Elite: Dangerous
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Elite in minor info shock!
The main news being that they can be individually owned, and do 500ly jumps at will. (IE if you're willing to grind the mystery fuel...)
Could be a neat end-game way to keep all your ships in one place etc.
Don't really know enough about the loadouts yet. (How is the Mining one different from the Explo one etc?)
The main news being that they can be individually owned, and do 500ly jumps at will. (IE if you're willing to grind the mystery fuel...)
Could be a neat end-game way to keep all your ships in one place etc.
Don't really know enough about the loadouts yet. (How is the Mining one different from the Explo one etc?)
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Haven't bothered to log in to the latest update. Training wheels and cosmetics grinding aren't super appealing 
This seeming SNAFU from the new cosmetics site is intriguing though
Lines up with the leak's chat about player owned bases down the line.
EDIT: Oh it seems the weapons reference isn't on the live site either. So possibly another little tell there. Hmmm.
This seeming SNAFU from the new cosmetics site is intriguing though
Lines up with the leak's chat about player owned bases down the line.
EDIT: Oh it seems the weapons reference isn't on the live site either. So possibly another little tell there. Hmmm.
Last edited by Golgot; 09-24-19 at 07:13 PM.
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Elite in shock 'actual news news'...
First Beta coming April 7th 
Kinda like the idea that they might generate revenue, acting like mini owned bases. (Even if I really doubt I'll go all spreadsheet king pin and run around undercutting markets etc).
Will be intriguing to see if there's any of this previously mentioned fore-shadowing involved: "In the subsequent updates we will be focusing on bringing in new features, perks and content, including a range of exciting new additions to the game that will build up to this new era."
Think I'll try 'em out in Beta first before even thinking about trying to work up 5bil!. (I've got 1bil tucked away I believe, mainly from an explo jaunt + mining experiment in the last meaningful update).
Since the initial reveal of Fleet Carriers, we've examined the concept of predefined load-outs and decided to invest additional time to ensure that fleet carriers offer the same level of flexibility and customization as other ships within Elite Dangerous. We've done this by adding more loadout options to make your carrier unique, and allow for player-to-player interaction like you've never seen before in Elite Dangerous!
- One of your most frequent questions about Fleet Carriers was: How much do they cost? Fleet Carriers will be a lucrative investment, costing 5,000,000,000cr at launch.
- Fleet Carriers are individually owned and feature 16 landing pads (of varying sizes) for other players to dock at.
- Fleet Carriers use a new fuel, Tritium, to jump from system to system.
- Fleet Carriers have a max jump range of 500LY at one time, with the ability to jump whenever the owner wants, however, they will have a build up and cool down period between jumps.
- You can manage your carrier's finances by setting tariffs and adjusting the buying and selling prices for commodities traded in it's market.
Kinda like the idea that they might generate revenue, acting like mini owned bases. (Even if I really doubt I'll go all spreadsheet king pin and run around undercutting markets etc).
Will be intriguing to see if there's any of this previously mentioned fore-shadowing involved: "In the subsequent updates we will be focusing on bringing in new features, perks and content, including a range of exciting new additions to the game that will build up to this new era."
Think I'll try 'em out in Beta first before even thinking about trying to work up 5bil!. (I've got 1bil tucked away I believe, mainly from an explo jaunt + mining experiment in the last meaningful update).
Last edited by Golgot; 03-26-20 at 01:54 PM.
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Ok, they’re definitely credit sinks... 5bil is just for the basic model...
The weekly costs / potential debt & loss sound a bit pants. Like if they require logins & management on a weekly basis. Meh to that.
Hopefully there’s more to them. And you can just leave them humming along for the most part on the busywork front...
---
Okayyy, dull as ditch-water time-sinks by the sound of it :/
No mass launching Org fighters, no manning the turrets in a last ditch defence. Just... trade games in the main :/. With exciting debt dangers...
Fleet Carriers - Content Reveal Recap
—
EDIT: Beta 2 is dialling down a load of costs massively, including getting 99% of your creds back if it gets melted due to debt. The melting thing is supposedly due to performance limits if too many are spawned / left in the same location etc. Passive upkeep / debt while you’re offline still a thing though. Still kinda spreadsheets-in-space meh on the game function front. Bah.
Once purchased, Commanders can choose whether to invest and open up new services on their mobile hubs, including repair docks, refueling stations, shipyards and more. Incorporating player-to-player commerce for the first time in Elite Dangerous, Fleet Carrier owners can also set tariffs on all goods traded on their Carrier's services to support the weekly upkeep costs, from wear and tear maintenance to crew wages and Tritium, a new fuel commodity needed to power the megaships.
Aspiring Commanders will be able to customize their Fleet Carriers to their hearts’ content, adapting these majestic spaceships to their preferred playstyle, but they will also need to plan and balance their finances to cover running costs, as persistent debt that eventually exceeds the debt threshold could see carriers decommissioned and sold for parts.
Aspiring Commanders will be able to customize their Fleet Carriers to their hearts’ content, adapting these majestic spaceships to their preferred playstyle, but they will also need to plan and balance their finances to cover running costs, as persistent debt that eventually exceeds the debt threshold could see carriers decommissioned and sold for parts.
Hopefully there’s more to them. And you can just leave them humming along for the most part on the busywork front...
