Who came first?
- Thread starter callepunk
- Start date
In the ask-me-anything thread, DB said that he had wanted to do another elite for a very long time, but most the work was done after (and a bit during) the kickstarter. So both games have probably been in development for a similar amount of time. However, CIG spent their time on making and marketing their ships, as well as working on many different types of gameplay, while FD have concentrated on the in-cockpit experience, with only 5 out of 25 playable ships fleshed out in public
Complex question.
SC's Kickstarter was run and finished first. So technically they were first but they spent their time, adapting a 3rd party engine and creating fish tanks, hangars, helmets, ships and extending their stretch goals.
E: D's KS was later, so technically they started later, but they're using their own engine, the game has been a "skunkworks" project for a while, and they actually made a game instead of making promises.
SC's Kickstarter was run and finished first. So technically they were first but they spent their time, adapting a 3rd party engine and creating fish tanks, hangars, helmets, ships and extending their stretch goals.
E: D's KS was later, so technically they started later, but they're using their own engine, the game has been a "skunkworks" project for a while, and they actually made a game instead of making promises.
Short answer: Star Citizen started development first but Elite: Dangerous had been a skunk-works project, on the back burner for longer. So, take your pick.
Long answer: This four-part podcast interview by Gary Whitta with both David Braben and Chris Roberts is well worth watching. The obvious respect that both men have for each other's work renders the point moot.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Long answer: This four-part podcast interview by Gary Whitta with both David Braben and Chris Roberts is well worth watching. The obvious respect that both men have for each other's work renders the point moot.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
A big difference is probably in that Frontier is an established business with processes and people already (at least partially) in place, so they could probably "get going" faster, while Roberts had a lot of setting up the studio and hiring folks to do.
The reason SC seem so much farther behind is because they've dumped an enormous amount of work/resources into marketing, PR, and the micro detail of the game. Every little bit and bot "has" to do something. Theres like 20 moving parts per gun. And if you take a look at their website, having an idea of what web work costs, thats a no **** million dollar site. And I cringe when I think about how much of their fans money they put into things like TNGS, and wingmans hangar, then look at how they've outsourced 2/3rds of the game, its mind blowing. Not in a good way.
E
on the other hand has a much better grasp on what its doing. Their design philosophy went Fun>Gameplay>Looks/Immersion>Realism, and its shown. They didnt waste time with some crazy marketing campaign. Braben didnt take time out of his day to figure out how best to milk the player base for more money, they just worked on the game, and trusted that it would sell based on its own merit.
I seriously hope SC turns out as amazing as its been toted to be. I mean, its only being paraded as the up and coming PC flagship title. SC got me for the same reason Eliite did, they've got an amazing idea, and the capacity to make it happen (Its obviously got tons of people willing to spew money all over it, and no producer to demand they spew more).
TL;DR
Elite Dangerous is just more realized ATM, and spent more time working on the game, then working over their fan base. Your just seeing the results of where each put their time/effort.
E
on the other hand has a much better grasp on what its doing. Their design philosophy went Fun>Gameplay>Looks/Immersion>Realism, and its shown. They didnt waste time with some crazy marketing campaign. Braben didnt take time out of his day to figure out how best to milk the player base for more money, they just worked on the game, and trusted that it would sell based on its own merit. I seriously hope SC turns out as amazing as its been toted to be. I mean, its only being paraded as the up and coming PC flagship title. SC got me for the same reason Eliite did, they've got an amazing idea, and the capacity to make it happen (Its obviously got tons of people willing to spew money all over it, and no producer to demand they spew more).
TL;DR
Elite Dangerous is just more realized ATM, and spent more time working on the game, then working over their fan base. Your just seeing the results of where each put their time/effort.
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Plus they already knew that their own engine was capable of doing what they wanted.
CIG have had to mess around modifying cryengine
I have been following development of Elite IV (now called Elite Dangerous) for many years. For example, when Frontier developed Rollercoaster Tycoon III, that was developed to learn how to have a massive number of NPCs in an environment. The Outsider was developed as to develop technology that would be used in Elite IV. The Cobra engine was made for Elite IV. So you could say Elite IV has been in development for a long time.
(note: this paragraph is my own opinion based on rumours I heard or read about over the years)
As David said, Elite Dangerous wasn't given priority until they launched the Kickstarter because as David mentioned at the start of the Kickstarter, developing a computer game is a risky business and they wanted to know that giving priority to Elite Dangerous was worth it, that is why it's often mentioned it was in skunkworks until then, being developed in the background.
So both answers are true, yes development didn't really get going until the Kickstarter, but the preparation was there many games prior.
(note: this paragraph is my own opinion based on rumours I heard or read about over the years)
As David said, Elite Dangerous wasn't given priority until they launched the Kickstarter because as David mentioned at the start of the Kickstarter, developing a computer game is a risky business and they wanted to know that giving priority to Elite Dangerous was worth it, that is why it's often mentioned it was in skunkworks until then, being developed in the background.
So both answers are true, yes development didn't really get going until the Kickstarter, but the preparation was there many games prior.
Or if you were on about the idea for the game...
Elite - September 1984
Elite - September 1984