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[Sarcasm]

Guess this time my ticket got answered immediately:

Hi JOHN DOE,

Thank you for contacting Frontier Support regarding the Store payment issue.

I am very sorry you are having this issue but I wanted to let you know that we are aware of an issue that our current payment provider doesn't support payment from your location.

If you are attempting to purchase digital game extras, we would suggest that you temporarily change your store address, to the UK.

To change this, please can you log into the store - https://store.elitedangerous.com/. Once logged in, please navigate to Account Information and select addresses.

Once you have successfully completed the purchase, please change this back to your current address.

I hope this helps, and if there is anything else that we can do for you please give us a shout.

Fly safe Cmdr!




CMDR Ariane
Elite: Dangerous Customer Support Wing

Your Frontier Developments Team

 

[Sleepy Buddha]

From what I gathered when they started offering the steam keys for their store purchases, that's already possible when you generated a key from one of their licenses. Although I wonder if it the expansion purchase through their store will just apply to Steam then. The other way round... Both questions worth asking Frontier.

Wait, I can enter my key from my Beta and get ED registered on Steam? When did did this start?

Oh crap, LP is 175 Euros. Gonna get it anyway since this is a game I can always return to.

 

[Burny]

Wait, I can enter my key from my Beta and get ED registered on Steam? When did did this start?

About two months ago, iirc? The only thing to remember, is that when you do that, Frontier will pay a royality to Steam for every following ED purchase you make, even through their store.

 

[owlbeak]

Landings.

 

[Wreav]

The Vive is releasing this year and FD has been quoted as saying that they will support the Vive!

I'm definitely building that new rig this year!! Skylake + Dual 980 Ti's SLI will be glorious!!!

I will probably buy VR without upgrading my GPU, just to see how good or bad my 660TI is...ran DK2 fine, but obviously that's considerably lower res. No way I can afford a new GPU and VR this year.

 

[Anton Sugar]

Ignoring the fuckery of the announcement thread, how do y'all feel about the prices?

Also, new Fed Gunship and Assault Ship artwork.

From reddit:

the Gunship has 7 hardpoints; the Assault ship has 4, with two Meds and two Large.

EDIT: QA is about to go live soon, apparently? http://www.twitch.tv/elitedangerous

 

[Burny]

Ignoring the fuckery of the announcement thread, how do y'all feel about the prices?

Same thing I said in the announcement thread. It's steep, especially for existing players. But I'm getting the impression that it's their way around a monthly subscription. And I'm suspecting we'll be getting such an addon every year, the next probably being EVA and maybe planetary landings on inhabited worlds.

I'm ok with that (spend 175€ this morning on the lifetime pass ). It's an MMO like game after all and I really, really like FDev as a dev, even if their game isn't perfect.

 

[Anton Sugar]

Same thing I said in the announcement thread. It's steep, especially for existing players. But I'm getting the impression that it's their way around a monthly subscription. And I'm suspecting we'll be getting such an addon every year, the next probably being EVA and maybe planetary landings on inhabited worlds.

I'm ok with that (spend 175€ this morning on the lifetime pass ). It's an MMO like game after all and I really, really like FDev as a dev, even if their game isn't perfect.

Yeah, I feel like it's a little unfair to compare their pricing model to the average game in the industry, but I've also dumped on games like Destiny for their DLC strategy.

Having said that...bought, pending any super disappointing news from the Q&A. FD has done right by me, overall, and I didn't realistically think this was coming for another year.

EDIT: Stream is live.

 

[Sleepy Buddha]

About two months ago, iirc? The only thing to remember, is that when you do that, Frontier will pay a royality to Steam for every following ED purchase you make, even through their store.

Damn, now you've left me in bit of a quandary. On one hand, I'd like to have the game on Steam with the rest of my library. On the other I don't want FD to have to pay Valve what they don't deserve.

If I do register the key, does the standalone ED launcher from FD's store still work?

 

[wesleyshark]

Prices are totally fair. Makes sense, given how much content they are putting out there.

 

[Wreav]

EDIT: Stream is live.

I nominate you for liveblogging.

