Patch Notes Update April Update - Patch Notes

drag munition : i'm for everything who push against this meta pvp gaming who is plasma fdl.That will force players to think with more diversity , so it's cool for pvpers.
but yeah, it's also cool for gankers.it's cool too for non fastest ships.nd that permit to annoy (in pârt) new speedy ships.
so yeah , good balancing guys
But the meta FDL will not be the main victim, it will just go 4-0-2 and last a little longer. The fast Couriers and Vipers, for example, can't. There are plenty off sensible suggestions for dealing with existing balancing problems, with the shield meta and permaboosting and what not. People have been talking about it for ages, there's a dedicated discord server for discusing and proposing balancing issues. This 'solution' just isn't sensible. It's like killing the weeds with napalm - yes, it eliminates the problem, and everything else along with it. Fun dogfighting is as good as dead.
 
Greetings Commanders,

The Elite Dangerous servers will be offline for all platforms from tomorrow morning (23 April) for approximately 6 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


Outstanding Bug fixes!!! Hopefully nothing breaks after the patch!!! Lol!!!:rolleyes:
 
I have seen a 7 years old kid dock and undock on his first try. Where do you get the ideas for these "new player helping" features?
Maybe you should implement a quick survey in the uninstaller. Could look something like this:

Why do you want to uninstall Elite: Dangerous? 1. I had no idea what i'm supposed to do and a game didn't even try to explain the game mechanics in an entertaining way 2. I knew what to do but i got bored doing the same thing over and over again for insignificant rewards 3. I wanted to play with my friend but the game mechanics are so broken that it was actually better to play alone 4. It was really, really hard for me to take off and fly outside of a station 5. Other (write your own) *insert text-box here*
 
It will kill all bi weave builds and finish hulls tanks. Not sure game diversity will be better. It will be only matters of who have the biggest shield pool.

Hull Tanks died with the Engineers update. When all the DMG and Defensive modules got powercreep. And internal modules/MRP's were untouched. Spash DMG from missiles and pen rails can take out a hull tank now in record time.

You can spam Silent running for only so long. And even then night vision killed that ontop of emissive special effect.

Silent running/stealth needs a rework. MRP's or Internals need a buff.

You're right here the new Drag changes will make it much harder on hull tanking.

I dont think the Drag change is necessarily a bad change. But they really should have made tons of other defensive changes before they implemented it.

The change itself is not bad, but it shouldnt have been done alone.
 

Ozric

Volunteer Moderator
Well the good thing with changes like this. Is the nerfing and buffing process by changing the game.
By nerfing or buffing an item, ship/character. You are able to bring other ships/items and characters into the spotlight. Also this will inherently change defensive loadouts.

They can also change ECM timers, Fix the jitter on point defense add more DMG on point defense.

This is probably the first step in a whole slew of continuous changes.

I understand this change is freaking everyone out. But this part of the game has been stale for over 2 years. Consistent changes like this or even rotating changes ever so often are needed.

It keeps the game fresh, but one thing I think Fdev doesnt do well is take into consideration ahead of time on what other changes need to be made to suit 1 specific change they make.

They arent really proactive and are more reactive in this manner.

I really do wish they would work with a few known PVPers about certain aspects of their game. A lot of these guys really do have balance over favoritism in mind.

And in the end do a handful of changes at one time and fine tune if needed. Make multiple changes and not just one drastic change when it comes to PVP.

There have been "balancing" changes going on for years in this game. Every update that has been released, certainly since 2.0, has had updates to ships, modules and weapons and the reasons for these updates has always been because of PvP.

The one issue that is always seemingly overlooked, in all games that feature PvP and PvE not just Elite, is that the endless need for "balancing" demanded by PvPers affect everybody. If you have a game that is PvP focused with PvE elements, then that is fine, but when the game is PvE focused with PvP elements, it's more of an issue.
 
I'm sorry what? Drag munitions are already very powerful and annoying do deal with... you want to make it so that we can't boost at all now?
You do realize that drag munitions can be applied to seeker missiles right? A weapon that can be spammed over and over again at a target and that - if in packhound form - can barely be evaded if at all. You're basically making it impossible to survive in PvP if you don't have drag munitions now, and you're making fast ships obsolete in PvP (notably the Mamba and Krait Phantom you happily introduced recently; their entire strength is their speed).

It seems like another change which has been haphazardly implemented without consideration for balancing. Please, please don't go through with this - drag munitions are plenty powerful enough as it is.

100% agreed!

All my piracy builds are based on speed and evasion, I need to run all the time from cops, from gankers, from wing mates of traders... speed is my first and best (if not the only one) defense I have. My ships have been built and engineered around that... if the permaboost is seen as an issue at FDEV, this requires another kind of assessment... may be at pips / heat / cool down level. With such change, the game will see much less diversity in ship builds, as going for tanking will be now the only thing to do.

Thank you for having ended up my career of a role play PvP pirate in open.

At this point, given they're f*ing up the game, It will not be a surprise if they put reverb cascade on seekers and cannons...
 
