le_souriceau

Yep, I super want to have meaningful actual 1-seat fighters/ 2-seat torpedo bombers, to actualy difersify combat in rock-papper-scissors style. XS almost impossible to hit with larger weapons. So some point-defence will be needed. Torpedos can only hit larger targets (but very hard against voxels) and have short range. For smaller ships they can be installed as single or pair of 1-shot tubes (so fit in XS size, hit-and-run), for larger ships as actual batteries (S, M, L), that can be used as sort of point-blank shotgun of devastating anti-armor effect to reward more agressive/skillful piloting.

ATV is mixed bag -- its obviously vetted, with idea to gather more "positive" (or at least -- on public) and "menageble" people. Some are... servile fanboys (to put it very mildly), but lot of decent smart folk too, who know game I think better then devs sometimes. Yet, irony, that NQ not even use this feedback to effective degree. I think its rabbit hole of sort, when you know less -- sleep better. As far as I know (and seen in private demonstrations), people have immense riches on hands from glitches and endless chain of NQ's muck ups going up to Beta start. At this point I feel myself complete idiot for doing some honest work in game, grinding mere cents, while some guy I know just pulled billion from thin air. This whole situation feels unsustainable for really long-term game.

Probably exactly the case. Every time something like this happens (quite often), NQ completly impotent to do any smart (or even stupid) tracing, instead saying like, oh this is not BIG DEAL, we just allow everyone to keep billions made of thin air by our mistakes. But yeah, its in way suicidal, because in such games healthy economy is everything. For years I worked in MC servers administations, players probably totaly lynched us for something like this one. Once something like this happened, we always rolled back, despite some builders crying of wasted work (because they re-build it anyway, after some whining, but mucked up economy is forever).

@Xennial, well, they can just say: "sorry, but we left no other choice", using option stated in their initial promise (and thecnicaly keeping it). This why its even formulated this way. NQ never keeps stones (may be some smallest, decorative and not important ones) up front. Usualy they throw them in your back. People with inside info can dodge better.

At this point is not impossible, that NQ so passive about economic issues, because they secretly (as always) set their minds on some variation of wipe at "release". Like why to bother, fresh start solve everything. I think I have sort of deja vu how Alpha moved to Beta (with most of problems).

People I know left (or at least -- half-left, not playing, but not quiting totaly) because they lost faith in NQ ability to produce meaningful disign, not just plug holes with more clumsy "how it supposed to be played" and even more grind. Funny thing, before 0.23 I actualy used market quite a lot, mining when in mood and selling ore to players and bying some elements I was lazy to bother to produce. Granted, it was relativly small things, but I done it regulary. With 0.23 I can't afford things I need anymore. So I not bought single one since patch arrival.

Yarrr! Well, my press presence was little bit chaotic and last moment one (special thanks for guys who helped me to get into action -- @IvanGrozniy, @personality_matrix, @SpiceRub). Visuals/action itself covered much better by my more technicaly sophisticated collegues, streamers (special cheers to @Shamsie, great content). But I still want to share some impressions and thoughts about what happened. Subjective mode, obviously. Results My take -- its proverbial "tactical victory" for BOO (& Auxilaries) with more kills and control over field. They still probably (and so far) most numerious, organized, well equiped and experienced fighting force of DU. Yet, its surely its not time to relax, because this position now obviously contested. In this regard last battle not a defeat for ATOM & Co. Not at all. Despite more losses, they gained valuable experience, made a statement. And often in history "statement made" much more important, then per se singular victory, because it start long, but very conseqentual chain of events. Political implications I think its fair to welcome ATOM into "great powers" club, because fielding and more or less successfuly operating such battle group was not a small feat. Looks like @Mulligan humbly, but very methodicly grown his forces to very respectable level. If we assume, that other factions of AC awake and bring something to table too, balance of powers can change against BOO in favor of AC, if critical numerical superiority will be achieved. Still, options for diplomacy open for both sides and BOO obviously can go more long-term treaties to counter. With space-russians? Who knows. State of game/PvP balancing 1) Game feels little bit drained on players, because even such big and active org as BOO, by my perception, stuggled to field more crews. 2) I personaly don't like current system favoring exessive voxel armouring, especialy with gold. Its bad both on combat and strategical levels. 3) Game still dangerously bugged, because some participants reported nasty desyncs and crazy things with always missing weapons. I hope NQ are working on this. So? We need more of such good fighting. Good for game.

I'm dying to see all people who repeating this [nonsense] to first actualy HIRE such mythical "secrurity services" and survive their use with some economical success. Then it will bear some weight.

Good observation, but reasons of swamp mostly in overall exaustion/attiration. Core of organizations and playerbase formed as far as 2016 with literaly YEARS of "nothing to do" beyond forum-discord talks and much later -- some crude alpha experience (that was super-far from what many dreamed about backing game initialy). So active/ambitious/cringly (that good sometimes) people naturaly burned their energies to empiness of space, left or go sleeping. PvPers are struggling to find meaning. Sure, voxel fanatics or some sort of hermit-solo-industry-nerds suriving and even flourishing. But they generaly quite inert and "boring" players in terms of multiplayer politics and stuff making games like EVE fun. Still, this picture can be changed with several "active life" inspiring updates/features.

