What's the deal with Elite:Dangerous?

[Sattern]

I wonder if the actual game will cost less than the beta, I might as well wait and see so I don't end up paying for it twice.

 

[ginfest]

The actual game is $50.00, you pay an extra $25.00 to play the beta. Really just a money grab same as Star Citizen. Anyone can buy into the beta, a true beta would be limited. So if the game is ready to play for however many people, it should be released at the normal price. Instead they will prolong the "beta" until enough folks overpay.

 

[futurefields]

how do the graphics compare to Star Citizen?

 

[SLU Aequitas]

The actual game is $50.00, you pay an extra $25.00 to play the beta. Really just a money grab same as Star Citizen. Anyone can buy into the beta, a true beta would be limited. So if the game is ready to play for however many people, it should be released at the normal price. Instead they will prolong the "beta" until enough folks overpay.

A true beta has nothing to do with participant caps; you can have stress-test betas for example. E: D's beta is very much that, a beta. It's stress-testing the servers and the game is DEFINITELY not feature complete. But hey, keep trollin' bro.

how do the graphics compare to Star Citizen?

Not the same level at all. That being said, the game is still darn purty, and DB has stated multiple times that they are still in the process of adding additional FX. It definitely feels like a modern/"next gen" (whatever that means) Space Sim, if that helps.

 

[Red Storm]

Honestly don't know, however you can just quit and it will autosave your progress , including location.

Does it work in space? I've always gone and docked before save/quitting, I just assumed it wouldn't work in the middle of space.

 

[SLU Aequitas]

It does, drops you into normal space near your current location. Had the same thing happen on a couple of crashes.

 

[ginfest]

A true beta has nothing to do with participant caps; you can have stress-test betas for example. E: D's beta is very much that, a beta. It's stress-testing the servers and the game is DEFINITELY not feature complete. But hey, keep trollin' bro.



Not the same level at all. That being said, the game is still darn purty, and DB has stated multiple times that they are still in the process of adding additional FX. It definitely feels like a modern/"next gen" (whatever that means) Space Sim, if that helps.

Not a troll, the $75.00 is a money grab pure and simple. It has nothing to do with "stress testing". A stress test is usually limited to a certain time frame, this game is online 24/7 except for patches. The game is up and active, not a limited participation, or limited time, "beta".
Why so defensive? If the game is "..not feature complete." then why is it $25.00 over retail? Oh wait, I know, the generous developers are doing us a favor by letting us play an unfinished game at a premium. But that has no correlation to the price they are charging?

 

[BrightCandle]

I like the game, but I also recognise its not complete yet. It was mighty expensive to get to play early. I wasn't foolish enough to pay £150, but they still got an extra £20 out of me so I could get access early. I haven't learnt my lesson yet. Each time I say I will never ruin a future gaming experience with buying early access I go and do it again, and Elite I feel is a game with potential but isn't there yet.

 

[flexy]

I am playing this game frantically and enthusiastically for some weeks, and while I enjoy it greatly...reality sets in.

This game, if it would remain SIMILIAR to what it is now won't have a future. (I know If I post this on the ED forums they'd probably kill me)

* Netcode Issues/Multi-Player is entirely halfassed.
Some could even say it's HORRIBLE...
The entire instancing system contradicts the "multiplayer idea" anyway. Instances where a max. 32 players can play. People report rubber banding, problem with netcode, hits not counting, stuff like that.

* Multi-Player/Communication/Social Interaction
NULL.
There is no such thing except a tiny line of chat.
"Interaction" is flashing your lights and maybe hailing them via a line of chat or if you're a pirate "Gimme your cargo" etc.
MMO for me means social interactions, guilds, trading... the MM aspect of this game seems to me so halfassed like it was added to an already existing game concept (well, duh, the old elite trade A <---> B....and not something at the core where the game is designed around it.) THIS will not have a future like it is currently, not in a time where real mult-player/MMO games do exist.

* No Planet landings etc, they are planned as future expansion
You spend 90% of time in black space, going from station A to station B with the occasional NPC encounter. Space stations look all the same basically.

* TRADE

Slopey's trading tool basically destroyed trade. It's a tool which shows you the most profitable route. Everyone (and literally everyone and their mom) now has an Anaconda fully fledged out, so do I. All you do is grind the "best route " with a type 6 or type 9 and the money is coming in. Making 400.000CR in an Anaconda right now, Type 9 would be 800.000 per round trip trade. Easy. AND EFFING BORING.

It's basically A --B -- A , selling, trading. In between, empty, black space.

Don't get me wrong, at first I loved trading, even the grind. There is something satisfactory about playing a space-sim which currently is very unforgiving and at times challenging..and managing to get your expensive ship by pirates etc...making money hauling goods.

