Will single player be completely and utterly offline no internet needed

[Steve O B Have]

I just want to open the box install it and that's it NO internet connection EVER if I so choose it.

Not interested in multi player only SP for me which is why I started the thread hoping that SP is real SP.

@Steve OB of course you love steam and want to have it's babies because I want to hunt it out and completely destroy it from the face of the planet. Steam will NEVER be on my system. EVER.

LOL harsh I am a fan of having the physical media and I do have some pretty decent stacks of games but if I can I add them to Steam because it does my nut to have to change DVDs. In fact if I could remove my BD/DVD ROM I would. It's archaic media and I'd much rather just have updates delivered directly to me. I'm not overly fussed about SP being strictly SP. I'm perminantly online and if I get to play with like minds then all the better. Meeting other people in Elite has been a want since Frontier days. I think you may be a little bit 'change is bad' Styggron

 

[Susimetsa]

I can understand the hate for multiplayer from the experience I've had with online MMOs - the ability of teens to completely destroy any sense of immersion is legendary. But if I can choose to play with only a restricted community of adult gamers (such as Elite veterans), I'm sure it would negate the problem to a large degree.

 

[Geraldine]

Generational Elite

But if I can choose to play with only a restricted community of adult gamers (such as Elite veterans), I'm sure it would negate the problem to a large degree.

Thats a great point Susimetsa! Yes to have a galaxy where the players in it know what's its all about to be an Elite fan, would only enhance the experience. I would happily fly along side anyone in this thread, but I also think it's important to "educate" new players to the game also. And no, I don't mean to blast them to atoms for being a bit rowdy (we were all rowdy once , some of us still are! )

Remember folks, one day all of us will be either too blind, or riddled with arthritis to play it anymore, there must be a new generation of Elite fans who will follow in our footsteps, so to all you parents out there I say, take your young ones under your arm and show them how it all works and the cool things you can do. Fire up their imaginations!

It's really important in my view for Elite's appeal to cross the generations

 

[Completely Harmless]

I would happily fly along side anyone in this thread

Now that I could get behind. Although, it would make for a sparsely populated galaxy, perhaps...

With a universe shared between my hubby and myself we can jump into our galaxy when we feel like it and in my SP games I can take things at my very own pace as I cannot be online all the time all days and so on.

Hence wishing for SP to be 100% separate from anything else, on my part any way.

 

[Darth Revan]

I can understand the hate for multiplayer from the experience I've had with online MMOs - the ability of teens to completely destroy any sense of immersion is legendary. But if I can choose to play with only a restricted community of adult gamers (such as Elite veterans), I'm sure it would negate the problem to a large degree.

This pretty much sums up my feelings with Xbox live (I don't touch public games anymore), however I will give Elite a go, and if the opportunity is there to restrict to a decent community I'd be interested in that.

My only concern is balancing as my game time is very limited. I can imagine I'll jump into a game after a week out and get blasted within seconds due to having a weak ship!

As for single player I would imagine you have to authenticate initially, and after that you can play offline (and re-connect for updates/patches, etc...).

 

[SuperG]

Don't have Any problems with online or any DRM. Even starforce works for me.
My two game rigs are full towers with 200+ watt G-card in it. So I game at home.
So I am always online. Have two saperate home LAN's each with a different ISP.
For mobile gaming I Have a PS Vita.
Tablet gaming I Do not. Altho I have Ipads. Iphone only killing time games.

I actualy don't think it is a problem at all, because offline you cant do. Lot of PC stuff. Email socialapps youtube chat surfin etc. That you must miss to.


But I asume ED won't get a always online autentication check.

 

[Kipper]

You do know that even if you buy a boxed game, you don't own the game - you just have a licensed copy of it, right?

I like steam because I like being able to buy, download and play a game within an hour - and I like auto-patching. While I dislike that games release with bugs, I like that they can be fixed and I don't have to think about going to check to see if there's a patch, but it automatically applies when it's available.

I like multiplayer because overall, it makes the experience much richer - people who try to spoil others games tend to be in a minority (albeit sometimes a vocal one) but as it gets more popular and gaming ever more mainstream, decency wins out and people with actual social skills start out-voicing those who just exist behind a mask of anonymity.

Even better though is that unlike real life, in multiplayer games - especially with this proposed model - you can just 'turn off' people who you find annoying!

