Patch Notes Update April Update - Patch Notes

Will Flanagan

Product Manager
Frontier
Greetings Commanders,

The Elite Dangerous servers will be offline for all platforms from tomorrow morning (23 April) for approximately 8 hours as we apply the April Update. There is a chance that this could run over, so we really appreciate your patience. As usual with these updates we'll keep you as up to date as possible.

While the servers are down, why not join us for our launch livestream starting at 11:00 AM (UTC) tomorrow on Twitch, YouTube and Mixer?

Thank you for your patience and we'll see you in the black!


Please find the full patch notes for the April Update below:

New Features

Main Menu
  • Main menu layout updated to make screens and options clearer and to allow room for descriptions
  • Added Commander details to the top right corner
  • Added a news carousel that can display GalNet headlines, store releases and/or community announcements
  • Hints/tips are displayed during the loading screen
  • Players current main ship is displayed as the background on the main menu
    • Note: this will always be your current 'main' ship; fighters/SRVs will not be shown
Commander Creation
  • Updated the new commander flow to make the process more informative and engaging
  • Ship selection screens now display more information on the ship, and also includes an image of the ship itself
  • Players can now choose to start in the Dromi system (in a permit-controlled area administered by the Pilots’ Federation) or in the standard package location
Pilots' Federation District
  • The Pilots' Federation District is a collection of systems designed to offer a regulated area for new Commanders
  • Outfitting in these systems offers a basic level of equipment, and Shipyards offer a range of entry level ships
  • Missions offered in the district are aimed at early stage players
  • These systems are also marked with a special icon in the navigation panel and galaxy map
  • Once players have gained a rank in Combat, Trade or Exploration, they are offered a 'graduation' mission, which directs them out of the district. If they choose to complete this mission, they cannot re-enter any of the district systems.
    • This also means current, experienced players cannot enter any of these systems
New Modules
  • Advanced Docking Computer - The Advanced Docking Computer provides cutting edge guidance control to the ship’s computer, offering a further launch option alongside the assisted docking function.
  • Supercruise Assist - The Supercruise Assist module allows the ship’s computer to regulate the approach towards a set location within the current system and to disengage the drive at the appropriate time . This module can also be used to enter orbit around a planetary body.
    • Planet side targets are excluded - instead they will engage the planetary orbit function of the computer, and Commanders will need to manually guide the ship to the ground destination
  • Added a new 'Flight Assistance' section to the Ship tab on the right hand panel. Here players can toggle various options on or off (if fitted with the correct modules):
    • Flight Assist
    • Auto Dock
    • Auto Launch (requires Advanced Docking Computer)
    • Rotational Correction
    • Hyperspace Dethrottle (requires the Supercruise assist module. If switched on, throttle will automatically set to zero on entry to a new system)
Navigation Tab
  • Plotted route information is now displayed along the top of the Navigation tab
  • The popup box for each entry in the Navigation tab now includes extra information (where applicable) and various quick links to other features/areas of the game:
    • Lists any activities available at the selected location, with links to the relevant pilots handbook article(s)
    • Links to system or galaxy map where appropriate
    • Highlights threat levels when the threat is higher than your combat rank (and lists if it is human or xeno)
    • Displays various data on ports or nearby systems, such as allegiance, economy, has appropriate landing pad for your ship, relationship, state, security level galactic region
    • Maintains all previous actions such as lock target, and bookmark location
Pilot's Handbook
  • New section added to the Codex that contains articles detailing activities and features of the game:
    • Mining
    • Exploration
    • Piracy
    • Trade and Smuggling
    • Mercenary Work
    • Bounty Hunting
    • Xeno Hunting
    • Salvage and Rescure
    • Maps
    • Crime and Punishment
Training Simulation Access
  • Training simulations are now accessible from within any ship cockpit, from anywhere
    • Note: if you attempt to start a simulation whilst in danger, you will be subject to the standard 15 second delay before proceeding
Commodity Market Interface
  • Separated 'Buy' and 'Sell' screens, to make it clearer to the player what data they are looking at
  • Added filters
  • Added 'Suggested' markets to the comparisons popup, and populated it with nearby data that the player owns
    • Also added the mission icon to systems that the player has active missions in
  • The 'Help' button takes the player to the relevant Pilots Handbook article
  • Updated the supply and demand icons and added a description of it to the right hand side of the screen, to make it clearer to the player when to buy or sell
  • Highlight mission related and rare goods on the buy screen, with a key to icons along the bottom
  • Clarified what the comparison column is telling the player:
    • On the buy screen - the profit if selected commodity is sold at selected market/galactic average
    • On the sell screen - the profit if selected commodity is bought at selected market/galactic average, and sold at current market
    • By default the column shows the 'Galactic Average' until the player selects a market to compare with
  • Added local market data to the right hand side for quick comparison
  • Buy screen shows Galactic average and price per unit on right hand side and Sell screen also includes profit if sold
  • Buy/Sell popup includes more information and quick links
    • Local market data for quick comparison
      • Selecting a market takes the player to the system on the galaxy map
    • View commodity on galaxy - takes players to a filtered version of the map
  • Added more detail to the popup box when selecting any commodities in the players inventory, as well as a quick link to the galaxy map with the correct filter applied
Bug Fixes and Improvements

This update includes over 800 fixes for various issues that have been discovered and investigated during the development process. For the sake of clarity, we have primarily listed below fixes for issues that have been reported to us by the community or other significant changes.

