# No Man's Sky - First star to the right, and straight on till morning
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-mans-sky-first-star-to-the-right-and-straight-on-till-morning/759701
**Category:** The Game Room
**Tags:** video-games-e-games
**Created:** [July 12, 2016, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-mans-sky-first-star-to-the-right-and-straight-on-till-morning/759701 "2016-07-12T01:16:17Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 22
### Author:  [@Cornelius\_Tuggerson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cornelius_Tuggerson)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2016, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-mans-sky-first-star-to-the-right-and-straight-on-till-morning/759701/421 "2016-09-01T15:52:15Z")
> [@TimeWinder](#):
>
> Or 3 – most likely of all – the over-reaction of a few early players on social media took on a life of its own and produced a bandwagon effect really having nothing to do with the quality or lack of same of the game.
Sure I’ll sometimes join a pile-on on social media, but I won’t stop playing a good game that I am enjoying because of what bored ppl are posting on facebook. People are stopping playing NMS in droves though, herds even, so I suspect it does have something to do with lack of quality.
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### Author:  [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2016, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-mans-sky-first-star-to-the-right-and-straight-on-till-morning/759701/422 "2016-09-01T18:23:44Z")
> [@TimeWinder](#):
>
> Or 3 – most likely of all – the over-reaction of a few early players on social media took on a life of its own and produced a bandwagon effect really having nothing to do with the quality or lack of same of the game. Many of these “list of 30 biggest lies in NMS” articles appeared within hours of the game’s release, before folks could even have played it long enough to realize that 20 of them were about things that were actually in the game.
As has been pointed out, this is simply a variation of my possibility #1.
If in fact this is true, _why it is so much more true of this particular game than any other game?_ If in fact No Man’s Sky is NOT a flawed game that was sold on the basis of features it doesn’t possess, then why is it the gaming community chose this game to rip apart, unique among all games in the last few years? If the reason is not elements of the game, then what is the reason?
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### Author:  [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)
#### Post date: [September 2, 2016, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-mans-sky-first-star-to-the-right-and-straight-on-till-morning/759701/423 "2016-09-02T07:21:10Z")
I forgot to address this post. Here goes.
> [@Richard\_Pearse](#):
>
> Have you played it? It’s certainly not “really bad”.
I haven’t played it. I’ve watched twitch streams and read what other people who’ve played it have to say. I would say that it’s pretty bad. The fundamental gameplay loop is boring and unchallenging. The world building isn’t that strong - there’s not enough wonder and feeling of a live universe to really feel like you’re a part of something big. There’s just not a whole lot there. I don’t know what I could get by playing the game that I wouldn’t get by watching a twitch stream.
And it’s clear that only a very few people are having fun with it. The game peaked at under 7500 people yesterday. That’s losing almost 97% of the player base in less than 3 weeks. There are massive reports of refunds. If that’s not bad, I don’t know what is.
> [@](#):
>
> To me, it’s a bit like Minecraft, a pretty game that I enjoy playing but is not deep enough to hold my attention for any length of time.
I mean, other people have addressed this - I’m not going to question your subjective experience, but minecraft is way deeper. Obviously most gamers feel the same way, since Minecraft is possibly the biggest game ever, and NMS can’t hold onto 4% of its player base.
> [@](#):
>
> If no one bought games day one and always waited for reviews they would soon discover that just because something reviews well doesn’t mean they will enjoy playing it. They will then go back to buying games that look like they might interest them without relying on reviews. I mean really, why base your spending on whether another person likes something or not? Isn’t the important point whether YOU like it?
Oh come on. I can’t believe you’re trying to defend the position of “no, I’d rather not know how the game turned out, it’s better to throw my money in blind”
You don’t like following review scores? Okay, well actually read the review and see what they’re telling you and make your decisions about that, even if the reviewer didn’t like it. Don’t like reviews at all? Fine, fire up twitch or youtube and watch someone else play the game.
I can’t believe I actually have to defend the position here that knowing more about the game is better than paying your money blind. And I’m not even talking about waiting weeks or even days. Streams will be up within minutes of the game’s release.
This is lunacy. “No, I’m not gonna learn my lesson, it’s better if you buy games blind even if they’re crap. If you’re waiting for a game for 3 years, you just can’t wait 3 hours after it comes out! You have to charge in there and just buy it! That’s the best way”
This feels like the marshmallow experiment/instant gratification failure combined with choice-supportive bias where once you’ve made your decision you’re going to warp your reality around supporting that decision. I can’t believe that people make the decision to blindly preorder with no benefit, and then even when it blows up in their face, they somehow become even more convinced they made the right move and need to do it again. You gain no advantages by doing this, only disadvantages.
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### Author:  [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)
#### Post date: [September 2, 2016, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-mans-sky-first-star-to-the-right-and-straight-on-till-morning/759701/424 "2016-09-02T07:45:51Z")
Senor Beef is right about this. NMS is now a cautionary tale. For all those gamers inclined to pre-order games, with digital downloads being the norm nowadays, pre-ordering is just not that brilliant an idea.