 

[nats]

Well if its any comfort Styggron DB has already confirmed that the game will be perfectly capable of being played offline without a server in case the Frontier servers ever disappeared. He doesnt want the game limited by the Frontier server lifespan. So that would seem to suggest to me that the game will be fully playable without any internet connection if required.

Certainly my own internet goes off from time to time so I really do want to play without constant internet access and I refuse to buy any game these days that does require it. I deliberately didnt buy Silent Hunter 5 or the latest Settlers game, and I probably wont be getting the new Sim City game either for this very reason.

But for me the odd connection in order to download patches, sync the game and get updates is fine with me as long as I can choose when to do it.

But I wonder how DB is going to get over piracy? If the game is completely playable without an internet connection that would be a haven for pirates to get the game and play it scot free. I think the best way around that might be to include a limited play area at the start, like DB was suggesting, and then require a once only internet update from their server to expand the galaxy to the full size. Of course I suppose pirates might just supply the full expanded game? There must be another way to get over piracy without relying on regular connections to their server.

 

[Kipper]

I can see why the idea of having a permanent internet connection just to be in a single player game is not favoured by many, and I don't think it will catch on because I've seen how unpopular it is.

However for a game that actually puts you in a shared universe, it's kind of nescessary. That's not DRM, that's just needing to keep the world synced up.

Most people have broadband; by 2014 many of us will have super fast and more reliable cable to the home, so I don't see a problem as long as nothing underhand (like taking my details without my consent and selling them, or any kind of tracking that I don't specifically approve of) is happening.

 

[Styggron]

Well if its any comfort Styggron DB has already confirmed that the game will be perfectly capable of being played offline without a server in case the Frontier servers ever disappeared. He doesnt want the game limited by the Frontier server lifespan. So that would seem to suggest to me that the game will be fully playable without any internet connection if required.

Certainly my own internet goes off from time to time so I really do want to play without constant internet access and I refuse to buy any game these days that does require it. I deliberately didnt buy Silent Hunter 5 or the latest Settlers game, and I probably wont be getting the new Sim City game either for this very reason.

But for me the odd connection in order to download patches, sync the game and get updates is fine with me as long as I can choose when to do it.

But I wonder how DB is going to get over piracy? If the game is completely playable without an internet connection that would be a haven for pirates to get the game and play it scot free. I think the best way around that might be to include a limited play area at the start, like DB was suggesting, and then require a once only internet update from their server to expand the galaxy to the full size. Of course I suppose pirates might just supply the full expanded game? There must be another way to get over piracy without relying on regular connections to their server.

Well that part we knew but it does not way actually confirm I can open the box in the middle of nowhere and install it without ever going online because this is what I really want. Single player means single player.

David has already stated the game has no DRM so I don't see a problem. If it uses the minecraft model that's perfect. I can get an update if I want it and if I don't I leave it vanilla. The problems are less when people are not instantly treated like criminals (Diablo III full time internet connection for SP !!!!!).

Change is fine but not forced online changed. The second I read a box and it says STEAM I put it down and walk away. I LOVE physical media, I'm happy because I'm not lazy to keep disks in order/swap them I mean for goodness sake how is it a problem opening a tray and putting in media. Cloud means others control things, I won't accept that. *I* control where I put the media and how I manage it I'm not handing that control over for ANYTHING.

 

[nats]

The second I read a box and it says STEAM I put it down and walk away. I LOVE physical media, I'm happy because I'm not lazy to keep disks in order/swap them I mean for goodness sake how is it a problem opening a tray and putting in media. Cloud means others control things, I won't accept that. *I* control where I put the media and how I manage it I'm not handing that control over for ANYTHING.

It doesnt bother me because I only play games for a few months and then get bored and usually dont touch them again unless a patch or something is released. I dont think there is one game that I have on Steam I couldnt bear to lose.

But DB has already said that he is going to allow the game to go on without servers so that suggests minimal internet connection required.

 

[SnowGhost]

*I* control where I put the media and how I manage it I'm not handing that control over for ANYTHING.

Yet you run Windows. How do you reconcile these two points?

Steam is about as close to what you want as is economically viable for a game company. It can be configured to connect and auenticate your purchase at install and then set offline. And then it never needs to talk to the internet again.

But that isn't good enoug for you. What you want is for Frontier to work for 2 years and then not protect their investment in any way. This is unreasonable. It used to be somewhat viable back before CD burners become very common. And totally unviable after Broadband Internet become common. Now, it's just to easy for no one to pay anything.