 

[Anton Sugar]

I nominate you for liveblogging.

Already started:

From Q&A:

• Every ship can carry the Scarab SRV (the first one) but there will be different types of SRVs for different purposes, so not every SRV can be carried by every ship
• Toolset created to support planetary landings lets them do some "interesting" things through the rest of the game
• Cannot land on ANY airless planet--there are some that are restricted and require permits--but otherwise, in the first iteration, any airless planet across the galaxy can be explored (no limitation)
• Entering a planet's atmosphere takes on a new "orbital" flight model--may be similar to transitioning between flight models (standard/supercruise/hyperspace)
• SRV takes up some kind of storage space
• Gravity is different on each planet and affects how the SRVs handle
• Gravity also affects your ship--the slower a ship is, the more gravity affects it. Some ships weren't designed for planetary landing (in terms of thrusters), so you have to take extra care as you enter the atmosphere and slow down/adjust speed
• Scarab SAV has vertical thrusters, allowing big jumps
• Can discover pirate bases, crashed ships
• Lots of stuff to collect
• Cobra Mk IV: chunkier, one more hardpoint, better hardpoint placement
• The year's Expansion pass gives you access to everything released that year. For example, the first year's "Season" (aka the price of the full game) gave you:
  1.0 - Base game
  1.1 - Community Goals
  1.2 - Wings
  1.3 - PowerPlay
  1.4 - CQC
  1.5 - ??? (Braben said there was one more release coming)
• "Holiday" defined as Thanksgiving/Christmas time
• Currently debating whether or not your ship is invulnerable after you leave your ship--they want to take care to mitigate exploits
• CQC assets will be used in the main game
• More ships and "other improvements" are coming in CQC
• Loot and crafting
• LOTS more coming in Season 2 aside from landings and crafting

And it's over.

 

[Sinatar]

They are essentially building an entirely new game out of the planetary surface stuff, the price is fine.

 

[wesleyshark]

Already started:
1.0 - Base game
1.1 - Community Goals
1.2 - Wings
1.3 - PowerPlay
1.4 - CQC
1.5 - ??? (Braben said there was one more release coming)

1.5 is Ships. There'll at least 30 ships once this is released.

 

[Felix Lighter]

Price is reasonable but I can see why it would turn off those that aren't already sold on the game. I'm chomping at the bit for it, myself.

 

[Wreav]

You da man, Anton, thanks.

Can't wait to pull an Adama Maneuver with an Anaconda.

 

[Buggy Loop]

They are essentially building an entirely new game out of the planetary surface stuff, the price is fine.

Its not even just planetary landings, its a a series of expansion, starting with planetary landings..

The price is fucking fine, peoples are being bitches at reddit over this but the influx of steam & xbox one players... had to be expected.

I paid 150 freaking $ for lifetime expansion and premium beta, i dont expect ED to then give it for free.

 

[Wreav]

Technically you paid $150 for the full game, early access, and lifetime DLC.

All the haters should have bought the pass for $50, but they were too busy whining about how ED wasn't on Steam.

 

[Burny]

I should add a technical note I caught from the Q&A with DB: There will be a new "orbital flight" mode for planets which he compared to super cruise and from where you can see POIs on the planet's surface.

What I'm gathering from that is this: Entering a planet's orbit means loading an instanced area, probably with more visible surface details than from space. Then you'll probably be able to scan hotspots on the planet's surface. Whether entering such a hotspot is another level of instanciation, like leaving supercruise for normal flight, wasn't clear to me from the description. Given a planet's potential scale though, I'd lean towards assuming that might be the case.

 

[Felix Lighter]

I just preordered the Expansion+Beta. I cannot fucking wait.

 

[Sarcasm]

Welp I bought the lifetime pass using an UK address! Worked!

If yea curious I live in the google office in London.

 

[Forerunner]

I also preordered, even though I play pretty casually atm. However, I like the pace I'm going at. I don't see the point of grinding endlessly to get an Anaconda when the end game is somewhat lacking atm; but yeah I don't have a problem with the price and like I said before I'm pretty excited about the announcements and the future of this game.

