Elite Dangerous Will No Longer Support Offline Mode

[shunwick]

I was planning on picking this up as a Christmas present to myself. However, single player offline was where it was at for me. Single player online might be acceptable but putting my purchase on hold for a couple of months to see how it goes.

It is a sadness.

Best wishes,
Steve

[zakblood]

ORIGINAL: JudgeDredd

ORIGINAL: VPaulus

ORIGINAL: JudgeDredd

I'm not in full knowledge of the facts but I believe you can play solo...and "generally" offline.

I think the status is that it needs to connect to the servers "from time to time" to update the universe. So everyone playing (trading/killing/pirating) will effect the universe and when your game connects it gathers that information.

It's essentially real people who make the universe evolve...the whole community, whether playing "online" or "offline". So when you are flying about in "offline" mode, you truly are not amongst other real world players.

But connection is required "from time to time", though he has stated it's a "light" connection dependency...but a dependency none-the-less - but you won't be mixing it up with other players if you are playing in solo mode.

Can I pause the game like in any offline Single player game? Can I save it and reload?
And how will my gameplay be tainted by other players decisions? Can other players for example deplete mining resources from an entire system or even change its economy, while I'm not playing? I'm not intending to play 24/7.

I can understand why some people prefer to play on a dynamic Galaxy. But on my case, that's not the way I intended to play. I would like to have a choice as it was promised during Kickstarter. That was the reason why I pledged the Physical DRM-free collector's premium boxed edition of "Elite: Dangerous".

I wasn't meaning to sound like your grounds for concern had no validity. Of course they do to you (and others most likely).

As I said, I'm not stoked about online connection being required either - regardless whether it's a constant requirement (which it's apparently not) or an occasional connection...the fact it's required makes me very unhappy.

But I was simply pointing out that solo online is not the same as MMO in the sense that, for example, there's still a "solo" online system. I don't want little oinks (young or old) who get their kicks from fannying about online for shits and giggles at other peoples expense.

But I am still unhappy that if the server isn't there (for whatever reason) I won't be able to play. That annoys me.

But...the team have made such a hugely fantastic game, I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt. We'll see how it pans out. I was in at a not so inconsiderable amount of money - and that was my doing and my choice. I didn't know what the plan was for the game and didn't care I suppose. Now I know, I ain't overly pleased about it...but it is what it is. And who knows...it may go the polar opposite of other games that required a connection in that the service is superb. That isn't my experience of this kind of thing - but we'll see.

also sorry as well as tbh on re reading it i got a bit too loud and had to leave, as my Christmas was going to be all fun, re kindling my childhood with a good old classic remade, but that dream is now broken, like many others tbh...

while the game will still play, it wont be a purchase for me, as i don't support companies who say one thing and do another, i would rather not bother than have something that left a bad taste in my mouth, same will go for SEGA and total war if also they don't watch it, could go on and say Star wars and Disney as well, but that got broken a while ago anyway...

so won't [:-] even though i just did[X(][:D][;)]

[JudgeDredd]

I'm going to go out on a limb here.

There's a lot of people (and a few on here also) who are going on about Elite back in the day. I never had the 198? version. I did have a version in 199? on PC and know what you all mean...but the 198? version was massively ground breaking in the gaming world.

So a lot of people are saying they spent days/weeks/months playing Elite and they wanted to relive that. They want those days back.

Well...I'd say cutting your nose off to spite your face is the phrase if you aren't going to get this simply because it connects to the server from time to time to get the universe data.

Braben gave you a game all those years ago that no-one else was offering. There was nothing like it on the market and he gave you Elite. So I would suggest perhaps trusting the guy might give you a wee bit of leeway at least. To some, he's already destroyed that trust with the "no pure offline" mode. So be it. I get that.

