In Elite Dangerous: Horizons many will choose to spend a lot of time in an SRV, so now's the time to get familiar with the vehicle that will help you explore entire worlds. As part of this week's Dev Update, Executive producer Michael Brookes went in to detail about how the SRV will handle.
"We’ve approached adding the SRV in the same way that we did when originally adding the flight controls into the game. They key here is to have the driving as a fun experience in itself as well as with the gameplay elements layered on top of it. As with the ships we have a robust physics system at the core and it’s with the controls we turn that into a fun experience.
The SRV has some cool advantages over normal ground vehicles you may be used to, the most obvious of which are the thrusters. These provide two key features, the first is the ability to boost off the surface allowing for powered jumps to get out of craters or to cross chasms. While in the air you can you can manually adjust the thrusters in the same way as in a ship with Flight Assist turned off. This allows for some amazing acrobatics as well as allowing you to reach locations that would be difficult to reach with normal driving. It’s also useful if you get yourself stuck!
The Scarab's turret in action - more on SRV weaponry soon
As with the rest of the game the surface of the worlds you can land on is recreated on a 1:1 scale, not only spatially but with gravity as well. Gravity has a big effect on the handling of the SRV and here the thrusters provide their second major function. When testing the SRV in different environments there are edge cases with very low gravity and extremely high gravity where the SRV becomes impossible to handle. The thrusters help compensate for these extremes in handling, but only to a limited degree – it feels very different driving on a tiny moon compared to a massive terrestrial planet.
As already mentioned making the driving fun in itself is an important goal for us. While the thrusters do add to a large extent (there’s something quite magical with boosting out of a crater and into the sunrise!) the actual contact with the vehicle and the surface provides a lot of feedback. Similar to sand buggies, if you try to push the SRV’s performance then you need to work harder to keep it under control. Feedback is very important here – the ships audio and VFX, along with the handling, create the response you need to let you know what’s going on.
The SRV is equipped with a turret optimised for engaging local opponents like skimmers (see last week’s dev update for more information on these) and other SRV’s (if hostile players are in the area). In theory you could take on a ship, but ship mounted weapons are much more powerful than the SRV’s so it’s best not to! You should also beware some of large defensive turrets – these are equipped to tackle low flying ships, but pose a threat to SRVs as well.
Combat is just one feature of an SRV. The Scarab is capable of carrying two cargo canisters and also has a new device for finding things on the surface – more on that in a couple of weeks’ time!"
Meh, $50 for Zero G Dune Buggy Simulator? No thanks. It'd be more appropriately priced (and I'd be a buyer), at $15 or less - it is an add-on after all.
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Beta will come in two stages: 1.5 launches on week commencing Nov 9th, and Horizons 2.0 on Nov 24th.
Breakdown of Q&A.
Spoiler:
•Beta will come in two stages: 1.5 launches on week commencing Nov 9th, and Horizons 2.0 on Nov 24th
•Want to do NPC Wingmates & Crew. Planned, but no timescale.
•Schematic map for use on planets coming soon
•Rings will cast shadows on planet's surface, but no timescale.
•Orrery map still planned, but no timescale. Will be at back end of Season 2 if it makes it in.
•Player groups functionality in game. 'Yes, but...' recognising player groups as sub-factions is the start, but it won't be exactly like other game's mechanics.
•Loot/Crafting: Simple bits will be in 2.0
•Tier 2 persistent NPCs: Won't be in the sense that you can kill off all NPCs in galaxy, but small additions will come sequentially. No timeframe.
•Played it on Vive today. 'It's awesome'. Buggies didn't make him feel sick. Getting excessively tumbled did make another player who was more prone to motion sickness feel that way.
•Shark-tooth skin for the Python? Would love it, and they're looking into it, but no promises.
•Asp scout? Not military version, another variant. More like the Asp out of Frontier. Slightly more budget.
•When will we see significant updates to the base game? DB counters that piracy forms & bounty hunting, and new professions (mining) are significant improvements. 'It's getting better by degrees'. EDIT - Says they want to improve the use of Wings in bounty hunting and piracy, and that the story reasons for pursuing such professions will improve through Season 2.
