Elite Dangerous - Yay or Nay?

[Razor]

Oh FFS

 

[ADL]

Odyssey's planetary gameplay is already damn near unplayable on desktops. You wouldn't want to play it in VR

 

[Fedora Master]

 

[Mortmal]

Odyssey's planetary gameplay is already damn near unplayable on desktops. You wouldn't want to play it in VR

Not unplayable on my rig,also VR is not making me sick ever . But its a big letdown. A primitive shooter, riddled with microtransactions, in randomly generated bases, with very little variation. It doesnt look bad but why would someone grind for that.

 

[Fedora Master]

It doesnt look bad but why would someone grind for that.

That could be asked of the game in general.

 

[DDZ]

I know it does, that's probably a good 100 hours of it.

I got myself from 0 to Cutter twice, and I love flying around and seeing the sights, and I am not ashamed of it either.

Now I have 270 hours in No Mans Sky, that's much worse, especially since I can't remember a single moment I really enjoyed the game.

But, I just really enjoy laid back games these days. just listen to music or some podcasts and play something not too involved.

I admire your abundance of freetime!

So do I, but all of those games I play while doing other things with my free time too, listen to podcasts, music and watch movies/films.

That's why I hardly play any games that make me focus on a story, because it is shit anyway, and I'd rather be doing two things.

 

[.Pixote.]

What I hate about this game is the grind was deliberately designed into the mechanics because fundamentally the developers are lazy cunts.

 

[Gammer]

Nay

 

[Burning Bridges]

Yeah, especially if you can play with said friend. It's worth the investment. Steam has me clocked in at just under 100 hours, which is a lot more than most games I bought at around 12€.

My life has me clocked even at over 1000 hours vacuuming and dishwashing, but that doesn't make it a meaningful experience either.

All games are essentially pointless, but the thing about games like Elite is that you spend your precious spare time with things that are not only pointless but repetitive and boring as fuck.

 

[anvi]

What I hate about this game is the grind was deliberately designed into the mechanics because fundamentally the developers are lazy cunts.

Yeah, especially if you can play with said friend. It's worth the investment. Steam has me clocked in at just under 100 hours, which is a lot more than most games I bought at around 12€.

My life has me clocked even at over 1000 hours vacuuming and dishwashing, but that doesn't make it a meaningful experience either.

All games are essentially pointless, but the thing about games like Elite is that you spend your precious spare time with things that are not only pointless but repetitive and boring as fuck.

I don't wanna say told you so but pretty sure I said these things about Elite Dangerous before it released.

 

[Inconceivable]

All games are essentially pointless...

That is an interesting philosophical subject. What is the point of anything, what is the purpose of life, and how should we spend our time?

First of all it's important to realize that there is low quality shit and high quality stuff everywhere. Some stuff can be outright detrimental while other stuff can enhance your personal development. This applies to everything, books, movies, friendships, outdoor experiences and games.
Obviously, you should aim for the high quality stuff when deciding how to spend your time.

Having gotten that out of the way, I think video games are better than their reputation. Games have traditionally a bad rep as useless time wasters. I think this is hypocritical and bias against the "new thing". People are always prejudiced against new technology, like they thought trains were bad for you when the steam engine was invented, because the human body wasn't made for that acceleration and it would squash your brains...
I need someone who regards gaming as useless time wasting to explain to me, how reading a book, visiting a museum of fine art or going to the theater is better than gaming. All of the aforementioned activities are frequently considered to be worthwhile and illustrious, much superior to gaming. But I see no factual basis for such a judgement - a well crafted game is a combined work of art of hundred of individual artists which allows something that any other art form lacks, namely interactivity, thereby in a way transcending all other art forms.

Gaming also holds up well not just compared to other art forms, but also to experiences. Many people say life is not about things, but about experiences, and I tend to agree. But due to the interactivity and immersion, a good game is also an experience. Maybe this is different for some people, but thinking back to real-life experiences I had, they occupy the same "memory space" as all my hours sitting in a TIE Fighter, being immersed in the world of the Witcher or in the wild west of Red Dead Redemption. All of these are real experiences in my head that shaped who I am.

