Elite: Dangerous Update #85

Hello, Commander,

Welcome to Elite: Dangerous Newsletter #85.

This week, we're ready for Gamescom. Next Wednesday we will make a major announcement coinciding with the opening of the show at 10AM CEST, and you'll be able to read all about it and see our new trailer on our Community homepage.

Today, we're thrilled to say we're bringing CQC to PC and Mac the same day as the full Xbox One release. There's more on the CQC Content Update in Mike Brookes' Developer Update below.

With the team at Gamescom there will be no Newsletter next week, so read on to find out where you can get the latest news live from the showfloor. We have our most ambitious campaign of events and livestreams ever, and we hope you like it.

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. Have a great weekend and we'll see you in Cologne!

Contents This Week

• Elite: Dangerous @ Gamescom
• Peek Of The Week
• Developer Update
• Comms Chatter
• GalNet

Elite: Dangerous @ Gamescom

Unless you’ve been living under an asteroid for the past few weeks, you’ll have noticed that Gamescom is just around the corner, and Frontier will be there with a major Elite: Dangerous announcement.

This year our events team has gone all out on making this our biggest and best event yet, and there are loads of ways for people at Gamescom and at home to get involved. It’s going to be packed full of amazing Elite: Dangerous content, giveaways, fantastic prizes and interactive sessions, and everyone will be able to get involved. Read on to find out how.

If you’re lucky enough to join us in Cologne we’ve got something pretty special for you. There will be game demos showcasing the latest in-game content, a live stage show packed with information about Elite: Dangerous and our new announcement, daily prize draws, and an exclusive Gamescom ship paint job for everyone who visits our public stand.

The first prize draw each day will be for everyone who joins us at the event, and there will be a second draw for the day’s very best players. There are stacks of amazing prizes, including copies of Elite: Dangerous, a Saitek X52 Pro, Mad Catz hardware and an Xbox One for one lucky winner. You can enter the prize draw every day, so return to our stand throughout the week for more chances to enter.

If you can’t make it to Gamescom, we’ll be bringing the show to you. At 4PM CEST (3PM UK time) on August 4 we’ll be livestreaming a pre-show Q&A with David Braben and Sandro Sammarco direct from our public stand.

Crowds flock to Gamescom 2014

We’re livestreaming from 12PM – 5PM CEST (11AM – 4PM UK time) every single day and there will be loads of ways for you to get involved in the show. We’ll have big announcements, interviews with the developers, tours of our stand, footage from attendees playing the game and much more. Every day we’ll be giving away exclusive Gamescom paint jobs for people watching at home, and for the first time we’ll be giving one winner every day the chance to name a planet in the Elite: Dangerous galaxy.

To name a planet you’ll need to tune in to the stream and remember a specific phrase every day. Every person who tweets that phrase, along with the #EDGC15 hashtag, will be entered in to the 5PM CEST prize draw. Paint jobs will be given out regularly throughout the stream, and there will be a fresh batch of prizes every day from August 6 – August 10 so make sure you come back every day for a chance of winning.
You can keep up to date with all the Gamescom chatter by following and joining in our official hashtag for the event: #EDGC15.

Save the dates, clear your schedules and join us on the official Elite: Dangerous Twitch channel for Gamescom 2015.

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Peek Of The Week

The new Federal Assault Ship

Did the Federation woo our esteemed founder with a mug of Federation coffee?

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From the desk of Executive Producer Michael Brookes.

Hi everyone,

For this week’s dev update I’m going to talk a bit about the next Xbox One GPP release and about some of what we’re working on for the CQC Update (1.4).

As we’ve already said the next big PC/Mac release is the CQC update, but as usual with these updates we’re expanding and adding to the game in other ways. Some changes coming in 1.4 will be to missions. We’re adding legal salvage missions, so you don’t need to be a smuggler to retrieve salvage – although smuggling will still be the more profitable of these type of missions.

Delivery, courier and smuggling will gain long range variants that can set destinations from tens to hundreds of light years away for long haul missions. A new variant on the massacre mission will have higher numbers and greater time for a more sustained strike against the mission target.

We’ve also heard some players wanting a bit more challenge in their scenarios so an even more hazardous extraction site has been added to provide a more dangerous environment. In dangerous systems the scenarios around the nav beacons can also be a high threat version if it has been compromised.

For Xbox One players we are currently in the submission process for the next GPP release. This will include CQC Championship as well as a host of fixes to the main game including various stability and performance issues. A change log will be posted on our forums once the updated GPP build is available.

And finally there’s only a week until our Gamescom announcement – exciting times!

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Comms Chatter

In Stellar Remnants Episode One, Jypson GTS has created a slow-paced, moody and atmospheric narrative. Show him some support in the comments if you want to see the next episode in the series.

DeviantArt user Kevin Massey made some amazing Elite: Dangerous commander portraits for The People's Media. Check them out here.

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Concerns have been raised that the ongoing war of liberation in the Pegasi sector, Operation Davy Jones, has left the Empire exposed to invasion and corruption. Addressing these concerns, Senator Arissa Lavigny-Duval had these words for her constituents: "With so many of our Imperial fleets engaged in battle, it is understandable that some are anxious about the security of our territory. I want to assure our citizens that local security forces are not impacted – in fact, over half of the Imperial fleet is held in reserve. Over the past weeks, a number of Imperial systems in our home space witnessed corrupt and repressive governments replaced by traditional patronages. Much of the heavy lifting has been done by Imperial reserve fleets. Our continued success in the Pegasi sector will soon liberate our citizens living there. To shirk our duties to our citizens, whether at home or abroad, is unacceptable.”

While medical teams across the galaxy work to develop the quantities of antidote needed to eliminate the Cerberus Plague, fresh outbreaks of the disease are appearing in other systems. Our sources indicate that the following systems are currently affected by the Cerberus Plague: Chongguls, Xamentii, G 129-50, Cantjarisni, Rajukru, HIP 10175, Amahu, Leerham, BD-11 4280, Lougala. Any independent pilots who wish to help those affected are encouraged to deliver medicines to the systems listed above.

This weekly transmission takes the latest GalNet data and lists some of the systems currently in conflict around the galaxy. (*).
These are 10 of the 12,761 minor factions involved in a civil war: Ruchbah Progressive Party, Lwalama Patron's Principles, Mapor Incorporated, Independent Khawchuang Green Party, HR 2283 Independents, Monarchy of Luyten 205-128, Confederation of Caelottixa, Sosoling Alliance, Hemaskas Corp., Arimavante Constitution Party.

Civil wars take place between minor factions in the same system over ownership of major assets like starports. During civil wars, only combat missions and activities help bring the conflict to a resolution. Security, development level and standard of living indicators all drop for the duration of the civil war.

The following are 10 of the 2,415 minor factions at war: Crimson Netcoms Co., Quiness for Equality, GQ Virginis General Corporation, Xolotl and Co, United Ao Progressive Party, Revolutionary 16 c Ursae Majoris Future, HIP 92342 Silver Fortune Comms, HIP 8564 Corp., Irusamara Drug Empire, Union of Huveang De Alliance. Wars occur when a minor faction invades another star system. For the duration of the conflict, standard of living, wealth and security are all severely impacted. Combat missions and activities determine who wins the war. If no winner emerges, the war will end in a ceasefire.

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That’s it for Newsletter #85. As always, if there's anything in particular that you’d like to hear more about, or if you'd like to ask a question, then please contact us at elite-newsletter@frontier.co.uk.

Click for the latest Game Manual, Quickstart Guide and Pilot Training Videos. Visit our Support team here and read our previous newsletters here.

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

The Frontier Team