Answers from the Devs 15/10/15

[Quantis Trap]

Since 1.5 and Horizons will release at same time will the beta's be together on the same server?

I don't know the answer to this for sure, but my guess would be that Horizons be released on a copy of the galaxy which will not be interactive with the non-Horizons galaxy.

I'd like to add a related question to this. If my assumption is correct and there are two separate galaxies, will players who own both games be able to play as their same commander on both games but have deverging player statistics at the point of the split?

 

[AnnuverScotinExile]

Since 1.5 and Horizons will release at same time will the beta's be together on the same server?

It seems completely daft for them to do anything else. I'm not close to the details, so I don't know how many CMDRs there are with beta access to 1.5 and not Horizons, if any. But assuming that there are some, then FD will want to have them in the same test environment, to make sure the split in allowed functionality that will be there when it drops (i.e. all that planetary landings stuff that some do not have access to) works properly. And even if there are none in that position, I don't see how putting 1.5 beta testers in a separate environment adds anything, other than a pile of work for FD to maintain multiple environments.

 

[CmdrJacks]

There are some people who have beta access to season one but not season two. I'm guessing there's no need to do a public beta of some new ships. If those ships are available to horizons beta people before season one people this forum is going to melt. I've ordered so much popcorn.

 

[CmdrJacks]

Not a backer myself, but:

Spoiler

From here: https://www.reddit.com/r/EliteDangerous/comments/3g5po3/elite_dangerous_horizons_purchase_options/

Edit: oops, image was a bit big.. damned font

 

[zexpe]

Finally some clarification about ships, although not something I expected - expected Panther to be done deal, at least lot of dev comments kinda indicated that. No sign of bigger passenger ships, so I guess passenger missions isn't coming in 1.5/2.0 yet. Sad situation with OS X.

I think the key thing is that the base game (Season one) was promised 30 ships (25 + the 5 bonus ships). And this is that list! Future seasons will include more ships, and the Cobra Mk IV is the first of those!

Well, I'm not sure the two ships that are CQC only can really be considered "base game", and those on OS X are stuck with 28 ships forever in the main game. I also wouldn't be surprised to see the base game development miss out on lots of features like passenger missions as FD attempt to sell future expansions... as always, the game development isn't living up to expectations. :-(

 

[Jesters09]

Just to add, there will be some of us who do have beta, but wont be taking part in it that much. Mostly those of us who went for the lifetime pass, but are not interested in playing in beta.

 

[David Aaron]

I look at it as an opportunity to do some crazy stuff with no risk to my bank account.

 

[_Flin_]

A question, or let's say two:
How far is the maximum expansion range for a minor faction?
And how does replacing another minor faction in a system work?

So far we have not observed any expansion ever that ended up in a system with 5 factions and replacing a faction.
The maximum range we observed was 27 ly, so our current theory is that an expansion can go to up 30 ly.

Our current observed behavior is that an expansion always ends up in the next system with an available slot.
How does replacing a minor faction, which was introduced with 1.4, work? We haven't observed it yet, and aren't sure whether this is working as intended or bugged.

 

[Angus]

When your come across a person in space, as with the legal salvage of survival canisters (occupied) it just seems a shame that there isn't an option to be a good guy. Will there be a mechanism for rescuing, and taking them to a nearby station, without selling them into slavery? Maybe just an extra option on the Contacts screen?

It would be fine if you had to pay a little money to have them processed/transported to their home etc. but currently the available options are pretty much limited to slave trader or murder. (I appreciate there are separate slave liberation missions.)

On a not entirely unrelated note, when you pitch in and save an innocent npc from attacking pirates, it would be great if they acknowledged your chivalry with a "thank you". Maybe one day they could occasionally pass you a mission, but just a grateful comment would make a world of difference.

 

[Surrpetum]

Thanks for the Answers Zac! But I do have a question that has been burning for a while.