AI
  • Fixed some odd AI behaviour, found in assassination missions
  • Pirate AI will now act accordingly once the player responds after they demand cargo
Codex
  • Fixed an issue that prevented discovered Ammonia worlds from being confirmed
  • Fixed not being able to open the codex whilst in planetary glide
  • Fixed the session log not displaying a DSS scan event as 'efficient' if the efficiency target was met
Conflict Zones
  • Fixed issue where allied ships could suddenly become hostile to the player
Crashes/Stability
  • Fixed a crash that could occur when disarming a seismic charge
  • Fixed crash that could occur when launching or switching to a fighter
  • Fixed crash that could occur whilst driving an SRV
  • Fixed a crash that could occur when mining in a wing
  • Fixed a crash that could occur when restocking limpets
Damage Balancing
  • Fixed an issue that was causing damage dealt by Thargons to increase in multiplayer sessions
  • Fixed issue that caused more heat damage to be applied to vessels when in a multiplayer session
  • "Drag Munitions" engineering modification now disables the victims boost function whilst it is active
Diamondback Explorer
  • Fixed an issue with the yellow computer screen in the cockpit incorrectly showing as blue
Docking Computer
  • Fixed edge case that could cause the docking computer to not be able to successfully dock the ship
Exploration
  • Fixed issue that caused COVAS line 'System Scan Completed' to trigger multiple times incorrectly
  • Added option to invert the FSS tuning axis
  • Fixed an issue when trying to custom bind Front or Rear View toggle in DSS mode
  • Added an index number to Thargoid Barnacle sites to make easier for players to differentiate them
  • Fixed some cases where planets can appear to be fully scanned when they haven't been
Galaxy Map
  • Fixed a star class in Lyaisae IC-U e3-253 that was displaying incorrectly on the Galaxy Map
General Ship
  • Players PIP settings are retained once they return back to their ship after switching to an SRV or fighter
  • Players can now use the keybinding to turn off ship headlights whilst using the docking computer
  • Corrected the cockpit health disparity displayed between module tab and advanced maintenance
  • Fixed an issue where a dismissed ship could end up not being able to be recalled
  • Fixed an issue where broken shields would recharge faster when dropping in and out of Supercruise
  • Fixed limpets showing in front of your ship suddenly when launching them
Player Journal Updates
  • FSDJump event – now includes “Body” info about the arrival star
  • Don’t write a spurious “FighterRebuilt” event after docking SLF back in the ship
  • ApproachSettlement” now includes body info
  • The “Loadout” event:
    • no longer includes spurious ammo stats for energy weapons
    • now includes UnladenMass and FuelCapacity info
    • now written when docking SRV back in mothership
    • now includes CargoCapacity, and MaxJumpRange
  • Module item names are now consistently lowercase
  • Status.json:
    • include LegalState
    • includes info on nearby planet, and ‘AltFromAvgRad” flag
  • Scan: include a star’s subclass
  • Location: include DistFromStarLS
  • Add Conflicts data in FSDJump and Location
  • Include Vehicle ID for SLF/SRV (LaunchFighter, LaunchSRV, FighterRebuilt, FighterDestroyed, DockSRV, DockFighter, SRVDestroyed, CrewLaunchFighter)
  • Add info in Scan event to show if the body was previously discovered or mapped

Krait Phantom
  • Fixed reversed thruster animations when viewed from the vanity camera
Localisation
  • Fixed various typos
Mining
  • Fixed 'Optimum yield range exceeded' warning displaying when the yield hasn't been exceeded
  • Ensure we eject deposit chunks from asteroids perpendicular to attempt to stop chunks getting stuck inside
  • Fixed missing 'Detonation Successful' message
  • Tightened hitcheck around asteroid models to lessen the amount of surface deposits that don't break off when correctly hit
Rendering
  • Fixed lighting issue when returning to the cockpit from FSS mode
  • Fixed tiling effect when capturing high-res screens shots in various situations
Synthesis
  • Fixed incorrect message 'AFM refill' being displayed when using the SRV Repair recipe
USS
  • Increased High Grade Emissions USS spawn rate
Vanity Camera
  • Fixed visual issues when the camera signal is lost
VR
  • Ensure the mist at Thargoid sites displays correctly in both eyes
  • Fixed light flares from stars flickering in the right eye display
Weapons
  • Fixed an issue that caused the remote flak launcher to continue malfunctioning even after being repaired by an Auto Field-Maintenance Unit
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Nick Sticks

Nick Sticks
Excellent.

:) Players PIP settings are retained once they return back to their ship after switching to an SRV or fighter
:) Fixed some cases where planets can appear to be fully scanned when they haven't been

:unsure: Fixed an issue that was causing damage dealt by Thargons to increase in multiplayer sessions,
Hmm, I wonder if the SRV multiplayer damage bug is related to this?
 
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Athum

Athum
Could you please tell us the time you will go offline so we can count the approximate moment for go back? I live at UTC+8 zone, so if you'll go offline at 11 am UTC, it could be a bit late for me six hours later. Thanks!
 

Qrozzfyre

Qrozzfyre
For a later update, I would love to see an option to show all discoveries in a galactic region on the galactic map.
Now, we have to go to the codex and click for every single entry. That ist pretty annoying and takes much time.

Also maybe add an option to filter for star-subclasses? This helps us to find giant stars. This could be interesting for finding ELWs. ;-)
 
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