*** The Official Elite: Dangerous Thread ***

[StevieP]

@hyperseven 100% trading at the moment since I'm utterly useless when it comes to combat!

There seems to be a trend developing that the power plant is the way to go so I'll have a look around!

Out of interest, why go for better thrusters? I'm assuming they are somehow useful in combat? Because at the moment all I am using them for is docking!?!?

I'm guessing I really want to be aiming for a better jump distance while retaining a decent cargo volume and heat management for scooping etc?

@EMarkM Just the default hardpoints (weapons?) and I don't think I've even noticed the "modules tab"?? (as you can see I've got a LOT to learn!!!)

 

[tbh]

What every explorer fears the most:

Spoiler

Jumped into the system between these two and my temp was immediately at 105% and rising fast, thankfully I managed to turn tail and bolt out of there just as my temp was reaching 145%+ with smoke pouring out of my dash and my computer screaming temperature warnings at me. No damage taken, but it was a close call.

6K out from Sol now, have visited the Cat's Paw nebula and am on my way to the less imaginatively named NGC 6357 nebula.

 

[tbh]

...wasn't so lucky this time

Spoiler

These two are about 1.5 LS apart, and I jumped inside the primary Temperature shot up to 150% in about 3 seconds!

Made a mad dash to get out of range but ended up taking 3% hull damage; all my systems are intact though. Could have been much, much worse.

 

[sgavan]

I cleared my save game and started over this morning, was wanted by the federation and then accidently shot an alliance ship now they don't like me, so going to start again and try and keep on the good side of the federation but looks like I may need to stay away from illegal cargo but it's difficult when it's just floating in space

 

[JHeaton]

Decided to change up my HUD colours, try the game on a larger display, and perhaps most significantly adjust the FoV from the default to 70. Result is kinda nice.



The FoV change is superb, especially when you climb into a ship with a larger cockpit, such as the Lakon T6 or Asp. Though you still don't see quite how big it is without using something like Oculus Rift (if you can borrow one, I highly recommend doing so to try out this game with it), it does give you a better feel for it. Previously, the Eagle and Viper felt super-cramped if I was playing on a regular display, making them seem even smaller than they're meant to be. I like this change.

 

[Besty]

Interdiction really needs either disabling or tweaking for Solo.

I think in terms of my time with the game the interdictions seem to be balanced ok. If I stick to my allied systems (Alliance) my interdictions are a lot less frequent and when the do occur 50/50 its just the local police checking me out.

I was interdicted an awful lot on rare runs but that seemed to be because a) It was a long way from the FSD jump to the station in many cases and b) many of the systems were stuffed to the gills with pirates.

 

[Kieran_Burns]

I like that new look... might do that myself.

Just really starting playing this weekend ('up' to 60k in the bank now). I'm just doing requested mission runs as every time I try to trade I lose out! I even check the import / export places and run between them, then find the prices cause me to lose out. Most annoying.

Did a nice little silver run that netted me 12K (I know small potatoes to you lot ) but keep hitting missions I can't do.

Still - I managed to avoid interdictions successfully several times, and the one time I didn't, I took on a 'Dangerous' opponent and won (my first kill)

Now I just need to work out what to do next....

 

[StevieP]

Decided to change up my HUD colours, try the game on a larger display, and perhaps most significantly adjust the FoV from the default to 70. Result is kinda nice.

Very nice! Is it relatively easy to make changes like this? (I've not seen much in the way of graphical tweaks in the game??)

Just really starting playing this weekend ('up' to 60k in the bank now). I'm just doing requested mission runs as every time I try to trade I lose out! I even check the import / export places and run between them, then find the prices cause me to lose out. Most annoying.

Did a nice little silver run that netted me 12K (I know small potatoes to you lot ) but keep hitting missions I can't do.

Still - I managed to avoid interdictions successfully several times, and the one time I didn't, I took on a 'Dangerous' opponent and won (my first kill)

Now I just need to work out what to do next....

All I did was do the odd mission here and there until I could afford a Hauler with a few modifications and then set out to do a couple of rare runs and it took me no time to be able to afford my Cobra!

 

[SirJinks]

Did a nice little silver run that netted me 12K (I know small potatoes to you lot )

Keep plugging away at it, I financed my Cobra through mostly taking bulletin board missions and minor trading in-system. Having to work for an upgrade cetainly makes you appreciate it more.

 

[JHeaton]

I like that new look... might do that myself.

Very nice! Is it relatively easy to make changes like this? (I've not seen much in the way of graphical tweaks in the game??)

Here's the how, with a few examples (I'm using Ghost if anyone is interested - Rift players will want to try something predominantly green to make reading text easier, I suspect): https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=73419

And here's a handy site that lets you play around with the colours to get something you like: http://arkku.com/elite/hud_editor/

 

[Kieran_Burns]

Oh, just to point out... the view on a 27" 2560 x 1440 IPS monitor is just gorgeous. (BenQ 2765 upgrade that arrived last week)

I think that view change will really take advantage of the real estate available now.

 

[Kieran_Burns]

FOV change:


Navigate to %LOCALAPPDATA%\Frontier Developments\Elite Dangerous\Options\Graphics\
Open Settings.xml in text editor (notepad for example).
Find line <FOV>XX.000000</FOV> and change value to your desired FoV.

I'll try this myself this evening

 

[JHeaton]

Oh, just to point out... the view on a 27" 2560 x 1440 IPS monitor is just gorgeous. (BenQ 2765 upgrade that arrived last week)

I think that view change will really take advantage of the real estate available now.

