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interaction, PvP, Wipe ...


Movix

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Hi all,

I'm mostly doubting for the future of DU but i still believe i can be a unique game that many gamers could be hyped of.

But it needs to have a real fun factor for the masses of player and not just for those hyped by building.

Indeed the majority of player are looking for the quick fun, they are not willed to stay farming or building hundreds of hours. In short, the masses that would bring the income with their subs need to be entertained at a high and constant level.

Since the games credo is that players have to produce the content, and this in a way that they need to play together, i feel that the game is lacking in mechanics motivating people to work together on a larger goal. Also to have PvP, players must have a good reason, since it costs a lot and is time consuming to organise in a larger scale.

 

So here some ideas, probably some are good and others not, perhaps some would need more elaboration, take this as a brain storming.

 

1. Player interaction and reasons to join a mega org.

Lets say a player is considered active if he connects at least once a week and has a total of 1 hour play time a week.

As soon as an Org reaches a certain amount of active members and in the same time owns a predefined amount of claimed tiles in a same area, the Org will be considered by the game as a nation.

From that point and as a nation an org gains access to certain things. For example schematics, or claiming rights on otherwise restricted areas, gaining access to jump points for faster travelling, and you can imagine a bunch of other advantages and those could be given upon the player count. It could be also interesting to give an org the possibility to rank their members so that they can define what advantages are available to their members upon their rank.

A player can only be member of one Nation Org at the same time.

 

2. PvP

For global warfare to happen player / orgs need a reason to fight. The fun ? yes, but that's not enough.

The first point of this topic will give one reason as competing org want to keep their opponents as low as possible, so stealing tiles, stealing members, but that's till not enough.

The game must have some single points of interest, either ressources or jump points as an example. Org will have to compete for those and PvP is one way to do so.

 

3. Wipe

People are complaining of the current situation that some orgs have stockpiles of ressources and assets because of exploiting game mecanics or because they took advantages pre 0.23.

Let's be honest, imagine if DU is well balanced and as i player i join years after the launch of the game. I would find myself in the same position having big orgs with an insane amount of assets and resources. So a wipe would change nothing and a few monthes or years after a wipe the situation would be the same.

So for my understanding i do not see the benefit of a wipe in a game like DU.

If you feel an org needs to be wiped, use PvP :), there is always a way even if the target org has loads and loads of assets or/and players. This has been seen in so many other games and also IRL.

 

What fun a player that does not like to farm or build can have in DU ?

Lots of players and orgs have build amazing things. Mainly those are there to be shown and do not really provide other players some fun or gaming content. I'm aware about puzzles, racing tracks, some markets to buy assets and ressources and of course also ships. But as like all other large scale space games, the player must travel a lot to reach those contents. So in the end it gets difficult to imagine a way those contents could be made available to the masses.

I'm convinced that some PvE content must be created by NQ. Not only they could render farming a bit more exiting, but it could provide some fun for players that start the game without having them to join a big org. Most players want to discover a game before joining a large group, but what could they currently discover or do in the first dozens of hours playing ? Farming and some basic building.

 

All in all i choose to slow down my activity in DU and wait how it will evolve. Thinking that a lot of players do the same the active player base shrinks and thus less content is produced by players. So it's a vicious circle that will only lead to what we've seen so many times. Game shut down because lacking players.

 

I guess it's time to draw clear goals for the near and far future so that the passionate players still see a reason to spend time in DU and give it a chance to reach what DU was aiming for since the beginning. Honestly, lots of us a tired to hear mainstream devs telling that the future will look like blablabla, and telling that all is not clear or decided and we'll see in the future. No we need a plan we believe and trust, and more over that makes sense.

 

I needed to post this after all the shit talk i participated in on discord, it's part of my mourning i need to do at this stage.

