Ozric
Volunteer Moderator
I thought I'd write up a quick summary of the questions Mr. Braben answered on today's Q&A
When is the Beta for Horizons
The beta will be done in 2 stages. The beta for 1.5 will start week commencing 9th of November and then 2.0 beta will be on the 24th.
Will you be able to hire NPC wingmen
Yes, with the ship launched fighters and multi-crew you will be able to have them as NPC. At some point in Season 2.
Will there be a planetary map
Yes, soon, it will be a schematic map.
Will rings cast shadows on the planet's surface
Yes it is coming but they don't know when, but they very much want to do it.
Will we see the orrery map in Season 2
I hope so, my guess is it will happen in Season 2 but probably towards the back end.
Are we going to see a system in place for larger groups to organise
They are already making moves in the direction with the player groups, such as Fuel Rats and The Code, and player minor factions. They will continue to move more into that direction, but it will not be done in the same way as most games.
What kind of equipment can we craft
Some very simple things in 2.0, but the main details will come later
Tier 2/persistent NPCs
They absolutely want to add them in, they will be gradually introduced. (probably more later on in the season *my addition*)
Will Occulus DK2 work with the SRV
Yes it will.
Do you think motion sickness will be a problem
You have to be careful because if you flip the SRV or crash it and it spins out of control, then you will probably feel quite sick. Otherwise probably not.
How about a shark teeth paintjob for the Anaconda
David Braben really wants it, he will ask why there isn't one already
What about the Asp Scout
It's like a cut down version of the Asp, more like the one from Frontier or the Original Elite. The shape is different to the current one, without the fins.
Bounty hunting, Trade and Piracy are still the same as at release when will they be updated
That's not true. They are constantly being improved upon and although the fact that you can pirate hasn't changed, the way you do it, they way you come across other ships, same with bounty hunting, it's got richer and richer and the variation you encounter has got richer. We've brought in new professions and those have each been improved, we saw in the last updates some big changes to mining, which I think improve it and a lot of people have been very positive about that. So I think with all of these things, it's getting better and it's getting better by degrees. The thing that is going to change more throughout Season 2 is the stories behind and why you are doing things like the Bounty Hunting.
How is the turret controlled by the HOTAS
The controls are a separate configuration. Do it however you like, you can map the SRV to a stick, but as with all the things we have a beta coming and you can use that to feedback.
Will the list of astronomical objects increase i.e Comets, accretion disks around black holes
Not all black holes have accretion discs, they would need another star feeding the accretion disc, but it is something I would love to do. They will be added over time and they are on a list. Comets are in the simulations, but getting them to look good and interact with gameplay is the most important thing and so they will come. Medium size asteroids "potatoes" are in Season 2, you can see them with 1.5 just not be able to go down to them without Horizons
*warning troll question* Elite Dangerous it is MMORPG
The problem is different people mean different things by saying MMOs. I think we're massive by most measures, all have instancing the question is where do you set the number. We have 32 plus NPCs, we could go higher with less NPCs and if everyone had great reliable connections, even higher if we were on LAN. If that's what you want it to be then it is.
Do you consider support for Force Feedback joysticks
Actually that would be a really good thing to do, yes we should do it.
Did you ever imagine/hope Elite would look like it does now in 1984
Yes. As with any game before it's made is perfect in your head, it's the practical things that restrain you. We're getting ever closer, is it perfect? Of course not, but it will always get better.
Are the planetary outposts/starports procedurally generated
There's quite a range of outposts and starports. They're quite big and there's quite a lot of variation between them. The land around the starports changes the feel of them and so it feels like even more variation than in space stations. With all of this there isn't intimate variations, but they are laid out in lots of different variations. It's not just starports there are also things like secret bases you can discover.
*Question David asked himself* Can I attack them in single player
Of course you can, if you have a deep ravine you can come in in your SRV under the gun turrets and then you only have the smaller defenses to worry about. You can take out a generator, see all the lights go down and it takes out the guns (not all bases will only have one generator), then you can call your ship in go in the ship and then do the next stage...
