Elite Dangerous | System Colonisation Beta Details & Feedback

[Desirsar]

To quote you, where's the problem?

If the distance barrier were removed, anyone could colonize anywhere without any logic.

How is this a problem unless someone wants the same system you do? In that case, get there first.

Isolated systems would be unassailable from a BGS perspective, unless someone colonized nearby.

So if someone wants to attack that distant system, they have a mechanism for that. Perfect.

Furthermore, distant colonization doesn't solve the problem of long-distance transport of goods, which are far more numerous than a Fleet Carrier can transport in a single jump, significantly lengthening construction times compared to having colonized and developed systems nearby.

If you're not the one colonizing out that far, then you don't need to worry about it. If you're wanting to chase down a faction that left the bubble, guess you're doing some hauling.

The distance requirement is something FDev has been clear about from the start; it can be modified, but it's unlikely to go beyond 30LY, which is the (more or less) expansion range of a faction in the BGS, as well as the radius of a PowerPlay stronghold system.

This is logical, but only if people insist that every system should be reachable by BGS or Powerplay. In that case, as you said, there's already a mechanism for that - colonize your own chain of systems for Powerplay to reach, or just plop right next to the system for BGS. It's not a problem to begin with, and it already has a solution even if it is! Yay, how perfect!

That being said, if you don't want to build the chain of systems alone, you join a project, or look for other squadrons willing to participate. Elite is a game that promotes collaboration, and politics and agreements between squadrons are commonplace, and this can only favor this type of gameplay, which is one of the best in Elite.

Now this would actually be a change from the norm, and actually a problem. The game always made room for solo players, even if they couldn't do everything. If they want to colonize far out, a bigger group can still more easily chase them down and harass them. But you wouldn't do that, would you?

Again, where's the problem? Everything you've brought up, containing zero problems, has the solution to the non-problem right in your own post.

 

[Torrle]

Before I submit this as a ticket, has anyone else noticed that some of the preview images for planetary projects are incorrect?

or more specifically, 3 pairs of projects seem to have their preview images swapped.
Extraction Hub <-> Erebus Large Mining Settlement
Military Hub <-> Minerva Large Military Settlement
Industrial Hub <-> Metope Medium Industrial Settlement

Has anyone that has built any of these projects able to confirm?

 

[Desirsar]

Just hit me, the solution for long distance colonization - colony ship jump time. The farther it has to go, the longer it takes to get there. Your four week timer starts at launch, not at arrival. If it takes four weeks to go 10,000 Ly, you'll probably want to chain shorter than that.

 

[Cmdr Delmonte[VR]]

Yup, was waiting for the Thursday tick in case they all updated to the full thing...

 

[GraphicEqualizer]

Some suggested "Assignments" list (like Powerplay has), for alternative activities to gain random colonisation construction materials (and maybe other perks related to colonisation) - which would be "paid" directly into the outstanding construction efforts of your system(s). E.g. about 500-1000 random outstanding materials delivered to you constructions. My thinking is that a quick weekly assignment that might take 20 minutes, ought to pay out the equivalent of a couple of cutter-load round trips which would also take about 20 minutes.

What I am trying to do is think of a diverse range of activities loosely related to purveyors of commodities where it would make sense that they'd reward you with some of their goods. Not necessarily making it easier/quicker to do, just more diversity in gameplay than just space trucking.

Space / Horizon's era installations and activities

• Specifically protect miners from pirates in rings, i.e. hotspots and hazres locations - for each pirate defeated that is attacking a miner.
• Protect convoy POI
• General bounty hunting in extraction systems
• SRV scanning data points in select Horizons era surface installations (including large mining rigs) of some mining/extraction type
• DSS high metal content worlds and volcanic POI

On Foot

• "Protect" missions at mining and refinery settlements
• "Restore" support missions at mining and refinery settlements
• Malware upload and mining-related data download missions at mining and refinery settlements
• Power disabling and theft missions at mining and refinery settlements (i.e. a mining company is paying you to disrupt a competitor)

Other suggestions?

