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[Not Spaceghost]

Speaking of QoL vs Immersion...

I wish they would buff fuel scoops. There is nothing remotely enjoyable about finding the sweet spot, throttling down, and waiting a few mins for your shitty fuel scoop (which may be the best for your ship that you can get) to fill up.

Best fuel scoops should scoop fast enough that you don't have to do the weird "sweet spot stall" in front of a star and can just loop it once or twice, maintaining your speed to help you just leave the system ASAP when exploring. I don't think every fuel scoop should be fantastic and fast but there is zero worthwhile, in terms of gameplay design, about sitting and staring at a star every few jumps.

I'm 100% dead against having a "Request docking" hotkey, though.

I agree with you on fuel scoops, I think the only reason they're as they are now is because they're not supposed to replace additional fuel tanks but honestly they aren't really ever worth it unless you plan on ditching them when you arrive at your destination (which implies that your destination will sell your old components which you haven't engineered - oh look engineers ruins another thing).

But seriously the fuel scoop should be something where if you're using the size appropriate one for your current tank should only take ~20 seconds to fill up. There is no reason why an 8t fuel tank (one of the most common tanks) should take 3 minutes to fill up to max with a 1A tank because in practice it takes closer to 8 minutes at the sweet spot.

Scooping should be faster, I wouldn't mind if there was like a little mini game to play with fuel scooping if it meant having a full tank in 20 seconds. Maybe they could do a thing where it deploys from your cargo hatch and you have to keep it aligned with a certain part of the sun at a specific range for it to scoop optimally.

I also agree that there should never be a docking permission request hot key lol I don't even like using my galmap / system map hot keys, it feels dirty. My contribution to things that need to remain completely immersive and say fuck it to gameplay is that the manual cargo scoop needs to stay exactly as is. It feels so satisfying when you manage to actually grab something.

 

[CrisysCoreBR]

Just accepted this mission and don't even know where to start:
Source 2 units of silver from a suitable market

 

[Felix Lighter]

I'm honestly of the opinion that detail surface maps should remain unlocked only by surface scans, by actually flying to the planet to within scanner range. HOWEVER I also think scanning times should be drastically reduced. It currently takes between 20 - 30 seconds to surface scan a planet, I think it should be more like 2 - 3 seconds. It's just an un-interactive time sink, sitting there watching that wheel spin for half a minute, and it's one of the things that drags out exploration into the boring tedious feeling thing that it is currently. You are already taking the time to fly to within scan range, that time sink should be enough IMHO to earn that surface scan.

Exploration needs a lot of QoL in general, but simply unlocking all of the surface maps with one honk after jumping in seems a tad TOO un-interactive to me.

Et tu, Mengy?

 

[Volimar]

Just accepted this mission and don't even know where to start:
Source 2 units of silver from a suitable market

https://eddb.io/station


Put in Silver and what system you're in and it'll show you the nearest station that sells it.

 

[Volimar]

CURSE YOU CLEAN SKIMMERS!!!!

Now I have a bounty again. How will I tell my space parents?

 

[kennah]

Why did I go to Hutton Orbital....

 

[Mengy]

But seriously the fuel scoop should be something where if you're using the size appropriate one for your current tank should only take ~20 seconds to fill up. There is no reason why an 8t fuel tank (one of the most common tanks) should take 3 minutes to fill up to max with a 1A tank because in practice it takes closer to 8 minutes at the sweet spot.

Fuel scoops are required gear for exploring. On my Asp with a 6A scoop and half sized 16T tanks I can refuel from bone dry to full in 18 seconds. Most times I go to full throttle on jump in and just braze the star's edge and I'm topped off in like 6 seconds or so. I'm always topped off long before the FSD cools down, unless I hit an unscoopable star or two.

 

[Heshinsi]

I agree with you on fuel scoops, I think the only reason they're as they are now is because they're not supposed to replace additional fuel tanks but honestly they aren't really ever worth it unless you plan on ditching them when you arrive at your destination (which implies that your destination will sell your old components which you haven't engineered - oh look engineers ruins another thing).

But seriously the fuel scoop should be something where if you're using the size appropriate one for your current tank should only take ~20 seconds to fill up. There is no reason why an 8t fuel tank (one of the most common tanks) should take 3 minutes to fill up to max with a 1A tank because in practice it takes closer to 8 minutes at the sweet spot.

Scooping should be faster, I wouldn't mind if there was like a little mini game to play with fuel scooping if it meant having a full tank in 20 seconds. Maybe they could do a thing where it deploys from your cargo hatch and you have to keep it aligned with a certain part of the sun at a specific range for it to scoop optimally.