Is there a plan to improve the seamless experience by improving the transition phases
Yes, the transition phases have actually been reducing. Some people we know experience long transitions, it's to do partly with where they are in the world and partly to do with their connections and how many people are in the session. The transitions as you come in from space is seamless. In theory the Hyperspace transitions are relatively seamless but as it's pulling in data as well as network that can be slower for some people.
Will missions on Bulletin Boards be given by NPCs made using the character creator
No to start with, but using the CC for NPCs is definitely going to happen.
The Keelback what kind of ship is it
It's a Lakon ship and more to come on that
The idea is based on a Type 6 but it has more weaponry.
How are the DDF's near god like powers coming along
I know, it's something I do feel bad about, the idea is that the underlying control over the background sim the DDF people would have some kind of control over that. I don't have a good answer for that so it's a straight apology at some point there will be something to do with that but I can't say when, so I'm sorry.
Will you consider introducing a setting to tone down the head bobbing in the SRV
If you are the one doing the movement then it feels more natural than watching a stream of someone doing it. I wouldn't get too worried about it (*my addition* if it really is bad for some people then I'm sure someone will take it on board)
We have rumours of a high end Fer De Lance can you confirm or deny
*David was completely non plussed as I believe the person who asked this question was just confused by the ship description*
One word comment on Thargoids
Well...
Will capital ships be adjusted to make them more fun to play with
I agree we're not making enough of them. There is more to come.
When will we see asteroid stations
They will come, we don't have a time for them, hopefully at the back end of Season 2, but no guarantee.
Will we have more CG to expand the human bubble
I really think that these are exciting, so yes.
Are you going to play Star Citizen
Yes, I'm looking forward to playing Star Citizen
Is it possible to conquer planetary bases
There's lots of missions and things you can do to get things from then, but we won't have you having your own planetary bases, not yet anyway.
Will we see NPC SRVs and NPC ships around the planet's surface
NPC SRVs are planned but unlikely for Season 2, ships yes.
Will we see game API in Season 2
I know they're looking at it. Obviously we're worried about cheating and apps that will dial our servers and make them go slowly, but it's certainly something that they are looking at.
Could it be possible to add a credit transfer feature, maybe when a commander reaches a certain rank
There is already a transfer feature in buying gold or platinum for example and then dropping it for another commander to pick up. It's quite easy to transfer hundreds of thousands of credits in a short time, so that's why we haven't thought about it as a priority. It just has that air of exploit around it if you can do it in large amounts.
Any plans on increasing the 32 player cap
We could increase it very easily, but it's the experience. There's a lot of data being exchanged and we're constantly reviewing it.
*Troll question* Jettison all cargo why?
Well, you don't have to do it.
Will passenger gameplay be added in Season 2 or after
Passenger gameplay is planned, but I can't remember when it's scheduled for *me: aaarrrrgggghhhh, biggest tease of the night*
Can you tell us anything about the Cutter and Corvette
They are both a bit bigger than the Anaconda, a bit longer and they are more capable, have bigger hardpoints, and they're more expensive and yes they both do fit through the docking slot but it's a bit tight.
What will explorer's encounter on planet's surfaces 20,000Ly from Sol
There will be things to collect and other things to find, but I don't want to spoil anything. You will find more exotic things further away than you will closer.
Will see missions transition between space and the planet's surface
We have talked about it, there are complexities, it is certainly something that we are looking at.
Will another specialised internal slot be added to the Planetary Approach Suite and will the Srv take up an internal slot
The PAS will be able to be put into every ship. The SRV takes up 4t of Cargo Space.
what rank is needed for the Federal Corvette
I don't know
Will there be a multi source lighting
It's on the list, yes it is something that we should sort. It might only come in, in High and Ultra.
How will commander faces be visible to others
You will be able to see them as long as the canopy is intact.