 

[VR Morgan Grimes]

Try my guide out

Finding scarce goods without Inara

UPDATE: FD seem to have buffed CMM supplies quite substantially now, so the specific example below is now somewhat redundant, but in general this guide still works for finding scarce goods. UPDATE 2: Insulating Membranes are the next FOTM, but again, this guide is equally applicable ...Or CMMs...

forums.frontier.co.uk

I will 100% concur the UX for this isn't great, but what UI elements comprise that do work if you use them the right way.

But yeah, you can definitely find what you need to, it's just not necessarily intuitive

Yeh, only works if a station actually imports the goods you're looking for, otherwise it's back to the crapshoot that is attempting to find someplace that either produces or consumes said commodity, currently my main frustration (made worse by being in VR) with trailblazers is the inability to find commodities that you need with any reliability other than finding a source and bookmarking it. Sure that will work out over time but initially it's nothing short of ridiculous and needs a proper in game system. It should not be this difficult to find what you are looking for and I'm not talking about finding someplace that has a decent amount of something, just finding somewhere that sells muon imagers for instance has had me spend over two hours so far and I still haven't found a trace of them.
Perhaps the listed commodities screen for the constructions should at the very least have information on where a commander might look for a product, or what sort of system it is produced in as a start point, anything other than the complete lack on any information whatsoever that we currently have.
I know, I know, I could look this stuff up on Inara or somewhere but I should not have to resort to third party websites for basic information.

 

[GreenCrusher44]

Before I submit this as a ticket, has anyone else noticed that some of the preview images for planetary projects are incorrect?

or more specifically, 3 pairs of projects seem to have their preview images swapped.
Extraction Hub <-> Erebus Large Mining Settlement
Military Hub <-> Minerva Large Military Settlement
Industrial Hub <-> Metope Medium Industrial Settlement

Has anyone that has built any of these projects able to confirm?
View attachment 420859

yes they are aware of this issue, someone mention that it was only a visual bug and if you do the coresponded blue print it will end up correct, but the comments is down ther somewhere and Paul already confirmed they acknowledge this issue.

 

[sorabain]

Whilst the ideas for other ways to help expansion via missions are interesting, i kind of like the way it is something for haulers to get their teeth into. It's already sub-optimal for haulers (if i'd spent my time doing optimal trading routes i'd have made at least 20x the money I made hauling to my system colony), so to reduce the need for hauling would feel like its taking away too much from the haulers. In my opinion hauling should be always be the quickest way to expand by far, but missions for variety would be a way to break the rigmarole (it'd be kinda cool if you had to run passenger missions to bring staff in)

 

[Weps]

Surprised there aren't more reports about the bug where stations get placed on the wrong slot.

 

[Desirsar]

If we want to get haulers into it more, but they're not working on their own systems, let us add credits to construction sites. If they then report their payout and commodities needed in a way that third party apps see them, haulers might go where the most profit is. No need to shove the stuff into carriers first, let them take it directly to an installation for the payout.

 

[GraphicEqualizer]

yes they are aware of this issue, someone mention that it was only a visual bug and if you do the coresponded blue print it will end up correct, but the comments is down ther somewhere and Paul already confirmed they acknowledge this issue.

It would be good if all these naming conventions were displayed in the details of all existing locations too - so we can all become more aware of what an Erebus, Minerva, Orbis Apollo etc., are.
e.g. in the description area for any port or settlement - show the name of the type

 

[cidiantoby]

I also understand and like where the point cost increase is coming from, it's meant to be a way to normalize system value so these god systems people are hyped for arent overvaluable compared to claiming 2-3 smaller systems.

Cutting out a lot of what @kepler68 who hasnt even claimed a system has said.

This right here is why I say its a bad metric time and time again and will stand behind that ideal. NORMALIZE by PUNISHING those with "god systems". Normalizing smaller systems by crippling larger ones. Not the other way around. Why do we need that mechanic at all?

There are Trillions and Trillions of systems out there. Not even close to 1% has been discovered. You find a nice big system that would be among the "god systems". Instead of first discovery, landfalls, and attempting to colonize it. You skip it. Because having 3 systems is better without the point cost increase vs the one that has INCREASING, not increased because that it would only happen once, point costs.

