It’s enjoyable, but I’ve never been really engaged with it. There’s no progression, I don’t feel like my character, equipment, or ships are getting better even though I’m upgrading things. No planet is special, even though they’re all unique.
I think it would be better if you started out in a “settled” region with interesting factions, hand-designed planets, optional quest lines, etc. The infinite procedurally generated stuff would come into play if you push beyond the edges of known space.
Yeah and having an expansive universe with like three languages and three races of intelligent creatures, none of which seem to have any personalities just left it feeling shallow.
There’s no storyline in even the main story. It feels like a vast and lonely universe. I think procedural world generation has largely the same problem as generative AI: infinite slight varieties of responses, all of which are as bland as a HR seminar.
I’ve come to realize over time that I would prefer a completely linear story to games on the other extreme end.
What you’re suggesting sounds very interesting though, linear and more handcrafted content paired with procedural content to pad in the margins. Keep playing forever if you want to, but feel a sense of story and accomplishment in the main storyline.
Edit: that’s probably why the expeditions feel more worth playing… You bump into people because you’re all playing on the same planets, and the star systems you’re playing through are at least somewhat curated.
252.6 hours played, last played October 2024.
It’s enjoyable, but I’ve never been really engaged with it. There’s no progression, I don’t feel like my character, equipment, or ships are getting better even though I’m upgrading things. No planet is special, even though they’re all unique.
I think it would be better if you started out in a “settled” region with interesting factions, hand-designed planets, optional quest lines, etc. The infinite procedurally generated stuff would come into play if you push beyond the edges of known space.
You didn’t engage with it but have spent the equivalent of 6 weeks of full time work in the game?
Maybe I’m setting my bar too low, but for a video game I expect to get 1hr enjoyment per dollar spent for me to consider a game ‘worthwhile.’
That aside, I agree it would be nice to have a more lived in feel in NMS, cities, a feel of civilization.
Yeah and having an expansive universe with like three languages and three races of intelligent creatures, none of which seem to have any personalities just left it feeling shallow.
There’s no storyline in even the main story. It feels like a vast and lonely universe. I think procedural world generation has largely the same problem as generative AI: infinite slight varieties of responses, all of which are as bland as a HR seminar.
I’ve come to realize over time that I would prefer a completely linear story to games on the other extreme end.
What you’re suggesting sounds very interesting though, linear and more handcrafted content paired with procedural content to pad in the margins. Keep playing forever if you want to, but feel a sense of story and accomplishment in the main storyline.
Edit: that’s probably why the expeditions feel more worth playing… You bump into people because you’re all playing on the same planets, and the star systems you’re playing through are at least somewhat curated.