---
Okayyy, dull as ditch-water time-sinks by the sound of it :/
No mass launching Org fighters, no manning the turrets in a last ditch defence. Just... trade games in the main :/. With exciting debt dangers...
Fleet Carriers - Content Reveal Recap
—
EDIT: Beta 2 is dialling down a load of costs massively, including getting 99% of your creds back if it gets melted due to debt. The melting thing is supposedly due to performance limits if too many are spawned / left in the same location etc. Passive upkeep / debt while you’re offline still a thing though. Still kinda spreadsheets-in-space meh on the game function front. Bah.
Last edited by Golgot; 05-09-20 at 08:32 PM.
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The leaks were correct
6 years+ after launch (and about 3 years after they initially intended)... Elite are finally going to add some character gameplay...
^^pre-alpha teaser now officially uploaded, having been taken down for a bit^^
It will probably be like NMS's super serious uncle, who's no fun at parties. But still, intrigued
(Unless they drop VR support. In which case, I shall go and play Star Citizen)
---
Official announcement. Seems like station interiors will be a thing too, if perhaps only at key hubs, as the file-diving suggested
The 'full spectrum' boots, vehicles + ships combat sounds potentially promising too.
---
Concept art for interiors:
---
CAVEAT:
Aaaand, it’s not going to support VR at launch...
This game just loves to troll me I swear
Ach, having waited 6 years, what’s another year though eh
* Starts researching offline mods that trigger the native VR... *
6 years+ after launch (and about 3 years after they initially intended)... Elite are finally going to add some character gameplay...
^^pre-alpha teaser now officially uploaded, having been taken down for a bit^^
It will probably be like NMS's super serious uncle, who's no fun at parties. But still, intrigued
(Unless they drop VR support. In which case, I shall go and play Star Citizen
)---
Official announcement. Seems like station interiors will be a thing too, if perhaps only at key hubs, as the file-diving suggested
The 'full spectrum' boots, vehicles + ships combat sounds potentially promising too.
It's time to disembark, Commander.
We are delighted to share with you a glimpse of the Next Era - Elite Dangerous: Odyssey.
Explore distant worlds on foot, expand the frontier of known space and leave your mark on the galaxy as you become the first person in history to explore lands untouched since time began.
So you've disembarked, you're standing for the first time on an unexplored planet. What can you do next? Here's an overview of what you can look forward to in Elite Dangerous: Odyssey.
One Giant Leap
See the galaxy like never before. Touch down on breathtaking planets powered by stunning new tech, soak in suns rising over unforgettable vistas, discover outposts and settlements, and explore with unrestricted freedom.
Forge Your Own Path
Take on a wide variety of contracts and play your way, from diplomacy and commerce to lethal stealth and all-out combat. Diverse settings, objectives, and NPCs offer endless mission variety and a near infinite amount of content to enjoy.
Assemble Your Crew
Social hubs spread throughout the galaxy give Commanders the ideal place to plan their next move. Form alliances, procure services, and even find expert support in highly coveted Engineers. These public outposts also help you acquire and upgrade weapons and gear to perfect your playing style.
The Sphere of Combat
Experience intense first-person combat, kit out your character with an array of weapons and gear, and coordinate with teammates to master a multi-layered, deep, tactical environment where Commanders, SRVs and Starships converge.
We are delighted to share with you a glimpse of the Next Era - Elite Dangerous: Odyssey.
Explore distant worlds on foot, expand the frontier of known space and leave your mark on the galaxy as you become the first person in history to explore lands untouched since time began.
So you've disembarked, you're standing for the first time on an unexplored planet. What can you do next? Here's an overview of what you can look forward to in Elite Dangerous: Odyssey.
One Giant Leap
See the galaxy like never before. Touch down on breathtaking planets powered by stunning new tech, soak in suns rising over unforgettable vistas, discover outposts and settlements, and explore with unrestricted freedom.
Forge Your Own Path
Take on a wide variety of contracts and play your way, from diplomacy and commerce to lethal stealth and all-out combat. Diverse settings, objectives, and NPCs offer endless mission variety and a near infinite amount of content to enjoy.
Assemble Your Crew
Social hubs spread throughout the galaxy give Commanders the ideal place to plan their next move. Form alliances, procure services, and even find expert support in highly coveted Engineers. These public outposts also help you acquire and upgrade weapons and gear to perfect your playing style.
The Sphere of Combat
Experience intense first-person combat, kit out your character with an array of weapons and gear, and coordinate with teammates to master a multi-layered, deep, tactical environment where Commanders, SRVs and Starships converge.
Concept art for interiors:
---
CAVEAT:
Aaaand, it’s not going to support VR at launch...
This game just loves to troll me I swear
Ach, having waited 6 years, what’s another year though eh
* Starts researching offline mods that trigger the native VR... *
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Road to Odyssey: Lead Designer Q&A - Notes
Assassination missions, tools & AI:
Settlement Power Core Missions: [1h4m15s]
'Heist' Missions:
- You could literally go into the settlement and just kill everybody, until you happen across the target. In an anarchy system, not so bad, but in a higher security system you'll have a lot more problems.
