Will I ever be able to get out of my ship?

[BirdWisdom]

In Elite Dangerous - PlayStation 4 Trailer I can see a man stand beside the chair in between 0:12 and 0:13 why is devs so shy ?

 

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

In Elite Dangerous - PlayStation 4 Trailer I can see a man stand beside the chair in between 0:12 and 0:13 why is devs so shy ?

Because they are FD, very British game dev studio. If they even work on space legs at prototype level, you won't see that in any reveal or shape or form. They did share more information during development of ED 1.0, but it caused lot of failed expectations and let to several emotional meltdowns and now they feel it is just not worth it.

So space legs will be always 'ways off' till one day they will announce them coming in 4 months. That's how they have done with Horizons, and I expect not to be different in future.

 

[Kingston@#]

I think I would rather have other stuff more than I want legs.
landing on planets with atmosphere. with cities, towns, villages.
ability to go and land/submerge on water based planets and earth like.

I could go on but I don't want this to turn into a rant

 

[Mengy]

Yeah, but then they saw Horizons preorders and understood no one is that hot after planetary gameplay. Thus the breaks and thankfully more QoL and core updates.

While FD might be passionate about ED, they won't spend money if people won't vote with their wallets. it does create interesting chicken/egg paradox though. But it also underlines hidden elephants in the room - considerable online space sim community online being hostile towards ED during KS, during development and after launch. We got those player numbers up not because everyone hyped ED up, but because everybody and his dog expected we will get eaten by CIG and it is not worth to invest time and money into ED - and we actually flew under radar for those actively trying to work against it.

You would be surprised HOW many people who got ED in first place haven't spent a second to follow up on Horizons gameplay on planets. Some of them are convinced ED failed to do that. They don't know we have SRVs. They don't know we have starports, bases, ice canyons, etc. etc.

Yes, FD dropped ball on communicating some of Horizons stuff, but overall "there's no content, it is shallow game" - which IS just subjective nonesense - have hurt ED considerably, while failures of SC and NMS have turned off people from space sims completely.

It dawned to me why FD have been suddenly so skeptical about everything - because numbers are just not there yet for expanding Horizons and rolling out new expansions. They better refund LTS owners than spend time on game lot of people despise so much they keep talking trash about it. Why they would do that? See Planet Coaster? People LOVE that game. At some point you look all the toxicity, all the battering, all the nonsense, theory crafting and ask....is ED worth the effort?

That's not entirely true, it's more like Frontier still has yet to add the gameplay to planetary surfaces.

Back before Horizons launched, a lot of people were very excited to see what content the planet surfaces would bring with it. The answer turned out to be: in the bubble, lots of content, but outside the bubble, nothing. This reality turned a lot of people off back at 2.0, but the expectation was that the Horizons season would flesh out planetary landings not just for bubble players but especially for explorers. It has yet to happen, instead we got things like Multicrew, and Engineers, and Passengers, and SLF's. Even today you still see posts here, and on Reddit, and on the Steam forums: is there anything to do on planet surfaces yet? This is always in relation to outside the bubble, for exploring, and the answer even almost two years later is still the same: in the bubble, lots of content, but outside the bubble, nothing. Some people claim that sightseeing is content, that simply taking pictures of the vast planet surfaces out there should be enough "content", but many potential customers do not see this as the case. Space Engine does the same but better, and for free.

There is a huge potential market of players out there for Elite, the No Man's Sky players, the Kerbal Space Program players, gamers who want to explore space and fly a virtual space ship while doing so. They don't want to blow things up, they don't care about grinding reputations or such, they just want to fly through space looking for things and exploring, but still play a game at the same time too. Currently Elite has mostly ignored these potential customers, exploration hasn't seen any meaningful development since 1.0 except for QoL changes, and while Horizons added tons of potential for new exploration gameplay and mechanics, it has yet to utilize ANY of that potential.

People are after that hot planetary gameplay, the game just hasn't added it yet, even a year and a half after launching Horizons. THAT's a major problem with Elite today.

 

[-VR- Max Factor]

That's not entirely true, it's more like Frontier still has yet to add the gameplay to planetary surfaces.

Back before Horizons launched, a lot of people were very excited to see what content the planet surfaces would bring with it. The answer turned out to be: in the bubble, lots of content, but outside the bubble, nothing. This reality turned a lot of people off back at 2.0, but the expectation was that the Horizons season would flesh out planetary landings not just for bubble players but especially for explorers. It has yet to happen, instead we got things like Multicrew, and Engineers, and Passengers, and SLF's. Even today you still see posts here, and on Reddit, and on the Steam forums: is there anything to do on planet surfaces yet? This is always in relation to outside the bubble, for exploring, and the answer even almost two years later is still the same: in the bubble, lots of content, but outside the bubble, nothing. Some people claim that sightseeing is content, that simply taking pictures of the vast planet surfaces out there should be enough "content", but many potential customers do not see this as the case. Space Engine does the same but better, and for free.

