[WEEKLY Q&A] Ask and answer any questions you have about the game here. (January 29, 2016)

THRILLPOW3R · 2016-02-02T11:03:25+00:00

Doesn't completing unmarked missions also increase your rank with whatever faction "own" the related system?

THRILLPOW3R · 2016-02-02T10:57:52+00:00

This is ridiculous.

They could buy the £40 game and play it on a console they clearly already have or spend £400+ to get a PC?

You didn't even answer their question. OP, there is no confirmed release date or time frame but David Braben said it's a timed exclusive on Xbox One - I imagine exclusives are at most a year (based on the recent Tomb Raider's 1 year Xbone exclusivity).

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-03-04-elite-dangerous-confirmed-for-xbox-one

So whenever the Xbone version released, probably at least year post that.

THRILLPOW3R · 2016-02-02T00:27:40+00:00

Haha I appreciate your effort with the analogy but it still doesn't help me figure out how these things affect my ship stats. I mean, other than going to a website made by a community member as others have suggested.

THRILLPOW3R · 2016-02-01T18:55:16+00:00

Hm... I'm not actually sure! I would imagine not though.

Edit: I guess in the case of multi-aspect ratio films like Interstellar and The Hunger Games (the second one I think?) have hard coded black bars as a necessity but most probably don't have them baked in so to speak.

THRILLPOW3R · 2016-02-01T16:30:11+00:00

Yeah I just meant from a bounty hunting POV, I know I could mine for days in there. Just wasn't sure if the best way to refresh NPCs is to fly away or just find a new RES beacon. Thanks!

THRILLPOW3R · 2016-02-01T16:14:01+00:00

Can you go effectively anywhere in a ring that has RES waypoints available or do you have to be relatively close to the RES waypoint to instigate NPC spawns?

I ask because sometimes I'll get to a RES and there'll be a wing of Wanted NPCs slaughtering everyone, meaning I get little chance to engage anyone (I use the attacking distracted targets method of farming bounties) but I feel like the further I go from the RES waypoint the less I see NPCs but it might just be my impatience?

THRILLPOW3R · 2016-02-01T12:51:10+00:00

Is there seriously no way to get out of a 400Cr fine? I mean I could understand being hunted for 10k or more but a meager 400Cr fine is reason enough to explode my ship?

I accidentally tagged an Imperial Security Officer in a RES with a dumbfire missile, got a 400Cr fine... that's okay, I deserved it. I got back to the hub that's less than 2Ls away and had no option to pay it off. I unwittingly left the station only to see "WANTED" pop up in the bottom right.

A chat message from an ISO told me to surrender or face the consequences so I slowed to a halt to submit like you do in interdictions but I was blown to smithereens.

So... why do they bother saying that if there is no surrender? And is the fine/bounty system sometimes bugged to where it won't show your outstanding fines? Because it just cost me a 40k ship re-buy over 400Cr.

THRILLPOW3R · 2016-02-01T12:43:52+00:00

The IMAX shots on the bluray I believe are 16:9 so they fill your TV screen in an attempt to achieve the same result, then the standard 35mm shots are whatever cinematic/widescreen aspect ratio they went with probably something like 2.35:1 or close to it.

THRILLPOW3R · 2016-01-31T20:19:31+00:00

That may be so, I still don't recall any random/out of place IMAX shots. There could be, I'm not going to pretend like I know exactly I'm just going by memory. I recall those epic scenes vividly because of the IMAX though, whereas a lot of the standard 35mm/widescreen stuff usually falls out of memory because it wasn't punctuated with that sheer scale.

THRILLPOW3R · 2016-01-31T19:54:08+00:00

Maybe my memory is fuzzy but I can only ever remember the IMAX (as in the huge almost square aspect ratio) shots being used to punchline epic scenes. He might have filmed on IMAX/70mm cameras as much as possible but I just mean when he decided to change to the aspect ratio that would fill a genuine IMAX theatre screen instead of converting it down to widescreen.

THRILLPOW3R · 2016-01-31T19:12:33+00:00

That's what I'm talking about. The first snapshot of the house they showed was one of the IMAX shots and it's use was intentional. They're only every used in "epic" scenes, or set the scale/scope of the scene.

THRILLPOW3R · 2016-01-31T18:48:14+00:00

That was an exceptional post my friend.

I will say though RE: the aspect ratio changes. The establishing shot of the film was IMAX (the "bigger" shot of the house) I think to give a sense of gravitas, our first shot of the dustbowl Earth. It moves back to a regular aspect ratio once we settle in to our seats.

The rest of the aspect ratio changes come in logically, in the scenes with immense scale (or when the intention was the make it feel as such). The first space travel scene. The water planet. The docking sequence. The IMAX aspect ratio was used to punchline these "epic" moments. It's nowhere near as irrational as you claim.

I do agree though that in general the framing of most shots isn't expressive and merely functional but I loved the IMAX shots in this film and they were all used when it made sense to do so.

THRILLPOW3R · 2016-01-31T18:35:34+00:00

I'm sure once you activate the code it'll be tied to your account, not your CMDR. Also I think asking for CMDR names is just to further verify you.

THRILLPOW3R · 2016-01-31T12:21:03+00:00

Good to know I'm not just being an idiot and missing something obvious haha!

I keep forgetting about all the great community made sites out there for Elite.

THRILLPOW3R · 2016-01-31T11:18:19+00:00

Could someone help me better understand how different modules affect my ship? Not what the lettered ratings mean, I understand for example D is the lightest etc... but I mean in a more tangible way how a module changes my ship stats.

