Initially, I fully intended playing online because I figured that would be the only way to experience the shared universe.
maybe it doesn't matter at all, because it´s really not an MMO at all?
they even said
1. not an MMO
2.
peer-to-peer connection
possibly meaning
-> my sandbox is local anyway, download latest version from server every now and then
-> I beam up to 32 players into my "online experience" but the connection is peer to peer like "World of Tanks" plus Elite type gameplay
Speculation: It´s more of a client<->client connection than a client<->server<->client connection
Quote FD:
"05.11.2012 – Frontier Developments is raising funds for Elite: Dangerous on ... The game will work in a seamless,
lobby-less way, with the ability to ..."
So, one might come to the conclusion that the principle is indeed "lobby game", just without a lobby because working seamlessly.
So again, pretty much like World of Tanks works, with a lobby. Or even "Star Conflict", but adding a seamless world with PvE missions wrapped around it.
no MMO-> no sandbox universe like EvE where everyone is there in a single shard, because there is no such thing like a "single shard"
possibly no balance problem because there is no persistent online universe at all. because of
"Elite: Dangerous wrote: ... List is used automatically to indicate preferences in
match making so that friends ..."
-> you're "matched" with people that.. uhm, match you.
noob ships match noob ships
well equipped ships match well equipped ships
looks to me rather like WoT2 plus Mining/trading/exploring than EvE2 sandbox.
But then it's not PvP any more. It's single player, but with other players nicking all the good stuff and ****ing with your **** x 10k+
Speculation: Ressources are possibly infinite or the universe is so big that you can get ressources everywhere, so it doesn´t really matter.
So, rather than choosing a balance between exploring cautiously and speedily, knowing that at any time another explorer might make a discovery ahead of me, or jump in system and beat me to the punch, I'll now just skip that part of the game entirely because it's much easier for me not to have to worry about it at all, obviously.
I agree to this, as you know
But right now, if the things I'm hearing are remotely true, I don't see the attraction of 'open' PvP at all. What possible benefit could it bring? Everyone is just making it sound like more hassle than it's worth. Even normally, I'd only group to do harder missions than I could do alone, but if Solo-online makes that unnecessary I'm just more likely to do it alone than bother with the random element of multi-player. Maybe group up with a friend every now and then to do a co-op mission.
yeah that is how I look at it too.
Speculation: I think PvP is pretty much "an option". You might do it for the fun of it but I don´t think it really matters.
All of which sounds great btw, but it's a massive step down from what I originally envisioned. Even with the massive step down from realising it wasn't going to be hundreds of players in colossal space battles anyway.
Welcome to the club.

On the other hand, it´s still original Elite with better graphics and "online option" to do stuff.. with friends.
No. You guys have won me over. PvE is definitely the way to go. Screw the potential of what a fully multiplayer Elite might be - let those who want that have it. Path of least resistance for me all the way.
Yeah maybe the whole multiplayer thing was more of a "bonus idea"(?) to add to the single player Elite experience. I think I can live with it now that massive multiplayer sandbox does not exactly reside at the core of the concept.
Already went through the stages
1. denial
2. angry (forum posts)
3. bargaining (proposing alternative multiplayer concepts)
4. depression
5.
acceptance (-> here I am now)
The best thing is, to view ED as
"Elite 4" (which is still awesome and amazing) and not thinking too much about "massive multiplayer sandbox", after all it won´t be an "EvE 2" like sandbox with joysticks:
Sandro Sammarco said:
So for those of you who may be worrying that after looking at the results we’re going to make Eve Online version 2, please don’t, because we’re not.