I also agree that there should never be a docking permission request hot key lol I don't even like using my galmap / system map hot keys, it feels dirty. My contribution to things that need to remain completely immersive and say fuck it to gameplay is that the manual cargo scoop needs to stay exactly as is. It feels so satisfying when you manage to actually grab something.

I just talk to my AI (Ripley Galactic) and she does it for me...like how I would expect things to be 1300 years from now lol.

 

[Volimar]

Why did I go to Hutton Orbital....

Don't forget to pick up some of their rare commodity while you're there.

 

[DrBo42]

Insane that we're talking about removing scanner functionality in order to "enhance" explorer gameplay. There's absolutely nothing you need that detailed map for outside of again, screenshots. Wish the people up in arms about this on the forums would ask for them to actually give explorers something to do instead. Good lord.

 

[MarionCB]

Why did I go to Hutton Orbital....

Haha, I just did that for the first time today. I got a lot of chores done around the house though. I just checked in every ten minutes. The run to get Tanmark Tea is lucrative as hell though.

 

[kennah]

Don't forget to pick up some of their rare commodity while you're there.

Yeah, that's the whole point. I actually gave up, there was still like another 35 minutes left to get there according to the thing. I'm trying to go to the CG with a cargo hold full of all the different things.

Haha, I just did that for the first time today. I got a lot of chores done around the house though. I just checked in every ten minutes. The run to get Tanmark Tea is lucrative as hell though.

Could you imagine if they added space pirates who interdicted you every 9 minutes? I'd rage quit.

 

[Mengy]

Insane that we're talking about removing scanner functionality in order to "enhance" explorer gameplay. There's absolutely nothing you need that detailed map for outside of again, screenshots. Wish the people up in arms about this on the forums would ask for them to actually give explorers something to do instead. Good lord.

I truly don’t care either way, I’m just glad we are getting the surface maps at all. Part of me wants them to stay locked to surface scans because it adds value to make surface scanning more appealing to bother with, but then part of me sees why a lot of people want them revealed by the “honk” too as it makes getting the maps quicker and more convenient. Either way I’ll be using the new feature regularly. I really love the idea of the different scanners having different functionality that can accommodate all sides of the debate, that solution literally gives everyone the option to play the way they want to. But yes, I will admit there are some people on the official forums who are taking this far too seriously, it’s almost become a crusade of sorts. The important thing is we are getting them.

I still think the surface scans should take much less time though. Long boring time sinks are never fun mechanic.

 

[Not Spaceghost]

Insane that we're talking about removing scanner functionality in order to "enhance" explorer gameplay. There's absolutely nothing you need that detailed map for outside of again, screenshots. Wish the people up in arms about this on the forums would ask for them to actually give explorers something to do instead. Good lord.

Lol i don't remember if it was you or someone else who I was discussing this with like 8 pages ago where we were basically talking about how there are never any suggestions that make exploration more interesting without making it more tedious.

Looks like that was spot on.

 

[E-flux]

I'm thinking of buying a Lakon type 7 next week, has anyone flown that ship? I don't really care for having the most optimized setup or a ship, type 7 just looks badass.

I truly don’t care either way, I’m just glad we are getting the surface maps at all. Part of me wants them to stay locked to surface scans because it adds value to make surface scanning more appealing to bother with, but then part of me sees why a lot of people want them revealed by the “honk” too as it makes getting the maps quicker and more convenient. Either way I’ll be using the new feature regularly. I really love the idea of the different scanners having different functionality that can accommodate all sides of the debate, that solution literally gives everyone the option to play the way they want to. But yes, I will admit there are some people on the official forums who are taking this far too seriously, it’s almost become a crusade of sorts. The important thing is we are getting them.

I still think the surface scans should take much less time though. Long boring time sinks are never fun mechanic.

Especially smaller rocky planets take forever because you need to get so close to them and the time it takes to scan them, main reason why i haven't bothered to explore in awhile.

 

[kennah]

I'm thinking of buying a Lakon type 7 next week, has anyone flown that ship? I don't really care for having the most optimized setup or a ship, type 7 just looks badass.



Especially smaller rocky planets take forever because you need to get so close to them and the time it takes to scan them, main reason why i haven't bothered to explore in awhile.

I'm using a Type 7. I like it better than the AspX. Doesn't have quite as much punch for fighting, but holds a little more cargo and is getting a decent buff when 2.2 releases.

 

[Mengy]

Especially smaller rocky planets take forever because you need to get so close to them and the time it takes to scan them, main reason why i haven't bothered to explore in awhile.

