Elite Dangerous | System Colonisation Beta Details & Feedback

[Martind Forlon]

A 'construction point' was not used for new construction - bug

System HIP 108594. First I started build small scientifc outpost close to sun, all OK. Then I started construction of mining outpost-installation (Euthenia) on orbit of Planet 4 (blue giant with Ice rings), and it wasn't counted towards active constructions. Look attached image, there should be two active constructions, not one. It was either created additional construction slot, or second construction slot was not properly activated (used). This can potentially allow unlimited amount of constructions for such planet (place). And also icon for that 'not counted' construction site seems is wrong (shows outpost instead installation).

Similar looking bug report is here: https://issues.frontierstore.net/issue-detail/74329 (I've added my report there already).



p.s. I after started one further construction on another planet and there it all worked correctly.

 

[Breaker50]

I have to honestly say that it's by far the most boring and stupid grind in any game I can remember. My first station was stolen, then it was back, and then I really lost my nerve. Due to the Easter break and active laziness, I started building my second station, the Coriolis Quadruple Girder.

I'm now almost at 70% and have countless takeoffs and landings behind me, and I'm more inclined to uninstall the game out of boredom and frustration than to let this new mode keep me alive. My Cutter has been nuked three times, for example, due to stuttering in the game and crashing into the Trailblazer Ship or a T9 taking off crashing into my ship, but I get a penalty and have to buy a new Cutter. Countless times, my supercruise assistent flies off somewhere else - technology in the 33rd century seems to be completely useless and even a TomTom navigation system from 2005 works more accurately.

I'm actually only going through the whole thing out of personal ambition and a "must-have" attitude. The carrier is there, 10+ billion, and multiple times all the ships I need.

Otherwise, I wouldn't even consider colonization. Considering years of work on this mode, the result is really sad. You're given hardly any options, have to take vacation time to build a station, and, as far as I can see, there are hardly any advantages. Earth-like stories or cities like in SC aren't possible, or even remotely in the cards.

I'd say that was a complete waste of time. But at least I can now name a station, system, or planet "Caprica" which is protected by my "Galactica" Carrier . Something, at least.

Update 23.04.2025 : Ship 4 crashed > Autodocking, Game stotters, Crash into Station. Done. Great Job Frontier. New Ship > docking and again stotter.. Game is dead.

Cheers Folks!
Armin Tolar Breaker

 

[pancakewizard]

Just learned about the limitation on not using apostrophes in station names. Doubly annoying since the random one my station started with has one. C'mon frontier.

This wasn't the case prior to the latest patch, so I assumed it was a bug and submitted it as one. There's no way this is a justifiable deliberate limitation. I've named two places using an apostrophe, now I can't name any more.

 

[Imurguy]

Here's an idea; Is it possible in the future to be able to install a function on a fleet carrier to have it automatically load and disperse construction goods to sites within a system? Make it time prohibitive - Maybe 500 ton an hour so 12,000 ton a day. Also, make it "cost" 8,000 in cargo space on a carrier.

If you think these numbers are too high fine, lower them - but this means it would take 2 days to load and 2 days to unload a carrier passively which is FAR slower than what a player could do - but it would allow players an option to do other things in the game at the same time as colonization and really give an incentive to own a fleet carrier.

 

[Capt. Hook]

I, like many others I suspect, would dearly love the opportunity to decommission and replace outposts etc that were incorrectly created by the player. Be it through misunderstanding of the game mechanics, change of heart or for lots of other reasons I think having this option would give greater meaning to the player as system architect and improve the system generally for all players to enjoy.

Full discloser I have mentioned this before and have 2 systems that need some help in this way to make them viable.

 

[root2]

... technology in the 33rd century seems to be completely useless and even a TomTom navigation system from 2005 works more accurately. ...

Slighty OT, but I fully agree here.

What really makes me angry so many times is the fact, that the ships navigation computer does not know, if a target I locked in is IN FRONT or BEHIND a celestial body, unless I'm somewhat around 1LS near the body.

