New Commanders Will Find a Lot to Like in the Next Elite: Dangerous Update - MMORPG.com

SBFord · April 2019

New Commanders Will Find a Lot to Like in the Next Elite: Dangerous Update - MMORPG.com

Entering Elite: Dangerous as a new commander can be a daunting experience, but Frontier has plans for that. On April 23rd, a new Beginners' Zone will debut that is considered a training ground of sorts for those just joining up. It can only be accessed by new pilots "until they earn their first Combat, Trade or Exploration rank". Missions will be handed out "that even the smallest of Sidewinders can complete".

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foppotee · April 2019

This sounds most welcomed! Too bad overall for a lengthy while no major updates for ED this year.

Sandmanjw · April 2019

Like the advanced docking, always hated the way they handled the taking off from dock. You have no clue how many other ships are taking off in busy stations, or if you are about to get ran over.

Both taking off and landing in one module...about time.

This module be the big help for new players...but there still a huge learning curve that turns off and loses players. Not much they can do about that.

Scot · April 2019

Sandmanjw said:

Like the advanced docking, always hated the way they handled the taking off from dock. You have no clue how many other ships are taking off in busy stations, or if you are about to get ran over.

Both taking off and landing in one module...about time.

This module be the big help for new players...but there still a huge learning curve that turns off and loses players. Not much they can do about that.

Sounds like a move to easy mode to me?

AlexanderVendi · April 2019

I remember giving this game a go a while back but as i recall , it's really a horrible experience if you got no flight stick and only using kb/mouse , sadly i had to refund.

SpottyGekko · April 2019

Scot said:

Sandmanjw said:

Like the advanced docking, always hated the way they handled the taking off from dock. You have no clue how many other ships are taking off in busy stations, or if you are about to get ran over.

Both taking off and landing in one module...about time.

This module be the big help for new players...but there still a huge learning curve that turns off and loses players. Not much they can do about that.

Sounds like a move to easy mode to me?

It's fairly inevitable, they have probably realised that they can't afford to lose so many potential players because of the "hardcore" mechanics. Revenue trumps all...

Scot · April 2019

SpottyGekko said:

Scot said:

Sandmanjw said:

Like the advanced docking, always hated the way they handled the taking off from dock. You have no clue how many other ships are taking off in busy stations, or if you are about to get ran over.

Both taking off and landing in one module...about time.

This module be the big help for new players...but there still a huge learning curve that turns off and loses players. Not much they can do about that.

Sounds like a move to easy mode to me?

It's fairly inevitable, they have probably realised that they can't afford to lose so many potential players because of the "hardcore" mechanics. Revenue trumps all...

But do you think players were actually put of by that mechanism? The problem is that once you start down this road the only way is ever easier. Until an AI flies you spacecraft for you while you eat popcorn watching the screen.

Lokero · April 2019

Scot said:

SpottyGekko said:

Scot said:

Sandmanjw said:

Like the advanced docking, always hated the way they handled the taking off from dock. You have no clue how many other ships are taking off in busy stations, or if you are about to get ran over.

Both taking off and landing in one module...about time.

This module be the big help for new players...but there still a huge learning curve that turns off and loses players. Not much they can do about that.

Sounds like a move to easy mode to me?

It's fairly inevitable, they have probably realised that they can't afford to lose so many potential players because of the "hardcore" mechanics. Revenue trumps all...

But do you think players were actually put of by that mechanism? The problem is that once you start down this road the only way is ever easier. Until an AI flies you spacecraft for you while you eat popcorn watching the screen.

When the veterans complain that the hardest part of the game is parking your ship, that sounds like something that needs to be changed.

"I flew across 325 star systems, did battle with aliens, returned home to receive my medals... and crashed into the space station."

That reminds me of that Neil DeGrasse Tyson stand-up about "inept aliens".

Kyleran · April 2019

Scot said:

SpottyGekko said:

Scot said:

Sandmanjw said:

Like the advanced docking, always hated the way they handled the taking off from dock. You have no clue how many other ships are taking off in busy stations, or if you are about to get ran over.

Both taking off and landing in one module...about time.

This module be the big help for new players...but there still a huge learning curve that turns off and loses players. Not much they can do about that.

Sounds like a move to easy mode to me?

It's fairly inevitable, they have probably realised that they can't afford to lose so many potential players because of the "hardcore" mechanics. Revenue trumps all...