 

[Shifty76]

Scarab races around the moon! Who's with me?

 

[Zalusithix]

Technically you paid $150 for the full game, early access, and lifetime DLC.

All the haters should have bought the pass for $50, but they were too busy whining about how ED wasn't on Steam.

Alternatively, they weren't around for the original sale of the pass. Others might have been exposed to the game by Steam. They're now subject to buying a full priced expansion (and more down the road). Not everybody with criticism of the price is a hater. =P

 

[Sleepy Buddha]

Already started:

From Q&A:

• Every ship can carry the Scarab SRV (the first one) but there will be different types of SRVs for different purposes, so not every SRV can be carried by every ship
• Toolset created to support planetary landings lets them do some "interesting" things through the rest of the game
• Cannot land on ANY airless planet--there are some that are restricted and require permits--but otherwise, in the first iteration, any airless planet across the galaxy can be explored (no limitation)
• SRV takes up some kind of storage space
• Gravity is different on each planet and affects how the SRVs handle
• Gravity also affects your ship--the slower a ship is, the more gravity affects it. Some ships weren't designed for planetary landing (in terms of thrusters), so you have to take extra care as you enter the atmosphere and slow down/adjust speed
• Scarab SAV has vertical thrusters, allowing big jumps
• Can discover pirate bases, crashed ships
• Lots of stuff to collect
• Cobra Mk IV: chunkier, one more hardpoint, better hardpoint placement
• The year's Expansion pass gives you access to everything released that year. For example, the first year's "Season" (aka the price of the full game) gave you:
  1.0 - Base game
  1.1 - Community Goals
  1.2 - Wings
  1.3 - PowerPlay
  1.4 - CQC
  1.5 - ??? (Braben said there was one more release coming)
• "Holiday" defined as Thanksgiving/Christmas time
• Currently debating whether or not your ship is invulnerable after you leave your ship--they want to take care to mitigate exploits
• CQC assets will be used in the main game
• More ships and "other improvements" are coming in CQC
• Loot and crafting
• LOTS more coming in Season 2 aside from landings and crafting

And it's over.

Nothing on the Imperial Cutter then...

 

[Buggy Loop]

I should add a technical note I caught from the Q&A with DB: There will be a new "orbital flight" mode for planets which he compared to super cruise and from where you can see POIs on the planet's surface.

What I'm gathering from that is this: Entering a planet's orbit means loading an instanced area, probably with more visible surface details than from space. Then you'll probably be able to scan hotspots on the planet's surface. Whether entering such a hotspot is another level of instanciation, like leaving supercruise for normal flight, wasn't clear to me from the description. Given a planet's potential scale though, I'd lean towards assuming that might be the case.

Im pretty sure it'll be a bit akin to No man's sky points of interest. You'll be able to land manually anywhere, they just dont want you to explore a full planet on scale 1:1 that would take years and years to find anything

Orbiting around planets is really cool, it was one thing i was a bit disapointed initially when we saw the supercruise mechanics.

Im so glad i bought lifetime expansion for this game, i have a feeling it'll grow so much as a game throughout the years, kinda like EVE online.

 

[Sleepy Buddha]

Is the stream archived anywhere?

 

[Anton Sugar]

Is the stream archived anywhere?

They didn't actually show anything, FYI. Just talking.

I should add a technical note I caught from the Q&A with DB: There will be a new "orbital flight" mode for planets which he compared to super cruise and from where you can see POIs on the planet's surface.

What I'm gathering from that is this: Entering a planet's orbit means loading an instanced area, probably with more visible surface details than from space. Then you'll probably be able to scan hotspots on the planet's surface. Whether entering such a hotspot is another level of instanciation, like leaving supercruise for normal flight, wasn't clear to me from the description. Given a planet's potential scale though, I'd lean towards assuming that might be the case.

Added, I must have missed them calling that out as a new flight mode.

 

[Shifty76]

Nothing on the Imperial Cutter then...

1.5 could be the ships update with 10+ new ships. Might be in there

 

[Anton Sugar]

"Ships" is 1.5 and brings total ship count to over 30.

The full version of E for X1, as well as CQC for PC/Mac, is launching September.

