Elite Dangerous History - The Soul of Elite Dangerous

[@CMDROldDuck]

Elite has lost it’s soul, and part of that soul was the friendly community it used to have, good people who have since moved on. Some like Chaos Wolf (sp) moved on long ago, others more recently, and now some of the greats like Drew and OA are finally moving on as well. Good people. Kind people. Helpful people. Now gone. For me, it was this community that attracted me to the game as much as the game itself, but now the “community” that remains, along with the game itself, has very little to offer me. Thankfully I am finding new community in games like Space Engineers and No Man’s Sky, but I’ll miss folks like Drew and Obsidian Ant with whom I’ve shared this experience called “Elite” with.

[@spartansmsu93noob54]

Well said old duck! I completely agree with you. It's a shame FDEV is too busy chasing future investors instead of crafting a beautiful product. You might want to try empyrion galactic survival. The graphics are poor but there is a tremendous quantity of meaningful and fun content to be had. o7

[@gregkilby7043]

And we will never forget, 'EBL', either!

[@MickBasterd]

Don't forget The Pilot and his incredible ship reviews!

[@Swoiny]

It doesn’t have a friendly community anymore?? I’m just starting out on the game so should I be worried about being jumped constantly or something

[@CMDROldDuck]

@@Swoiny I’m talking more about the forum than day-to-day gameplay. Just as many gankers have quit the game as have “friendly folk”, so you should be fine.

[@kempo79]

Space legs should be an extention of being space pilot experience. More like Alien: Isolation than Call of Duty. So I imagine being able to penetrate some derelict ships on planets' surface, exploring and looting abandoned outposts (small space stations), generation ships and megaships. Being able to repair your ship on some backwater planet with your tools (like a cutter we have today). Hope one day we get that.

[@chessoc7799]

Yes think how many bits of lore and clues could be found in a wreck like the Jameson Cobra. Plus you could fight trumbles in your cargo bay.

[@ripeto6497]

I mean they could have derrelict ships with procedural interiors like warframe does

[@gort5583]

@@chessoc7799 Ah, the trouble with tribbles!

[@spartansmsu93noob54]

Ooo...you my friend have waaaay too much imagination for fdev! Next you will be asking for narrative quests and exploration missions involving exploring abandoned guradian cities or some such! For shame man for shame! What players want are more cosmetics and other microtransactions! Just kidding. Alien isolation is a fantastic game. So damn intense!

[@SledgeFox]

Agree 100% but I doubt Frontier will ever deliver such cool things. I lost hope and stopped playing.

[@andgame4857]

What they've failed to do, is to make Odyssey a part of the game. It feels in many aspects like a game within a game. And consequently, it disconnects gameplays more than enriches. It feels everywhere: from the spooky steps in the darkness to the absence of proper VR view, to the inability to communicate with players on Horizons.

[@aliensporebomb]

It's similar to what I saw when JJ Abrams had his own Star Trek reboot - some fans didn't like it because while it was superficially the same in terms of characters and ship and station designs it was too different for many and for some found it downright off-putting. Some of the problems are down to the fact that the computer systems we bought to work well with Elite Dangerous are getting on to the 5, 6 and 7 year mark and Odyssey simply doesn't run well on these older systems. It's like the hardware requirements changed with Odyssey beyond what was originally published and where Horizons allowed for great framerates and fluid animation on our older hardware the slow framerates and shuddering performance issues in certain modes in odyssey simply distract from the enjoyment of the game. Regardless, I'll watch any content Drew choose to make because I like to think of him as my uncle from another mother in the UK who is into interesting content and even if you decided to do sports cars, computer software, or even a retirement planning video I'll watch it!

[@andgame4857]

​@@aliensporebomb Of course, the hardware back then when Horizons was released and now are very different. And I'd argue that the general rule of thumb will be to aim for something like PS4.5 in terms of specs :) And even though that would probably significantly increase the visual awesomeness of the scenes, it will require a lot of extra work in art and in programming. However, is there any other way? Think about it. If/when they will release Odyssey on PS5, they will naturally compete with other titles, some of which will present similar environments. And chances are those will be much more juicy and fast (provided all/many modern APIs will be used by new titles). So, for FD there is no escape -- they either rework the engine and assets bigtime (and consequently improve visual aspect and framerate on all platforms), or they don't release Odyssey on new PS/Xbox at all. Tough choice.

[@damienfiche2592]

I agree with your decision. I didn’t want to leave Elite, but Elite left me.

[@revanu2140]

Not really, you left Elite.

[@damienfiche2592]

@@revanu2140 Don’t go away mad, just go away. 😎

[@revanu2140]

@@damienfiche2592 not mad in the slightest I'm just correcting you on what the situation is. 😎

[@Chrystoph1967]

@@revanu2140 - Claiming to endorse honesty while lying to us is rather pathetic; to wit, all you are doing is trolling.

[@revanu2140]

@@Chrystoph1967 lying? How so frontier is making the product it wants to, your anger and disappointment is your failing not my fault you don't like being face to face with the truth.

[@SledgeFox]

Thank you very much Drew! A very thoughtful ending of a sad story. I played since 1984, C-64, Amiga (Frontier which I loved) and then Elite Dangerous since the Beta phase. Then came Power Play (boring), Close Quarters Combat (never even tried it), Multicrew (a buggy mess), Horizons (a big step in the right direction) but after I saw and experienced the buggy grindy mess Oddity, I stopped playing. I doubt Elite can recover from this, it's sad. What really angers me is that after all this, Frontier is doing well financially. I can't understand how this is possible after such a betrayal of the core Elite gamers.

[@ThisVideoAnnoyedMe]

Because casual players, who never go deep into any game or play more than 100hrs, are the majority of any games sales.

[@SledgeFox]

@@ThisVideoAnnoyedMe sadly I think you are right... And have a wonderful Christmas and a great and healthy new year!

[@Gridlinkdead]

yes. been a 37 year fan and time to put elite to bed at least for a while. fdev is disappointing.

[@Arradagus]

Very sorry to see you go, Drew. I've been around since the start and have logged thousands of hours in game. I really like Odyssey and I'm having great fun. I do believe that once fixed it'll be a platform to build upon. Until our paths cross again o7

[@eeka_droid]

It's a sad but truthful video. I'm sorry it's the last. It voices not only your departure, Cmdr Drew, but of many of us as well. Still, we are all bound by the love for stars and hopefully we can find the same energy in the future, once again, somewhere. Right on, Cmdr o7

[@CMDROldDuck]

I actually appreciate Drew’s “commitment” to closing the door on Elite, as this is something I’ve wanted to do for some time but never fully committed to. I’m not talking about uninstalling the game, but rather taking my leave from the community (specifically, the official forum). I think this 07 tour will be a perfect way for all of us to get together one last time for a final farewell.

[@CDOTS69]

For me it's hard to forgive how they delt with Vr. I bought new expansion believing Vr was continuing. Months later they finally announced its not in the new update. After so many asked for a fkn answer. That feeling I had when I stepped out of my ship way out in the black was the worst experience I've ever had in a game I loved. When I saw 2d screen projected in front of me. I shut off my game and that is now where my ship is laid to rest . That feeling of disappointment of betrayal will never be forgotten. Wish them the best.

[@rogerwilcojr]

Yeah, I even tried going back to 2D, but they ruined that by not properly supporting head tracking at launch, and not fixing it since as far as I'm aware. For years I've been dreaming of real second generation VR headsets (higher resolution, wider FOV, eye tracking and foveated rendering - still waiting), and then buying a new high performance system to run it, but now it looks like I'll be saving that money, at least in the short run. Elite was the game I was looking forward to playing, but not as long as VR is not fully supported.