But do you think players were actually put of by that mechanism? The problem is that once you start down this road the only way is ever easier. Until an AI flies you spacecraft for you while you eat popcorn watching the screen.

I know I am. I've owned ED for a year now, never cracked the seal though.

I found a video on how to effectively fly and fight with mouse/keyboard, but after watching a couple of times decided fek it, and went back to NMS.

I am not interested in realistic simulations, if there was a Titanic game just put me on the bridge and let me try to beat the trans Atlantic crossing record without hitting the damn ice. Don't waste my time asking me to shovel coal into the boilers.

Asm0deus · April 2019

This game does have a learning curve but it's not that bad, the trick is to use a joystick and keyboard or hotas if you have one and learn how to land and take off without panicking...it's all about setting up your keybinds on the joystick. Once that is done it not that hard.

Ask station for landing permission, make sure it given
fly towards slot and reduce speed to under 100
once through slot lower landing gear, this also helps you slow down
find your landing pad number and land

The combat and controls are really good unlike some of the arcade crap some space game have. Each ship actually flies differently so don't expect a uhual ship to fight and maneuver like a Vulture for example.

Anyways about the newbie zone FDev will probably mess up and make it so older experienced CMDRs just need to reset one of their alt accounts to get access to the zone so you'll have pro combat pilots that use FA OFF ganking newbies...lol

Erillion · April 2019

Always thought that docking and leaving dock are some of the most easy tasks in E:D

Unless i am trying to smuggle highly illegal contraband into a church (="religious government") station ... where i have to come in hot and fast to avoid being scanned.

The trick is to use a joystick. Keyboard and mouse would be inconvenient.

Have fun

Lokero · April 2019

Kyleran said:
I found a video on how to effectively fly and fight with mouse/keyboard, but after watching a couple of times decided fek it, and went back to NMS.

Erillion said:

The trick is to use a joystick. Keyboard and mouse would be inconvenient.

Asm0deus said:

the trick is to use a joystick and keyboard or hotas if you have one and learn how to land and take off without panicking...it's all about setting up your keybinds on the joystick.

AlexanderVendi said:

it's really a horrible experience if you got no flight stick and only using kb/mouse , sadly i had to refund.

Yikes, I'm dumbfounded that anyone would buy a flight simulator without a joystick. I thought it was commonly understood that flight games kind of required one to perform properly.

Mice just aren't designed in a way that works with certain genres, and any type of simulator tends to be a huge non-starter.

Maybe it wouldn't be too bad with a trackball mouse, but I'm not interested in testing that theory.

*Playing Cabal at the arcade flashback*

In all seriousness, I love having a trackball compared to a regular mouse.

Erillion · April 2019

Freelancer worked fine with a mouse. To my surprise. I am a joystick fan.

However, for E:D the joystick is the way to go.

Have fun

Kyleran · April 2019

Lokero said:

Kyleran said:
I found a video on how to effectively fly and fight with mouse/keyboard, but after watching a couple of times decided fek it, and went back to NMS.

Erillion said:

The trick is to use a joystick. Keyboard and mouse would be inconvenient.

Asm0deus said:

the trick is to use a joystick and keyboard or hotas if you have one and learn how to land and take off without panicking...it's all about setting up your keybinds on the joystick.

AlexanderVendi said:

it's really a horrible experience if you got no flight stick and only using kb/mouse , sadly i had to refund.

Yikes, I'm dumbfounded that anyone would buy a flight simulator without a joystick. I thought it was commonly understood that flight games kind of required one to perform properly.

Mice just aren't designed in a way that works with certain genres, and any type of simulator tends to be a huge non-starter.
Maybe it wouldn't be too bad with a trackball mouse, but I'm not interested in testing that theory.

*Playing Cabal at the arcade flashback*
In all seriousness, I love having a trackball compared to a regular mouse.

I certainly wouldn't, never bought a single copy of Flight Simulator back in the day nor any of the fighter games either because I wasn't interested in a flight simulation.

ED is marketed as a space exploration game and if they want my money they will have to provide a less challenging control schema.

I used a joystick to play Wing Commander games but I don't recall ever struggling to land back on the carrier, that's what I would want, an autodocking option (without penalty) if I chose to use it.

Heck. NMS annoys me at times having to slowly circle a station trying to find the damn entrance to fly into, especially with bandits on my tail.

Kyleran · April 2019

Erillion said:

Freelancer worked fine with a mouse. To my surprise. I am a joystick fan.

