Re: Elite: Dangerous - and the return

[Tricky]

The boxed version I am not opening. So long as everything is downloadable.

[Cody]

The boxed version I am not opening.

Didn't you get a boxed Morph, Tricky? If so, is that still unopened?

In other news, there is now an Elite: Dangerous game manual.

[Diziet Sma]

In other news, there is now an Elite: Dangerous game manual.

About time, too..

[Cody]

Yeah... and some of the preamble is interesting.

[pagroove]

Grmmff. The waiting for the Mac version is long if you are not going down the bootcamp route. The Oolite forum is quieter after the release although I still see the regulars which is good.


To the people who can play I have two questions:

1. I've already saw a lot of video's. Out of all the video's I ask myself if the combat is as fun as Oolite. The ai's look as if they do not fight back that hard. Or am I mistaken?

2. Are the unidentified signal sources and conflict zone's random each time or do they stay for a period?

[Bugbear]

Hi Pagroove. In spite of my better judgement, I'm still playing ED, although I'm currently stranded out of fuel range of any populated systems and contemplating hitting the self destruct button...

To be honest, I don't have much love for ED any more. I don't particularly care about the overarching story that FDEV are trying to weave. Still, the graphics are pretty and I wouldn't mind getting myself to an iron-arsed Cobra so I can start kicking griefer butt. I figure I paid around $200 for this game so I may as well make the most of it until FDEV totally f**k it up.

1. Combat is actually okay. One thing FDEV got right was nerfing yaw. I find it handy to use yaw to make fine adjustments to my aim. Knowing to run when you're outgunned is a handy skill to have, same as Oolite. Then again, I'm still in a slightly modified Sidewinder, improving ship systems as I'm able.

2. The USS's to my mind are totally random, and to be honest, this is one area where Oolite is vastly superior to ED. I've yet to come up with a handwavium, let alone an official in-game explanation as to why a random freighter would be travelling in normal space, 500Ls from the nearest planetary body. Why aren't they supercruising to wherever they need to go? At least with Oolite, I know there's underlying logic to the movements of the NPCs I can see.

Some of the USS denizens I've encountered appear to be programmed to act like arsehole humans, i.e. no demand for cargo, just open fire and kill for the lulz. Again, considering point 1, I know when to run and when to blast their sorry arses.

Can you tell I'm a little bitter about ED?

Anyway, I'm only occasionally getting online - ED is really only an option when you have an uninterrupted hour or two up your sleeve. No good if you want a quick blast. Most of the 'careers' available are time limited in one way or another. E.g. market prices keep changing when you're offline. Missions have a time limit. Mining is not an option for the early game. I've said this on other forums - the game structure screams to me like it's being prepped for Cash-for-Credits...of course, FDEV have indicated that's not going to happen, but it wouldn't be the first promise they've broken.

There are a couple of long-neglected Oolite OXPs that I've been mulling over from time to time. Methinks I need to clear my deck and get them sorted.

[pagroove]

Thank you Bugbear for a comprehensive answer to my questions. I am surprised about point 2. I would like to hear some more opinions on the game.

[Yodeebe]

I would like to hear some more opinions on the game.

There's a load of things that are really good about the game, including lots of things I have previously wanted to see in Oolite, but it is much harder I guess, especially with me in 'vintage' keyboard only mode.
I guess it's more fun if you're really good at it, but Oolite is still much more immersive & fun, with all it's OXPs, to design the game as you want it.
In Oolite for example, you can make your own stories up, like starting with a nice ship, no money, and a wopping great fugitive status, as if you'd just stolen a ship. (one of my start points ) whereas in ED, you're stuck with their story, which I've failed to engage in at all as yet.
I'm getting a bit bored of cargo runs, and any attempt at missions, I'm normally late.
I did manage to kill someone yesterday actually but then I got a wopping $6K fine for it. :'(
The thing I've enjoyed most about the game is the memorys of the original Elite.
That is that every time I go to play, there's hours of updates to do, which may or may not load up right, remeniscent of those old days of tape machine volume settings & stuff.

[Yodeebe]

One thing you'd appreciate though PA, the sounds, through a nice system (neighbor situation allowing), are absolutely bonkers!


Why not bootcamp it, by the way?
That's what I've done, just for ED & a couple of synth edit programs.

[pagroove]

Yes the sounds are very good. Love that part. .
Hopefully they deliver the Mac version in about 3 months. Meanwhile looking at some steams. I'm now watching parts of Kate Russell's journey to Slough.

[Wolfwood]

In Oolite for example, you can make your own stories up, like starting with a nice ship, no money, and a wopping great fugitive status, as if you'd just stolen a ship. (one of my start points ) whereas in ED, you're stuck with their story, which I've failed to engage in at all as yet.

I don't really think you are any more stuck with their story than you are in Oolite. I've paid scant attention to the official storyline at the moment (I'm waiting for them to finalise the emerging storyline system, really, with multiple newspapers and local, sector-wide and galaxy-wide news etc.) and am just cruising around, exploring and trading just the way I would in Oolite.

Combat is great, but I have not really fought much - there are far fewer fights than you would have in Oolite and I've only been interdicted three times while visiting 250 systems (most of them just "jump in - scan/refuel - jump out" nature, though).

[ffutures]

A friend is playing this, he's noticed that there's currently a severe over-population of ships around a few stations, e.g. they're jamming in all the new players in a few systems, so much so that ships often have a long wait to dock.

[Cody]

I've been grounded for a while, so can't comment on much - but as mentioned, the soundscape is excellent.

[pagroove]

Thanks all for the observations. Keep them coming

@all
It was my observation also that there aren't as many fights as in Oolite unless you go and seek out the conflict zones. or Signal sources.

[mossfoot]

For those looking for an inexpensive way to enhance their Elite Dangerous experience, check this out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vb7lccpzLxA