Elite Dangerous | System Colonisation Beta Details & Feedback

[Ian Doncaster]

Is there any benefit at all to starting with a higher-tier port?

If you want one in the system and have the resources to complete it, it makes sense to start with it, I think.
- a Coriolis/Asteroid Base would normally consume three Tier 2 points, which would effectively require using three slots in the system for its prerequisites. Not terrible, but might be a bit limiting in a smaller system
- an Orbis/Ocellus would normally consume six Tier 3 points, which would require as a minimum three Tier 1 and three Tier 2 constructions (if you go for maximum efficiency of gaining tier points). If you wanted slightly more varied stuff rather than purely rushing T3 points, you'd probably be looking at six Tier 1 and six Tier 2.

So being able to get one without having to go through the pre-requisite steps can potentially get your system a huge head start and open up more flexibility with what you use the rest of the space for.

The easiest way to avoid all mentioned is to stop on one outpost. All! Nobody will fight for pile of outposts w\o ground WZs.

Sure. But why would anyone fight for a system at all?

To obtain a new system via normal BGS mechanisms requires as a minimum:
- 2 weeks to expand to the system (and there's suddenly a whole bunch of extra potential expansion targets, with the potential for opponents to add arbitrary new ones any time they like)
- a week minimum to set up and win the control war, longer if anyone actually bothers to oppose it

Colonising a new system, on the other hand, can be done in a day with only a moderately determined group, has much laxer range limits, has freer targeting choice, and might well be done for you if you set up a few nice fringe-of-bubble systems for people to use as their own starting points.

There's a good chance that a lot of colonisation isn't even being done "for" a BGS faction.

 

[RobraNNN]

The update should be made more accessible for solo players. Outpost can be built in 4 weeks, but other stations require you to have a legion of friend to complete in 4 weeks. Reducing the amount of resources needed is equal to reducing the cost, so I think that allowing players to buy additional time for cost increasing each time you buy more time. Simpler option would be to make time given for construction different for each type of station.

Another solution was proposed by Darth_Zaicev:

Dear Developers, Greetings!

I have explored the content of the update enough to share my feedback. The overall concept of colonization with interconnected buildings and structures is exactly what the game needs. It is impressive! Moreover, from my point of view, it requires almost no adjustments. However, there are a few points that definitely need improvement. So:

1. Lack of an "Elite" rank for colonization.
   The new gameplay mechanic is no less significant than, say, the "Exobiologist," which has its own "Elite" rank. In fact, I would argue that system colonization is a much more impactful activity since its results are visible to all players. An "Elite Colonizer" rank is necessary.
2. No convenient way to track the remaining resources needed to complete construction.
   Currently, to check this, you must: open the galaxy map → find the colonized system → open the planet map (if it's a surface structure) → open the structure’s info panel. And the resource list is extensive. Many different locations are visited to buy these materials, and repeating this routine every time is extremely tedious. It would be incredibly helpful to have a dedicated construction progress and resource tab on the left panel of the cockpit interface.
3. The most critical issue: the lack of alternatives for delivering construction resources manually.
   Right now, you have to transport all the resources yourself. For solo players, this is pure torture. For example, I have successfully built a basic starport (a simple station). This took me around six hours of exhausting, repetitive gameplay in a Type-9. It felt like working on an assembly line in one of Henry Ford's factories in the 1920s.

I love the colonization mechanic itself. However, whenever I recall those six dreadful hours of monotonous labor, all my enthusiasm disappears.

My proposal is simple and requires minimal UI additions:​

In the resource delivery menu (either for the colonizer ship or the structure being built), add an "Resource Order" column. Here, players can enter the amount they want to order. The cost of such an order should be 1.5 to 5 times the manual purchase price. This is fair:

• Want to make money from colonization? Transport resources manually.
• Don’t want to? Pay for convenience.

This would instantly turn colonization into one of the crown jewels of Elite Dangerous. At the same time, it would fully implement the goods → money → goods or service → money → service principle.

In simple terms, this would allow players with different playstyles to convert their preferred gameplay method into successful system colonization. Right now, there is no alternative—players who dislike cargo hauling are effectively locked out of this new mechanic.

​

 

[Vasja]

In the system map when you click on installation it does not show type of installation. Only way to see it is to click on rename and look at little icon or to actually go to installation

 

[mtfatboy3006]

the benefit is you get the port right away without spending any of your construction points. Chances are if you start with Tier 1, you'll have to build multiple sites before you'll have the option of building a tier 2 again.

