Odyssey Missions are badly designed

[Endemonadia]

I am an OG Elite player from the 1980s, i am also an OG kickstarter backer of this game. I come back to this game every now and then so im not super familiar with the game and the current community. Ive now played Odyssey for a few days now and can now say with full confidence that 100% of the missions ive played are unclear and a headache to work out what the hell you are supposed to do.

Simply put, the game is utterly useless at explaining what u need to do to complete the mission. The player must trawl through the internet, use forums and watch videos on how to complete these missions.... thats not good immersive gameplay!

From being killed on sight at some locations where all you need to do is pickup a package to being unable to find a 'security data point 1' anywhere on a settlement. The issues are wide and varied, but its safe to say ALL Odyssey ground missions have at least 1 issue that makes the mission a total pain in the ass. This is not fun.

Its a shame because i can feel theres a good game in here, its just totally inaccessible to normal gamers who dont want to spend weeks researching out of game how to play the game.

[Sighman]

Day one of the Alpha we were ALL getting slaughtered over and over, and there were no tutorials, no guides and no info. We had to learn by doing and failing, and it was one of my favourite gameplay experiences ever.

Odyssey has a steep learning curve and it will take a while to learn what you can and can't do. On the plus side that gives the game longevity.

PS if you're getting shot delivering a package it's either contraband, you didn't stop to be scanned, you drew your weapon or you already had a bounty.

[FREEZED]

Odysseys on foot missions are genius invention, variation where you do the same mission affects a lot how you have to play that mission, and when owners ships of settlements change then those missions change too so it is not always same.
Some of those missions are almost impossible to complete on certain settlement but really easy on other kind of settlements.
Completing some of those missions is like playing Hitman and sneaking around without being seen and maybe silently eliminate some guards , avoid being scanned etc.
So choosing right system , right kind of settlement with right owner and right missions can make your game experience just like you want it to be.

[Alrik]

Originally posted by Endemonadia:

From being killed on sight at some locations where all you need to do is pickup a package to being unable to find a 'security data point 1' anywhere on a settlement. The issues are wide and varied, but its safe to say ALL Odyssey ground missions have at least 1 issue that makes the mission a total pain in the ass. This is not fun.

Finding the CMD data port is part of the Odyssey on foot training mission.

If you didn't play that:
Go to a terminal, acesses the entry about the facilities and browse: mission critical locations / data points are marked with an icon.
You may have to clone a Level 3 ID or use an e-breach to hack the terminal.

[Endemonadia]

Originally posted by Alrik:

Originally posted by Endemonadia:

From being killed on sight at some locations where all you need to do is pickup a package to being unable to find a 'security data point 1' anywhere on a settlement. The issues are wide and varied, but its safe to say ALL Odyssey ground missions have at least 1 issue that makes the mission a total pain in the ass. This is not fun.

Finding the CMD data port is part of the Odyssey on foot training mission.

If you didn't play that:
Go to a terminal, acesses the entry about the facilities and browse: mission critical locations / data points are marked with an icon.
You may have to clone a Level 3 ID or use an e-breach to hack the terminal.

If u read the rest of this thread u would see i do that on EVERY mission. Some of the places you are looking for are not in the Terminal. I was just giving these as some examples. Im finding 99% of missions are very unclear and the game does a TERRIBLE job at interfacing with the player.

My point is i dont mind difficulty, difficult is fine... the missions are probably well designed. But, the game is badly designed communicating with the player. THAT is my point.

When the game doesnt give some indication of what to do next then the player must spend more time trawling the internet than playing the game. THATS NOT GOOD GAME DESIGN.

EDIT: another example of a mission i failed yesterday. I am given a mission to go and poiwer up a settlement. I go to the location, its in darkness and while im running round trying to work out what to do i get a message that my ship has been destroyed. I run back to the ships location and theres 15 troops where the ship was. obviously they destroyed my ship. Why the hell didnt i get a warning the ship was under attack!?!?! Good game design would at least give u a warning whats going on, a warning ships under attack, a warning enemy troops are landing, ANYTHING. Your ship doesnt have enough tech to tell the pilot its taking damage somehow!?!?!

