Forlon's fly log 0007 - Elite Dangerous: Horizons & Wing

Horizons, with this new ED season have a lot changed for me. As first ... there are many new places for visit (with countless very nice sceneries), very entertaining flights in low altitude, possibility to leave ship and use SRV (vehicle), and also new mission types and theirs combinations between space and the planets surfaces ... all this multiply possibilities how to have fun. You can spent few hours in Combat zone (CZ), hunt bounties or trade/smuggle and want/need relax, then visit some airless planet/moon and fly at high speed only a few meters above surface in deep canyon, or you can visit some from fortified settlements and tease their air defence, or you can support yours mate which is in his SRV on the surface after he in a hurry leaving guarded settlement after successful infiltration.

Horizons came not only with new in-game stuff, but there was also global system change from 32 to 64bit. I need to say that for me is ED on 64bit working much smoother as it was before, fps are stable all the time included planetary operations. There of course are not only positive things , especially some new missions need to be rechecked by FDevs, but it seems that they are working hard on solving issues all the time. It is only few weeks from Horizons release (with Christmas and New Year holidays in that) and they today released third patch resolving spotted issues.

I did more surface missions and they almost all worked flawlessly. Especially on one from them I had alot fun - was needed to destroy energy generator for an guarded settlement. First of course was needed to do some search (google) how generator should look, because you need to be really close to be able identify it on your SRV Hud (as I have found later). But in meantime I have also discovered that you have on your SRV vertical_thruster which allows you to do really crazy things . And it were really good feelings when I have escaped settlement with 20% hull remaining after was the generator destroyed ... these small drones and turrets defence which are guarding settlements can not be taken lightly.

Second new thing for me happened when I have searched through Inara.cz site and filled there little more my ED profile. The same day I received PM with offer to join/learn more about wing called Ghost Squadron. I need to say that their presentation video was the strongest reason why I accepted offer, I like stuff like this (such video imo was not easy to create). It is only few days since I have joined, but it helped significantly change my views on ED play. On Crossfire I have learned what it is play a role and build for yourself in-game entity, in ED I missed this, or maybe better to say I was not able to do so, till now. It have added depth into play and in my latest play evening I had more fun as anytime before. With my newly acquired and fully equipped FAS I have moved into destination system and have started search there for combat zones (CZs). In space were also Moorhuhn and Haggisfudge with which I chatted and Moorhuhn had come with me as observer (he played an empty spot in space with stealth ASP). Only a short time has passed when into the same CZ arrived another commander. This one had joined the opposite side and Moorhuhn have warned me that I have on my six an Elite FAS Cmdr. I saw him too and was already on intercept course. First round was in my favour - he had escaped from fight into super-cruise (so called low-wake). I also needed repairs, headed to nearest station and then quickly returned. I did some equipment changes and added to my setup interdictor (thing which allows to pull ships out from SC). Hostile Cmdr have returned and this time it was me who needed flee, he used better ramming and overall was clear he is more experienced. But I was little stubborn (not for a first time ) and decided to fight little more. Third fight was again in my favour and fourth in his. He was getting better in these fights and important role played also a fact that he had on his ship special (stronger) prismatic shield which can be only possible obtain through participation in power-play (something what I had not time do yet). From the fourth fight I flee when he had more as 70% hull and I bet that he was sure he can stay safely in combat zone for another fight with me. Well, his estimate was almost correct, but only almost . He first successfully low-waked when I found him in CZ, but I was able follow him into super-cruise (SC), and successfully interdicted him. This time he decided to fight, and shortly after fight has started I lost shield and he still had 1 ring (full shield = 3 rings). Then I was able take his shield down too, but he had at that time advantage in remaining hull (%). After one next ram he had 12% hull remaining and I 9%. In this moment I have panicked a bit and started flee with all pips to engines (pips = ships energy distribution). I was able reach more as 3 km (at such distance you are safe against lasers) and started thinking again. I noted that my ship's shield is almost restored and I still had few SBs (Shield bank - can restore shield capacity unless is not completely drained), his shield was only restored by 1/3 (bigger shield capacity needs more time for recharge). I turned my ship 180% with assist-off and returned to fight. He decided to ram me once again and it was his final mistake. On my ship remained only 5% hull in the end (shield was still up), but his ship was destroyed (nice 5M insurance ). It was my first PvP win and killed Cmdr in the 1 vs 1 fight. I needed after this action longer relax on station, to be able stop my shaking hands ... it were really great feelings at that moment . Later I have returned to CZs and was forced to flee (high-wake to another system) when there arrived hostile wing (3 commanders), but it was deep in night so was a time for sleep. I have returned once again to that system and only briefly chatted with one from theirs commanders - I wanted only to deliver a message "gfs" to a commander with which I have fought before, because I simply not had time do it earlier. I then activated hyper-jump, reached another system, slowly docked and left the space ...