•Turret with Hotas? You can configure as you like. Hat button etc.
•Plans to expand astronomical phenomenon? Accretion discs etc? Would love to do it. On the list. Comets are in the simulation, but getting them to look good and interact well with gameplay still need to be got right. You will be able to see medium-sized 'potato' asteroids even if you don't have Horizons.
•Is Elite and MMORPG? By almost all measures, but suggests quality / connection limits means it can still improve over time.
•Do you consider support for Force Feedback Joysticks or Wheels? Actually that would be a really good thing to do. Yes we should do it.
•Did he ever imagine in '84 Elite could look like this? Imagine yes. Talks about under-promise, over-deliver in terms of creating impressive modern content.
•Vid of buggy driving into settlement with Corvette nearby
•How settlements work with single-player? Use deep ravines to approach 'under the guns' etc. The big guns don't decline etc. Only have to deal with the lighter skimmers. Could take out a generator, and both the lights and the big guns go down. Then call your ship in (if you've got all the generators). There are lots of bases, and they're varied.
•NICE! SRV being lowered out of a Cobra, internal view as you exit. Animation looks good. Drives to large base. Hexagonal heat radiators.
•Plans to reduce current transition phases? Yes, and they're constantly being worked on. (Some regions, and some connections, have excessive transitions now, and they're working on them)
•Character creator will be used for NPCS? Yes, and planned. But not straight away.
•Keelback? Lakon ship. You'll see in a week. Based on Type 6, but better, with more weaponry.
•How are the DDF 'near God-like powers' re background sim coming? Straight apology on slow progress. At some point there will be something to address that, but not for now.
•Buggy too jerky in streams? Some were filmed with TrackIR, which can be less pleasurable for viewer than player, maybe the cause of concern.
•High end FerDeLance? Not sure where this rumour came from. Not ready to talk about that yet.
•Thargoids? Well.... He was impressed by Cmdr who decoded the signals. There's more exciting stuff to come.
•Will capital ships be improved to be more fun to play with/against? Yes, there's more to come.
•Asteroid stations? You can sort of see the first vestiges them in CQC. They will come. Don't have a timeframe. Hopefully back-end of Season 2.
•More CGs to expand the human bubble? Yes, he thinks they're wonderful. Absolutely yes.
•Are you going to play SC? Yes, looking forward to playing it.
•Can you conquer planetary bases? Can attack, but can't have your own one. Not yet anyway.
•NPCs in Horizons? NPCs driving skimmers already. NPCs driving buggies [?] unlikely in Season 2. Planetary ships, yes.
•Game API? Looking at, in pipeline.
•Transfer creds after certain rank? Suggest the cargo transfer, so not seen as a priority. Has air of exploit if done on large scale. (Says big cheaters are being banned).
•Expand 32 player cap? Could, but experience would suffer. Continually reviewing.
•Jettison all cargo? Why?? You don't have to do it. Makes your ship lighter. And it's a surprise.
•Passengers? Planned, but can't remember exact timescale.
•Cutter / Corvette? Both slightly bigger/longer than Anaconda, and have bigger hardpoints. And fit through the slot.
•What will you see 20k from Sol? You will see more exotic things, there will be things to find, but doesn't want to spoil
•[Missed question] - Looking at how Horizons and non-Horizons Wings perform missions together.
•Planetary approach suite fits in every ship. SRV takes up 4t of cargo space. Doesn't take up compartment.
•Multi-sourced lighting? On the list. Might only come in High and Ultra settings. No promises.
•Will we see Cmdr faces through visors etc / when communicating? Yes face normally clear because ship pressurised.
•More difference between stations? It's coming, not sure when. Probably not in 2.0
•Vessels over Season 2? First variants will be similar to the SRV, then more down the line. Handle differently and do different things.
•Ship naming? (Did we promised that? . He wants it. Says we will do it. I'll talk to the team tomorrow.
•Systems visited bookmarks? Doesn't know.
•Models or kits coming? Models yes, not kits that he knows of.
