It's been a big year for Elite: Dangerous, the galaxy-spanning space sim from Frontier Developments, and the rapidly-approaching debut of Elite Dangerous: Horizons -- the first "season" of premium content for Elite: Dangerous -- has us pretty confident the game's momentum will extend into 2016.
Back in September, we gave you a heads-up about Elite: Dangerous' upcoming crew system, two weeks before Frontier Developments confirmed Multi-Crew was on Elite: Dangerous Horizons' developmental roadmap. But we couldn't stop there. Now, Elite: Dangerous and Elite Dangerous: Horizons lead designer Sandro Sammarco is sharing some new details on the surface recon vehicles (SRVs) being introduced in Planetary Landings and some of the studio's other plans for Elite Dangerous: Horizons.
To give a bit of context, these questions were submitted to Frontier Developments shortly before the studio's CEO, David Braben, announced plans to launch the Elite Dangerous: Horizons beta later this month. This is why we didn't dive into specifics about the upcoming testing period. But we did manage to get some new information on how SRVs will fit into the existing Elite: Dangerous gameplay loop and the ways Elite Dangerous: Horizons will change the game for those uninterested in driving across the surface of the airless worlds coming in Planetary Landings. Sadly, our (admittedly weak) attempt at coaxing a release date out of Frontier Developments was not successful.
But enough chatter. Let's get to the interview!
iDIGI: What happens if you die in an SRV? Are you returned to your ship or do you respawn on the planet you were exploring?
SAMMARCO: If your SRV is destroyed whilst you are in it, you will be transported back to your ship, now minus that particular SRV. You’ll need to use a different SRV or purchase a replacement before you can deploy planet-side again, but SRVs are cheap in comparison to ships so replacements should be easy. In addition to losing the SRV, you will be processed for any outstanding fines or bounties for the jurisdiction your ship is in when you are returned to it.
Will the SRV have costs/expenses separate from players' ships? Will players need to set aside re-buy money, similar to the rainy day fund most players keep to replace their ships and cargo?
The main goal for SRVs is that they’re fun and disposable. While there are costs involved in setting up a ship to carry SRVs, the vehicles themselves will not be particularly expensive – we want to encourage players to use them and throw them around the worlds without too much regard for their safety, not keep them garaged in fear of being bankrupted. If anything they are more akin to mildly costly munitions than very expensive ships. You won’t need a rainy-day fund, just a handful of credits to pick up a new SRV.
Are players' ships still vulnerable to attack while the pilot is driving an SRV?
A ship landed on the planet surface is vulnerable, even if you are outside driving an SRV. It’s an important thing to consider and a key gameplay concern. We’ve made it so you can dispatch your ship into orbit, however, where it will be safe from harm until your recall it. You won’t be able to make such a quick escape, but you won’t have to worry about your ship when it’s miles in the distance.
Will players ever have a way to transport docked ships from one facility to another?
Hopefully, yes! This is currently in the list of smaller features planned for delivery at some point during Elite Dangerous: Horizons. Horizons is a whole season of expansions so there will be opportunities for us to add lots of fan-requested features along the way. However, we don’t want to undermine the vastness of space: you will be able to pay to have ships delivered to your current location, but you won’t be able to “fast travel” to ships berthed at other locations. Those distances have to mean something.
Will any ships be large enough to hold multiple fighters? If not, will other human members of the crew still have vital roles in combat situations?
Some of the larger ships should have the capacity to carry multiple vehicles! That being said, the idea for multicrew is to make sure all crew members on board a ship can contribute significantly to its combat effectiveness.
Will players be able to leave a sign of their presence (like a flag or plaque) on explored planets?
Not initially, though I wouldn’t want to rule out something like this at some point during the Horizons season. It’s certainly a fun feature, and an exciting thing for other players to find on a vast world.
Most of the pre-launch Elite Dangerous: Horizons coverage has focused on SRV gameplay. What sorts of changes will Elite Dangerous: Horizons have for those who prefer to stay in their ships?
To use just a couple of examples: there are new resources for players to collect, called materials, that will allow them to do neat things like resupply weapons without having to dock, increase their frame shift drive jump range and more. And of course, for pilots brave enough, you can fly close to the ground and engage targets directly in your ship. That’s something you’ll often want to do if you’re working with a Wing – providing air support to friends working on the ground will give them an advantage.
Has the team narrowed down a launch window for Planetary Landings yet?
Yes! We’ll have an announcement soon!
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Be sure to check back with iDigitalTimes.com and follow Scott on Twitter for additional Elite: Dangerous coverage throughout the rest of 2015 and for however long Frontier Developments continues to support Elite: Dangerous in the years ahead.
