP? hate it. That my "yeehaw" is someone else's "aw crap" just plain spoils it for me. Add to that, that it's almost universally MY "aww crap" every few seconds, and well.

I know it's been discussed to death but I think it's important to reiterate every time so that people aren't confused:
As you said, they cancelled solo offline play.
Not solo play.

You can play this game solo, you will never have to PvP, you will never have anybody else grief you, or mess up your day. You will never even see another player, ever.
You just need to be connected to the internet.. that's all.

 

[Cyberleish]

Interesting discussion, I too had that feeling of dread/fear. I had played about in beta a little, discovered I was a bit rubbish at fighting, I was blown up a few times by other players and thought, christ this is going to suck in the real game, I'm going to have to get out in the distant planets as the inner ones are going to be pvp hell. I also didn't quite feel as excited as I hoped I would, things in beta seemed samey and I was afraid the real game was going to be the same. Anyway I had a bash on xmas day and today and haven't been attacked once - ok so I dodged a few interdictions but no idea if those were players, pirates, cops.... I've still not tried to kill anything, might be a while before I go there, trading a tiny bit, lots of "bring this type of stuff back to here" type missions, a couple of retrieve the cargo type's finding the USS (pain in the bottom), was hoping to move further out but tempting paydays keep presenting themselves. Want to try mining, want to join a nice group of like minded people, want to be an ace fighter pilot.....

Point being the game is much more fun than the beta and the tutorials had me think and despite the lack of fighting ability (so far) I have played in the open world and not had a disaster. I doubt i will use the solo play (and as others have said - there is solo play in the game, its just in the big online universe rather than offine on your own little computer but you are on your own, no pvp danger) but playing in the real universe does add a little tiny bit of tension, a bit like going paintballing, your always a little bit cautious cause getting hit hurts, that is part of the fun, you want the game to bite occasionally, or just give in and play star stables

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Don't get me wrong. I'm glad that my money went into making it. And as a thank you to Dave B and co for the original game, I can't really go wrong. (No I didn't pirate it. I had to work the damned lenslok like other paying customers).

OMG lenslock, you just brought back a horrible bit of nostalgia

 

[TheEponymousBob]

I can't promise that you'll enjoy the game, as it's all down to personal preferences. But don't be afraid of it; solo online play really is solo (well, apart from the NPC ships, but there are no humans behind them to worry you). And if (when) you die, you just respawn at your last visited station. Once you've upgraded or traded in your starter ship, you'll have to pay an excess when respawning if you want to keep it, but you can always get back into a stock Sidewinder for free

The learning curve is steep if you're planning to make the most of your commander, but for the dabbler, there's nothing to worry about. Just get in, fly and see where it takes you.

 

[NanoAnarchy]

What ^ eponymous said, there is still a solo online mode, so you can still play without having to pvp vs. people, although if you're not getting the hang of avoiding npc interdictions, you'll still have some npc pvp or at least panicked runs back to supercruise.

Flying the ship really just takes practice, and believe me the tutorial you had access to before the game released really didn't do alot towards helping you improve. It's more a matter of practice, plus if you can get yourself upgraded to an eagle, you'll find that controlling your ship is alot easier. The sidewinder is kind of a boat to fly compared to the more agile crafts.