It really p*sses me off, to fly to a ground or orbital station, align my aproach according to the solid target reticle in the HUD only to then - last minute - be presented by a dashed target reticle, because the station actually is on the far side of the body and I have to completely re-aim my aproach in order to get to the target. Is this really 33rd century tech? Oo

I mean it's just a mathematical thing thats quite easy to be solved for celestial bodies being approached and having a target located on them or orbiting them:

• Define a plane using a normal vector going from the center of the body to the center of the ground/space station to define the orientation of the plane.
• This plane actually divides the space around the blocking body in two half-planes. One half-plane is facing towards the targeted location, the other on is facing away.
• Using the known coordinates of my ship one can compare this (using point-normal equation / general normal equation and the scalar product) and therefore find out, if my ship is in the half-plane that is located in the same half-plane as the station or lies in the opposite half-plane.
• If my ship is located in the same half-plane: Everything is fine, the target is "in sight" and a solid reticle can be displayed.
• If my ship is located in the opposite half-plane: The target is not "in sight" and therefore the targetting reticle shoud be displayed dashed.

I know this does not take into account the fact that high structures like mountains can eventually block the view - but it surely should solve the issues of not being able to display the proper reticles when being > 1LS away from the body. And with > 1LS of distance, things like mountains can for sure be ignored...

I'm really curious how DFev has implemented that feature...

 

[Quillmonkey]

TrailBlazer Beta Test Complete:
System colonised, economics tested and found inadequate to needs.
Colonisation design found to be poorly devised and implemented.
Enjoyment factor marred by grind and bugged implementation.
BGS issues that started with PP2 update were never fixed before TB rolled out and the resulting mess makes TB, PP2 and BGS more difficult to play, and has knock-on effects on entire game (server disconnects, stutter etc).
Verdict: Roll back and redesign.

 

[mkizub]

Verdict: Roll back and redesign.

Stop the plane, I need to get off!
Seriuosly, it's an MMO, it can't be rolled back.
But develpers may fix bugs and add functionality to edit the universe state.
Like ability to abandon station/settlement, add colonization missions, etc

 

[Exeider]

I have yet to hear anything from Fdev about any patches or any developments related to Colonization. Have they basically just given up on it or what? Is there any expected communication or patches I missed the announcement on? (Serious question, this isn't a doom post.)

 

[Tifu]

I have yet to hear anything from Fdev about any patches or any developments related to Colonization. Have they basically just given up on it or what? Is there any expected communication or patches I missed the announcement on? (Serious question, this isn't a doom post.)

Nothing yet, except for the fix for the surface settlements.

 

[Guesswhat92]

FYI, i have opened a ticket about population issue in my system and FD replied "We aim to resolve this issue in an upcoming server-side patch, which should be released very soon."
In addition my market is blank / empty and I only have 1 faction in my system since weeks. They are going to fix it also but later as those issues are "are still under investigation as the root causes are quite complex. We do not have an definitive ETA to share at this time". So another fix but later.
Both info received Yesterday.

 

[root2]

Stop the plane, I need to get off!
Seriuosly, it's an MMO, it can't be rolled back.
But develpers may fix bugs and add functionality to edit the universe state.
Like ability to abandon station/settlement, add colonization missions, etc

Well, it has already been rolled back according to Pauls post here: Click me!

And as it is called "feature complete" I doubt it a little that they will implement new mechanics, that are not already in the game somehow.

Nonetheless I also share your hopes and keep fingers crossed, that FDev will change its mind in some ways and implement new features.

To safe me from further frustration I decided to just let colonisation be as it is for me right now and wait until things are settled a bit more. Otherwise it just feels like almost all of my invests in colonisation (commodity grind, influence missions, conflicts, system planning) are more or less in vain, as I have no way to reliably plan, construct and form a system in a way that the real outcome matches the planned one.

