Elite: Dangerous, the latest installation in the long running, star spanning, space dogfighting and trading series is currently in beta- and the studio has just dropped a ton of information on their testers. In it’s current incarnation, the beta includes 55 star systems, a variety of ships and the basics of combat. For the 30th anniversary of the original game, the team will be launching Beta 2 along with a host of new features and improvements.
“Elite: Dangerous wouldn’t be an Elite sequel without the ability to progress from ‘Harmless’ all the way to the exalted status of ‘Elite’. In Beta 2 all pilots have a visible combat rating, so now you can start to work your way up to Elite”, states Frontier. This will add an element of risk reward to combat, as you’ll be able to see the relative skill of pilots as you engage. In addition, Beta 2 will also have a reputation system. Reputations will be tracked in each system as well as separately against the galactic power blocs involved in that particular system. You can have negative and positive reputations which will impact the price of services offered to you at stations or outposts controlled by the Federation, Empire or Independent Alliance.
Beta 2 will also open up a massive new area of the galaxy. 500 systems will be available in Beta 2, allowing you to explore and discover new systems and planets – and sell the data on them for a tidy profit. To facilitate this, the new Asp Explorer ship has been added. The asp is touted as being very versatile and able to accommodate modules that make it a perfect ‘grand tourer’ for exploration. These modules aren’t just for the Asp however, as the team is adding life support modules, engines, hyperdrives, sensors, shield generators, cargo racks and more to outfit to the ship of your choice. However, certain upgrades will be tuned for certain ships, so choose carefully. Ships will also now be subject to wear and tear, which is also affected by how careful of a pilot you are.
New weapons are coming with the new modules, as well as a cargo hatch disruptor. Firing the disruptor at an opponent whose shields are down will cause them to begin spilling cargo into space, allowing you to scoop it up. Perfect for pirates that have a guilty conscience. Mines, plasma accelerators, dumbfire missiles and cannon will also now be at your disposal should you be more….lethally inclined. To facilitate this, Beta 2 also extends the visibility of ships in supercruise and also adds a module that allows you to track ships that jump into hyperspace via their supercruise wake.
Several new types of starports are slated to appear in Beta 2, including the Outpost which Frontier describes as “the exposed, isolated galactic equivalents of the run-down roadside café,”, along with a larger type called the Occelus starport. A handful of other tweaks are going in place, including a re-purposed single player tutorial that will allow you to hone your skills in combat as well as tackle docking and travel without the ” need to scrap a small pile of Sidewinders!”
All in all, Beta 2 looks to be massive expansion to the already impressive universe of Elite: Dangerous. What do you think? Sound off in the comments below!
