Orrery concept and current orrery

I never wanted it in the first place, and don't use it now. Don't see any use for it.

Try finding the most efficient route between more than 2 bodies in a system without it! It's been a massive time-saver for me on my mapping travels, and also fascinating to see the orbital structure as an aside. It would be wonderful if it had the time dilation feature that 1993 "Frontier" had, and that the current EGO Orrery implements.
 
I've used it a couple of times. It could be improved however, but in a new system with many planets it helps to plan a course.
 
Try finding the most efficient route between more than 2 bodies in a system without it! It's been a massive time-saver for me on my mapping travels, and also fascinating to see the orbital structure as an aside. It would be wonderful if it had the time dilation feature that 1993 "Frontier" had, and that the current EGO Orrery implements.

I'm a new user and have been playing for a few weeks. How to you use it to find the best route? In a system I look at the system map, select the body I want to go to and then just follow the HUD cues.

TIA.
 
Try finding the most efficient route between more than 2 bodies in a system without it! It's been a massive time-saver for me on my mapping travels, and also fascinating to see the orbital structure as an aside.
Same here. Especially in larger systems it's a help. And it's interesting at times to see the orbits of the bodies.
 
Try finding the most efficient route between more than 2 bodies in a system without it! It's been a massive time-saver for me on my mapping travels, and also fascinating to see the orbital structure as an aside. It would be wonderful if it had the time dilation feature that 1993 "Frontier" had, and that the current EGO Orrery implements.

I've never looked for one, never played any version of Elite before this one, and am not fascinated by orbital structures - but it's this thing people kept asking for, so now here it is. If you like it, great, enjoy. Me, I'll just keep not using it.
 
That image looks great, I would use it more often if it gave me rotational information in 'real time', and my course through the system in motion. Better navigation tools while in the map would be an asset as well.
 
I never wanted it in the first place, and don't use it now. Don't see any use for it.

I did, I do and I do see a use for it, see how that works? One person likes a thing, another doesn't (I hate combat zones with the gamified never ending waves of enemies but I don't think they should be removed from the game, I get that other players do like them).

Could the orrery be better? Absolutely; textured planets etc, waypoints, zoomed in on player, time dials to see the system in motion, show USS' and other anomalies, select planets... and hopefully those things might be worked on, but for now, just knowing the station is in front of its host planet which I grok instantly (numerical dyslexia so menus don't tell me stuff immediately), that alone makes it worth it for me.

Plus, I can see the layout of the system, plot a best path and it makes the universe come to life in a way the 2D map never can.
 
As much as I would like to see this concept 1:1 in the game - I`m very happy with the one we have. Its simple yet give pretty clear image of the surroundings.
 
It's great; perfect passive-aggressive response to the mess up that was NMS at launch. :D
You're welcome. :p

Whilst NMS was a joke at launch (and until it has vr I won't be buying)... But the days of smug ED players using NMS as an example of what not to do should be long gone imo.

NMS is probably the most improved game I have ever seen (for free) . Had ED improved as much as NMS has since launch I would have been delighted
 
The orrery is bad and they should feel bad.

Talk about minimum effort!

It feels as if the a-team programmers made the base game then the b-team took over.
 
I was using orrery regularly on my trip into Sanguineous Rim region when I searched potencial planets with nice views (close to ringed planets, unusual orbits etc.). It for sure can be done better, but it is very helpfull for me also now. If I want add something, a feature, then it will be zoom on doubleclick on a selected planet.
 
Whilst NMS was a joke at launch (and until it has vr I won't be buying)... But the days of smug ED players using NMS as an example of what not to do should be long gone imo.

NMS is probably the most improved game I have ever seen (for free) . Had ED improved as much as NMS has since launch I would have been delighted

I find the video funny, it's quite on point for what happened, and using it as a tool to illicite some humour is not smug - I take it you've heard of the expectation reality meme? That's what the video's purpose was to the orrery; only not as a criticism - but purely for the sake of humour.

I love NMS, I pre-ordered it and whilst the release didn't live up to the E3 demo, I still clocked about 60 hours in the first few days. I still find it amazing how much content Hello Games! can push out in such a short time frame, and how solid and grounded and well thought-out it is. Frontier could learn a thing or two from them I think.
 
Last edited:
I suspect the concept art is what players were expecting and wanted, the implementation is pretty much lackluster and bare bones, I really don't know why they bothered tbh.
 
I suspect the concept art is what players were expecting and wanted, the implementation is pretty much lackluster and bare bones, I really don't know why they bothered tbh.
Because we pleaded and pleaded for the orrery map and because the decided they could. I actually feel terribly guilty that I don't use it that much and feel FD would be almost justified in saying "we told you so" and sticking to their guns in the future about things we say we want which they reckon we won't actually use.

I agree it could look a bit sexier but would I use it much even if it did? Not sure.
 
Last edited:
I don't use it much but when I'm on a planet mapping excursion, I used it to see the position of planets in relation to each other to plan a route without fly from one end of a 25k Ls system to the other. I probably only use it 5 to 10% of the time during my exploration ventures but I'm thankful its there when I need it.

I'm glad they put it in finally. Its very basic and could use some eye candy but useful to me for the reasons people above have given.
 
Whilst NMS was a joke at launch (and until it has vr I won't be buying)... But the days of smug ED players using NMS as an example of what not to do should be long gone imo.

NMS is probably the most improved game I have ever seen (for free) . Had ED improved as much as NMS has since launch I would have been delighted

Actually Elite improved quite a lot since launch.
 
Back
Top Bottom