- But if you want to take a more considered approach, you could for instance find an information terminal in the settlement, and if you've managed to gain authorisation that allows you access to it, either by placing a hacking device on it, or scanning some of the AI that are already in the settlement, covertly, and basically duping their credentials, you can gain access to the staff list, pinpoint the target that you're after in terms of location, highlight them in-world with one of your AR markers, and it makes it much much easier to track them down. [1h1m13s]
- Once you've got the target marked you can then use some of the other tools to infiltrate the building perhaps that they're in, to circumvent some of the security measures. And then basically assassinate them completely discreetly.
- You could have a friend waiting outside as a getaway driver if things go south.
- The AI guys have done a fantastic job of getting the AI to a place where it feels really responsive and intelligent. It's stimuli based, so the AI is constantly looking for audio and visual stimuli that it can be interested in. Like you say, it might be that it sees a cut panel on the floor - it will be immediately interested in going to investigate that and have a look around that area... If it sees you actually cutting the panel, which is an illegal act in the settlement then they'll basically escalate. [1h2m50s]
Settlement Power Core Missions: [1h4m15s]
- Removing power cores from settlements.
- The power core is a key component of the reactor powering the settlement. If the core is removed it loses power, the lights go out, everything stops working, the doors stay locked in place. And security ramp up and investigate.
- You could have a powered down deserted settlement that wants to be back online, who give you a mission to transport the power core back in. Using the cutter tool to cut through closed doors, overcharging it to push the doors open.
- A mission extension to that can be some of the buildings might be on fire, because there have been fights there previously. You'll be tasked with venting those buildings once they're back online, to put the fires out, then repressurising them to complete the mission. The wrinkle is that there could already be pirates / scavengers in the settlement ransacking the place. Or you could be in the middle of the mission and a dropship could come and drop them in. Can be tense when you're there in the dark, in the torchlight, and you hear the dropship coming in. Sometimes you realise they've dropped in a really powerful crew of 'tier 5' guys.
- NB You have a visual scan, which gives basic name, health, shield & their 'strength/power'.
'Heist' Missions:
- Stealing power cores / output of industrial production / data.
- Can be missions, or just decide that a settlement looks vulnerable to it.
- NB you could take a power core and use it to power up a settlement that's in need of one etc.
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Elite: Odyssey
TLDR:
Trip Reports:
So I've been easing into the more combative missions in these 'wild west' settlements.
That's my big blue horse in the distance there. And it is BIIIIIG. (Even though there's not a huge amount of interaction between the ship world and the running around one, it is very cool to run back under the cover of your giant 'mothership' when taking fire)
It turns out that just driving around in your buggy, tagging and zapping scavengers, is a totally viable strategy. So I didn't end up using my new plasma sniper and automatic that much. (As fun as it is hopping around dusty roof tops, identifying patrols by their callouts...why not just get in an OP machine and spot them on the scanner?)
They did take its shields down fairly easily if in pairs or more, so it wasn't totally plain sailing. And the final survivor actually took it out entirely. But it turns out he was stuck in a wall, and completely invulnerable...
So I got in my big blue horse, eyeballed the wall from the air, and got him with the splash damage from some dumbfire missiles. Bugs be damned, I was going to finish that mission
---
I'm definitely enjoying this addition to the: 'Have space ship, will do mercenary work' game. But still not sure whether I'd recommend it to others, or whether it's got legs, right now.
Take the scavenging gameplay for example. It is definitely a kleptomaniac's dream. If you help out an abandoned settlement (by restarting its power source, or chasing off scavengers), you can help yourself to all its loot before the population returns. (This makes as much sense as loot in any RPG it seems).
But it's almost too large a pinyata at that point. I've been round a few now hoovering up everything, and it's atmospheric in the dark with your torch, and with the very slight risk that scavengers might return (or you might run out of battery packs while arc-cutting into cupboards and over-charging doorways... and die in some giant warehouse in the middle of nowhere...). But it does feel like it should be interspersed with another strand of gameplay.
Like, I'll keep doing it, because I do want the blueprints stashed away in a box. But yeah, it does feel more like shopping in an abandoned supermarket than scavenging on the fly, I guess.
^^large ship in large place^^
Ok so I found a variant of the 'loot the giant settlement' loop that's a bit more fun.
Got sent to repower a settlement that wasn't just offline, but on fire as well. That means there are electric sparks and flames everywhere that can damage you, making some passageways impassable etc. The solution, of finding decompression panels and starving the fires of oxygen, is pretty straightforward, but it adds some pleasing little aspects:
Doing this at night, with flickering settlement lights looking disturbingly like search party torches, is actually properly tense. Even though, of course, the scavengers didn't show this time in the end. (Despite me having an optional mission to kill them off if they did). But they have done before, and they will do again...
That underlying tension plays out for the POI crash sites too, where scavengers can also drop in, and it all makes a certain sense of the different suit loadouts. (You need to use the engineer suit with the cutting tool to scavenge, but it's a lot less capable in a fight than the dedicated combat version.)
The tensest of all though is probably trying to infiltrate an occupied settlement for some sneaky espionage, theft, or assassination. I'm only just gearing up to do these properly, without the safety net of the Alpha beneath me, but it's already pretty sweaty-palmed. Just casing joints, stealing data, and quickly revoking a hacked ID before a security scan provides plenty of opportunities for misadventure
Minor adventures in Pinkland [gallery]
Again, still don't know if I'd recommend it as yet. (The launch week issues are fairly profound, even if I'm mainly powering through it all with some hefty kit and a bit of bug-fu)
But as someone with a small fleet of fancy ships already (and some knowledge of how to get the best out of the game's worst bits...), I'm finding it all a solid and fine addition to the game
Some Random Vids I Just Watched:
TLDR:
- Game still super odd, with absurd amounts of flying-between-content. You need to be okay with handling a big trundling spaceship to enjoy it fully. Odds of chill scenes while doing so: High.
