Colonisation Answers

[Freyar]

Bit disappointed about the lack of architect decommissioning... we're gonna get a lot of garbage in the galaxy...

Zac says you'll want to trace systems daisy chained by a player and discover their "journey" - well I've already done that and I don't like the big hairy journey I'm seeing

Spoiler

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Arthur mentioned "Christmas Day" more than once - this was supposed to go live next week!

To be fair.. star-writing is a human past time, whether you like it or not.
There's many systems out there, so I'm not certain that ousting architects is reasonable. Most I can imagine is a system with completely screwed up or incomplete infrastructure and it isn't really a focal point in the economy.

 

[Valije]

Did they say they were not offering the contacts from Colonia? I've not lived the Colonia life so, I'm not sure how that feels out there.

They said "only the bubble". I hope Colonia is considered a minibubble... I hope.

 

[metatheurgist]

If it takes 4 weeks to build the initial starport for a 10ly away system, then they don't understand what their players want from colonization and they're going to squander all the enthusiasm they've built up for it.

Nothing to squander here.

 

[aRJay]

They said only the Bubble at first but anyone can launch from a colony when established.

So a couple of months or so and you could be establishing a colony at the end of a long chain built by a large squadron or similar group.

The thing that disappointed me the most was it is not going to be a beta carried out safely on separate servers.

 

[KKomrade Sylas]

Colonisation possible from anywhere?
For now, must start from the bubble or any previously player-colonised system.

The answer they gave made me think they didn't really know exactly what they were answering. I don't think they specified it very well nor do I think they understood the question and it'd be nice if Frontier gave clarification. Does this mean that none of the deep space outposts outside of the bubble, none of the asteroid bases near nebulae, none of the systems of the colonia bridge, no systems from Colonia itself, etc... are eligible to start colonization from? Are none of them going to have a colonization contact?

Because that is fairly lame if so.

 

[DjVortex]

Is it fair that the beta testers will get a head-start on permanently colonizing systems?

 

[Don Euclid]

Bubble as the only starting point, totally ignoring Colonia, is a big bummer for me.

I really hope they allow claiming off of not only the Colonia region but the bridge systems too. Imagine a living highway of unique player bases alongside the existing ones.

 

[Nowski]

So a couple of months or so and you could be establishing a colony at the end of a long chain built by a large squadron or similar group.

From the original Q&A (link goes to 11:20), the Primary Starport only becomes fully operational the Thursday after completing the requisite hauling:

the construction ship arrives and you and any other player can deliver goods to that colonization ship and when the list is complete ... the new port will be deployed. Initially for the space ports they will be in an under construction phase ... not all the people will be in place, some of the facilities will be turned off ... then on the Thursday it will spin up and be deployed into orbit.

If the Colonisation Contact only appears the following Thursday, each link takes one week at minimum allowing the chain to grow at ~43 LY/month, assuming the stars are (literally) aligned.

But if the Colonisation Contact is available during the "under construction" phase, the chain's progress appears to be limited only by hauling speed, and it's a very different scenario.

I'd be surprised if it turned out to be the latter, but "some of the facilities will be turned off" leaves plenty of room for doubt.

The thing that disappointed me the most was it is not going to be a beta carried out safely on separate servers.

If everything is going to go >poof!< when the beta ends, players will be loth to spend effort, reluctant to tip their hand on system choices, and mechanics and parameters get only a halfhearted test. With no rollback, though, there seems to be a definite risk of unintended consequences becoming permanent, not to mention the inevitable strife and discontent with breakage.

I wonder how differently the existing deployment of PP2.0 would have been received if described as a beta but with permanent consequences?

I certainly wouldn't accuse FD of lacking chutzpa in taking this course, anyhow.

 

[Inscydeus]

Is it fair that the beta testers will get a head-start on permanently colonizing systems?

Yes, it's an open beta AFAIK.

 

[Nowski]

Is it fair that the beta testers will get a head-start on permanently colonizing systems?

