Elite Dangerous: Odyssey Q&A - Ships and Vehicles

[Lobstris]

We have no plans to add specific anti-personnel ship weapons. We’ve put a huge amount of work into ensuring the combat triangle remains balanced and fair.

I'm worried by this 'combat triangle' thing. Does this involve infantry having to equip specific, anti-ship (e.g. MANPAD) or anti-vehicle weaponry? The idea that infantry could take out a starship with 'simple' hand weapons is stretching credulity, even for the sake of balance. Anti-ship protection should primarily be from the bases' defences. I'm also slightly worried that there's a whole gameplay angle here of stealth capabilities of the ship verses detection capabilities of the base that's probably not getting any love? Is there any form of connection between base sensors and base weapons - e.g. knock sensors offline via some means (e.g. infiltration, stand-off anti-radiation weapon etc.) and base weapons go offline?

I'm also not convinced the lack of even 'dumb' iron bombs for ships against vehicles/personnel. Life really shouldn't be 'balanced' or 'fair' for infantry or vehicles, if you can't vouch that the airspace above them is safe. There's a reason why air-superiority is important.

(OK - I take the point that the ultimate extension of what I'm saying is that, if someone actually asked me to destroy a base in the Elite universe, I'd lob a rock at the base from orbit (see the Expanse for details), which wouldn't necessarily make good gameplay for guys on the ground. )

 

[Lobstris]

I'd like to see the smallest ships; Sidewinder, Eagle etc. (even though they are still big compared to humans) seem more useful during ground /base combat, perhaps just the ability to get closer. Can't wait to try anyway.

Oh God! Yes! Anything that improves smaller ships utility and adds to their gameplay would be great. Equippable stealth modules to reduce detection range, Stealth armour coatings etc.

 

[Pralines]

Q. When doing a multiple vehicle assault, is it possible for player crew members to drive SRVs from the ship they don't own? Similar way to launching a SLV is now?
Absolutely! For instance, there would be nothing to stop a Commander in an Alliance Crusader have their 2 multi-crew teammates deploying in a Ship Launched Fighter AND an SRV, before landing and heading in on foot themselves.

so, we can get out of the SRV same as we get out of the landed ship ?

and also we can land a launched Fighter to get on foot ?
or we have to self destruct (the fighter), return to the landed ship et get out on foot ?

 

[Tyres O'Flaherty]

Not Odyssey but...

Are there plans regarding shifting fuel directly to the tritium depot of a carrier instead of via a ship?

I believe you were 'considering" it when I asked in a previous AMA. I understand it has been mentioned by numerous players.

 

[Helmniir]

Multicrew + wing option? More than 4 players? Some new SRV's finally?
Dev answers are as irrelevant to what people want to know as ever :\

 

[Old Duck]

I'm also not convinced the lack of even 'dumb' iron bombs for ships against vehicles/personnel.

I currently have a Dropship that's literally a "drop" ship - it drops quad mines like bombs, and it's very cool. It's also mostly useless since I don't have much to drop these "bombs" on at the moment.

My luck Frontier will nerf this just like they nurfed dumbfire missiles against skimmers.

Like others, I'm feeling skeptical about this DLC. I wanted Space Legs to improve and enhance my interactions with my ship (think Subnautica or Space Engineers), but I get the sense Odyssey legs will be focused more on separating us from our ships.

 

[Cdr Voorheez]

Great answers, thank you.

 

[thistle]

Thanks for the answers but, and it's a big but.

Why has the question, will we get more types of SRVs not been answered?

It's the question most people want to know. Over 5 years and we still only have the one type, surely you have to be adding more with Odyssey.

Not ready to reveal the answer would be my guess.

 

[Cdr Voorheez]

I currently have a Dropship that's literally a "drop" ship - it drops quad mines like bombs, and it's very cool. It's also mostly useless since I don't have much to drop these "bombs" on at the moment.

My luck Frontier will nerf this just like they nurfed dumbfire missiles against skimmers.

