OT: [Elite Dangerous] looks awesome

Mr Bigglesworth

Mr Bigglesworth

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Sep 14, 2013
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Star Citizen is getting all the hype, but Elite Dangerous is about to enter beta.

ED has now gone into Alpha 4, the last alpha phase before the beta starts at the end of this month. Having played the original back in the early-mid 80s, I was initially attracted to it out of pure nostalgia. But the more I look into it the more impressed I am. I mean, this thing looks awesome...

http://elite.frontier.co.uk/


Highlights:

- 100,000+ known star systems modeled in the galaxy with an additional 399 billion (BILLION) procedurally generated
- Uses multiplayer instancing to create play sessions, but persistent statistics such as economics, are stored centrally
- There will be 25 ships to purchase at launch
- Fight for a faction, be a pirate or bounty hunter, trader or explorer - it's all up to you
- If the sound design team doesn't win an award for their work then sound should be banned from all games

The Alpha 4 stage introduces a "bubble" of playable space containing 5 systems. New hyperspace effects plus the "supercruise" mode for in-system travel are introduced. There's no NDA so there are some good videos that show the game in action. Make sure you watch in HD and turn the sound UP:

The Galaxy Map


Planetary Rings


A Trade Run


An Alpha Tester took this 13 hour time-lapse video at the rate of 1 screenshot per half-minute, that shows the movement of a moon in orbit. Yes, all planets, moons and stations have orbits and move along their orbits.




I shelled out for the Premium Beta, which is pretty much an extension of their Kickstarter campaign, so as of May 30th I'll be able to post my own videos and impressions. Apparently at that beta we'll have a much larger galaxy to play in.
 
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Plus. I have funded both Star Citizen and Elite Dangerous, but as Star Citizen rakes up more money, my hype moves to ED more. It's just that David Braben does not try to play a hero or anything and tries to keep expectations on an extremely realistic level while his team is still making a great game that looks just awesome. If you look at the videos, while Stat Citizen looks great technically, the visual intrgrity of Elite Dangerous just oozes out the atmosphere on every corner. And to make all of that randomly generated? Well I'll be damned.
 
It's strange but Elite is simultaneously larger and smaller in scope than Star Citizen, from what I understand. Star Citizen seems to model everything down to the smallest scratch of paint on each ship, but it's a limited play area with a scripted campaign. Elite does the opposite and is shaping up to be a sandbox on a galactic scale. There are some EVE Online elements to Elite particularly as it relates to PVP rules. Though, there is no crafting metagame in Elite that I am aware of, though apparently there is mining, and of course trading is one of the main pillars.
 
Updated OT with another video that shows a moon moving in orbit around its planet over 13 hours
 
Only funded for Star Citizen so far but this too looks epic so I'll pick this up when it's ready.
 
Mr Bigglesworth said:
It's strange but Elite is simultaneously larger and smaller in scope than Star Citizen, from what I understand. Star Citizen seems to model everything down to the smallest scratch of paint on each ship, but it's a limited play area with a scripted campaign. Elite does the opposite and is shaping up to be a sandbox on a galactic scale. There are some EVE Online elements to Elite particularly as it relates to PVP rules. Though, there is no crafting metagame in Elite that I am aware of, though apparently there is mining, and of course trading is one of the main pillars.
Click to expand...

That's the advantage of an established developer 100% comprised of veterans instead of a new developer made up of working-at-home employees all around the world. We need to see the end result, but Elite's procedural design is not that far behind Star Citizen's handmade universe, based of what I've seen. This is possible only when a developer is entirely sure of what they are doing. With SC-like budget they would have been able to do more, but I like ED for what it is, and with the Premium Beta that we are a part of, we get all the future expansion pack, so how great is that?
 
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Apparently in Elite, as you travel through the galaxy to the uncharted (ie procedurally generated) systems, you will be able to "discover" them and they then become accessible by others. They are essentially registered in the central database with credit given to you for the discovery. I mean just look at what they are proposing with the whole Explorer gameplay ... you can sell your discoveries to others, whether it's hyperspace routes, coordinates for asteroids, planets, secret bases ... it's all a bit mind blowing:

http://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6418

In Elite: Dangerous explorers are players who travel out into undiscovered areas of the galaxy, hoping to find previously undiscovered systems and locations. Explorers scan and record data wherever they go, and can sell that data on to various interested authorities. Explorers can also sell on data they have discovered to other players, allowing them to sell the co-ordinates of a valuable find to the highest bidder, or keep their discoveries to exploit for themselves.

