The Elite: Dangerous thread

[gmpd2000]

If you want a good all-round ship, then a Cobra is the way to go. Slightly slower than a viper, pretty much the same hardpoint loadout but better hyperspace range and a cargo capacity of 36.

Well, as a Cobra pilot, i can say that the hyperspace range is better than the Hauler, but nothing special.

But the hyperspace range of the Type-6 is way too big.

[mrmcp1]

Hi, I haven't got the game yet but will be getting it soon as it looks great but I was wondering if anyone has any experience playing the game with and Xbox type controller and if so is it better than using a keyboard? Thank you.

[TMS]

I bought it a few months ago, struggled with the controls and remapping, and never played it again.

Couldn't get used to the mouse rotation.

[gmpd2000]

Hi, I haven't got the game yet but will be getting it soon as it looks great but I was wondering if anyone has any experience playing the game with and Xbox type controller and if so is it better than using a keyboard? Thank you.

I use the Thrustmaster T.Flight HOTAS, and when i leave home with my laptop, i use the keyboard.

I think the game has a default control profile for the Xbox gamepad.

Edited August 29, 2014 by gmpd2000

[Awaras]

I bought it a few months ago, struggled with the controls and remapping, and never played it again.

Couldn't get used to the mouse rotation.

So just remap the controls so you yaw with the mouse and roll with the keyboard. That's how I play because I couldn't get used to the rotation either.

Yes, yaw is so slow it's ridiculous, but remapping it is great for fine-tuning your aim, much easier than with roll...

Edited August 30, 2014 by Awaras

[TMS]

So just remap the controls so you yaw with the mouse and roll with the keyboard. That's how I play because I couldn't get used to the rotation either.

Yes, yaw is so slow it's ridiculous, but remapping it is great for fine-tuning your aim, much easier than with roll...

Tried that, but the remapping function was dreadful. This was fairly early on, so might have improved since I last tried.

[mrmcp1]

I use the Thrustmaster T.Flight HOTAS, and when i leave home with my laptop, i use the keyboard.

I think the game has a default control profile for the Xbox gamepad.

Thank for the reply, are the keyboard controls any good?

[gmpd2000]

Thank for the reply, are the keyboard controls any good?

In general they are good, except for some controls (tab for boost).

Also, i use mouse and keyboard, not only keyboard.

You can remap the controls btw.

Edited August 30, 2014 by gmpd2000

[mordin86]

Elite is incredible. I got my beta yesterday. I really love the fact that it have proper scientifically accurate 1:1 scale galaxy. The belts around planets are actually made from physical asteroids that you can fly into - it looks jaw dropping.

It feels like Space Engine to be honest - only downside is not very realistic flight model.

[gmpd2000]

(...) only downside is not very realistic flight model.

That's because you only fly with flight assist, try turning it off.

(It flies like a real spacecraft, full newtonian physics, with flight assist, if you pull up, it fires the thruster on the bottom of the ship, pushing it up, allowing it to fly like an airplane)

Edited August 31, 2014 by gmpd2000

[Awaras]

Yeah, full Newtonian physics... With a ~400m/s speed limit.

However, I think what they did makes a more interesting game. Elite 2: frontier and it's sequel First encounters had something very close to true Newtonian physics, but that made combat very boring. You and your opponent basically "jousted" - approaching one another at high speed, trying to score a few hits in the couple of seconds you were in weapons range, and then you would speed past each other, turn 180 degrees and start thrusting again. Rinse, repeat.

Is it realistic? Yes. Fun? Not very...

Edited August 31, 2014 by Awaras

[mordin86]

That's because you only fly with flight assist, try turning it off.

(It flies like a real spacecraft, full newtonian physics, with flight assist, if you pull up, it fires the thruster on the bottom of the ship, pushing it up, allowing it to fly like an airplane)

yea I know about the flight assist, but it still dont make you fly like in real life - still have a speed limit

but as Awaras said -its a game and combat is really fun in ED - I agree.

