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

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Anyone able to shed any light on why Star Citizen has gained infinitely more funding than Elite?

The funding for Star Citizen is just mind blowing.
 
I guess it's because the Wing Commander series was slightly more recent than Elite. So it will have more people that remember it fondly. The original Elite was in 1984 wasn't it? While there were a couple of sequels on PC, it's real success was on 8 bit machines and I would assume there are simply fewer people who are still playing games who were about fans back then.
 
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Also star citezen pushes sales far more, and it was first in the kickstarter. So many people will probably only sink money into one or the other,
 
Hades said:
Is there yet any indication on the spec of the machine needed to run this well?
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Michael posted this on the forums a couple of weeks ago, these are the min specs for the Alpha test.

I know there's been some discussion about the machine specs needed for the alpha test, as we're approaching the first build delivery I can share some of the development specs of where we are at the moment. Optimisation and performance are obviously ongoing tasks and as more features are added through the alpha and beta periods we'll need to keep revisiting it.

To play the first build released in December we're currently looking at the following:

Direct X 11
Quad Core CPU ( 4 x 2Ghz is a reasonable minimum)
2 GB System Ram (more is always better)
DX 10 hardware GPU (my reasonably low end machine has a GTX 285 with 2GB)

As I say we're looking to try and reduce the spec if possible through detail options and optimisations, so the final min spec for the game should be lower than that stated above, but for the initial alpha tests you'll need to be in that range.

Michael
 
It seems to be completely different approaches. Elite is being made in the teaditional dev model, SC trying something new. Shares were sold for elite as well to raise cash, making 4 mill. Obviously thats chump change for the SC machine, but we only benefit, having stakes in both!
 
Just can't bring myself to buy into the £75-80 option I fancy.

There's been one video of the capital ship battle, and a couple of videos of ships flying around asteroids, yet on the forum there's dozens of people talking about which star they're going to visit. They don't seem to fathom just maybe every star system will basically look the same - ie: There's not the slightest suggestion famous astronomical vistas will be incorporated into the game engine to merit site seeing or visiting?

So with the option to "buy in" ending tomorrow I cannot see a reason to "risk" spending 2-3 times the purchase price of the game on something that may actually only offer a week or twos entertainment before become a train of similar missions over and over?

I'd love to buy in, but I'm basically concerned why with only months to go, there is seemingly no screenshot or videos suggesting this game is as big and interesting as we hope? :(

I'm also concerned the talk is the planet landing DLC later will be a full price add on, but again details are few and far between? Unless it add substantial detail and interest what merits this price? It will need to render entire planets and more importantly give players an experience worthy of paying that amount. Unique vistas? Creatures? Missions? ie: Just rendering clounds and landscape, no matter how impressive could soon wear out its novelty!
 
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Hopefully alpha access starts next week, can't wait to play a space sim again.
Although I’m concerned about the lack of video’s considering it supposed to go into gamma around March. There is no NDA on the alpha, so I'll post some screenshots once in.

I'm pleased I've pledged anyway, happy to support UK jobs :)
 
NeilFawcett said:
Just can't bring myself to buy into the £75-80 option I fancy.

There's been one video of the capital ship battle, and a couple of videos of ships flying around asteroids, yet on the forum there's dozens of people talking about which star they're going to visit. They don't seem to fathom just maybe every star system will basically look the same - ie: There's not the slightest suggestion famous astronomical vistas will be incorporated into the game engine to merit site seeing or visiting?

So with the option to "buy in" ending tomorrow I cannot see a reason to "risk" spending 2-3 times the purchase price of the game on something that may actually only offer a week or twos entertainment before become a train of similar missions over and over?

I'd love to buy in, but I'm basically concerned why with only months to go, there is seemingly no screenshot or videos suggesting this game is as big and interesting as we hope? :(

I'm also concerned the talk is the planet landing DLC later will be a full price add on, but again details are few and far between? Unless it add substantial detail and interest what merits this price? It will need to render entire planets and more importantly give players an experience worthy of paying that amount. Unique vistas? Creatures? Missions? ie: Just rendering clounds and landscape, no matter how impressive could soon wear out its novelty!
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I would have expected more also just a few months before release.
 
Gimpymoo said:
Anyone able to shed any light on why Star Citizen has gained infinitely more funding than Elite?

The funding for Star Citizen is just mind blowing.
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Basically SC let you pay for ships so you could get stuff like Life Time Insurance on them, which meant that no matter how many times you died you would get yourn ship back.

I'm starting to wonder how many private companies have also invested in the game and how much control he has handed over to them... I'm really concerned how much advertising will be in the game...

Stelly
 
XZiBIT said:
Hopefully alpha access starts next week, can't wait to play a space sim again.
Although I’m concerned about the lack of video’s considering it supposed to go into gamma around March. There is no NDA on the alpha, so I'll post some screenshots once in.

I'm pleased I've pledged anyway, happy to support UK jobs :)
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If there was just a few comments, articles or videos suggesting the depth of the game, I'd be willing to spend the £80 I want to. But I can't help but wonder why this isn't the case with alpha on our door step and release only a few months away...

I mean even just a single video of a famous astronomical feature that's been recreated. Or a shot of space yard with activity going on.

A lot of people seem set on traveling around and looking at places, but there's nothing to suggest ED will offer unique vistas system to system worth checking out.
 
It feels like they don't actually have a marketing department. I reckon Frontier are purely just programmers and artists making a game for their fans. In the last video they said producing videos are very time consuming and the next ones wont be polished like the battleship trailer.

I am far happy they put all their resources into making the game and then hype up the product post launch. The whole preorder hype machine is completely out of control in the games industry

Really don't blame anyone for not backing, when so little media has been released but you could say that's because it hasn't even reached alpha yet.
I can't see how they are going to make beta for January :)
 
Yeh... You can't help but think just one or two videos, or a couple of screenshots even would vastly increase the takeup!