[@x_Paine_x]

"and that is where my ship is now laid to rest" man that really hit me in the feels mate, Im right there with you, what could of been eh?

[@Fedaygin]

@MrCdots TheWanderer: I hope that you've also sent this ^^ as a whole copy to FDevs via official forums & via Steam's Community section. Veterans sharing their thoughts is important as it helps developers to decide future plans. Take care & remember to check latest news in regarding Horizons & Odyssey. Also recent Devs talk with ED's Community Manager is great :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/emXOdWNvfpqhr7s o/

[@JZStudiosonline]

What's wrong with VR? Habie did a video on ED in VR a little while ago and it looked fine.

[@zoemccarroll]

Although I've rarely ever commented, I've always enjoyed your videos Drew, and I'm extremely grateful for the huge amount of content you've created for, and in, the game. All things come to an end at some point, and as sad as any individual ending may be, each can also be seen as the chance for a beginning of something new - so I wish you the best in your future adventures, wherever they take you. o7, Cmdr.

[@brendanmcbride6292]

This is the nicest comment I think I've ever seen on KZbin.

[@102728]

Cheers, Drew, I'm happy you've shown me so much of the lore throughout the past year and a half I've played. I'm happy I had the chance to join your streams and stick my exploraconda obstructively in the middle of the screen. It was a joy and I'm sad that frontier doesn't cater to this experience that is truly unique to this game. I hope you'll find a game that does support the level of effort you've shown to put in in ED and I'll surely stop by if that's the case. Until then - o7 Drew

[@x_Paine_x]

Love him or hate him, Drew's not wrong if you are honest with yourself.

[@CMDROldDuck]

I love Drew ❤️ (in a heterosexual “buddy buddy” sort of way)

[@drewwagar]

@@CMDROldDuck Ha ha. :) Oh and I will get around to Space Engineers etc... time is my enemy! ;)

[@maxfaded]

Grind is not gameplay. Took me way too long to figure this out. Long enough to still care about the game but too long to remain.

[@PaulMEdwards]

Too bad FDev still hasn't figured this out and it seems never will.

[@The-Man-On-The-Mountain]

Absolutely. It has lost its soul. Every time I see those bland space suits, those unoriginal designs, that generic fps gameplay which is the 90% of Odyssey, I am like, UGH!... The amazing game that ED could have been... Sad.

[@BlackStar250874]

@S-D Early stages? Odyssey has been rolling in their cogs for years, and they still released it half baked. They have lost already too many players, so it is to be seen if they have much interest to develope it anymore much further. And the design is very much unoriginal, as is the whole first person shooter aspect of the game (which was included to please FPS multiplayer crowds, as the final insult to Elite legacy). Damn shame because the world of Elite offered so much more. Some suits, like the exploration suit have been DOWNGRADED since launch to include even less detail. Also it was insulting to see every damn station/outpost to look exactly alike, even when there is not artificial (rotational) gravity to keep things in order.

[@HustlinHugh]

Thank you for all your insight and oppinions Mr.Wagar. I hope the company sees this, one of their biggest supporters leaving, as a wakeup call... I enjoy Odyssey, but that's probably because I only just started playing this year, and I enjoy being able to walk around as well as fly our beloved ships. I hope that they ultimately have an ace up their sleeve that they been working on to enrich the gameplay once more for you veterans and something to keep us newb's lookin forward!! I hope to someday meet you ingame sir, but for now o7

[@juliandevine3599]

Played the original game in 84. Started playing ED just before I found the Salome story and the Formidine Rift mystery. For me, you created a major part of ED's "Soul". Now, I no longer play ED but thanks to your NMS videos have found a new game. Thanks o7

[@spartansmsu93noob54]

If you are interested in ED lore I highly recommend Drew's ED scifi book. His fiction provides a much needed narrative for the game. I thought Drew would be the lore master for in game content for ED back in 2017, 2018? Not sure what happened or maybe I interrupted reddit and the forums wrong.

[@PaulMEdwards]

@@spartansmsu93noob54 as with most opportunities for Elite, FDev never misses an opportunity to shoot themselves in the foot.

[@gort5583]

Thanks Drew your contribution to Elite over the many years has been appreciated. I am not sure that Elite has lost its soul rather the developers have lost their passion. To me there seemed to be a passion that the developer had which the game conveyed and then players acquired. It was not to everyone's taste but to those who did like the truly totally free, do whatever you want to do, rather than follow scripted story lines, Elite was a godsend. But it seems all the passion from the developers has gone, indeed for the last year or more there has been more a feeling of resentment toward the player base. At first we all made excuses but soon it became obvious that not only were we being lied to, but, we were lying to ourselves, the passion that we felt from the developer was gone. In it's place a cold, uncaring, entitled, narcissism. Like you, I stopped playing upon the release of the insult to one's intelligence or as they called it Odyssey! Despite so many fake apologies, belligerence, and some minor contrition the overwhelming feeling of from Fdev was, we will make what shit we want and you will like it! I still hope it comes good but to date I don't see any changes that make me feel as if it will, at least not in the short to medium term. Good luck with you other interests and projects Drew. 07 Cmdr.

[@_MRK87]

Oh man, shame the community loses such a character. I'll keep playing cause I'm still pretty new. Curious to see what comes next on your channel. Good luck in anything you're up to, Mr Drew!

[@The-Man-On-The-Mountain]

Even though the rants from many of us, if you are new, the game has got hundreds of hours of fun, so all my support to you buddy. Go ahead and fall in love with this game as many of us did. This game is still unique, so our rants are because of the same reason a father nags his son because he is wasting his life or making bad decisions. The father loves him, he cares about him. We feel the same (almost 😂). But if you are new to the game, there are many hours of fun ahead.

[@_MRK87]

@@The-Man-On-The-Mountain yea, I'm around 150 hrs in, so if I get tired with it, it will probably be after few hundred more. Maybe they'll start to address more of community's requests by that time.

[@ratstar4102]

@@_MRK87 Come with me lets hunt some Thargoids so you get some big amount of credits and avoid grinding back and forth delivering cargos LMAO

[@_MRK87]

@@ratstar4102 thx for inv Cmdr but I'm far away from the bubble now plus I'm sceptical about anti-xeno actions cause I feel bad for them :)

[@ratstar4102]

@@_MRK87 oh no your a Thargoid Cult supporter! Arrest this man! LOL... just joking

[@DEFkon001]

I'm hopeful. Not for Odyssey, but rather in it's community - and it's common dream for what Elite could be. Space sim communities have done some pretty impressive things over the years. Oolite, The numerous mods to Freespace 2, Orbiter, Space Engine, etc. If the soul of Elite has been abandoned by those that created it, then it's only a matter of time before someone else picks it up. There's always been a part of me that wondered what Elite Dangerous would look like if it had involved it's community more. How many station interiors would exist if the community could create content? How many ship interiors? How many more missions, and mysteries could have been seeded into the void? I've watched Microsoft Flight Simulators' community grow and now there are thousands of user made airports, skins, planes, mods, etc When a game is made to embrace the creative energies of it's players you get something that's larger than what the company behind it built. I have faith that even if FDEV fail to do this, someone else will. Many believe that the soul lives on - even when the body dies. If Elite dies or fades away.. I look forward to seeing what form that soul takes on it's next incarnation.

[@andreasplosky8516]

Elite can not be modded, that is the difference. I have therefore no hope for ED at all.

[@olivier6800]

@@andreasplosky8516 Who will create Open Elite? :)

[@radscorpion8]

@@andreasplosky8516 in one sentence you shattered his hopes lol

[@Shadowkey392]

@@andreasplosky8516 it’s good that it can’t be modded. If it could be, it would be too easy.

[@isinglassmodels]

Excellent Summary Drew, well balanced and to the point. From Kickstarter to hanging up the pilots keys, you've contributed so much. From one founder to another, O7.

