So bored, reiginite interest in Starmade

[Neon_42]

I've become so bored with Starmade. I build ships and space stations and more ships and more space stations. Once in a long while somebody decides to take a few shots at my base, but because it is invincible nothing really happens. Sometimes I pirate ships that people forget to dock. On the whole this game is becoming really boring. I'm not really even interested in the upcoming releases. Stars will be visible sectors away, and we can rotate schematics. Really I don't see the gameplay changing very much. I have been really looking forward to a faction update, but news on this has been sparse and anything related seems to be more than a few months away. How do you all keep your interest in this game?

 

[Saber]

One of the greatest advantages of this game is the freedom which it gives you, not just freedom of movement throughout space, but freedom of activity. One thing that is always keeping me invested in the game (I rarely even build ships and stations) is creating, or partaking in games within the game. There are an almost unlimited number of things we're able to do, even in the alpha state the game is in. Races, FPS matches, recreating sports, there's all kinds of stuff out there.

I do understand that building can get monotonous, but think of it almost like Garry's Mod, I've only played it a few times, as I usually did the default "go in a room, try and build something" and get bored very quickly. But there are people who play nothing but Garry's Mod, because people are able to create games within it that others can then partake in. So just because this is a building game, doesn't mean you only have to build. =)

 

[OdraNoel]

i think OP was talking more about single player for the moment. i too sometimes feel a lack of things to do gameplay wise, other then simply building badass stuff and takeing on the occasional pirate or two. i should probably start playing multiplayer more often.

but dont worry neon_42. all the gameplay stuff is coming. we just got to be patient. keep in mind most of the real gameplay "meat" (like quests, factions, advanced AI) will require most of the world/universe part of the game to be more or less complete. this is exactly what they are working on right now. but yes, it will probably be a few more months of developing and refining before the serious gameplay elements start emerging, so hang tight, or get online.

this game is going to be a masterpiece, but like all great works, it cant be rushed. and honestly, the longer it takes, just means the more gangsta bad ass the final product will be! :D

Edit: oh another thing you can do to entertain your self is by doing like saber and make bad ass videos. :p since i started making videos iv had a burst of creativity and something to aim for. plus this game needs more youtube content!

 

[Ithirahad]

One of the greatest advantages of this game is the freedom which it gives you, not just freedom of movement throughout space, but freedom of activity. One thing that is always keeping me invested in the game (I rarely even build ships and stations) is creating, or partaking in games within the game. There are an almost unlimited number of things we're able to do, even in the alpha state the game is in. Races, FPS matches, recreating sports, there's all kinds of stuff out there.

I do understand that building can get monotonous, but think of it almost like Garry's Mod, I've only played it a few times, as I usually did the default "go in a room, try and build something" and get bored very quickly. But there are people who play nothing but Garry's Mod, because people are able to create games within it that others can then partake in. So just because this is a building game, doesn't mean you only have to build. =)

Yes, but... freedom to do what? What activity? Player-made minigames get boring after a while, too... While it's very slowly improving, I'm not sure if the currently-available tools for creating said games is enough to balance off the lack of in-the-box content and depth. That said, this IS alpha, not a finished game, and I'm sure that my grievances will all be addressed by the time this game hits Beta. That is, assuming it is able to keep people's interest enough that they'll wait that long, especially with what seem to be rather scattered development priorities.

 

[OdraNoel]

i personally dont mind a long development time, as long as development actually happens. like in minecraft, once 1.0 came out, development on game play pretty much stopped, and they have been adding bells and whistles here and there ever since. there were so many aspects of the game that felt incomplete (lets not even get started on testificates/villagers) and that i thought would eventually be expanded on. but alas they never were.

now however, considering minecraft doesnt really have many things you can build other then helping you survive a pointless existence. (lets face, all we ever really make in minecraft are farms, and useless but cool looking contraptions) that seems to have left the devs uninspired to make more gameplay elements.

now starmade on the other hand, with its main focus being on awesome spaceships. it by default requires gameplay elements for the game to really thrive because it naturally flows in that direction. so right now you may feel a lil discouraged becuase the spaceship part has been getting the majority of the dev time. and thats fine, jsut look at how awesome a ship you can make now!

but, spaceships are more or less being finalized (maybe a bit more weapons balancing but overall the main concept and idea is solidified) so coming next are going to be the first tidbits of gameplay elements starting with the universe revamp. after that, who knows to what depths of space the schine team will take us.

but as long as Development on the game continues in a steady and planned manner (and dosnt "minecraft it") as it has, i dont care how long it takes! notch used to say that a game like minecraft will never be finished, but apparently he finished it...