From today's video: "just to be clear on what the what the beta means: we're putting the feature into the game, all players will be able to engage with it, and what you do will be final so if you colonise systems during the beta they'll be yours, you'll be able to keep them, we're not going to take them away from you."

 

[mtfatboy3006]

It's becoming more and more apparent to me that what players envisioned as a form of base-building is probably just a porting of some developer tools into the game so players can turn empty systems into populated systems. The current development direction in the game overall seems to my eye to be at least as much an effort to make the most of code that exists as it is creating anything, which I do still appreciate because it provides more depth to what is already here. The cost will need to be quite low, if "your" system will not actually be yours in any meaningful way, or it will fall flat. Honestly, for those who like to reach out into the remote, growing the bubble will be counterproductive, as we will have to travel ever further to find unmolested mining locales, undiscovered systems, etc.

 

[Mr Lindsay]

Is it fair that the beta testers will get a head-start on permanently colonizing systems?

They're calling it a Beta, in that many of the features are subject to change, but it will take place in the Live game environment and everyone will have the chance to grab a system.
The only downsides of participating early on might be if they make certain requirements much easier after the Beta, then you'll have wasted a lot of your own irreplaceable time.

 

[IstvaanDCIV]

It's becoming more and more apparent to me that what players envisioned as a form of base-building is probably just a porting of some developer tools into the game so players can turn empty systems into populated systems. The current development direction in the game overall seems to my eye to be at least as much an effort to make the most of code that exists as it is creating anything, which I do still appreciate because it provides more depth to what is already here. The cost will need to be quite low, if "your" system will not actually be yours in any meaningful way, or it will fall flat. Honestly, for those who like to reach out into the remote, growing the bubble will be counterproductive, as we will have to travel ever further to find unmolested mining locales, undiscovered systems, etc.

Between engineering, FSD Boosters, neutron boosting/FSD synthesis, possibly fleet carriers and lately SCO drives and the new exploration Mandalay, it's now easier than ever to range far into deep space to reach untouched systems. Explorers have got a massive head-start on colonists, and there are hundreds of billions of stars to choose from, the overwhelming majority of which remain undiscovered. Exploration will be alright.

Besides which, given the current limitations of 10ly and only being allowed to colonise from the bubble will mean that in the initial stages, colonist players will only be able to reach systems that are next door to the bubble and likely to be well-trodden or of otherwise little interest to anyone looking for something interesting that hasn't been found already.

 

[CMDR Shreaded]

Some answers on Colonisation from Frontier's stream today at

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XopKY1VWyA
(Q&A starts about 25 minutes in)
(I've shifted a few bits around in the summary here where there were related questions and answers, but I think I've caught all the key points made somewhere)


Initial costs of colonisation?
Still to be decided, but way cheaper than a FC. Aimed at established but not necessarily ultra-rich players who have a bit of spare credit.
4-weeks to build initial starport, using commodities, not as a credit sink

Upkeep
No upkeep costs at all

Inactive architects
Just how it is, the system is the system. Some systems might just be small ones. System Architect claims are permanent once the initial claim is completed correctly.

Popular systems claim
First-come first-served gold-rush. You can be architect for multiple systems, but only in initial claim for one at once, which will slow down individuals from collecting too many good ones personally.
Failing initial claim twice in a row locks you out temporarily.

Colonise with specific faction
Get a faction out there through normal BGS expansion so you can

Limit on systems you can be architect for
No, except for initial claims not being parallel

BGS rules apply?
Yes, as normal in the colonised systems

Permit locks, decide trade routes?
No. Trade routes indirectly depending on your economy choices, of course.

Benefits for solo CMDR
Personalise system for trade needs, missions, etc. to create what you want there

Colonisation possible from anywhere?
For now, must start from the bubble or any previously player-colonised system.

System Architect displayed?
Yes

Affect existing systems?
No

In-game tools to pick good options?
Architect view in systems explored would give information on how it could be colonised.

Economy type advantages/disadvantages?
Same as it would be with a normal system

Blockading colonisation?
Not intended as a PvP feature. Focused on traders/explorers rather than on combat.

