Worrying trend...

[Rog]

Bye then, 1 more down...

Exactly the sort of post that results in a bad atmosphere around here, and one of the primary reasons why sensible discussion seems to have largely disappeared, along with a lot of the long-time posters.

FD don't exactly help matters:

A major plank of gameplay is removed at the eleventh hour (please no shouting about pro/anti offline here), and suddenly all other gameplay/design elements are doubted.

Devs stating things will be added/fixed 'if and when' hardly allay any fears that the game is:

• Being released way before it's ready (after all the spiel about kickstarter removing such a possibility. FFE anyone?),
• Is still going to be buggy at release,
• Is going to be judged harshly (with all the knock-on problems that will cause),
• Is going to be missing many promised features, and be a shadow of what was pitched/envisaged,
• Might not get the ongoing in-depth development always promised.

None of these perfectly valid concerns are addressed by FD in a sensible and clear way. Instead we get silence from the devs (apart from marketing mailshots masquerading as newsletters), and it's left to well meaning volunteers to deal with concerns/dissent in the inevitable way of the web.

Really sad state of affairs, and it's in FD's power to fix. If they are able, or if they can be bothered.

 

[Alric]

Thank you for taking your time to answer my question.
So it boils down to missed expectations more than to broken promises, it seems, not that it makes those expectations not important mind you.

Pretty much. Speaking for myself I'm not at all concerned at all about broken promises or the things that they have been developing. Only that the release is coming at a point when that development still has a long way to go. The last Elite game had all sorts of problems, and there was a perception that it was released to soon. Many other games have been plagued with issues in the intervening years not because they were bad games but because they had a bad launch. I think one of the things that appealed to many about Kickstarter was the lack of a publisher, the feeling that the game developers could take the time they needed to get it finished and launch when ready -- without people breathing down their necks to push something out.

I have no doubt that if the devs keep on going the way they're going then Elite Dangerous will be a masterpiece.. in time. But I also know how important launch is to a game, and I don't want it to go badly for this one.

 

[philux]

Over 20 years, yes that's OVER TWENTY YEARS me an a lot of other people have been waiting for this game, and now its here and its amazing , the best part? its only going to get better.

For all those whining about this and that think about those of us that have waited decades for this game ,be patient and be thankful you can play it now.

"Genius is eternal patience." Michelangelo

Hallelujah! Great is the Lord and Savior, DBOBE, and most worthy of our eternal praise!

 

[Zvanya]

My only real worry post-release is what is paid expansion/DLC, and what is content updates for bare minimum features or features that were intended prior to release but never made it. I just hope Frontier makes the right decisions here to avoid huge backlash.

It hasn't been all that long ago that DB said "it's like a house without fixtures or furnishings - now we add those" (paraphrase)

There is really no reason to assume that FD will not continue adding missing features post release. Except for the disturbing communications and PR from FD. The newsletters for example. Filled with a lot of happy marketing language, "click here to spend more money!!", self delivered pats on the back and not much else.

As far as the state of the game goes I think it's fine, as long as FD does indeed fill in most of the rest of those "furnishings" before they try to sell us expansions. What makes me think they will do so is because I think DB is an enthusiast and this is his 'baby'.

So, I'm actually OK with Elite the game at this point. It's FD's behavior that is somewhat annoying and worrying.

 

[Rykzon]

It hasn't been all that long ago that DB said "it's like a house without fixtures or furnishings - now we add those" (paraphrase)

There is really no reason to assume that FD will not continue adding missing features post release. Except for the disturbing communications and PR from FD. The newsletters for example. Filled with a lot of happy marketing language, "click here to spend more money!!", self delivered pats on the back and not much else.

As far as the state of the game goes I think it's fine, as long as FD does indeed fill in most of the rest of those "furnishings" before they try to sell us expansions. What makes me think they will do so is because I think DB is an enthusiast and this is his 'baby'.

So, I'm actually OK with Elite the game at this point. It's FD's behavior that is somewhat annoying and worrying.

Yes this, im not actually content with the game in its current form as a release but if they actually pull through and add content in the following weeks its okay. But the silence is too reminiscent of other failed releases in the last years, promise the world, release a beta with lacking features and get defended by community because its beta, then nothing changes to release and the hope slowly dies. Please make me eat my words FD.

 

[Oppenheimer]

use your IMAGINATION!

 

[Rykzon]

use your IMAGINATION!

If I wanna use my imagination im gonna set up a P&P session, but not drop 60€ on a game.

 

[Lobstris]

Exactly the sort of post that results in a bad atmosphere around here, and one of the primary reasons why sensible discussion seems to have largely disappeared, along with a lot of the long-time posters.

FD don't exactly help matters:

A major plank of gameplay is removed at the eleventh hour (please no shouting about pro/anti offline here), and suddenly all other gameplay/design elements are doubted.

Devs stating things will be added/fixed 'if and when' hardly allay any fears that the game is:

• Being released way before it's ready (after all the spiel about kickstarter removing such a possibility. FFE anyone?),
• Is still going to be buggy at release,
• Is going to be judged harshly (with all the knock-on problems that will cause),
• Is going to be missing many promised features, and be a shadow of what was pitched/envisaged,
• Might not get the ongoing in-depth development always promised.

None of these perfectly valid concerns are addressed by FD in a sensible and clear way. Instead we get silence from the devs (apart from marketing mailshots masquerading as newsletters), and it's left to well meaning volunteers to deal with concerns/dissent in the inevitable way of the web.

Really sad state of affairs, and it's in FD's power to fix. If they are able, or if they can be bothered.

Well that pretty much sums it up for me. Nice post Rog.

 

[Grimster]

And still this is currently the best game in its genre and it will get even better, at least i hope so. Even X-Rebirth is still developing into something much better then the release version.

The reason I didn't buy X-Rebirth.

And still haven't.

 

[xDreadnoughtx]

Same old same old.

A forum starts with core enthusiasts/backers. They have input, enthusiasm and a sense of ownership.
Alpha to beta to gamma.
Finally release.
No surprises here, at all.

There will come a time, when alternate and independent fan forums will be set up. An exodus will start based on a sense of hurt at how it isn't what it used to be.There will be ones to suit various tastes, and this place will become the usual developers forum which hopefully sees successive waves of newcomers.

Meanwhile, many of the older hands will settle in elsewhere and look down their noses at what is here, or if I am more constructive, get nostalgic.

Maybe in 30 years there will be a poll somewhere, in whatever meets the need of a forum in those future days along the lines of....

Are you a 13? Sign up here.

Something like that. Half serious, and just pondering my own experiences.

Cheers

 

[FuZion]

I'm with the +1 crew.

I am extremely happy with E : D so far. I know it has it's shortcomings, but aside from Portal there are no perfect games. E : D has the makings of being one of the greatest games ever made. I'm in this for the long haul.

Regards, FuZion.

 

[Oppenheimer]

I'm with the +1 crew.

I am extremely happy with E : D so far. I know it has it's shortcomings, but aside from Portal there are no perfect games. E : D has the makings of being one of the greatest games ever made. I'm in this for the long haul.

Regards, FuZion.

Me too, when I was a child I did not have the luxury of a computer because they were not around at that time so I played space explorer in a cardboard box the TV came in. Yes back then a TV was incredibly "large". I had drawn buttons on the inside and cut a window out and I just sat there for hours in my cardboard box roleplaying it had all these features, I was launching probes, analyzing stuff you name it. Elite Dangerous is the same.

 

[Patrick_68000]

Frontier is a small / medium sized company. The Human resources are not inexhaustible and his bank account is not bottomless. The time. Frontier needs time