Your incessant strident clamouring for an unviable solution is not productive. You are destined to be dissapointed. You will not get what you want.

So .... accept that and then decide what viable choice you will accept.

 

[Capt. Hook]

What you want is for Frontier to work for 2 years and then not protect their investment in any way. This is unreasonable.

If a game is purchased by a player and single option is available, what is unreasonable about this situation? Frontier gets £30+(ish) payment for game development and the player gets the game they wanted. Seems fair and reasonable to me.

 

[Aewarin Jameson]

If a game is purchased by a player and single option is available, what is unreasonable about this situation? Frontier gets £30+(ish) payment for game development and the player gets the game they wanted. Seems fair and reasonable to me.

Times have changed and the ability to copy and de-protect games is rampant. Whilst I won't bang on about piracy vs sales (as much of this is due to the outragous prices publishers ask for) it's not unreasonable to expect FD to protect their IP. Forcing you to log-on after 1st installation to authenticate / verify your version of the game is totally acceptable to me.

Now it can be argued that doing this is a pointless act anyway as once the pirates get a copy of it they will simply crack it ... That is up to FD to sort out and not my headache.

If you have to remain online to play however then we are in agreement. (Spore [Ubisoft] and Diablo 3 [Blizzard] spring to mind )

 

[Steve O B Have]

The other great aspect with Steam (I have this odd feeling of dejavu that I may have already mentioned this somewhere) that when I rebuild my computer I just chuck my games drive in to it, reinstall steam and point it at the drive. All my games are instantly back and I don't have to sit there for hours re-installing them all - not to mention all updates and mods done. Physical media is nice because I do like reading the manuals and having a good sized shelf full of boxes but for convenience and for not having to crawl under my desk to change a DVD all the time, Steam is gold. My only gripe is the regional take on pricing. That totally does my nut but you get hit by exactly the same crap buying physical games here in Aus... $100 for a new game? Who are they trying to pull the wool over? I'm seriously considering getting a mate to buy them for me and post them over with other stuff I miss.

 

[nOmArch]

I'm seriously considering getting a mate to buy them for me and post them over with other stuff I miss.

That's what I do with US stuff, works out very well.

 

[Aewarin Jameson]

I'm seriously considering getting a mate to buy them for me and post them over with other stuff I miss.

Steve,

Speak to some of the longer standing forum members (who you trust) and ask them to send it over for you ? I am sure FD will ship your order to wherever you want If there are enough of you perhaps you could all split the cost and get them sent in 1 container, then forward on from there. (So in effect you become like a proxy email-courier)

 

[SnowGhost]

My only gripe is the regional take on pricing. That totally does my nut but you get hit by exactly the same crap buying physical games here in Aus... $100 for a new game? Who are they trying to pull the wool over? I'm seriously considering getting a mate to buy them for me and post them over with other stuff I miss.

I just wait for the steam sales. There is two or three a year, at least. You can usually get the game you want at 75% off. But it is a valid concern.

 

[Styggron]

If a game is purchased by a player and single option is available, what is unreasonable about this situation? Frontier gets £30+(ish) payment for game development and the player gets the game they wanted. Seems fair and reasonable to me.

Exactly.

Minecraft has no DRM. People can choose to get an update or not that's all I want. ED will have no DRM either this is clear so DRM is not an issue.

I have made my point and why I don't want internet connection, so it's as simple as that. I don't want ED to be a big paper weight when I am away from internet connections for long periods of time (months even). Open the box, install it no internet needed EVER. Simple as that. If I have that not a problem.

If people want MP then you authenticate just like minecraft otherwise I would never need to go online with it. This I think is ok so if I want MP I obviously need to go online so authentication is not an issue. FORCED authentication is.

So all I need to do is wait to hear if SP is completely offline and hopefully know by Jan 4th (as I wrote on the OP).

I understand many of you love Steam etc and don't mind single player / offline authentication etc that's fine..... but that's not for me. I got burned with SPORE and others. I don't want to argue with a manufacturer that my computer died and it won't let me authenticate my LEGITIMATE copy, again it punishes legitimate users. I'm so happy David also hates DRM.

So enough from me on the topic, I've said everything I need to say I just hope I get to find out whether ED needs internet for SP so I know whether to remain in the KS campaign or not simple as that.

 

[Styggron]

Steve. Just buy titles from ozgameshop bypass the ridiculous prices here and get things really cheap from there and free delivery to AUS.