Frontier ending ED Mac support ... Now what?

[Doc Anderson]

[WARNING: This thread has become a toxic cesspool of "Mac versus PC" religious fervor. Enter at you own risk.]

The ENTIRE issue is this:

I bought vanilla Elite Dangerous less than a month ago. It runs beutifully on my Mac. I was perfectly happy with it because I just wanted to fly around the Milky Way and soak up the beautiful scenery. Now Frontier ihas announced they are going to shut off my access to the original game I PAID FOR and was happily enjoying. This game has been out for years (this isnt early access) so I had NO reason to think they would pull the plug when I bought it LESS THAN A MONTH AGO.

Essentially they've changed the agreement we entered into within 30 days of my purchase and I'm having trouble getting resolution.

This is not about ANYTHING else.

And yet everyone and their dog has come unglued that I have somehow not affirmed their life choice by daring to own a Mac.

This is why we can't have nice things.

--- Original Post ---

I bought Elite Dangerous less than a month ago. Now Frontier is ending Mac support and ED will stop working on the Mac when the next big story update drops.

I contacted Frontier about a refund and they directed me to go through Steam saying, "Valve is aware of the issue."

The problem is the Steam refund system automatically denies my request without review because "I have more than 2 hours in the game" and I am unable to reach a real human being at Valve.

And before you say it, no I'm not interested in running Windows on my Mac with Bootcamp. Also, comments about "how I should've got a PC to begin with" are NOT helpful (unless of course you're willing to buy me one).

I enjoy the game a lot. I have 50+ hours in it. I even bought a Thrustmaster T16000m HOTAS to play it with. But now I really don't want to invest more time in it if it's just going to disappear at some point.

If I had known Frontier was going to abandon the title, I wouldn't have bought it to begin with. I feel like I have wasted my money and my time. I feel abandoned by Frontier and unheard by Valve.

My Hope is a real human at Valve sees this post and responds so I can move forward and get resolution.

[Boomer]

Aye. Pc's are cheap to buy, cheap to make. Keep the mac for work if that's what they are doing, get a pc if you want to game.

[caaront]

I like my iPad3, and it's quality, but hate that Apple is so selfish, and everything has to bought through apple for the iPad, and I assume the standard Mac is the same.

I will always have a gaming PC, it is my one perk, and it is well worth the investment for the use I get from it.

Good luck with this.

[NichoZefanya]

"If I had known Frontier was going to abandon the title, I wouldn't have bought it to begin with. I feel like I have wasted my money and my time. I feel abandoned by Frontier and unheard by Valve. "

Ed and the Elite Dangerous team eredeti hozzászólása:

Hello Commanders,

It is with great sadness that we must announce the upcoming end of Elite Dangerous on Mac.

Firstly, we want to reassure you that this decision did not come lightly and is something that we have been investigating for some time. As many of you will know, despite our best efforts, we have been unable to bring Elite Dangerous Horizons to Mac since launch due to technical barriers. With the planned improvements coming in our Chapter Four update of the Beyond season we have felt it necessary to make this difficult decision in order to allow us to bring in content and features in the way that we felt was best for the overall Elite Dangerous experience. It is for this reason that we wanted to give you as much notice as possible. With the release of the Q4 update, coming towards the end of the year, you will no longer be able to play Elite Dangerous on Mac. As soon as we have a date of the update to share, we will do so here.

At the point of the Q4 update, you will no longer be able to access Elite Dangerous products through the Mac OS. However, you will still be able to log into your account on PC (or via Bootcamp.)

We hope you will understand why we have taken this course of action and would encourage those of you who have questions or concerns, to please contact our Support Team HERE who are on hand and ready to help!

Thanks again,

TL:DR You should've know before buying the game that MAC DOESN'T SUPPORT ED:HORIZON

It was launched 2015, so almost 3 YEARS ago...

YOU SHOULD'VE KNOW THAT YOUR MACHINE HAS A LIMITED ABILITY TO PLAY THIS GAME

[Lexor76]

miracle,- eredeti hozzászólása:

"If I had known Frontier was going to abandon the title, I wouldn't have bought it to begin with. I feel like I have wasted my money and my time. I feel abandoned by Frontier and unheard by Valve. "

Ed and the Elite Dangerous team eredeti hozzászólása:

Hello Commanders,

It is with great sadness that we must announce the upcoming end of Elite Dangerous on Mac.

