Will single player be completely and utterly offline no internet needed

I am not going on ifs buts and maybes and hopes.... Michael found out for me and sync is needed for sp. Whether it lets you go on or stops you if you have not synced or what it syncs is a design thing they would not know yet and I cannot take that risk of having it sit on my hard drive unplayable.

We have a confirmation that the universe in SP will not run locally on your hard drive so you can play it away from the internet and "reset" the entire universe if you wish, it runs on Frontier's servers.

This is not for me I'm afraid as I have already explained.
 
Really sorry to hear that Styggron, and I completely agree. This confirmation of a connection required for single player is a bit of a blow.
 
Yes I know.

I'll stick around for another week to give my farewells then remove myself from the KS project.

It's not problem to the project though, I am not a large pledge and I am in the minority that needs ot to be completely offline and not forced sync ever.

Hey it might play even if you ignore sync if that is the case I'm back in but I doubt they have even decided on that and I can't take the risk of it just sitting there on the drive saying "sync me sync me sync me" plus not to mention I can't "Reset" the entire universe because it is only local.....

This is a business and marketing decision that Frontier have made to appeal to the target audience that is ok with going online and syncs and updates so I understand that. Although forcing a sync is sort of DRM really *IF* it renders teh game unplayable if you don't.

To be brutally honest I think the game will still be playable if you refuse all sync but I can't risk ifs maybes and buts.........

I know many people will also be disappointed but as I said we are in the minority so if we all back out we will not make a huge different so chin up everyone else.............. you'll be fine.

:)
 
Whilst not as much an online opponent as Styggron I do agree that the latest info doesn't sound good for a single player (mostly) as me. Having things in the galaxy altered by other human players just don't appeal to me at all either. I'd like to explore and doing my business in my own time and pace, not worrying if it's all too late, or other players are far ahead just because I didn't have much time to play myself.

I would most certainly want to try the multiplayer at some stage, but I'd very much prefer it to be separated from the single player experience.
I will still want the game to be made so the pledge will stay but not increase until/if things get clearer in this regard.
 
I just cannot believe this is the decision. Single player should run the universe in your save game ignoring everything else.

This is a deal breaker for me I'm afraid.

Enjoy the rest of the ride everyone, I'm sure you will love the product but I shall not be joining you on the rest of the journey.

bye everyone.
I also hope this is not the final decision. I'm happy with synching to get updates every now and then, but I want to be able to play off line. They did say that the exact workings of single player was not clear yet, so be sure to check in every now and then just in case. I have a feeling they might allow for off line single player yet.....
 
It does raise questions about how you can keep a single player and multiplayer universes in sync - with people being 'offline' but still affecting the central universe.

It could lead to exploits - what if you're carrying passengers that need assassinating by other players and don't want to be killed, you just take yourself 'offline' until they are delivered?

Clearly, this is what people will do in that situation - and so just as clearly, it will have been thought of and there will already be an idea how to solve it. If this is solved, then a central universe can only make this game be more amazing with a galaxy that's constantly on the move.... there go your 'guaranteed' trade routes, you'll have to actually work for your credits now :)

Have faith!
 
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I'm optimistic that the "make it for PC" philosophy is indicative of a pro-offline decision. Elite is for geeks, and geeks don't appreciate their universe being tampered with by normal folk.
 
I'm no programmer, but wouldn't it be a simple solution to have a completely offline mode for those that choose it, but then if they decided to play multiplayer, they would have to have a different character / save game? Then there's no synch conflict? I know that this wasn't @DB's original idea, but a simple solution is often the best.
 
One cannot force the MP universe on a SP universe, I believe.

What if Bob is doing a mission for Party X, having accepted it, then Joe makes it so that mission is won for Party Y, net sync then nullifies Bob's play.

That cannot work.

I would have to assume, and hope, that the sync merely is for online accounts and any other sync is exclusive to updates of the software.

Otherwise, how will it ever work?

Separate SP and MP is the only logical solution, and if there is no SP, well, then there is no true Elite, which was enjoyed by players at their own pace.

So, in other words, I am still waiting to hear final words on this.
 
I also would prefer SP to be totally offline and seperate.
I was kind of expecting to have to have 2 characters, one for offline...and one for online which would have been fine for me personally and alot of other by the sound of it.
 
Don't forget they already said you can just exclude 'all' from your game to never have to meet another player in space.

That covers you for never meeting/fighting other players.

What it doesn't cover is that at launch, maybe there's 50 inhabited systems (for a figure) but every month that goes by, the inhabited universe expands a little bit. This is all well and good, but what will that mean 2 or 3 years into the game?
 
Don't forget they already said you can just exclude 'all' from your game to never have to meet another player in space.

That is not the same.

The game is NOT DRM free as you need to syncronise irrespective of how frequently.

The game is NOT single player as what I do in the universe affects you, even if we're both playing as "single" player.

This is ... well bull**** really - I am shocked to find FD lied to their backers. It's not a deal breaker for me but as I do no have a reliable internet connection where I live I am forced to reevaluate my pledge.
 
I get the impression the root of the concern here is that all players are locked onto a synchronised timeline. The rationale being that MP is unpossiblé elsewise.