Yep, and that’s the real problem in a nutshell: by the time you fly close enough to a planet to surface scan it and get the new surface map, you don’t NEED the map anymore because you are right there anyway, you can see what the planet looks like with your own eyes! I’m okay with the new feature requiring a surface scan as long as they improve the process of doing the scan in the first place, by either greatly shortening the scan time, increasing the range to get the scan, or preferably both improvements. But simply tacking the surface maps behind the way it works now is practically pointless really, and lazy to be honest.

 

[E-flux]

I'm using a Type 7. I like it better than the AspX. Doesn't have quite as much punch for fighting, but holds a little more cargo and is getting a decent buff when 2.2 releases.

What buff is it getting? I probably won't be fitting weapons to it, at least not for the starters. I just want to haul some serious haulage while i get wait for a while before trying to travel to the center of the galaxy again.

Yep, and that’s the real problem in a nutshell: by the time you fly close enough to a planet to surface scan it and get the new surface map, you don’t NEED the map anymore because you are right there anyway, you can see what the planet looks like with your own eyes! I’m okay with the new feature requiring a surface scan as long as they improve the process of doing the scan in the first place, by either greatly shortening the scan time, increasing the range to get the scan, or preferably both improvements. But simply tacking the surface maps behind the way it works now is practically pointless really, and lazy to be honest.

Yeah, and even if the surface features aren't clearly visible from the range threshold it won't take more than a few seconds to fly close enough to see the surface in detail, i was hoping that scanners would have gotten upgrades when engineers dropped, but it seems that we will have to wait on the exploration stuff.

 

[Volimar]

It took me far too long to figure out that you have to manually stock limpets...

 

[Effect]

It took me far too long to figure out that you have to manually stock limpets...

That was always annoying. The game isn't clear at all that you have to go in and stock them directly. It makes sense that you do but no where that I can remember is this told to you. It's in a section of the menu as well where you really never have to visit or would ever visit since you can restock ammo from the main screen when you bring up station services. Be default you want to restock all ammo whenever you visit a station, same with fuel.

 

[kennah]

L O L

Flew to Hutton Orbital...

In a Type 7

...

Docking Request Denied, No Pad Large Enough

EDIT: AND, the Rare Goods CG has finished anyway. Whoops. Didn't get to drop anything off.

 

[Volimar]

So mining isn't that bad with limpets, just boring as hell.

 

[Dubbedinenglish]

L O L

Flew to Hutton Orbital...

In a Type 7

...

Docking Request Denied, No Pad Large Enough

EDIT: AND, the Rare Goods CG has finished anyway. Whoops. Didn't get to drop anything off.

I've went there in a Dropship, the only medium pad was probably in use.

 

[MarionCB]

L O L

Flew to Hutton Orbital...

In a Type 7

...

Docking Request Denied, No Pad Large Enough

EDIT: AND, the Rare Goods CG has finished anyway. Whoops. Didn't get to drop anything off.

I've only been playing this game for a week but are Community Goals meant to be this overpowered? I mean, I just made 16 million credits for a few cargo runs and now I'm looking at the Type 7, after really just beginning the game. I guess it's good as it makes it easier to catch up and less grindy but a part of me is disappointed; I had that determined feeling at the start, thinking how I'd have to strive but it's easy with the CGs.

 

[Not Spaceghost]

I've only been playing this game for a week but are Community Goals meant to be this overpowered? I mean, I just made 16 million credits for a few cargo runs and now I'm looking at the Type 7, after really just beginning the game. I guess it's good as it makes it easier to catch up and less grindy but a part of me is disappointed; I had that determined feeling at the start, thinking how I'd have to strive but it's easy with the CGs.

16 million feels like a lot now, but later on when you start flying other ships and your rebuy is 4-7mil then 16mil feels like what 200k used to feel like.

 

[joecanada]

CURSE YOU CLEAN SKIMMERS!!!!

Now I have a bounty again. How will I tell my space parents?

You're not truly famous until you top 100k in bounties. Lol my record is 536k

 

[Mengy]

So mining isn't that bad with limpets, just boring as hell.

I understand why some people find mining boring, but honestly I really love it. The prospector drones really changed mining for the better IMHO, I find the “Easter egg hunt” aspect of searching through asteroid fields for valuable rocks very engaging. I think I really just love a good profitable reason to fly around asteroid belts, lol.

I avoid ice mining though, even if you stack missions it’s literally the worst credits earning activity in the game, even worse than exploration!!! I’m hoping they improve ice mining’s profitability sometime soon but they don’t seem to want to.