I'm afraid asteroids will be another chapter of failure with exploits, bad balance and other typical cringe. Like at fist they drop them totaly unbalanced or exploit ridden. Our usual suspects will grab millions of tonns of T4-T5. Then NQ --- oh, not how supposed to be. And they nerf asteroids to shit, but allow players who grabbed immense riches at begining to keep them. Or something like that. May be location of asteroids with expensive mega-nodes will be leaked. At this point nothing will suprise me. But I kinda expect nothing good from NQ, they literaly so far not implemented major feature from 1st try without major failure. Not even once.

Speaking of communication. Its feels like with return of Nyz (who is founding father of sorts of NQ communication style), CMs was put to "more useful tasks" again, then engaging us here more. And as I see (subjectivly) less active in Discord too. Now we have: Nyzaltar -- before he at least visited forum to give some punishments or ad hoc comments when in mood. Not anymore. Naerais -- not seen her active for a while. Why? Naunet -- trying to be our friend, but less active now. Why? Pann -- content creators front? Cool, but not very useful for us, common folk. Nishtar -- new french CM. Probably nice for french, who are minority here, but again not much help for problems of international crowd. Anyway, disproportionaly little presense felt. May be they preparing some kind of super-suprise for us.

Well, we have 2 decently informative metrics in open access. 1) Sanctuary claims, representing dynamics of new accounts (granted, not everyone claims with alts, but new players do). Growth is there, but pretty slow (likely not covering drain by quits currently). 2) Twich (more metric of overall "public interest"). Obvious decline. https://twitchtracker.com/games/493826 Still, expected, because DU probably in its lowest Beta point currently -- very questionable 0.23, grind exaustion, lack of new features, 3 m subs end of first wave of subbers (who decided not to renew in december) -- all this contributed. It may go better, if NQ make asteroids and other stuff right.

That I think kind of achilles heel of DU. Time to fun ratio. And how slow fun loop is with current systems. Game obviously have some "fanatical" core of players, who grind and play A LOT (and can go super agressive against "casualization"). I do not know their personal situations, but it seems to be mix of "1 game [nerds] players", "retired greybeards" or people who unemployed or have some nice time tables to burn. I self-employed myself with sort of home office work (so can afford some gaming sins), but struggle quite a bit with DU time-eating-grinding things. But most others, while for some time captured by game concept and very entusiasthic, can't handle this level of exaustion (that pile up eventualy). And they not even some filthy casuals, but just people will less time or interests in other games. So they drop-off one by one.

With building its pretty easy (and already was discussed a bit, I think original idea from @GraXXoR) -- addition of some sort of T zero, building grade materials, that, per example, too heavy and non-efficient for ships/space station building (and even long-range transportation), but can be produced (and used) localy on surface. With PvP, I to extent agree, and was talking about similiar ideas for some time. > PvP ships too expensive for "trial" and "fun" losses overall. > Especialy for newcomers, without old (and not fully "honest" fat) to afford things. > No meaningful one-seater entry (beyond some fantasies from people who actualy not doing this themeselfs). > Meta overall in "all or nothing" concept (where "all" is gold and largest, most expensive components). Obviously, there is some well established "purists" (blablabla, its how it supposed to be), but even they generaly only living proof of this trend, running into SZ (never leaving it far) with their fancy full crewed ship when encountering smallest of risk to be actualy toasted. Nice double standards here, sometimes of absurd level. May be we even see some of this clowns in topic.

Well, I find all this "vocal minority", "infuence direction", "not your game", "apeal to masses" -- all inherently flawed. 1) Vocal minority is obviously subjective labeling. Cannot be defined, but easly twisted. 2) NQ, so far, demonstrated little of actual interest in average player feedback (and god forbid "ideas") beyond obvious en masse rioting (reaction is damage control, like with 0.23). So nothing to worry about. 3) No one actualy knows "for who" DU is or will be to send people away. All we have is generic KS promises and episodes of infamous "JC's vision" how this or that supposed to be played. 4) Most importantly, DU and apeal to masses is sound like joke -- most people here (in discusion) already quite niche players, exactly types of players DU needs (and can get). Gaming masses don't give a slighest muck about DU (don't know about it) and, likely, never will, playing happly their mainstream games. But I get, that it may be annoying to see all same dozen people grumpy around forum. But its actualy quite ironicly reversed situation from other side -- all same half of dozen people (actual vocal minority, hehe) telling same things over and over again about "how its all ok and will be better". Like: Someone: Game currently is shit (well, block of text with this meaning). Haunty: I'm not noticing its shit, give devs some time.