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### Author:  [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)
#### Post date: [September 2, 2016, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-mans-sky-first-star-to-the-right-and-straight-on-till-morning/759701/425 "2016-09-02T08:01:34Z")
I’m curious, having not played at all bt looked at a few videos, is there any point to space combat if you don’t want to be a space-dick? Do you actually get attacked in space for no reason?
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### Author:  [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)
#### Post date: [September 2, 2016, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-mans-sky-first-star-to-the-right-and-straight-on-till-morning/759701/426 "2016-09-02T08:03:26Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#):
>
> I haven’t played it. I’ve watched twitch streams and read what other people who’ve played it have to say. I would say that it’s pretty bad.
Wait, you’re carrying negatively on at length in a nearly 10-page long thread about _a game you haven’t even played_??? Come on man, that’s… one of the reasons people think gamers as a group are entitled whiners.
I know you love gaming, but seriously, do you not see that being this opinionated on a game you haven’t played is pretty much the textbook example of an internet stereotype?
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### Author:  [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)
#### Post date: [September 2, 2016, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-mans-sky-first-star-to-the-right-and-straight-on-till-morning/759701/427 "2016-09-02T08:17:47Z")
Why do you feel the need to make personal attacks? What does it matter if I’ve played it? Am I saying anything that’s incorrect? Can you contest my arguments?
What is whining or entitled about anything I’m saying? Entitled to what? A world where publishers care about the quality of their product? A world where people actually see what they’re buying before they buy it?
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### Author:  [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)
#### Post date: [September 2, 2016, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-mans-sky-first-star-to-the-right-and-straight-on-till-morning/759701/428 "2016-09-02T09:13:24Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#):
>
> Wait, you’re carrying negatively on at length in a nearly 10-page long thread about _a game you haven’t even played_??? Come on man, that’s… one of the reasons people think gamers as a group are entitled whiners.
>
> I know you love gaming, but seriously, do you not see that being this opinionated on a game you haven’t played is pretty much the textbook example of an internet stereotype?
I just find it a bit weird, as I posted about earlier.
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### Author:  [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)
#### Post date: [September 2, 2016, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-mans-sky-first-star-to-the-right-and-straight-on-till-morning/759701/429 "2016-09-02T09:14:27Z")
> [@Mr\_Shine](#):
>
> Do you actually get attacked in space for no reason?
Yes. Although the reason may be that you are carrying valuable cargo. Let’s just say I’ve been attacked and died.
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### Author:  [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)
#### Post date: [September 2, 2016, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-mans-sky-first-star-to-the-right-and-straight-on-till-morning/759701/430 "2016-09-02T11:49:44Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#):
>
> I forgot to address this post. Here goes.
>
> I haven’t played it.
OK then. I really don’t understand why you are so invested in all of this. Take a chill pill and let people buy what they want to buy without being so patronising.
> [@](#):
>
> Oh come on. I can’t believe you’re trying to defend the position of “no, I’d rather not know how the game turned out, it’s better to throw my money in blind”
The position is, “the only person who knows if I will enjoy the game is me, not some stranger living half way around the world.”
> [@](#):
>
> You don’t like following review scores? Okay, well actually read the review and see what they’re telling you and make your decisions about that, even if the reviewer didn’t like it. Don’t like reviews at all? Fine, fire up twitch or youtube and watch someone else play the game.
Why?
I can’t think of anything more boring than watching someone else play a video game.
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [September 2, 2016, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-mans-sky-first-star-to-the-right-and-straight-on-till-morning/759701/431 "2016-09-02T11:53:42Z")
No, the only person who knows if you _did_ enjoy the game is you. You don’t know for sure if you _will_ enjoy it. But you can get a better idea by reading reviews and watching gameplay videos.
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### Author:  [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)
#### Post date: [September 2, 2016, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-mans-sky-first-star-to-the-right-and-straight-on-till-morning/759701/432 "2016-09-02T12:17:45Z")
> [@Chronos](#):
>
> No, the only person who knows if you _did_ enjoy the game is you. You don’t know for sure if you _will_ enjoy it. But you can get a better idea by reading reviews and watching gameplay videos.
How typically pedantic.
I honestly have no interest in watching game play videos, the idea sounds batshit boring, but mainly if I’m going to play a game I’d like to go in fresh without having seen anything. Reviews have their uses but I’m not about to hold off on buying a game I like the concept of just because someone else might not like it.
Edit: It’s not like I have a bad track record with buying games. I have very few dud games.
> [@Senor Beef](#):
>
> What is whining or entitled about anything I’m saying? Entitled to what? A world where publishers care about the quality of their product? A world where people actually see what they’re buying before they buy it?
It’s like you really really care about this, but see, I don’t give a shit about it. I don’t care what people spend their money on or when they spend it. I don’t care if a million people buy a bad game. So when you seem to really really care about it, it just seems weird, especially for a game you haven’t played. This is the entertainment industry, little bits of fluff to keep us amused briefly. I don’t get your fervour.
What I care a little bit about, is someone I don’t know questioning me on my spending habits, which is why I keep replying, against my better judgement.
