Elite Dangerous | System Colonisation Beta Details & Feedback

[VR Morgan Grimes]

A little more feedback from me...

Now that we need to source a lot of different commodities for colonisation it highlights to me that there needs to be an overhaul of the in game systems for finding said commodities, I have been attempting to play without using Inara and it is shocking just how bad it is attempting to find a particular commodity using the in game tools, now I could very well be missing something here so feel free to offer tips but I will argue that if I couldn't find out how to do it in game then it's just backing up my point, and yes, I could simply use Inara but it's a massive faff when playing in VR to swap between the two and utterly ruins immersion.

I'll backup everybody else saying there needs to be an easier way of seeing the required commodities without needing to drop into the system map too, it's simply frustrating as it stands, a list in the missions tab would be good, and I do mean a list for each construction too not just the initial station, highlighting the required commodities on the market screen would be excellent, even better if it could somehow change to another colour when you have the required amount too.

The planetside placing of facilities in VR needs an option to lock the viewport as it's currently a bit awkward to place something when your head movement is shifting its position or did I miss an option in the controls setup?

Please can somebody take some time to check how all of the new interface screens work with UI UP/DOWN/LEFT/RIGHT/BACK controls, currently there are far too many instances where it either doesn't respond or the highlight simply vanishes to some option that isn't visible but clearly is being selected somehow, while we are at it the galaxy map could do with the same treatment.

I'm absolutely loving the update but actually trying to source commodities is far too frustrating as it stands without the use of external systems.

 

[Tifu]

So it looks like having a planetary port under construction at least does double the costs of other tier 3 ports and increases the cost of tier 2 ports, however it was not the 10x bonus on its own which triggered it.

So basically it's a brake on how many T2 or T3 constructions you can have in a system. It also limits how fast your system's population can expand after a certain point. We're tinkering with the workings of the in-system background simulation of how stations interact with the system's overall economy.

 

[Spacerschoice-00]

the left hand panel on ship, this has wrong description: it has no landing pads *(and now I've got a fine hehe.)
Col 285 Sector CL-N c7-19
*(some one else's system architect construction.)

 

[Mr T]

I thought the same thing but it really is doable solo if put in the effort. Watching a bunch of YouTubes also eases the pain.
I started my Asteroid base on 02.26 and finished it on 03.05. One week. Perfect timing too, before the tick, so all station
services became active. If you ask around on assistance threads, you can get some help from kind, willing CMDRs.
Below were the requirements for my station.

View attachment 420077
o7

Wow Ok I should have built an asteroid base, the commodity requirements I had were much larger. I was an idiot when I signed up and picked an Orbis starport because they look cool . On a positive note, I'll know not to do that next time...

Yes, I've requested assistance in that thread. Some lovely CMDRs have contributed already, thankyou to whoever it is.

 

[Maolagin]

How do you get a new-built station to sell more than hydrogen and biowaste?

Did you start out building a starport? If you do that you get a Colony economy, and those don't export much. If you build an outpost for your starting construction you have much more control over the system economy.

 

[Jane T Kirk]

Did you start out building a starport? If you do that you get a Colony economy, and those don't export much. If you build an outpost for your starting construction you have much more control over the system economy.

May you please, explain it?

 

[Ian Fleming]

An update on this... I finally gave in to the temptation to build a ground port as I had 6 tier 3 construction points, and now I am seeing the increased costs as per Mechan's video.

So it looks like having a planetary port under construction at least does double the costs of other tier 3 ports and increases the cost of tier 2 ports, however it was not the 10x bonus on its own which triggered it.

Appreciate this. Now im curious if the cost goes back down after the building is done?

 

[Alora Anophis]

An update on this... I finally gave in to the temptation to build a ground port as I had 6 tier 3 construction points, and now I am seeing the increased costs as per Mechan's video.

So it looks like having a planetary port under construction at least does double the costs of other tier 3 ports and increases the cost of tier 2 ports, however it was not the 10x bonus on its own which triggered it.

Question for you. I thought I heard someone say that it was a graphical glitch. does it actually work like that, or is it just a mirage like the system architect bug was?

And does it affect the cost of other Tier 2 installations, Settlements, Hubs, etc?

 

[Xenia_K]

May you please, explain it?

as I understand it, EVERY primary port first has the status Colony (even dedicated Outposts) which can be altered by constructing additional facilities (Hubs etc.) of the type of economy desired.
So if you start with a Tier3 (worth 3 Tier2 or 6 Tier1 constructions) my guess is that you at least need to add 6 Tier 1 Economy Type Constructions to shift from Colony to desired Economy.
Another reason to start with an Outpost as primary Port, as Economy Type more easily can be directed....
(All Theory - currently just experimenting myself in my 3 Systems)

 

[Tifu]

Did you start out building a starport? If you do that you get a Colony economy, and those don't export much. If you build an outpost for your starting construction you have much more control over the system economy.

My first build was a science outpost and my system economy became high-tech the minute it was up. I suspect that the T2 & T3 orbital stations are mainly transport and collection hubs that speed up economic and growth but don't really produce local goods.

It's the other constructed elements that drive goods production, mostly T1 constructs though the medium and larger ones are higher tier. The bigger stations are like humongous warehouses with big parking lots.

 

[Alora Anophis]

My first build was a science outpost and my system economy became high-tech the minute it was up. I suspect that the T2 & T3 orbital stations are mainly transport and collection hubs that speed up economic and growth but don't really produce local goods.

