Elite Dangerous Update #109

Hello Commander,

Welcome to Elite Dangerous Newsletter #109.

This week, we're highlighting some amazing community videos in our Horizons Highlights, keeping you up-to-date with the latest news in the Milky Way, giving you details of how to claim a free Pax paint job, updating you on some new AI changes in Michael Brookes' Dev Update, inviting you to join the Galactic Intern as he visits the prominent Xbox One community group - The Pixel Bandit Security Force, spotlighting some community events to get involved in and much more!

As always, you can hear the latest news and updates directly from the development team on our Forums, Twitter, Facebook, Community Homepage, and right here in the newsletter every week, and we're always eager to hear your feedback.

Contents This Week

• Horizons Highlights
• GalNet Focus
• Educating Ed - Episode 10
• Free Paint Job - Elite at PAX South
• Dev Update
• Tour of Duty 3302
• Elite Racers Imperial Invitational
• Community Goals Update
• Comms Chatter

Horizons Highlights

It’s been another busy week for all the Commanders exploring planet surfaces, assaulting settlements and venturing into the unknown in Elite Dangerous: Horizons. As well as Powerplay, CQC, exploration, bounty hunting, or trading in Elite Dangerous, you can now get involved with all sorts of incredible community-led events and activities.

Remember, as an existing Elite Dangerous player you can get a discount off the new season of content, so if you haven't already you can upgrade to Elite Dangerous: Horizons now for £30 whether you are buying through Steam or from the Frontier store (in both cases the discount is automatically applied when you purchase Horizons) and take part in all of the activities below and more. Planetary Landings is just the beginning of the full season of expansions coming to Elite Dangerous: Horizons, with much more coming throughout the year.

This week, the Hutton Orbital Truckers set off on their latest mission to rescue their friend and fellow Commander from the major faction ‘WISE’. You can see the action from their well-organised and well-attended event in the YouTube video uploaded by Square Bunny.

But after all the crazy and upbeat antics, Dustninja shows that the pure art of exploring planet surfaces can be a satisfying and fulfilling solo experience, with this beautiful shot of the Maia system.

You can also see the Distant World Expeditions launch video right here!

Upgrade to Elite Dangerous: Horizons today for just £30.

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Welcome to our weekly roundup of news stories and events in the Elite: Dangerous galaxy.

Professor Ishmael Palin has confirmed that the unknown artefacts are the cause of the technical issues affecting starports throughout the galaxy. Apparently the objects have the ability to repair themselves by extracting material from their immediate environment, which interferes with nearby technology. Research into how to counter the danger posed by the UAs is underway.

Federal President Zachary Hudson has announced his intention to resume the search for Starship One, which disappeared in May 3301 with former president Jasmina Halsey aboard. Daurtu Jet Comms PLC has also announced its intention to search for the ship, although its motives are unclear.

The Imperial campaign against Emperor’s Dawn continues, with the Empire hammering the last remaining insurgent outposts. Imperial sources claim that Emperor’s Dawn is facing its final defeat.

The Imperial Inquisition faction has launched a campaign to improve services at the outpost of i Sola Prospect on Brestla A1. Improving the outpost will help the group host its popular ‘Hunter Games’ event, an intense 20-person gladiatorial competition.

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Educating Ed Episode 10 - Pixel Bandit Security Force

The Galactic Intern received an interesting invitation this week to join prominent Xbox One group Pixel Bandits Security Force. The message reads...

"Our HR team have informed me that you are currently seeking employment within our Galactic Sector. The Pixel Bandits Security Force is currently recruiting and we have a vacancy for an unpaid internship. We would like to offer you the opportunity to spend some time with our pilots, and complete work based training and evaluation as a part of the PBSF team.

The role may involve tasks such as trader escorts, sector security sweeps and participation in our citizens' relief program among others. You will be evaluated during this placement and a final judgement given at the end of your probationary period. We hope that you will join us at 1900 hours (Galactic Mean Time) in the Neto System. Our Home port is Ising Vision, please report to Bob 2367643 on entry where you will be asked to fill in form EP-IV which can also be found at pixelbandits.org/join

It is not a requirement for joining PBSF, however it must be said that Bob will probably look more favourable upon you if you bring him his favourite Lavian brandy, which he is currently running short of.