I'm dead eager to invest, but the lack of such media concerns me! Hence not!


I mean for example, one of the options to buy into is:-
Explorer: Have the option to start on the edge of explored space with a long range version of the Cobra Mk III and 3,000 CR (randomised system choice for multiplayer reasons).
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Yet we have no idea what there actually is to explorer or discover?
 
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Jokester said:
Those who have access to the Design Forum do. ;)
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Well, that's not much help/enticement to those people willing to invest, but who don't have anything to give them confidence :(

I have £85 here to invest, but simply haven't seen enough to give me that confidence to go ahead - And with the option ending today, that's the way it'll end up :(

Guess I think I'll just save £55-60 and just play it on official release.
 
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Here's a teaser

In Elite: Dangerous explorers are players who travel out into undiscovered areas of the galaxy, hoping to find previously undiscovered systems and locations. Explorers scan and record data wherever they go, and can sell that data on to various interested authorities. Explorers can also sell on data they have discovered to other players, allowing them to sell the co-ordinates of a valuable find to the highest bidder, or keep their discoveries to exploit for themselves.

Explorer players must discover different points of interest using different methods

Explorer players’ main method of making money is through selling details of points of interest they discover
Points of interest players can discover include:
Star Systems
Dark Systems (systems without a star, but other features)
Stars
Planets
Asteroids, comets
Moons
Structures
Other Phenomena
These Discovered locations may include:
Secret Locations
Resources
Events/Missions (time limited and permenant)
Beauty spots (usually attached to other entities)
Messages/Beacons
Players explore to build up the details on their galaxy map
When starting a new commander the player will have some details on their galaxy map
This will allow the player to travel to any locations they have map data to, without having to explore
Players can buy map data from authorities to expand their ships computers library of maps
New map data will allow the player to travel to new locations without needing to explore
Map data that is bought from authorities is not to the highest level of detail and can be improved with player gathered data
Map data includes hyperspace routes to systems and major points of interest in that system
Players can use scanning equipment and probes to detect systems and record new hyperspace routes
Scanners are used to detect any nearby systems that are within the players jump range
Scanners will give the player a vague indication of the direction of a system
High end scanners can give the player a better details of the system they have detected (is it a star, an asteroid field etc.)
Players can then launch hyperspace probes that will give the player more information on the part of space they are looking at
Probes will give the player heat-map style data to help guide the player to the correct co-ordinates for a jump
Heatmap data might be ambiguous, creating skill based gameplay where the player learns to interpret the readings they recieve
Different equipment can determine the quality of heatmap data
Different probe ammo can provide different information, or react based on objects in the target system
Using the data they have gathered the player must align their ship as best they can with the target system and activate the hyperdrive to jump to the system
The player’s ship records data of any successful jumps the player makes
The pilots federation will always pay players for the first successful jump they make using the exploration method (If the player bought the map data for the jump they cannot sell the data), even if the player is not the first person ever to make the jump (the pilots federation use the data to improve their telemetry and keep maps up to date)
If the player is the first person to ever make the journey they receive a bonus for discovering the hyperspace route
The closer the player lines up their jump to the target system, the higher quality the data the players ship will gather on the jump. Higher quality data is worth more money when sold to authorities
If a player’s jump is not accurate enough they may suffer a miss jump
Longer distance jumps require a higher level of accuracy
A systems contents may also affect how accurate a players jump must be to avoid mis-jumping

Players use scanners to detect points of interest within systems
The player’s scanners detect various points of interest around the player
It takes time for players scanners to detect points of interest
Player’s proximity to a point of interest can affect the time it takes to detect
Proximity may often have risks associated with it - Solar Radiation for example
Players ship facing can affect the time it takes to detect a point of interest (e.g. pointing my ship at a undiscovered point of interest will allow me to scan it faster)
Different types of points of interest can require different player actions to detect
For example to detect a mineral rich formation of asteroids the player must launch probes around an asteroid field
The probes provide a cross section from their perspective of the asteroid field they’re launched at
Each additional probe the player uses provides more details on the target asteroid field
The player uses their scanner to view the data from the probes, and must tag the areas with the highest concentration of minerals in the field
Once this process is complete the point of interest is completed
The quality of the players scan of the area affects the value of the data
The quality of the player’s scan can affect the amount and type of materials found in the asteroids
Players can sell the information that they discover through these methods
Players will have to travel back to sell the data they acquire while exploring
The first player to sell/discover the information recieves a greater reward
Information by become redundant from time to time as the galaxy moves and it can then be resold


Players can sell information they have gathered to other players as well as authorities. This is done through a trade interface similar to the trade goods trading interface. Players can sell hyperspace routes from their location to any single system they have explored to. The purchasing player then offers a price (this can be 0 if it is a gift), and if both players are satisfied they agree to the trade. Players can also trade in system data including locations of points of interest using the same method.

Players can take photographs (essentially screenshots) from their view ports (with and without cockpit and GUI etc)
Player photographs can be submitted to a regular photography contest
Players can only submit one photograph each
Players can vote on a selection of the best photographs
The player(s) who get the most votes wins the competition
The winner gets a (in game) cash prize (plus prizes for 2nd 3rd most weird etc.)
The photograph (and other user submissions) will be used in appropriate places in the game (billboards, news papers, etc.)


Players who decide to go exploring are jumping into the unknown, and without high end kit, often with little to no knowledge of the dangers they are jumping in to. Alongside the risk of encountering hostility when jumping to an unknown system, explorers scanners attract a lot of attention, generating lots of heat. Explorer ships will need to be prepared to face hostile activity when exploring, and players need to be ready to fight for their claims or run for their lives.
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