- The settlements, stealth, salvaging and combat are all solid, and complementary, if none exceptional in their own right:
- Combat gets a nice twist from the low-G jetpacking. The shield/armour meta is fine.
- Stealth can play out a fair few ways, depending on mission objective, location, and happenstance. Nice twists via assassination vs theft vs sabotage.
- Salvaging can be grindy, but the risk of AI incursions adds some zest.
- The new planet tech and flora make me want to try exploration properly. Because there's a vague suite of game mechanics now, and the location variety has improved...
- The end-game is still questionable. It's now 'upgrade your suit/weapons', alongside 'upgrade your ships'. Essentially it's still a sandbox where you've gotta tell your own stories and make your own fun...
Trip Reports:
Enjoying the Elite DLC, although it's tempered by not being able to play the main new stuff in VR.
Little gallery
The scavenging loop seems to be the way to upgrade your kit, so been doing a bit of that. (Scan planet with funky new, slightly broken, bio scanner. Trek down to site enjoying the pretty. Fight off anyone nearby. Cut panels off things with an arc cutter.)
Pretty simple in the main, but pretty chill. And should mean I survive better at the settlements, which are the main addition, and a lot more involved. (I have survived to date, but I've mainly been doing simple delivery missions. While somehow managing to anger the security guards by jet-packing over them while they're trying to scan me. I got away, but my ship had some holes in it...)
---
Pitchforks are out in some parts over performance and networking instability (very neg reviews on Steam etc). Would expect the latter to settle down at least.
(Also they angered the old school players by changing the UI. And the proc gen surfaces. And by making them park up their end game super-ships to help the servers)
Reckon it'll pull through though. Elite is like a doughty old labrador
Little gallery
The scavenging loop seems to be the way to upgrade your kit, so been doing a bit of that. (Scan planet with funky new, slightly broken, bio scanner. Trek down to site enjoying the pretty. Fight off anyone nearby. Cut panels off things with an arc cutter.)
Pretty simple in the main, but pretty chill. And should mean I survive better at the settlements, which are the main addition, and a lot more involved. (I have survived to date, but I've mainly been doing simple delivery missions. While somehow managing to anger the security guards by jet-packing over them while they're trying to scan me
. I got away, but my ship had some holes in it...)---
Pitchforks are out in some parts over performance and networking instability (very neg reviews on Steam etc). Would expect the latter to settle down at least.
(Also they angered the old school players by changing the UI. And the proc gen surfaces. And by making them park up their end game super-ships to help the servers
)Reckon it'll pull through though. Elite is like a doughty old labrador
So I've been easing into the more combative missions in these 'wild west' settlements.
That's my big blue horse in the distance there. And it is BIIIIIG. (Even though there's not a huge amount of interaction between the ship world and the running around one, it is very cool to run back under the cover of your giant 'mothership' when taking fire
)It turns out that just driving around in your buggy, tagging and zapping scavengers, is a totally viable strategy. So I didn't end up using my new plasma sniper and automatic that much. (As fun as it is hopping around dusty roof tops, identifying patrols by their callouts...why not just get in an OP machine and spot them on the scanner?)
They did take its shields down fairly easily if in pairs or more, so it wasn't totally plain sailing. And the final survivor actually took it out entirely. But it turns out he was stuck in a wall, and completely invulnerable...
So I got in my big blue horse, eyeballed the wall from the air, and got him with the splash damage from some dumbfire missiles. Bugs be damned, I was going to finish that mission
---
I'm definitely enjoying this addition to the: 'Have space ship, will do mercenary work' game. But still not sure whether I'd recommend it to others, or whether it's got legs, right now.
Take the scavenging gameplay for example. It is definitely a kleptomaniac's dream. If you help out an abandoned settlement (by restarting its power source, or chasing off scavengers), you can help yourself to all its loot before the population returns. (This makes as much sense as loot in any RPG it seems
). But it's almost too large a pinyata at that point. I've been round a few now hoovering up everything, and it's atmospheric in the dark with your torch, and with the very slight risk that scavengers might return (or you might run out of battery packs while arc-cutting into cupboards and over-charging doorways... and die in some giant warehouse in the middle of nowhere...). But it does feel like it should be interspersed with another strand of gameplay.
Like, I'll keep doing it, because I do want the blueprints stashed away in a box. But yeah, it does feel more like shopping in an abandoned supermarket than scavenging on the fly, I guess.
^^large ship in large place^^
Ok so I found a variant of the 'loot the giant settlement' loop that's a bit more fun.
Got sent to repower a settlement that wasn't just offline, but on fire as well. That means there are electric sparks and flames everywhere that can damage you, making some passageways impassable etc. The solution, of finding decompression panels and starving the fires of oxygen, is pretty straightforward, but it adds some pleasing little aspects:
- The indoor panels are easier to use, but they mean navigating the burning building to find them.
- The rooftop gear is easy enough to find, but cutting into them is so noisy that you're forever straining to hear if a scavenger crew is getting drop-shipped in nearby.
