#Elite: Dangerous kommer inte kunna spelas uta att vara uppkopplad. Det framgår av det senaste nyhetsbrevet från utvecklarna, och reaktionerna från folk som bidragit till crowdfunding-projektet är inte nådiga.
Kommentarstråden för nyhetsbrevet är fylld av besvikna röster som tycker att utvecklaren #Frontier och chefen David Braben sviker sina löften. Bland annat har en av de fem person som skänkte 5000 pund till projektet under Kickstarter-kampanjen krävt pengarna tillbaka.
I pledged £5,000 for the making of this game and feel deceived.
Refund requested via store.
Kickstarter-beskrivningen antyder att Elite: Dangerous ska funka både off- och online ("And the best part - you can do all this online with your friends, or other "Elite" pilots like yourself, or even alone. The choice is yours..."), och även om det kan lämna utrymme för kreativa tolkningar har David Braben på en direkt fråga uttryckligen lovat ett offline-läge. Så här lät det på Reddit för ett år sedan:
[–]j6wbs: I still play the original Elite on my laptop on the way to work. Will I be able to play 'Elite: Dangerous' in a single player mode without any connection to the net? Thanks.
[–]DavidBraben[S]: Yes, though you will lose the richness of multiplayer.
Så här skrev Frontier i det senaste nyhetsbrevet:
We have also been able to create a connected experience which lets you play your own story whilst in a dynamic, ever unfolding galaxy that is constantly reacting to what you and every other player is doing, be that trading, combat, exploration or missions. This has become fundamental to the whole experience.
Going forwards, being online lets us constantly both curate and evolve the galaxy, with stories unfolding according to the actions of commanders. Exploration is also a key factor, too, and it is important that what a single player explores matches what other players explore whether single or multiplayer – a complex, coherent world – something we have achieved. Galaxy, story, missions, have to match, and it does mean the single player has to connect to the server from time to time, but this has the added advantage that everyone can participate in the activities that can happen in the galaxy. A fully offline experience would be unacceptably limited and static compared to the dynamic, ever unfolding experience we are delivering.
Elite: Dangerous släpps den 16 december. Ska vi tro våra egna intryck från den senaste betan kan vi vänta oss ett magnifikt spel. Men spelar online-beskedet någon roll för din köplust?