 

[Aecetym]

I think friends (RL or met ingame) playing this game is what keeps people playing it. All my friends stopped playing this game and I stopped playing MP and started playing only build mode SP. Now this game is very low on my list on 'What to spend free time on?', just because els I would have a burnout within a week. And yes I could find other players with the same intrests like me, make new friends, ... but is it worth the effort I wonder?

Imo the game offer very little to the player. Sure you got near endless building capabilities, but how long before you run out of ideas or the interest in general? Most of the updates are not really connected with or improving the core of the game.
I'll take the weapons update as an example. As much as it's a very welcome update, adding some more things to choose from and giving a personal tought to your ship, it didn't really improve that core of the game. I still wonder:

• Why do we need weapons?
• We got weapons, but what to shoot?
• Who do we shoot?
• And then again why?

A 4 month and more taking update should have been able to anwser those basic questions I think.

This game is in ALPHA, so we have to show some understanding and accept that things are in progress. But I find that it can turn just as quick into a very toxic argument, and it has been used that way in the past, to kill of any questions/discussions about the development or the state of that game.

 

[Neon_42]

@Zanaten This is a good idea, any good servers for this that you know of?

Reading most of your comments has been helpful so far. I think I'm going to take a break from Starmade. It just isn't holding my interest. I agree with @Ithirahad that this game will probably will address all of these things, but I don't think it will on a time scale that I'll be happy with.

@Aecetym gets it. This game needs a motivator. Players need a purpose. Everything in the game currently are just tools. It feels like they are trying to build the pyramids from top down. This is good for people who enjoy a creativity toy, but for those of us that enjoy competition it is really slow.

 

[Criss]

Faction update will have to happen after the new universe gen. and possibly after the implementation of new AI npc's. To be honest though the faciton update has me really excited. The chance to actually fight and take control of space pleases me.

 

[Neon_42]

Faction update will have to happen after the new universe gen. and possibly after the implementation of new AI npc's. To be honest though the faciton update has me really excited. The chance to actually fight and take control of space pleases me.

Why does the faction update have to come after the universe and AI update? I dont understand this thought at all

 

[Saber]

@Zanaten This is a good idea, any good servers for this that you know of?

I personally play on the MushroomFleet server, I'm sure there are a lot of great servers out there, but (as far as I know) it's one of the most active, and almost always has something going on. Not to mention it features (in my opinion) some of the greatest builders in StarMade.

Again this is all just personal opinion, as there are all sorts of cool servers out there, but this server is the reason I play StarMade almost every day. If you're interested in joining you can send me a personal message, but I'd definitely check out some other servers too, there are some more combat oriented ones out there that may interest you. MushroomFleet is a Recording/Building server with PvP limited to "Nullsec" (-1 -1 -1) to (-∞ -∞ -∞). Anyway best of luck and I hope you find something that captures your interest. =)[DOUBLEPOST=1412114411,1412114331][/DOUBLEPOST]

Why does the faction update have to come after the universe and AI update? I dont understand this thought at all

It's coming after because the AI update and faction update are linked together, as well as connected to the universe update. AI Factions will seek to take control of different "arms" of the galaxy and will expand their reach accordingly.

 

[Criss]

Why does the faction update have to come after the universe and AI update? I dont understand this thought at all

Because they will also be setting up the structure for NPC's like the trade guild, that will occupy areas of space and possibly the pirates too. I assume the faction update will allow for custom factions to be included. Overall its just better to get the setting figured out before they throw in a faction system that needs to use the universe gen. I don't know if its planned but I would like to see some movement in how NPC's react with each other. Could they claim space? Will they fight over it? Faction update sounded like it would be the next major thing by what I heard.

 

[kupu]

...I still wonder:

• Why do we need weapons?
• We got weapons, but what to shoot?
• Who do we shoot?
• And then again why?

A 4 month and more taking update should have been able to anwser those basic questions I think.