[mordin86]

Here are my quick impressions after playing ED for two days and why I think it's spectacular:

First of all - the scale. Finally a realistic 1:1 representation of planets, moons, asteroid belts ect (the fact that the belts are not a flat bitmaps but actually billions of rocks is astounding).

Second - as far as I noticed, the planets and stations are actually orbiting, so every location will looks different almost every time you visit it.

I`m a huge space nerd, and I always wanted something more realistic than most of the space games has to offer. (exception would be Space Engine and Orbiter - but there is no really fun game mechanics in those and Kerbal Space Program is downscaled and limited to one system only).

So the fact that I will be able to travel to our solar system and fly through 1:1 size of Satun asteroid belt is fenomenal.

Third - the spaceships feels and looks really cool, lots of systems to take care of and pretty decent semi realistic flight model. Not fully realistic but fun anyway. I did`t do much fighting yet, but so far it was really cool.

I love the fact that we have inside view with working Trackir.

And of course the simple and easy to manage hud is very well done.

Summing up I`m in a bit of shock that something lakie that is really here and I can be a pat of it. Definite must have for any space pilot.

[Kinglet]

Yeah, full Newtonian physics... With a ~400m/s speed limit.

However, I think what they did makes a more interesting game. Elite 2: frontier and it's sequel First encounters had something very close to true Newtonian physics, but that made combat very boring. You and your opponent basically "jousted" - approaching one another at high speed, trying to score a few hits in the couple of seconds you were in weapons range, and then you would speed past each other, turn 180 degrees and start thrusting again. Rinse, repeat.

Is it realistic? Yes. Fun? Not very...

Jousting in only realistic in physics terms. Why waste fuel accelerating and decelerating if you can just snipe your enemy?

[Awaras]

Jousting in only realistic in physics terms. Why waste fuel accelerating and decelerating if you can just snipe your enemy?

Because he gets out of your range pretty fast?

The range of weapons in those games was a few kilometers at most...

[smysha]

So, I watched some videos about Elite: Dangerous and understood that it looks pretty much like the game from my dreams.

I played a tonn of spacesims. Freelancer, X series, Space Force, Parkan, War Tomorrow (two last games in my list were made by russian game developers, so probably nobody heard about them). All of them were fun, but also had some flaws.

And about Elite: Dangerous. Question to you, guys: does it worth 60 euro?

[Awaras]

So, I watched some videos about Elite: Dangerous and understood that it looks pretty much like the game from my dreams.

I played a tonn of spacesims. Freelancer, X series, Space Force, Parkan, War Tomorrow (two last games in my list were made by russian game developers, so probably nobody heard about them). All of them were fun, but also had some flaws.

And about Elite: Dangerous. Question to you, guys: does it worth 60 euro?

As someone who spent a significant part of my youth playing the previous elite installments (first the original Elite on a Commodore64, then Elite 2:Frontier on an Amiga, and finally Frontier: First encounters on a PC) and then donated to Elite: Dangerous on Kickstarter I would say yes.

Then again I might be slightly biased.

You might also want to look at Star Citizen, it shows a lot of promise too.

[Kinglet]

As someone who spent a significant part of my youth playing the previous elite installments (first the original Elite on a Commodore64, then Elite 2:Frontier on an Amiga, and finally Frontier: First encounters on a PC) and then donated to Elite: Dangerous on Kickstarter I would say yes.

Then again I might be slightly biased.

You might also want to look at Star Citizen, it shows a lot of promise too.

If you just want gameplay, then beta 1 certainly is not worth it, I already quit playing until beta 2 comes. But I am glad that I helped the developers create such a good game.

Star citizen is only showing promise, not content and a lot of pay to win.

[TMS]

Remapped the keys and tried this again.

Damn, this game is sluggish. I know yaw has been intentionally dampened to encourage roll/pitch manoeuvres, but even they are encroaching geriatric standards in their speed. Combat is so dull.

Thinking that perhaps the use of a controller would be the way to go? There's just too many thrust axis for this to be played on a keyboard.

[Awaras]

Remapped the keys and tried this again.

