AMA - first edition (Arthur, Bruce, Stephen & Paul)
Hi folks! We're now live with our community AMA. If you haven't read what this is about and checked the rules, see our main post here: https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threads/elite-dangerous-community-team-ama.559160/page-6#post-8814621 Have at it with your questions! o7 Please avoid replying...
Q: Will there be any new ships introduced as part of the latest story arc? Is Raxxla reachable in the game today? (Y/N)
Spoilers! Sorry.
Q: Any short/medium-term plan to expand/improve the possibilities of multi-crew on ships?
You'll be able to physically mutlicrew in Odyssey allowing players to taxi other players around. We're also aware of various issues with mutlticrew that we're working on fixes for.
Q: I know you said that the ship's interiors will not be at the start of the odyssey, but please tell us what they will be like? Will only one cabin be available for moving, or will we be able to go to the part of the ship where the cabins, cargo modules, shields, etc. are located? I know you probably can't talk about it directly, but please at least give us a hint. thank you!
We don't have anything to share on ship interiors. We can only confirm that they won't be available for launch.
Q: What can you tell us about Dev Diary 3? Any date yet?
It's coming this December so watch this space!
Q: What's your opinion on player-driven economy and world in general?
I really like the idea of a player-driven economy but also know how complex they are to create and run. I'd love to see it introduced in Elite but it'd require a lot of work like introducing practical uses for all traded commodities. I don't see this happening in the foreseeable, but always happy to hear and join in any speculation.
Q: Do you know there are 2 dates given in game for First Contact with Thargoids? Tourist Beacon in Lave and Codex both say different, one says 2849 and one says 3125? Which is correct please?
The earliest one.
Q: My burning question is regarding Powerplay unsurprisingly- its been five years of no gameplay updates, will it see changes in Odyssey?
Powerplay is a huge aspect of Elite Dangerous and will be part of Odyssey. In terms of updates, as I mentioned on stream we are looking into this, but it is not a quick fix. Odyssey will be bringing a huge amount features that are the current focus. But Powerplay is not forgotten about, it is very much still on my agenda.
Q: We all know the galaxy is big, and occasionally you post updates like "0.01% explored so far". But the non-exploration side has interesting numbers too - any chance of cool stats from that side like "X million tonnes of cargo traded today" or "Y million credits of bounties collected across the galaxy" or "today's most popular mission type was Surface Salvage with Z completed" every so often?
I love this idea - let me look into it!
Q: Will tritium yields be upped when mining? They are... 'orrid right now.
We don't have plans to change Tritium yield at the moment, but are open to any suggestions you have.
Q: If RAXXLA is in ED now, can it be found and accessed by any commander now.
[REDACTED]
Q: What plans if any do you have to support cross platform play/saves?
We have nothing to announce about cross platform or play/saves at this time.
Q: Will Dredger mega ships ever reappear? They were very nice in the 2.4 beta launch times.
We LOVE the Dredgers...maybe they'll see a comeback.
Q: Can you please share some info about any plans for an updated/enhanced version of Elite: Dangerous for the new generation of consoles, PS5 and XBox Series X?
We don't currently have plans for enhanced versions of Elite Dangerous but you can enjoy Elite Dangerous on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X via backwards compatibility.
Q: Are there plans to fully integrate VR into Odyssey in the future or will we only ever have the virtual flat screen workaround?
Our VR plans are still as we've stated with full integration a possibility in the future but unconfirmed.
Q: Since I'm only allowed one question I'll revise mine and ask is Raxxla accessible for anyone in game or do we need to do something to gain access?
[REDACTED]
Q: Can i ask if we will get C1 seismic charges, and C1 plasma accelerators and AX weapons so certain ships that CMDRs like are not excluded from content that's been in the game for ages now?
You can most certainly ask and we will pass your feedback on to the development team.
Q: Ship interiors, has any more thought been given on how we transition to legs, regarding the Neil Armstrong moment and actually getting up out of your chair and walking to the air lock and out of the ship rather than a fade to black.
We have no update on ship interiors or transitions at this moment and time. When we have any news or changes we will update everyone on our social channels.
Q: Are we going to see a Polish localisation of the game? It was confirmed in one of the early newsletters, but we've not seen it so far and there has been no concrete answer from Frontier whenever the Polish community asks the question.
This is something we're very aware of and are looking into but we don't have anything to announce right now.
Q: I was wondering if you could let us know about the status of a potentially broken crash site scenario at Colonia 5 e a involving the unique cargo "Unstable Data Core"? There is also an existing bug report about this cargo (and the location of the crash site) posted some time ago that was marked as "resolved" with follow-up questions about the nature of the fix going unanswered.
