Gaming Elite: Dangerous

[Proximus]

I must admit, even in its half built buggy state, Star Citizen seems to offer more.

I really couldn't get into Elite Dangerous, got boring very quickly for me.

 

[garyw]

Something I noticed, when I fired up Elite the other day, I decided to side with the Empire so off I went to empire systems. Since then, in Open Play I have not yet seen a single real player. Just NPC's.

 

[Urwumpe]

Something I noticed, when I fired up Elite the other day, I decided to side with the Empire so off I went to empire systems. Since then, in Open Play I have not yet seem a single real player. Just NPC's.

Why that? Does Empire have bad ships? The standard uniform of your PC is a bunny costume then?

 

[garyw]

if I could create an avatar then he would be a giant pink bunny! :lol:

 

[jedidia]

So, "Horizons" isn't a DLC for the game, but a separate game on the same servers?

It's a bit complicated... It is NOT common DLC, that is correct.
It isn't quite a new game either. Generally it is marketed and sold as a different product, but with full backwards compatibility, i.e. Eliteangerous and Elite:Horizons share the same servers and universe.
Content that cannot be gated off without breaking that compatibility is granted to elite:dangerous owners for free (It's downloading the update on my machine as I write), which for example includes all new ships, and if I'm not mistaken also the new planet visuals (you can't go landing on them, but they should still look a lot prettier from orbit).

People that had a certain level at kickstarter backing are getting it for free, and will be getting all future expnisons for free too.
Owners of elite:dangerous can currently buy Horizons on a 25% discount while it is in early access. I don't know if a similar offer wil be extended after that.

Furthermore, you're not buying Horizons as is. You're buying the next year of updates for the game, which seems to include some kind of crafting and customisation system, Multi-crew ships (two people can fly the same ship) and, can you believe it, Avatar customisation. Pink bunnies ftw! :lol:

It is a bit weird, but as far as business models go, I think it's not the worst. You're rewarding people that backed you graciously in the beginning, you're delivering a solid amount of content at no cost at all, and you're taking most money from people who can't wait. I'm sure there'll be periods this year when you can get the whole deal at reasonable DLC prices. And having just bought Eliteangerous for 15 bucks and getting a massive update at no additional cost, I really can't complain :shifty:

Why that? Does Empire have bad ships? The standard uniform of your PC is a bunny costume then?

Really noit sure there... As I understand it, the empire was quite the hype at the beginning. At least in the old games they had the best ships, and while the loss of the classy design is regretable, specs-wise they still seem to be very good. They even have their own version of the Eagle. But I've not yet been around civilisation enough, spent most the time some distance away from it so far...

I must admit, even in its half built buggy state, Star Citizen seems to offer more.

I really couldn't get into Elite Dangerous, got boring very quickly for me.

It is ironic that this debate is older than most think :lol:
In the olden days, there was the same debate about Frontier:First Encounters and WIng Commander Privateer (though many people forget that that game was by Erin Roberts, not Chris). The concepts still mostly seem the same: One offers a vast, seamless (more or less), physically credible gameworld and (by now) landable planets, but all with very little context and inferior graphics. The other offers a more constrained and sectioned game world with more context, a story and better graphics. It's really a question of what's more important to you.

 

[Hielor]

Something I noticed, when I fired up Elite the other day, I decided to side with the Empire so off I went to empire systems. Since then, in Open Play I have not yet seen a single real player. Just NPC's.

I stopped playing online after the fourth or fifth time I arrived at a station to deliver my space-load only to discover that all of the docking points were occupied. What an awful design for an MMO.

I'm really confused as to why they need to sell this as a standalone game instead of a DLC for the existing one. It's just sticking it to their existing customers, while not helping attract any new ones.

 

[Izack]

I got a new ship:

Many hours of space-trucking lie ahead if I want to buy a decent long-range explorer.

 

[K_Jameson]

A "Star Wars VII style" trailer for Elite Dangerous:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3zwpmmC1DM

Another hilarious trailer :lol:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZeO-4F45WM

BONUS: An excellent tribute to the good old Frontier - Elite II (with Strauss):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyWRGz4KSrg

 

[Izack]

This shot lined up perfectly in front of my eyes:

 

[K_Jameson]

Someone of you is registered at the Elite Dangerous / Frontier forum?
I'm trying to register: what the hell I must type in the "Company Name" box?

 

[Loru]

for example: none

 

[K_Jameson]

I tried everything, included "none" - that was the first I tried - but it was all rejected.

 

[K_Jameson]

I know, I know (facepalm)...

Well,

Ugly. Again.
So... we want compare?

And THAT THING should be the current interpretation of the Courier?
NO. WAY.

Speaking of the Imperial Courier, some time ago I tried to draw a personal version of this vessel (always inspired at the Frontier - Elite 2 original version), that should have a central role in a science fiction novel I'm writing.

Here a rough sketch of this vessel. Main modifications: the nacelle pylons aren't anymore deployable but fixed, with a wing profile; the engine nacelles are now aligned with the CoG of the spacecraft, fixing the main problem of the original Courier. Overall dimensions are a bit larger.

 

[Izack]

I don't have pictures because I had to go to work, but I discovered several new planets out by the Veil Nebula last night!

 

[orb]

"Elite Dangerous: Horizons" is now available as a "Season Pass" DLC for "Elite Dangerous":
http://store.steampowered.com/app/441340/


The earlier available "Elite Dangerous: Horizons" (AppID 419270) isn't being sold as a separate game anymore.
It has been removed completely from Steam and previous owners got instead "Elite Dangerous" game and "Elite Dangerous: Horizons Season Pass" DLC added in their Steam subscription package (https://steamdb.info/sub/84983/apps/).

 

[garyw]

Too late.

David screwed up with this one. You buy Elite and then have to pay full price for what is early access DLC. No thanks. I'm quite annoyed at Frontier over this.

 

[jedidia]

This does seem a very questionable decision... :blink:

 

[Hielor]

I don't know, I think they deserve at least a little bit of credit for recognizing that they screwed up and fixing it.

And hey, as a bonus, they've gotten rid of all the negative reviews on the standalone horizons game!

 

[jedidia]

I don't know, I think they deserve at least a little bit of credit for recognizing that they screwed up and fixing it.

What do you mean, fixing it? Before, if you didn't have Elite dangerous yet, you could just buy Horizons as a new full-priced game, there you go.

Now you have to buy elite first, and still pay full price for the season pass. How's that fixing anything?

 

[Hielor]

What do you mean, fixing it? Before, if you didn't have Elite dangerous yet, you could just buy Horizons as a new full-priced game, there you go.

Now you have to buy elite first, and still pay full price for the season pass. How's that fixing anything?

Uh...no, you don't have to pay "full price" for the season pass?

Before:
Elite Dangerous: Horizons was $59.99 on Steam

Now:
Elite Dangerous: Horizons Season Pass is $37.99 on Steam
Elite Dangerous: Deluxe Edition (includes base game, horizons seasons pass, and a "pilot starter pack") is $59.99 on Steam

So if you're coming from nothing, just grab the Deluxe Edition. You're better off than you were before, since you didn't get the pilot starter pack.
If you're coming from the base game, grab the Season Pass, and you're at least $23 better off than you were before, more so on sales.