There have been "balancing" changes going on for years in this game. Every update that has been released, certainly since 2.0, has had updates to ships, modules and weapons and the reasons for these updates has always been because of PvP.

The one issue that is always seemingly overlooked, in all games that feature PvP and PvE not just Elite, is that the endless need for "balancing" demanded by PvPers affect everybody. If you have a game that is PvP focused with PvE elements, then that is fine, but when the game is PvE focused with PvP elements, it's more of an issue.

Its a PVP game with PVE element.No different than League of Legends or Tarkov. Im not really gonna dig deep here on this subject. But when a game like this is built. All balancing changes reflect on the multiplayer part of the game. There is no single player storyline. They had to make make PG's bigger because they didnt see something like mobius coming along.

And for the most part this game was supposed to be played out in open around many other people.

Regardless of how the modes were introduced. The game they built is and always will be balanced around player interaction.

Thats just how it is. It cant be changed.

Thats why certain modules work with thargoids and others dont.
 
I think its a good thing. Too much speed/reverski with dank shields to boot.

Im happy for the drag changes.

We got ECM, point defense and screening shell if they reverse. There are counters to this already.

This is like when Sandro told people about friendly fire and getting fines. If people keep doing it use smart rounds. We have the tools to counter this.

Also just leave the fight, if people stay and die to get kited. Thats their own fault. Cause those builds dont do much dmg in a short period of time. You stay you die.


Hell, I hope they do even more changes like this and change the META completely. Kill the FDL for a while.

As I've already stated and explained, ECM point defense and screening shell won't save you in this scenario. They're all laughably under-powered as countermeasures al ready, but if you get hit once by drag with this change you're screwed.

This will not simply "nerf the meta FDL" - it's going to have a massive impact on all medium ships and smaller. The FDL is probably going to come out of this better actually, since it is one of the tankier mediums out there.

"Just leave the fight" is dumb reasoning to excuse broken mechanics. Yes I can always run away from people - although this particular implementation of drag munitions will make ganking a lot easier - but that's not the point. I want to do PvP, and I want it to be balanced.
 
As I've already stated and explained, ECM point defense and screening shell won't save you in this scenario. They're all laughably under-powered as countermeasures al ready, but if you get hit once by drag with this change you're screwed.

This will not simply "nerf the meta FDL" - it's going to have a massive impact on all medium ships and smaller. The FDL is probably going to come out of this better actually, since it is one of the tankier mediums out there.

"Just leave the fight" is dumb reasoning to excuse broken mechanics. Yes I can always run away from people - although this particular implementation of drag munitions will make ganking a lot easier - but that's not the point. I want to do PvP, and I want it to be balanced.

To be fair the handshake PVP we have is not the PVP were supposed to be having. RIght? We are all aware of this? I think?

We're supposed to be intercepting, fighting in conflict zones and so on. Not something like San tu.
Sooner or later they are going to make us play the PVP game they want us to play. And not the 1v1 stay for 10 mins because we want to be there fights we have been having the past few years.

Its not to say our style of PVP will just vanish. But I do think they should have made a handful of changes and not just 1 change like this. Multiple changes for multiple modules should have been looked at. I dont think the drag change was bad. But other things needed to be changed to compensate.

How about them boosting Cutters though. At least we might be able to catch them a bit easier now. Cause those ships are flat out way to strong in speed and defenses.
 

Ozric

Volunteer Moderator
Its a PVP game with PVE element.No different than League of Legends or Tarkov. Im not really gonna dig deep here on this subject. But when a game like this is built. All balancing changes reflect on the multiplayer part of the game. There is no single player storyline. They had to make make PG's bigger because they didnt see something like mobius coming along.

And for the most part this game was supposed to be played out in open around many other people.

Regardless of how the modes were introduced. The game they built is and always will be balanced around player interaction.

Thats just how it is. It cant be changed.

Thats why certain modules work with thargoids and others dont.


Sorry what is the point of this reply? I did not mention single or multiplayer at all. Whatever your issues with the modes in this game might be, don't try and bring them into this conversation. I spend all my time when I'm not exploring in Open, but the design of the game is focused and centered around PvE gameplay, not PvP, so my assessment stands.
 
Boost Disruptors on dumb fire missiles. Sounds good. More skill based. TBH, I'd move drag munitions from frag cannons to cannons. Getting the effect on you with a single pellet hit is a bit op. Cannons could use some love anyway.

If they limited this to dumbfires it would be legit imo - those things are hard enough to hit with as it is. I disagree with the cannons though, they're even easier to hit with than PAs and have a high fire rate.
 
Sorry what is the point of this reply? I did not mention single or multiplayer at all. Whatever your issues with the modes in this game might be, don't try and bring them into this conversation. I spend all my time when I'm not exploring in Open, but the design of the game is focused and centered around PvE gameplay, not PvP, so my assessment stands.

I dont really think you understand and thats ok. Asses all you like. You're still wrong about it lol.
 
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