A video game is not a complete replacement for real-life experiences, and I do think it is important to also go out there and have real experiences, to stay in touch with the world. But it is the next best thing. And in many ways allows to have experiences and explore worlds that are impossible in the real world.
Games can also be a great teaching tool, since play is the natural way for mammals to learn. I got my interest in history, geography and cultures from playing Civilization, and I owe my career as a software developer out of the desire to create my own games, which motivated me to learn about computers and programming.

So, back to the original statement, are all games essentially pointless? Well, games can be pointless time wasters, especially dopamine-powered, addiction inducing mobile games like candy crush. But a high quality game is among the greatest artistic and technical achievements that human culture can currently accomplish, so you could do worse with your time that spending it with such.

 

[Retardo]

All games are essentially pointless...

That is an interesting philosophical subject. What is the point of anything, what is the purpose of life, and how should we spend our time?

First of all it's important to realize that there is low quality shit and high quality stuff everywhere. Some stuff can be outright detrimental while other stuff can enhance your personal development. This applies to everything, books, movies, friendships, outdoor experiences and games.
Obviously, you should aim for the high quality stuff when deciding how to spend your time.

Having gotten that out of the way, I think video games are better than their reputation. Games have traditionally a bad rep as useless time wasters. I think this is hypocritical and bias against the "new thing". People are always prejudiced against new technology, like they thought trains were bad for you when the steam engine was invented, because the human body wasn't made for that acceleration and it would squash your brains...
I need someone who regards gaming as useless time wasting to explain to me, how reading a book, visiting a museum of fine art or going to the theater is better than gaming. All of the aforementioned activities are frequently considered to be worthwhile and illustrious, much superior to gaming. But I see no factual basis for such a judgement - a well crafted game is a combined work of art of hundred of individual artists which allows something that any other art form lacks, namely interactivity, thereby in a way transcending all other art forms.

Gaming also holds up well not just compared to other art forms, but also to experiences. Many people say life is not about things, but about experiences, and I tend to agree. But due to the interactivity and immersion, a good game is also an experience. Maybe this is different for some people, but thinking back to real-life experiences I had, they occupy the same "memory space" as all my hours sitting in a TIE Fighter, being immersed in the world of the Witcher or in the wild west of Red Dead Redemption. All of these are real experiences in my head that shaped who I am.

A video game is not a complete replacement for real-life experiences, and I do think it is important to also go out there and have real experiences, to stay in touch with the world. But it is the next best thing. And in many ways allows to have experiences and explore worlds that are impossible in the real world.
Games can also be a great teaching tool, since play is the natural way for mammals to learn. I got my interest in history, geography and cultures from playing Civilization, and I owe my career as a software developer out of the desire to create my own games, which motivated me to learn about computers and programming.

So, back to the original statement, are all games essentially pointless? Well, games can be pointless time wasters, especially dopamine-powered, addiction inducing mobile games like candy crush. But a high quality game is among the greatest artistic and technical achievements that human culture can currently accomplish, so you could do worse with your time that spending it with such.

And what high quality games can you name?

 

[Inconceivable]

And what high quality games can you name?

I named a few in my post.
The Witcher 1, 2 and of course 3, tell as good a story as any book and include a few life lessons to boot, while featuring beautifully crafted world building, art and music. Same thing can be said of Red Dead Redemption 2.
The Civilization series is a playful way to learn about cultures, history and technology.
TIE Fighter is just an excellent, deep space combat sim, giving an experience that is obviously unattainable in the real world.

Then there's also Minecraft, that has probably taught a million kids about Java programming, computer graphics, 3D modelling and animation, due to the engaged modding community. Also the redstone systems playfully teaches about circuitry, an I know kids who have become very interested in minerals and geology thanks to Minecraft. Others have been motivated to explore nature and survival and go on hiking and camping trips thanks to Minecraft. The best games for kids and young people are the likes of Civilization and Minecraft, that playfully introduce them into a wide range of topics and thereby raise new interests in the real world. Another great example of such a game would probably also be Kerbal Space Program.

I'm mentioning the cream of the crop here, with a focus on edutainment, but like Witcher or RDR, I think games that have a good story to tell are also worthwhile of anyone's time. Even some mainstream action-oriented games like Assassins Creed (e.g. 1 & 2) tell a great story while introducing the player to cultures, cities and landmarks of the corresponding age. There are a lot of high quality games.