Are there any plans to rebalance combat ship meta? At the moment, larger ship defenses depend heavily on the presence of shield boosters. Counter-intuitively, this means that multirole ships are more effective for combat than combat ships. This is exemplified by the discussions going on about the Anaconda and Federal Corvette. If there are plans to rebalance combat meta, will SCBs be worked around, or done away with completely?

 

[Ozric]

Hi Zac,

Here's a very interesting one that's just been brought up and as I thought about it I realised I don't think it's ever actually been confirmed.

In Horizons will we be able to land our own ship at a starport on a planet's surface?

Landing and starports have both been mentioned and I think it's been assumed by many that we will be able to dock and interact with starports on the planet's surface, but I don't think it's ever actually been confirmed...

*tin foil hat at the ready*

 

[Hadron-Higgs-Boson]

I would like some further clarifications about the level of NPC based flight/combat in Horizons.

We know the skimmers are NPC only, for now
We know that SRV's are player only, for now, so there will be no player vs NPC SRV combat or NPC SRV's at all driving around or idling about
We know we can land on empty ground

We do not know if there will be NPC piloted ships to fight from our ships or from SRV's, which leads to will an NPC in space flight follow us down to the surface?
We do not know if we can land at bases/starports (would seem silly not to be able to), if so, will this be similar to outposts in space currently?
We do not know if we can drive an SRV into a base/starport and 'dock' and interact with its services, do bases/starports have services?

 

[Arubeto]

Questions for the new round of "Answers by the devs":

- Will the Federal Fighter and the Imperial Fighter be added to the main game when "ship-launched fighters" is added during "Horizons"?

- Will all ships be able to equip a SRV module, including all small ship-launched fighters (Federal Fighter, Imperial Fighter etc.)?

- Will the "Independent Fighter" be added to CQC soon, given that a corresponding folder has been found in the ED installation directory?

- Will the character creator be used to give NPCs a face?

- Will NPC wingmen for hire come eventually?

 

[Muetdhiver]

My question :

- what will happen if a ship lauched fighter is killed ? can we repair it on-board of the carrier with an AFMU ? Or do we have to go back to a station (explorers...)

 

[Ozric]

There is one question that needs to be addressed. I have been thinking about this for a while now every time O come back to civilisation...

Where is Bat Crazy Roy???

I haven't seen him since Beta... Ah the memories of trying to dock at a station and there would be Roy, blocking the entry into the station in his Type 6 or what ever he thought would be a good ship to do it in. Willfully shooting at the station from the inside. Shooting system security vessels just outside a station... God I miss him, has anyone seen him???

 

[Kerrash]

...will there be appropriate effects on the surfaces to represent this (such as a heat-haze on rocks as the sun rises, etc.). ...

Heat haze is an atmospheric effect

Do explorers need to go back to the bubble to collect a buggy or will it be in the ship at launch of Horizons?

Mike B confirmed at fantasticon, that any one out exploring would be giving an SRV module automatically

 

[[VR] Mad Mike]

Mike B confirmed at fantasticon, that any one out exploring would be giving an SRV module automatically

didnt he later reply back and say "my mistake" you have to fly and buy the correct module? pretty sure he did (possibly in last weeks dev diaries).

 

[Javert]

Mike B confirmed at fantasticon, that any one out exploring would be giving an SRV module automatically

Yes he did, but I think he then reversed it last week on the forums and said he had made a mistake and we do have to go back to get the SRV (and also I think the module that allows planet landing but I wasn't clear whether he meant just the SRV module or the landing one as well).

 

[AnnuverScotinExile]

Michael always said that you had to return to the bubble for the SRV. The mistake and subsequent correction was for the gizmo you need to have to be able to land. So if you are out in the black, you essentially get none of Horizons until you get back in the bubble. I turned around a few days ago.

 

[coca_fr]

Would it be possible to have answer from dev each month ?

We are all eager to answers from you guys for the future of Elite Dangerous !