Like I said - I never played the original - but whilst this isn't ground breaking in the sense that he's fitting a 3D world into 22KB of memory and he's doing something that isn't out there, what he (and his team) have done is create the most immersive space sim I've ever seen ever. The feeling of flying a space ship in space is there. The feeling of being a trader, naughty or nice, is there. The sounds in game are simply astounding. They "fit" the game. You've got different ships. Multiple ships to own for different tasks. Kit to attach. A pretty huge universe to fly about in.

Want to trade, trade. Want to trade in black market stuff...go ahead. Want to steal other peoples (real, live , living world people or NPCs) kit...go ahead. Want to run about fighting the Federation...ok.

I've read so many players great experiences on this game. Wee individual stories of things they've got up to in game. Like the guy who was dealing in black market cargo. They were approaching a station and there were the normal "police" for the system running around. They went into silent running, sneaking through the police and went through the station entrance to land, selling their cargo for a nice princely sum. Another where someone was being attacked. They dropped a heat sink, went into silent running and "disappeared"

I've been playing BETA since June. Not solidly (I have one or two other games [;)] ) but ever single time I fire this game up, it looks more stunning than it did before and I didn't believe it could. It is more immersive than it was before and I didn't believe it would be. It dragged me right in every single time I fire it up.

All I'm saying is regardless what I paid for it, this game is a STEAL at £35. Man, it's a steal at the price I paid.

I'm not happy about the online connection requirement. But Braben has explained the universe and the player needs to have that connection to keep that deep, embedded feeling of being involved in a live universe. After what he gave people in 1980's and what I had in the 1990's and again, now, in 2014 I'm going to take him at his word.

If you like space sims. If you like trading and piracy. If you want immersion in your games. If you want a living, breathing world in your gaming. If you enjoyed Elite in the 80's or 90's then I'm stunned that you'd be willing to miss out on one of the finest games made in years just because it needs to connect to the server from time to time. I honestly think you'd be doing yourself a disservice.

But of course it's your choice. The best game since slice bread could be yours for £35.

Anyone would think I have a stake in the company but I don't [;)] I just thought I should put it into perspective. I've played this game since June and nothing in as long as I can remember has grabbed me the way this has.

The X-Rebirth and X-Terran Conflict icons sit on my desktop totally redundant because of a game I bought in a BETA state! As great as those games are, I fired up Rebirth a week or so ago because there was another wipe coming in the BETA of Elite and the game just totally pales in comparison in every single way.

So I'll shut up now. [&o]

It's quite obviously your choice...but you will most definitely be missing out on something amazing.

[Jim D Burns]

ORIGINAL: JudgeDredd
Braben gave you a game all those years ago that no-one else was offering. There was nothing like it on the market and he gave you Elite. So I would suggest perhaps trusting the guy might give you a wee bit of leeway at least. To some, he's already destroyed that trust with the "no pure offline" mode. So be it. I get that.

If he promised something, he is contractually obligated to provide it, or a full refund if he failed to meet the terms of the contract.

Breach of contract is not the way to build trust in any community. Now if he comes out and offers a full refund to those who supported and paid for a non-DRM offline single player game then he’d win some trust back.

Imagine if you will I begin a Kickstarter campaign and promise you the greatest visual game ever made. I then mail you a hand drawn deck of cards and leave with your money. There is an implied contract when you take money via Kickstarter, you have to deliver what is promised.

Jim

[zakblood]

in it's day, well it's still talked about, it was and still is for size alone and fun to be had, well words can't convey tbh

looks alone don't make a great game.

game play does, and it had it in bucket loads.

single player fun, night after night for what at the time felt like years, something you really looked forward to coming home from school to put on and play, knowing everything was where you left it the night or day before.

very few games released have it, even less keep you there, with no extra added content, it's all there from day one....

and is called a milestone of programming, and in it's day, was the master, like dungeon master was to rpg, elite rocked in space....

the good old days.

[OttoVonBlotto]

I was a massive player of elite, frontier and first encounters and brought into this game when I first found out it was being made which was a few years ago now.

I find this news massively disappointing and although I won't be asking for a refund I doubt I will be playing this incarnation much because of this decision. [:(]