Newcomer / Intro Thinking about getting the game - have a few questions

[Dagoreth]

Hello all, as the title says I'm interested but have some questions. Been playing various games for awhile but as far as MMOs go it's been WoW since release. I want to try something new though that's MMO like, so forgive me if my questions are sort of fantasy mmo based:

1. Do I need a joystick? I don't have one for a pc, just my Xbox ones. Some posts made it seem like the controls are very difficult without a joystick.

2. What happens when you die? How risky is it and what do you lose? Time, money, something else?

3. Are there various realms like in WoW or is everyone all in the same copy of the galaxy?

4. Any other tips or forum posts that have these answers you could point me to would be great also, thanks!

 

[jpaulwilson1982]

1. You can use an XBox 360 controller, mouse and keyboard, or a HOTAS style setup.

2. When you die, you are essentially teleported back to the last station you docked at. Before you are allowed to go back out in a ship, you are taken to a screen that gives you the option to re-buy your ship for a certain percentage of the total value of the ship. The Sidewinder, your first ship, is free to replace, though.

The riskiest thing about dying is if you have been out exploring for a good bit, or collecting bounties, or getting combat vouchers, and you die before turning them in at a station. If you die, you lose those vouchers, bounties, and exploration data. So, death can come at a very high price, if you aren't careful.

3. There's one galaxy we all participate in. You can jump from system to system, and travel at faster-than-light speeds within the systems to reach planets, moons, stations, ect. While we're all in a persistent universe, many of us exist within different instances. In other words, you and I may be at the same system, same planet, same spot exactly, but we not be in the same instance, meaning we wouldn't see each other or know each other are there. Wings, which can be equated to a party or squadron of up to 4 people, allows friends to follow each other through various different instances, such as when a Wing mate is pulled out of warp and attacked, you will be able to find him, drop into his instance, and assist him as necessary.

4. In my sig is my guide, and it contains links to many more sources of information.

 

[the100thmonkey]

You don't need a joystick; I think the game plays much better with some kind of dedicated controller, but there are many players who are happy with m/kb. If you struggle with m/kb, try the xbox controller. It's generally advised to switch the roll and yaw bindings so that left or right movements affect yaw, while A and D roll the ship. Personally, I use a HOTAS and wouldn't swap it for anything else.

All players in all modes work against an abstracted background simulation. However, as indicated above, you will spawn into an instance with up to 31 other players. Outside of Lave and Eravate/LHS 3447 (these are systems in the game), however, you'll likely see fewer that that. It's a big galaxy.

Death is not a particularly final state of affairs. Just make sure you keep enough cash to cover the insurance excess (5% of your ship's value including upgrades) and a little bit of extra capital to cover buying commodities for trade, and you'll be golden. I've died about 9 times since I bought the game, and have never had to start over, which is what will happen if you can't cover the insurance.

 

[Dommarraa]

I just use keyboard, not even the mouse. I expect I would get owned by a good pilot with hotas, but it is no problem against the npcs

 

[RosaMaus]

You also don't have to start with the really expensive HOTAS setups. I'm running a Speedlink Black Widow, which at around 25 quid, isn't perfect, but will certainly get you going.

 

[Dagoreth]

Thanks for all of the replies, I appreciate it!

 

[Galdatron]

My opinion re joystick. I tried with mouse / keyboard and it was horrible. I then tried my xbox controller and that was just as bad. I struggled to keep aim on anything. I then went out and bought a joystick with HOTAS and OMG it really was game changing.

Everyone will have their own opinion, and whilst joystick isn't compulsory, I'd say if you're serious about Elite, go buy one.

 

[kilvenny]

Mouse and keyboard is fine - but you have to look at the bindings to make sure it fits your game style. It was so good I waited seven months before I switched to a HOTAS. Got to say the HOTAS is a wonderful immersion addition, but its not essential to play, although I felt a better pilot with it.

 

[bamber]

1. Game plays better with a stick and in gerneral a HOTAS, same principle as for why they have them in Military jets the more time you are looking out the front window the better
.
2. You never die, your escape capsule returns you to your last station - Elite has little sympathy, you die you are in the old station with the cash you had when you undocked. Bounties - Gone, Combat Bonds - Gone, cargo, gone, Ship Gone. If you get destroyed in Elite - it hurts Simple answer dont die, fight when you know you can win and be a careful flyer

If you take on a Elite anaconda wing in a basic sisdewinder its unlikely to end well

3. same copy not neccesary the same instance

4. this forum is a good place to start - just ask. Best thing to remember is that elite doesnt have an easy mode

 

[Dagoreth]

Cool, thanks again for the help. It sounds like a pretty interesting game. How about the amount of time needed to feel like you're advancing or progressing? If I'm going to sit down to play do I need to plan on devoting a certain amount of time, or even more important, how easy is it to quit the session without losing progress, etc. Can you pretty much save/quit anywhere or do you need to be in a base, etc?

 

[Zieman]

You can save/quit anywhere. Of course, in the middle of a combat it can be fatal.

 

[Dagoreth]

You can save/quit anywhere. Of course, in the middle of a combat it can be fatal.

I figured that much I was mainly concerned that if I was in transit between stations or on a mission or something if I would have to get to a safe or saving area before logging out. If I have to wait a minute or two, no biggie but if it would be 20 minutes or something then that is different.

