Elite: Dangerous

[Runciter]

We intercept fast-moving, far-away targets in space all the time in real life; they're called planets. Granted, we can predict very well their future motion and even given this it takes a lot of careful planning and synchronisation to get it done. I'd imagine that the best way to intercept someone would be close to their point of departure or destination---which doesn't have to be bad, because populated areas near planets or space stations make for a more interesting combat background than somewhere in empty space.

 

[Stokowski]

Actually, jousting was entirely just an artifact of shitty player skill and failure to master controls

Thanks DraQ. I know I can always rely on you to post complete bollocks. It cheers me no end.

 

[asfasdf]

snip

I see you have put a lot of thinking on this already. I like the system as a whole, even though I have no idea how well would it work in practice. Do you have any plans of implementing this? I stopped expecting things like these from games like new Elite and others a long time ago.

About sensors, are you sure we can detect shuttle thrust on the asteroid belt? How is that, you have to point a receiver to that exact location?

We intercept fast-moving, far-away targets in space all the time in real life; they're called planets. Granted, we can predict very well their future motion and even given this it takes a lot of careful planning and synchronisation to get it done. I'd imagine that the best way to intercept someone would be close to their point of departure or destination---which doesn't have to be bad, because populated areas near planets or space stations make for a more interesting combat background than somewhere in empty space.

Yes, predicting their future movement is the main problem.

 

[mikaelis]

...and SP allows stuff like time compression to allow just that - you can easily have an SP game where you can spend days or weeks in transit without hurting the gameplay, because you can let the player modify the flow of time,

Time acceleration is a fudge

Are you a wizard smudboy?

But it is (in this case for gameplay's sake)...

See? I can also take the quotation out of context.

Anyway, I don't want to drag it into absurd and stupid words exchange. I think that's definitely a solid concept that you described for a gameplay. Would play.

 

[DraQ]

...and SP allows stuff like time compression to allow just that - you can easily have an SP game where you can spend days or weeks in transit without hurting the gameplay, because you can let the player modify the flow of time,

Time acceleration is a fudge

Are you a wizard smudboy?

But it is (in this case for gameplay's sake)...

See? I can also take the quotation out of context.

You obviously don't understand what a fudge is.

Anyway, I don't want to drag it into absurd and stupid words exchange. I think that's definitely a solid concept that you described for a gameplay. Would play.

I see you have put a lot of thinking on this already. I like the system as a whole, even though I have no idea how well would it work in practice. Do you have any plans of implementing this? I stopped expecting things like these from games like new Elite and others a long time ago.

About sensors, are you sure we can detect shuttle thrust on the asteroid belt? How is that, you have to point a receiver to that exact location?

A lot of that stuff is based on http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/ including shuttle in asteroid belt (there are calculations and ballpark estimates there, a great resource fo a wannbe sci-fi nerd), although the idea of a setting is largely my ruminations on it and attempts to circumvent "RKVs fall, everyone dies" and unappealing "lasers zapping each other across system, also everything is drones" as results of reasonably realistic spaceflight mechanics in a sensible sci-fi setting.

I have a tentative idea for a game and even some mockup modelling works (for what little 3D skills I have), but I'd need to actually set up some engine SDK or write one of my own (which I never done and it's scary), probably battle the problems resulting from most engines not being suited for handing fuckghuge stuff and actually make something resembling a working prototype to make this idea anything more.

I also have some (hopefully) clever ideas to minimize workload and maximize gameplay, but I'd have to try implementing the thing.

 

[mikaelis]

In the context of gameplay in comparison to real world, "to fudge" means to introduce any change ad hoc, which would allow to simplify the gameplay for the sake of the reality. Time acceleration is a "fudge" in this context, as it simplify the chore of distant traveling with all the implications it brings. For example, if you decide to travel with 0.01c, the relativistic nature of time-space would still be quite marginal, but you will not be able to reach far places in your lifetime anyway. In any case such travels would have to be accounted for what is happening in given planet/moon/station during the travel (say, you travel 5 years in hibernation, but the worId/politics etc. won't stop with it - more likely such travels will not have any frequent impact on anything that is going on the inhabited places). If you chose to travel with 0.99c, you will end up with this:

and it would create another problems.
Other means like wormholes could be a walkaround, but they are not grounded in anything that we know about the universe (save for some far-fetched theories).