Source: http://frontier.co.uk/news/latest/?artid=519&pageNum=0&blk=12

So right now, we have 20 available available:

Adder
Anaconda
Asp Explorer
Cobra
Diamondback Explorer
Diamondback Scout
Eagle
Federal Dropship
Fer-de-Lance
Hauler
Imperial Clipper
Imperial Courier
Orca
Python
Sidewinder
Type-6 Transporter
Type-7 Transporter
Type-9 Heavy
Viper
Vulture

Upcoming:
Beluga Liner
Cobra Mk. IV (1.6/Horizons)
Dolphin
Federal Corvette
Federal Dropship Mk. II (1.4/CQC)
Federal Gunship (1.4/CQC)
Imperial Cutter
Imperial Eagle (1.4/CQ)
Panther Clipper

Speculated:
Krait
The Hunter

EDIT: P.S. Emperor Duval is dead.

 

[Pomerlaw]

Actually, so was the bit about walking around on ships a lie?


If it wasn't, then how are we getting off the ships into the buggy thing? Cut scene transition from the ship's seat to the buggy's seat outside and vice-versa? Kind of disappointing if that ends up being the case. It's certainly not unprecedented in the gaming realm, but after getting used to the Star Citizen model, it's kind of hard to not hope for more.

Lie? Walking around is a planned expansion that will come later, they always said so. No lie there. I guess for some time we won't be able to walk with our character, but it will come.

About that Star Citizen model, you realize there won't be seamless planetary landings in SC? It will be on rails, unless they start doing PG. I don't expect this from CryEngine.

 

[Nymerio]

Saw what do you guys think of the lifetime pass. Think it's worth it?

 

[DrBo42]

Saw what do you guys think of the lifetime pass. Think it's worth it?

The game will most likely continue to be worked on for years to come. Seems like they'll do an expansion every year or close to so, yeah if you're interested in the long haul.

Actually, so was the bit about walking around on ships a lie?


If it wasn't, then how are we getting off the ships into the buggy thing? Cut scene transition from the ship's seat to the buggy's seat outside and vice-versa? Kind of disappointing if that ends up being the case. It's certainly not unprecedented in the gaming realm, but after getting used to the Star Citizen model, it's kind of hard to not hope for more.

Walking around will probably be next year. As for entering/leaving the buggy yeah just deploy from UI and either a cutscene or that crap waiting/loading screen like when switching ships.

Edit: Anyone else let down that it's just airless/rocky planets? Yet another feature put out at the absolute minimum level. I kinda wish they would have waited until next year when they could include more but I understand they have operating costs. Shit sucks.

 

[Anton Sugar]

I'm guessing there will be SRVs with hardpoints/weapons, considering they talk about raiding pirate bases.

Edit: Anyone else let down that it's just airless/rocky planets? Yet another feature put out at the absolute minimum level. I kinda wish they would have waited until next year when they could include more but I understand they have operating costs. Shit sucks.

I'm definitely let down, especially since atmospheric planets won't be available for another year...but I also want to see there implementation. If they do it right, then exploring shipwrecks, bases, craters, etc., could be a lot of fun, especially once loot and crafting come early next year.

Can't deny I'm worried that surface exploration will be really barebones, too, though.

 

[Zalusithix]

Lie? Walking around is a planned expansion that will come later, they always said so. No lie there. I guess for some time we won't be able to walk with our character, but it will come.

About that Star Citizen model, you realize there won't be seamless planetary landings in SC? It will be on rails, unless they start doing PG. I don't expect this from CryEngine.

No, a lie in regards to it being much later. As without the functionality you're still strapped to a seat with no way to actually go from one object to another. If you could walk around the ship, you could walk to where the rover is, get in it, and head out. Without that functionality you're stuck with being teleported back and forth between the rover and ship.

That's what I meant with getting used to the Star Citizen model. In SC you feel like a human that is piloting machines. You get in them, walk around to the pilot's seat, sit down, boot up, and take off. (Or will once the PU is out.) In Elite, it feels more like you are the ship itself. Stuck in the chair, never to move. This isn't much of an issue when the ship is the game. Once you start making the ship just another part of a larger game though, it starts to feel odd to be bolted to the seat.

