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[m_b2] 16/11/2014 16:56

They have announced that they are pulling the offline version of the game in their newsletter to players. Bit of bad short term PR to come no doubt.

[cootuk] 06/10/2014 19:44

Beta2 looks really good - lots of improvements and new sections -but servers still a bit squiffy and we're a week in to it.

[dasv] 25/9/2014 13:47

David Braben was on the BBC 1 o'clock news today. He managed to crowbar in a plug of Elite. Great to see his enthusiasm. He mentioned a trend back to PC based games - also good to hear.

[cootuk] 19/9/2014 18:02

Latest Elite newletter

"Beta 2 to be released 30th September
We still have our collective foot firmly pressing the pedal to the metal on the development of Elite: Dangerous, both on ‘under the hood’ work and forward facing features to get the game ready for release before the end of 2014.

We’re delighted to announce that Beta 2, our second beta phase, will be released on Tuesday 30th September, as the culmination of our 10 days of celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the release of Elite on the BBC Micro - see what we did there…?!"

[cootuk] 06/9/2014 23:39

I'm not invested here, but I did back the kickstarter and paid a bit extra to access the beta.
I'm not convinced they will meet a xmas sales deadline unless we get quite a few more things added in the next couple of months.

First we are limited to a small playable area. The Cobra design should mean that is easily expandible as long as they can keep up with people who want to explore to the limits.
No idea how refueling/repairs will work when there's no spaceport, so something needs adding. The latest newsletter possibly hints at maintenance and outlines exploration.

Secondly there's no mining atm so a whole new bit to add.

Thirdly there's no warp interdictions apart from npc so currently most people just run away if attacked. This means there's very little real human interaction or danger unless you deliberately look for it.

Fourthly there's nothing about factions, alliances, and reputations which is a massive part. This is Elite for a reason.

There's also a load of new ships to add and balance. Lots of things are there which need expanding and finessing like shipyard/upgrades/missions/markets.

It's shaping up to be really good, but a xmas launch needs to be ready for end nov...online downloads so no need to ship to shops...but people want the certainty of buying it for xmas rather than waiting too late.
I'm not knocking it, but there's a shedload of work to make a really playable game. It will be an enjoyable couple of months as they introduce new content, but they will get slated if they release this with major bits missing and pending.

Obviously there's a lot where they've figured out the mechanisms and need to add it to the main beta.

[hastings] 06/9/2014 19:48

A few thoughts to sharehttp://www.privatepunter.co.uk/News/fdev-ventures-forth-6-september-2014

[hastings] 25/8/2014 11:16

Great spot and post SG

[simon gordon] 25/8/2014 11:01

In depth piece in the Telegraph - 24/8/14:

Elite: the game that changed the world

[p1nkfish] 05/8/2014 11:54

Have come across one on Beta 1, said much improved, his only complaint was "the Launcher". No doubt will be improved.

Need to get through the 305p.

[hastings] 04/8/2014 22:40

More favourable gaming comment


hxxp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-08-04-five-talking-points-from-the-elite-dangerous-beta

[dasv] 30/7/2014 10:03

Beta 1 out

Releases first phase of Elite: Dangerous Beta development process

Frontier Developments plc (AIM: FDEV, "Frontier,"), the leading independent game developer with studios in Cambridge UK and Halifax, Nova Scotia, has released the first phase of the Beta development process of its forthcoming Elite: Dangerous game on schedule.

The Beta 1 release increases the playable star systems in the game by an order of magnitude to 55, covering 38,000 cubic lightyears of accurately modelled Milky Way galaxy. The increased variety of celestial bodies, trading economies and star ports play host to a large number of additional features and enhancements, which together provide a richer gameplay experience over the whole expanded volume of space.

The start of the Beta phase has added around 20,000 more players, who had already purchased access to this phase of development. Elite: Dangerous Beta access is available for purchase and immediate access by new players for GBP50 from Frontier's online store.

David Braben, CEO of Frontier, said:

"The first phase of the Beta process is yet another significant milestone for Frontier and for the development of the Elite: Dangerous game. Successful Alpha and Premium Beta phases have allowed us to build out the game in a sensible way, whilst increasing the number of players significantly.

"Beta 1 adds more components that significantly enhance core gameplay. This, together with the increased scale and the increased number of players, is another major step forward. The full Beta marks the beginning of the final phase of development."

[dasv] 26/7/2014 09:10

simon - back in 2001, I had an idea for a cable channel which broadcasted video game tournaments. Watching Starcraft in Korea is a big spectator sport. Twitch will do well imo.