We don't have information about that particular site to hand. If the bug was resolved but the secret of the content kept secret, it would seem to be working as intended and left for you to investigate.
Q: Is Raxxla currently accessible to anyone in game or is there something we have to do to unlock it? Is the rumor true that someone has been to the system Raxxla is in honked it but didn't see it? Are there any plans to continue the guardian storyline? Will we ever see a third alien race? Could we possibly have some news regarding the thargoid Orthrus variant? Will the type 7 ever be downgraded to use a medium pad? Can I have professor palin's old base?
[REDACTED]
Q: Any news on a fix for the PWS?
We're still aware of the issue and working to fix the issue. As soon as we have a fix, we'll deploy it.
Q: Can we look forward to more robust features for squadrons? larger size, multi platform membership, a bank, etc
We'd like to expand and improve the squadrons feature. Plans for this are unlikely to come to fruition before Odyssey, but it is on the agenda.
Q: Do you have any plans to improve fleet carrier-related interface? I think it is cluttering in some systems. Also FC could really benefit from additional interface features like ability to broadcast prices or available services.
We don't have any upcoming changes planned for the Fleet Carrier UI but are open to any suggestions and feedback.
Q: Reddit, Discord and other places overflow with problems from brand new users attempting to set up accounts and login. The process is extremely error prone and messy. Is Frontier planning on simplifying the process of new account setup?
We are aware that the new account setup could use some changes, and we have passed this feedback on to the development team. We have no updates on changes at this time but we will let everyone know if anything changes.
Q: Are there plans in place to address bugs[1] in the base game and/or Horizons in the forseeable[2] future? [1] e.g. Pulse Wave Scanner lag, Megaship Cargo ejection, Sysmap UI scaling on ultra wide monitors [2] before or in tandem with Odyssey release
We're aware of reported issues and are looking into them. This process will always be part of Elite Dangerous now and going forward.
Q: Is Frontier open to licensed cosmetics? I am thinking specifically of a Eddie Stobart skin for my Type 7 but there are lots of other options out there
License agreements are a tricky legal topic and we're not necessarily keen on adding real-life brands into the Elite Dangerous universe. If you pitch a brand idea that could exist within the game's lore, we may consider it!.
Q: Will you be updating HR 6819 given recent discoveries?
Will take a look a look, but might be hard to add something in that is not confirmed is actually there yet...
Q: Will there be an Odyssey Beta? If yes - any indication when?
As we have stated previously we find betas very important to the development of our games. How and when we use our betas is still being decided, when we have any news we will update the community.
Q: On PS4, the Azure paint you gave away doesn't stick to the boat. Do you plan to fix this problem?
We are looking into reports of issues with the Azure paint jobs and will update our community when we have more to share.
Q: I know that you mentioned in the balancing thread that you didn't have plans to make any changes to Smuggling at the moment, but could I ask if you noted that there is a major bug which lowers the sell price of illegal goods by 25%? It would be fantastic if the team could just fix this one thing as part of the balancing changes, so at least Smugglers are not penalised and almost always losing credits. Here is a link to the issue, which has been confirmed and has many votes. https://issues.frontierstore.net/issue-detail/12357
I'm keen for smuggling to become a viable high-risk/high-reward alternative to trading as I alluded to in the other thread you just mentioned. As for the 25% bug, I can confirm that by virtue of being on the Issue Tracker it can be considered known and fitted into QA/Devs agenda for being investigated.
Q: If RAXXLA is in ED now, can it be found and accessed by any commander now.
[REDACTED]
Q: The Asp Scout. It was said long ago it was going to see love and FD had plans for it- will it have a fairytale ending in Odyssey or is it still going to be a G5 pumpkin?
I love a good fairytale, however I was not about when this particular one started. Let me look into it
Q: With the balancing patches that are underway (which I am a fan of btw) you caused a bit of a stirrup for me (and maybe other CMDRs like me). I use my Fleet Carrier for bulk trading, so I can offer competitive prices for mined goods. I'm not complaining about the credit loss; that's my risk to take and I take it gladly. I'm just wondering whether to expect more of these sudden changes in the coming nerfs/buffs? I'd like to know, so I can adapt my trading strategy.
As we announced here we are working on rebalancing Elite Dangerous on the build-up to Elite Dangerous: Odyssey. This will bring changes to the galaxy so we hope that you watch our social channels for any changes and updates, so you can plan accordingly.
Q: Any progress on solving all the recent network issues - especially Orange Sidewinders? Do you need more network logs?