[@SnowyFoxFox]

The game has lost its soul not directly because of Odyssey, but because Frontier lost theirs. They are a shadow of their former selves, and the game and its players are now suffering for it. It's been heartbreaking to watch. Elite has been robbed of its incredible potential by a long, slow succession of ill-advised and/or greedy decisions, and I, for one, am absolutely convinced it can never recover, as long as the same people are still making those decisions.

[@robertbeighter6336]

Have always admired your work Drew. You added a dimension to the Elite universe that simply didnt exist - at your own cost. I also have played every version and have many hours lost to the fantasy world that it is. Fleet carriers then Odyssey did it for me. I expected to be able to use my carrier for way out of the bubble mining and exploring, but it bought so little to me. The danger & thrill of losing thousands of systems data to a single neutron star was quite a thrill. Then having to go all the way back to the bubble to buy a suit so I could explore more really did it in for me. And dont mention the Gnosis incident! o7 Drew, hope to catch you for the final flight.

[@baronvonschnellenstein2811]

Not to mention the thrills of you and your bro trying to push each other off the edge of ravines in SRVs. ... Multiple Clippers - clipping each other in the haste to take down the next target in a CZ. Should I mention the Fed factionial president's 'home' station and exploits there? :p

[@kadimakalgar7087]

Scuttling sinking into oblivion. So deep, so far. Huge thanks Drew : see you on the "O7" memorial Tour 💐

[@StringTheory365]

All the best with whatever you do drew. What a shame its ended like this.

[@karrde593]

Another way to look at it is frontier grew as a developer believing their own hubris, and are only finding out now that the extreme harsh mvp they use for finishing development might work for the first release in a niche genre… but not for the sequel. Anyway, thanks as always for your contributions to elites ecosystem. Yes there’s no point in feedback or praise when there’s not much hope.. or it’s very distant.

[@caelumincola]

o7 Drew. A very thoughtful and eloquent message. I joined the Elite:Dangerous community in April 2018, and consequently missed those formative years in the galaxy where that very welcoming community was built, instead reaping the rewards of the countless hours of effort, discovery and dedication of the CMDRs that built it. No other game has hooked me and ticked all of my personal sci-fi/space fantasy boxes quite like it. Now, 3500 in-game hours later I still feel the same way and play it almost daily, albeit with a forced hiatus after, shall we say, the less than optimised launch of Odyssey. It is a very personal and subjective game partly due to the open world/non-linear format, alongside the sheer scale of the galaxy, the complexity, beauty, maddening frustration and opportunity as well as the focus and personal narrative each CMDR applies to it. Each of our stories are different (although I was a 1984 Elite player too) and each of our game experiences, expectations and personalities are different too. I do understand and empathise with you and other 'veteran' E:D CMDRs who feel somewhat let down, but I don't believe the soul of the game per se has gone at all. Maybe it's not getting developed how some would prefer, and the focus is understandably on Odyssey at the moment, but that'll likely change in time as you suggest. That's not to say there aren't lots of issues that need resolving, there are, or that I'm trying to diminish or dismiss anyone's opinion, I'm not. For me, the soul that does seem to be evaporating lies in the community, and that's what's changing. That feeling of disquiet, or those feeling disenfranchised because of the perceived direction of the game and what Odyssey does or doesn't offer. Ignore the on-foot specific parts though and we still have a vast, breathtaking galaxy to splash around in, and we can still play it our way. The soul of the game is still out there. It's just chilling under a rock and needs digging up maybe. I think it's in HIP 12099, planet 1B. Watch out for Mycoid though...

[@case_blair9965]

"Lost its soul" pretty much sums it up for me at this point as well though I can't bring myself to shut the door on Elite outright. I've sent my original commander on a year long Fleet Carrier journey captained by a motivated friend. I'll check in from time to time to see the sights and help mine fuel. My alternate commander is in the bubble and will likely join you on the 07 tour. After that I'll probably park him up somewhere and see how things shake out.

[@chessoc7799]

Not sure about the soul but think they may have lost the best programmers. I will stick with Horizons as all my controls were set for VR so that's the way I play. Once I tried VR there was no going back and Elite is the only VR game I play any way it was always the best.

[@jetskier47]

O7. Commander. Commander JETSKIER here I for one just love playing the game. I have been blessed with a nice gaming rig with flight control and so forth. And so when I turn the light off in my game room so my 3 screens are all I see I enjoy that feeling of actually being out there. I think I will head out into the black for a while. Hope you are back on when I get back to the bubble. Thanks for the videos.

[@NuncHistoria]

Emotional schism, that's one way to put it. Is this what it's like to have your dreams crushed? Probably. I hear you Drew, and I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors, and frankly I'm with you. CMDR Lord_Bear420, hanging up their hat, and signing off for the last time... unless they can save this game

[@grahamcrabb7714]

I can hear your frustration around the adding of Odyssey to an already classic game. Like you, I was drawn to Elite back in the days of 1984 (for me, on a friends Acorn Electron) and quickly sought after getting it for my Amstrad cpc computer! For me Elite will always be the space trader game you fly in a Cobra MK3 with the extra 35t cargo bay and triangular fuel scoop costing 525cr! I still have the original Dark Wheel story book shipped with the original Elite under the Firebird label and galaxy map from Elite 2 Frontier. Fast forward to more modern times..... I still get enjoyment from the flying a ship aspect of the game having purposefully held off buying Odyssey. I don't know, but I just had a gut feeling that when the alpha finished (and I'll admit it did look good and was in the 'maybe to buy' category) and subsequent release date was announced that as with all new releases there would be teething problems. Sadly, we were all witness to what happened! I suppose it's too late now to advocate that those wishing to endeavour in Odyssey can now do so but those of us who prefer Horizons as the classic game should be able to keep that either with or without an Odyssey interaction. On a positive note, Fdev now communicate with the community, but look at how much it took to get there. I think they needed to reach out as I feel if they hadn't the game would of seen a mass exodus! I've made some good solid friendships within the squadron I'm in and I don't think that the social aspect of Elite is dead either; in fact very much alive! Yes you have the gankers, the role play pirates, the explorers, traders, rescuers, etc at the end of the day there is someone out there who may share the same interest as you and you team up, eventually forming a small wing or squadron. It's a massive shame to see you leave the Elite lore as I've really only come onto listening to your articles in the last 5 months or so. And very thought provoking they are too. I wish you well and hope maybe to catch you in the black, you never know. O7 and RonCom - Cmdr GrayC in game.

[@optimalkfrt]

I'm past the point you are crossing Drew, so at this point I'm more interested in your Space Engine projects, I wish that someone bolted on an Elite-like game on it...

[@Joe_Bandit]

Can you just imagine how cool that would be? Even if the gameplay was fairly simple trading/exploring/resource gathering.

[@captainahab1533]

I‘m a newbie to Elite Dangerous and I don’t know the how the game was like before the dawn of Odyssey, but I thoroughly enjoy it. Even though I‘m a huge fan of combat flight sims like IL-2, I don‘t play ED for the combat. Same thing with trading and piracy honestly, I‘ll stick to Naval Action and my trusted Prince de Neufchâtel for that. What dragged me into Elite was the outlook for exploration. The possibility to land on planets, to leave my ship and to collect samples of local lifeforms really does it for me. I‘ve played No Man‘s Sky before, but it never really got me like Elite did. Maybe that’s a bit strange, especially since the former has generally a lot more to offer in regards to surface exploration, but I think it’s the immersive flight mechanics of Elite and the relative plausibility of the ships are what makes the difference. However, I think I understand why you feel how you feel, but I think it’s sad since to me at least the game has a lot to offer and it seems like more is still to come.