[hastings] 17/7/2014 10:13

Considered the best on rift, not bad.

hxxp://www.pcworld.com/article/2452952/the-41-best-oculus-rift-virtual-reality-games-demos-and-experiences.html

[hastings] 12/7/2014 08:26

More than just a game ! Interesting read.

[p1nkfish] 10/7/2014 17:05

sorry - wrong thread.

[simon gordon] 10/7/2014 15:39

I asked a gamer for a view on ED and its potential:

"I'd say it's in an excellent position to capitalize on a renewed interest in the genre, clearly Star Citizen's fundraising campaign show that there's money out there wanting this kind of content. Star Citizen is years away While Elite's schedule has a release later in the year and there really is nothing close to it right now. I expect that a large number of Star Citizen's 1/2 million backers will buy into Elite once it's released. The real question is how many people beyond that audience are likely buyers.


At this stage the developers of Elite have got almost all the core mechanics working well, and it's a case of building out a universe that people want to spend time in. There's no story, minimal scripted events, and nebulous goals for the endgame, but that doesn't necessarily affect the final sales, just the long term stickyness of the title.


Now, I can't put any of that into number, but my point is, it's timing is perfect."

[dasv] 09/7/2014 11:50

The ED FAQ's are very informative.



Well worth checking out the youtube interviews with David Braben - e.g. around game play, trading, economics. All fascinating stuff.

Also worth reading up on Star Citizen and Eve.

Eve is a sort of development of the original Elite but it's more RTS (real time strategy). It's an MMOG with 500k subscribers. You don't get to fly your ship but you get to order it to do stuff. EVE has it's own virtual economy, virtual trading (in commodities etc.), virtual crime (or is it real world crime in a virtual world?). EVE's makers were the first to hire an economist (in 2007).

Star citizen got $45m kickstarter funding but it looks like a "persistent universe" will arrive in 2016 (see as opposed to ED's at end of 2014. Persistent I take to mean a universe where players interact and have an impact on the state of the game world. I would assume a non-persistent universe would be one which would be regularly rebooted with players starting from scratch. I.e. the game starting gun goes off when the persistent universe is ready.

[simon gordon] 08/7/2014 20:11

Gamers on YouTube discussing ED, video is of Premium Beta - 7/7/14:



Some gamers discussing ED and how it compares to Star Citizen - 25/7/14:

[simon gordon] 08/7/2014 11:20

Any of you old gamers tried ED standard beta?

Costs £100.00:

[kewben71] 07/7/2014 15:36

I picked up a few thousand today. Will be interesting to see how the Beta 2 is received and I await progress for other platforms with interest

[simon gordon] 07/7/2014 09:27

The Bitbag - 7/7/14:

Elite: Dangerous Premium Beta 2 : New Features and Tweaks

Frontier Developments, the creator of the Elite Dangerous game has announced the release of Elite Dangerous Premium Beta 2. The company has expanded the game by adding additional contents, new features and enhancements. This major update promises to fix some of the bugs and crashes occurring in the game.

These are the best part of the patch:

The second beta version has added three star systems which players can explore. The new systems available for trade and commerce are called LHS 3006, Aulin and Styx.

A new and bigger class of starports, called Orbis, has been introduced.
There is also a new ship available. It is a hauler type and will be the entry-level space ship for the interstellar trader.

German fans will now find the game easier to play since the Beta 2 has added German language support. Aside from these major additions, a lot of minor features and enhancements have been added.

Players can immediately notice the vast improvement in the game.

The first beta edition of Elite Dangerous has been plagued with numerous bugs and crashes. One of these crashes occurs when the player presses the alt-tab. Just by simply ejecting a cargo can also result in a game crash.

Beta 2 has promised to solve these problems. Bugs in the ship controls have also been fixed or removed. In the latest update, gamers can enjoy smoother space flights as many of the ship's control systems have been modified or improved.

Elite Dangerous is an online single and multiplayer game. Although the official game is yet to be released, the beta edition is available for purchase.

The game can be downloaded from the official online store.

It is a game set in the far future where humans are exploring and living in star systems within the Milky Way galaxy. Players can choose from a variety of characters like traders, pirates, bounty hunters or even assassins.

Elite Dangerous is currently available on Windows, although a version for Apple computers will soon be available. The game can currently run on Windows 7 and 8. Player would also need internet connection in order to play Elite Dangerous Premium Beta 2.

[hastings] 05/7/2014 12:43

A few thoughts that may be of interest to others





hxxp://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/06/11/smuggling-the-e3-trophy-home-elite-dangerous/