What is a low-quality or even detrimental game? Well, as mentioned, a lot of mobile games, a la candy-crush, with simple puzzles to solve or regular upkeep to reap some rewards and get a dopamine kick, that is the equivalent of a "friend" that you just hang out with to smoke weed while chilling on the couch. A lot of multiplayer shooters, like Counter Strike, Call of Duty, etc. are probably also not the most worthwhile things to spend your time on.

 

[Burning Bridges]

All games are essentially pointless...

That is an interesting philosophical subject. What is the point of anything, what is the purpose of life, and how should we spend our time?

First of all it's important to realize that there is low quality shit and high quality stuff everywhere. Some stuff can be outright detrimental while other stuff can enhance your personal development. This applies to everything, books, movies, friendships, outdoor experiences and games.
Obviously, you should aim for the high quality stuff when deciding how to spend your time.

Having gotten that out of the way, I think video games are better than their reputation. Games have traditionally a bad rep as useless time wasters. I think this is hypocritical and bias against the "new thing". People are always prejudiced against new technology, like they thought trains were bad for you when the steam engine was invented, because the human body wasn't made for that acceleration and it would squash your brains...
I need someone who regards gaming as useless time wasting to explain to me, how reading a book, visiting a museum of fine art or going to the theater is better than gaming. All of the aforementioned activities are frequently considered to be worthwhile and illustrious, much superior to gaming. But I see no factual basis for such a judgement - a well crafted game is a combined work of art of hundred of individual artists which allows something that any other art form lacks, namely interactivity, thereby in a way transcending all other art forms.

Gaming also holds up well not just compared to other art forms, but also to experiences. Many people say life is not about things, but about experiences, and I tend to agree. But due to the interactivity and immersion, a good game is also an experience. Maybe this is different for some people, but thinking back to real-life experiences I had, they occupy the same "memory space" as all my hours sitting in a TIE Fighter, being immersed in the world of the Witcher or in the wild west of Red Dead Redemption. All of these are real experiences in my head that shaped who I am.

A video game is not a complete replacement for real-life experiences, and I do think it is important to also go out there and have real experiences, to stay in touch with the world. But it is the next best thing. And in many ways allows to have experiences and explore worlds that are impossible in the real world.
Games can also be a great teaching tool, since play is the natural way for mammals to learn. I got my interest in history, geography and cultures from playing Civilization, and I owe my career as a software developer out of the desire to create my own games, which motivated me to learn about computers and programming.

So, back to the original statement, are all games essentially pointless? Well, games can be pointless time wasters, especially dopamine-powered, addiction inducing mobile games like candy crush. But a high quality game is among the greatest artistic and technical achievements that human culture can currently accomplish, so you could do worse with your time that spending it with such.

I spent over 30 years of my life playing games instead of having a family or inventing something groundbreaking. Who the hell do think you need to make the wall of text for.

Games are fucking pointless but so is everything in life. The best you can achieve in life is to be satisfied with yourself and what you are doing and in that regard playing games instead of competing with others over stupid things is a way of finding great freedom. Unless it makes you a depressed, lonely and hateful asshole as it does with half the gamers. So don't think you can get away with anything either young man.

 

[Retardo]

And what high quality games can you name?

I named a few in my post.
The Witcher 1, 2 and of course 3, tell as good a story as any book and include a few life lessons to boot, while featuring beautifully crafted world building, art and music. Same thing can be said of Red Dead Redemption 2.
The Civilization series is a playful way to learn about cultures, history and technology.
TIE Fighter is just an excellent, deep space combat sim, giving an experience that is obviously unattainable in the real world.

Then there's also Minecraft, that has probably taught a million kids about Java programming, computer graphics, 3D modelling and animation, due to the engaged modding community. Also the redstone systems playfully teaches about circuitry, an I know kids who have become very interested in minerals and geology thanks to Minecraft. Others have been motivated to explore nature and survival and go on hiking and camping trips thanks to Minecraft. The best games for kids and young people are the likes of Civilization and Minecraft, that playfully introduce them into a wide range of topics and thereby raise new interests in the real world. Another great example of such a game would probably also be Kerbal Space Program.