Will there be more differentiation between systems and stations i.e a poor system with a run down station
More of this is coming, I'm not sure when, I don't think it's in 2.0
What types of SRV will be released over the course of season 2
I don't know off hand, but the first ones will be similar variants of the current ones, but other will follow. They will do different things.
Ship Naming was a kick starter promise, when will we be able to do this
Was it, oh dear. It's something that everyone wants, we will do it.
Are there things related to the Thargoids coming in Season 2
There are things related to the Thargoids coming in Season 2.
Is there a bookmarking or visited systems history coming
Ummmmm, I don't know, sorry.
Model kits from the ED ship range
We do have models coming, but there's not kits.
Are there any plans to include some kind of glactipedia
That would be lovely, but it's a lot of work to collate and keep it up to date. We have some things in house, but it's something we're looking at doing and bringing the story more to the forefront of the game.
Nvidia VR SLI
Not 100% sure, but I think that it runs fine, I was using the Vive on a 980
Will we see an equivalent to the large cities under domes we saw in Frontier
There are ever bigger settlements coming, there are things in 2.0. Big cities will not be in 2.0 but they are coming.
Will we be able to deploy our SRV inside stations
Currently you can't because of the way you press down to select to deploy the SrV, so you can't do that because of Station Services menu, but aside from driving around you pad and driving off the side there's nothing useful to do.
How will the instancing of Orbital Cruise down to the planet's surface work
I better not answer that question as I will get it wrong as I'm not sure where it's making the transition, but there is also the issue of not everyone being able to get down to the planet's surface. There is instancing on the surface.
Can you tell us about walking around our ships and sleeping quarters
No I'm afraid I can't, not happening in Season 2. We do have rough layouts of the ships.
Other non Thargoid species
Yes
When will we see the Krait
I want to see the Krait as well.
*couldn't hear this question properly but I think it was* Why can you not share exploration data in a wing
I though we were already doing this, so I'll talk to the designers.
When will there be more CQC maps
There are more coming, I think, and then there's more coming later. *Edit by MB* we have them planned for release during Season 2.
Any update on the SC frame rate drop
I will ask after the stream.
When is the Beta for Horizons
The beta will be done in 2 stages. The beta for 1.5 will start week commencing 9th of November and then 2.0 beta will be on the 24th.
Will you be able to hire NPC wingmen
Yes, with the ship launched fighters and multi-crew you will be able to have them as NPC. At some point in Season 2.
Will there be a planetary map
Yes, soon, it will be a schematic map.
Will rings cast shadows on the planet's surface
Yes it is coming but they don't know when, but they very much want to do it.
Will we see the orrery map in Season 2
I hope so, my guess is it will happen in Season 2 but probably towards the back end.
Are we going to see a system in place for larger groups to organise
They are already making moves in the direction with the player groups, such as Fuel Rats and The Code, and player minor factions. They will continue to move more into that direction, but it will not be done in the same way as most games.
What kind of equipment can we craft
Some very simple things in 2.0, but the main details will come later
Tier 2/persistent NPCs
They absolutely want to add them in, they will be gradually introduced. (probably more later on in the season *my addition*)
Will Occulus DK2 work with the SRV
Yes it will.
Do you think motion sickness will be a problem
You have to be careful because if you flip the SRV or crash it and it spins out of control, then you will probably feel quite sick. Otherwise probably not.
How about a shark teeth paintjob for the Anaconda
David Braben really wants it, he will ask why there isn't one already
What about the Asp Scout
It's like a cut down version of the Asp, more like the one from Frontier or the Original Elite. The shape is different to the current one, without the fins.
Bounty hunting, Trade and Piracy are still the same as at release when will they be updated
That's not true. They are constantly being improved upon and although the fact that you can pirate hasn't changed, the way you do it, they way you come across other ships, same with bounty hunting, it's got richer and richer and the variation you encounter has got richer. We've brought in new professions and those have each been improved, we saw in the last updates some big changes to mining, which I think improve it and a lot of people have been very positive about that. So I think with all of these things, it's getting better and it's getting better by degrees. The thing that is going to change more throughout Season 2 is the stories behind and why you are doing things like the Bounty Hunting.