Personally i was rather hoping they'd go the Einsteinian route, and circumvent the potential paradoxes between alternate timelines by allowing them to diverge; instead of hosting a universe on dedicated servers, only let congruent timelines interact in a sprawling, disjointed but decentralised multiverse.

The drawback, of not being able to allow everyone to be in the same place at the same time, could be more of a bonus than a drag...

On the plus side:

- you'll have some things in common with anyone you meet in your timeline

- the procedurally-evolving universe can be appreciated over cosmological timescales; you can go off on one, & return to an evaporated Solar system

- no centralised host, clients only sync with others having congruent histories

- It's more conducive to SP, yet MP is still perfectly viable - you just have to know where and when to meet, as per meatlife. Perhaps allow time travel devices so that later players can catch up with earlier ones, and/or dimensional shifts to selectively re-sync with other player's alternate universes - not unlike galactic hyperdrive, type stuff...
 
@Jonty Yes we knew they will have mechanisms in place to allow play after they turn their servers off but just like I can't assume it will only be avaialble to us when they DO turn their servers off, no one else can assume it will be available from day one after all they are putting all their efforts for MP why should they work on the tech that keeps stand alone going ?

The answer we need is simple.
1. Can I still play totally offline and refuse all sync and update and ELITE Dangerous still plays although of course in a limited way.

This is a simple yes or no answer. The FAQ was vague because poor Michael just does NOT know the answer not his fault, they are just unknowns so far. I am sure they did not expect it being such a problem for so many.

Personally as I have said I am surprised it is not
1. Single player totally offline, no sync or updates if you don't want them. Universe runs with you and NPCS you can reset it by reloading a saved position or start again anytime.

2. Single player in the MP universe - this is what SP seems to be. ie They run the servers but you won't see people unless you let them in.

3. Multiplayer self explanatory.

All we are missing is #1 because you can't have as rich as rich a universe they want to give and because SP still needs sync (how long we don't know and what will happen if you refuse sync will you get a 500meg download!?

When we first heard single player we all hoped and ifs, buts,maybes are not facts. Now that we are getting more info, many are not happy.

I know they say it is not DRM it is just ehnancing the player experience but many might and will interpret that as "hidden DRM whether it was intentional or not.

No good deed goes unpunished eh ?

Solution is simple if they can do it.
1. Single player no forced sync no forced updates, you update when you feel like it and when you can and it is up to you knowing FULLY you can miss out on really cool things.

If it is that, I'm back in but at the moment I will reduce to minimum pledge so if I have to back out I will no make any difference.

I know this is a non issue for so many and that is ok but it is a deal breaker for me I'm afraid if I can't refuse and keep playing totally offline even as a reduced universe. :-(
 
That is not the same.

The game is NOT DRM free as you need to syncronise irrespective of how frequently.

The game is NOT single player as what I do in the universe affects you, even if we're both playing as "single" player.

This is ... well bull**** really - I am shocked to find FD lied to their backers. It's not a deal breaker for me but as I do no have a reliable internet connection where I live I am forced to reevaluate my pledge.

I'm in complete agreement.
This is clearly a major issue many of us have.
 
I'm in complete agreement.
This is clearly a major issue many of us have.

I will take back the lied part .. I don't think it was deliberate deception on FD's part but it demonstrates yet another clear lack of planning.

Someone on KS posted a link to a tea shirt they are having made that states if ED makes the goal and is successful then they will eat humble pie - I think i will be ordering one of those for myself but at this rate FD really are making it hard for themselves.
 
I think Styggron's 1,2,3 points are correct. In that it's 2 & 3.

While a complete, self contained offline universe may be very easy to do (I'd guess it is) DB may simply not WANT to do that. DB may feel it would detract to much from the universe he wants and it's his universe.

I've said it before, I'm a single player type of guy, but I think Elite Dangerous could be awesome if the multiplayer aspect of it is done right, and from what i've heard so far it's the way I'd like it to be. Currently I'm happy with it.

I strongly suspect we won't know the real way all this will go until the BETA stage.
 
I can only wait till Jan 4th to know if I can ignore ALL sync and updates if I don't I have no choice but to withdraw completely. I don't want to but I can't wait till the beta and HOPE, I need something more solid and I am forced to vite with my wallet Iam sorry to say.

Trust me I don't take this lightly at all. I almost wanted to cry when I heard the news!
 
Whilst not as much an online opponent as Styggron I do agree that the latest info doesn't sound good for a single player (mostly) as me. Having things in the galaxy altered by other human players just don't appeal to me at all either. I'd like to explore and doing my business in my own time and pace, not worrying if it's all too late, or other players are far ahead just because I didn't have much time to play myself.

I would most certainly want to try the multiplayer at some stage, but I'd very much prefer it to be separated from the single player experience.
I will still want the game to be made so the pledge will stay but not increase until/if things get clearer in this regard.

Same. I don't plan on ever going MP at all. SP is very important to people like us Rollo.
 
I will take back the lied part .. I don't think it was deliberate deception on FD's part but it demonstrates yet another clear lack of planning.

Someone on KS posted a link to a tea shirt they are having made that states if ED makes the goal and is successful then they will eat humble pie - I think i will be ordering one of those for myself but at this rate FD really are making it hard for themselves.

I think they should've had it made "...and I will eat this shirt"... Humble pie is pretty non specific... or maybe a pie made of this shirt...
 
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