[@yellacat]

Thanks Drew - good analysis and in my view, far more honest than your previous video where you honestly believed Elite wasn't dying. It 'is' dying, has been dying and lost it's soul and core rationale for being.......................... most definitely!

[@jellowiggler]

Beautiful and fair verbal essay on the state of ED. Well done Drew. It's fair. I don't like the conclusion of you leaving the creator community around the game. I still feel the Horizons part of the game is fun and there are so many people having fun in the game despite Fdev. I do feel that Fdev has done the community and their customers a huge disservice by putting out a product in the state it was in. I think they are now on notice that as soon as something comes along that ticks the boxes they will have a hard time retaining commander numbers that have stuck around after their very poor launch. No Man's Sky is a huge competitor for the exploration side of things, and base building. Star Citizen if it ever completes some of their ideas will be a HUGE scifi game. Angels must fall, Starwars Squadrons, X4, Stellaris, Surviving Mars, Everspace 2, Kerbal Space Program 2, Eve, etc.... Space games are no longer in short supply. Fdev may have been first in this wave, but they need to shape up or their lunch will be eaten.

[@Lazuralus]

With that comment, David Braben has exemplified how out-of-touch FDEV have become with their players. Frontier won't change though, as they've had numerous chances to change direction over the past 6 years when they have received criticism for shitty game-design or lack of communication, or rolling out minimal viable product releases.. They then put a bit of effort into pacifying the community for a while, but then always revert to type once the bad PR has been handled a few months down the line. It's a shame they don't sell this franchise to another developer who knows what they're doing...

[@slackerdc]

Drew hit the nail right on the head. This is exactly how I feel about ED. There is potential for it to recapture what I loved about it but I have no confidence that they will.

[@rogerwilcojr]

I've always considered Elite a trading game first, with piracy and combat secondary annoyances, but handled much better today than in the original. And it's the focus on violence and killing in Odyssey that really turns me off. But tbh, it's the lack of VR support that prevents me from playing these days, as I could avoid the pew pew if it just playable. But Elite really lost me when Mobius broke private groups and FDEV refused to fix it. When Mobius was forced to break up into several smaller groups, space became a lonely place.

[@pville_piper5125]

Elite has lost much of it's soul and left me adrift. I have gamed much less, nor have I found a suitable replacement. Trying to find a reason to fire up the computer has been difficult... o7 Drew, and my friends whom I jousted with both in game and in the forums. It was a blast while it lasted.

[@igneousrock9710]

I'd argue that the old procedurally generated galaxy had a certain charm that the new one hasn't. There were quite a few weird and wonderful looking areas and planets that are gone now and I don't like what they replaced it with. I didn't like the new UI either, although that might have improved since I last played but although I've watched a video here and there to see if it has improved I've had no urge to go and play myself. I miss the game but what I most miss is the looking forward to the realisation of the original Braben dream. Now I think he lost interest in the project a long time ago and so have I.

[@zeracaitiff5956]

So sad to see you leave te game Drew! Hope our paths will cross again in another fantastic world . all the best to you and all your future endevours !! FDEV added the spacelegs without any gameplay connection to the base - spacegame . (partial) ship interiours would have been THE way to combine both as well as finally a soulution to the questinable reasons for using actual multicrew over telepresence by providing ways to repair/re-enable modules, steal cargo by docking to a interdicted and immobilized ship on foot on the ship while your character is actually on board. it would have been easy to implement but FDEV deemed it "not neccesary" although it has been a wish within the community for years . Still the *worst* part of Elite is FDEV´s inability to properly utilize the world / lore Elite provides to players . Even though it would be EASY to do with already existing assets the DEV´s decide not to give players a meaningful way to interact with the game world. Elite in it´s current form is lazy , underwhelming and shallow compared to any other modern spacegame. it´s most redeeming qualities like flight and combat grow stale quickly because they exist within a universe without reason or real way to interact with it .

[@luke5g230]

Great video and well said! It’s such a shame but at this point all we can hope is that down the line elite we once again be the game we want it to be. And thank you for everything.

[@jamespfp]

I have a few thoughts which I have been reserving for a good place and time, and I think your video is perhaps the best time and place possible for it. You're right about the soul of the game being artistic but also space-ship oriented. In some ways, it was always a type of FPS, and instead of suits the player had a ship to wear like a second skin. For some pilots, the relationship is more like a partnership. The ship develops a personality in the mind of the pilot, which is why COVAS needs to speak and not merely display error messages for the eyes of that pilot. So then - perhaps the developers failed, from the outset, to properly separate their concepts for both the Player and the Ship into two different categories. This is exactly why multicrew cannot allow for a player to hand someone else the flight controls, because the multicrew session doesn't relate to the ship, but to the pilot too directly. Moreover, spending time inside the ship was, in my opinion, far more important to FDev whether they will ever recognize it, or not. And by that I mean, it would have been far better for FDev to greatly expand the gameplay possibilities from inside the ships than worrying about launching another way to generate landscapes by procedure when they already had one, or designing a few concourses. The activities which could take place inside the ship have been aggressively reduced to being locked into the cockpit chair. Often, other players and content creators will mention that it seems as if FDev does not play their own game, and I have no problem believing such a sentiment because I can think of almost unlimited ways to expand the gameplay loops which never seem to have occurred to FDev, or which they have been ostentatiously ignoring. The in-game communications system is both elegant yet anorexic (and buggy); in-game tools for navigation are similarly limited; and, there is almost no way for individual users / pilots to "hack" or customize their ship / session when such activities should not be beyond the realm of possibility or logic. *FOR EXAMPLE - * why can't individual users load scripts into their ship's computers to do simple things, like keep a running count of the number of kills a pilot has, complete with stats on the target rankings and whatnot? Why can't a pilot or ship owner decide to upgrade subsystems on the ship, like the targeting system, allowing for multiple targets to be prioritized? Why does a ship with 2 multicrew seats only have 1 position for turret gunner (ie. the other side of the engaging multiple targets problem).

[@neonspark707]

Let's be honest, the FPS aspect as well as space legs was just a tech demo tacked onto the game with no real plan to tightly integrate it, and it shows. I still recall players shooting down anacondas with handguns, or their bare fists as clear indication that all Fdev wanted to do was tick a box. "We got space legs and combined arms, now will you please stop paying attention to those other games and come here". Unfortunately that doesn't work and the drop in player base as well as the exodus of content creators proves what many said all along: before expanding scope further, address the glaring problems with the 5 pillars that have been neglected for years. Fdev ignored those calls and forged ahead under the same misguided strategy that yielded the game that today stands in a pit of outdated tech and technical debt, failing to impress even the most generous critics: "we'll add it later". They never do. Frontier doesn't iterate. They simple release, stabilize, and then proceed to layer grind over the game in order to drive engagement metrics. But that only goes so far, and players have inevitably seem competitors like star citizen, no man's sky, and others blow past expectations and deliver on promises that to this day, fdev hasn't even begun working on.

[@PaulMEdwards]

Absolutely spot on. FDev dug their grave. Now they can lie in it.

[@Shadowkey392]

Let me guess: you said the exact same thing about No Man’s Sky when it was launched.