This comment above states why the math in it isnt mathing. 1 slot = 1 slot. Regardless of the system. Unless you have a big one. Then eventually 2 slots = 1 and then 3 slots = 1 and so on with no positives for it INCREASING except a small ship/outfitting discount thats less useful than going to a different system with a higher discount.

Then they went on to make a suggestion which is by far better than just straight up DOUBLEING every time and still follows the INCREASING format. More of a diminishing of returns method.

This mechanic needs to be either on the chopping block or balancing block. There have been great suggestions if its refusal to be on the chopping block (which I have stated it should be in several posts). Please consider the ones suggested if its going to be balanced.

FDEV. Please actually communicate with us on this matter because commodity/market balancing can have little short term effects. The unknown point increase has already had detrimental effects on hundreds, maybe thousands, of CMDRs system build plans because they currently can not start a new system with the "expansion lockdown" and can not undo or change mistakes in an existing system.

(BTW. I'm using the caps words to bring attention to key points that could be lost in typical text formatting)

 

[Knuttin Atoll]

Ah, the usual.

Never mind, you blame the developer, I'll point out that the player determines what they wish to do (the player always has a choice) - so stalemate, I guess

ETA: it is always fun that ,often, the folk who suggest I'm doing that are the ones who are...

Again - your sig, not mine.

My posts have been pretty straight about Colonisation - didn't enjoy it for reasons stated, will ignore it going forward unless it fundamentally changes (which it won't given it's "feature complete"), the end.

Whatever pseudo-philosophical spin you want to put on that is your business.

 

[Jmanis]

Yeh, only works if a station actually imports the goods you're looking for,

Sure, but that's a huge subset for any product, as consumption is based on economy type. CMMs, for example, are produced in surface Refinery ports, and potentially not in every one... but they are consumed anywhere that has high tech, military or industrial economies. That's the case for almost all goods, and is a far simpler value proposition.

 

[Rat Catcher]

Again - your sig, not mine.

Yep, pretty accurate, as always!

ETA: FWIW, my opinion of the Colonisation feature is quite the oppsoite (no surprise there, really, I'm used to stealing bulk deliveries) and that it is fun - but might be a bit hard on a solo player who isn't a fan of trucking stuff and had picked the wrong asset to build first. But then, I don't anticipate spending an interminable amount of hours building systems exclusively, plenty of other distractions to keep me playing happily.

 

[VR Morgan Grimes]

Sure, but that's a huge subset for any product, as consumption is based on economy type. CMMs, for example, are produced in surface Refinery ports, and potentially not in every one... but they are consumed anywhere that has high tech, military or industrial economies. That's the case for almost all goods, and is a far simpler value proposition.

Which just backs my point that there needs to be information in game pointing you to this as currently unless you are in a station that either consumes or produces said product there is zero information available.

 

[Imurguy]

I think commanders who contribute to the construction of a system should get a cut of the profit as well. System architect is guaranteed 10% (20%? 30%?) but any commander who contributes at least X level of materials also gets a cut. They contribute 10% of the total mats in a system then they get 10% of the credits - If new things get built and they fall below 10% of total mats contributed their cut goes down or if it goes below the minimum threshold they stop getting a cut. If they contribute 20% they get 20%. Maybe cap it at a non-system architect can only get 50-80% of the system revenue?

This also incentivizes the system architect to do something more than just claim a system - they also have to contribute to get the benefit.

If FDev wants this to be a community game I think this would be a great way to incentivize players to contribute to systems they are not the architect in.

Also a way for commanders to "leave a note" in an architect system like "build out X in this system to generate Y missions or trade routes etc. Some sort of poll/comment for the architect? This may help give direction for architect systems rather than mis-mash systems with no clear direction.

 

[Solacian Allie]

It appears there's some kind of crash on login I'm experiencing, I logged out on on of my constructions and i try to login now and i crash every time i try to enter the game

 

[Ian Doncaster]

It appears there's some kind of crash on login I'm experiencing, I logged out on on of my constructions and i try to login now and i crash every time i try to enter the game

Can you use the "Stuck Recovery" option at the main menu to get clear of it?

 

[Solacian Allie]

Can you use the "Stuck Recovery" option at the main menu to get clear of it?

That worked thanks ^~^ time to continue hauling, i guess another CMDR decided to help out while i was asleep