I'm mentioning the cream of the crop here, with a focus on edutainment, but like Witcher or RDR, I think games that have a good story to tell are also worthwhile of anyone's time. Even some mainstream action-oriented games like Assassins Creed (e.g. 1 & 2) tell a great story while introducing the player to cultures, cities and landmarks of the corresponding age. There are a lot of high quality games.

What is a low-quality or even detrimental game? Well, as mentioned, a lot of mobile games, a la candy-crush, with simple puzzles to solve or regular upkeep to reap some rewards and get a dopamine kick, that is the equivalent of a "friend" that you just hang out with to smoke weed while chilling on the couch. A lot of multiplayer shooters, like Counter Strike, Call of Duty, etc. are probably also not the most worthwhile things to spend your time on.

God, man, I sincerely hope you are trolling here. Implying that educational-entertainment games are greatest artistic and technical achievements of our times, or saying that witcher games include a few life lessons is rather bold.
What next, you'll be praising star wars as deep drama?

 

[Burning Bridges]

Only a complete moron would begin a list of quality top games with Witcher 1,2,3.

 

[anvi]

And what high quality games can you name?

Minecraft
Assassins Creed (e.g. 1 & 2)

 

[Burning Bridges]

Oblivion is a work of art, taught a million kids about OBScript programming, computer graphics, 3D modelling and animation, and includes a few life lessons to boot.

For example how to deal with an arrow in the knee.

 

[Inconceivable]

Only a complete moron would begin a list of quality top games with Witcher 1,2,3.

Only a self-gratifying piece of shit rips something out of context to direct a pointed insult.

 

[Burning Bridges]

So which "life lessons" did you learn from the Witcher?

 

[Inconceivable]

So which "life lessons" did you learn from the Witcher?

My 4y-o kid wanted to climb up a steep incline just a few days ago. My fatherly instinct told me to stop her, because she might fall and get hurt, so I began to talk her out of it. Then I remembered the Witcher 3, and how I got the good ending by not being overly protective of Ciri, but instead by strengthening her self-esteem and allowing her to take on challenges. I had already almost convinced her to go back, when I actually shifted my tone and told her that we should try it together, because it would be an adventure. We climbed up through the trees, it became a small adventure and we had fun and something to talk about in the end. Afterwards she excitedly told a few people of the adventure we had climbing up the forest.

Afterward I could practically feel from her demeanor how elated she felt at taking on the challenge. I'm convinced I strengthened her confidence and resolve a bit after that experience. Made the right call thanks to remembering about Ciri.

 

[Inconceivable]

God, man, I sincerely hope you are trolling here. Implying that educational-entertainment games are greatest artistic and technical achievements of our times, or saying that witcher games include a few life lessons is rather bold.
What next, you'll be praising star wars as deep drama?

You can perhaps be forgiven. Most people have no idea what goes into making a game. Even a "simple" indie game means hundreds of hours of work. An AAA game has dozens if not hundreds of developers and artists working on it for years - 3D models, textures, landscaping, animation, design of cities, NPC's, objects, game design, the writing, the music, the coding, the AI, the plot... a modern game is an amalgamation of so many disciplines and specialists, many of which can be considered artistic endeavors. The process of writing a modern game engine is one of the most difficult technical challenges again requiring the coding capabilities of programmers of various different disciplines, with a very high degree of efficiency, due to the hard performance requirements.

So, no, I'm not trolling. A well-crafted modern game is the culmination of a vast array of artistic and technical capabilities.

 

[Inconceivable]

God, man, I sincerely hope you are trolling here. Implying that educational-entertainment games are greatest artistic and technical achievements of our times, or saying that witcher games include a few life lessons is rather bold.
What next, you'll be praising star wars as deep drama?

Also, for the record, I was not implying that *only* educational-entertainment games are the greatest artistic and technical achievements of our times. But well-crafted games in general.
SpaceX building reusable rockets and Tesla creating AI for self-driving cars is also very impressive. But in several ways, creating an AAA game has more challenges in a greater variety of disciplines, and of course a much higher artistic component.

Just look at the credits of all the people involved in the Witcher 3 and their occupation for christ sake:
https://www.igdb.com/games/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt/credits

 

[Burning Bridges]

Profound!

 

[Burning Bridges]

I have learned important life lessons from Arma, for example that you never stand behind someone firing a rocket launcher.