This game is in ALPHA, so we have to show some understanding and accept that things are in progress. But I find that it can turn just as quick into a very toxic argument...

The first 3 of the questions are essentially the same thing. The answers being Pirates and PVP with other players.
The 4th, To what end? is a valid question, one of the old Q&A's did address it. A new Faction / Expansion system needs to be implemented to encourage combat and give it's outcome some worth.

... this game will probably will address all of these things, but I don't think it will on a time scale that I'll be happy with.

The team are really excited to work on new features. Calbiri is always salivating over new ways to engage the players. So yea, i think the game will address these points over time.

As for timescale? The team is small, it's mostly a one man show in terms of producing in-game content. Most team members have full time jobs, some have families.

I'm always genuinely curious when these topics come up, how long does the community actually think it takes to develop something?

Why does the faction update have to come after the universe and AI update? I dont understand this thought at all

Because it requires a new universe, is my guess.

 

[Snk]

Play on a role play server. Those always have things to do. I'd suggest Tethys Galaxy.

 

[FunnyBunny14]

The faction update should allow players to capture specific areas. What is the point of implementing it now if we have to update it later anyway?

As for development time: I think that every major update is in te works to some extent before the actual update is planned to be developed, for the simple reason that there might be some background work to do. As for the time between updates, if it is a really big feature it could take place across multiple updates, like the new crafting system, but for the rest there isn't much longer than 3-4 weeks between updates.

 

[Saber]

As dor development time: I think that every major update is in te works to some extent before the actual update is planned to be developed, for the simple reason that there might be some badkground work to do. As for the time between updates, if it is a really big feature it could take place across multiple updates, like the new crafting system, but for the rest there isn't much longer than 3-4 weeks between updates.

Development is an on-going process, updates might be released every 3-4 weeks, but the features within that update have likely been in the works for months. A single feature can take anywhere from a few hours (schema often pops things in the game that he created while "taking a break" from a larger update) to years. Features in a video game aren't ever really "done" or "not done" as development is a constant thing, for instance the crafting system has already been through 2 or 3 revisions, and Cal is working on yet another one.

So do please keep that in mind, not you specifically FunnyBunny, but everyone. The team isn't just dealing with what's next for development, they're also constantly dealing with what's currently being developed, and working on improving what has already been developed. That kind of an investment, for a team made up of volunteers with full-time jobs and families is an incredible show of talent and devotion.

Keep up the good work guys, we all love what you're doing. @schema @Calbiri @Omni @kupu @DukeofRealms (and all the others)

 

[Keptick]

Pit a gigantic swarm of drones against a big ship. Seeing the big ship getting shredded by mini insignificant drones just never gets old!

 

[Thalanor]

If you haven't done it yet - dive into logic. Suddenly, StarMade gains about 2000% functionality. Minecraft entirely without redstone got old pretty fast, too.

 

[FunnyBunny14]

Even with redstone minecraft got really boring really soon. The only thing that kept it alive for me was the amount of mods available. And then they failed to make significant updates. No thanks, give me starmade any time, but not that cheap knockoff of a game called minecraft. Starmade is way superior (and we will eventually be able to create space squids! Yay!).

 

[aceface]

I've become so bored with Starmade. I build ships and space stations and more ships and more space stations. Once in a long while somebody decides to take a few shots at my base, but because it is invincible nothing really happens. Sometimes I pirate ships that people forget to dock. On the whole this game is becoming really boring. I'm not really even interested in the upcoming releases. Stars will be visible sectors away, and we can rotate schematics. Really I don't see the gameplay changing very much. I have been really looking forward to a faction update, but news on this has been sparse and anything related seems to be more than a few months away. How do you all keep your interest in this game?

What we need is a more complex ai simulation, not everything can be solved by improving the multiplayer (i.e. this so called faction salvation update).

More complex universe generation, missions, goals, objectives, quests, wreckages, scenarios, developing empires, reasons to upgrade your ships etc... can improve gameplay in the long run and give us reasons to grind pirates, mine ores, create efficient factories, and spend hours building scrappy ships in survival!

 

[aceface]

Why does the faction update have to come after the universe and AI update? I dont understand this thought at all

You're not alone mate. These updates seem to come out in odd positions.