Makes sense! (I'm obviously not past the starting point yet, and haven't found the online "guide" to be very informative).

 

[Screemonster]

One thing I've noticed is that after completing the primary starport, the system started showing on the powerplay map filter and powerplay NPCs started showing up, and after letting a BGS tick pass I'm starting to (sometimes, sometimes not) see res sites appear in the rings, but powerplay activities like bounty hunting and power kills don't seem to generate any merits.

Hauling powerplay commodities from the nearest stronghold also shows the "hand in" button in station contacts, but it doesn't actually do anything and won't turn them in for merits.

If this continues to be the case after the thursday morning tick I'll put a ticket in.

 

[AnvadicA]

Will it be possible to change the name of the system one day? Because the name like Cephei Sector CQ-Y b5 - doesn't sound well

 

[Weston Asher]

Finished my solo Ocellus starter port in Ross 654. A few thoughts on the experience:

In terms of time, I lost track. It was... a lot. I'd say the estimates of 40-50 hours are about on track. I did have to work a few short shifts through the weekend and played a few other things, but it got me through five seasons of an Expanse rewatch at the very least. Used a shieldless 784 cap Cutter.

That said, I'd say it is doable completely solo. Just dole it out more evenly than I did. I wouldn't say the hauling is particularly fun or engaging most of it, even as someone who normally likes hauling, but if you're someone that can play a couple hours a night or a lot over the weekends, it can be done. But "possible" is also very different from "recommended."

My main concern after doing it is longevity. They still need to reduce the number requirements. It feels very much like a one-and-done concept, where a single system is where you're putting in the work. Doing this as it is more than once in multiple systems, even over time, feels like it'd be extremely grueling. And a T3 doesn't even give you construction points towards the other builds, which just feels mean; I'll have to work my way up to an asteroid base from scratch all over again even after all that work.

Main pain point was the CMMs, as expected. I didn't mind the supply or amounts as much as I did having to land on surface ports. It's an extra hidden loading screen which essentially equals another jump that nearly doubled the time compared to straight hauls. I found the first half where I was looking around and flying to a lot of different systems finding the small bits a lot more fun.

Looking forward to just slowly working my way through some of these smaller outposts and building up the system now, but I can absolutely see people hitting a wall once they start having to look at building multiple larger stations over time. It's a pretty huge commitment even now that the timer is gone.

 

[Outrunner85]

The update should be made more accessible for solo players. Outpost can be built in 4 weeks, but other stations require you to have a legion of friend to complete in 4 weeks. Reducing the amount of resources needed is equal to reducing the cost, so I think that allowing players to buy additional time for cost increasing each time you buy more time. Simpler option would be to make time given for construction different for each type of station.

Another solution was proposed by Darth_Zaicev:

​

I’m on schedule to complete a coriolis port within the 4 week period. I see no issue personally now that CMM composites are available in higher numbers.

 

[Cosmo]

Will it be possible to change the name of the system one day? Because the name like Cephei Sector CQ-Y b5 - doesn't sound well

Many people say they don't want weird system names. However, maybe it could be a nickname. Fdev could sell a lot of ARX.

My main concern after doing it is longevity. They still need to reduce the number requirements. It feels very much like a one-and-done concept, where a single system is where you're putting in the work. Doing this as it is more than once in multiple systems, even over time, feels like it'd be extremely grueling. And a T3 doesn't even give you construction points towards the other builds, which just feels mean; I'll have to work my way up to an asteroid base from scratch all over again even after all that work.

Yeah players could get a burnout from all the hauling so I there should be an option to hire NPCs to reduce the load imo.

 

[grue2u]

Are you far out from the bubble? 100Ly to the nearest sounds really, really wrong for any appreciable proximity to the bubble.

They won't get anywhere near the state CMMs were because they're consumed a whole order of magnitude less, and available an order of magnitude more than their pre-buff volumes.

Where are you trying to get them to?

I'm at the edge of the bubble. I was looking for large landing pads too, so that might have reduced my options. Most places had no more than 20 units.