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### Author:  [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)
#### Post date: [September 2, 2016, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-mans-sky-first-star-to-the-right-and-straight-on-till-morning/759701/433 "2016-09-02T12:28:58Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#):
>
> The world building isn’t that strong - there’s not enough wonder and feeling of a live universe to really feel like you’re a part of something big.
With all the text-heaviness and the odd sparseness of the game that you’re talking about here, I tend to assimilate the experience more to a game like The Witness than to Elite Dangerous. It’s not a live universe, it’s a carefully crafted, message-laden experience.
That, yes okay, kind of advertised itself as a live universe OKAY?! 😉
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [September 2, 2016, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-mans-sky-first-star-to-the-right-and-straight-on-till-morning/759701/434 "2016-09-02T14:53:03Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Quoth **Richard Pearse** :
>
> Reviews have their uses but I’m not about to hold off on buying a game I like the concept of just because someone else might not like it.
But that at least requires you to know what the concept of the game is, and the actual concept of NMS isn’t quite what it was advertised to be.
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### Author:  [@Teuton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teuton)
#### Post date: [September 2, 2016, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-mans-sky-first-star-to-the-right-and-straight-on-till-morning/759701/435 "2016-09-02T15:02:05Z")
> [@Richard\_Pearse](#):
>
> I don’t care if a million people buy a bad game.
I do, though, because they use sales figures as a reason to justify their next project, and if they can get away with it once, they’ll try again.
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### Author:  [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)
#### Post date: [September 2, 2016, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-mans-sky-first-star-to-the-right-and-straight-on-till-morning/759701/436 "2016-09-02T15:44:54Z")
I don’t need to speak for him, but I can understand why **SenorBeef** is talking about this: NMS is _hardly_ a business-as-usual game release. It has been a remarkable failure, the most striking in years. It may have a long-lasting effect on both gamers and the industry. It may change the nature of game marketing and pre-orders. It’s therefore _absolutely_ worth discussing, whether or not you’re someone who has played the game.
(Senor Beef, I notice, has not personally attacked anyone for liking NMS.)
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### Author:  [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)
#### Post date: [September 2, 2016, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-mans-sky-first-star-to-the-right-and-straight-on-till-morning/759701/437 "2016-09-02T16:02:57Z")
It’s interesting to talk about. The personal anger over it, from either side, seems unnecessary. I definitely appreciate threads that discuss games, as they’re one of the main ways I find new games to play, or decide which games to avoid. I don’t appreciate folks that get personal about it.
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### Author:  [@Chisquirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chisquirrel)
#### Post date: [September 2, 2016, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-mans-sky-first-star-to-the-right-and-straight-on-till-morning/759701/438 "2016-09-02T16:51:33Z")
> [@Teuton](#):
>
> I do, though, because they use sales figures as a reason to justify their next project, and if they can get away with it once, they’ll try again.
And they’ll get skewered. As an independent developer spending a lot of personal time promoting the game, Sean Murray and Grant Duncan are forever linked to No Man’s Sky, and the gross over-promising and under-delivering attached. As the head guy in a such a massive flop, a large portion of gaming sites and such will immediately recall THESE GUYS as the ones who were in charge of THAT GAME. That stigma is gonna follow them for years. I don’t think they intended to put out a bad game (and I still enjoy it), but they let the hype get out of control, got caught up in it, and ended up putting out wishes as guarantees, which led to MORE hype, and then incredible disappointment.
For reference, my two most-played games are DOTA 2 (same basic idea and gameplay since the original launched in 2003), and Dwarf Fortress (a.k.a. “Masochism Extreme”). NMS is a good time waster that doesn’t require much thought, reflexes, skill, or worry. You can’t permanently lose/die, there’s no competition for resources, no win/lose scenario, and no BIG SURPRISES (like Minecraft’s creepers or Subnautica’s reaper leviathans). I can piddle around when I get bored, explore, name random things how I like, and then wander off to do something else.
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### Author:  [@Teuton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teuton)
#### Post date: [September 2, 2016, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-mans-sky-first-star-to-the-right-and-straight-on-till-morning/759701/439 "2016-09-02T18:59:07Z")
> [@Chisquirrel](#):
>
> And they’ll get skewered.
Yeah, this is sort of my point, backing up SenorBeef. People in this thread are asking why people are being so anti the game, when it’s a decent game for them regardless of the hype or promises made. But I don’t think we can let the hype machine get away with such utter blatant lies.
And, as has been pointed out with the plummeting player figures (24 hour peak of 7436!) and reports of mass refunding, they have not got away with it.
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### Author:  [@Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrogance_Ex_Machina)
#### Post date: [September 2, 2016, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-mans-sky-first-star-to-the-right-and-straight-on-till-morning/759701/440 "2016-09-02T19:08:35Z")
> [@Teuton](#):
>
> And, as has been pointed out with the plummeting player figures (24 hour peak of 7436!) and reports of mass refunding, they have not got away with it.
They did make a ton of money before the backlash started. I really doubt the majority of buyers got a refund, most people probably played 5-8 hours, realized it’s not going to get better and just gave up. Whether it was all worth it for them is hard to say but at least money-wise I imagine they made profit.
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