[@8-bitsteve500]

I'll probably get some hate for this (usually do) but I was a HUGE Elite fan, I played it from Sept 1984 when I bought it for my BBC Model B and played almost every version (BBC/Speccy/C64 etc), even going as far as selling my Amiga and buying a PC when FFE was PC only! I was thrilled to hear about Elite Dangerous and I joined the kickstarter, putting more money in than I've ever paid for a game, which gave me Beta/Apha access and a lifetime expansion pass. at first I was incredibly excited but then just before release they announced there was no offline mode, which I'll be honest was very very close to being a deal breaker for me, but I accepted it and played the game. I played it on and off for a couple of years but it never honestly felt like Elite, it never gave me the same "buzz" that Elite, Frontier and even FFE did. But I played on and hoped that each patch would fix things and would return that Elite feeling but it never did. Over time I got more and more pissed off with Elite and with Frontier as the direction they were taking the game into, did not sit well with me at all and it began to feel even less like the Elite games I loved so much. I then stopped playing the game and walked away. I still have my lifetime expansion pass but I've not played the new expansion/upgrade and I've not been on the Frontier forums for over two years now and I have no intentions of doing either again. I'll be honest, the whole thing has left a very sour taste in my mouth and the game I've loved for decades is now pretty much ruined as I just feel bitter about the whole thing now. I wish them well with whatever direction they are taking the game but in my opinion it's an 'Elite' game in name only.. RIP Elite

[@avandorhu-3389]

I took a break from elite for a few months. I wanted to try out other space games...however...i couldn't get into any of them. Not even Star citizen or No man's sky. I now know the reason why. None of those other games have a galaxy like Elite's. So, i've made a decision. I don't care if theres actually nothing out there. I love astronomy and Elite is the one game that lets me visit these real world objects other than Space Engine. So, I'll sell all my other ships, buy an anaconda, outfit it for exploration, then dissapear into the void, and never return to civilisation. Just like so many other explorers before me. I shall completely ignore every other aspect of the game until i see it fit for me to engage again. It may be a more lonely galaxy now then ever, but i still have a friend i gotta catch up to at Colonia. Then perhaps we can make up our own mysteries together. I love to do my own world building afterall. Fare well to those who stay in the bubble. And for those who will follow me our there, well...may our paths cross despite the astronomical odds. o7

[@owlangel7234]

That's a great idea, could I make a request though? Please set up a blogger account and take screenshots of all the amazing places you find, then log them so we can show your progress!

[@avandorhu-3389]

@@owlangel7234 i've never done something like that before. And i can't exactly promise to keep it active since i might forget to take screenshots or post them, but i could try

[@Default0102]

The soul of ED is pretty much it's community. There's only so much you can expect from fdev, regarding moving the game's lore forward. So no, it hasn't lost it's soul. It will only change with the shift of generations, as the game is evolving into something *more*. Sorry to see all the people not having fun with the game anymore, you'll most probably return at some point, when things get cleaned up. In the meantime, looking forward to seeing all the new faces that will pop up in the universe.

[@Somali.Pirate1]

Ive felt this way since beyond was added, i haven't played elite since 2018 but have always tuned in for any news, in game events, and updates. I left mostly because Fdev never did respect its player base nor cared enough to take into consideration their frustrations. They do as they please, so i simply f'd off and now i'm with a great corp in Eve.

[@miker953]

He really hated seeing the random litter on the ground in those space stations I guess.😊

[@jchoneandonly]

Sucks that frontier is trying to expand the player base with no regard for those of us that were already trying to enjoy the game they made

[@olivier6800]

Maybe this is the only way to really earn money?

[@jchoneandonly]

@@olivier6800 nope. Appealing to your primary niche is the best method for businesses to make money. Additional niches or areas should never come at the expense of the original niche

[@olivier6800]

@@jchoneandonly So there is two option: 1 - they do not understand your point of view. 2 - they have no choice because without expanding the player base the game is not profitable anymore and this is the only way to postpone a little the death of the game.

[@no1bandfan]

I started playing on the Xbox one in late 2015. Played Elite on an off till I got a PC in 2019. I bought Elite but hadn't loaded it up because I was dreading starting back from square one. I loaded it this week (including Horizons, which I loved on the Xbox, and Odyssey.) In the first two training missions, I encountered two bugs that prevented me from continuing the training and had to reload both the on-foot and flying training. These are the two things that should have the most amount of polish on them and they failed.

[@DevilbyMoonlight]

I remember how it was sold to us in the beginning... the way it was presented was something to really look forward too.. with the latest expansion going in direction that resembles unreal tournament of old... this may appeal to a lot of users but its not my cup of tea.. the game still has a lot of potential, its unfortunate that the lore that was in the original has been side lined.. and the omission of the Tionisla orbital graveyard is inexcusable especially since it was promised a long ways back.. I still play horizons as it doesnt seem to suffer performance issues......

[@tiberiusdave252]

I grew up with Elite in my Amstrad cpc 464; moved to Frontier and I was a huge fan of First Encounters (when it came out-bugged- and having to get floppy disk updates to improve I still enjoyed it! I still seem to remember there was a review saying that First encounters was the game Frontier should have been). I was so excited when elite dangerous began and the vision that came forth- and I have loved the way the game has been updated over the years. Maybe some of the features have not been built upon in the way they should have been. But, to me, I still play the game as I did with Elite; frontier and First Encounters. So I guess to me it hasn’t lost its soul because the odyssey update has added another pillar but i can still play the other five in the same way. Unpopular as this view may be on this channel, I am excited by its future. I do sincerely wish you well Drew on your new endeavours. I am sorry you are disappointed in the game but change will always divide people. And, if the game is not going the way a person would want they should move on and explore new ‘horizons!’ All the best and take care of yourself.

[@MrScruffyBeard]

I'm new to Elite and with everything I've been hearing I hope FDev can get their head on straight before it's too late

[@ghostwarrior-ni1xb]

@Mattias G man i bought this game for ship interiors but the betrayal was too great

[@ecso828]

@@ghostwarrior-ni1xb Months before Odyssey was released in Alpha, F-Dev very clearly stated that they would not be including ship interiors. They made that abundantly clear. Not sure how them doing exactly what they said is a betrayal, but ok. I guess your complaint does sum up most of the complaints though. "F-Dev didn't do exactly what I wanted with the expansion so I'm pissed off and leaving!" SCRUFFY BEARD- Don't listen to all the crying. Get in the game, play it, decide for yourself. There are a large number of players who really like Odyssey. We just aren't being heard because the people crying are the loudest.

[@ghostwarrior-ni1xb]

@@ecso828 I am not talking about odyssey in early years of development F-dev stated or at least showed that there will be ship interiors but years later I bought the game after its full release (I don't buy games on launch or in early years of release reason is how the AAA games have been in the last decade extremely disappointing)

[@Shadowkey392]

@@ghostwarrior-ni1xb why would you buy a game ship interiors? That is a very bad reason to buy a game!

[@Famillepym]

Just like you... Elite is a game about love. Love for our ships, love for exploration and beauties, mysteries of space... Where are our ELW landable planets ? Where are our ships interiors that we could call home, where are our housing bases planets ? We didn't need a bad counter strike in our game... Yes, due to major mistakes, our beloved game has lost its soul. And it is very sad... after all this time.

[@alexn8219]

@S-D A lot of things fdev added have no use and have been left untouched for years

[@Shadowkey392]

The only mistake that anyone has made (aside from releasing Odyssey early) is that you people are trying to tell someone else how to make their game.

[@StockportJambo]

That was a good video, Drew, but I do feel I can probably shorten it somewhat. "Has Elite Dangerous Lost Its Soul?" "Yes."

[@MarkOfBitcoin]

A very sad day indeed to see one of the great authors of the Elite lore leave the franchise. But I agree with every word you said. I voted in every poll against space legs to no avail. i have a life long pass but have never even installed Oddessy. I am sad to see it decay like this. VR support for consoles should have been done, too.

[@eavdmeer]

Right on commander! I played this game in 1984 and for several thousand hours in VR now. I stopped playing in June because the new content dropped VR. It will take a damn miracle from Fdev for me to return

[@RMMinc]

Space legs could and still potentially can enhance core space sim gameplay. If only developers had at least some vision of what they want to see in the end.

