What plans do FDev have in this this year's updates to improve the enjoyment of material collection?

[Susanna]

As per title.
With the nerf bat being brought down hard on settlement material gathering (E.g. 1:1 at Dav's Hope instead of 3:1 material gathering) do FDev have plans to make material gathering fun and more predictable?
As it stands there's a lot of hoping and praying to RNGesus for the right USS etc etc.
Will it be addressed going forward and will FDev be kind enough to say 'We're going to address it, more to come in an upcoming live stream' or 'We think it's fine as it is'.
A bit of reassurance would go a long way at this juncture I feel.

FDev have said they are going to Nerf Dav's Hope have they... Really! What is it with them and all the sodding NERFING! Its really annoying me now! How in the name of Pizza is nerfing Dav's Hope meant to improve this game...

It's a TREADMILL OF MATERIAL GATHERING. This has REALLY annoyed me! *TRIGGERED*

 

[Majic-12]

Establish a manufactured material trader as a permanent resident of Dav's Hope. Maybe add a few concession stands that sell SRV fuel, tee shirts and the like.

And perhaps a Dav's Hope themed series of bobbleheads, featuring spring-mounted Chemical Manipulators, Heat Vanes, Focus Crystals, and everybody's favorite, High Density Composites.

I think that would increase the enjoyment of material collection, at least a little.

 

[GG7]

How about a 'scoop everything' mode in the SRV intead of making people individually select and scoop individual rocks.

I mean really, what were they thinking?

I definitely would like to see this added ASAP. Like you, I am surprised that it isn't in the game already. Especially now in 3.0 with all the extra storage capacity.

I think it is referred to as a "No Brainer".

 

[Enderby]

I don’t think they are concerned with making it enjoyable, just in making it take as long as possible to pretend it’s ‘content’ and string it out as long as possible.

No?

 

[Susanna]

I am going to go out on a limb & say that I reckon it will be tied in with the Q4 improvements to Exploration & Planetary Tech. Detailed Surface Scanners.....or whatever they will be called in Q4......won't merely show what percentage of each material is on a planet, I reckon it'll also generate "heat maps" that show where on the planet these materials are, & very much in line with the changes to planetary colours (I think they even mentioned that, by Q4, planetary colours will be a much better visual guide to where certain materials reside in greatest quantities). Likewise, I suspect that USS's will be more persistent, once scanned for, in Q4.....& that we may be able to learn more about what resides within a USS than is currently the case (contrary to what some might believe, USS's are massively improved on what they were in December 2014, & continue to improve almost with every Update).

Lastly, I suspect that changes to mining, in Q4, will place Mining on a more level playing field with Surface Prospecting as a means of gaining materials. Heck, though it hasn't been mentioned, I wouldn't be surprised if we see Mining of planetary surfaces in Q4.

Please tell me what use is a concentration [heat] map of materials on a planet? I can see how this will go... They will be concentrated in mountainous and rough terrain. Or put another way, of such limited utility as to be next to no use what-so-ever! If anybody is thinking that this will somehow offer a better experience of surface prospecting for materials, I suspect you are going to be sorely disappointed!

 

[Susanna]

It's interesting that you focus on the sole example of reduced materials at settlement scan points as "proof" of FDev wanting to "maintain a grind, while completely ignoring the vast increase in number and variety of materials being offered for mission rewards, including G5 materials such as the modified embedded firmware and cracked industrial firmware. Missions like cargo and combat, not just one type.

Try it, you'll likely find it a lot faster and productive than scanning data points at settlements, if the rate of acquisition is the issue for you.

BUT as I've now repeatedly said. G5 mats from missions haven't changed. We have always been able to obtain Biotech Conductors MEF and EFCs from missions... BUT you can't obtain the other G5 materials from missions. So when will we get these added???? Ummm. PIs, CRC, MSC, MGAs and the like can only be obtained in HGE...

 

[4gui4]

I'm going to read some bug repports, be right back

 

[CMDR Redcrest]

So it is not about grind, but about getting what you want as soon as you can?

Nice we cleared out right out of the way.



Don't pray, just play the game. Don't assume you will get everything Engineered out of the bat.



Only clear solution to problem many people suffer is give straight up modules for sale. Nothing less will satisfy people.



Or better overlay random cat gif from collection.

You do manage to come across as though you're looking down your nose at folk. Might wana check that.

As for your attempts at reducto absurdem arguments: my point (as very clearly stated) is that if I sit down to a play session and decide my objective is to upgrade my ship I should be able to achieve that in a fun and engaging way. Pacing to and fro looking for HGE'S is neither of those.
If I could 'just play the game' I'd play in such a way that my objectives are achieved.

 

[Valorin]

Valorin, let me ask you something.
Why are threads like this devolving from how players are unable to progress in the game at the pace they deem acceptable for themselves, and is instead derailed into proving the disputant that what they want is wrong?

This is what you've done with your response: you're trying to tell Cmdr. Numa that he doesn't need to re-roll all his ships but how does that address the issue of materials being handwavium and their occurrence being based too heavily on RNG, and not on player's actions?