Explorer players must discover different points of interest using different methods. Explorer players’ main method of making money is through selling details of points of interest they discover.

Points of interest players can discover include:
- Star Systems
- Dark Systems (systems without a star, but other features)
- Stars
- Planets
- Asteroids, comets
- Moons
- Structures
- Other Phenomena

These Discovered locations may include:
- Secret Locations
- Resources
- Events/Missions (time limited and permenant)
- Beauty spots (usually attached to other entities)
- Messages/Beacons

Players explore to build up the details on their galaxy map
- When starting a new commander the player will have some details on their galaxy map
- This will allow the player to travel to any locations they have map data to, without having to explore
- Players can buy map data from authorities to expand their ships computers library of maps
- New map data will allow the player to travel to new locations without needing to explore
- Map data that is bought from authorities is not to the highest level of detail and can be improved with player gathered data
- Map data includes hyperspace routes to systems and major points of interest in that system
- Players can use scanning equipment and probes to detect systems and record new hyperspace routes

Scanners are used to detect any nearby systems that are within the players jump range
- Scanners will give the player a vague indication of the direction of a system
- High end scanners can give the player a better details of the system they have detected (is it a star, an asteroid field etc.)

Players can then launch hyperspace probes that will give the player more information on the part of space they are looking at
- Probes will give the player heat-map style data to help guide the player to the correct co-ordinates for a jump
- Different probe ammo can provide different information, or react based on objects in the target system
- Using the data they have gathered the player must align their ship as best they can with the target system and activate the hyperdrive to jump to the system

The player’s ship records data of any successful jumps the player makes
- The pilots federation will always pay players for the first successful jump they make using the exploration method (If the player bought the map data for the jump they cannot sell the data), even if the player is not the first person ever to make the jump (the pilots federation use the data to improve their telemetry and keep maps up to date)
- If the player is the first person to ever make the journey they receive a bonus for discovering the hyperspace route
- The closer the player lines up their jump to the target system, the higher quality the data the players ship will gather on the jump. Higher quality data is worth more money when sold to authorities
- If a player’s jump is not accurate enough they may suffer a miss jump
- Longer distance jumps require a higher level of accuracy

A systems contents may also affect how accurate a players jump must be to avoid mis-jumping
- Players use scanners to detect points of interest within systems
- The player’s scanners detect various points of interest around the player
- It takes time for players scanners to detect points of interest
- Player’s proximity to a point of interest can affect the time it takes to detect
- Players ship facing can affect the time it takes to detect a point of interest (e.g. pointing my ship at a undiscovered point of interest will allow me to scan it faster)

Different types of points of interest can require different player actions to detect
- For example to detect a mineral rich formation of asteroids the player must launch probes around an asteroid field
- The probes provide a cross section from their perspective of the asteroid field they’re launched at
- Each additional probe the player uses provides more details on the target asteroid field
- The player uses their scanner to view the data from the probes, and must tag the areas with the highest concentration of minerals in the field
- Once this process is complete the point of interest is completed
- The quality of the players scan of the area affects the value of the data
- The quality of the player’s scan can affect the amount and type of materials found in the asteroids

Players can sell information they have gathered to other players as well as authorities. This is done through a trade interface similar to the trade goods trading interface. Players can sell hyperspace routes from their location to any single system they have explored to. The purchasing player then offers a price (this can be 0 if it is a gift), and if both players are satisfied they agree to the trade. Players can also trade in system data including locations of points of interest using the same method.

I’d like to gauge player interest in a community driven photography contest, which would be another way of explorers earning money.
- Players can take photographs (essentially screenshots) from their view ports (with and without cockpit and GUI etc)
- Player photographs can be submitted to a regular photography contest
- Players can only submit one photograph each
- Players can vote on a selection of the best photographs
- The player(s) who get the most votes wins the competition
- The winner gets a (in game) cash prize (plus prizes for 2nd 3rd most weird etc.)
- The photograph (and other user submissions) will be used in appropriate places in the game (billboards, news papers, etc.)

Players who decide to go exploring are jumping into the unknown, and without high end kit, often with little to no knowledge of the dangers they are jumping in to. Alongside the risk of encountering hostility when jumping to an unknown system, explorers scanners attract a lot of attention, generating lots of heat. Explorer ships will need to be prepared to face hostile activity when exploring, and players need to be ready to fight for their claims or run for their lives.
Click to expand...
 
