Elite Dangerous | Thargoid War Changes | 6th June 2024

[pFVD]

Just voicing my support for more Invasions for ground port and/or (large) station ax combat zones. These are without a doubt very popular as evidenced by how quickly they are completed. Removing them after 100% doesn't make me inclined to do other Thargoid war activities, quite the opposite* and I doubt I'm alone. Originally these activities continued for the entire week, and I would suggest restoring this. A simple message to inform us that this CZ has reached 100% effectiveness would be enough.

And has been said many times, we are now close to 4 weeks without any AX Reactivation missions for no apparent reason.

*with 1 exception; the AX Reactivations.

 

[SergMx]

Does this mean the decals will go to 11?

Is it possible to reach Elite 6 in the game ?
New invasions are needed for those who missed or will miss any of the existing Titans.

 

[Doctor Dread]

For me, the changes are too fast now.

In Rescue efforts, there's no time to properly build Allied status with factions and then work a couple of days there with "allied only" payments - it ends too quickly now.

 

[SergMx]

Whilst the Thargoids could always change their strategy in future, I don't think we've seen the last of their invasions

I'd like to know how far it would be from the bubble .... maybe in the colony?

 

[SergMx]

AX ground port CZ are my favourite gameplay in Elite Dangerous.

Maybe I can guess why. Because they're 10 times easier to space because of the swarm. We still don't have a decent weapon against the swarm.

And anyway:

Basilisk, Medusa and Hydra interceptor types have received further boosts to war contribution

Where's the Cyclops? It seems to me more and more that anything simpler and lighter that attracts people is being removed.

 

[pFVD]

Maybe I can guess why. Because they're 10 times easier to space because of the swarm. We still don't have a decent weapon against the swarm.

I agree with that, but it's not just that. I did a regular space AX CZ a few days ago, been a while but was a good reminder of why I (personally) dislike them. Ammo. Repair is a very close second due to the time it takes, (and that's not aided by the swarm) but Ammo doesn't last long enough (in my experience) to complete a zone without synthesizing more, which eats into materials which just adds more grind without the gameplay I actually want to enjoy. A space port AX CZ is almost as much fun for me, even with the swarm because it takes a short period of time to dock, repair and rearm.

This is also compounded by the ease port based combat provides in offering engineering materials via missions. It's not really about the credits. It's easier access to materials via hours of gameplay in an exciting manner, rather than doing some relog farming activity just to give me a couple of hours of ax gameplay. I could get missions elsewhere, yes, but that's yet another time sink (albeit not a large one). I just want to get in my car and drive, you know?

A port based AX CZ offers a great location for extended AX combat play, along with a big finale of the Hydra's, it can last hours, it's great fun, with or without other players and provides quick easy access to materials.

Honestly, going off-topic a little, I'd like to see human CZ's provide port based combat that lasts for hours rather than 5-10 minutes of combat, then go repair and re-arm somewhere and start it all over again. Instead of a Hydra, have a capital ship jump in as the big finale (I've personally never seen a capital ship jump into a CZ, but admit I don't do much human space combat). If that's part of PP2 somehow, that would interest me in PP2.

 

[SergMx]

I agree with that, but it's not just that. I did a regular space AX CZ a few days ago, been a while but was a good reminder of why I (personally) dislike them. Ammo. Repair is a very close second due to the time it takes, (and that's not aided by the swarm) but Ammo doesn't last long enough (in my experience) to complete a zone without synthesizing more, which eats into materials which just adds more grind without the gameplay I actually want to enjoy. A space port AX CZ is almost as much fun for me, even with the swarm because it takes a short period of time to dock, repair and rearm.

This is also compounded by the ease port based combat provides in offering engineering materials via missions. It's not really about the credits. It's easier access to materials via hours of gameplay in an exciting manner, rather than doing some relog farming activity just to give me a couple of hours of ax gameplay. I could get missions elsewhere, yes, but that's yet another time sink (albeit not a large one). I just want to get in my car and drive, you know?

A port based AX CZ offers a great location for extended AX combat play, along with a big finale of the Hydra's, it can last hours, it's great fun, with or without other players and provides quick easy access to materials.