I felt 75 was too much, but 70 feels rather nice. With 75, once accelerating beyond a certain point in SC, the screen 'stretching' effect meant that I started seeing the in-game flight stick/throttle and pilot's hands on-screen, which is a little weird!

Anyone itching for a bit of combat? Currently talking to someone about the possibility of trying to kick EIC out of BD+03 2338, or at least giving them something to think about so that traders can carry on unhassled. It won't be a fair fight and losses will be incurred, but should be fun, if anyone is interested.

On second thought, maybe I should ask if anyone is up for a bit of suicide...

 

[Darg]

...wasn't so lucky this time

Spoiler

These two are about 1.5 LS apart, and I jumped inside the primary Temperature shot up to 150% in about 3 seconds!

Made a mad dash to get out of range but ended up taking 3% hull damage; all my systems are intact though. Could have been much, much worse.

Is it realistic to have the stars that close to eachother? Surely that must be incredibly unstable, they'd be rotating around their CoG incredibly rapidly.

 

[ralv585]

So I got this game over the weekend, and I'm really struggling to put bread on the table

I'm doing the bulletin board missions I can, but I'm barely getting by.

Will my Sidewinder be able to do some of the bounty hunter missions?

Ideally I'd like to be a trader and move onto exploration.

 

[JHeaton]

So I got this game over the weekend, and I'm really struggling to put bread on the table

I'm doing the bulletin board missions I can, but I'm barely getting by.

Will my Sidewinder be able to do some of the bounty hunter missions?

Ideally I'd like to be a trader and move onto exploration.

Find a system with a resource extraction site in it. I think Kremainn is one and very near to the starter systems (incidentally, my starter Sidewinder is stored there... ). Pick targets like Sidewinders and Eagles, maybe lower-ranked Vipers and Cobras if the feds are already laying into them. Avoid Asps (not sure if these spawn in RES) and Anacondas. Make sure they're wanted, take them out and claim the bounties on them to start your cashflow rolling. When you have close to 100k you can start looking at getting a Hauler and starting to trade a decent amount. I found trying to trade in a Sidewinder was really too slow to be worth it, compared to RES bounty hunting.

 

[eyetrip]

Yeah, it's a struggle to start.

Initially I was sticking to missions mostly, but that is a slow and unreliable way of making money.

Had viper when I found a nice little trade route. Was initially getting about 20k on the route, then dumped my Shields for cargo, and got up to 30k round trip. Spammed that til I could afford cobra, and got the route up to 100k round trip, which I could mange for to five trips an hour.

Have been throwing all the money at my cobra and now have a ton of b rated stuff.

Will be spamming it just a bit more tonight, so can get decent upgrades for remaining few items, stick Shields back on, and get some weapons again.

Will be more a battle ship than traveller by time am done, but will browse around for a rated stuff later.

Try and stick to trading is what I learned. Mission system rubbish.

 

[Gregster]

Decided to change up my HUD colours, try the game on a larger display, and perhaps most significantly adjust the FoV from the default to 70. Result is kinda nice.

Spoiler

The FoV change is superb, especially when you climb into a ship with a larger cockpit, such as the Lakon T6 or Asp. Though you still don't see quite how big it is without using something like Oculus Rift (if you can borrow one, I highly recommend doing so to try out this game with it), it does give you a better feel for it. Previously, the Eagle and Viper felt super-cramped if I was playing on a regular display, making them seem even smaller than they're meant to be. I like this change.

Nice. I changed my FOV but couldn't get on with it, so went back but I detested the default colours and also went for a nice blue.

 

[Kieran_Burns]

Find a system with a resource extraction site in it. I think Kremainn is one and very near to the starter systems (incidentally, my starter Sidewinder is stored there... ). Pick targets like Sidewinders and Eagles, maybe lower-ranked Vipers and Cobras if the feds are already laying into them. Avoid Asps (not sure if these spawn in RES) and Anacondas. Make sure they're wanted, take them out and claim the bounties on them to start your cashflow rolling. When you have close to 100k you can start looking at getting a Hauler and starting to trade a decent amount. I found trying to trade in a Sidewinder was really too slow to be worth it, compared to RES bounty hunting.

Could I ask why you should be looking for extraction sites? I've seen "low level conflict" areas but avoided them for fear of getting my butt kicked. Should I be poking my head in and trying out the pulse lasers?

 

[JHeaton]

Could I ask why you should be looking for extraction sites? I've seen "low level conflict" areas but avoided them for fear of getting my butt kicked. Should I be poking my head in and trying out the pulse lasers?

Resource extraction sites are where mining for metals takes place. They're found in planetary rings, and spawn wanted ships of various types, which I believe are currently Sidewinder, Eagle, Viper, Cobra and Anaconda. They're a good, steady source of income if you're the one getting the kills for bounties. You also have other NPC bounty hunters and the police there to help you take out targets, meaning it is possible to carefully take down ships that in a straight fight would probably roast your own.

Nav beacons are another decent source of bounty hunting income, in anarchy zones, however here you don't have the assistance of police and it requires the purchase and use of a KWS in order to find who has a bounty. There are also other players here and some of them enjoy making use of the lawlessness to pop your ship for no real reason.

Conflict zones are something I would advise avoiding. They're simply not worth it as, despite there generally being more targets available at any one time, you come under fire from a lot more ships at once and the rewards aren't very good. I think I was getting 18k per Anaconda, whereas when it comes to bounties that can range from 50-150k+.