Doing this at night, with flickering settlement lights looking disturbingly like search party torches, is actually properly tense. Even though, of course, the scavengers didn't show this time in the end
. (Despite me having an optional mission to kill them off if they did). But they have done before, and they will do again...That underlying tension plays out for the POI crash sites too, where scavengers can also drop in, and it all makes a certain sense of the different suit loadouts. (You need to use the engineer suit with the cutting tool to scavenge, but it's a lot less capable in a fight than the dedicated combat version.)
The tensest of all though is probably trying to infiltrate an occupied settlement for some sneaky espionage, theft, or assassination. I'm only just gearing up to do these properly, without the safety net of the Alpha beneath me, but it's already pretty sweaty-palmed. Just casing joints, stealing data, and quickly revoking a hacked ID before a security scan provides plenty of opportunities for misadventure
Minor adventures in Pinkland [gallery]
Again, still don't know if I'd recommend it as yet. (The launch week issues are fairly profound, even if I'm mainly powering through it all with some hefty kit and a bit of bug-fu
)But as someone with a small fleet of fancy ships already (and some knowledge of how to get the best out of the game's worst bits...), I'm finding it all a solid and fine addition to the game
Ok so I've bumbled into two more ways scavenging can play out, which are a bit more than just a 'shopping mall' free for all...
In this exciting screenshot I am hiding in a dark industrial building.
That's because I had a mission to rescue a chemical sample from a cupboard. Which meant ransacking lots of cupboards in the dark, and taking everything I found regardless. But it was nice to have a focus for the kleptomania...
Unfortunately some glass vials rattled while I was doing this. It turns out that signalled a large unfriendly vessel, dropping off some large unfriendly scavengers.
Scans confirmed that the guys prowling the street were way above my pay-grade. And then they blew up my moon buggy. So this was now slightly tense.
By the time I'd scouted for alternate exits to arc cutter my way out of, their patrol had shifted streets. So I jet-packed to a safe roof, superman-skipped over to my ship, and came back to blow them up with dumbfire missiles. (Not all in one go, as it turns out some of them scattered and hid in time. So I got a rude awakening when sallying out again. But thanks to night vision, and their torch light being visible, I dealt with the rest in an ungentlemanly missile-based fashion too )
I rescued the stash, completing the mission, but then my personal project hit a wall. I'd wanted to steal some precious plans from the industrial data port, to improve my suit. But of course, in this abandoned settlement, the power was off. And I'd used all of my batteries cutting through doors by this point. My time was up.
I'd have to try a different approach. Head to a living settlement, and steal some data from under their noses instead...
I'll tell this one in picture form
Little image story
---
Ok so like, neither aspect is super novel. (Find the loot cupboard / steal objects from under people's noses).
But I do like how this all plays out. And how there's a basic backdrop to it all, in that if I piss off one faction too much (be they local industrialists, or local scavenging crews), it can be hell to pay down the line
Shame the DLC's getting murdered in Steam reviews over performance and such. I think they've done a pretty good job on the actual game
---
Bonus gallery of other people's exploration shots
(IE what the planets look like at their best, when the proc gen doesn't do something totally horrendous to them)
In this exciting screenshot I am hiding in a dark industrial building.
That's because I had a mission to rescue a chemical sample from a cupboard. Which meant ransacking lots of cupboards in the dark, and taking everything I found regardless. But it was nice to have a focus for the kleptomania...
Unfortunately some glass vials rattled while I was doing this. It turns out that signalled a large unfriendly vessel, dropping off some large unfriendly scavengers.
Scans confirmed that the guys prowling the street were way above my pay-grade. And then they blew up my moon buggy. So this was now slightly tense.
By the time I'd scouted for alternate exits to arc cutter my way out of, their patrol had shifted streets. So I jet-packed to a safe roof, superman-skipped over to my ship, and came back to blow them up with dumbfire missiles
. (Not all in one go, as it turns out some of them scattered and hid in time. So I got a rude awakening when sallying out again. But thanks to night vision, and their torch light being visible, I dealt with the rest in an ungentlemanly missile-based fashion too )I rescued the stash, completing the mission, but then my personal project hit a wall. I'd wanted to steal some precious plans from the industrial data port, to improve my suit. But of course, in this abandoned settlement, the power was off. And I'd used all of my batteries cutting through doors by this point. My time was up.
I'd have to try a different approach. Head to a living settlement, and steal some data from under their noses instead...
I'll tell this one in picture form
Little image story
---
Ok so like, neither aspect is super novel. (Find the loot cupboard / steal objects from under people's noses).
But I do like how this all plays out. And how there's a basic backdrop to it all, in that if I piss off one faction too much (be they local industrialists, or local scavenging crews), it can be hell to pay down the line
Shame the DLC's getting murdered in Steam reviews over performance and such. I think they've done a pretty good job on the actual game
---
Bonus gallery of other people's exploration shots
(IE what the planets look like at their best, when the proc gen doesn't do something totally horrendous to them
)Ok not sure if this explains the Elite DLC, especially given the weird mix of VR viewing formats it comes in, but I made a vid...
Apologies for the space playlist
Apologies for the space playlist
I'm liking the Elite DLC. You cannot stop me. I am liking it...
'Two Nights in the Universe' [gallery]
[Normal caveats: It's a really weird game. Performance at launch has been a bit poop.]
