PAX 2.3 Beta Q&A thread

[Trueno33]

So, with 2.3 each multicrew member will get the same amount of bonds or bounties as a single pilot. Obviously this forces bgs players to use this feature in order to optimize the impact of influence for their chosen faction. What do you think of this conditioning?

 

[Crimson Kaim]

a) 2.2.03 has brought us some much needed balancing changes for combat. The heatmeta is no more and feedback cascades are no longer a must have effect and other ships have become viable again.
However, a few things still represent major issues such as large ship balance, healing beams, thermal cascade bug(s) and inredibly high credit payouts for easy to to tasks.

What can you share regarding the issues just mentioned?

b) We are seeing improvements to the visual part of the game with every patch. Improved nebula and other effects such as weapon shots/impacts, star improvements, etc. One single part is overlooked for a long time now and hasn't seen much improvement compared to the day 1 version. Explosions. They are nothing more than a floating 2D GIF and simply do not fit in the highly detailed 3D world of Elite: Dangerous. Any plans for improving the explosion animations?




Regards.

 

[invidentus]

Will you be able to select a background for your portrait CMDR picture, like the factions contacts? I'd love to have mine over that blue/turquoise blinds BG some NPCs have.

 

[Faybs]

Please, this. Telepresent multicrew requiring physical cockpit seats. Incorporeal NPC crew who die when a ship is lost, but can't project an image into a cockpit seat. Multicrew who can't drive an SRV. The unexplained absence of NPC wingmen. Love the features, but the rationales are becoming increasingly like a nitrous oxide party. Let's hope that in 3.0, all these systems are straightened out and standardised, and that one day there will be a Hair Shirt Iron Man mode where the only data that can travel FTL is SMS sized.

Agreed. It's a lot better if some of this stuff is just glossed over, than having some in-lore explanation that collapses under any kind of close scrutiny. Another example is instant repairs and loading/unloading of cargo. Explanation? it's a game. It's not holographic cargo or holographic ship components getting re-rezzed. We pretend not to notice that it's instantaneous, just like we pretend not to see the wires on old sci-fi movies. Please do the same for multicrew.

 

[Vacendak]

When are Exploration and Trading going to see some real honest content development??? 90% of the current Dev efforts are combat focused. Why so much focus on just one pillar of ED? Neutron Scooping, increased payouts, and FSD/Weight engineering are token QOL items for explorers rather than actual development.

There have been a ton of great ideas on the ED forums and ToCoSo has even gone so far as to storyboard some crazy awesome stuff that would really go a long way:

http://imgur.com/a/rMKSZ

https://imgur.com/a/3Em6c#DR63N0U

 

[CMDR Alvarilla]

Hi!

I have a question about 2.3 and Horizons in general: What is the state status of the Mac version, do you still plan to release Horizons for the Mac?
If there are still some technically issues with OS X: do you think about a trimmed-down version of planetary landings, so that Mac users will be able to buy Horizons?

Alternatively I suggest to start a Kickstarter campaign to get enough funding to port Elite to Metal (when this supports everything which is necessary) or something like this.

I'm very sad that Mac users are still second class citizens and that there is no information about the future of the Mac version.


Thank you!

Ciao
CMDR Alvarilla

 

[Ian Skippy]

Hi!

I have a question about 2.3 and Horizons in general: What is the state status of the Mac version, do you still plan to release Horizons for the Mac?
If there are still some technically issues with OS X: do you think about a trimmed-down version of planetary landings, so that Mac users will be able to buy Horizons?

Its still down to OpenGL. Until Apple finally provides support you;d expect this century there aint much FD can do. OpenGL is central to how it works, you cant trim it down much...

 

[cookeecut]

Hi Sandro & Ed.

First of all, thank you for a truly fantastic game.
I'm one of those who grew up with the original 8bit game and have been patiently dreaming of a modern Elite game for decades.
I was a backer since day one and have thoroughly enjoyed playing the finished product.

Regarding the Mac client:

At this point we are all well aware of the technical difficulties in bringing all the features of ED Horizons to the Mac.
We also know that prominent Mac game developers such as Feral Interactive are working with Apple to resolve these issues.

I think Mac users would love to see -- any -- kind of new development, be it small or large and would be very, very willing to pay for it.


So, having said that, my questions would be:

- Has FD considered selectively porting Horizons features to the Mac version (via paid upgrade, of course), at least for those features that do not require explicit compute shader support?
- Finally, has FD considered porting trimmed down versions of Horizon features (via paid upgrade, of course) - i.e., simpler graphics that would not require Metal support.

also:

- Is FD considering macOS Metal support if the technology issues are resolved?
- Has FD ever contacted Apple or is actively engaged with Apple engineers to resolve issues pertaining to Metal?


Finally, as has been previously suggested, FD could also start a kickstarter to help fund any new, macOS specific development.


Best regards from a devoted player and fan,

CMDR Apnoesis

Hi!

Alternatively I suggest to start a Kickstarter campaign to get enough funding to port Elite to Metal (when this supports everything which is necessary) or something like this.

 

[Weps]

Q. As established by both game mechanics, and in the lore, data travels between the stars fastest on ships. This is why data delivery missions exist, why we have to turn in exploration data, bounty vouchers, and combat bonds, and a major reason why trade data isn't available remotely. Given that telepresence violates one of the core aspects of the game's setting, and makes large swathes of the game's mechanics nonsensical, is it possible to drop telepresence as an explanation for multi-crew, and just leave it unexplained, like most other game convenience compromises?

Please, this. Telepresent multicrew requiring physical cockpit seats. Incorporeal NPC crew who die when a ship is lost, but can't project an image into a cockpit seat. Multicrew who can't drive an SRV. The unexplained absence of NPC wingmen. Love the features, but the rationales are becoming increasingly like a nitrous oxide party. Let's hope that in 3.0, all these systems are straightened out and standardised, and that one day there will be a Hair Shirt Iron Man mode where the only data that can travel FTL is SMS sized.

Agreed. It's a lot better if some of this stuff is just glossed over, than having some in-lore explanation that collapses under any kind of close scrutiny. Another example is instant repairs and loading/unloading of cargo. Explanation? it's a game. It's not holographic cargo or holographic ship components getting re-rezzed. We pretend not to notice that it's instantaneous, just like we pretend not to see the wires on old sci-fi movies. Please do the same for multicrew.

Good luck getting the issue discussed... Hah! They'll answer Pokemon shoulder decal questions sooner than this- I'll bet you this question somehow won't make it on the stream list...

 

[Quester91]

What will stop a newcomer to hop into an engineered anaconda/corvette, make a few millions in less than an hour, completely skipping the starting ships and buy an asp? Multicrew literally breaks progression for this kind of people and could be seen a legalized exploit. Can you prove otherwise or are there any plans to prevent this?

Why is the ship hologram in the multicrew seat hud if it serves no purpose? Why don't switch it with the common radar in order to give some situational awareness? Who thought this was a good design idea, and why?

Can we have in the future the multicrew matchmaking reskinned and repurposed so that it works for finding wingmates too?

Also all those questions about the telepresence inconsistencies in the game lore people asked before this post.

 

[JesusRocks1988]

I guess the only question I would ask of Sandro is this:

Can you go through and explain the reasoning for FD implementing Multi-crew in the way you have done, with a lot of limited functionality?

Nothing to do in supercruise, nothing for Multi-crew Exploration beyond telling people you intend to explore - allowing manifest/wake/kill warrant scanners, but not allowing ADS/DSS, not allowing SRV; limiting multi-crew so much that you are easily able to stop crew from doing anything at all, and many more observations that have been brought up overall.

What's the reasoning behind this? I'm genuinely curious - was it time constraints? Is this a framework at this stage to get in place before adding more to at a later date?

It just seems a bit empty and not living up to the potential it clearly has, so much so in fact, that as I look at everything coming out of the beta forum and the videos and discussions around it, surely FD cannot regard it as a complete feature in this form?

So, some explanation as to how this came about and an indication of where it's going in the future please.

 

[Sacman]

I guess the only question I would ask of Sandro is this:

Can you go through and explain the reasoning for FD implementing Multi-crew in the way you have done, with a lot of limited functionality?

Nothing to do in supercruise, nothing for Multi-crew Exploration beyond telling people you intend to explore - allowing manifest/wake/kill warrant scanners, but not allowing ADS/DSS, not allowing SRV; limiting multi-crew so much that you are easily able to stop crew from doing anything at all, and many more observations that have been brought up overall.

What's the reasoning behind this? I'm genuinely curious - was it time constraints? Is this a framework at this stage to get in place before adding more to at a later date?

It just seems a bit empty and not living up to the potential it clearly has, so much so in fact, that as I look at everything coming out of the beta forum and the videos and discussions around it, surely FD cannot regard it as a complete feature in this form?

So, some explanation as to how this came about and an indication of where it's going in the future please.

Good formulated question ... i would like to have an answer too[yesnod]

 

[wstephenson]

I guess the only question I would ask of Sandro is this:

Can you go through and explain the reasoning for FD implementing Multi-crew in the way you have done, with a lot of limited functionality?

Nothing to do in supercruise, nothing for Multi-crew Exploration beyond telling people you intend to explore - allowing manifest/wake/kill warrant scanners, but not allowing ADS/DSS, not allowing SRV; limiting multi-crew so much that you are easily able to stop crew from doing anything at all, and many more observations that have been brought up overall.

What's the reasoning behind this? I'm genuinely curious - was it time constraints? Is this a framework at this stage to get in place before adding more to at a later date?

It just seems a bit empty and not living up to the potential it clearly has, so much so in fact, that as I look at everything coming out of the beta forum and the videos and discussions around it, surely FD cannot regard it as a complete feature in this form?

So, some explanation as to how this came about and an indication of where it's going in the future please.

Good question. Some other points in this vein from the feedback thread: https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showt...dback-thread?p=5262487&viewfull=1#post5262487

 

[Angus]

I'm not trying to be unpleasant, but whatever the original intention, Multi-crew appears to me to be a lightweight bolt-on to attract action fans, with the inducements of extra power and extra cash to sweeten the deal. In short, low commitment fun. Is that the new direction, or do you still have plans to develop gameplay with depth, adventure and immersion?

P.S. I'm a huge fan of the game, and have great respect for you guys developing it.

 

[Deefrize]

Hello Dear Sandro and ED!
Q: Can you give a little love for Federal corvette , hardpoints or armour buff? its top combat ship but have lowest dps and armour(vs conda and cutter)
Q2: Panther clipper can we see it in Horizons season? just say yes ! c:

 

[Crusina Luachra]

Any update on crossplay?

 

[Muzz UK]

Hi Frontier

Given all the talk of griefing, player groups blockading stations, and general piracy moans on the official forums from various players. Are we likely to see a proper crime and punishment system or some sort of reputation system introduced that rewards law abiding players and allows bad guys or criminals go down a different balanced path but something that stops players endlessly killing each other without long term effects. Players can lose bounties and wanted status easily at ship loss which means a newbie player killer and someone with 150+ player kills are viewed the same, surely the 150+ killer should be a well known criminal and get a criminal title like Crime Lord or Dangerous Criminal for example?

If as a player you decide to be a bad guy you should have negative effects in populated high security systems but in low end systems or anarchy ones you're more likely to make money and get crime related rewards? This could tie in with being able to be a PROPER bounty hunter or work for local security.

Lots of possibilities with this one... currently a lot of players don't see the police or military a threat because you can escape too easily. Feel free to re word my question you get the jist!

Thanks

CMDR MuzzUK

 

[Kellan Fell]

Can we have a little love for the Solo player? I'd like to hire NPC crew so that I can crew the gunnery station, or fly formation with my NPC fighter pilot, will this ever be possible?

 

[KingTurtle]

Question: Some of your veteran and VR players, would like to know why the gunner role was implemented with a third person view instead of first person view? We find it very odd that this was picked without any reasoning from what we are accustomed to?

 

[DCLXVI your God]

Will we ever get to turn off light in our cockpits?
Or get light in red or green?

Good luck with the show!