That was the context I used the word "fudge" for. And I have no problem with it as long as it suits gameplay.

 

[DraQ]

In the context of gameplay in comparison to real world, "to fudge" means to introduce any change ad hoc, which would allow to simplify the gameplay for the sake of the reality. Time acceleration is a "fudge" in this context, as it simplify the chore of distant traveling with all the implications it brings.

Time acceleration is not a fudge because it is (ideally speaking) completely transparent to the rules of the game.

It's an element of interface between gameworld and player, not any more of a fudge than using KB + M instead of actual spaceship cockpit instruments to control your vessel.

Or maybe not having to actually stare at blank screen for 8h when choosing to rest for 8h in an RPG is a fudge too?

 

[Spectacle]

Bonus gameplay vids

Bonus non-gameplay vids

Man, those old 3D graphics have a simple beauty of their own. I'd love to see a modern game made with only untextured polygons.

 

[DraQ]

Bonus gameplay vids

Bonus non-gameplay vids

Man, those old 3D graphics have a simple beauty of their own. I'd love to see a modern game made with only untextured polygons.

They do because instead of trying to awe player with latest fashionable gimmick (shadurrz! DoF! Bloom! Desaturation! Circular shockwaves! Funky lighting! Particles!) they focus on their job - portraying the scene as well as possible using humble means at their disposal.

Result?
Apparently not all old 3D GFX is shit that aged badly.

 

[Infinitron]

Digital Antiquarian on the original Elite: http://www.filfre.net/2013/12/elite/

 

[theSavant]

So I wondered why there's no discussion about the alpha, but then I saw some Alpha vids and this post - everything said. Sorry, the spark didn't jump over. Oh my... after X-Rebirth another game to skip. It seemed awesome in the capital ship video, but not anymore. Going with the SC crowd I guess, I don't need another Skyrim in space.

 

[DraQ]

Bump.

So, does anyone have any new info regarding gameplay and flight mechanics?

 

[Runciter]

There was some drama on the Frontier forums with mods closing the "Flight Physics" thread then re-opening it. That thread had a few interesting posts with hypothetical discussion, but nothing of substance. It will be interesting to see if FD make any changes to the game as a result of the combat alpha testing, so far there have been complaints about the slow pace of the action, the AI not being able to deal with certain tactics and things like flying backwards while shooting at vessels chasing you.

 

[DraQ]

There was some drama on the Frontier forums with mods closing the "Flight Physics" thread then re-opening it. That thread had a few interesting posts with hypothetical discussion, but nothing of substance. It will be interesting to see if FD make any changes to the game as a result of the combat alpha testing, so far there have been complaints about the slow pace of the action, the AI not being able to deal with certain tactics and things like flying backwards while shooting at vessels chasing you.

Yay. Trying to plan around physics that works resulted in game running had first into full derp territory - who could have thought?
<- space helmet.

 

[Mortmal]

There was some drama on the Frontier forums with mods closing the "Flight Physics" thread then re-opening it. That thread had a few interesting posts with hypothetical discussion, but nothing of substance. It will be interesting to see if FD make any changes to the game as a result of the combat alpha testing, so far there have been complaints about the slow pace of the action, the AI not being able to deal with certain tactics and things like flying backwards while shooting at vessels chasing you.

Yay. Trying to plan around physics that works resulted in game running had first into full derp territory - who could have thought?
<- space helmet.

The alpha feedback has been really positive so far ,if the fights are nothing new , they are on par x-wing , or wing commader at least we are speaking of combat AI anyway . Only 8 missions in alpha but solid 60 frame per sec during fights, no crashes, superbs special effects , lot of polishing already nand a really immersive cockpit . There's reasons to be very enthusiastic about it .

 

[DraQ]

There was some drama on the Frontier forums with mods closing the "Flight Physics" thread then re-opening it. That thread had a few interesting posts with hypothetical discussion, but nothing of substance. It will be interesting to see if FD make any changes to the game as a result of the combat alpha testing, so far there have been complaints about the slow pace of the action, the AI not being able to deal with certain tactics and things like flying backwards while shooting at vessels chasing you.

Yay. Trying to plan around physics that works resulted in game running had first into full derp territory - who could have thought?
<- space helmet.

The alpha feedback has been really positive so far ,if the fights are nothing new , they are on par x-wing , or wing commader at least we are speaking of combat AI anyway . Only 8 missions in alpha but solid 60 frame per sec during fights, no crashes, superbs special effects , lot of polishing already nand a really immersive cockpit . There's reasons to be very enthusiastic about it .

I'm never enthusiastic about same old shit in new attractive packaging.
Especially when I wasn't enthusiastic about the original old shit back when it was new.

 

[SuicideBunny]

I'm never enthusiastic about same old shit in new attractive packaging.

this entire site is practically a shrine to the same-old-shit-in-new-attractive-packaging god since the new shit is worse.

The alpha feedback has been really positive so far ,if the fights are nothing new , they are on par x-wing , or wing commader at least we are speaking of combat AI anyway .

cool beans, guess i will beta after all.

 

[DraQ]

I'm never enthusiastic about same old shit in new attractive packaging.

this entire site is practically a shrine to the same-old-shit-in-new-attractive-packaging god since the new shit is worse.

How about seeing both kinds of shit as, well, shit?

 

[SuicideBunny]

everything is shit. some shit is just better than other shit... and if it's comparable to x-wing or wc, then it definitely is in the better than other shit category.

 

[MadMaxHellfire]

we can't have a new freespace every day.
actually we haven't had a new freespace since freespace.
i'd settle for a "same-old-shit"-quality product any day.

 

[Mortmal]

There was some drama on the Frontier forums with mods closing the "Flight Physics" thread then re-opening it. That thread had a few interesting posts with hypothetical discussion, but nothing of substance. It will be interesting to see if FD make any changes to the game as a result of the combat alpha testing, so far there have been complaints about the slow pace of the action, the AI not being able to deal with certain tactics and things like flying backwards while shooting at vessels chasing you.

Yay. Trying to plan around physics that works resulted in game running had first into full derp territory - who could have thought?
<- space helmet.

The alpha feedback has been really positive so far ,if the fights are nothing new , they are on par x-wing , or wing commader at least we are speaking of combat AI anyway . Only 8 missions in alpha but solid 60 frame per sec during fights, no crashes, superbs special effects , lot of polishing already nand a really immersive cockpit . There's reasons to be very enthusiastic about it .

I'm never enthusiastic about same old shit in new attractive packaging.
Especially when I wasn't enthusiastic about the original old shit back when it was new.

Its the same old shit in a large procedurally generated universe with an economy , no doubt dogfights will me much more enjoyable, fighting overpriced blaine ships will be memorable.Impressive AI fight you will get that on military simulators , not here. Remember its also the 2 millions game not 26millions like star citizen, they already did a good job with a lot less.

 

[DraQ]

Its the same old shit in a large procedurally generated universe with an economy

Which is old shit for the series.
Actually, I'm expecting universe to be the part that will go right. My problem is with how they designed gameplay and that's why I seek information from people actually playing the early builds.

Remember its also the 2 millions game not 26millions like star citizen, they already did a good job with a lot less.

I'm not talking about budget here. Assets eat a lot of money, mechanics does not.

 

[Infinitron]

RPS preview: http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/02/21/elite-dangerous-alpha-preview/

 

[Severian Silk]

Here are some ideas that could be applied to this game:

http://vegastrike.sourceforge.net/wiki/FAQ:Feature_Requests

 

[SuicideBunny]

Here are some ideas that could be applied to this game:

http://vegastrike.sourceforge.net/wiki/FAQ:Feature_Requests

many of those are already planned as post-release expansions.