[Planewalker]

Unless they are bugged, information about what to do on foot should be in top right HUD.
(information panel, also shown while ship-borne)

Quite a few of the pop-up information messages could do with 2 or 3 more seconds of screentime. (and then a slower fade)

[Endemonadia]

Originally posted by Planewalker:

Unless they are bugged, information about what to do on foot should be in top right HUD.
(information panel, also shown while ship-borne)

Quite a few of the pop-up information messages could do with 2 or 3 more seconds of screentime. (and then a slower fade)

That is literally the info im using on every mission. My point is that its not enough. Especially once u try to do what it says and u find some problem. A problem that the only way to solve it is to trawl the internet for answers.

[Planewalker]

You did have a warning that your ship was under attack, you most likely didn't notice because they are so brief. (source: i was just yesterday on foot and had the same happen)


Always send your ship to orbit when doing on-foot stuff.
If you need a fast exfil, keep your SRV nearby somewhere safe.


It is on purpose i stated that the notices could do with longer grace periods, because as it is they are very very easy to miss.


cheers

[Panther]

As other posters have said lots of things can affect gameplay in a settlement.

I think you can assume the only settlements which are safe and predictable are those which are operational and patrolled. If you have a bounty on you or do anything illegal then it is a different matter.

An unpowered or deserted site is obviously going to have risks. It may be in that state due to a recent battle. There may now be scavengers there who will shoot on sight, they certainly won't bother scanning you. You can easily assess the situation early by checking for 'contacts' in your on foot HUD. If there are no scavengers there is every chance that a faction will drop in to take control of the settlement, keep a look out!

How you approach each mission whether its one you pick up in a station or one you set for yourself is all part of the immersion. Personally I like that I am not spoon fed too much information, having the HUD as realistic a possible without 'game' info would be my preference.

You soon learn where the best place is to leave your ship.

[Sighman]

Originally posted by Endemonadia:

EDIT: another example of a mission i failed yesterday. I am given a mission to go and poiwer up a settlement. I go to the location, its in darkness and while im running round trying to work out what to do i get a message that my ship has been destroyed. I run back to the ships location and theres 15 troops where the ship was.

This is what I said yesterday: you just learned that it's not safe to leave your ship parked in a danger zone. You won't do it again, thus the game taught you how to play instead of flashing up a big icon in the middle of the screen.

FYI it DOES give you a status message top right warning you about the ship being under attack, but the voice alert hasn't been firing recently.

Odyssey is old-school. You get into trouble by doing a thing, you learn not to do that thing again. Over time you get wiser, and more skilled, and make fewer mistakes.

[Venetoi]

The best thing about Odyssey is Frontline Solution wherein new player can get enough money to buy a conda quickly

[FREEZED]

Originally posted by Venetoi:

The best thing about Odyssey is Frontline Solution wherein new player can get enough money to buy a conda quickly

yes, i usually do 3-4 combat sites to make all arx and 35m money for carrier per week.
does not take long and i am having fun.

only problem is to find war with high intensity combat site

[Bullpup]

And cue a dozen replies like a) I never had any issues b) just git gud c) the frustration is part of the fun d) this other game is even worse e) one of the examples you gave is your fault therefore the entire thesis collapses.

The truth is Elite 4 was useless at interfacing as you put it right from the start in the ship part of the game but the players accepted it because they (mistakenly) thought it was a work in progress and eventually would become a normal game with all the proper tools in game.

[Reggit]

Originally posted by Venetoi:

The best thing about Odyssey is Frontline Solution wherein new player can get enough money to buy a conda quickly

...And then, lose said Conda just as quickly

[HyperWayne]

Originally posted by Sighman:

Day one of the Alpha we were ALL getting slaughtered over and over, and there were no tutorials, no guides and no info. We had to learn by doing and failing, and it was one of my favourite gameplay experiences ever.

Odyssey has a steep learning curve and it will take a while to learn what you can and can't do. On the plus side that gives the game longevity.

PS if you're getting shot delivering a package it's either contraband, you didn't stop to be scanned, you drew your weapon or you already had a bounty.

I remember the days of no help and burning to hell on your own but being madly in love with the game yet pissed off each time you died to a vulture

[Sighman]

Originally posted by Bullpup:

And cue a dozen replies like a) I never had any issues b) just git gud c) the frustration is part of the fun d) this other game is even worse e) one of the examples you gave is your fault therefore the entire thesis collapses.

The truth is Elite 4 was useless at interfacing as you put it right from the start in the ship part of the game but the players accepted it because they (mistakenly) thought it was a work in progress and eventually would become a normal game with all the proper tools in game.

FDev's API allowed a dedicated community to spring up around the game, all making their own tools. Look at the variety and you can see that FDev could never have added anything to the game with so many features or so much choice.