[@Django77SF]

Ship interiors, NPC's on the bridge with us, bikes, NPC's Ships Mercenaries, NPC's crew with us on planets, etc. Good things.

[@sanderlittle9275]

A big thank you for your long standing and excellent content for Elite D. I know of many others like myself that came in to this game due to your content, stories and lore tours that gave Elite an extra dimension. Frontier owes you a lot and so do we. Sadly i am on the Elite has lost it´s soul side and i no longer play as i can not see myself in Odyssey or the lack of content for Horizons and the lost respect for the games lore. But either way ty for the time you made interesting for myself and many many others. o7 cmdr Drew Wager, Elite has lost one of it´s stars.

[@Chrystoph1967]

This video sums me up rather succinctly.

[@BodyWellnessHub]

I just started playing Elite and actually loving it. I can understand those who have played for years are probably jaded but looking at it through new eyes I can say it is actually a lot of fun.

[@Ibike007]

For me it hasn't lost it's soul. I enjoy an on foot conflict zone from time to time (my playing time is still like 90% in my spaceships trading and mining and such). I do feel it's a bit disconnected though but still fun in a way. o7 CMDR Btw thank you for all the lore videos. Those were excellent and really helped me understand more of the background of Elite Dangerous!

[@project.jericho]

Yes. Elite Dangerous is a hollow shell of an experience, mismanaged by a company that doesn't give one shit about its success.

[@urbansparxTheonly1]

As ever, a well thought out, researched and honest epitaph to Elite Dangerous Odyssey. Such a shame for older players who enjoyed what has been the best space sim for some time from really the grandfather of them all. I hope that the new pillar can be incorporated but FDEV might have trouble with that as much of the team who gave us this epic game have either left or migrated to other projects and so the soul of the old may not be passed to the new.

[@YogonKalisto]

just started playing starcitizen, even with the occasional wave of bugs, it is a much more rewarding game, 3.15 and the wipe will be amazing (maybe less bugs, or at least new and amusing ones)

[@donell4705]

Best of luck to you, Drew! Thank you very much for the lore series and your contributions to ED. It makes me sad to see you go. I look forward to seeing some of your space engine stuff. That said, once FDev integrates the on foot pillar of ED's existence I hope to see you back. Personally, I'm still having fun in the game. The story team continues to write, the azimuth saga is interesting, and as you mention, Galnet is back, which makes ED a live universe. It's easy to throw darts at how they've decided to pursue development, but when you look around at lore/community/galactic simulation, ED is still hard to beat. It has a decades long foundation to build upon, and legs is a natural progression to open other possibilities.

[@TheKermit2110]

As usual, brilliantly fair, balanced and analytically astute.

[@GamerFromSpace]

I used to enjoy playing elite, especially when star citizen was very bare bones. But after getting the cutter and the corvette the game just, started dieing for me, while star citizen is now becoming a space game I always wanted to play, even if it’s far from finished.

[@darkerriddick4996]

It lost its soul because players kept comparing the changes they wanted with Star Citizen! So fdev rushed in Odyssey hoping to compete, resulting in a unfinished game. The moment you try to force change things go wrong, I've been playing ED for years and was happy to let it evolve naturally.. some players wanted too much too soon.

[@FlecheDeFer]

C'mon... Every game I've played, and I really mean every single one, after a few years (and especially after the game took off with a general audience) the community that was there at the very beginning starts to say "things were better before ; it was better before ; we were better off before" and whatever the reasons they give, the scenario is always the same: nostalgia from a past that probably never existed, a pattern we see everywhere for everything, and this is simply human nature... The plain reality is that WE change, WE get bored, WE move along, it's like any love story, excitement fades, novelty fades: the game hasen't "changed". I will stick to it, I think Odyssey can be a dawn for Elite, as it introduced many great things, provided Frontier delivers on them (that is the "if").

[@LiveseyMD]

I completely agree with it. When I started playing on my PS4 (year and half ago) I was in love with this game. But with playing I started to notice some problems that weren't addressed for years and now when consoles are indefinitely postponed, I've lost hope. If I could choose, I would implement real atmospheric planets and added more ships to play with instead of the food gameplay in the state it is now. Also I have to admit, that I am not a fan of realistic emptiness of the space. IMHO, space should be more alive, but not as it is NMS.

[@slinkerdeer]

You may have noticed that the "white knights" (good terminology btw), often attack anyone who so much as hints at the state of Odyssey, many examples of confirmation bias can be seen with Reddit being a prime place to observe it

[@Shadowkey392]

And you may have noticed that the haters who claim to be fans do nothing but attack Odyssey even when improvements are made and good things are added. They can’t even bring themselves to acknowledge the good stuff. At least the “white knights” acknowledge the game’s problems while extolling its virtues.

[@antonkovalov9648]

​@@Shadowkey392 The issue here is that fdev is not a small indie developer and somehow they think that releasing an early access product for a full price is ok, not to mention that they advertised it as a fully functional dlc. It's a cancer of the whole industry, people somehow degenerated enough to let big companies be lazy and behave like they're small kids that need support.

[@nealbrock5136]

You know the game has lost its soul when long time players and contributors such as yourself finally jump ship (if u pardon the pun). As a console player since game preview on xbox, I too have gone on an indefinite hiatus from the game, as I feel the current FDev vision has lost focus to put it mildly. Not to mention left us console players behind as seemingly second class and disposable. "If" frontier disappointments ever change their current attitude towards the game then maybe those who have left may come back. How likely this is however is far from certain on past records. Roll on your No Mans Sky content - a true comeback story.

[@HellJumpxr]

I gotta say I got into elite heavy at the very tail end of horizon, probably less than 6 months before odyssey came out and the main reason that I got my VR headset and absolutely loved the game. Found all these small KZbinrs and some great videos. Funny enough, the games I regularly play are almost all first person shooters so elite was kind of an outlier but even I didn't like odysseys on foot gameplay lol (Perhaps I should add I haven't touched elite since odyssey came out but I'm sure that's not important 😉)

[@Shadowkey392]

You probably should touch it. You’ll find it’s changed, regardless of what the haters say.

[@martinhair3935]

I stand with Cmdr Wagar

[@ghostdog4330]

It's interesting you chose space ship combat as your first point. It was mine too when I backed the kickstarter. Its always baffled me that despite ship combat being the defining element of the original game so many people were against any form of it during the early development. Even today we have a massive number of original Elite players who can't tolerate anything remotely combat related. Who are these people? Has this game been crippled by a bunch of gamers who now live in care homes for those suffering dementia?

[@razariel5693]

That clearly falls also in the category "Do what you want" while space combat in ED is very great, I didn't do any combat for months now and went out exploring. It has something very calming to peacefully explore the galaxy and I actually would have put exploration as second pillar. Yikes mining *shudder*

[@vektorboson1825]

o7 Drew I started my pause shortly before yours (ahem, Purple Haze in my mind...) and I simply couldn't return. The grind mechanics and lack of depth kept me away. And the "personal adventure" is something that I didn't expect and I actually didn't want; in retrospective it feels like fake depth instead of a carefully constructed mystery to solve. But it's also possible that I was just the wrong type of player for it.

[@Ahibasabala]

Apparently they are adding a thumbs up emote in the next update, the gaming equivalent of installing a cup-holder into the wreck of a burning car, and presenting it as an improvement.