Honestly, going off-topic a little, I'd like to see human CZ's provide port based combat that lasts for hours rather than 5-10 minutes of combat, then go repair and re-arm somewhere and start it all over again. Instead of a Hydra, have a capital ship jump in as the big finale (I've personally never seen a capital ship jump into a CZ, but admit I don't do much human space combat). If that's part of PP2 somehow, that would interest me in PP2.

The person I was replying to, he emphasized earth ports, and they have a difference with space ports mainly due to swarming.

And we even against the hearts got gimbl cannons and with the swarm still nothing done I probably more than a year have not seen any AХ builds with launchers against the swarm.

 

[Kira Goto]

Where's the Cyclops? It seems to me more and more that anything simpler and lighter that attracts people is being removed.

The Cyclops already had its war contribution value buffed and, frankly, is such an easy target for an experienced player that you can literally tank its fire without a heatsink and outright not be bothered. Not to mention the absurdly high number in which they are spawned meaning you can go an entire station-based conflict without seeing anything else.

Other interceptors meanwhile are significantly tougher (especially if you’re fighting without other players nearby), and also rarer, so making their kills contribute to the war effort more also makes sense.

Instead of complaining, I would guess here that the balancing team decided Cyclops contributions are in a good spot already, but the ones for the othe rthree Interceptors were too low.

… and keep in mind that Scouts supposedly received a significant buff to contribution so a player who isn’t as good will still contribute by killing them as well.

(Now how much, different question… because the values are only found in journal entries and you’d have to hope that you can find a system without external interference with which to test said numbers.)

 

[SergMx]

The Cyclops already had its war contribution value buffed and, frankly, is such an easy target for an experienced player that you can literally tank its fire without a heatsink and outright not be bothered. Not to mention the absurdly high number in which they are spawned meaning you can go an entire station-based conflict without seeing anything else.

Other interceptors meanwhile are significantly tougher (especially if you’re fighting without other players nearby), and also rarer, so making their kills contribute to the war effort more also makes sense.

Instead of complaining, I would guess here that the balancing team decided Cyclops contributions are in a good spot already, but the ones for the othe rthree Interceptors were too low.

… and keep in mind that Scouts supposedly received a significant buff to contribution so a player who isn’t as good will still contribute by killing them as well.

(Now how much, different question… because the values are only found in journal entries and you’d have to hope that you can find a system without external interference with which to test said numbers.)

I'm not complaining.
I'm just translating a phrase:

We hope with these changes, you find it easier to go on the offensive against the Thargoid threat

As easier, according to my understanding easier means that Cyclops should also be on this list, but for some reason they were left out.
And if a person prefers only CYCLOPES, then for him the word EASIER is superfluous here.

 

[Kira Goto]

… it really isn’t superfluous though, because this change list will overall simplify beating back the Thargoids and their Titans.

 

[SergMx]

… it really isn’t superfluous though, because this change list will overall simplify beating back the Thargoids and their Titans.

I'm going to surprise YOU, but I think there are other people besides me who are doing this in solo mode. Have you ever tried killing a Hydra in space alone? Do you think it's fast?

 

[Kira Goto]

I'm going to surprise YOU, but I think there are other people besides me who are doing this in solo mode. Have you ever tried killing a Hydra in space alone? Do you think it's fast?

No? It’s already a slog to defeat the Hydra(s) at a planetary port CZ, without any other players. Source : I’ve done it myself. Twice. On top of that I’ve fought Hydras at outpost CZs with other players and that also takes more than just a little time.

And I still fail to see the issue here, because Cyclops was already buffed, and this change simply makes any Basilisk, Medusa and Hydra kills worth more to be in line with what is required to take them down.

This is like complaining about… I don’t know, because I can’t find an appropriate allegory here, but let me just put it straight -

People in conflict zones don’t deliberately seek out the Basilisks, Medusas or the Hydras(if only because the Hydras only ever spawn at the end), they just take what the game throws at them. If that is a Cyclops, great, they’re already worth a decent amount of war contribution, and continue to be. Now you only get more if there happens to be a Basilisk or Medusa spawned in, or you decide to try taking a Hydra on at the end, and the people who prefer Cyclops lose nothing.