Firstly, we want to reassure you that this decision did not come lightly and is something that we have been investigating for some time. As many of you will know, despite our best efforts, we have been unable to bring Elite Dangerous Horizons to Mac since launch due to technical barriers. With the planned improvements coming in our Chapter Four update of the Beyond season we have felt it necessary to make this difficult decision in order to allow us to bring in content and features in the way that we felt was best for the overall Elite Dangerous experience. It is for this reason that we wanted to give you as much notice as possible. With the release of the Q4 update, coming towards the end of the year, you will no longer be able to play Elite Dangerous on Mac. As soon as we have a date of the update to share, we will do so here.

At the point of the Q4 update, you will no longer be able to access Elite Dangerous products through the Mac OS. However, you will still be able to log into your account on PC (or via Bootcamp.)

We hope you will understand why we have taken this course of action and would encourage those of you who have questions or concerns, to please contact our Support Team HERE who are on hand and ready to help!

Thanks again,

TL:DR You should've know before buying the game that MAC DOESN'T SUPPORT ED:HORIZON

It was launched 2015, so almost 3 YEARS ago...

YOU SHOULD'VE KNOW THAT YOUR MACHINE HAS A LIMITED ABILITY TO PLAY THIS GAME

So how exactly was the OP supposed to know what happens 3 years in the future? The announcement came after he already bought the game.

[Doc Anderson]

miracle,- eredeti hozzászólása:

"IYOU SHOULD'VE KNOW THAT YOUR MACHINE HAS A LIMITED ABILITY TO PLAY THIS GAME

Yup. Knew that. Not talking about ED Horizon. I'd be perfectly happy to continue playing vanilla ED.

The ENTIRE problem is this.

Frontier is not going to let me continue to play the original game I PAID FOR and was enjoying.

This isnt early access. The game has been out for years. I had NO reason to think they would pull the plug when I bought it LESS THAN A MONTH AGO.

Essentially they've changed the agreement we entered into within 30 days of purchase and I'm having trouble getting resolution.

This is not about ANYTHING else.

Or in YOUR language ... YOU SHOULD'VE KNOW THAT IF YOU READ THE THREAD

<SIGH!> I really should know better than to say ANYTHING on the internet 'cause ... internet.

PRO TIP: Never argue with idiots. They will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.

OP

[M00NSH0T]

regardless of the fact that Macs are not worth their weight in lead unless you really need one for a niche task, and the fact that ED telegraphed this move well ahead of time, the OP really should be entitled to a refund. He bought a game, and because of a decision (albeit a totally logical one) by the game developer to not waste time rewriting their code to work on a Mac, the product that he bought a permanent license for will no longer work. He should be able to get a refund. Expecting him to buy a PC to play a single game is unreasonable (though that's what I would do in his shoes... I never got the appeal of Apple's dumbed down product line). If he really wants to continue playing, he can use his refund to rebuy the game on another platform, but imagine if the DVDs and digital movies / music you bought (not rented, bought) all of a sudden no longer worked because of some decision by the publisher. You'd expect a refund then, wouldn't you? Maybe not a 100% refund depending on how old this stuff was, but something at least. Same thing here... he bought a product that he expected to be able to use in perpetuity (or at least till he got bored with it) and it's no longer working, not because of anything he did, but because of decisions by the ones who sold it to him. They made that decision because the PNL sheet showed it wouldn't be worth the effort, but the flip side of that has to include refunds for current owners who have no other platform to play on. Thus, the separate statement they made about handling these on a 'case by case' basis. He should get a refund, plain and simple.

My personal opinion is the guy should also get a PC with a VR headset, but that's my opinion. Him being owed some form of refund (again, maybe not 100%, but something) is something I think any team of lawyers would agree on.

[Dolphin Bottlenose]

Doc Anderson eredeti hozzászólása:

Essentially they've changed the agreement we entered into within 30 days of purchase and I'm having trouble getting resolution.

The resolution is obvious but isn't simple to accomplish: to get in touch with a breathing being of Steam, and to explain the situation why they should issue a refund, even if it's over the standard 2 hours' policy of their's.

Unfortunately, you can't find that person on these forums. Good luck with your resolution!

[deathmaster snikch]

Lmao People Still buy apple products? and I though ED players were smarter than that just do your self a favor and buy samsung/windows stop being part of the problem ok? thanks

[Swans]

Dolphin Bottlenose eredeti hozzászólása:

Swans eredeti hozzászólása:

There are some use cases that only a Mac will fulfill. The obvious one is that only OSX can run Logic Pro, which - despite strong Wintel competition - is still the music industry gold standard DAW, so whilst bedroom producers may use Windows and Pro Tools, you will only ever see Macs in high-end recording studios.