[@trantion6944]

I have to agree with a lot of the comments about the abandonment of the lore and the problems from multiplayer. I'm too young to have played the original game, but the 90s games came with stories in which all the locations were interesting and unique. Columbus and Titan City (near Jupiter and Saturn) were run-down old resorts from pre-hyperspace days. Merlin (Ross 154) was a major fishing planet. Van Maanen's Star was a reclusive religious colony very wary of outsiders, who considered the hard life on their frozen ball of rock to be a good thing (I forget the details). The game itself couldn't show this, so it leant on the hand-written stories. We now have a game that *can* show a run-down space station, but it doesn't (N.B. I haven't played Odyssey myself). Every station is basically the same. Now, I suppose with the invention of the FSD it now takes minutes to travel between stars instead of days, but it feels so bland having all the same companies at every starport and never an independent brand. Others have commented about multiplayer limiting the gameplay because you can have effectively all the money in the galaxy but you're still an ordinary pilot, but I also put some of the blame on the background sim and allowing too much to be changed by the actions of a few people in spaceships (compared to the galaxy's population). That reclusive religious colony of Van Maanen's Star? They now control Tau Ceti, a Federation founding member and home to 5 billion people. Why would they want to do that? I don't know! But they issue permits, so people do their missions. It hardly helps 'immersion' either when a set of in-game political factions are almost instantly removed and replaced with a player-created faction named for a joke. In FFE there is a civil war in some backwater system. It dominates the galactic news for months, and everything hinges on the actions of individuals. My favourite moment in Elite Dangerous is still the war in Lugh. Again, Galnet told us about the individuals, the appeals to allies, the clandestine actions, the civilian tragedies. Even though all you could do was or , it felt like a real thing. But BGS wars happen all the time. They don't even make the news, beyond a note in the back of the paper. "Tomorrows weather is mostly sunny, the stock market dipped yesterday, and there's a civil war in Phekda". I'm not saying the factions should never change, but it should be a much more consequential event than it is. (It's also totally disconnected from Power Play, but that's another matter...)

[@PaulMEdwards]

Based on prior features added to E:D, this appears to be on purpose due to it being the only way they know how to add to the game. New features & modes are, for the most part, bolted on top of existing functionality rather than fully realized & integrated into the entire experience & total design of the game. I believe this is due to their desire to make new things "optional" and able to be approached/consumed in an a la carte manner. The intention is obviously to avoid forcing things onto existing players or significantly altering the gameplay they have come to enjoy. Certainly a kind & worthy consideration. However, the result is a lack of cohesion which manifests in vague but nagging feelings that things just aren't "right" in the game experience... Leading to manifold ills, including: unbalance, disjointed & disconnected gameplay loops, feelings of "unfairness" (i.e. PvP between those who have & have not sacrificed their firstborn to RNGeezus in the Engineering side-quests/grind-fests), etc. Ultimately, I feel this is all due to the fundamental desire to preserve bits of functionality in isolation for players who like "this" but don't like "that," pursuing the "walled garden" approach too rigidly... It seems to be a lack of an all encompassing vision of how ALL of these various modes would combine harmoniously for all players from the very beginning. I believe this is borne of the reality of how the game was/is funded & developed, bit by bit, not having confidence that the subsequent phases of functionality would be sufficiently funded or well received. This lead to management hedging their bets and being absolutely unwilling and/or unable (due in likely very significant part to the realities of being a publicly traded company with a responsibility & legal mandate to protect & continually increase shareholder value) to sacrifice their sacred cash cow(s) to potentially realize higher levels of success at significant risk of complete failure. No Man's Sky at least had/has the benefit of a clearly fully fleshed out vision of what it could become by the founder and lead designer/developer/reluctant & awkward face of the company, Sean Murray. Who effectively drove them to wild success in spite of the early nearly fatal missteps through mostly willpower & dogged determination. Without that strong vision and the guts to literally bet EVERYTHING (including his house & company) on their ability to hunker down & deliver, they definitely would not have achieved their amazing comeback. Contrast these efforts with Star Citizen which is taking a VERY different approach, enabled by & thanks to their robust & highly effective (and also much maligned & criticized) fundraising strategy, coupled with a powerful & more fully fleshed out / cohesive vision of the various game loops & modes and the interplay between them. To me it's quite difficult to determine whether they are able to fully realize (and even significantly expand from initial concepts) the vision thanks to the incredible success of their fundraising, or that their fundraising has been so incredibly successful BECAUSE of the power of the initial & expanded vision articulately & transparently conveyed continually at every step of the way. I suspect it's a false dichotomy and that both aspects feed upon each other. Regardless, I can & do appreciate the roles other space games have played in my personal gaming experience. My journey of most influential & compelling space games has gone, most significantly, from No Man's Sky, to Elite: Dangerous, to Star Citizen, much like how many of us go from elementary school, to high school, to post secondary education and/or career. It is somewhat bittersweet to have realized that Star Citizen has ruined any & all other games for me, but that is the reality just like a person with a successful & rewarding career may fondly reminisce about past joyful & fulfilling experiences in earlier days, has absolutely no serious desire or interest in literally giving up their current life to literally go back to those earlier phases in their personal journey. It's simply not an option. And for me, having got a taste of the 11 course meal Star Citizen offers, I have no desire to go back to the baby formula of NMS or the cold breakfast cereal options of Elite.

[@betterdays3249]

I love your work Drew but i think with this video you have started with the conclusion and worked towards supporting it. By your own anaysis EDO has added to 4 of the 5 pillars of the game. You also admit that it would be unreasonable to add to the 5th due to excluding Cmdrs who aren't able to access EDO content. In addition you admit EDO adds a new pillar, on foor gameplay. That is the big achievement of EDO and its something that Elite needed. EDO doesn't stop anyone flying their ships, trading, bounty hunting, exploring, SRV racing, pretty much anythng they did before EDO with the possible exception of hooning. Now, i don't think there is anyone who can reasonably argue that EDO wasn't badly botched on launch and is still in a pretty bad state. The delay in merging with EDH and the delay in bringing the expansion to consoles is disasterous in my opinion. However, you only very briefly touched on those issues. This fracture in the player base is the real problem with EDO, we did have something similar with EDH and the base game but this was much more limited. EDH Cmdrs could instance with base game players, EDH was available on all the same platforms that the base game was available so it was more a matter of choice for Cmdrs who didn't want EDH content. Not everyone will want to do scavenging and FPS type combat, not everyone will want to battle with Thargoids, not everyone will want to engage with Power Play or BGS activities. Elite allows players to do lots of different things and very few Cmdrs want to do all of them. At the end of the day EDO adds a considerable amount of content and provides a basis for much more content to be added. You may arguie that you have no faith that FDev will follow through on this but at this moment they do appear to be adding content. This is actually another criticism of EDO, although not one made by you, that they are adding new content while they still haven't merged with EDH and launched on console. I think this is a valid argument. I don't know if Elite has lost its soul, or if it ever had one. What I do believe is that some people like EDO and others do not. For those that do not they feel short changed and let down, so much has been invested in it and other parts of the game may have been neglected that its understandable that Cmdrs are feeling like the game is whithering on the vine. I quite enjoy the EDO content, scavenging settlements is my main activity at the moment. I think in time EDO content will settle in with the overall content, I think it will become better integrated with the core game and feel less like a bolt on. I think they needed to release EDO as an important part of the overall progression of the game and I'm hopeful that it will become much better integrated over time. Just my two penn'orth o7 Cmdr Aos_Si

[@leewalton7403]

original 84 cmdr. 15,000hrs in Elite dangerous, solely in VR. kickstarter, triple Elite, King & Admiral. 50+ billion in cash, all ships in game fully upgraded & fully engineered, including the Cobra MkIV. A carrier funded for a full 10yrs with 25k ton on tritium on board. I spent 2 yrs out in the Formidine Rift, gained 110million in exploration data and found absolutely NOTHING new. I've been to SAG A twice, Beagles Point twice & traversed the entire edge of the Galaxy. Found NOTHING new. I've not even installed ODDyssey even though its a free update for me. Not logged on since before the release. Elite was dieing before the ODDyssey update. ODDyssey just killed it off. CMDR Y2K signing off.