We are looking into reports on these issues. We'll share any updates we have when we can.
Q: Another part of the game that sorely needs some updates is CQC. Are there plans to get your hands on it at some point?
We don't have any current plans to update CQC but are in close communication with several individual and groups of CQC players about potential improvements. Let us know any suggestions or feedback you have.
Q: Whilst not really a game question, any advice for people looking into Community Management positions?
There's way more to say about this than I can fit into this reply, but this article I saw recently was fantastic: https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-11-09-how-to-get-a-job-as-a-community-manager-in-games
Q: Anything for space truckers to look forward to in the new update? Don't need to be specific, but will there be something for those of us who aren't into FPS combat?
You'll have to wait and see ;P
Q: will you ever give the possibility to buy commander slots instead of being forced to make a new account to have a new commander? will there be an helmet HUD in odyssey? and will you have some kind of holographic personal display to read information when you are on foot?
There are no plans to add additional commander slots. Bonus answer: helmets for on-foot play in Odyssey WILL have a HUD.
Q: Are there plans to introduce the AXCZ back into the game? If not in form of incursions then at least one or two permanent ones in Pleiades or somewhere?
AX combat is important to us and the story of Elite Dangerous going forward, the team and I have worked hard a crafting a narrative that incorporates all elements of the game into a coherent story. I cannot go into details and I appreciate that is frustrating, but I am sure you will be happy with what we have in store!
Q: Why did fdev give in to those below the 25% for the CG reward?
We are still working out the correct levels of rewards to give out for CG's due to new variables in the game (such as Fleet Carriers). Due to this we are still working on and changing the reward amount until we get it right.
Q: Is powerplay and BGs ever going to open only?
There are no plans for PowerPlay and the BGS moving to Open only at this time.
Q: Are there going to be changes to the amount of AX/Guardian weapons you can have on a ship as 4 is alright but would be nice to have more.
There are currently no plans of changing the amount of AX/Guardian weapons on a ship at this time.
Q: [REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
Q: Will our avatars in Odyssey be more sophisticated than we have at present, in order to facilitate height and weight differences, so that we don't all appear the same 'size'?
That's a great question! We'll have more on customisation for Odyssey in future.
Q: We often tell new users to select the controls preset of "keyboard and mouse with yaw". Could Frontier consider making that the default setting? Could Frontier please also consider unbinding "Jettison all cargo" for new users? It just causes issues.
Great feedback, we will pass this on to the development team. But as it stands we have no plans to change any default settings, or unbending "Jettison all cargo".
Q: I have studied the first changes in the pricing policy of the Mining and, along with the others, I expect further developments. At the same time, I want to offer you an alternative option for pricing: Experienced Commanders will be satisfied, and new players will not get a way to earn money too quickly. The principle can be applied to all activities in the Galaxy. Here is an example of mining: if you introduce an additional system of skill ranks in mining, the New Commander will not be able to get everything at once. Stations will pay less to a low-skilled mining specialist. And the Commander who spent many days on mining, and pumped his skill, will be considered an Elite and get the maximum reward for high-quality ore. In this way, mining will be fairly paid relative to the time spent, but will not allow a novice to become a tycoon without the corresponding expenditure of time and labor.
Thanks for the suggestion, Commander! We considered this approach and will continue to mull it over as we continue adjusting and making changes to mining and trade.
Q: When Squadrons was announced there were high hopes for it and some expectations were met. However, in some areas it arguably didn’t feel as if it had satisfied the needs of the ED Player Groups. As such are there any plans to revisit Squadrons in the future and take into account further feedback from Player Groups when considering any changes.
Right now there are no plans to update Squadrons as our focus is on Elite Dangerous: Odyssey. However, player feedback is always welcome to all parts of our game.
Q: Can you confirm the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X ‘Quality’ mode issue will be fixed?
We have no news on the PS4 Pro and XBox One X quality mode issue bug. If you or your fellow commanders would like to upvote this bug on our issue tracker please do! https://issues.frontierstore.net/
Q: Any plans for a Fleet Carrier Bridge?
There are no plans to add a bridge currently.
Q: What have the overall playercounts been like since the launch on Epic last week - was it close to May's record concurrency after Fleet Carriers arrived, perhaps higher?
Higher.
Q: Is the galaxy going to be updated with the new ESA’s Gaia star map data?
We're always working to update Elite Dangerous in line with new discoveries - I don't think that particular latest set of data has been implemented yet but I expect it will be eventually.
Q: Can we look forward to more robust features for squadrons? larger size, multi platform membership, a bank, etc
We have no updates for Squadrons at this time, but we are aware of the reports and concerns from our Squadron Commanders.