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The game does. Have issues for the casual player. There is no P2W so if you want to PvP for example you gotta do a lot of mi I g (which you probably do t want to do) first. Once you get into PvP then there isn’t really money in it, so you have to do something like mini g again to make money to continue your PvP.

 

its the same with building and industry as well. If they are your interest, great; but to expand in them you need a lot of money, therefore mining.

 

there needs to be ways to make money in the field you like without being a huge more.

 

ED for example, if I like mining I can start with a real small ship and increase its size and ability over time. If I like PvP I can start out hu ting in the tiny starter ship and make money that way to get better ships. If I like trading I can zip around in my sidewinder doing little trades, until I can afford a hauler, then bigger and bigger.

 

DU it’s must mining, and a large reason is the aim of completely player driven.

@NQ are going to have to do some serious thinking on how to make game loops for different play styles which aren’t just mining no matter what your interest.

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13 hours ago, Movix said:

 

3. Wipe

People are complaining of the current situation that some orgs have stockpiles of ressources and assets because of exploiting game mecanics or because they took advantages pre 0.23.

Let's be honest, imagine if DU is well balanced and as i player i join years after the launch of the game. I would find myself in the same position having big orgs with an insane amount of assets and resources. So a wipe would change nothing and a few monthes or years after a wipe the situation would be the same.

So for my understanding i do not see the benefit of a wipe in a game like DU.

If you feel an org needs to be wiped, use PvP :), there is always a way even if the target org has loads and loads of assets or/and players. This has been seen in so many other games and also IRL.

 

What fun a player that does not like to farm or build can have in DU ?

Lots of players and orgs have build amazing things. Mainly those are there to be shown and do not really provide other players some fun or gaming content. I'm aware about puzzles, racing tracks, some markets to buy assets and ressources and of course also ships. But as like all other large scale space games, the player must travel a lot to reach those contents. So in the end it gets difficult to imagine a way those contents could be made available to the masses.

I'm convinced that some PvE content must be created by NQ. Not only they could render farming a bit more exiting, but it could provide some fun for players that start the game without having them to join a big org. Most players want to discover a game before joining a large group, but what could they currently discover or do in the first dozens of hours playing ? Farming and some basic building.

 

 

Very good post. I really like that there are still people out there who understand when you join a new game after release there will always be the core of that game that was there before you. Do you want to be part of big things? Join Them, do a little research and find an Org that worth your time and trouble.

o7

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The position on a wipe from OP would be valid in a situation where a game is balanced and the developer shows a structured and decisive approach towards exploits as they are found. Neither of these apply for DU.

 

As it stands, a good number of players, mostly joined in the bigger orgs, prepared, used and were allowed to stay in possession of assets and locations obtained through exploits and loopholes. This will impact the game for years to come and is very likely to be a benefit to these individuals and organizations every step of the way. There is two ways for NQ to address this; they can wipe or remove the gains of these exploits from the game. The latter is at this point mostly impossible and likely not traceable so a wipe really is the only option available to correct this. 

 

Personally I'd really like to see NQ correct this as part of an overal restructuring of the development cycle of DU. 

2021:

Roll back the game dev status to Alpha

Apply a feature freeze during which the core game systems are stabilized, debugged and optimized

Revamp PVP, bring in TW, add AVA/AVC and CVA

 

2022

Bring in all remaining core game mechanics, mostly being player run markets, pets, character customization, skins.

Repeat a feature freeze during which the now complete core game systems are stabilized, debugged, balanced and optimized

Apply the new planet tech to the Helios system and move to actual Beta stage with a full wipe mid 2022

 

2023

Release 1st half 2023

 

Frankly I think the above may still be too optimistic but I do believe this should be achievable. IMO as long as NQ sticks to releasing the game this year, they will not be able to deliver. I also think that they need to get the PVP components of the game completed sooner rather than later if only because it will probably be the toughest mechanics to balance in line with the game's vision. Waiting to balance PVP until a first expansion/after release would be a big mistake IMO..

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