Be Excellent To Each Other

There's some odd sights, for sure. I found some strange crystals in space which were massive.

MaliA Protips:

Final approach checks should be done in good time, lest you end up madly scrabbling around to turn AutoLand computer back on as the ground rushes up to meet you.

This is not a way to make money. I think it is about a million an hour.

If the sun is red on your radar thingy, don't start to jump as you will get mad hot.

Take two repair units, so one can repair the other.

Check your map settings every so often.

Currently, I am 5,700 LY from Sol. The ship manages fine, and the established routine is Jump, Honk, Scoop, Scan, Jump. I have added in a different variety of star to visit on the route. Finding lots of planets, but others have got their first. Forming a vendetta against CMDR Validating who seems to be one step ahead of me. Not even out of the inner Orion Spur, yet

Space is lonely.

'Others have got their first' what?

That's the spirit! Tally ho!

I'm very tempted to buy a device on which to play this game, but I'm worried that it will take over my life.

Pushed further on into deep space. 18k light years from Saggitarious A Star black hole, the centre of the galaxy, and 9kLY(ish) from Earth. I found an earth-like planet and several water base planets yesterday. The expedition continues.

Ship systems are online and fully operational.

I am about where the red blob is

WTF is that a screenshot of? Have they changed the way the galaxy map looks or something since I last played?

It"s a bit of the picture from here

https://elite-dangerous.fandom.com/wiki ... ic_regions

I am at a decision point. Turning galactic west means some stations and safety along the way to the centre of the galaxy. Turning east means skirting the regions around the black hole and going the long way around. How long will this trip be?

I also did some skids in the buggy after I did a landing on a planet.

ProTip: in your rush to take another holiday snap like this, remember to put the landing gear down.

At 16% hull and 6.5kLY to a repair shop.

Oh, and that thing that stops you crashing into stars as you enter the system;the hyperspace dethrottle. Don't accidentally disable that. It is linked to the supercruise assist module that you offlined to repair.

Bit of a surprise, that.

I have left the Inner Orion Spur and entered the Norma Expanse.

6k LY from next stop and repair, 9k LY from Earth.

Do you have the Fed rank to go to Sol?

No, I have been mainly working for the Empire's glory.

I always forget that people coming to the game fresh without being Kickstarter backers can't go to Sol until they get a permit.

One of many silly decisions they made IMO.

I could just never get into this sadly. It was an amazing experience just flying around at the start in VR, but it soon turns into dystopian capitalist drudgery. It’s like you’re an intergalactic Deliveroo driver.

Only the one region of space to cross. Be there by wednesday week if I scan all systems. 150 jumps. Easy. No landings, and no flying too close to suns.

I found a great system with water planets and gas giants and loads of other stuff last night. I might return to it with a probe ship at some point if I don't get distracted by something else.

The Elite games have always had this problem, really. The only truly measurable objective is to earn money, so you just end up trying to maximise your profit.

Frontier First Encounters had a nice idea with the story missions, and I was really hoping that they'd do something similar with E:D, but they just haven't even tried.

For me, the biggest problem with the game is that starting a new game is pointless as the longer the galaxy exists and the more the "background simulation" chugs on, the more of a disadvantage you're at from the start. Also this means totally new players find it much harder to get a leg up.

Not sure what you mean here. Leg up in terms of ships and stuff?

If you want to be doing PvP sure, you'll be at a disadvantage for a while. But making money is insanely easy. I run a tourist bus and make loads of dosh

Have you seen the SpaceBus missions to the end of the universe?

Yup. Building my rep up to get access to them

Granted, but compared to when the game first started, it's harder to make decent money in and around the starting systems to get out and do the other shit because the systems have changed faction and stuff multiple times, commodities aren't priced as low etc. etc.

It's why I liked the story missions in FFE - they were a great introduction to the game, got you a leg up and helped set you on your way. It'd break "immersion" to have the same few "tutorial missions" or whatever you want to call them open to everyone when they start, but I think it'd be a solid improvement.