How is the turret controlled by the HOTAS
The controls are a separate configuration. Do it however you like, you can map the SRV to a stick, but as with all the things we have a beta coming and you can use that to feedback.
Will the list of astronomical objects increase i.e Comets, accretion disks around black holes
Not all black holes have accretion discs, they would need another star feeding the accretion disc, but it is something I would love to do. They will be added over time and they are on a list. Comets are in the simulations, but getting them to look good and interact with gameplay is the most important thing and so they will come. Medium size asteroids "potatoes" are in Season 2, you can see them with 1.5 just not be able to go down to them without Horizons
*warning troll question* Elite Dangerous it is MMORPG
The problem is different people mean different things by saying MMOs. I think we're massive by most measures, all have instancing the question is where do you set the number. We have 32 plus NPCs, we could go higher with less NPCs and if everyone had great reliable connections, even higher if we were on LAN. If that's what you want it to be then it is.
Do you consider support for Force Feedback joysticks
Actually that would be a really good thing to do, yes we should do it.
Did you ever imagine/hope Elite would look like it does now in 1984
Yes. As with any game before it's made is perfect in your head, it's the practical things that restrain you. We're getting ever closer, is it perfect? Of course not, but it will always get better.
Are the planetary outposts/starports procedurally generated
There's quite a range of outposts and starports. They're quite big and there's quite a lot of variation between them. The land around the starports changes the feel of them and so it feels like even more variation than in space stations. With all of this there isn't intimate variations, but they are laid out in lots of different variations. It's not just starports there are also things like secret bases you can discover.
*Question David asked himself* Can I attack them in single player
Of course you can, if you have a deep ravine you can come in in your SRV under the gun turrets and then you only have the smaller defenses to worry about. You can take out a generator, see all the lights go down and it takes out the guns (not all bases will only have one generator), then you can call your ship in go in the ship and then do the next stage...
Is there a plan to improve the seamless experience by improving the transition phases
Yes, the transition phases have actually been reducing. Some people we know experience long transitions, it's to do partly with where they are in the world and partly to do with their connections and how many people are in the session. The transitions as you come in from space is seamless. In theory the Hyperspace transitions are relatively seamless but as it's pulling in data as well as network that can be slower for some people.
Will missions on Bulletin Boards be given by NPCs made using the character creator
No to start with, but using the CC for NPCs is definitely going to happen.
The Keelback what kind of ship is it
It's a Lakon ship and more to come on that
The idea is based on a Type 6 but it has more weaponry.How are the DDF's near god like powers coming along
I know, it's something I do feel bad about, the idea is that the underlying control over the background sim the DDF people would have some kind of control over that. I don't have a good answer for that so it's a straight apology at some point there will be something to do with that but I can't say when, so I'm sorry.
Will you consider introducing a setting to tone down the head bobbing in the SRV
If you are the one doing the movement then it feels more natural than watching a stream of someone doing it. I wouldn't get too worried about it (*my addition* if it really is bad for some people then I'm sure someone will take it on board)
We have rumours of a high end Fer De Lance can you confirm or deny
*David was completely non plussed as I believe the person who asked this question was just confused by the ship description*
One word comment on Thargoids
Well...
Will capital ships be adjusted to make them more fun to play with
I agree we're not making enough of them. There is more to come.
When will we see asteroid stations
They will come, we don't have a time for them, hopefully at the back end of Season 2, but no guarantee.
Will we have more CG to expand the human bubble
I really think that these are exciting, so yes.
Are you going to play Star Citizen
Yes, I'm looking forward to playing Star Citizen
Is it possible to conquer planetary bases
There's lots of missions and things you can do to get things from then, but we won't have you having your own planetary bases, not yet anyway.
Will we see NPC SRVs and NPC ships around the planet's surface
NPC SRVs are planned but unlikely for Season 2, ships yes.