Nobody is forcing them to go out to take on an opponent out of their skill level, and it isn’t like the game suddenly just… spawns more of the harder targets because of this change.

Not everything is going to be valuable to every person. It’s not like it affects you if oranges at the supermarket are discounted slightly more than the coffee, but you don’t eat oranges or drink their juice…

 

[Untilting]

I just logged in for the first time today, no message about carrier maintenance. Has the weekly tick not fully tocked yet?

<edit> ignore, got the message on my main but not my alt, not sure why.

 

[Mako The Grey]

People in conflict zones don’t deliberately seek out the Basilisks, Medusas or the Hydras(if only because the Hydras only ever spawn at the end), they just take what the game throws at them.

That's not always the case for some. I often use use conflict zones for the purpose of destroying a specific type of interceptor (even a Hydra on occasion as you can predict when it will be there) to move a mission I've picked up or for some other specific goal. Just depends on what I'm up to on any given day

 

[JR250]

It would be great to see human invasion into targoid systems ))

Yeah, like we use our new SCOs and fly en-mass to their native system. I'd be flying a banner behind my ship that reads "that's right sucka, we took the SCO from you. Whatcha gonna do about it?"

 

[Kira Goto]

That's not always the case for some. I often use use conflict zones for the purpose of destroying a specific type of interceptor (even a Hydra on occasion as you can predict when it will be there) to move a mission I've picked up or for some other specific goal. Just depends on what I'm up to on any given day

Well, yeah, but you’re less concerned about its war contribution value then… and with the abundance of Cyclops spawns, you’re very likely to always complete those missions. Basis and Medusas are still much more subject to RNG (even though I’ve seen suggestions that having a kill mission for them will increase the likelihood of one of them spawning).

My point simply is that I don’t see the point in this supposed “issue” which making the rarer and harder Interceptors contribute to the war effort further (as they should) while leaving the highly spawned Cyclops as it is. If people just want to kill Cyclops they will kill Cyclops, simple as. And any Basi or Medusa kills they do get will now also do more… but it’s still not as if anyone is holding them at gunpoint to go after those Interceptors if they’re not [yet] capable.

 

[Mako The Grey]

My point simply is that I don’t see the point in this supposed “issue” which making the rarer and harder Interceptors contribute to the war effort further (as they should) while leaving the highly spawned Cyclops as it is.

It encourages folks like me to go after the bigger guys just a bit more often. A good thing, IMO, as it makes for more diverse game play for me. Pros and Cons

If people just want to kill Cyclops they will kill Cyclops, simple as. And any Basi or Medusa kills they do get will now also do more… but it’s still not as if anyone is holding them at gunpoint to go after those Interceptors if they’re not [yet] capable.

But might encourage a few to advance in skill level when they might not otherwise. That's how it was for me with some aspects of the game. Makes for a better/dynamic game in small ways

 

[SergMx]

That's not always the case for some. I often use use conflict zones for the purpose of destroying a specific type of interceptor (even a Hydra on occasion as you can predict when it will be there) to move a mission I've picked up or for some other specific goal. Just depends on what I'm up to on any given day

I usually don't just kill whoever I have to but take missions to kill 20 scouts, 1 cyclops, etc.

 

[aRJay]

It would be great to see human invasion into targoid systems ))

Yes it would be interesting to see whose invasion went worst.

 

[tolm]

The person I was replying to, he emphasized earth ports, and they have a difference with space ports mainly due to swarming.

And we even against the hearts got gimbl cannons and with the swarm still nothing done I probably more than a year have not seen any AХ builds with launchers against the swarm.

It beggars belief that we (the human race) have faffed around with multiple different engineering blueprints on Guardian weapons - including the ability to negate the “anti Guardian field“ (which was stupid anyway and essentially caused me to quit playing altogether …) but simply upgrading Point Defence with AX bullets and better tracking to target the swarm is apparently “too much effort” …