Damn, this game is sluggish. I know yaw has been intentionally dampened to encourage roll/pitch manoeuvres, but even they are encroaching geriatric standards in their speed. Combat is so dull.

Thinking that perhaps the use of a controller would be the way to go? There's just too many thrust axis for this to be played on a keyboard.

I apologize if you are already aware of this, but all ships have a thrust 'sweet spot' where they are most maneuverable. It is generally somewhere near the middle of the thrust bar and is marked by a blue zone. Going faster or slower than that makes your maneuvering more sluggish.

[impwarhamer]

do you use translation controls?

[Awaras]

Remapped the keys and tried this again.

Damn, this game is sluggish. I know yaw has been intentionally dampened to encourage roll/pitch manoeuvres, but even they are encroaching geriatric standards in their speed. Combat is so dull.

Thinking that perhaps the use of a controller would be the way to go? There's just too many thrust axis for this to be played on a keyboard.

Here is how I mapped my controls:

I use the mouse for pitch and yaw, Q and E for roll (because I find yaw much easier for fine aim than using my mouse to roll), W and S for thrust forward/backward, A and D for thrust left/right and R and F for thrust up/down. I have preset 50%, 75% and 100% thrust to 8, 9 and 0, and I use the mouse wheel for fine thrust control.

[TMS]

I apologize if you are already aware of this, but all ships have a thrust 'sweet spot' where they are most maneuverable. It is generally somewhere near the middle of the thrust bar and is marked by a blue zone. Going faster or slower than that makes your maneuvering more sluggish.

Yeah, I understand that the sweet spot is where the thrust HUD indicator glows blue at its edges.

do you use translation controls?

Trying to. I guess that's where I thought a dual stick controller would excel.

I use the mouse for pitch and yaw, Q and E for roll (because I find yaw much easier for fine aim than using my mouse to roll), W and S for thrust forward/backward, A and D for thrust left/right and R and F for thrust up/down. I have preset 50%, 75% and 100% thrust to 8, 9 and 0, and I use the mouse wheel for fine thrust control.

Hmmm... that sounds workable. Thanks. I had been using the mousewheel for roll, but it's just not precise enough to work well. Pre-set thrusts are probably wise.

Will give another try.

[smysha]

Well, I desided that I want to buy that game. I tried it... And I found it charming. That landing procedure, capturing cargo with scoop, energy management... That's nice. I like that.

But I also found some flaws. First, default key bindings are... Ugly. I had fun times trying to make my ship flying nice and easy. Second: space is... Empty. Yup, we have planets, asteroid belts, moons, stars... And no point flying there. And only one station per sector. Ugh. And third: game crashed twice when I played. Not nice ay all.

Still, this is beta. I hope that future updates will bring more life in that game. And it will be best space pilot simulator ever.

[Godot]

Well, I desided that I want to buy that game. I tried it... And I found it charming. That landing procedure, capturing cargo with scoop, energy management... That's nice. I like that.

But I also found some flaws. First, default key bindings are... Ugly. I had fun times trying to make my ship flying nice and easy.

It is definitely a game where I am glad that I have my Saitek X52 HOTAS (and definitely a game where generelly spoken, HOTAS systems with lots of buttons/hats/switches can be recommended)

Second: space is... Empty.

As one would expect from reality

Yup, we have planets, asteroid belts, moons, stars... And no point flying there. And only one station per sector. ...

As they model the game after reality, I guess you might get a little bit disappointed by asteroid belts ...

after all they (at least the one we can observe) have such a low asteroid density, that (aside from local clusterings) you won´t find more than a single asteroid for every couple of kilometers.

But have you been to planetary ring systems in game?

They make a good substiture for asteroid belts

But I guess life will get much more interesting with Beta 2 (which might come out before the 30th anniversary of Elite, on September 20th) ... according to the newsletters we will get the first approach at the exploration system (with you having to visit and scan the planets/major bodies in a system in order to explorer it (and gain money from it) and with the risk of drawing in unwanted attention.

It will also have outposts (as kinda small space stations)

Edited September 10, 2014 by Godot
Must´ve been half asleep when I wrote it .. lotsa missing chars