Thread by @CmdrSavenger

Reflections of a Console Cmdr: A Thread

With everything so heated within the community right now, I thought it might be worthwhile adding a little more considered perspective to the debate. I'll try to be concise... 1/?

@EliteDangerous #EliteDangerous

I am exclusively a console Cmdr, having put all my time into Elite while playing on either PS4 or PS5. At 37 years old, I have been a console player nearly all my life. An avid fan of space and scifi (as most of us are I imagine), Elite coming to PS4 was a dream come through. 2/?

But with real life getting in the way, it took a pandemic to finally pull me in fully. With the time to delve deep, I did just that.

A trekkie at heart, exploring the galaxy and engaging with this new high tech universe... I fell hard for the game in a way I didn't expect. 3/?

An enjoyable 1300hrs later I had:
- Elite in both Trade and Exploration
- Dangerous in Combat
- The ranks of Admiral and King
- Unlocked all Engineers
- Bought every ship
- Unlocked every Human and Guardian Module

And I was getting close to finally buying a FleetCarrier. 4/?

Odyssey was now on the horizon. The anticipation in the community was palpable. And as a bonus, it was due to hit at the perfect time for my Cmdr.

But then delays, the launch problems, concentrating on PC stability first, etc, etc. But all very understandable in Covid times. 5/?

It was ok though, I could be patient. I had a To-Do list to keep me occupied. INRA Sites, Generation Ships and POI's to visit. Blueprints to pin.

The CG's were interesting enough, and the @frontierdev streams with the dev updates reassured that progress was being made. 6/?

While previously being a bit of hermit in ED, I had been slowly following more and more of the wider community.

I don't think you all know just how friendly and approachable a group you really are, and just how much of an aberration that is from the norm. 7/?

The Lore had always been a main draw for me. I discovered @drewwagar and his epic Lore Tours early on. From there, it was a sort jump to @grinning_crow and others, and more of the theory side of things. It helped flesh out the galaxy, and fuel many mini expeditions of my own. 8/?

Couple that with a constant flow of current events coverage from the delightful @CMDRBeetlejude and @pwotherspoon on Galnet News Digest, @LaveRadio and @CMDR_Buur Witchspace News updates and @FlightAssist_ED interviews, times were good.

They became my in game soundtrack. 9/?

But I was starting to struggle for meaningful goals to strive towards. With no sign of the expansion coming, I needed something longer term to target.

So I decided to set my own missions. CQC had long been an obstacle to completing the achievement list. So I started there. 10/?

It took months of effort, but I managed to hit the Level 50 required.

With that out of the way, (and the rarest of permits earned), the even rarer Platinum Trophy was in my sights, and not long after I had another long term mission completed.

But still no word on Odyssey. 11/?

The emergent player run support groups of ED had always stood out as being very special. Unique even. The altruism of the @FuelRats and the @HullSeals is legendary at this point.

But for me, the idea behind the DSSA FleetCarrier Initiative was by far the most appealing. 12/?

Having long since acquired my own FleetCarrier, and completely falling in love with my new home, the potential was obvious.

As I liked trading anyway, I started my own little initiative on an alt account: a Carrier plus 5yrs of upkeep. Or ≈ 13B Cr. A worthwhile goal.

13/?

Nothing was really happening there for a long, long time. The CM's were doing their best, but it was a hard road.

And then the silence came.

That meant either very good or very bad news was on the way. You can guess which I was hoping for. 14/?

Fast forward to today and the point:

I have been a Cmdr for under 2 years. I am relatively new to this community of ours. But I am far from a blow in.

My Cmdr currently has 2357hrs in game, with 737hrs more on alts. And a balance of 20B Cr, with 29B Cr more on alts. 15/?

I have been there, done that and bought 'the mug' to prove it.

When the news dropped...

The Thursday update crushed me in a way I had not expected was possible. It legitimately stopped me dead in my tracks. It’s two days later now and little has changed. 16/?

Did I think Odyssey on console was in trouble?

Yes. That was clear early on.

Did I think EDO on consoles was going to be abandoned altogether?

No. At worst, I thought that if the game couldn't run on PS4 or XB1, the natural move would be to shift to PS5 and XSX. 17/?

I found I was quite angry, but not at anyone in particular. After sleeping on it, I've realised it was anger born of loss.