 

[Disemboweled Ego]

I've been thinking about this more and I find it really bizarre that you don't see a max pop value anywhere as the system architect and that how much population a thing actually gives is hidden and requires waiting for it to max out over days to figure out. This and the other lack of info just gives that anxiety inducing feeling of "maybe I made a mistake 3 moves ago" with no way of knowing ahead of time.

There are city building(?) games that go for that vibe like TerraScape, Terraforming Mars and maybe even stuff like Surviving Mars with it's random tech tree.

In those games the uncertainty comes from the RNG which is a deliberate part of the game and not because they hide the numbers from you. However it also takes some of the pressure off because you can blame your failings as a person on bad luck.

Elite would maybe benefit from this too - instead of having a deck (or just showing all buildable things in your face like it currently does) it could have a discount for 3-4 random types of buildings per week for every system. Then you have another dilemma - you're encouraged to pick from those to save on costs even if they're not optimal for your system, or maybe you get lucky and one of the buildings you really want is on sale so you're extra motivated to go and build it.

Currently if the system you build sucks it's seemingly your fault for being bad at the game even though you're set up to fail by being forced to do it so blindly. Adding RNG, while not great sometimes, could be a mitigating factor here and something that leads players to explore the mechanics in a fun way more instead of trying to minmax it right away. I do like a lot of roguelike and roguelite games so this might be a matter of taste.

 

[Steven G]

i really want th switch the architect responsability to some else. even if it's a ticket to log.
this functionnalirty should be available, everything could happen in a group of player, and in real life.

 

[Iraq-2003]

AS SOON AS fc IS NEEDED once ... and there are no or slots... or something else... your garage does not perform the function of a large delivery...

 

[mtfatboy3006]

Many people say they don't want weird system names. However, maybe it could be a nickname. Fdev could sell a lot of ARX.

Did I read correctly that "custom" station names are selectable options made by a random name generator? Something like that would allow system renaming and yet prevent inappropriate graffiti. And, as you say, sell a lot of ARX.

 

[vladnil]

Built a Military Settlement, landed, recalled a ship, called a ship. I was killed and sent to prison?
Kill your master - ha ha

 

[Cosmo]

Built a Military Settlement, landed, recalled a ship, called a ship. I was killed and sent to prison?

Yeah, the Architect should get special treatment when landing in your own facilities.

 

[Nowski]

If being able to make a new claim from your previous one immediately after it's finished is intended, rather than having to wait for the thursday maintenance break, that would remove one of the biggest concerns that was raised after the initial announcement

Seems like the issue posted and mentioned earlier by @Griff Rogers is now resolved "status by design", so I guess we have our answer! I've been waiting for this for quite a while!

 

[Greasetrap42]

Built a Military Settlement, landed, recalled a ship, called a ship. I was killed and sent to prison?
Kill your master - ha ha

I tried building a surface facility beside one I just finished, which doesn't work BTW. It must be >100km away.

Anyway I was flying around my existing agricultural base and had trouble getting the base building SC camera to work. I thought maybe I needed to deploy hardpoints... I got a warning and then destroyed in about 6 seconds!

 

[Weps]

Not my own feedback, I'm still busy with the CG. But I've seen this mentioned a couple of times already on Reddit, and we're not even out of the first week of Beta. I think it's worth a mention here.

You need to implement a simple mechanic to prevent sniping.

Currently a player or a group can colonise a tendril towards a target system - this could be a system with an ELW or generally a more favourable system for a large colony. This implies a large effort and time spent colonising several systems along the way. This is the intended way to execute long range colonisation, as mentioned in your stream and enforced by the distance limit.

A rival player or group would lie in wait and monitor the progress of the penultimate primary station. As the architect player / player group cannot be expected to play 24/7, there would be a moment when they log off, but the primary is close to being finished. The rival group would then deliver the remaining commodities, finish the primary, and apparently be able to immediately gain access to a colonisation contact and issue a claim for the target (final) system in the tendril.

The architect should have control over when their station enters a finished state - for example by pressing a button on the UI. Or at the very least, contact availability should not occur before the weekly tick so that all players get the same chance at claiming (i.e. the architect does not end up with a worse chance).

 

[RikonGB]

Interestingly the system I claimed and built the initial outpost in, is no longer showing under my colonies tab
If I view the system on the map, the station is still there but now says its a previously inhabited system and no longer shows me as architect or the available space/surface points, and I seem to of lost all ability to change anything in the system

Hoping its just a glitch in the system