'Two Nights in the Universe' [gallery]
[Normal caveats: It's a really weird game. Performance at launch has been a bit poop.]
Some Random Vids I Just Watched:
Last edited by Golgot; 06-28-21 at 09:58 AM.
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User Lists
A Ponder on Negatives:
Having spent some time in these new moon boots, I can now see some negatives more clearly on the horizon...
Scavenging is grindy, even for Elite...
Having upped my key suits and weapons a few tiers, the real grind has kicked in...
To upgrade my favoured plasma pistol (and to even think about getting the sniper plasma going) I'd need 20+ units of one particular chemical, for just part of the recipe. Ransacking an entire biochem factory seems to turn up about 3 to 4. That's going through 20+ cupboards, arc-cutting at least half of them. Potentially opening 4 or so code-protected boxes to up my chances.
Even for someone who is a fiendish scavenger in games, this is too much. This 'loot the entire settlement' scenario is just too one-note, despite the modest spread of variations and surprises along the way. The prospect of 'loot 6 settlements to get 1/5th of the materials you need'... is Elite at its worst.
In the core game ship upgrading isn't nearly as painful. There's a broader diversity of kit combinations to chase, and those core improvements are all bought with credits alone (rather than being locked behind material recipes). The materials for the end-game 'engineering' itself can be earned in a broader variety of ways. They're littered throughout the game professions, and can be snagged just while playing organically.
EDO needs to broaden the scavenging pool to include combat (drops from kills etc), and exploration (rares from rare discoveries etc). That would go a long way to unwinding the grind, and allowing you to just enjoy-play your way to long-term targets.
And it's not the only long loop...
There's a certain sense to power stations taking 3 minutes to power down. (And some gameplay involved too, as alarms blaze, and Security charge there to prevent the shut-down). You can just about work it into an exit strategy too. (Let's see how much I can loot before the power cuts, freeing the precious Regulator for me to steal...).
But some of the loops seem needlessly painful. If you try to snag all of the data from a stuffed date port, you have to stand in its vicinity for around 3 minutes... This is not fun. (You can fill a minute by inching towards other loot, without breaking the connection, but that's it). Clearly you're supposed to pick and chose your thefts, but given just about everything will be useful at some point, and that it takes a long old jaunt to reach each settlement... it's not a fun decision either.
And talking of which...
Travel times are still absurd
This is a game where you have to take a dropship ride to the quickfire PvP mode. (Chose your location poorly and this could be a 20 minute journey). I'm not sure much more needs to be said. But it's worth noting that players have realised they can relog to reset the instance once they've completed a round, rather than travelling back to the station between rounds. Which you otherwise have to do...
Then add in:
The Crime & Punishment system is all kinds of meh.
It's not just the fairly arbitrary ways you can fall foul of it at times (parking violations, stray shots on security ships in a dogfight, accidentally showing your gun to a cop...), or the byzantine tiers of fines and bounties and angered factions that can accrue on your record (requiring a scrub over at an anarchy system). It's the way just a 200 credit fine can see you transported to a distant prison ship if you die, meaning you have to get a taxi all the way back, and then reclaim your ship. Just... not... fun... Or, exploitable in fun ways.
---
The thing I'm feeling the most keenly is the lack of VR on foot, but that's niche. These 4 elements will definitely prove a trial for anyone coming new to the game, and are a blot on the landscape for my own enjoyment too, for sure.
On balance I'm still having fun, and have a long list of things I want to try out. (Finally execute a proper theft without clutzing it up, go exploring for reals and find atmospheric oddities, track down a pirate band and take out their nest single handed...). But I do hope they at least add some different ways to 'loot' materials over the next 6 months...
Having spent some time in these new moon boots, I can now see some negatives more clearly on the horizon...
Scavenging is grindy, even for Elite...
Having upped my key suits and weapons a few tiers, the real grind has kicked in...
To upgrade my favoured plasma pistol (and to even think about getting the sniper plasma going) I'd need 20+ units of one particular chemical, for just part of the recipe. Ransacking an entire biochem factory seems to turn up about 3 to 4. That's going through 20+ cupboards, arc-cutting at least half of them. Potentially opening 4 or so code-protected boxes to up my chances.
Even for someone who is a fiendish scavenger in games, this is too much. This 'loot the entire settlement' scenario is just too one-note, despite the modest spread of variations and surprises along the way. The prospect of 'loot 6 settlements to get 1/5th of the materials you need'... is Elite at its worst.
In the core game ship upgrading isn't nearly as painful. There's a broader diversity of kit combinations to chase, and those core improvements are all bought with credits alone (rather than being locked behind material recipes). The materials for the end-game 'engineering' itself can be earned in a broader variety of ways. They're littered throughout the game professions, and can be snagged just while playing organically.
EDO needs to broaden the scavenging pool to include combat (drops from kills etc), and exploration (rares from rare discoveries etc). That would go a long way to unwinding the grind, and allowing you to just enjoy-play your way to long-term targets.
And it's not the only long loop...
There's a certain sense to power stations taking 3 minutes to power down. (And some gameplay involved too, as alarms blaze, and Security charge there to prevent the shut-down). You can just about work it into an exit strategy too. (Let's see how much I can loot before the power cuts, freeing the precious Regulator for me to steal...).