Sure, but how many games have you seen being played in high-end recording studios on those machines?

A screwdriver is still the best tool to put your screws in, but you wouldn't have much of a success by using it to paint your wall. Right tools for the tasks at hands.

That was not the point I was answering, it's entirely unrelated. The poster I was talking to had claimed there are no Mac specific use cases, which is entirely untrue.

Doc Anderson eredeti hozzászólása:

miracle,- eredeti hozzászólása:

"IYOU SHOULD'VE KNOW THAT YOUR MACHINE HAS A LIMITED ABILITY TO PLAY THIS GAME

Yup. Knew that. Not talking about ED Horizon. I'd be perfectly happy to continue playing vanilla ED.

The ENTIRE problem is this.

Frontier is not going to let me continue to play the original game I PAID FOR and was enjoying.

This isnt early access. The game has been out for years. I had NO reason to think they would pull the plug when I bought it LESS THAN A MONTH AGO.

Essentially they've changed the agreement we entered into within 30 days of purchase and I'm having trouble getting resolution.

Yes, Steam - as the retailer - are in breach of contract, although the situation is not one of their own making of course. In the EU this is an open and shut case, if the digital content stops running on your hardware, either through deprecation or patching, at least within the mandatory two year warranty period applied to all sales but longer in some cases, then you are entitled to a no quibble refund.

I imagine it's similar the world over, but what country are you in, out of interest? Also, did you pay on a credit card?

Have you followed the Steam workflow I outlined to you, and what was Steam's response?

[terry_horsnell]

I too am really annoyed that they've shut it off just like that. Surely they could have just left the old version there without updates for those who want it? Many of us never wanted it to be a server game in the first place (and were told there would be stand-alone version when it came out).

Those who use the Bootcamp method will know what a pain it is switching over every time you want to play. There's also a cost implementation as a copy Windows 10 isn't cheap.

I understand there are X-box and PS4 versions available. Would these be a viable second option? Has anyone tried them?

[Dolphin Bottlenose]

terry_horsnell eredeti hozzászólása:

Surely they could have just left the old version there without updates for those who want it?

They could, if it was compatible with the new server data. I highly suspect that it isn't, especially with the new exploration data.

Many of us never wanted it to be a server game in the first place (and were told there would be stand-alone version when it came out).

I think that those, who didn't agree with the offline mode being pulled off, got their chance for a refund, when it was announced years ago. Those who stayed on board - agreed that there will be no offline mode.

[DuDun]

I don't understand the logic behind locking necro threats. I mean, you keep them only to lock if someone tries to use it...?

[Harbinger]

They didn't shut it off just like that, the native Mac build has been on life support for 3 whole years now. The majority of people moved to a Bootcamp/Windows setup long ago in order to be able to play the Horizons content.

An offline version is simply not feasible until such times as they cancel all future development. You connect to no fewer than 4 separate servers just to get into the game and constantly need to connect to them as you play. 3.3 launch day was highly entertaining getting denied by the authentication server, the matchmaking server, the transaction server, the adjudication server over and over again.

As to the cost of a Windows license you can always join the Insiders program and get a free license for the latest Windows 10 beta.

As to the XB1 / PS4 versions. If you have one of these platforms then you should technically be able to apply for a refund based upon the withdrawal of the platform and use that to switch to one of those platforms. Hell Frontier support may even liquidate your assets and move them to that platform if you contact them and query about it.

[Laurreth]

Dolphin Bottlenose eredeti hozzászólása:

I think that those, who didn't agree with the offline mode being pulled off, got their chance for a refund, when it was announced years ago. Those who stayed on board - agreed that there will be no offline mode.

I don't really remember the details, but it wasn't quite as clear-cut. The refunds didn't cover many of the "backers" at least, what with that being a bit different from straight-out purchase. Seeing how the announcement came well before release, that meant many gnashing teeth from a great portion of players.

[Gropax]

what you need to understand gaming as a whole on Macs is coming to an end. it will be the 90s all over again for Mac users in about 2 years. during the 90s PC and Mac users were seperated when it came to gaming because Macs were not using Intel or AMD CPUs they used the crappy Mac CPUs and could not run DOS or Windows 95/98 games and programs. back then when Jobs wasn't at apple they went in the direction of only selling there computers to buisnesses and schools which don't do gaming.