Procedural generation vs hand crafted and on-rails vs free flight are tangential issues to that.

 

[DrBo42]

I'm guessing there will be SRVs with hardpoints/weapons, considering they talk about raiding pirate bases.



I'm definitely let down, especially since atmospheric planets won't be available for another year...but I also want to see there implementation. If they do it right, then exploring shipwrecks, bases, craters, etc., could be a lot of fun, especially once loot and crafting come early next year.

Can't deny I'm worried that surface exploration will be really barebones, too, though.

Can't imagine it's not. Not sure what the point of pirate bases are when we can't exit a vehicle. Drive into them blasting and then...?

 

[Anton Sugar]

Can't imagine it's not. Not sure what the point of pirate bases are when we can't exit a vehicle. Drive into them blasting and then...?

Yeah, I have no idea how loot and crafting are going to be handled. I'm sure you'll be able to buy materials via the market, but if it's loot in the sense of "explore this base and pick stuff up", are we just going to be driving/flying over stuff to pick it up? A tedious cargo retrieval mechanism?

 

[DrBo42]

Yeah, I have no idea how loot and crafting are going to be handled. I'm sure you'll be able to buy materials via the market, but if it's loot in the sense of "explore this base and pick stuff up", are we just going to be driving/flying over stuff to pick it up? A tedious cargo retrieval mechanism?

Tedious cargo retrieval is absolutely what we need more of. I'm sure the buggy will have an outfitting menu and hopefully the option to get some retrieval drones etc working. Or some new drone brain for salvaging.

 

[Zalusithix]

Tedious cargo retrieval is absolutely what we need more of. I'm sure the buggy will have an outfitting menu and hopefully the option to get some retrieval drones etc working. Or some new drone brain for salvaging.

That'll come in a later update. Initially it'll just be a cargo scoop. If you don't get the alignment perfect, your run over the item and smash it to pieces.

 

[Wreav]

Yeah, I have no idea how loot and crafting are going to be handled. I'm sure you'll be able to buy materials via the market, but if it's loot in the sense of "explore this base and pick stuff up", are we just going to be driving/flying over stuff to pick it up? A tedious cargo retrieval mechanism?

Yeah I'm tempering my expectation a bit here too.

BUT

Just imagine the fun to be had if 20 of us showed up to the moon for a Scarab race.

 

[DrBo42]

Yeah I'm tempering my expectation a bit here too.

BUT

Just imagine the fun to be had if 20 of us showed up to the moon for a Scarab race.

Sorry, heavy instancing on planets and wings won't work correctly until next year.

 

[Wreav]

Sorry, heavy instancing on planets and wings won't work correctly until next year.

And this dlc doesn't drop till almost next year anyways.

ED is a slow drip, I'm not expecting fully fleshed features day 1 of season 2.

Let's say I wanted to get back to ED as an Explorer now. If I took off in an Asp, and blew it up thousands of LYs from home, could I warp back to my starting location? I really don't want to have to do a round trip.

 

[Anton Sugar]

Just imagine the fun to be had if 20 of us showed up to the moon for a Scarab race.

As long as there aren't crazy penalties for destroying a Scarab...hell yes.

Also loving the idea of buddies flying in orbit overhead as we raid/explore ruins or bases below.

 

[DrBo42]

And this dlc doesn't drop till almost next year anyways.

ED is a slow drip, I'm not expecting fully fleshed features day 1 of season 2.

Let's say I wanted to get back to ED as an Explorer now. If I took off in an Asp, and blew it up thousands of LYs from home, could I warp back to my starting location? I really don't want to have to do a round trip.

You'll return to the last station you docked at but all your discoveries/data from that trip will be gone of course.

 

[Sothis Krieg]

So do you think atmospheric landing and flying will be in another expansion ?

 

[Mengy]

Saw what do you guys think of the lifetime pass. Think it's worth it?

I'm trying to decide that myself.