There is a huge potential market of players out there for Elite, the No Man's Sky players, the Kerbal Space Program players, gamers who want to explore space and fly a virtual space ship while doing so. They don't want to blow things up, they don't care about grinding reputations or such, they just want to fly through space looking for things and exploring, but still play a game at the same time too. Currently Elite has mostly ignored these potential customers, exploration hasn't seen any meaningful development since 1.0 except for QoL changes, and while Horizons added tons of potential for new exploration gameplay and mechanics, it has yet to utilize ANY of that potential.

People are after that hot planetary gameplay, the game just hasn't added it yet, even a year and a half after launching Horizons. THAT's a major problem with Elite today.

I not sure I understand. Multicrew, engineers, passangers and SLF where shown at the same time as planetary landing. We knew from the word go we would be getting those updates. I didn't understand it myself either, but got the expansion anyway as I wanted to land on planets, but as it happened I like engineers, SLF and passanger missions and the holo me avatar creator. I am not so fussed about the Multicrew aspect though.

I did hope they would add some stuff to the planets as well, but alas, that never really materialised. I am hoping that will be added after 2.4 now.

 

[-VR- Max Factor]

Less than 10% of ED owners bought Horizons, according to the available (albeit approximate) data.

What data is this. I can't see any. Only Fdev have that data and I don't think it has been published.

 

[ZeroAi]

I've been playing for just a few weeks. Though I know I can always get out of my ship in an SRV, I wouldn't mind being able to walk around in a space station. In fact, I'd love to be able to walk around inside of my ship. What's the point of having a door behind my seat if I can't go back there?

I'm not talking about running around to shoot things. I don't care for FPSs. I'd just like to be able to walk around some stations, interact with some NPCs, etc. I'd like to be able to get out, hop a tram, go talk to the various factions, etc. Maybe have some mysterious guy offer me a legally questionable shipping mission?

Like I said, I'm new. Maybe this is something antithetical to the elite series. Maybe this has been asked a million times. I'm just curious as to whether this is possibly in the future for the game.

I think it would be cool!

In the mean time, I'm enjoying walking around my ship cockpits/bridges in the Oculus Rift, but would love to explore the entire ship! And stations!

 

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

That's not entirely true, it's more like Frontier still has yet to add the gameplay to planetary surfaces.

I just remember to disclaim all my posts as mere speculations Falling in same trap of 'I know therefore it's true' as others...

In my opinion that roots back to a chicken and egg problem I mentioned and FD realized they set themselves into - people were not happy about Horizons asking full prize (while including base game) and they were not happy paying upfront about Horizons content. Thus Frontier put their money into 'more base game' basket, because base game still sells, Horizons not so much. I think their long term goal is clear up base game and Horizons, get healthy reception going and then go back to extensions. Sounds good decision to me if you ask.

So they will spend more time on base game and most likely on Horizons too (to refresh it and keep selling it).

What data is this. I can't see any. Only Fdev have that data and I don't think it has been published.

I would speculate that Horizons is something of 400 - 500k copies. thus it is not 10%, it is about 25% in my opinion.

As glass half of full guy I can see Horizons still being able sell copies if Thargoids content turns out hitting out of the park (which I think FD gears up to do so...so fingers crossed).

 

[Mengy]

So they will spend more time on base game and most likely on Horizons too (to refresh it and keep selling it).

Actually it wouldn't surprise me if they get rid of the "Horizons" expansion distinction completely after 2.4. Whatever financial model they are going to post 2.4 it's pretty clear it's not a "season" or "expansion" model anymore, it will be something else, and I doubt they will want to continue to segregate their userbase once they implement it. My hunch is that for 3.0 they'll just roll everyone into one unified version of the game so that all players will be capable of buying whatever DLC or feature packs they want to sell going forward.

 

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

Actually it wouldn't surprise me if they get rid of the "Horizons" expansion distinction completely after 2.4. Whatever financial model they are going to post 2.4 it's pretty clear it's not a "season" or "expansion" model anymore, it will be something else, and I doubt they will want to continue to segregate their userbase once they implement it. My hunch is that for 3.0 they'll just roll everyone into one unified version of the game so that all players will be capable of buying whatever DLC or feature packs they want to sell going forward.

It is highly possible and I would even applaud such move as simplifying environment and clearing desk so to speak. However that might mean they will have to compensate recent Horizons buyers somehow which will feel shafted by such move.