But some of the loops seem needlessly painful. If you try to snag all of the data from a stuffed date port, you have to stand in its vicinity for around 3 minutes... This is not fun. (You can fill a minute by inching towards other loot, without breaking the connection, but that's it). Clearly you're supposed to pick and chose your thefts, but given just about everything will be useful at some point, and that it takes a long old jaunt to reach each settlement... it's not a fun decision either.
And talking of which...
Travel times are still absurd
This is a game where you have to take a dropship ride to the quickfire PvP mode. (Chose your location poorly and this could be a 20 minute journey). I'm not sure much more needs to be said
. But it's worth noting that players have realised they can relog to reset the instance once they've completed a round, rather than travelling back to the station between rounds. Which you otherwise have to do...Then add in:
The Crime & Punishment system is all kinds of meh.
It's not just the fairly arbitrary ways you can fall foul of it at times (parking violations, stray shots on security ships in a dogfight, accidentally showing your gun to a cop...), or the byzantine tiers of fines and bounties and angered factions that can accrue on your record (requiring a scrub over at an anarchy system). It's the way just a 200 credit fine can see you transported to a distant prison ship if you die, meaning you have to get a taxi all the way back, and then reclaim your ship. Just... not... fun... Or, exploitable in fun ways.
---
The thing I'm feeling the most keenly is the lack of VR on foot, but that's niche. These 4 elements will definitely prove a trial for anyone coming new to the game, and are a blot on the landscape for my own enjoyment too, for sure.
On balance I'm still having fun, and have a long list of things I want to try out. (Finally execute a proper theft without clutzing it up, go exploring for reals and find atmospheric oddities, track down a pirate band and take out their nest single handed...). But I do hope they at least add some different ways to 'loot' materials over the next 6 months...
Last edited by Golgot; 06-11-21 at 09:55 PM.
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Back on the Fun Stuff:
^^ You can see into the station hubs from outside while flying. Tis a cute touch ^^
Teen-rated Kicks
ED is a game that ticks a lot of boxes for me. I like PvE gameplay for 'roleplay' games. I like being able to tell my own stories and set my own challenges in a stupidly open world. I like having the option of PvP and co-op, all in the same build. And I love 'vehicle + infantry' games generally. (Even if having all of these things together compromises and stretches the game design to breaking point as rule, and it absolutely does in ED).
Essentially, I'm enjoying being back
I do hope that the patch run they're on adds the promised mission sharing, and further networking stability, as they're needed for the multiplay sides. But I'm happy just pushing my nose into the PvE world for now...
---
The 'Combat Zone' mode is actually pretty rad:
It's not super innovative, but the jump-pack and '3 tier verticality' of the maps is working well for me. (Here's a standard rooftop vantage point, but you can often jet further up to precarious industrial perches too).
Alongside the solid-enough AI behaviour I've been getting lost in it quite happily. I like how the dropships are perpetually spiralling down overhead, and the dropped squads can suddenly swamp a position, forcing you to change strategies on the fly. (Do you hold the point via cover, mobility and consumables? Pull back to that ammo box and slow down their advance? Relinquish hold of the area entirely, but take out their shields from the high ground, leaving them easy prey for AI allies running to intercede?)
Although the AI can get baffled, and tank too helpfully at points, they do flank pretty effectively and pursue alternate strategies if one isn't working. Both as opponents and when on your team.
The shield/armour meta has its moments too. The slow-moving plasma projectiles (which damage both shield & armour) are challenging to use, and satisfying when they come off. Peeling away and shield sniping with an energy weapon is fittingly co-op. The constant weapon swap and reloading isn't ideal, but the pros (in terms of regular tactical considerations) outweigh the cons at the moment, just about.
Add in the bonus 'map awareness' aspect of keeping an ammo box or recharge point close, and there's plenty to stay on top of overall. (Although occasional ammo drops from bodies etc wouldn't go amiss!)
Due to a bug I've mainlined a few 'Low' CZs recently (higher ones don't count towards a certain grind target). Although they're a bit of a cake walk with my slightly upgraded kit, playing with loadouts, and leaping around like a zero-G superman, is still proving pretty fun. (I do want to get back to the greater mania and ebb and flow of more competitive rounds though...)
It desperately needs some QoL love. (Like, giving us the option to just join the next round immediately, rather than flying all the way back to the station... or relogging to work around it... meaning you start out with unreplenished ammo/grenades/energy etc
)
And a proper, dedicated vehicle + infantry version would be grand. (Rather than the current options, where you can just rock up in your vehicles and mess with everyone if you fancy it)
At some point I'll see just how bastard bad it is to play online, with no proximity chat, no guarantee of players being in that solar system, and me on an Xbox controller, playing on a floating 2D screen, in VR...
---
Aesthetically pleasing?:
Some ED regulars don't like the planet generation, or other stylistic changes, but for me it's all looking swisher, and working pretty well from 'eye level'.
As much as you can still see the 2014 base clear as day, and the compromises they've made to achieve the scale, it's further down the line now to conjuring up a populated galactic world...
