Update 15, the Upcoming Feature Rework and More

[Zeeman]

They removed the danger eith fleet carriers.

Before that we had 1000ly max plotting range and we explored

I seem to remember 100Ly plotting (and less?). And plotting through the core was impossible, it was too dense, and you just had to do it manually.

Z...

 

[varonica]

I seem to remember 100Ly plotting (and less?). And plotting through the core was impossible, it was too dense, and you just had to do it manually.

Z...

And jumping into stars, had to be careful with jumps into multi-star systems, a lot of explorers carried heatsinks just for that eventuality. 100ly plotting was before my time, before Horizons, maybe all the way back to beta but I wouldn't know, not having been a beta tester.

 

[Zeeman]

And jumping into stars, had to be careful with jumps into multi-star systems, a lot of explorers carried heatsinks just for that eventuality. 100ly plotting was before my time, before Horizons, maybe all the way back to beta but I wouldn't know, not having been a beta tester.

I jumped into a star or two in my time. Though figured out that the galaxy map was true to form - so highlighting a star system showed you the companion stars, and if one of them was in your direction, it was a good idea to not jump there.

There are (at least were?) lots of small details if you were paying attention. It's part of what got me hooked early on.

Z...

 

[[VR] Goooost]

Major Feature Rework
Last year we announced a major update that would rework a long standing feature. This is still being investigated, however a number of changes (not least the Thargoid War itself) have required our attention as a priority. We will share details of this investigation and our plans towards the end of this year.

It's kind of frustrating knowing that there is a glaringly obvious change that's been suggested to death for years which you guys have already spent countless resources building that would fundamentally change the game for the better.
Merge cqc into the main game. It should just be another kiosk in the stations (all stations share the same matchmaking lobby). There should be missions around it, with real rewards, and players should be allowed to passively queue for their matches, and the ships you unlock in cqc can be purchased as fighters for your ship in the main game.
In addition to this, we've suggested for years that you add a racing circuit. Just a couple years ago you actually coded the checkpoint system you'd need to do this. All you'd need to do is build some time trial tracks around the bubble using the training assets and the unused installations that are already sitting there. Next you set up a par time for each track that unlocks the invite to the next, until finally you unlock an engineer who specializes in maneuvering thrusters, and sells cqc weapons and sheilds that you can use on your own ship.
This is all totally doable and it would make the game like half again better than it already is.

 

[Hellrider]

"passively queue for their matches" but... you can queue, and during waiting for cqc match do...anything.

This feature already exist.

 

[Ian Doncaster]

"passively queue for their matches" but... you can queue, and during waiting for cqc match do...anything.

This feature already exist.

And before the series of disasters applied to CQC from the Odyssey release onwards ... that in-game queueing was having a slow but noticeable effect on increasing CQC player numbers.

 

[varonica]

And before the series of disasters applied to CQC from the Odyssey release onwards ... that in-game queueing was having a slow but noticeable effect on increasing CQC player numbers.

I can honestly say I have never even thought about doing CQC, I'm not against making it more accessible in game, I'm not against them using bots to make matches up (however consideration would have to be given to how ranks work, would a player playing against bots get the same rank as another playing against humans.....not sure that would be fair, should it count at all?), but any changes to CQC would still be targeted at a subgroup of ED players. I'm just not sure that comes under the heading a major feature rework, so I can't see it happening in this update.

 

[Imo]

Update 15, the Upcoming Feature Rework and More​

Greetings Commanders,

We trust that you have been enjoying Update 14 and all the action the Thargoid War is bringing to the bubble. Amidst everything going on, we are taking a moment to update you on our upcoming plans.

Update 15
Update 15 is set to build upon the narrative and unlock the next major stage of the Thargoid War. This will be among the biggest moments in the game to date and we’re excited to see how you react. To allow the necessary time for development and ensure the update meets expectations, Update 15 will release in May. An exact date will be confirmed closer to the time.

Major Feature Rework
Last year we announced a major update that would rework a long standing feature. This is still being investigated, however a number of changes (not least the Thargoid War itself) have required our attention as a priority. We will share details of this investigation and our plans towards the end of this year.

Player Made Factions: Applications Closing
Player Made Factions have played a key role in expressing your will over the shape of the bubble. This goal is at the heart of our plans for Elite and reflected in the Thargoid War. Our focus is now turning to investigate how upcoming systems will allow every player and player group to have a meaningful impact on the galaxy’s landscape. This means we will be closing applications for PMFs, however we will process any remaining applications.

Console Profile Transfer Portal: Returning Next Month
The introduction of Live and Legacy modes required us to pause the Console Profile Transfer Portal in November last year. However, we’re now ready to begin processing further requests and will re-open the portal in April. We are pleased to announce that this is a far more complete process than we anticipated. We look forward to more console Commanders joining us on PC, especially to enjoy the features offered by Odyssey. To see which elements of your console profile will be transferred, see our forum post.

Live Mode as the Default Download
In addition to the above, we will be making the Live version of Elite the default download. This will encourage new players to try the main version of Elite with access to future updates while keeping Legacy as an optional alternative. Implementing this change will cause an update to appear for all Steam users, and Legacy players will need to re-download that version to continue playing, existing Live players will not require an update. This will have no effect on your save files, so if Legacy is your preferred mode, you can continue playing normally once it is re-downloaded.

While the above announcements outline several major plans for the upcoming year, further announcements will be made in the upcoming weeks and months. As always, if you have any questions or comments, please leave them below!

O7

there are important game options missing:

• enable outfittings even when a crew is on board
• enable to change the fighters even when a crew is on board

 

[Planewalker]

There are (at least were?) lots of small details if you were paying attention. It's part of what got me hooked early on.