But how long do you think will this be motivating? A week? Two weeks? Do you think that in a month or two you will still enjoy going from A to B where every station looks the same? Especially with multi-player so halfassed and basically non existent as it is now?

This game has a LONG way to go if they want to motivate people to play it for a lengthy period of time. A "Euro Truck Simulator in Space" has no future and the really important elements of the game which would make this a great space MMO don't exist exist yet. I am aware it's a BETA and there is a ton of stuff to come, and I really hope that this game gets more features which make it more interesting.

 

[Red Storm]

Slopey's trading tool basically destroyed trade. It's a tool which shows you the most profitable route. Everyone (and literally everyone and their mom) now has an Anaconda fully fledged out, so do I. All you do is grind the "best route " with a type 6 or type 9 and the money is coming in. Making 400.000CR in an Anaconda right now, Type 9 would be 800.000 per round trip trade. Easy. AND EFFING BORING.

So let me get this straight. You went and used an out of game tool whose entire purpose is to skip the the whole exploring and discovering the best trade routes in game, and then you complain that trading became easy and boring? This is like looking up a walkthrough of a game that shows you exactly what to do and where and then complaining that the game is boring.

You made it easy and boring.

You said it yourself, this is a beta, there is more work to be done and more content to add into the game.

 

[SLU Aequitas]

I am playing this game frantically and enthusiastically for some weeks, and while I enjoy it greatly...reality sets in.

This game, if it would remain SIMILIAR to what it is now won't have a future. (I know If I post this on the ED forums they'd probably kill me)

* Netcode Issues/Multi-Player is entirely halfassed.
Some could even say it's HORRIBLE...
The entire instancing system contradicts the "multiplayer idea" anyway. Instances where a max. 32 players can play. People report rubber banding, problem with netcode, hits not counting, stuff like that.

Completely agree, weakest part of the engine/experience so far, however it's also one of the primary reasons behind the beta and has been one of the problems they've been focusing on. If it continues in Release in this sort of hit-or-miss fashion (i've had several instances where everything went smooth, another one where I lost my 'Conda because my hits weren't registering and opponent was skipping around everywhere), people should be rightly upset.


* Multi-Player/Communication/Social Interaction
NULL.
There is no such thing except a tiny line of chat.
"Interaction" is flashing your lights and maybe hailing them via a line of chat or if you're a pirate "Gimme your cargo" etc.
MMO for me means social interactions, guilds, trading... the MM aspect of this game seems to me so halfassed like it was added to an already existing game concept (well, duh, the old elite trade A <---> B....and not something at the core where the game is designed around it.) THIS will not have a future like it is currently, not in a time where real mult-player/MMO games do exist.

There's full voice chat, done in universe no less (comms feel, and distance/environment based. Whoops, someone didn't do their research...

As for features, increased build-out of missions and a campaign involving aliens, the ability to crew up, and forming parties. Entire sections of the game haven't been implemented (re: mining, full-on smuggling, blockade-running).

* No Planet landings etc, they are planned as future expansion
You spend 90% of time in black space, going from station A to station B with the occasional NPC encounter. Space stations look all the same basically.

How is this even a complaint? It was never promised initially, and they've stated they're aiming for it in an expansion? Patience...kids these days.

* TRADE

Slopey's trading tool basically destroyed trade. It's a tool which shows you the most profitable route. Everyone (and literally everyone and their mom) now has an Anaconda fully fledged out, so do I. All you do is grind the "best route " with a type 6 or type 9 and the money is coming in. Making 400.000CR in an Anaconda right now, Type 9 would be 800.000 per round trip trade. Easy. AND EFFING BORING.

It's basically A --B -- A , selling, trading. In between, empty, black space.

Don't get me wrong, at first I loved trading, even the grind. There is something satisfactory about playing a space-sim which currently is very unforgiving and at times challenging..and managing to get your expensive ship by pirates etc...making money hauling goods.

But how long do you think will this be motivating? A week? Two weeks? Do you think that in a month or two you will still enjoy going from A to B where every station looks the same? Especially with multi-player so halfassed and basically non existent as it is now?

This game has a LONG way to go if they want to motivate people to play it for a lengthy period of time. A "Euro Truck Simulator in Space" has no future and the really important elements of the game which would make this a great space MMO don't exist exist yet. I am aware it's a BETA and there is a ton of stuff to come, and I really hope that this game gets more features which make it more interesting.

Slopey's tool hardly destroyed trade, it's frequently out of date or even wrong, and its main advantage right now is the relatively static nature of the economy. When the dynamic economy goes through, by the time Slopey highlights a profitable trade run, a single Lakon-9 could likely destroy a good chunk of that margin.