I really find it bizarre that this sort of logic is even acceptable - if I bought a sports car that is easily capable of doing 250 km/h, and it didn't do it on the track, barely going above 200 km/h, would it be acceptable to hear from the dealer "You don't really want to go this fast anyway - it's loud, fuel consumption is awful and the whole experience is worse than at 110. You should go for a Sunday drive instead."?

Then why are you (and others) using the same sort of logic?

That's not my logic. It's more like you want that sports car for a cheaper price.
I wonder why people complain about farming materials because it's for something that they want faster than it's intended.
I think it's absolutely by design that it takes so long to gather all the stuff to max out G5.
The idea is not to gather all the stuff in one go, that's the choice a player makes.

In my opinion material costs and the droprates are absolutely reasonable for the best of the best we can get for our ships.
The fact that grandfathered mods might not be as good as the new maxed out G5s (actually I am not even sure if that's a fact), and you need to re-do the G5 modding is another thing entirely.

 

[[VR] DDM_Reaper20]

But fake news is my favourite kind of news. So much more entertaining than dealing with "facts", uh yuck!

Come to Germany, then. You'll be drowned in fake news.

@ topic

I have to admit that I am not bothered by that change. MEF, the only thing I went to bases before, are offered plentifully by missions. I still have a lot of those, matter of fact. (I apologize if that sounds like egotism, but at least I stumble over at least 3-5 missions offering anywhere from 2-5 MEF any time I open the mission board.)

 

[Lucifera Danzig]

BUT as I've now repeatedly said. G5 mats from missions haven't changed. We have always been able to obtain Biotech Conductors MEF and EFCs from missions... BUT you can't obtain the other G5 materials from missions. So when will we get these added???? Ummm. PIs, CRC, MSC, MGAs and the like can only be obtained in HGE...

My statement was responding to the matter of data scan points at settlements, where you wouldn't really find those materials anyway.

But having said that, yes, I'd like for the opportunity to find the HGE-specific items in more than one location. I think those are the only ones you can't get from more than one source...unless there's something I'm missing.

 

[Ralph Vargr]

They are going to add dentistry, without anesthesia!

 

[Cmdr. Numa]

I have to admit that I am not bothered by that change. MEF, the only thing I went to bases before, are offered plentifully by missions. I still have a lot of those, matter of fact. (I apologize if that sounds like egotism, but at least I stumble over at least 3-5 missions offering anywhere from 2-5 MEF any time I open the mission board.)

Let's hope the holy hammer of nerf doesn't hit that too. The mission board indeed offers quite a lot of MEF, still takes a lot of time to do all those mostly wing missions. The significance of the settlement drops are the manufactured materials however. Dav's Hope and some other places just happen to have those intermediate G1-G4 materials that we need so many of in the new system, since we must roll G1-G5 on every new module or when changing the blueprint on a modded one.

 

[pnellesen]

How about a 'scoop everything' mode in the SRV intead of making people individually select and scoop individual rocks.

I mean really, what were they thinking?

Have some rep.

 

[sovapid]

That's not my logic. It's more like you want that sports car for a cheaper price.
I wonder why people complain about farming materials because it's for something that they want faster than it's intended.
I think it's absolutely by design that it takes so long to gather all the stuff to max out G5.
The idea is not to gather all the stuff in one go, that's the choice a player makes.

In my opinion material costs and the droprates are absolutely reasonable for the best of the best we can get for our ships.
The fact that grandfathered mods might not be as good as the new maxed out G5s (actually I am not even sure if that's a fact), and you need to re-do the G5 modding is another thing entirely.

You like flying around looking for High Grade USS's?

You like it when you know all the mechanics, but your High Grades are full of Proprietary Composites instead of Core Dynamics, because you got unlucky on the RNG on top of the RNG?

After reading stuff like this I think it will be a murderhobo evening.

 

[Lee Archer]

I don’t think they are concerned with making it enjoyable, just in making it take as long as possible to pretend it’s ‘content’ and string it out as long as possible.

No?

Yes.

 

[-VR- Max Factor]

They are going to add dentistry, without anesthesia!

Already done that. It was fun.


No, not really. It wasn't fun. Don't ever do it.

 

[Navigare Necesse Est]

You like flying around looking for High Grade USS's?

You like it when you know all the mechanics, but your High Grades are full of Proprietary Composites instead of Core Dynamics, because you got unlucky on the RNG on top of the RNG?

After reading stuff like this I think it will be a murderhobo evening.

I think I slowly understand the driving factors of emerging content.

 

[Ian Skippy]

How about a 'scoop everything' mode in the SRV intead of making people individually select and scoop individual rocks.

I mean really, what were they thinking?

That was useful in the old system, to prevent constantly having to clear the limited space we had. It can go now, I guess.

 

[CMDR Redcrest]

That was useful in the old system, to prevent constantly having to clear the limited space we had. It can go now, I guess.

Urgh murrr gurrrd! But that'd like, be, ya know, an 'I win button'!!
MUH IMMURSHUN!