[@owlangel7234]

You make a good point, the only addition is the ability to take side lovely new screenshots. I suppose we could just do that with Space Engine

[@Browncoyote]

Just started playing. Enjoying it. Looking at Squadrons now.

[@jinxchrome7526]

Thank you Drew for all the content over the years and I hope to see you return to Elite. For myself, I have to say that Elite feet are something really refreshing because I think that the 5 existing pillars became a bit old. What else could you have wished for in these areas? Another 5 new ships? 17 more rare goods? More burning stations? I think it was time to expand beyond the seat of one‘s ship and see the wonders of the galaxy on foot. I don‘t play (much) combat, trade or mine - I love to explore (together with a good friend of mine) and on foot play is such a welcome expansion. To stand next to the ship in a ravine, walk some sand dunes at dusk or watch the arriving ships from a station window. For whatever reason, I never had the performance issues that you showed (with the same 1070 gfx card) and with an update to a 2080Ti, I never have under 60fps on planets or in stations. I believe that the performance issues spoiled your fun with the game a lot and that is somewhat sad. I agree with you and hope that Odyssey is the foundation / framework for more to come. Dangerous and Horizons were in a similar state at launch and almost ruined my gameplay but they became better. Where I have to disagree is that the foundation is shaky - it is isn‘t but it is the expectation to run high framerates on systems which aren‘t fit for. May it be their aging hardware or setup issues or a combination, fact is that it is not a general / systemic issue but an individual one and second that FDev made the big mistake to manage expectations poorly. o7 hope to see you back one day!

[@FlankerJackChannel]

An absolute beautiful game that's a mile wide and an inch deep. In the end it's all about the accumulation of money that that's just boring.

[@mrjones29]

I'm only 2 years into this game and while I cannot share the past decade of deep play and now confounded disappointment everyone else has had on this video, I'm still enjoying this incredible game, and it's better than 70% of modern AAA video games without a doubt.

[@cinchmccoy]

Game is running great and we are all having a great time without you - have a great day!!

[@littlevischous]

Sad to have never seen the ultimate truths we were teased with during the Solome arc. I actually went and bought the books and went to pretty much every listed systems in hopes of a glimmer of what that storyline could/ would have been. I myself actually am coming back from a hiatus and elite has my attention again. But I understand the levels of disappointment we are all experiencing. Elite is definitely in a dark age, and I can only hope it will survive this and continue to evolve and grow, especially if FDev can sit back and truly listen to the community as a whole. I've heard and read so many amazing ideas that could take Elite to that tier we all dream of. But as it is, we're hanging out grinding for engineering and fleet carriers, with some hollow threat from the thargoids and no expansion on the guardians, and forever fueling theories on the extent of human interactions with thargoids and their technology. Not to mention the dead horse that is Raxxla. Some day we may finally see this adventure move on but right now it feels as if the game is on pause, but we're all still running around. Stay safe sir, and thank you for helping to bring depth to this universe through your awesome story telling. 07 commander

[@razariel5693]

I wasn't really a fan of space legs when announced and I said for months I don't need it in a Space Simulation. Then I won Odyssey in a squad competition, shortly after that update 5 dropped and I really started to enjoy it. My favorite thing to do is exploring and I was very dissappointed about the very obvious copy/pasted planetary features, but they mostly corrected that. To get out on foot on a strange far away planet really ads to the immersion to me. The feeling that you are just a tiny particle of stardust got even more intensified for me. Many players who wheren't playing since the ODY launch just never tried to get back into the game, but still spread their hate towards Odyssey and Fdev on forums, Instead of focusing on the positves. Was quite realistic about it beforehead , knowing FDEV's track record and some obvious hints like no Beta, that it wont be great with the launch. I don't think it has lost it's soul, even if everything You said in the video is true

[@psyantologist]

I like how the intro music reminds me of Walking through by Kaya Project

[@idontneedthis66]

Sucks to see you go, but I can't disagree with anything you've said and so I get it. As it is, I haven't logged into the game since a few months before the Odyssey launch. I had a bad feeling they'd bork it up, so I skipped preordering and boy am I glad I did. Best wishes on the next game o7

[@stoybenxi7395]

Sad to see you go drew. I agree wholeheartedly

[@stoybenxi7395]

Hey drew, seek me out after lore tour, I have something to give you

[@thetruegoldenknight]

To say it's "lost its soul" is to mean that it's gotten bland in an attempt to appease lowest common denominator, normally for corporate reasons. A lot of what's talked about here with the numerous facets being loaded up, reminds me of what people criticize Star Citizen about...like its scope got too big for what is realistically obtainable by a limited human team, no matter the pressures such a team can theoretically endure. Trying to do too many things as opposed to focusing on making a handful really enjoyable...it all comes down to time and energy. Even assuming we all worked for zero dollars, time and energy are finite resources. Also crowdfunding in general has a tendency to oversell, as optimism tends to underestimate the unforeseen hurdles which lie ahead. Which may explain why interiors are not yet a thing. It could've been a lot more complex under-the-hood than anyone can imagine, though I realize that's giving them the benefit of the doubt. Halfway, you're right about there not being much connection between the two. Biggest complaint was how the old days they tied points 4 and 5 together...now, there seems to be no intention of doing that anymore on the developers' end. (Believe me, I tried, which is why I'm personally sore: I won't spend 40 hours a week grinding for nothing more than in-game fun-money.)

[@cmdr_freeborg5188]

There are many things in Odyssey that fall under the umbrella of a "minimum viable product" I would say that ED has lost its vision, the lore is ignored, space ship interior will never come to ED,(I hope I am wrong!) no EVA or ability to go outside your ship in space the fade to black to ship cockpit is very very bad way to enter your ship, it really break the immersion. and they made of Odyssey another grind festival, perhaps they thought that grind in Horizon was not enough:( FC interiors are welcome, I have a FC so I will eventually enjoy that, but most of players do not have a FC they will have to move to SC if they want to experience walking inside their ships. it seems to me that FC interiors is an attempt to placate the thirst about some kind of ship interiors... that said I think ED is a good enough space sim, but it could be so much more.

[@RokkHunter]

Have been playing a lot of Star Citizen lately and put Elite Odyssey on the back burner for a while. Last night I decided to fire it up and do a few intro missions and walk around a base, check out the news etc. To be honest it was nice to play a finished game with a huge star map. Have been playing vid games where a car was a pixel block so it's hard to watch people complain about Elite because if this game (Odyssey) was dropped 10 years ago it would be labeled THE BEST GAME EVER MADE. The game can't do everything so a player has to use their imagination to make it work. If the makers of Star Citizen and Elite Dangerous were melded the outcome would be a perfect Space Sim.

[@RenegadeBilbo]

I never bought Odyssey. The reason I play this game is to escape the FPS genre. If I wanted to walk around on planets and use guns, i'd go play NMS. I've been a CMDR for around 6 years now, and sighed hard when I heard they were introducing FPS gameplay. Glad I kept to my ship and SRV and didn't shell out the money.

[@owlangel7234]

If it had a soul, it would have been the grind and it certainly hasn't lost that. There is one thing you don't mention which you have dabbled in yourself. Roleplaying / collective story telling. I think Odyssey is an amazing roleplaying resource. Since the first person social spaces arrived I have run a couple of in game roleplaying sessions where the players follow a plot I devise and prices with alternate accounts as , plot characters. Having a fleet carrier made this possible as I could let players but or sell specific plot items. In addition the FC allowed a named and reskinned asset that fitted the plot. If anyone want to join me in driving a campaign called "Eranin Nights". I may re run the first episode "A Rum Affair" for a new group of players.

[@robertbeighter6336]

@Drew - where can I find your discord?

[@drewwagar]

It's here > discord.gg/Pjzr46dP5z