Beta period
This might be more of a early-access/prototype rather than an actual separate-servers Beta?
"All players will be able to engage with it. What you do will be final. So if you colonise systems during Beta they'll be yours, you'll be able to keep them, we're not going to take them away from you."

What's next?
Information on the 2025 plans for Elite Dangerous in the January livestream

during the "beta" is the 10ly limit going to be in place, i got a system in mind and ive been hoping that the rumors about colonization was true some 3 years ago, ive been saving my creds up cause i know exactly what i want to do . if i am able

 

[varonica]

Is it fair that the beta testers will get a head-start on permanently colonizing systems?

Anyone can take part in the beta, it will be run on the live servers from what I understand from the stream. So no, no-one is getting a head start.

during the "beta" is the 10ly limit going to be in place

Well, yes, the point of the beta is to test it, unless the rules in the beta are the ones they are actually going to use how do they expect players to "test" it?

 

[Commander Biscuit]

Feature is looking unusable for me. A colonization ship should have colonists and everything else needed to get started without needing the bubble or the daisy chaining idea. FD need to keep an eye on colonization, and keep it under control, that's understandable, but it can be done through material requirements and the already planned one system a week restriction, instead of tethering us to the bubble/populated systems.

If FD are (as said) a little scared at what we might do with the feature, then axing the daisy chaining would result in far less of a player footprint (or scar?) on the galaxy, as CMDRs with low ambitions for the feature could establish a single system rather than being forced to put down hundreds to reach their destination.

 

[DjVortex]

Some have also pre-emptively criticized the first-come-first-served model primarily for one major reason: Given that, apparently, new colonized systems will be finished and operating (and, thus, allow the "architect" to claim a new system from there) after the thursday server maintenance break, this will give a huge advantage to those who are able to play the game immediately after said maintenance break (ie. for those who it doesn't coincide with work, sleeping, etc.) Those players will be able to get to more highly sought-after systems first, which are within distance. The unfortunate players who eg. have to work during that time, will have no chance.

 

[GreySix]

If it takes 4 weeks to build the initial starport for a 10ly away system, then they don't understand what their players want from colonization and they're going to squander all the enthusiasm they've built up for it.
Nobody wants to colonize the next system over.

Don't know about nobody, but I certainly don't. I'd like my own colony deep in the black.
Even my fleet carrier remains happily parked at Beagle Point as a service station for travelers.

 

[DjVortex]

I highly doubt that the 10 Ly limit is going to be final. As they have so far described how colonization will work, it will mean that the rate of expansion from the bubble can be the 10 Ly per week at its fastest. (This is because, as they described it, a new system will only become fully colonized after a thursday maintenance break, and you can only make a new claim from there after it has been finished. Thus, there's no way to claim anything, by anybody, that's farther than 10 Ly from currently fully colonized systems.)

Suppose one wanted to get to a distance from the bubble equivalent to that of Colonia, which is 22 thousand Ly away. Also suppose that you could string systems absolutely optimally: Every next system is exactly 10 Ly from the previous, and you can form a perfectly straight line. It would take well over 40 years of doing this in order to get 22 kly from the bubble. And that's in the absolute best possible scenario.

 

[Mr Lindsay]

Some have also pre-emptively criticized the first-come-first-served model primarily for one major reason: Given that, apparently, new colonized systems will be finished and operating (and, thus, allow the "architect" to claim a new system from there) after the thursday server maintenance break, this will give a huge advantage to those who are able to play the game immediately after said maintenance break (ie. for those who it doesn't coincide with work, sleeping, etc.) Those players will be able to get to more highly sought-after systems first, which are within distance. The unfortunate players who eg. have to work during that time, will have no chance.

If a system is 'sought-after', what would be the fair and equitable way to distribute that system?
A way that would satisfy all of the dozens, if not hundreds, of players that want it?

The 10 Ly limit seems like it will be a Beta thing, but given the emphasis on trade and BGS at maximum it's not going to be much more than double that.