However, for E:D the joystick is the way to go.

Have fun

Good advice but impractical in my situation. I game on a laptop which literally sits on my lap while the mouse sets on one of two end tables to my right.

Already causes me some hand & arm issues as is, a joystick would only make them worse and I'm sure the angle would be all wrong, especially when I fully recline.

Ah the things we do for comfort.

I have pondered using a trackball however, wonder if that would work better in games like ED or SC?

Erillion · April 2019

>>>

I have pondered using a trackball however, wonder if that would work better in games like ED or SC?
>>>

I doubt a trackball would help much, both in ED and SC.

You need a 3 axis HOTAS joystick with thumbstick and throttle to fully appreciate all degrees of freedom in a flight simulation. I win a lot of dogfights because many people obviously cannot REALLY think in three dimensions. A corkscrewing escape move to the right, down and back of the flight direction - with uncoupled flight ... meaning my ships' nose faces to them, while the ship itself flies somewhere else - is a move that many simply cannot get into their head. They freeze and/or are undecided ... which is the moment my guns or missiles hit.

Have fun

Sandmanjw · April 2019

I am one of those that prefer mouse/KB. I have a few joystick/hotas but prefer the mouse/KB for elite.

And yes it has a killer learning curve...one of those that if you are not sure if you will like the game...i suggest you pass.

You will really need to want to take the time, for which ever flight system you end up with, to get used to the controls and all the other keys/switches, and what not you will need.

Why i said this update, while a small step to make things easier to get going...are such a small step, that it will not really change much IMO. The learning curve, is so great that having a couple new or expanded modules will not do anything to change that.

All that said...if you stick with it and put in the time...you will get your moneys worth. Once you get the hang of the game..it is huge and lots of fun for a while. I go back a few times each year to spend a few weeks playing.

For anyone that gets into it...give https://voiceattack.com/ a try and https://www.hcsvoicepacks.com/

Adds even more learning curve:P but they make the game feel more alive and fun to me. And they make the game easier to get the hang of in a way. Doing almost all the key commands by voice makes for a more realistic and enjoyable game to me rather than just memorizing all the keys/buttons to press.

Kyleran · April 2019

Erillion said:

>>>
I have pondered using a trackball however, wonder if that would work better in games like ED or SC?
>>>

I doubt a trackball would help much, both in ED and SC.

You need a 3 axis HOTAS joystick with thumbstick and throttle to fully appreciate all degrees of freedom in a flight simulation. I win a lot of dogfights because many people obviously cannot REALLY think in three dimensions. A corkscrewing escape move to the right, down and back of the flight direction - with uncoupled flight ... meaning my ships' nose faces to them, while the ship itself flies somewhere else - is a move that many simply cannot get into their head. They freeze and/or are undecided ... which is the moment my guns or missiles hit.

Have fun

Thanks, I'll skip the trackball. I'm a person who struggles with 3 dimensional awareness, as you said, the vertical kills me.

Which is why I might have been a great tank commander, but never a pilot.

RandomCasualty · April 2019

Anyone know if console version updates the same time as PC? Currently the game is on sale and might be worth checking out

Asm0deus · April 2019

Kyleran said:

Erillion said:

Freelancer worked fine with a mouse. To my surprise. I am a joystick fan.

However, for E:D the joystick is the way to go.

Have fun

Good advice but impractical in my situation. I game on a laptop which literally sits on my lap while the mouse sets on one of two end tables to my right.

Already causes me some hand & arm issues as is, a joystick would only make them worse and I'm sure the angle would be all wrong, especially when I fully recline.

Ah the things we do for comfort.

I have pondered using a trackball however, wonder if that would work better in games like ED or SC?

In game you can get a module to autodock but thing is joystick once you get used to it is so fun to fly with add VR.. lol amazeballs. It just seems like flight combat is not your thing though especially if you have trouble with 3d awareness.

I disagree with Sandmanjw though about it having a "killer learning curve" it has a high learning curve nothing more nothing less..people tend to exaggerate this part IMO. If you have played other flight sims the learning curve is very small.

Of course if you have never player a flightsim or any kind of flight combat game then yeah the learning curve is high and might seem "killer" but it's not any more killer than playing your very fist mmorpg or playing your very first mortal combat type game etc etc.

I mean take chess for example it has a killer learning curve the very first time you play it too.

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Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV

Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV

Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV

Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV