Restarting from scratch after 4 years away - fill me in?

[Bede]

Hey people.
I got into ED back in 2017 on PS4. Loved the game so much, played it so much. After all the initial difficulties, I amassed a nice little fleet of ships and enough credits to not worry about rebuys. The game gave me so much fun and distraction.

I had to stop playing in early 2019 I think it was. Life changes, career changes, all that stuff. Sold the PS4 and promised myself I'd get a PS5 when ED was upgraded for it. Now that's never gonna happen of course.... which sucks. BIG TIME!

Anyways the news, freaking awful as it was, got me thinking about the game and missing it. On impulse I got myself a second-hand PS4 the other day and dug out the ED installation CD... and then spent 9 hours downloading Horizons!

Then of course I couldn't resurrect my old PlayStation Network account. It might be lost forever depending on info I am waiting for from the bank. Sooo, I opened a new account, and decided to just rediscover the joy of flying a stock Sidewinder with only 1000 credits in the bank!

Probably just as well I'm starting from scratch, as I seem to have forgotten so much. I'm basically re-learning how to fly again, and what button does what.

Here's my biggest confusion so far though. Now the ship seems to come with a Docking Computer pre-installed, and launch is automatic. Back in 2017 I'm sure you had to learn how to do all that by yourself. Is that right or am I dreaming? Almost seems to make it too easy somehow. I recall having to fly in and out of stations with no automatic assistance, and there being a time-limit to land on the assigned pad manually.

I did enjoy the new training intro though, that nice little flight around a mini-station with targets you had to fly through. I'm trying to pretend it's a brand new game I've never really played before, rather than an old one with a questionable future. Who knows, maybe I'll lash out on a gaming PC one day.

 

[Felix DiCestria]

The newb zone was already in place when I set out which I figure was the point when the noobwinder got the extra gubbins.
The docking computer seems to come as std with every small ship now, I tend to store a couple for the T9 & T10.
Welcome back to the Bubble, don't know how long the consoles have now so I suppose it's a case of making the most of the time we have.
Possibly time to deal with the bucket list rather than grinding.
o7

 

[Dillon Fallon]

The big change from years ago is that you'll have less of a challenge earning credits with whatever you do, but engineering materials will still be on your priority list. Ship engineering has been made simpler (in a good way) since then. You'll also have new ships from what you remember (do get an Alliance Chieftain and a Krait mk2).

Personally I don't use the flight aids given in new ships. Even class 1 hull reinforcements can make a big difference to a ships survivability and there's always fun you can have by keeping a FSD interdictor on your ship.

 

[karamu]

Hey people.
I got into ED back in 2017 on PS4. Loved the game so much, played it so much. After all the initial difficulties, I amassed a nice little fleet of ships and enough credits to not worry about rebuys. The game gave me so much fun and distraction.

I had to stop playing in early 2019 I think it was. Life changes, career changes, all that stuff. Sold the PS4 and promised myself I'd get a PS5 when ED was upgraded for it. Now that's never gonna happen of course.... which sucks. BIG TIME!

Anyways the news, freaking awful as it was, got me thinking about the game and missing it. On impulse I got myself a second-hand PS4 the other day and dug out the ED installation CD... and then spent 9 hours downloading Horizons!

Then of course I couldn't resurrect my old PlayStation Network account. It might be lost forever depending on info I am waiting for from the bank. Sooo, I opened a new account, and decided to just rediscover the joy of flying a stock Sidewinder with only 1000 credits in the bank!

Probably just as well I'm starting from scratch, as I seem to have forgotten so much. I'm basically re-learning how to fly again, and what button does what.

Here's my biggest confusion so far though. Now the ship seems to come with a Docking Computer pre-installed, and launch is automatic. Back in 2017 I'm sure you had to learn how to do all that by yourself. Is that right or am I dreaming? Almost seems to make it too easy somehow. I recall having to fly in and out of stations with no automatic assistance, and there being a time-limit to land on the assigned pad manually.

I did enjoy the new training intro though, that nice little flight around a mini-station with targets you had to fly through. I'm trying to pretend it's a brand new game I've never really played before, rather than an old one with a questionable future. Who knows, maybe I'll lash out on a gaming PC one day.

Welcome back Commander!

The docking computer comes as standard but you can easily get rid of it - I did after mine crashed my lightly shielded Type-6 into the side of a station and destroyed it!! Swap it out for cargo or whatever if you don't feel the need to use one.

Not sure what time zone you're in but me and a few mates play at around 10pm UK time most nights - happy to hook up to help you with credits, engineers etc. Add me on PSN if you like - karamu76.

 

[Bede]

Thanks so much for the replies fellas, and especially for that invite karamu. Turns out I'd forgotten that one also has to shell out further cash for PlayStation Plus in order to do Open Play, and I've decided to relearn basic skills and build up a decent ship in Solo before I show my face in Open, but when I do I'll look out for you. 07

 

[karamu]

Thanks so much for the replies fellas, and especially for that invite karamu. Turns out I'd forgotten that one also has to shell out further cash for PlayStation Plus in order to do Open Play, and I've decided to relearn basic skills and build up a decent ship in Solo before I show my face in Open, but when I do I'll look out for you. 07

Yeah, that's right enough, it is a pain having to pay for PS+ just to go online...

We'll be playing until they turn the servers off on us so the invite stands until that time - hopefully you'll make it out solo before then! (We do also play in PG mode sometimes if we can't be bothered dealing with / avoiding gankers.)