•Publishing the lore? Wants to. And bringing story more to fore.
•Large cities? Ever bigger settlements coming. Big cities not in 2.0, but will come over the Season.
•SRV inside stations? Currently no, and probably not. Will look if worth doing.
•Is orbital cruise and instanced area? At the moment pretty seamless. Isn't sure on details on where the transition is. There is instancing on the surface.
•They have rough ship layouts, but no walking etc in Season 2
•Are there -edit- non-shark Thargoid species?[??] YES! [What? Who the hell asked that question?
•[Mumbled] If you're in a wing should be able to share exploration data. Will look into it.
•More CQC maps in 1.5, then more after.
•Supercruise bug? He will ask after this stream.
It's starting to sound more like a game, and not just a planet viewing sim - which fucks me off no end as you have to actually pay more to get this content
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It's starting to sound more like a game, and not just a planet viewing sim - which fucks me off no end as you have to actually pay more to get this content
Damn, what the hell. This is peer to peer multiplayer?
I just found a forum with a whole bunch of cheats. Guess all the money in the world doesn't buy any common sense for developers, I'm guessing it saves them a ton of money though. Banzai.
Damn, what the hell. This is peer to peer multiplayer?
I just found a forum with a whole bunch of cheats. Guess all the money in the world doesn't buy any common sense for developers, I'm guessing it saves them a ton of money though. Banzai.
That's why the first thing you do is play in private group or solo
Open is totally pointless when every kid and their grandfather can cheat freely
Damn, what the hell. This is peer to peer multiplayer?
I just found a forum with a whole bunch of cheats. Guess all the money in the world doesn't buy any common sense for developers, I'm guessing it saves them a ton of money though. Banzai.
That's why the first thing you do is play in private group or solo
Open is totally pointless when every kid and their grandfather can cheat freely
This.
I started in Open but when coming across multiple CMDR's who's shields took no damage that was more than enough. These days it's either a private group or solo for me.
I'm pretty pissed off at what a wreck this game is turning out to be ... lack of content, rip-off expansions that really should have been free, shitty multiplayer support, etc. Sad thing is, the basics look very solid - it just lacks a proper goal.
I'm pretty pissed off at what a wreck this game is turning out to be ... lack of content, rip-off expansions that really should have been free, shitty multiplayer support, etc. Sad thing is, the basics look very solid - it just lacks a proper goal.
This was the first game i bought on steam. It has a very solid game play mechanics, and top notch gfx. Now as for the lack of story, this really is a game were you make your own story amongst the stars, it really,i mean really lets you role play.. at your leisure, and you sure get amazing stories with situations and tight spots were your actions were not scripted or supposed in any sort of scripted "right" way to do it. Do as you think and live with consequences. It has flaws sure, but has given me more joy than any sim since wing commander. Now, paying top bucks for for just landing and racing on planets? huumm... that's a bit pushy.
Epsilon wrote:
Meanwhile the people of that generation will call those guys relics, and not move with the times when everything is auto fucking.
While this game is definately not for everyone and i completely understand the criticism i myself enjoy it and cannot stop playing.
You need to set your own goals. For me first up was Elite trader and once done i spent 3 months exploring going to Sag A* and beyond. Then hit combat zones and RES's completing triple elite.
These days i spend most my time looking for new routes and trading slaves. Yes it's a grind but i actually enjoy it.
As for Horizons sure it's a rort but what in gaming isn't these days. Most devs are the same and will give you minimum product for maximum price.
Sadoy they dropped support for Oculus rift from 0.7 up. So no Elite in DK2 on Win10.
"Enlightenment is man's emergence from his self-imposed nonage. Nonage is the inability to use one's own understanding without another's guidance. This nonage is self-imposed if its cause lies not in lack of understanding but in indecision and lack of courage to use one's own mind without another's guidance. Dare to know! (Sapere aude.) "Have the courage to use your own understanding," is therefore the motto of the enlightenment."
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i still have my CH stick and pedals and throttle stick here, never got around to buying star citizen or this one because of the reviews.... damnit.