 

[Anton Sugar]

Yeah, my limited time with mining had me thinking it's not so bad. Something a little satisfying about finding good ore, mining it, sending out limpets, and the satisfaction of collecting and refining them.

I think it will be even better with ship-launched fighters. Adds a little excitement to the situation when you are under attack or about to be.

 

[Not Spaceghost]

My friends loved mining they would go out on high / haz RES mining expeditions and I would frequently play security detail it was a lot of fun.

Got paid in dividends lol.

 

[Widge]

Yeah, my limited time with mining had me thinking it's not so bad. Something a little satisfying about finding good ore, mining it, sending out limpets, and the satisfaction of collecting and refining them.

I think it will be even better with ship-launched fighters. Adds a little excitement to the situation when you are under attack or about to be.

I like the idea of being a little self sufficient factory.

 

[joecanada]

I understand why some people find mining boring, but honestly I really love it. The prospector drones really changed mining for the better IMHO, I find the “Easter egg hunt” aspect of searching through asteroid fields for valuable rocks very engaging. I think I really just love a good profitable reason to fly around asteroid belts, lol.

I avoid ice mining though, even if you stack missions it’s literally the worst credits earning activity in the game, even worse than exploration!!! I’m hoping they improve ice mining’s profitability sometime soon but they don’t seem to want to.

can someone tell me the right way to use limpets? drones ? for mining? do they just automatically collect stuff for you?

Also is there a marked benefit to higher powered mining lasers? or are there higher power types

 

[Heshinsi]

I'm only 3400lys from the bubble. I was about that exact distance from Sagittarius before I had to turn back. Why does it take such an insufferable amount of time calculating a plot when I get close to the center of the Galaxy? I was already bored beyond belief, and then I was having to deal with ever increasing wait times as I got closer to the center.

I have run into a couple earth likes on my way back which I'm excited about lol. Plan for today is get back home, and then focus on hammering away at a number of Sothis runs.

 

[Mengy]

Why does it take such an insufferable amount of time calculating a plot when I get close to the center of the Galaxy? I was already bored beyond belief, and then I was having to deal with ever increasing wait times as I got closer to the center.

The problem lies with the way the plotter calculates the final few jumps at the end of a route, it tries to over optimize jumps to use the max range as much as possible, and when there are lots of stars to pick from it takes a very long time to look at them all.

This is finally getting fixed with 2.2 though, at long last route plotting near the core will be fast and easy!

 

[Anton Sugar]

I've yet to read through it myself, but FD's Head of Technical Art gave a great Q&A about the 2.2 improvements to surfaces, textures, future plans, etc.: https://www.reddit.com/r/EliteDange...ad_of_technical_art_matt_dickinson_discusses/

 

[SmartBase]

I've yet to read through it myself, but FD's Head of Technical Art gave a great Q&A about the 2.2 improvements to surfaces, textures, future plans, etc.: https://www.reddit.com/r/EliteDange...ad_of_technical_art_matt_dickinson_discusses/

I skimmed through this earlier, not a bad read if you can ignore the grammar. I like getting insight into development, especially:

It was clear when the decision was made that season 1 wasn't supporting planetary landings that we shouldn't hold ourselves up by worrying about them when the system for s1 was so simple. While we've moved on to landable planets we've had to make sure we consider greater requirements so we don't end up starting over again on another new system. What we do and don't support, what tests we have and haven't done and what the plans are aren't for me to say or comment on so I'm afraid you can't infer anything from my comments as I write them from the POV of disregarding anything we've not officially announced. I will say though that adding a pretty atmospheric shader and some nice flames is orders of magnitude simpler than the terrain tech we've built and are currently working on.

 

[Anton Sugar]

I skimmed through this earlier, not a bad read if you can ignore the grammar. I like getting insight into development, especially:

Interesting--gas planet exploration coming soon??

Sandro looking for exploration improvement feedback!

Hello Commanders!

There have been a number of threads and posts about the status of exploration scanning in the beta, including the detailed surface scanner module. This post is just to let folk know our thinking - I'm posting it here for maximum visibility.

For reference: currently in the beta, when entering a new system, you can use the basic discovery scanner to discover stellar bodies (up to the range of the scanner).

Discovered bodies will show in the system map as graphical representations, but in the planet map they will show as grid spheres.

You can perform a basic surface scan to learn details about the body and replace the grid sphere with a visual representation of the body’s surface.