As for the nature of trading...it just seems like you're not cut out to be a trader. There are already trade-oriented missions in typical MMO fashion and dynamic interdiction events. But...umm...yeah, the core of trading is hauling goods from point A-->B. The universe map already highlights flows of goods to obtain trading routes. But the core trading game isn't going to change.

See underlined responses. I get where you're coming from, however you state you know it's beta, but I really don't think you understand where the game is developmentally (many features to be implemented/ramped up), and your rant at the end regarding trading is simply misplaced.

 

[flexy]

See underlined responses. I get where you're coming from, however you state you know it's beta, but I really don't think you understand where the game is developmentally (many features to be implemented/ramped up), and your rant at the end regarding trading is simply misplaced.

Yes you are correct, I, we, don't know where the game is developmentally.

But do you remember that not too long ago there were rumours the finished game will be released end of this year and I still have this in the back of my head. This is four months, probably less to go.

It's not a pre-alpha game or a preview of a game to be released "sometime next year"...but a beta which is *likely* to be released very soon.

Now look at the game RIGHT NOW. Do you think that the massive additions and changes which would make the game actually good will be added..within the next three months?

The entire MP aspect of the game would need an overhaul, not just some netcode to reduce lag. There is no social component in the game, nothing. I played today for some hours, admittedly at some odd hours and my experience consisted of spotting two player dots on the radar. That was my open play experience.

We now have pretty much a (good!) revival of what the old Elite was back in the days..and they did THOSE elements really well, but there is no way in hell they make significant (!) changes within..say three or four months...which would transform this game into what it SHOULD/COULD be.

Not in three months, if the game would be THAT far already our current Beta would feature MUCH more. Ironically, the issues already exist with the basics we have now, such as netcode.

Procedural planets etc.. all nice and good....but they're PLANNED as expansions. While in Latvia or Italy, there sits ONE SINGLE SOLE DEVELOPER who is working on an Elite clone (check out http://www.novavoyager.com/) who is already showing screenies and a video of planets, planet landings etc. That guy does NOT have millions of dollars backing him, by the way. While we in ED, we see 90% black space and then at the end a space station which all look the same.

Do you REALLY think this game will be significantly different and will have all those great MM goodies...at the end of the year in four months??)

 

[QuantumPion]

I mostly agree with your assesment flexy that the game doesn't have much to do right now and is lacking in the social aspect. I think adding more star systems and bases is a bad idea as that will spread the player base even more thin. Also the new features they need to add as priority are ones with social aspects, like a pilot lounge you can walk around in stations or something. However I am more optimistic that the game will be better and more complete upon release in November. At the very least they can add a better single player content, like missions or a campaign that is single player but online.

 

[Fallen Kell]

More than that. 15-25 million units per COD seems normal now. Say 20 million units at $60 a pop is 25x as much.
http://www.statisticbrain.com/call-of-duty-franchise-game-sales-statistics/

Except they are not $60 a pop. After the first 2 months, it is already down to $40, after 6-8 months $30...

 

[QuantumPion]

Beta 2 is launching 9/30 and includes a ton of new features, including exploring new star systems, new ship equipment options like engines, shields, etc, new mini space ports, and more.

 

[futurefields]

Does playing a game while it's in development ruin the experience at all?

Sort of like watching a movie while it's being made and decisions are still being ironed out.

Then it comes out and you watch it, yet seen 95% of it all before.

Can't help but think the people most anticipating this game should just LAY OFF until it's done. You are ruining the experience for yourself by playing it in unfinished form.

 

[BrightCandle]

Personally I think it does ruin my experience of the game. I have played this beta and felt the hollowness that is the current game and now I already know its going to be hard to play it again. Elite was big game for me many many years ago but seeing this one early was probably a bad plan. I usually avoid early access for this reason.

 

[ThinClient]

I am playing this game frantically and enthusiastically for some weeks, and while I enjoy it greatly...reality sets in.

This game, if it would remain SIMILIAR to what it is now won't have a future. (I know If I post this on the ED forums they'd probably kill me)

* Netcode Issues/Multi-Player is entirely halfassed.
Some could even say it's HORRIBLE...
The entire instancing system contradicts the "multiplayer idea" anyway. Instances where a max. 32 players can play. People report rubber banding, problem with netcode, hits not counting, stuff like that.

* Multi-Player/Communication/Social Interaction
NULL.
There is no such thing except a tiny line of chat.
"Interaction" is flashing your lights and maybe hailing them via a line of chat or if you're a pirate "Gimme your cargo" etc.
MMO for me means social interactions, guilds, trading... the MM aspect of this game seems to me so halfassed like it was added to an already existing game concept (well, duh, the old elite trade A <---> B....and not something at the core where the game is designed around it.) THIS will not have a future like it is currently, not in a time where real mult-player/MMO games do exist.