Z...

There are indeed. Too many to list.
One of the simpler ones is when approaching planetary landing, the red part will have arrows pointing which direction you need to pitch in order to glide safely.
(and i can't count the amount of times players have not realized there is an actual working gps in the SRV, or a boarding light)

^^^
Pretty much this.

When Supercruise was introduced, the “slope” (for lack of a better term) of the effects of mass lock was steeper, which resulted in systems having terrain: corridors where travel was faster, volumes were speeds dropped precipitously, and most importantly if you could successfully “thread the needle” at your destination, “six seconds” out could be truly be about six seconds. Between the possibility of blacking out due to extreme maneuvers, inflicting expensive damage to your ship if you cut things too close, and losing valuable time due to having to do an actual loop of shame by being too timid, gravity braking was IMO a gloriously fun ride.

Especially since the sound design team went all out, and it sounded like your ship was about to fall apart due to the stress, while your engines whined in protest. “Orbital Glide” is the toned down version of it.

While planetbraking still exists, i would love to see the above reimplemented.
Case in point, flightspeed for the win!

 

[Planewalker]

^

 

[Marvin the Martian]

I can honestly say I have never even thought about doing CQC, I'm not against making it more accessible in game, I'm not against them using bots to make matches up (however consideration would have to be given to how ranks work, would a player playing against bots get the same rank as another playing against humans.....not sure that would be fair, should it count at all?), but any changes to CQC would still be targeted at a subgroup of ED players. I'm just not sure that comes under the heading a major feature rework, so I can't see it happening in this update.

I've never considered it either.

The problem with many games is that they make so many different modes that it fractures the player base into so many different directions that none of the modes are actually useable.

Games like World of Tanks and World of Warships are the worst for that. You have Co-op battles, regular public battles, ranked battles, mission battles, training battles, etc. And by the time you split a small player base of 5,000 to 10,000 people into all those different aspects, there's not enough to make any one mode actually doable.

I don't think anybody would miss a thing if CQC was simply done away with. Do something to expand Power Play and make it a more interesting / viable option for the player base. Get more people into fewer options and stop making all kinds of options to divide what little player base you have left.

Forums are guilty of the same thing: making 1000 different forums that divide everybody up so that nobody gets the answers / help that they're looking for. Division isn't the answer for a community. It never has been. It never will be.

Hence the saying, "Less is more".

 

[Ian Doncaster]

I don't think anybody would miss a thing if CQC was simply done away with.

On PC it had a small but just about sufficient - and slowly growing! - player base before Odyssey's instancing split broke the critical mass it needs and the introduction of new critical bugs in more recent Odyssey updates then completely killed it.

Now, sure, they should just get rid of it entirely - it's clearly not a feature they view as "required to minimally work" or are willing to test for even the most obvious bugs, so it'll save everyone a headache if they admit it (it'll still be in Legacy for people who really want to play it, after all)

 

[Rebel Yell]

Do something to expand Power Play and make it a more interesting / viable option for the player base. Get more people into fewer options and stop making all kinds of options to divide what little player base you have left.

-> remove modules, remove BGS reliancy for triggers (or remove triggers at all) -> focus on contested systems with battles, specific missions, etc.

And:

Spoiler: GO FIGURE

make it open play only

.

 

[Rubbernuke]

-> remove modules, remove BGS reliancy for triggers (or remove triggers at all) -> focus on contested systems with battles, specific missions, etc.

And:

Spoiler: GO FIGURE

make it open play only

.

Bewhwehehehehheheheeeee!

Although I don't expect the second point as it'll send a third of forumites into cardiac arrest, I'm looking forward to 'the announcement' because I'm going to Powerplay meme it like a daddy boss if its The One™.

And on this Perfect Day™ if FD released a FAS Crossfire....

 

[Planewalker]

I've never considered it either.

Usually play on fridays and it's good fun, especially with a group of friends.

Btw i need to add to the previous post about gravitational fields: Orbital bodies do still affect speed depending on size, and there are also shipping lanes.
(expanding on it and making it more evident with maybe an ingame tutorial would be neat indeed =)

 

[Ned Flandalorian]

And before the series of disasters applied to CQC from the Odyssey release onwards ... that in-game queueing was having a slow but noticeable effect on increasing CQC player numbers.

Pretty sure there was a decent spike of tourist players who jumped in during the brief period that the thargoids tried their hand at CQC.

 

[EdzUp]

Pretty sure there was a decent spike of tourist players who jumped in during the brief period that the thargoids tried their hand at CQC.

It has been said before CQC Thargoid combat demonstration would get more people into Thargoid combat.

 

[aRJay]

It has been said before CQC Thargoid combat demonstration would get more people into Thargoid combat.

What might get a little interest from those not already fighting CQCs or Thargoids is if they staged some Thargoid (old school) v Thargoid (maelstrom) fights and let us sit in the stands and spectate.

Edit: Actually a way for the majority of us to watch CQC fights from in cockpit or a movie theatre in stations etc would be nice.

 

[Luriant]

Please, I only have 8Gb of free space in my SSD.

Steam ED need 10GB, Epic 16GB, but I use frontier launcher.

Im doomed? force to slow speed HDD?

I have some days to format, or even request a bigger SSD. Next shuttle toward Izanami give me some free days.

 

[Alec Turner]

Please, I only have 8Gb of free space in my SSD.

Steam ED need 10GB, Epic 16GB, but I use frontier launcher.

Im doomed? force to slow speed HDD?

I have some days to format, or even request a bigger SSD. Next shuttle toward Izanami give me some free days.

Hopefully much of the 10Gb will be replacements for existing files so the actual additional space after installation might not be as much as that.