I'm forgiving the empty spaces transits more, now it's more regularly book-ended by scenes like this
Some Planets I Have Visited[ [Gallery]
^^ You can see into the station hubs from outside while flying. Tis a cute touch
^^Teen-rated Kicks
ED is a game that ticks a lot of boxes for me. I like PvE gameplay for 'roleplay' games. I like being able to tell my own stories and set my own challenges in a stupidly open world. I like having the option of PvP and co-op, all in the same build. And I love 'vehicle + infantry' games generally. (Even if having all of these things together compromises and stretches the game design to breaking point as rule, and it absolutely does in ED
). Essentially, I'm enjoying being back
I do hope that the patch run they're on adds the promised mission sharing, and further networking stability, as they're needed for the multiplay sides. But I'm happy just pushing my nose into the PvE world for now...
---
The 'Combat Zone' mode is actually pretty rad:
It's not super innovative, but the jump-pack and '3 tier verticality' of the maps is working well for me. (Here's a standard rooftop vantage point, but you can often jet further up to precarious industrial perches too).
Alongside the solid-enough AI behaviour I've been getting lost in it quite happily. I like how the dropships are perpetually spiralling down overhead, and the dropped squads can suddenly swamp a position, forcing you to change strategies on the fly. (Do you hold the point via cover, mobility and consumables? Pull back to that ammo box and slow down their advance? Relinquish hold of the area entirely, but take out their shields from the high ground, leaving them easy prey for AI allies running to intercede?)
Although the AI can get baffled, and tank too helpfully at points, they do flank pretty effectively and pursue alternate strategies if one isn't working. Both as opponents and when on your team.
The shield/armour meta has its moments too. The slow-moving plasma projectiles (which damage both shield & armour) are challenging to use, and satisfying when they come off. Peeling away and shield sniping with an energy weapon is fittingly co-op. The constant weapon swap and reloading isn't ideal, but the pros (in terms of regular tactical considerations) outweigh the cons at the moment, just about.
Add in the bonus 'map awareness' aspect of keeping an ammo box or recharge point close, and there's plenty to stay on top of overall. (Although occasional ammo drops from bodies etc wouldn't go amiss!)
Due to a bug I've mainlined a few 'Low' CZs recently (higher ones don't count towards a certain grind target). Although they're a bit of a cake walk with my slightly upgraded kit, playing with loadouts, and leaping around like a zero-G superman, is still proving pretty fun
. (I do want to get back to the greater mania and ebb and flow of more competitive rounds though...) It desperately needs some QoL love. (Like, giving us the option to just join the next round immediately, rather than flying all the way back to the station... or relogging to work around it... meaning you start out with unreplenished ammo/grenades/energy etc
)And a proper, dedicated vehicle + infantry version would be grand. (Rather than the current options, where you can just rock up in your vehicles and mess with everyone if you fancy it
)At some point I'll see just how bastard bad it is to play online, with no proximity chat, no guarantee of players being in that solar system, and me on an Xbox controller, playing on a floating 2D screen, in VR...
---
Aesthetically pleasing?:
Some ED regulars don't like the planet generation, or other stylistic changes, but for me it's all looking swisher, and working pretty well from 'eye level'.
As much as you can still see the 2014 base clear as day, and the compromises they've made to achieve the scale, it's further down the line now to conjuring up a populated galactic world...
I'm forgiving the empty spaces transits more, now it's more regularly book-ended by scenes like this
Some Planets I Have Visited[ [Gallery]
Last edited by Golgot; 06-11-21 at 06:27 PM.
X
User Lists
Just sticking this here because it's a fun lil sequence:
BETTER WITH SOUND
Guy on simple delivery mission scans a security guard, unearthing that he's wanted in another system, making him aggro, and the whole settlement follows suit... Eventually hops away like crazy low G frog...
I think I just like the scale of his battered ship, and the NPC one that heaves into the air as he scampers about.
EDIT: It also seems to show temperature flips as he runs in and out of shadows, with direct sunlight pushing him into danger territory. (Although it doesn't seem to happen super reliably...)
Honestly I've never really had to use it as a mechanic, but guess it could become a thing if you were casing a settlement for a long time and ran out of spare batteries. (Being in extreme temps drains your power faster - it would make sense to hug the shadows then - or avoid them on a cold planet).
BETTER WITH SOUND
Guy on simple delivery mission scans a security guard, unearthing that he's wanted in another system, making him aggro, and the whole settlement follows suit... Eventually hops away like crazy low G frog...
I think I just like the scale of his battered ship, and the NPC one that heaves into the air as he scampers about.
EDIT: It also seems to show temperature flips as he runs in and out of shadows, with direct sunlight pushing him into danger territory. (Although it doesn't seem to happen super reliably...)
Honestly I've never really had to use it as a mechanic, but guess it could become a thing if you were casing a settlement for a long time and ran out of spare batteries. (Being in extreme temps drains your power faster - it would make sense to hug the shadows then - or avoid them on a cold planet).
Last edited by Golgot; 06-28-21 at 09:57 AM.
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User Lists
Time for another trip report:
Catastrophe Is Catching
The one thing I don't mention there is that at one point the whole building started to melt and disappear in sections, and I had to log in and out :/
(I've heard of this bug, but haven't seen it til now. Think it might be the start of floating point errors that end up like this)
---
EDIT:
And another:
The Power of Stealth
Catastrophe Is Catching
The one thing I don't mention there is that at one point the whole building started to melt and disappear in sections, and I had to log in and out :/
(I've heard of this bug, but haven't seen it til now. Think it might be the start of floating point errors that end up like this
)---
EDIT:
And another:
The Power of Stealth
Last edited by Golgot; 07-02-21 at 12:04 PM.
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User Lists
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