Admittedly I haven't played much in the past 12 months so recent changes to mining and the various other "professions" have probably changed all this

I have found money hasn't been an issue. There's missions a plenty to get cash flowing in, and you can use them to build up knowledge of what is for sale and where. (Agri to hi-tech and back is a good one). And they move you about a lot.

Maybe I am brilliant

I imagine there are transferable skills from mighty space pirate.

I found it a bit overwhelming, there was so much to do that I just ended up pootling back and forth doing not much at all and not really knowing what I wanted to go and do, but enjoying the view.

Bit like life I guess.

Do you still get attacked by Thargons in hyperspace? I'm not shelling out in kit and shit if I don't have to zap those little bastards.

Only in certain known parts of space

Wait what?

I've yet to see one with some 1500-3000 hours dedicated to it. Keep meaning to go out towards the Pleiades to find one but still baulk at the insurance cost if shit goes off. I hate seeing that number of insurance claims increase in my stats. I should take something small out I suppose.

Hull still at 16%. 89 jumps (3.5k LY) to where I hope I can get a repair and a restock. Lots to see, though, check it out!

And we cruise in to dock at a carrier. 50million space dollars in my back pocket for my explorarion data, get the boat fixed up and a new course set...

Big sigh of relief.

Earth is 16k LY behind. Onwards!

11k LY to next stop. 265 jumps.

Jump honk fuel scan jump

Going a bit mad.

There's loads of community activities back in the bubble but I am not going back there just yet.

Greetings from Eesholt systems! 10k LY to next stop, 17k LY from Sol.

Been practicing landings. Hull at 91%, everything shiny.

God Speed, little traveller!

It is very lonely

Hello! Traveling Uncle Mali here! I am 5k LY from the supermassive black hole at the galactic centre. This is about two hours if I smash it and don't stop for sights.

Instead, I am going to go about 1.2k LY away from it, as I heard a rumour there's a fleet carrier about. This means I can repair the hull (again), and maintain some modules. Also, sell my exploration data. What a stellar cartographer I am! Ho ho ho. Quite the joke that.

Here's me admiring a neutron star, which is a star that could have been a back hole had it tried a bit harder. I saw a black hole the other day as well. Toodles!

PC: I loaded this up for the first time in 6 months or so. I thought it odd that Shinrarta had so many megaships in system. Then I jumped to Bunda and again loads of megaships. Then I realised these were parked fleet carriers. Hundreds of them scattered through all systems it seems. I wonder if there's any point to them other than getting your ships in one lump over to the second bubble. By the amount just parked and abandoned, I somehow doubt it.

I haven't seen another ship in three months (exception of the DSSA carrier I repaired at a while back).

I'm reaching a decision point again. Continue galactic northwards and strike out for Beagle point (most remote place) which'll take 9 months, or bob through and visit the supermassive black hole on my way to Colonia. I could get my ships couriered out to me using the NPC service and run some missions for a pallette cleanser before the next move.

I found once you can move 30+ tonnes of goods at once, then you are printing cash and it ceases to be an issue. More since you get a python or a Type 9 Heavy. Which is probably why the carriers exist with costs to maintain them.

Yeah it's just accumulating cash in the end. I have 5 billion and still enjoy pootling around though.

I've got about £15k. Lend us some dosh.

I logged in for the first time in ages the other night and I was still at Abraham Lincoln in Sol, in my Asp megabus with about 150 million to my name.

Didn't play long though, I was in VR via Oculus Link and all the cables pulling the headset down were making it super uncomfortable - will have to try the Virtual Desktop wireless streaming next.

Quite looking forward to seeing how Frontier can screw up their next expansion.

Me and Grim... went to flex our powerful space combat muscles the other day and went to pwn some NPC bad guys with some cheap-to-repair ships. It went badly

Hence I have no money.

Is there PC crossplay? I'd happily drop off some cannisters of platinum if anyone needs.

There is no crossplay, other than the ability to migrate your entire account from one platform to the other.

Ah. I'll launch a couple of million's worth into a star for you then.

Dimrill, the intergalactic KLF.