Re: Elite: Dangerous - and the return

[Cody]

Are the stations meant to be geostationary?

No idea - I kinda hope they are though (the big ones, anyway).

[Cody]

A Federal docking tutorial. I see they're using current Terran date format. <scratches head>

[Griff]

I keep thinking the stations called Port Zelda Oo, just noticed that there's little cars or something driving around on the roads inside the bay

[Cody]

I keep thinking the stations called Port Zelda

Beautiful Zelda from Galaxy Four?

[cim]

I see they're using current Terran date format. <scratches head>

Doesn't seem surprising for the Federation - they still own the planet it makes sense on. The question is, will the Imperials use one based on the Achenar system or Terran time? (the latter is justifiable in practical terms for trade and in symbolic terms for a claim to be the 'real' humans)

[NigelJK]

I always imagined that all the 'spacecraft' in Elite were built of concrete, suctioned from the planetary seas in liquid form into molds. Nice to get confirmation that they would indeed be built in space

[JazHaz]

Alpha 3.0 will be available shortly, I've listed the changes for this build below:

New Features
- Request docking added to contacts screen
- Ability to dock added
- Docking assist GUI added
- Crime for loitering in docking port added
- Crime for loitering in docking pad without permission added
- Station defences added
- Coriolis and associated location added
- Outfitting added
- Station service for removing bounty added
- Station service for ship and module repair added
- Ability to purchase ship added
- Cobra available to purchase
- Support for controllers masquerading as multiple devices added
- Multiplayer placeholder screen removed, new start point with default Sidewinder added (Note that stats have been reset)
- Ship's computer voice added
- Ship data persistent between loads
- Updated connection code to not require UPNP or NATPMP (Manual port configuration should no longer be needed)
- Different juristictions implemented
- Purchase weapon reloads from station
- Placeholder hyperspace menu added to left panel
- Hyperspace increases heat
- Menus are now positioned on 3D planes
- Module power draw balance pass
- Compass points at landing pad
- Add bounty variation between ship types
- Added Cobra schematic to loading screen
- Added control bindings for Thrustmaster Warthog
- Capital ship defence changed to location rather than success/fail scenario
- Smaller text GUI
- New types of canisters to be collected for differing values
- Ship insurance added

Crash Fixes
- Audio crash for ship operations fixed
- Crash for multiplayer guided missiles fixed
- CPU crash on Moon render fixed
- Crash fix for illegal transform in AI multiplayer
- Crash when exiting to main menu after being in three comabt scenarios fixed
- Prevent crash when game is shut down while loading
- Stellarforge crash when changing locations fixed
- Survive failures to go fullscreen by remaining in windowed mode and retrying next frame
- Fix crash in power distribution
- Module health balance
- Updated machine Ip retrieval (Fixes datagram crash)
- Fix invalid module shutdown crash
- Pure function call in physics fixed
- Resize target crash fixed
- Black screen hang while loading fixed
- Fix atomic thread allocation crash
- Fixed power module crash
- Radar visibility crash fixed
- Error handler shutdown crash fixed
- Launchbay initialisation crash in Impeccable Defence fixed


General Fixes
- Updated PFX for heavy impacts
- Canisters now collide with asteroids
- Federation capital ship optimisations and improvements
- Scanner gunsight tweaked
- Hard point art improvements
- Right to retaliate fixed, although you need to scan to be able to claim bounty (By Design)
- Fixed SSAO not duplicating parameters to right eye (OR)
- Disabled SSAO at all quality levels (OR)
- Planet generation refactor (Players still using the AMD fix flag should retest)
- AI can now jink when taking damage
- Fed Fighter PFX improvements
- Copyright notice updated
- Correctly reset authority if authority is being changed while an authority is being shut down
- Improved scrolling of long lists in combo boxes
- Canisters have a bit more health
- Anacondas in the asteroid belt no longer get aggressive with each other
- Sidewinder chair model updated
- Fix breathhing mask rendering when bloom is enabled
- 3D reticule takes size into account
- Polish pass on thruster effects
- Cargo hatch will now close when the module is not powered
- Extra checks assessing send priority for a machine which isn't connected.
- Additional polish for Anaconda explosion
- Avoid accessing StatePerMachine entries when there's no entry for that machine.
- Do not resolve authority clashes on subordinates.
- Given the invert axis and "does button act like a toggle" option different labels
- Add specific separate attack duties for self-preservation and customised attack targets.
- When connection to server is lost, ensure there's routes to the 'lost connection' exit path which don't involve re-entering the game.
- "b" for back in the pause menu. Activate all the ui schemes on entry to the game to ensure there are generic param entries for all of them.
- Adjust ship population code to be aware that the ship may go straight to Dying / Dead from creation.
- Tweaks to sidewinder loading model
- Death letters don't get sent to self
- AI mining: ensure that we're using the mining laser when mining asteroids; fixes issue where if an AI was attacking in combat (using the pulse laser) they would keep using that when going back to mining.
- Pulse and beam laser impacts updated
- Fixed aggro system
- Fix for session forking
- Use correct monitor when restarting

Known Issue
- There is an occasion slow load when loading the station (or when starting a game docked), this can take a few minutes, if it hasan't recovered then kill the game through task manager. This is a priority issue for 3.1, however we didn't want to delay the build for this.

Michael

[Cody]

Doesn't seem surprising for the Federation - they still own the planet it makes sense on. The question is, will the Imperials use one based on the Achenar system or Terran time?

Federation time? Empire time? March 13th 3300? It's the usage of months that gets me!

[pagroove]

I saw some docking vids. It does look good doesn't it?

[Getafix]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tyhyfeu_0EA
At 23:12 there is a fly-by of the station.

I really like the detail, however, I still think that Griff's work feel more realistic.

[Zireael]

Just saw the vids. And oh boy, my first reaction was 'Griff Coriolis', too!

If that's how the game's gonna look like, my computer isn't going to be able to run it even if I could afford it!

I like the landing pad idea and the Terran time display.

[Smivs]

<grumpy old git mode>
Am I the only person underwhelmed by this? I was actually quite disapointed when I watched the video. It all looked a bit 'Tron' to me - too much blue and yellow with fuzzy edges. I was hoping for something much more realistic.
</grumpy old git mode>

[Cody]

<chortles> You're underwhelmed? You should hear the pure Newtonians griping and bleating over on the E: D forum - much gnashing of teeth!

[Griff]

<grumpy old git mode>
Am I the only person underwhelmed by this? I was actually quite disapointed when I watched the video. It all looked a bit 'Tron' to me - too much blue and yellow with fuzzy edges. I was hoping for something much more realistic.
</grumpy old git mode>

I'd really like to see some of their other designs for this, I hope they release an art book at some point - I suspect there's some alternate versions that are really cool that didn't make it off the drawing board, it's just whoever it is that has final say doesn't have much taste

edit: i'm going to eat my words on this after seeing Progress Diary #11: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6AxOoBF ... AzDzO9Yp0e what an awesome piece of 3d modelling & texturing
I really loved that first glimpse of the cobra III in those two initial bits of kickstarter art, I think the final version of the cobraIII isn't as nice

[pagroove]

I think it could do with the docking queues like in Oolite. I like the ambiance sounds in the station.
But am I the only one that in theory such a station could be done in Oolite too?.