Some folk have suggested that they would prefer to have the surface of a body revealed in the planet map by the initial basic exploration scan, as that detail can inform them whether they wish to investigate the body further. This is a reasonable suggestion.

Other folk have suggested that bodies discovered by a basic scan should remain as blank spheres in the system map until they have received the attention of a detailed surface scan, as the mystery would entice further investigation. This is also a reasonable suggestion.

And yet other folk think the current system is good to go and this is also clearly reasonable.

So it’s fair to say there are some different opinion on this matter .

Whilst we can’t supply guarantees or ETAs, we just want to make clear that the current implementation does not necessarily represent the finished version of exploration scanning (or exploration in general, just the version that will go out with 2.2 The Guardians.

So please feel free to make suggestions for improvements (in this thread would be a good place to pop them) and to let us know what you think of the current implementation.

He also talked a little about possible Powerplay changes/improvements:

Yes, I'd see a resource-based merit system very much like the ability to "call in favours" with your power, and improving rewards, not necessarily by making them super powerful, rather instead by adding variety or exclusivity (e.g. you can spend merits to summon authority/Powerplay defence ships in a controlled or exploited system, or maybe ignore a rebuy cost when respawning in a controlled or exploited system, or clear a bounty etc.), benefits that have uses beyond Powerplay itself.

Of course, before we look more closely at this, we need to improve the core Powerplay systems (in ways such as we've chatted about recently).

And yes, we could look at time pledged being some sort of modifier for beneifts. It's a little blunt, but it might do the trick.

 

[Anton Sugar]

Bump--2.2/1.7 releasing 10/25!

 

[Mengy]

Bump--2.2/1.7 releasing 10/25!

Yep, just read that in the newsletter! Great news!

 

[Dubbedinenglish]

Nice. Hopefully we get closer to alien hijinx.

 

[SmartBase]

This shit better actually mean there's something cool to find out there. Show me ancient ruins, battle scars, anything interesting on planets to bother landing.

 

[RadioactiveLobster]

So I'll assume this is a bug but I go there and there isn't anything. No crash site.

 

[Volimar]

This shit better actually mean there's something cool to find out there. Show me ancient ruins, battle scars, anything interesting on planets to bother landing.

Driving the SRV is already one of my favorite things. Ruins will make it even better. But I totally get your meaning. I haven't had the game for that long and I'm already sick of the slow burn.

 

[joecanada]

Driving the SRV is already one of my favorite things. Ruins will make it even better. But I totally get your meaning. I haven't had the game for that long and I'm already sick of the slow burn.

I took an SRV out for the first time the other day was pretty fun, mining still sucks though

hit a mining site and stole a bunch of resources right out of the mining site, no security and didn't seem to accrue any fines for it.... seemed pretty viable. it shows up on radar as a flare beacon? or something?

 

[~Cross~]

I saw some obsidian ant videos with the planetary improvements, seems pretty good. Will probably just spin the game around to fit my anaconda with a fighter bay to see how it plays out.

 

[SmartBase]

Almost died to this thing on my way to Palin, my glide path went right through and didn't know about the no-fly zone enforcement around it.

Driving the SRV is already one of my favorite things. Ruins will make it even better. But I totally get your meaning. I haven't had the game for that long and I'm already sick of the slow burn.

It really is a joy to drive, just wish there was more of a reason to go around in it.

 

[Anton Sugar]

Alrightty, I'm back on PC. If you play often and want to meet up sometime, I'm CMDR Anton Sugar. Gonna be Sothising my ass off before 2.2 hits Tuesday.

 

[Joseph Merrick]

hehe. rip sothis, never forget.

 

[Forerunner]

Bump--2.2/1.7 releasing 10/25!

Fuck, I've been playing too many other games. I'm still out in the middle of nowhere.

 

[SmartBase]

'twas the night before 2.2 and I finally hit trade Elite. Kinda expected Founders World to be a bit more...flashy.

 

[E-flux]

I managed to dodge a string of interdictions, made it to a station with no shields, 24% hull. Just before the mail slot i see another player in a corvette or some other ship pull before me, i slowdown let him go first, see him start to land on the nearest docking slots. A short while after i'm docking at the end of the station, and boom i get destroyed and i see the cutter boost and hit the flight tower, 1 milj. rebuy and 15 minutes later i'm back there and see the same dude ramming other ships who come in. How is that even possible? That's clearly exploiting the fact that the game for some idiotic reason doesn't consider ramming, even when it leads to killing a crime. Hell, ramming anybody inside the station airspace should lead to something.

I would be completely OK if i was interdicted, killed outside the station or any other legitimate way but that's just BS.