sterlino on 11/11/2012 at 12:00
I am shocked and excited about the last news from Frontier Developments.
Elite - the most awesome game of all the time - will be back in 2014.
Elite: Dangerous is the new fascinating project of the acclaimed game maker David Braben.
For who is young and doesn't know what is Elite i can only say that in the 80' it deeply
signed my life and the sequel 'Frontier' (1992) truly sadisfied at 200% any of my expectations once released (such a rare thing in the game industry).
Now we have the possibility to see something that could blow our mind forever.
They decided to do a Kickstarter to test the market and prepare the job, i really hope they will success with that and i really hope that many people will contribute to the dream.
Because is that ... 'is a dream' for me and for anyone who remembers the amazing feeling and
the wonderful game that the original Elite it was.
(
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1461411552/elite-dangerous)
Briareos H on 11/11/2012 at 12:41
I posted originally on RPS these few reasons not to back Elite: Dangerous before we have concrete elements (technical details, videos or screenshots):
*
Quote Posted by David Braben
We will rely heavily on artist-directed procedural generation, using techniques that are a logical expansion of what was done in the previous “Elite” and “Frontier” games. This will greatly reduce the required budget
is somewhat of a naive, and worrying, claim. Generating tiling polygons in 3D space is not quite the same thing as generating believable, procedural 3D worlds with modern graphics. See how much time the guys from infinity have spent working on similar technology with believable results, and try to imagine the difference in algorithms from Elite and Frontier games.
* No video, not even a screenshot although Elite 4 was in development for years and they're using it as a base, as demonstrated by the fact their multiplayer architecture is already functional.
* Not a single mention of special scripted missions. The open-ended, infinitely available trade and transport missions made the bulk of the games but what kept us running were the high-risk, high-reward unique missions, creating at least some kind of accountable end-game state. An Elite game absolutely needs those, even if it means they have to be instanced for each player, which looks like what they're doing anyway.
* The whole studio makes easy, almost money-grabbing games. Not garbage, just meh. And he admits there hasn't been a lot of time alotted to Elite 4. So, is really the network code already there? How many programmers have experience in procedural generation?
* No Ian Bell.
I was willing to give him the benefice of the doubt after a rushed FFE, but any positive feeling I had about Braben got eroded as Elite 4 went deeper and deeper into development hell.
Here are the games that have a greater potential to fill the Elite-craving in me when they're released:
* Multiplayer: (
http://www.infinity-universe.com/Infinity/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=33) Infinity
* Singleplayer: (
http://www.robertsspaceindustries.com/star-citizen/) Star Citizen
sterlino on 12/11/2012 at 16:17
are you serious ? O_o
infinity is amazing.. but ...honestly seems to be a chimera now... updated every 6 months or so and YEARS of development... i don't think we will see something coming out in 2014.
In fact, I don't think we'll ever see anything about it at all.. !
star citizen is not an open space simulator but a local multiplayer space game with (probably) wonderful graphics details - i love it me too
but
ELITE is totally another thing.
casalor on 17/11/2012 at 16:50
Right on, Commander!
I'm with Sterlino on this. Thankfully, the austere kickstarter page has had a few more updates since the last post here and things are explained in a slightly better way.
Having waited patiently for ~12 years for this to come about I have no problem backing this whatsoever. What pleases me is that David - judging from the enthusiastic videos - is obviously up for this and wants to get it done. He also acknowledges they've had a few 'false starts' over the years and explains why. It's a shame that Ian Bell isn't on board but then again I don't believe he was involved with Frontiers (I might be wrong though).
FFE was rushed but only because the publisher Gametek wanted it out of the door and they 'cleverly' got round all the bugs by patching out most of the gameplay functionality that caused them.
Elite and Frontiers are right up there, for me, in terms of addictive gameplay and I would hope for more (far more) of the same thing. Trading, being all piratical and everything, evading the police, running courier missions, actually getting to fly the ship etc. All of this in varied star systems (not isolated 'fishtank' with loading zones) where I can scoop fuel from a local gas giant, land on a rockier inner planet to mine it or just cruise through the upper atmosphere of the local sun as I see fit.
Oh, and multiplayer is just the icing on the cake.
Shadowcat on 17/11/2012 at 17:34
Quote Posted by casalor
It's a shame that Ian Bell isn't on board but then again I don't believe he was involved with Frontiers (I might be wrong though).
Bell and Braben had a bit of a falling out.
Quote:
13. Why don't you and David Braben settle your differences and write a proper sequel? David Braben developed (with some assistance from me) "Frontier: Elite 2", and then (with no assistance from me) the notorious "Frontier: First Encounters". I stated my opinions on his conduct regarding these titles in an (
http://www.iancgbell.clara.net/elite/archive/b5081501.htm) interview for gamesdomain [Aug 1995].
I subsequently received a letter from Braben's solicitors objecting to three points in the interview including a statement the intended meaning of which was that I understood Chris Sawyer receieved no royalties on "Frontier:First Encounters" but which could be potentially misconstrued to imply that Braben had ceased paying Sawyer his royalties on sales of the PC version of "Frontier:Elite 2".
The letter demanded a "full apology" and "your proposal for compensation and/or exemplary damages".
I immediately requested Games Domain to add a clarification of the intended meaning of the Chris Sawyer remark to the interview. They promptly did so and it remained online till 2002.
Despite the clarification, Braben still attempted to sue me for libel (High Court of Justice Queens Bench, Writ 1995 -B No 2536, 24 Nov 1995). This is indicative of his post-Elite attitude.
(
http://www.iancgbell.clara.net/elite/faq.htm#A13)
EvaUnit02 on 17/11/2012 at 18:32
Elite IV: Vapourware. This game has been in development since at least 1998.
casalor on 17/11/2012 at 19:53
Quote Posted by Shadowcat
Bell and Braben had a bit of a falling out.
Ok. Doesn't sound bitter does he? I don't remember it being that acrimonious. However, it's interesting what he said about their difference of opinion where David wanted more astronomical realism over Ian's flagwaving over gameplay.
Quote Posted by EvaUnit02
Elite IV: Vapourware. This game has been in development since at least 1998.
You old cynic :p
june gloom on 17/11/2012 at 19:57
He's not so much a cynic as he's a killjoy because he can't stand anything beautiful.
Sulphur on 17/11/2012 at 21:48
says the guy who grumped all over Dear Esther's music.
june gloom on 17/11/2012 at 22:21
Actually I grumped all over Dear Esther's everything. The Fucking Sad Strings (Are You Sad Yet?) is just part of a wider problem with their lousy sound mixing that rendered the bad poetry nearly inaudible and wasn't mitigated until they released the $10 environment artist's portfolio version that came with subtitles.