Will we see game API in Season 2
I know they're looking at it. Obviously we're worried about cheating and apps that will dial our servers and make them go slowly, but it's certainly something that they are looking at.
Could it be possible to add a credit transfer feature, maybe when a commander reaches a certain rank
There is already a transfer feature in buying gold or platinum for example and then dropping it for another commander to pick up. It's quite easy to transfer hundreds of thousands of credits in a short time, so that's why we haven't thought about it as a priority. It just has that air of exploit around it if you can do it in large amounts.
Any plans on increasing the 32 player cap
We could increase it very easily, but it's the experience. There's a lot of data being exchanged and we're constantly reviewing it.
*Troll question* Jettison all cargo why?
Well, you don't have to do it.
Will passenger gameplay be added in Season 2 or after
Passenger gameplay is planned, but I can't remember when it's scheduled for *me: aaarrrrgggghhhh, biggest tease of the night*
Can you tell us anything about the Cutter and Corvette
They are both a bit bigger than the Anaconda, a bit longer and they are more capable, have bigger hardpoints, and they're more expensive and yes they both do fit through the docking slot but it's a bit tight.
What will explorer's encounter on planet's surfaces 20,000Ly from Sol
There will be things to collect and other things to find, but I don't want to spoil anything. You will find more exotic things further away than you will closer.
Will see missions transition between space and the planet's surface
We have talked about it, there are complexities, it is certainly something that we are looking at.
Will another specialised internal slot be added to the Planetary Approach Suite and will the Srv take up an internal slot
The PAS will be able to be put into every ship. The SRV takes up 4t of Cargo Space.
what rank is needed for the Federal Corvette
I don't know
Will there be a multi source lighting
It's on the list, yes it is something that we should sort. It might only come in, in High and Ultra.
How will commander faces be visible to others
You will be able to see them as long as the canopy is intact.
Will there be more differentiation between systems and stations i.e a poor system with a run down station
More of this is coming, I'm not sure when, I don't think it's in 2.0
What types of SRV will be released over the course of season 2
I don't know off hand, but the first ones will be similar variants of the current ones, but other will follow. They will do different things.
Ship Naming was a kick starter promise, when will we be able to do this
Was it, oh dear. It's something that everyone wants, we will do it.
Are there things related to the Thargoids coming in Season 2
There are things related to the Thargoids coming in Season 2.
Is there a bookmarking or visited systems history coming
Ummmmm, I don't know, sorry.
Model kits from the ED ship range
We do have models coming, but there's not kits.
Are there any plans to include some kind of glactipedia
That would be lovely, but it's a lot of work to collate and keep it up to date. We have some things in house, but it's something we're looking at doing and bringing the story more to the forefront of the game.
Nvidia VR SLI
Not 100% sure, but I think that it runs fine, I was using the Vive on a 980
Will we see an equivalent to the large cities under domes we saw in Frontier
There are ever bigger settlements coming, there are things in 2.0. Big cities will not be in 2.0 but they are coming.
Will we be able to deploy our SRV inside stations
Currently you can't because of the way you press down to select to deploy the SrV, so you can't do that because of Station Services menu, but aside from driving around you pad and driving off the side there's nothing useful to do.
How will the instancing of Orbital Cruise down to the planet's surface work
I better not answer that question as I will get it wrong as I'm not sure where it's making the transition, but there is also the issue of not everyone being able to get down to the planet's surface. There is instancing on the surface.
Can you tell us about walking around our ships and sleeping quarters
No I'm afraid I can't, not happening in Season 2. We do have rough layouts of the ships.
Other non Thargoid species
Yes
When will we see the Krait
I want to see the Krait as well.
*couldn't hear this question properly but I think it was* Why can you not share exploration data in a wing
I though we were already doing this, so I'll talk to the designers.
When will there be more CQC maps
There are more coming, I think, and then there's more coming later. *Edit by MB* we have them planned for release during Season 2.
Any update on the SC frame rate drop
I will ask after the stream.
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