Best Regards

Captain Christopher Anaidni

PBSF HQ"

Make sure you join us on our official YouTube channel at 19:00 GMT!

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Free Paint Job - Elite at PAX South

As we mentioned last week, we’ll be at PAX South in San Antonio Texas this weekend. As you’re reading this we’re probably half way through day one at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio Texas, and we'll be exhibiting again on Saturday and Sunday.

For those who aren't able to make it, we'll be broadcasting a little bit of that show floor atmosphere back to you at home, with a complete streaming schedule coming from both our official account and our amazing community streamers.

The event promises to be a community-focused affair with ambassadors, players, and streamers joining us on the showfloor. We're hoping to be streaming at shows like this and including the community more often, so you can get involved at home, and hear about big announcements when we have them at future shows.

Make sure you tune in at any point during the streams to find out how you can claim your free, exclusive PAX South paint job, or visit our booth on the show floor to pick it up in person. If you don't manage to catch any of the streams, the link to pick up your free paint job will be posted online.

The streaming schedule is as follows (times listed in CST):

Saturday
10:00 - Official Elite Dangerous Account Opener
11:00 - DeejayKnight
12:00 - iamSp00n
13:00 - Crass Kitty
14:00 - Butters Gaming
15:00 - Mr Boombati
16:00 - BlueDrake42

Sunday
10:00 - Official Elite Dangerous Account Opener
11:00 - Bad News Baron
12:00 - BlueJay712
13:00 - Angerbeard
14:00 - Dejavu Darkmist
15:00 - Wishfuiiy
16:00 - BlueDrake42

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From the desk of Executive Producer Michael Brookes:

Hi everyone,

This week saw the release of the 2.04 minor update and we are currently looking at another minor update next week to address some stability issues and the problem with barnacles and some settlements not always appearing.

We are continuing development on 2.1 and deliveries beyond that and in this week’s update I will talk about some changes coming to NPC behaviour in 2.1. The AI control of ships is an ongoing balance with the aim of providing a fun, but easier experience for combat for lower ranked NPCs and making the higher level opponents provide a decent challenge. For 2.1 we’re adding a host of changes and fixes to improve the AI of NPC ships in the game.

First is adjusting the overall balance of the skills for the AI pilots, this is a slightly flatter curve in ability for low to medium levels, but higher level opponents (like Elite ranked) will have a much higher improvement to their skills. One change is that they use missiles and torpedoes more effectively – especially at the higher ranks. They will wait until the target’s shields are down before using them. The range of tactics available to the AI pilots is now rated for the different skill levels, providing a wider range of tactics for the different ranks.

The higher ranked pilots will also try and avoid damage more to improve the chance of survival and make less deliberate mistakes than the lower ranked cannon fodder.

AI can no longer use energy weapons if they’re running hot to manage their heat better. They will also spam chaff less and only using them if they are taking damage and their opponent is using gimbals or turrets. High ranked ships will flee when their shields are down to enable them to recharge them. They’ll keep out of weapons range until their shields are back up, then turn to attack once more.

For commanders who rely on flying their ships in reverse the more skilled AI have learned a new response to counter it – you have been warned!

As well as the tweaks and enhancements there are fixes for some known AI issues including them not getting stuck rotating in space, stop them keep firing hatch breakers and address some issues with pip management. This includes some behaviour to improve their use of pips for situations like fleeing or pursuing. There’s also been an overhaul of the different states to make sure that AI has appropriate behaviours if there’s something going on.

Thanks!

Michael

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Tour of Duty 3302

For the combat ready amongst you, or those looking to gain experience, The Kamadhenu Chapterhouse of Inquisition are running a Tour Of Duty, series of events. Heading into various Conflict Zones as a group it's a great way to learn, make friends, and earn credits. Find out more about how to sign up and join in on their event thread.

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Elite Racers Imperial Invitational

Speaking of Kamadhenu, this is the location of the first race in the new Imperial Invitational. The Elite Racers are back with more high speed action so be sure to watch the first race on Sunday January 31 at 17:30 GMT and follow the Elite Racers subreddit to find out how you can sign up for a future race.