 

[555inuyasha]

You could save/exit anytime you want just a lot more convenient to start back up at a station. Also I saw you have Xbox stuff available I actually us a Xbox 360 controller and it works surprisingly well you do however have to set up your own controls for it. You can us that Xbox 360 headset too if you don't have a mic.

 

[Zieman]

I was mainly concerned that if I was in transit between stations or on a mission or something if I would have to get to a safe or saving area before logging out. If I have to wait a minute or two, no biggie but if it would be 20 minutes or something then that is different.

I usually drop out of supercruise before save/exiting. Mainly out of habit, not sure if there's any actual benefit in that, but in busier systems I think I'm 'safer' being in an emty instance of my own when logging out.

 

[Dagoreth]

You could save/exit anytime you want just a lot more convenient to start back up at a station. Also I saw you have Xbox stuff available I actually us a Xbox 360 controller and it works surprisingly well you do however have to set up your own controls for it. You can us that Xbox 360 headset too if you don't have a mic.

Ok, cool. I have both Xbox 360 and Xbox One controllers so I'd rather not buy anything new if not needed, especially since I'll be playing on a decent laptop and have a few playing areas in the house. I'd rather not have to cart jet controllers around the house and would prefer keybinds if at all possible.

 

[555inuyasha]

If you do have a mic you can try out Voice Attack helps a lot with the things like landing gear and power distribution all the little stuff you cant fit on the controller so you dont really even need the keyboard when flying. It's free to try but you will want the whole thing its amazing.

 

[Toumal]

If you get into the game don't be shy to talk to people, or respond to hails. Try getting into a wing, so much more fun to play with people on your side!

And Keyboard/mouse are playable, but people are right, Hotas is more fun and... well.. hands on

 

[p.opus]

If you take on a Elite anaconda wing in a basic sidewinder its unlikely to end well

Funny you should say that. I had a shiny new cobra MkIII that I added gimballed Pulse Lasers and gimballed Rotary cannons and thought I was Billy Bad-Ass and accepted a 150K bounty mission.

I can handle him, no problem.

Well, when I finally met him, he turned out to be an elite pirate in an Anaconda and his first attack downed my shields immediately and put about 23% damage to the hull.

I turned off flight assist, hit Afterburner in a random direction and turned on silent running. As I was tumbling away like an asteroid, I dropped everything but life support and then dropped silent running. I heat bloomed on him a bit, but then turned cold as a rock. I spent about 5 minutes just spinning away not knowing where he was, but noting that I wasn't getting shot at either.

After 5 minutes, I turned on scanners, coast was clear. I turned on flight assist and thrusters and corrected my spinning and turned on my Frame Shift Drive and beat feet out of there. As soon as I jumped clear of the system I conveniently tore up the contract on his life and hoped I wouldn't see him again until much later.

Almost lost my ship but found a really cool evasion manuever. You can really play possum in this game and it works.

 

[Gully Foyle]

That is an awesome story Opus. Good use of sinks and a great strategy to use against a pirate.
Shame you didn't YouTube it.


~OP: Have a look at all the E: D videos out there, check out our Newcomers forum and Elite Dangerous on Reddit.

 

[jpaulwilson1982]

You could save/exit anytime you want just a lot more convenient to start back up at a station. Also I saw you have Xbox stuff available I actually us a Xbox 360 controller and it works surprisingly well you do however have to set up your own controls for it. You can us that Xbox 360 headset too if you don't have a mic.

Wait wait wait... I can use my 360 headset with my 360 controller? Really?!?! Sorry but that's very surprising, wouldn't have thought the headset would work. Good to know

If you get into the game don't be shy to talk to people, or respond to hails. Try getting into a wing, so much more fun to play with people on your side!

And Keyboard/mouse are playable, but people are right, Hotas is more fun and... well.. hands on

Definitely don't be afraid to talk to people. While there are some bad eggs out there, just about every player I've met in Elite was polite, willing to help, willing to listen, and a few really get into their roleplay. Its probably the best experience I've ever had in a multiplayer online game.

Funny you should say that. I had a shiny new cobra MkIII that I added gimballed Pulse Lasers and gimballed Rotary cannons and thought I was Billy Bad-Ass and accepted a 150K bounty mission.

I can handle him, no problem.

Well, when I finally met him, he turned out to be an elite pirate in an Anaconda and his first attack downed my shields immediately and put about 23% damage to the hull.

I turned off flight assist, hit Afterburner in a random direction and turned on silent running. As I was tumbling away like an asteroid, I dropped everything but life support and then dropped silent running. I heat bloomed on him a bit, but then turned cold as a rock. I spent about 5 minutes just spinning away not knowing where he was, but noting that I wasn't getting shot at either.

After 5 minutes, I turned on scanners, coast was clear. I turned on flight assist and thrusters and corrected my spinning and turned on my Frame Shift Drive and beat feet out of there. As soon as I jumped clear of the system I conveniently tore up the contract on his life and hoped I wouldn't see him again until much later.

Almost lost my ship but found a really cool evasion manuever. You can really play possum in this game and it works.

I remember when I first got the game I did a few of the low-pay, easy missions for the Feds, then I saw a 150,000cr contract and thought, "Wow, I sure could use that money". I accepted the contract, when hunting, and surprisingly found him pretty quick. So I drop out of warp, and I'm very close, and the first thing I notice was that it was an Anaconda. But what made my jaw hit the floor was when he fired one shot and destroyed my sad little Eagle (no shields, no skills yet). So be very careful who you chase down. There's a time to fight, and a time to RUN!!!