There are just too many bugs, imponderables and uncertainties that I personally am not willing to invest time into.

But hey, I wanted to deep dive into the black for a while before Trailblazers came out - so I'll just do that, mayhaps

 

[tomalus]

Imagine how simpler this would be if you could just pick the economy before build.
You know, like I select Coriolis, and then refinery option. It has all the market populated with minimal stock.
Instead of this buggy,confusing Colony that swaps into something else.

 

[CMDR Dodgicus]

I have a problem where I have attempted to build a government installation at the first available slot on a planet (B 1 A) in HIP 90239, turns out that this planet has a VERY close orbit to it's planetary neighbour. Every time I try to dock at the installation to drop off supplies, one of two things happens. Either I cannot catch the installation unless I boost and docking is therefore impossible ... or I accelerate towards the installation even at zero throttle and still cannot dock in time before I crash into it and then float off.

I also cannot cancel the installation build and build it somewhere else, which means I lose the construction points.

Can you please tell me how I can move forward with this issue. I have video clips which I have uploaded to youtube ... links to the videos are :-

Source: https://youtu.be/djeeZKc-olg

Source: https://youtu.be/iX6GZV8D8Bg

Source: https://youtu.be/dJZiV1cFrzc

Source: https://youtu.be/XUZHhCNTjyw

Source: https://youtu.be/MWbqJAVYJm8


Please let me know if there is anything else you require

Many thanks

Cmdr Dodgicus

 

[Quillmonkey]

Stop the plane, I need to get off!
Seriuosly, it's an MMO, it can't be rolled back.

I know, right. Can you imagine the community reaction if the last couple of months were just wiped away?

 

[Van-Blurten]

I have a problem where I have attempted to build a government installation at the first available slot on a planet (B 1 A) in HIP 90239, turns out that this planet has a VERY close orbit to it's planetary neighbour. Every time I try to dock at the installation to drop off supplies, one of two things happens. Either I cannot catch the installation unless I boost and docking is therefore impossible ... or I accelerate towards the installation even at zero throttle and still cannot dock in time before I crash into it and then float off.

I also cannot cancel the installation build and build it somewhere else, which means I lose the construction points.

I've got the same problem with Synuefe TB-Q b52-3, construction site Minh Enterprise. Was good yesterday when I created it, borked today on login.
This is the same system that my completed outpost vanished in about 5-6 weeks ago, it hasn't reappeared and I can't find anywhere to raise a support ticket, just get a page saying we've got heaps of tickets open and it may be a while...

 

[tomalus]

I know, right. Can you imagine the community reaction if the last couple of months were just wiped away?

They stated its permanent,you are entitled to your opinion of rollback. It is silly,but I can understand its easy to ask for rollback when you invested ZERO time into building.

 

[Guesswhat92]

Imagine how simpler this would be if you could just pick the economy before build.
You know, like I select Coriolis, and then refinery option. It has all the market populated with minimal stock.
Instead of this buggy,confusing Colony that swaps into something else.

Yes, it can be nice but Elite is complex and this is why we love it

 

[Ralph Vargr]

I know, right. Can you imagine the community reaction if the last couple of months were just wiped away?

This is why the Gamma players were able to keep their saves.

 

[Dekim]

I've got the same problem with Synuefe TB-Q b52-3, construction site Minh Enterprise. Was good yesterday when I created it, borked today on login.
This is the same system that my completed outpost vanished in about 5-6 weeks ago, it hasn't reappeared and I can't find anywhere to raise a support ticket, just get a page saying we've got heaps of tickets open and it may be a while...

I have also had this problem and to me it seemed random - some times the facility was moving, sometimes not, but I have since learned that this occurs when 2 objects are too close to each other in orbit. As they move away from each other they will start acting normally again.

I checked this in my system and it is true - if you can figure out which of your orbitals are interfering with each other you can even predict when they will become normal again. Not a great fix I know, but at least you can make a timetable! Hopefully this is another issue that will be fixed in time.