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Premium beta has begun.

If Star Citizen is all about the glory of space exploration, Elite is more about how scary it all can be. Visual design and sound effects excel at scaring the **** out of players. The cracking sound of canopy when the hull damage is serious, the spin-out recoil from supercruising when interrupted by faction fighters, somewhat difficult docking, occasionally cryptic (but still easy to learn) UI and control, etc., a lot of things make Elite a truly scary experience, but in a good way. I guess, as a "mostly harmless" pilot, I will try to explore and trade on the already explored territories for tens of hours at first, and then try to find and do something else when I get used to everything.
 
I'm sorta all-in on Star Citizen so I can't justify putting any money towards this even though it looks really cool.
 
Yeah just put an hour in on the premium beta. It was my first time trying out the docking, hyperspace, supercruise, etc. I also wanted to give the XB360 controller a real honest try, because apparently more than half the Frontier developers are using it as their primary controller.

I took a video which is uploading now, it was pretty tough getting good aim on my targets, but once i bound the yaw toggle to my left thumbstick click button, so I could switch between roll and yaw quickly, it got much easier. Maybe I won't have to shell out for a HOTAS now.

There are of course rough edges around the game but the potential is pretty exciting. I hope they open the galaxy up beyond the 5 current systems soon.
 
Elite and Frontier: Elite 2 was some awesome games.

Backed Elite Dangerous the moment it showed up on kickstarter.
 
Pc only?

Btw that is the worst title I've ever seen considering how epic the game looks, the title sounds like some dumb fps shooter.
 
de3d1 said:
Pc only?

Btw that is the worst title I've ever seen considering how epic the game looks, the title sounds like some dumb fps shooter.
Click to expand...

Well, it was Elite in 1983, and then Elite: Frontier came out in the 90s. I agree Elite Dangerous is ... different ... there's a lore-based reason for it but yeah, I think just Elite or maybe Elite Galaxy would have been better.
 
(sigh) Games like this have nasty,NASTY history of releasing with so many bugs it makes you wonder why it was released in the first place (yes,I'm looking at you Sword of the Stars 2!). And now you got games like Star Citizen asking for money to buy premium ships years ahead of release. Geesh.

Wake me from cryosleep when someone releases a remake of Starflight.

Starflight_cover.jpg
 
I was hoping Star Trek Bridge COmmander would be like Starflight, but it was not so. If any games needs a remake it's Starflight!
 
The "standard beta" for Elite Dangerous has come out with a number of new additions and changes, including first pass at a comms system, the start of the missions system, as well as opening up the explorable area to 55 systems.

The comms are ... difficult at best, as is the matchmaking. FD have a history of releasing placeholder systems in the game just to test basic gameplay while they work on the already planned improvements behind the scenes. So I'm hopeful - and in fact expect major improvements in these areas.

I took a video of some gameplay in the new beta release, below:

 
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Can't wait to play this with VR. There's threads on reddit where people have said they actually started crying when they played it with the Oculus Rift dk2.
 
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Looks like my DK2 is being pushed back a week due to shipments to those things called 'non-Americans'. Pffft.
 
Last weekend I decided to stop dabbling and really spend some hours working up to the ship I've always wanted, the Cobra Mk 3.

I finally achieved it on Sunday afternoon. What a beauty ... 4 weapon hardpoints, 2 support hardpoints, more cargo space than the Hauler, higher top speed than the Sidewinder ... really just a solid ship all around and what I plan to use for exploration.

I lost it less than two hours later, and was 200 credit short on the insurance buyback.

sigh
 
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Mr Bigglesworth said:
Last weekend I decided to stop dabbling and really spend some hours working up to the ship I've always wanted, the Cobra Mk 3.

I finally achieved it on Sunday afternoon. What a beauty ... 4 weapon hardpoints, 2 support hardpoints, more cargo space than the Hauler, higher top speed than the Sidewinder ... really just a solid ship all around and what I plan to use for exploration.

I lost it less than two hours later, and was 200 credit short on the insurance buyback.

sigh
Click to expand...

le sigh
I hear you
 
In other news, which is not really a news, I bought a joystick. For this game only. It's a cheap-ass Logitech Extreme 3D Pro, but hey, ppl say it works and it works well.
 
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