ANNOUNCEMENT April Update - Coming 23 April 2019

[Sylow]

The way I'm reading it, the new pilot can stay there indefinitely, but is allowed to leave any time after they make their first rank....yay for the end of seal clubbing!

Uh, no. Especially not if it's the way you describe it. If you can stay there till you decide to leave, the seal clubber will simply make money to get the best ship available in there and then go seal clubbing. It's not like he'll have to be afraid of experienced players coming in and giving him trouble, either.

If people get forced to vacate once they get their first rank upgrade, things will be a bit better. Seal clubbers will have to specialize in Sidewinder setups with costs below the first trade rank upgrade. That'd still be a noticeable advantage over people in e-grades Sidewinders, but seal clubbing then might require a minimum level of skill, which will block most of them from being successful.

 

[Oaktree]

Looks to be a pretty good update, and not so small as it was announced before.

I'm maybe even considering having a second account to experience the life of a new pilot in the galaxy.

 

[GreyAreaUK]

Does the beginners zone mean people are locked out if they have a rank, or people are locked in until they have a rank, or both?

This update sounds awesome too, looking forward to it

I think it's just the 'locked out' part.

Which, now I think about it, isn't all that good - while you can avoid a combat rank almost indefinitely, it's virtually impossible not to gain an exploration or trade rank within an hour unless you stay docked up and never launch!

Maybe let new CMDRs get past a couple of ranks first?

 

[777Driver]

This Supercruise Assist should auto navigate to the selected target IMO. Like auto pilot. What is described (only speed management) is almost nothing.

From what I read it does auto navigate, you just need to initially align with the target, from that point it makes those irritating minor adjustments we have had to put up with all those years. Sounds like a course hold function, brilliant.

 

[Babellon]

Very nice, those will make starting out so much more comfortable. The additional slots on all ships will be useful as well. The new trade improvements sound like a big improvement and will hopefully give the trading element a more involved, driven feel. more ways to approach the game with better more informative components will always make things better.

 

[BrainProtest]

Why not skip adding new optional internals and just integrating the new assistance features into the ships computer? So long you add the option to disable these features this would be a lot more elegant

 

[biohazard15]

My exact reaction to this anouncement:

 

[Wasp0]

So a Certain player group/Squadron who base themselves in Wyrd and attack cmdrs who show a Docking computer as part of their loadout, will now be able to attack even more ships

 

[Bigmaec]

Ok, seriously now...
What are the new modules? I read about two new modules...

 

[Zatoichie]

Uh, no. Especially not if it's the way you describe it. If you can stay there till you decide to leave, the seal clubber will simply make money to get the best ship available in there and then go seal clubbing. It's not like he'll have to be afraid of experienced players coming in and giving him trouble, either.

If people get forced to vacate once they get their first rank upgrade, things will be a bit better. Seal clubbers will have to specialize in Sidewinder setups with costs below the first trade rank upgrade. That'd still be a noticeable advantage over people in e-grades Sidewinders, but seal clubbing then might require a minimum level of skill, which will block most of them from being successful.

im sure the outfitting in those systems will be severly limited so that wont be too much of an issue

 

[znôrt]

With the the Supercruise Assist, you will also be able to enter into orbit around a body

ok, now i'm excited.

on other news, incoming shism about supercruise autopilot! i'm fine with it, although it should be suboptimal.

and some crutches for newbies are indeed welcome, but i hope the 'gamification' aspect of activities and such doesn't go too far ...

 

[Will Flanagan]

Some nice changes there but...

Why not make the advanced docking computer and the super cruise assistant functions of the ship in stead of modules? Doesn't adding the possibility of having more modules completely change the balance of ship loadouts?

We want these new modules to help those who struggle with that area of the game.

Ideally, all players would be able to navigate Supercruise and Dock/Undock manually, but we have identified that some players struggle with this. The balance for this is that by using these assist modules, you will lose out on the optional internal slots they take up.

 

[gooddoc]

Undocking computer.

SC assist.

Dumbing down the game is not the way to go.

CMDRs can go from a Sidewinder to an Anaconda is a few hours, completely foregoing the opportunity to gain experience and learning to play the game. Credits are no replacement for experience.

You've also allowed griefing and killing for no reason, a change from what the game was originally envisioned.

An increasing parade of desperate "fixes" have had to be implemented to address this mistake.

Speed limits in stations instead of shadowbanning station rammers. Then they started ramming "speeders" to enforce the speed limits they caused to be implemented...

Crime and Punishment system.

Now noob areas where experienced CMDRs can't even reach to help out and take new CMDRs under their wing, all because the devs caved to pressure from EVE-like players who wanted a free fire zone throughout Elite.

How much time and resources have been wasted on this, and how much further along could meaningful content be?

There's already a huge issue of CMDRs with no idea how to fly, outfit, navigate, etc., and the impetus to learn to do so are being taken away.

Elite is a niche game, only a certain segment is going to be interested. Just like the military, the military isn't right for everyone, and not everyone who wants to join is right for the military. Trying to shoehorn people into a game like Elite is going to backfire. Please rethink this.

WOW! Someone's grumpy!!

 

[Lordxenu]

From what I read it does auto navigate, you just need to initially align with the target, from that point it makes those irritating minor adjustments we have had to put up with all those years. Sounds like a course hold function, brilliant.

I really want to hate this but actually you can either grab a drink or read galnet or the codex or even holome without reading something then realising the target is 3kls behind you!

Really like this

 

[Bob McBobblehead]

I don't think adding an advanced docking computer and SC assist is dumbing down the game. Elite Dangerous has a steep learning curve for new players and lots of people giving up because of it. Giving people training wheels might improve the chances of new players sticking with the game.

 

[Lordxenu]

WOW! Someone's grumpy!!

And I thought I was grumpy today!

 

[Bigmaec]

We want these new modules to help those who struggle with that area of the game.

Ideally, all players would be able to navigate Supercruise and Dock/Undock manually, but we have identified that some players struggle with this. The balance for this is that by using these assist modules, you will lose out on the optional internal slots they take up.

Why not simply add those functions via right hand panel tabs like FA / lights / night vision?

Why TWO new modules and new slots? I mean, more slots are great, all my ships will get new modules, just not the new ones

 

[777Driver]

I always assumed you flew your t9 fa-off all the time

I use FA-ON as an autopilot It was supercruise that bugged me, constant slight adjustments whilst in SC, now the computer can hold course, I'll still disconnect it for the final approach, to me that is still a lot of fun, especially when the port is near to a gas giant. Full throttle into the gravity well

 

[BHARD99]

Don‘t make it too casual!!!!!!!!!
Elite Dangerous should not be everybodies darling. The level of difficulty has given you players tied to this really special game for years...
My hope was, that Frontier would finally give us a BGS and Powerplay in Open Game only...

If you really want to go this way - please think about the following:

1. Beginner Mode like you just announced
2. Open Play for everyone

...and get rid of the rest!

Cmdr BHARD99, Wing Commander 1GLoD

 

[GreyAreaUK]

I really want to hate this but actually you can either grab a drink or read galnet or the codex or even holome without reading something then realising the target is 3kls behind you!

Really like this

I suspect this is one of those things that I'll dislike in principle (more ways to not play the game, etc) and then use all the fricken' time