Q: How does the team think about the amount of grinding required for various activities, especially material grinding and relogging - is there any plan to make materials more fun to acquire?
We're not fans of the current meta for material gathering and well aware of how grindy it is. Re-logging being the best method is especially not something we want for Elite. Alternatives are an ongoing discussion with dev - as soon as plans are made, we'll let the community know.
Q: Is Frontier open to licensed cosmetics? I am thinking specifically of a Eddie Stobart skin for my Type 7 but there are lots of other options out there
Licensed cosmetics are a bit tricky as there's a lot involved in setting them up. We're always looking at what cosmetic options we can potentially offer though.
Q: Are there any plans to make a medium class Gutamaya ship?
Not currently, but we're open to design ideas!
Q: Will the Tech Broker Weapons (Shock Cannons, Enzyme Missile Racks, all Guardian Weapons) receive a balance pass and/or Engineering Blueprints?
Our focus at the moment is balancing the economy and gameplay loops. However, we do aim to further balance the rest of the game as time goes on.
Q: Is the HIP 22460 Permit currently achievable in game?
The galaxy is vast and has many mystery CMDR.
Q: Will fleet carriers (especially ATC voice) ever include special voice lines for owners in the future? Right now you just get greeted like any other random Commander.
Great feedback - let me pass this on to the team for consideration!
Q: Any plans for adding some meaning to PvP and more incentive to do it? Things like the occasional organized fight and more powerplay, bounty hunting, or BGS stuff that could give it some more meaning and incentive would go a long way. As of now everything PvP related is mostly player organized and doesn't even have much profit unlike things like mining or trading or exploration.
PvP is one of the things we are looking into for our ongoing balances. We are always open to suggestions and feedback.
Q: What be the closest 21th century equivalents to imperial, federation and alliance accent for high society?
They are not associated with any modern day groups.
Q: Do we have a release date for Odyssey yet?
Not yet - stay tuned!
Q: In the Codex Knowledge base, it says the INRA developed Mycoid in 3151 (Codex - Knowledge Base - The Thargoids - Vulnerabilities). On the Human-Thargoid Contact page, it says the INRA was established in 3193. Should we take this as a typo, or something shady like 'Formally established in 3193 but worked long before'?
I would read it as formely established...
Q: Elite on PC and XBox Series X currently support 4k in-game resolution, whereas the version of Elite running on PS5 does not. Do you plan to correct this?
There are no plans to update this on PS5 at the moment.
Q: Any idea if the crux of the Thargoid Heart issue will be found, or is it likely to be post-Odyssey (netcode... p2p.... etc)? It's a killer
We're aware of the reports and will update more when we have more to share.
Q: Would it be possible to add a search field to the controls binding menu? With Odyssey coming, the control bindings menu is only going to get more complex.
This is a great suggestion - we'll pass it along to the development team!
Q: Ron Tolmie, Bruce Fantana and Block Benedetti bobble heads when?
"Keeping your cockpits classy" - Thanks for the support!
Q: Is there still an unsolved element of the mystery and story around the Adamastor? If so any chance of another pointer?
Everything might be solved, but the mystery is far from over.
Q: any likelihood of getting commander slots so we can restart the game without wiping everything we've done or getting a new account?
We don't have any current plans to introduce a character slot system.
Q: Are we going to be able to support Thargoids ? Or have they been written as the bad guys.
That would depend on if you have learned to speak fluent Thargoid or not when you meet them.
Q: is there any news when the Moon will be available to land on?
No news on this, just yet!
Q: will ELW have any surface landings, nope i dont expected 3d models of cities or rushing water or trees
That's unconfirmed as of yet!
Q: Are there any plans to implement a blackbox that can be re-salvaged scheme for exploration data lost at ship loss?
I like the idea of a black box let me pass it on.
Q: Can I have professor Palin's old base?
Only if you REALLY like the smell of ammonia...
Q: Could the radar get an overhaul to make navigation easier?
Thanks for the feedback will pass this on!
Q: Could you look into rebalancing the material Traders? Having a 1/6 ratio for G5 matt's is excessive. 1/2 or 1/3 would be much more appropriate for most players.
I'm very keen on this idea - I see the rates as too harsh currently and have raised it with the development team.
Q: I'd like to make a suggestion: please make CQC free to play permanently. I think this would a) allow more CQC matches to happen more quickly, b) bring even more Cmdrs to the game. It would be lovely to have an indication on the Comms panel as to how many Cmdrs are queued for a game, so folks looking for a bit of fun can do so.
Thanks for the suggestion!
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