Like others, I'm feeling skeptical about this DLC. I wanted Space Legs to improve and enhance my interactions with my ship (think Subnautica or Space Engineers), but I get the sense Odyssey legs will be focused more on separating us from our ships.

I'd reserve any premature judgment until we have thrashed the alpha and the finished product is dropped.

 

[imski]

I'm also not convinced the lack of even 'dumb' iron bombs for ships against vehicles/personnel. Life really shouldn't be 'balanced' or 'fair' for infantry or vehicles, if you can't vouch that the airspace above them is safe. There's a reason why air-superiority is important.

(OK - I take the point that the ultimate extension of what I'm saying is that, if someone actually asked me to destroy a base in the Elite universe, I'd lob a rock at the base from orbit (see the Expanse for details), which wouldn't necessarily make good gameplay for guys on the ground. )

I wonder what happens if you jettison cargo over players?

 

[Rubbernuke]

I currently have a Dropship that's literally a "drop" ship - it drops quad mines like bombs, and it's very cool. It's also mostly useless since I don't have much to drop these "bombs" on at the moment.

My luck Frontier will nerf this just like they nurfed dumbfire missiles against skimmers.

Like others, I'm feeling skeptical about this DLC. I wanted Space Legs to improve and enhance my interactions with my ship (think Subnautica or Space Engineers), but I get the sense Odyssey legs will be focused more on separating us from our ships.

This is what I mean- the Alliance ships have more seats than the equivalent Fed counterpart, require no rank unlock, have better internals and weapons.....where does this leave them?

 

[Tyres O'Flaherty]

I wonder what happens if you jettison cargo over players?

Biowaste? Yuck.

 

[imski]

This is what I mean- the Alliance ships have more seats than the equivalent Fed counterpart, require no rank unlock, have better internals and weapons.....where does this leave them?

Makes them worth having for ground missions and expanding their niche, up until now they haven't been stupendously useful for anything over other ships.

 

[Alec Turner]

Also this means we can drop out an SRV from air!

I'm almost willing to bet money that's not what they meant (I know they mentioned landing AFTER deploying an SRV but I suspect the wording was just poorly chosen).

 

[imski]

Biowaste? Yuck.

Yeah, but they all come in those solid containers right? Dropping 30 of those over players should be the same as a dumb iron bomb.

Cheaper too

 

[SCiARA]

1st up thanks for the continuity of these Q&A's, they are infinitely better than the AMA's, my only suggestion would be to start a thread on what the following weeks Q&A will be for us to post questions in, they might already match what you have, they might not

I get the sense Odyssey legs will be focused more on separating us from our ships.

very much this, that seed sprouted way back when they mentioned odyssey could be played without even touching a ship.
hmm, as others have said it all seems very combat focused, any chance of having a Q&A set that focuses on anything else but combat?

 

[Rubbernuke]

Makes them worth having for ground missions and expanding their niche, up until now they haven't been stupendously useful for anything over other ships.

But with less seats, how? A Fed Gunship has just two seats, and there is no tactical advantage so far shown that the Fed X ships do anything better.

 

[Factabulous]

I'm almost willing to bet money that's not what they meant (I know they mentioned landing AFTER deploying an SRV but I suspect the wording was just poorly chosen).

Yeah, you have to stretch things pretty far to get to that answer, given:

Will we be able to drop in from our ships or do we have to leave and exit the ship like normal during combat situations?
In order to deploy from your ship Commanders will need to land first.

 

[Alpenniless]

What happened when a player died ? Respawn elsewhere or same place or other option ?

This used to be asked a lot, perhaps it was answered sometime ago ?

 

[Old Duck]

I'd reserve any premature judgment until we have thrashed the alpha and the finished product is dropped.

While I'm obviously keeping an eye on threads like these, I kinda moved on from "judgment" to more of an indifferent "meh". I'm totally cool with people being excited for this update, I'm just not there yet, and nothing in any of these Q&As have changed my mind.