The lifetime pass is $195 in US dollars, I've already paid $50 for the game, and the Horizons expansion "season pass" costs $60 in the store which is ironically more than I paid for the full game itself, lol. So, assuming there will be yearly expansions to buy costing $60 each, that makes the lifetime pass worth just a bit more than three expansions.

I only know of two planned expansions so far, planet landings and walking around, but it sounds like planet landings may be divided up into more than one expansion seeing how Horizons only allows airless planet landings. It makes justifying the huge price of the LP hard to do without a development roadmap, something laid out before us to justify the investment. To buy the LP is kind of a leap of faith that FDev will be popping out yearly expansions with yet unannounced content for many years.

That logic aside, I love the game, but is it worth a $260 investment to me? Is it worth a yearly investment similar to WoW, which I gave up due to it's cost? Lord knows I've spent a lot more than that on FSX over the past decade, but then that's an offline game that no one can ever take away from me now either.

The truth is I'm not sure if I feel the pass is justified or not. Part of me just wants to wait three years and buy the third expansion for $60 which will give me the first two expansions free as well but for a third of the overall price. Part of me realizes I'd like to be playing Elite for many years to come so I should just buy the lifetime pass and bite the bullet now. I'm not sure what I'm doing yet.

I do know I'm excited for the future of the game, Horizons sounds promising, but it's too little info right now to make an educated decision for me. I may just wait a bit to see how things flesh out, wait for more information.

 

[wesleyshark]

So do you think atmospheric landing and flying will be in another expansion ?

They confirmed that it would be in a subsequent expansion.

 

[Anton Sugar]

So do you think atmospheric landing and flying will be in another expansion ?

Atmospheric (i.e., Earth-like) planets won't be in Horizons--they'll be in a later expansion (Season?).

Horizons WILL have "seamless" (we haven't seen it yet) landing from space to surface, though...it'll just be for rocky planets, moons, etc.

I'm trying to decide that myself.

The lifetime pass is $195 in US dollars, I've already paid $50 for the game, and the Horizons expansion "season pass" costs $60 in the store which is ironically more than I paid for the full game itself, lol. So, assuming there will be yearly expansions to buy costing $60 each, that makes the lifetime pass worth just a bit more than three expansions.

I only know of two planned expansions so far, planet landings and walking around, but it sounds like planet landings may be divided up into more than one expansion seeing how Horizons only allows airless planet landings. It makes justifying the huge price of the LP hard to do without a development roadmap, something laid out before us to justify the investment. To buy the LP is kind of a leap of faith that FDev will be popping out yearly expansions with yet unannounced content for many years.

That logic aside, I love the game, but is it worth a $260 investment to me? Is it worth a yearly investment similar to WoW, which I gave up due to it's cost? Lord knows I've spent a lot more than that on FSX over the past decade, but then that's an offline game that no one can ever take away from me now either.

The truth is I'm not sure if I feel the pass is justified or not. Part of me just wants to wait three years and buy the third expansion for $60 which will give me the first two expansions free as well but for a third of the overall price. Part of me realizes I'd like to be playing Elite for many years to come so I should just buy the lifetime pass and bite the bullet now. I'm not sure what I'm doing yet.

I do know I'm excited for the future of the game, Horizons sounds promising, but it's too little info right now to make an educated decision for me. I may just wait a bit to see how things flesh out, wait for more information.

I'm in the same boat as far as "wait and see" goes, but isn't the expansion $45 after the $15 loyalty discount? If each expansion is $45, that's about four years worth of content for the $195 pass, right?

 

[Sothis Krieg]

They confirmed that it would be in a subsequent expansion.

I'm a sad panda now, i would have hoped it would be a part of horizons even if later down the road. Oh well bought anyway

Edit : Hmmm just to confirm, is Mars eligible for horizons landing for instance (permit aside) ? The word "Atmospheric" confuses me.

 

[Zalusithix]

I'm a sad panda now, i would have hoped it would be a part of horizons even if later down the road. Oh well bought anyway

Edit : Hmmm just to confirm, is Mars eligible for horizons landing for instance (permit aside) ? The word "Atmospheric" confuses me.

Mars has an atmosphere, so no landing there.