It's the other constructed elements that drive goods production, mostly T1 constructs though the medium and larger ones are higher tier.

Tier 1? What about the Tier 2 Settlements/Hubs/etc?

 

[Tifu]

Tier 1? What about the Tier 2 Settlements/Hubs/etc?

The medium sized ones are T2.

 

[Jmanis]

A little more feedback from me...

Now that we need to source a lot of different commodities for colonisation it highlights to me that there needs to be an overhaul of the in game systems for finding said commodities, I have been attempting to play without using Inara and it is shocking just how bad it is attempting to find a particular commodity using the in game tools, now I could very well be missing something here so feel free to offer tips but I will argue that if I couldn't find out how to do it in game then it's just backing up my point, and yes, I could simply use Inara but it's a massive faff when playing in VR to swap between the two and utterly ruins immersion.

I'll backup everybody else saying there needs to be an easier way of seeing the required commodities without needing to drop into the system map too, it's simply frustrating as it stands, a list in the missions tab would be good, and I do mean a list for each construction too not just the initial station, highlighting the required commodities on the market screen would be excellent, even better if it could somehow change to another colour when you have the required amount too.

The planetside placing of facilities in VR needs an option to lock the viewport as it's currently a bit awkward to place something when your head movement is shifting its position or did I miss an option in the controls setup?

Please can somebody take some time to check how all of the new interface screens work with UI UP/DOWN/LEFT/RIGHT/BACK controls, currently there are far too many instances where it either doesn't respond or the highlight simply vanishes to some option that isn't visible but clearly is being selected somehow, while we are at it the galaxy map could do with the same treatment.

I'm absolutely loving the update but actually trying to source commodities is far too frustrating as it stands without the use of external systems.

Try my guide out

Finding scarce goods without Inara

UPDATE: FD seem to have buffed CMM supplies quite substantially now, so the specific example below is now somewhat redundant, but in general this guide still works for finding scarce goods. UPDATE 2: Insulating Membranes are the next FOTM, but again, this guide is equally applicable ...Or CMMs...

forums.frontier.co.uk

I will 100% concur the UX for this isn't great, but what UI elements comprise that do work if you use them the right way.

But yeah, you can definitely find what you need to, it's just not necessarily intuitive

 

[Maolagin]

as I understand it, EVERY primary port first has the status Colony (even dedicated Outposts) which can be altered by constructing additional facilities (Hubs etc.) of the type of economy desired

No, when you build an Outpost as the primary port the system economy immediately takes on the economy type of the outpost. For instance in a system I started with a Science Outpost and when construction finished the system immediately showed a high tech economy and the outpost market had high tech goods for sale.

 

[Alora Anophis]

The medium sized ones are T2.

I'm aware, I was wondering why you were specifically talking about the T1s, not the T2s

 

[St0rmFury]

No, when you build an Outpost as the primary port the system economy immediately takes on the economy type of the outpost. For instance in a system I started with a Science Outpost and when construction finished the system immediately showed a high tech economy and the outpost market had high tech goods for sale.

IINM, only T2 & T3 primary ports' economy is locked to colony. So if you want more control of your system's economy, it's better to start with an outpost 1st and pick the type of outpost that corresponds with the economy you want.

 

[GreenCrusher44]

as I understand it, EVERY primary port first has the status Colony (even dedicated Outposts) which can be altered by constructing additional facilities (Hubs etc.) of the type of economy desired.
So if you start with a Tier3 (worth 3 Tier2 or 6 Tier1 constructions) my guess is that you at least need to add 6 Tier 1 Economy Type Constructions to shift from Colony to desired Economy.
Another reason to start with an Outpost as primary Port, as Economy Type more easily can be directed....
(All Theory - currently just experimenting myself in my 3 Systems)

i built ocellus as primary, i got suspicion on this aswell, currently pushing out my refineries, there are some parameters i suspect in this which is development level and once one dev lvl goes above the other it should become the primary economy of the system, which is true or false only time will tell, at least i got around 14 hours before next daily tick, and about the market it self,, its comepletetly different problem so far i can tell, i will update here as soon as i get them done.

 

[Alora Anophis]

IINM, only T2 & T3 primary ports' economy is locked to colony. So if you want more control of your system's economy, it's better to start with an outpost 1st and pick the type of outpost that corresponds with the economy you want.

there are two tier 1 outposts that have colony economy. Civilian and commercial.

 

[ME-tan]

Okay, I'm confused about the cost of tier 3 stations. When I looked a few days ago it was only 3 T3 points, but I just finished earning enough and now the stations need 6 T3 points. I don't have any T3 stations at all yet either.

 

[sHuRuLuNi]

OK ... I "constructed" the space station. It is still "under deployment" (don't really care that much).
Then I went to a planet to build my "base" ... lol.
There is no base building.
It is just a selection of a "settlement" (complete set) of a type (agriculture, whatever), which belongs to a "local faction" (so, not mine), and even that we cannot apparently "build" - you just designate where it should be and the whole settlement will then after some time "magically appear" (just as the station magically appeared).
This is a huge let down for me ... I was really hoping I could build "my base", as in BUILD, i.e. choose modules, habitats, walls, whatever and then place them and build the bloody thing, which is then MINE, not this crap ... Ugh.