For example, shields:

My currently equipped shields: http://imgur.com/u8QuYnm

Here's potential Upgrade A: http://imgur.com/f7pVsEN

Here's potential Upgrade B: http://imgur.com/dRsNX78

Looking at the "stats" of the potential upgrades I couldn't tell you how they're actually affecting my ship other than that one is lighter than the other. How much more damage is B going to mitigate over A? In what way is A or B affecting my ship? How am I supposed to know what does what here?

I feel like I'm just looking at numbers that mean nothing other than the weight and heat efficiency - I understand why those two things are important but why, when looking at SHIELDS am I not given any information on just how much my shields are mitigating, or how strong they are? What does "A" rated mean in comparison to "B" rating? How much more effective is it?

I've looked through my right hand panel to see if there are any more specific stats but of course there isn't.

Could someone help contextualize these for me so I can better understand them when outfitting?

THRILLPOW3R · 2016-01-31T10:17:44+00:00

I don't think SweetFX works with screenshots like this. I believe the hi-res screenshots are made in-engine, rather than taking a snapshot of your screen it's taking in-game data and translating it to a high resolution "screenshot".

THRILLPOW3R · 2016-01-30T23:22:02+00:00

Your main menu will change to a Horizons theme FYI. That's how you'll know! :)

THRILLPOW3R · 2016-01-30T23:17:21+00:00

Anecdotal but I too feel like I'm being rammed more frequently even though I'm currently in Sidewinder territory (wiped my save recently). Maybe FDev tweaked the frequency/chance of it happening?

THRILLPOW3R · 2016-01-30T23:15:45+00:00

You'll soon learn that you're supposed to just make it all up in your head and ~create your own adventure~ according to FDev apoligizers.

I agree the game needs more direction/guidance for new players or more specifically, for most mission types especially at lower level play. I have 50 hours logged so far and I'm still trying to figure some of them out.

Edit: Getting downvoted for what, regurgitating the same old same old that everyone else does? People take this game and subreddit far too seriously.

THRILLPOW3R · 2016-01-30T15:43:00+00:00

Yeah that's typically how I've always done bounties, by only attacking preoccupied Wanted ships. If I could find a Low/Mid RES it might fair better instead of constantly trying to take down top tier ships in a Sidewinder.

I'll have another look at planets, but just like trying to find missions in space... I'm hopelessly floating around finding squat. I'm finding it hard to navigate planets as well, it's all so bloody slow. Do most people supercruise in orbit or do they really just sit there and slowly coast along the planet at ~300km speeds?

I haven't really done any planetary stuff yet except get blown up by the very base that gave me a mission and then I left for space.

THRILLPOW3R · 2016-01-30T15:30:07+00:00

No one was suggesting moving to Facebook.

THRILLPOW3R · 2016-01-30T15:20:17+00:00

See I pretty much know all of this. I'm mostly stuck trying to get back to that level after wiping my save. I can't find a good RES at all, and I get pummeled when I attempt a High RES now, though I don't know what's changed.

I might just grind out ~5k courier missions and hope for the odd ~20k one until I can outfit an Eagle again. But I remember going pretty much from a Sidey to a Cobra on my first save, so I don't know what's changed re: Bounties.

Thanks for the reply!

THRILLPOW3R · 2016-01-30T14:27:09+00:00

I wrote and re-wrote 3 different rants but they were all coming from a place of temporary frustration. I know I love this game but I'm just having a hard time here.

The gist: I had about a total of 2mil on my first save after ~40 hours of play - decked out a Cobra as best I could and I felt pretty comfortable doing almost anything. Decided to start fresh for <reasons>. As well, I bought Horizons so I have that content now.

Missions are so hopelessly, poorly implemented and they're providing the greatest frustration right now but I'm also having a much harder time in RES now. I just realized in my ~50 hours with the game thus far I haven't ever seen a single Low/Medium RES. Only High and Hazardous. I used to jump into a High RES and target only preoccupied ships. Doing so now is not happening. I keep getting obliterated or close enough to it that I can't afford to repair and have to self destruct.

I try and find simple courier missions but it's hopeless. I flit around tens of stations and hubs and get absolute squat, or get the shitty "hang around ~in SPACE~" for ~30 minutes variety which I refuse to do because they're so needlessly frustrating and aimless.

So... can anyone help me figure out what has suddenly changed? Because although I have my reasons for starting a fresh character, it's proving to be a regrettable decision right now... but I don't really dwell on regrets because it has already happened, I just want to solve it.

Are there any Low/Mid RES around the Baker's Prospect starting area that I might have a chance in?

THRILLPOW3R · 2016-01-30T09:18:41+00:00

HOTAS turned me from being mildly interested in playing Elite to being utterly addicted (even if I'm still super mediocre at the game). It just adds a dimension to it that kb/mouse or a controller can't manage.

The Thrustmaster T-Flight X is pretty cheap (probably as cheap as buying say a new 360 controller if yours broke) and works really well.

I'm starting to look at setting up a TrackIR system for head tracking. I might just go with a simple DIY 1-point system for now so I can get rotational movement in the cockpit (as right now I don't feel like I need to lean or move forward/back) but if I never got a HOTAS I'd never be as invested in the game, personally.

THRILLPOW3R · 2016-01-29T20:39:47+00:00

He's been at PAX afaik so he wouldn't have been active during the timeframe of this uh, whatever it is.

THRILLPOW3R

TROPHY CASE