Considering getting Elite Dangerous

[Vetinari]

On the flip side I prefer using the xbox elite controller. Version 2 just came out and it can bind a shift key that can be used as a modifier.

Hows that working out? I been looking at it. Is the shift button/paddle easy to access while playing? Or do you often get the wrong combo? Normally Id just go into a shop and try one but not right now

 

[Sensei Jacksama]

Hows that working out? I been looking at it. Is the shift button/paddle easy to access while playing? Or do you often get the wrong combo? Normally Id just go into a shop and try one but not right now

I don't have the elite 2 but the original one I love. The problem with it is the paddles are too big and they get in the way of your grip. Your supposed to learn to adjust your grip so you grip it from the sides instead of around but I never did that. I bought a set of paddles for $1 on eBay and cut them with a bolt cutter then sanded down the edges so mine are much smaller than the stock ones. You don't get them mixed up because on both upper and lower sides they are different sizes. It's like anything else though. It's hard to get used too but once you do it's really awesome. I literally can't play elite without it.

 

[Sensei Jacksama]

The advantage to having the paddles is you can make button combinations that normally aren't possible. For example my lateral thrusters are controlled by holding B and using the right stick. Normally you would have to take your hand off the left stick to do that or hold it very awkwardly with your right but I can do seamlessly even during combat without any trouble. The elite 2s only real advantage is being able to bind the shift key thus giving you an extra modifier. That's a huge deal but not enough to get me to buy a whole new controller. If I were looking to buy a new one definitely go with version 2. It does have some quality improvements over it's predicessor. If they ever made a version 3 that made it where you can keybind all of the paddles as their own separate binding then I would get it.

 

[[Cancelled Consoleer] boppa_]

Game will be playable on both consoles.

Maybe for Xbox, but for Playstation it has not yet been confirmed.

 

[sandkid]

If its your first venture into Elite then you really need to get the BBC Micro version from 1984 and start there. This will give you superiority and utter respect on the forums especially if you use it to batter newer players

Seriously, looks like youre decided on PC so need to advise, Im on XB. More 'happenings' on PC for sure, more players, but the Console community in general seems to be more friendly in game and have a lot more fun. Less gankers per player ratio probably, most of them go to PC.

Better / quicker loading on PC for sure - GalMap loading time is the most obvious one Ive seen. Seems to be less instancing issues on Console though, may be just anecdotal and sometimes for a few hours multicrew is just inaccessible but then mostly it works fine most of the time. May be down to individual rigs on PC casuing more issue there, or more bandwidth or just more players on server, could be many things.




You can set a 'deadzone' for either stick, meaning you can have 1 control in the deadzone and another in the non-deadzone.

LS - Deadzone for pitch & yaw (left, right, up and down), out of deadzone for roll. Deadzone is moveable so you can set it for your own dexterity.
RS - Thrust only, horizontal & vertical
Right Hand Side Firing Group - Fixed Weapons

Or swop it over if left handed or prefer it.

This means that when trying to get it fixed on your target exactly your right hand is not touching the 'movement' controls at all. This was a breakthrough for me for fixed weapons, using the same hand meant I was constantly wobbling when firing as trying to track at the same time or pulling up too much just at point of firing.

Huh, learning something new everyday! I fly with a HOTAS, but I fall back on controller when the HOTAS gets wonky on me (it's twist sensor constantly needs to be recalibrated - very annoying). Except for combat wizardry (and plenty of PC players prefer a controller, so this is just me), I find a controller works fine for everything in Elite. Honestly, the only reason I love horizontal thrust is for landing my beloved Beluga Liner and Federal Corvette, just makes it go a lot smoother when you use all of the tools at your disposal - one of the major treats of the game.

 

[Misty_Dark]

So, exactly what the title says. I'm thinking about getting this game. As you can see from my profile picture, I've I'm already a player of a Frontier-made game, and don't worry, I know Elite a VERY different genre than Planet Zoo, and management games in general. Still, it's a genre I'm a bit interested in. Just a few questions.

First of all, what platform should I play it with? I have a PC that's pretty bad for gaming. I do have GeoForce Now, meaning graphics aren't going to be too terrible, it's mostly general performance that I'm concerned about. If I need a good computer for playing on PC to be viable, I also could get it on Xbox instead, although I'd rather not if possible, due to personal preference, and the fact that console is always a bit neglected in the world of gaming.

Second, controls. As far as I'm aware, most people either play with a controller or flight stick. I like keyboard and mouse, but should I take the controller route? I've only seen one person claiming keyboard and mouse is easy, everyone else seems to think it's a pain.

Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions, and have a nice day.

PC have the biggest potential for most options. Consoles have their own limitations. So it comes down to preference. I do think, overall PC, have the advantage

Consoles preferred input options are Controllers, even though there are some options for using other things.
PC plays with just anything you have. Mouse, Keyboard, Controller, Joysticks, Throttles, wheel, all strange gaming special keyboards/controller combos etc.

Regardless of what you choose to play the game with, it will most likely work out great, and the game is fully playable with Keyboard and Mouse, so if that is your preferred way, go for it. You can easily try out a controller without to much hassle. HOTAS setup is very optional. I have played with all inputs, and at home, I use HOTAS setup with a special 50key tablet, in VR I use a controller. On a laptop on the go, I use a controller or keyboard+mouse.

If Keyboard and Mouse are easy or hard, it is mostly up to your learning curve, all options have their own pros and cons, and on PC, you have an easier time to try another input method. it took me a while to get used to controller, there tons of options to choose how to configure whatever input method you choose to use.

Elite Dangerous VR Is An Absolute Nightmare This is a very humorous take on Elite Dangerous and all the options you have to configure for your controls, luckily mouse+keyboard and controller comes pre-configured and the game can show helpful hints for what key to press. For HOTAS you have to do go through all of this configuration atleast once...





And regarding your pc, there are several testimonies from players using very lackluster machines to play the game on, depending on what you want todo, this can be more than sufficient to get a great experience. I have played the game on a few laptops, with midrange 5+ old Nvidia mobile graphics cards and had no issues.

Often a graphics card upgrade can be a very cost effective way to improve gaming performance, and soon there might be plenty of used midrange Nvidia 10 series cards flooding the second hand market, as people look forward for Nvidias new 30 series cards. So there is a potential to make a great bargain on a used graphics card in the near future.

 

[Ydiss]

Just to reiterate, the OP is using Geforce Now, so their pc specs are mostly irrelevant.

I tried it last night out of interest, with another game, and was pleasantly surprised at the performance.