* No Planet landings etc, they are planned as future expansion
You spend 90% of time in black space, going from station A to station B with the occasional NPC encounter. Space stations look all the same basically.

* TRADE

Slopey's trading tool basically destroyed trade. It's a tool which shows you the most profitable route. Everyone (and literally everyone and their mom) now has an Anaconda fully fledged out, so do I. All you do is grind the "best route " with a type 6 or type 9 and the money is coming in. Making 400.000CR in an Anaconda right now, Type 9 would be 800.000 per round trip trade. Easy. AND EFFING BORING.

It's basically A --B -- A , selling, trading. In between, empty, black space.

Don't get me wrong, at first I loved trading, even the grind. There is something satisfactory about playing a space-sim which currently is very unforgiving and at times challenging..and managing to get your expensive ship by pirates etc...making money hauling goods.

But how long do you think will this be motivating? A week? Two weeks? Do you think that in a month or two you will still enjoy going from A to B where every station looks the same? Especially with multi-player so halfassed and basically non existent as it is now?

This game has a LONG way to go if they want to motivate people to play it for a lengthy period of time. A "Euro Truck Simulator in Space" has no future and the really important elements of the game which would make this a great space MMO don't exist exist yet. I am aware it's a BETA and there is a ton of stuff to come, and I really hope that this game gets more features which make it more interesting.

You mean to tell me... that a game... IN BETA... has issues to be resolved?

COLOR ME SHOCKED

 

[QuantumPion]

Personally I think it does ruin my experience of the game. I have played this beta and felt the hollowness that is the current game and now I already know its going to be hard to play it again. Elite was big game for me many many years ago but seeing this one early was probably a bad plan. I usually avoid early access for this reason.

Opposite for me. I play the early beta until I get bored with the content available, but then get excited when the next beta comes out bringing lots of new features. It's like a whole new game each time that you get to experience over and over

 

[DigDog]

don't know if you have seen it already but ED has a release date. 3 weeks from now. december 16th.
http://hexus.net/gaming/news/pc/76805-elite-dangerous-set-launch-pc-16th-december/

 

[Red Storm]

don't know if you have seen it already but ED has a release date. 3 weeks from now. december 16th.
http://hexus.net/gaming/news/pc/76805-elite-dangerous-set-launch-pc-16th-december/

I have to say, while the general flight and stuff has been nailed down, the game is severely lacking any sort of depth and I can't believe it's going to release in this state. It still needs A LOT of work to be considered a complete game IMHO. Things like ship upgrades and station inventory, I mean really, I should be able to buy an upgrade and either store it there or take it in my ship to another station, but nope you can't. This is offset by prices being static for upgrades, which is also dumb. It makes swapping loadouts all but impossible since you have to chase down the upgrades. Missions are bland, they're basically like the notice board in The Witcher, except even less NPC interaction. The interdicting in Elite is too random. You should be engaged by pirates in fringe systems and also independent systems, but you'll be flying around Earth or in some high security federation space and get stopped by a pirate, doesn't make sense. You don't get accosted by bandits in a suburban neighborhood. Also getting pulled out of super cruise just to be told by a security vessel that you're good to go is annoying.

 

[Markbnj]

Also getting pulled out of super cruise just to be told by a security vessel that you're good to go is annoying.

The whole idea of those transit pipe things just ruins it for me. I'm ok with making space vividly colored and sort of ethereal, even though the reality is so very different, but "superhighways in space" just takes it too far. It's space. It doesn't have superhighways.

 

[ThinClient]

You don't get accosted by bandits in a suburban neighborhood.

I have personally been mugged in a suburban neighborhood.

 

[Red Storm]

The whole idea of those transit pipe things just ruins it for me. I'm ok with making space vividly colored and sort of ethereal, even though the reality is so very different, but "superhighways in space" just takes it too far. It's space. It doesn't have superhighways.

There aren't designated highways per se, super cruise is just how you travel around from orbital body to orbital body within a single solar system. You can move in any direction while super cruising.

I have personally been mugged in a suburban neighborhood.

Did they stop you while driving?

 

[ThinClient]

Did they stop you while driving?

No. I didn't take the trip in one go. I stopped to shoot pirates and sell information about visited systems along the way.

I did get pulled out of super cruise by pirates a few times, but it was fun to bust them up.

The only time I saw cops was when my SOS was turned on. I didn't realize that it was even an option, let alone that it's turned on by default. I got pulled out of super cruise with several big arse pirates looking to cornhole my exit-only. I got pretty tore up even fighting the first guy but the cops showed up to help me out.

It took some googling to figure out WTF just happened which is when I learned of the SOS system and that I could turn it off.

I haven't been pulled out of super cruise by anyone but pirates.