Several PC Cmdrs have pointed out that console Cmdrs haven't lost anything. That we simply just won't be getting more.

But thats not really accurate. 18/?

If I've learned anything, it's that Elite Dangerous IS the community. The game is simply where we meet and have adventures together. And THAT is the loss I had felt, along with many others.

The community has essentially just had a piece permanently cut away, with me in it. 19/?

There will now be experiences thatwe can't all share. The existing and current gap will soon become a gulf.

And whether our PC Cmdrs realise it or not; you're also losing a piece of what has made Elite Dangerous what it is today.

The game will be the lesser for it. 20/?

TO OUR CM's: @CaptnBeard @smorganmoore @Zacerhy @Bruce_Garrido & Paul.

You've all been between a rock and a loud place for a long while now. But you've been great. It'll be nice to see you on stream again. I'll be there, lurking as usual.

Might even stretch to a !Bruce. 21/?

TO OUR CONSOLE CMDRS:

I know it hurts. That was a blow that had a year to line itself up for maximum impact. It's not the worst result possible, but it's damn close. If you absolutely feel you have to vent, maybe keep your aim away from those who have only tried to help. 22/?

TO OUR PC CMDRS:
I know most of you already get it. But, for the rest: Picture everything that has happened over the last 18 months.

Then imagine Sony or Xbox had bought Frontier a few years ago and the situation was reversed...

A little empathy will get you a long way. 23/?

AND TO EVERYONE: please try to remember that the bulk of the vitriol and animosity is coming from that loud and obnoxious 5% that exists in every group of any real size anywhere in the world, and especially on the web.

The heartbroken and disappointed 95% won't say a word. 24/?

So what about me?

I love #EliteDangerous
I still love #EliteDangerous
I think I will always love #EliteDangerous

Many of our console Cmdrs have and will leave, delete accounts, etc.

But I am going to continue playing. Honestly, I think I would miss it too much not to. 25/?

Will I move to PC?

Probably not, at least not in the near future. And not to start over from scratch. 3094 hrs...

I do hope some solution can be found to migrate players over to PC, but that it wasn't ready along with the bad news is not a great sign.

That was the move. 26/?

TO @frontierdev:

It's kind of hard to know, but I think you tried to get there. I don't entirely understand not shifting to PS5/XSX, but I hope you can eventually sort EDO out.

I'd quite like to return some day. Though you might need to lower that drawbridge again first. 27/?

Perhaps this was all absolutely necessary to keep the game alive long term?

If so, I really do hope it works out. With personal starships a long way off, we are going to need some form of Elite playable somewhere for a long while to come yet. 28/?

What next then?

I had a lot of plans and ideas that I had sidelined while waiting for Odyssey. Stuff based on the lore and design of Elite. A short video series, etc.

I might be able to re-work them so they stand on their own at some point. We'll see I guess. 29/?

I still plan to follow along with the goings on in Odyssey, though much like the last year it will be predominantly through community streams and the like.

Things should really kick off a bit now, and I have questions. 30/?

As for in game:

I'm going to finish funding my phantom Carriers initiative. Then cut an almighty swath across the Bubble to raise my Combat Rank and finally get that Triple Elite.

I've never been more in the mood to blow sh!t up, and god help anyone who gets in my way. 31/?

There is still stuff I've never done:

Maybe I'll start a little minor player faction to see how that all works.

There will still be PlayStation Cmdrs who need some help getting their Platinum Trophies. That could be fun.

And the Rats and Seals may need a hand on PS4. 32/?

Or, depending on the state of the game we have left, I might finally go exploring long term. I've had an Explorer Cmdr sitting in an Anaconda at Sag A* since last July waiting for Odyssey...

Or I might just take my main, and keep going until the servers inevitably go off. 33/?

Regardless, I'll now go back to just posting two to four word messages accompanied by a semi-decent pic or two.

I'm sorry for the long thread. I may have needed to write it more than any of you needed to read it. 34/?

Playing #EliteDangerous has kept me sane these past two years. It has saved me. With the current state of the world right now, it may yet save me again.

I will not soon forget that. 35/?

36/36

I hope to see you all again out in the black some day. But if I don't, know that we are just over the horizon.

Sláinte, and o7 Cmdrs.

Sav.