Totaly disagree. Because time is what they pretty much used already: with 2 year delay, questinable Alpha stage and half of year of slug's pace. Even website promised almost 1 year ago still not fully operational. Main DU problem is quite similiar to many other failed (or relativly failed) indy games: 1) devs progressing too slow and want to cut corners with "alpha/early access" release; 2) then nothing changed and they still go too slow to keep game relevant for wider audience; 3) lack of money (and subsequently -- motivation) leads to even more... slowleness or outright simulation of activity; 4) game stays half-finished shit forever. NQ totaly need to develop some serious speed if they want to live as company. I'm not super much into gloom and doom usualy, but I think its actualy how question more or less stays now.

Yep, honestly its future of DU, if NQ not turn tide very seriously -- sort of dusty voxel museum with anemic skirmishes from deadly bored "PvPers". And player numbers is key here, I very worried on this front.

There is several major factors in relativly (or even not relativly) dead PvP far beyond any real or imaginative warp issues. 1) Lack of players (both in absolute numbers and in density to available space). 1.1) Lack of competitive organizations who still retain interest in game as cohesive PvP groups. 1.2) Most of remaining active base "only PvE" guys. 2) Hopelessly little of economic loops/content to support meaningful slowboating around. 3) Super-expensive PvP entry/sustain (prohibitive to learn via mistakes); so little of people are eager to try. And for good reason. In short, Physics, you waving stick wanting to fight... in middle of metaphysical desert.

Yep, NQ used outright false advertising on several ocasions (with different % of BS), its true. Reason is, that game is in raw Alpha state currently (not Beta, its joke), so they obviously uncomfortable to show things how they are in reality. This why all this trickery.

Good time for some short 2020 summary. Rough year. Yet I glad, that I spend good portion of it in involvement with DU community. May sound bit flattering (but utterly true!) -- best game community I even seen in my 20+ years of online gaming, so many smart, funny and suprisingly friendly people at one place! Obviously, we have our arguments and stuff, but I never felt such "at home" anywhere else in virtual realms. This community is greatest success of DU. Special cheers to folks at Meme Server. To be honest, we at NMC (3 of us, 2 my buddies just less public) experienced quite a crisis of interest over game itself with 0,23 (as combination of grind attack and other issues)... so our "newspapper" activities a bit freezed as winter come (and we were sucked into other games). I personaly feel little bit ashamed for this... but just can't force myself currently. We still have 2 large articles "WIP" and plan realease them during january, I hope things bit revive and get pace from there. Holiday rest from DU also will help. Beyond couple of articles, we have some other projects in mind for better times -- special thanks to @IvanGrozniy with mega-secret tech wonders. Stay safe and healthy folks. See you in 2021.

Problem is, Minecraft, realisticly, has much more content and variety of gamestyles, then DU. Calling DU "Space Minecraft" is veeery huge compliment currently, even unjust thing to do.

Beyond all other issues, I think DU can't afford wipe simply out of demographic reasons. Currently there is probably just several thousands more or less active players. Many of them (who are not fanatical voxelmancers or other cultists) play/log in/hang around not because they enjoy current game-grind-play process that much, but exactly because it all persistant and will, potentialy, benefit them in "bright future". To reliably muck up all this people with wipe, NQ need to be pretty darn sure they can get new (replacement) players by release in huge numbers. This is at best dodgy. So, NQ need by any means preserve viable population (I hope 0.23 thing was good warning for them) until better days. Another consideration, that with wipe NQ likely to lose not just any players, but vetarans of many years, who are still backbone of game existance as something meaningful.

Because PvP ship is not 1 M gun. We talking not about some "basic raider" to harass paper haulers that not shooting back (this can be any crap with any gun). But about actual combat against other specialized PvP ships and crews -- something to be expected to see in this asteroid belts (as attack/defence force for organizational mining ops). This kind of ships much more (prohibitively now) expensive, with new industy, cores and elements losses.

I think it all much more simplier -- and OP nothing to worry about. Somewhere in 18-19, when game was delayed 2 years, NQ mucked up (with tech side, apparently) and abandoned any romantic "initial Kickstarter" version of development (if they had one); from this point it become surivaval race of "how we can salvage this, considering available $ and time". It means: 1) Ruling principle of "Mininum Viable Product". This now closest thing to "vision" (besides some jokes from JC). 2) Managing "heat level" in community, but very limited actual involvement (because MVP and community dreams never work well together). 3) Slow introduction of new featutes, low quality of individual feature releases, because resources still very stretched. Regular "sacrifices to navigate futher" (like 0.23). 4) Agressive monetization, when they at last be at this point. We already seen fair share of pretty dogdy (if not outright false) adverts. Overall we mostly on observer seat in this ride, with ocasional ability to be loud and force NQ hit some brakes. Granted, some people sitting closer to driver for this, but... even they probably can't infuence that much.

Well, nice points. Asteroids obvious tied to PvP situation and right now meaningful entry costs fortune -- very little of players (for newbies -- not a chance) can actualy compete for resources here with established powers (who, at least, can use their old stockpiles to some extent). PvP was expensive before, now its kinda ridiculous. This may (and probably will) ruin whole thing for many if they in PvP zone. Yet, if they not in PvP zone (so disparity of player "resources" not put in action in full force), it will ruin game even futher economicly, making all what happening even more meaningless. And here even "regenerating space" T1s are not that harmless.