 

[Stachel]

What data is this. I can't see any.

See this.

I think its a fair assumption
From about 15 people that bought ED on/pre-launch only one (not me but my Brother) owns Horizons
The rest Decided to wait a year and see how it goes. Needless to say they don`t play any more.

Computed from the respective number of ratings/reviews on the stores, %age of ED owners that bought Horizons:

PC/Mac Steam - 8%
Xbox - 7%
PS4 - 41%

Re the high PS4, PS4 was the only platform where launch had physical media giving no non-Horizons option. And the only platform where physical media was a large proportion of sales. And incidentally, is the platform that has sold fewest copies - by a very large margin.

Only Fdev have that data and I don't think it has been published.

I don't think FD have published anything about Horizons %age except a note to shareholders saying it was lower than they expected. We don't know what they expected. They should have expected low for a DLC priced the same as the base game, and with the base game still being unfinished, but I think they suffer from believing more their own marketing hype than players' opinion e.g. the 31% that Horizons got on metacritic.

 

[Ralph Vargr]

Actually it wouldn't surprise me if they get rid of the "Horizons" expansion distinction completely after 2.4. Whatever financial model they are going to post 2.4 it's pretty clear it's not a "season" or "expansion" model anymore, it will be something else, and I doubt they will want to continue to segregate their userbase once they implement it. My hunch is that for 3.0 they'll just roll everyone into one unified version of the game so that all players will be capable of buying whatever DLC or feature packs they want to sell going forward.

Here come the third/fourth accounts.

 

[Ralph Vargr]

I don't think FD have published anything about Horizons %age except a note to shareholders saying it was lower than they expected.

Brit understatement.

Can anyone see if there are insiders selling, or if there are short positions against Frontier stock (shares, in Brit)?

 

[Stachel]

Can anyone see if there are insiders selling

Yes, on the London Stock Exchange website.

And yes it shows many FD directors, managers, family et cetera have been selling their stock recently.

But I'm guessing the moderators would not permit that to be discussed on the forum. Mods, do tell me if I am wrong.

 

[Crash1099]

Yes, on the London Stock Exchange website.

And yes it shows many FD directors, managers, family et cetera have been selling their stock recently.

But I'm guessing the moderators would not permit that to be discussed here. Mods, do tell me if I am wrong.

Off-topic thread on the Chinese company that bought shares in them.

 

[-VR- Max Factor]

See this.





I don't think FD have published anything about Horizons %age except a note to shareholders saying it was lower than they expected. We don't know what they expected. They should have expected low for a DLC priced the same as the base game, and with the base game still being unfinished, but I think they suffer from believing more their own marketing hype than players' opinion e.g. the 31% that Horizons got on metacritic.

Yes I saw those figures and they have been pulled out of thin air.

As to the statement, it said that sales were not as good as they hoped initially. That means they were not as good to begin with. Obviously they picked up after that otherwise they would have just said sales were poor.

Also have you read those reviews on metacritic. They are laughable.

 

[Stachel]

Yes I saw those figures and they have been pulled out of thin air.

Wrong. They're calculated from the rating/review numbers that anyone can get themselves from the Steam, Xbox and PlayStation stores.

As to the statement, it said that sales were not as good as they hoped initially. That means they were not as good to begin with. Obviously they picked up after that otherwise they would have just said sales were poor.

Obviously Frontier aren't going to say Horizons sales are poor given they can avoid it. Obviously if the sales of Horizons had picked up after that, they would have said so. They didn't. And if sales had picked up, they probably wouldn't have reported a loss of around £3 million. They did.

Also have you read those reviews on metacritic. They are laughable.

A few did make me laugh, in a sad way. Like the 10 out of 10 review saying "Can't wait to see how Frontier approaches big tasks like walking around and atmospheric planets." Oops.

Actually the saddest thing there is that the Horizons ratings are so few. Calculating from those numbers suggests only 4% of ED PC owners bought Horizons.

 

[Stachel]

Off-topic thread on the Chinese company that bought shares in them.

Posting this in "Off-topic" would break the forum rules. Its not off-topic.

 

[BirdWisdom]

Guess we never c this in little Elite than!

 

[Kayweg]

Yes I saw those figures and they have been pulled out of thin air.

As to the statement, it said that sales were not as good as they hoped initially. That means they were not as good to begin with. Obviously they picked up after that otherwise they would have just said sales were poor.

Also have you read those reviews on metacritic. They are laughable.

I am not going to speculate or draw conclusions from insufficient data. Not like it's my money anyway.

But if DB's announcement about moving away from the season pass model doesn't tell you something about how "successful" it was, then i don't know what will.

I'm sure FD's numbers are fine overall btw.