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Community Goals Update

Greetings, Commanders, and welcome to this week’s community goals blog.

If you're looking for a goal, the breakdown below should help:

Destroy the Emperor’s Dawn ‘Shadow’ Cells:

• Furuta Orbital, Dakshmandi System – Hand in combat bonds for Emperor’s Dawn targets to earn rewards.
• Fallows Orbital, Ipilyaqa System – Hand in combat bonds for Emperor’s Dawn targets to earn rewards.
• Hevelius Enterprise, Ch’i Lin System – Hand in combat bonds for Emperor’s Dawn targets to earn rewards.

The Federal Search for Starship One:

• Leoniceno Orbital, Azaleach system – Deliver Wreckage Components to support the Federal search for Starship One.

The Independent Search for Startship One:

• Panshin Terminal, Daurtu system - Deliver Wreckage Components to support the Independent search for Starship One.

Campaign to Develop i Sola Prospect:

• Roed Odegaard Port, Brestla system – Deliver Industrial Materials to help the Imperial Inquisition improve the services at i Sola Prospect.

The Imperial operation to destroy the last remaining Emperor’s Dawn outpost continues, with the Empire now closer than ever to ridding the galaxy of the insurgent group. The office of Imperial Senator Denton Patreus made the following statement:

“The Imperial Navy, with the help of many privateers, has achieved several key victories over the past week. While fighting continues in the Dakshmandi, Ipilyaqa and Ch’i Lin systems – we can promise that the Emperor’s Dawn has seen it’s final days. Payment of privateer bonds to any pilots who help with the offensive will continue, to ensure that every last member of Emperor’s Dawn is destroyed.”

Federal President Zachary Hudson has announced his intention to resume the search for Starship One, which disappeared en route to the Azaleach system in May 3301. A previous investigation into the ship’s disappearance was conducted, but the fate of the vessel and her crew, which included then-president Jasmina Halsey, could not be conclusively determined. The president made the following statement during a fund raising event held by Sirius Corp:

“Like many others, I was heartened by the Sirius Corporation’s success, and I found myself thinking that if the remains of a ship lost fifty years ago could be found, surely a ship lost less than a year ago could also be recovered. I am therefore offering generous reimbursements to pilots who deliver wreckage components to the Federal research outpost at Leoniceno Orbital in the Azaleach system. Once we have gathered enough material, we will analyse the debris to determine if any of it is from Starship One.”

But it appears President Hudson is not the only person eager to find the ship. In a strange turn of events, an organisation by the name of Daurtu Jet Comms PLC has also announced its intention to search for the missing presidential vessel. Virtually nothing is known about the organisation, but the fact that it is offering even larger rewards than the Federation may convince pilots to lend the company their support.

Mavia Kain, leader of The Imperial Inquisition has launched a campaign to develop the outpost of i Sola Prospect on Brestla A1. The organisation is known for regularly organising competitive combat events, ranging from small-scale skirmishes to the popular ‘Hunter Games’, an intense 20-person gladiatorial competition. Central to the initiative is a request for industrial materials, which the Imperial Inquisition will use to upgrade the outpost. A spokesperson for the group released a brief statement:

“Developing i Sola Prospect will allow us to build the ultimate arena for The Hunter Games with every type of weapon, ship and component needed to deliver the ultimate entertainment experience. Naturally this will also be a huge boon to the galactic community as a whole, as a station with these kinds of facilities are extremely rare, and will provide a wonderful service to commanders and systems for hundreds of lightyears.”

Happy hunting, Commanders!

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Comms Chatter

TNTTank shot us an email this past week, stating that he has found Mustafar in Elite Dangerous.

Take a look at what Commander Starlancer got a shot of while out exploring!

Commander Fendalton posted a picture of a planet that he found. Redditors say the picture he took was edited, but we say otherwise. It's quite the gem of a planet that he found!

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That’s it for Newsletter #109. Please do not reply to this email; this address is not monitored. Please use our support page: http://support.frontier.co.uk.

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Until next time, fly safe and Right On, Commander.

The Frontier Team