elite dangerous takes forever to travel

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Travelling Times Too Long For You?

• Thread starter Infiltrator_2K
• Start date Mar 3, 2017

Infiltrator_2K

Alex brentnall.

Brace yourself!!! I am going to kick this thread off by agreeing though, with neutrons and engineers we can now get a 4.6x increase to jump range or something silly like that. It's sad when I can jump across the entire bubble from Jacksons Lighthouse in 2 jumps... Not saying things need to be put back to where they were but am actively opposed to any future increases.  

Martian Successor

Why are we comparing real life to a video game again?  

We need a zip mode; been there once, go back as often as you want, instantly. Make it a module that costs 1B credits.  

Martian Successor said: Why are we comparing real life to a video game again? Click to expand...

No traveling time is just fine, what is annoying is that we have to press (J) each time we need to jump, I would like to have a crewmember, like the fighter pilot to manage that part, like a navigator pilot.  

The problem of supercruise is not the time required, but the lack of gameplay during travel. Waiting 5 minutes to reach Jupiter wouldn't be too bad if I had to modulate shields, fix stuff, check nearby bodies, calibrate communications and so on, but what we got is a dull overshoot mechanic with an eggtimer. Realism, in this case, it's an excuse to justify a barebone feature, not something to praise.  

Yes, space is vast. That being said, one does not necessarily have to endure said vastness in order to appreciate it. Insisting that travel time should be long in order to hammer home the fact that space is big is just silly.  

Hercules said: We need a zip mode; been there once, go back as often as you want, instantly. Make it a module that costs 1B credits. Click to expand...

Lysander lysan said: No traveling time is just fine, what is annoying is that we have to press (J) each time we need to jump, I would like to have a crewmember, like the fighter pilot to manage that part, like a navigator pilot. Click to expand...

Hercules said: We need a zip mode; Click to expand...

I don't have a link to it but I remember an early developer video in which David Braben was talking about the scale of the galaxy. At the time it sounded like Frontier thought it would be years before anyone in-game would ever visit Sagittarius A*. There is still a ton of unexplored space in near reach of the "bubble". Yes. It takes a LONG TIME to get to Beagle Point. This is as it should be. I do, however, get the sinking suspicion that "Fast Travel" might soon become a thing though. These new "mega ships" may act as carriers and possibly be used to cut travel time to and from some of the galaxy's hot spots (the Pleiades, Colonia, etc.)  

Jaiotu said: I don't have a link to it but I remember an early developer video in which David Braben was talking about the scale of the galaxy. At the time it sounded like Frontier thought it would be years before anyone in-game would ever visit Sagittarius A*. There is still a ton of unexplored space in near reach of the "bubble". Yes. It takes a LONG TIME to get to Beagle Point. This is as it should be. I do, however, get the sinking suspicion that "Fast Travel" might soon become a thing though. These new "mega ships" may act as carriers and possibly be used to cut travel time to and from some of the galaxy's hot spots (the Pleiades, Colonia, etc.) Click to expand...

Infiltrator_2K said: To date, it's taken man's fastest spacecraft 9.5 years to reach Jupiter, so please don't moan that it takes a minute or two to do it in Elite Dangerous eh Click to expand...

I think the travelling time is about right. It's a Biiiiig galaxy and I have flown all the way around the outside to Beagle point, then all around the other side and back to Sol. I have never experienced such a large scale game map in my life ever. It was EPIC and the feeling of loneliness and helpless remoteness is physically tangible when you look back 65000 LY to Earth. I would not wish that experience diluted for anyone. It really was one of the most Zen I've ever done and makes the bubble feel almost inconsequential in size as a result. I can heartily recommend a long distance journey for anybody who gets impatient about crossing the bubble. It will bring a sense of scale to this game. And your laugh in the face of journeys of less than 1,000 light years, even in your Fer de Lance, will echo across the human sphere.  

SpeakerToAliens

From Alpha Centauri to Hutton Orbital (0.22ly) takes 90 minutes in SC. You'll top out at ~1686c. This is as it should be. You'll also risk running out of fuel in a Sidewinder, so be sure to top off your tanks before starting out and turn off every module you don't need.  

Infiltrator_2K said: In Elite Dangerous travelling takes too long in SC and is a grind.. until that is, you actually look at the reality regarding space-time and continuum. I mean, our galaxy alone is absolutely enormous! Only when you appreciate how huge our galaxy is, how far away other planets/stars are and how long it will take us to get from one planet to another in today's terms will you even start to begin to appreciate how quickly Elite Dangerous actually allows us to travel in relation to time and distance. To date, it's taken man's fastest spacecraft 9.5 years to reach Jupiter, so please don't moan that it takes a minute or two to do it in Elite Dangerous eh Click to expand...

Father Cool

SpeakerToAliens said: From Alpha Centauri to Hutton Orbital (0.22ly) takes 90 minutes in SC. You'll top out at ~1686c. This is as it should be. You'll also risk running out of fuel in a Sidewinder, so be sure to top off your tanks before starting out and turn off every module you don't need. Click to expand...

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Elite Dangerous - how to travel within and between star systems

Our Elite Dangerous guide explains how to reach new star systems, travel within each system, and dock safely at Stations and Outposts.

There are many fiddly elements to Elite Dangerous, and while travelling is just one of them it's fair to say there's very little you can get done in the game without mastering this fundamental activity. You'll also need to master docking and undocking from Stations and Outposts too, so we recommend working your way through this section until you're completely comfortable with getting around the universe.

Getting used to the basic controls in Elite Dangerous

There are lots of fine details to consider when it comes to the flight controls of Elite Dangerous. For the purposes of this guide, however, we just want to get you up and flying quickly and confidently, so we'll stick with the default basic keybinds that you can tweak later on. We're also sticking to a mouse and keyboard here, although you might want to think about investing in a throttle and joystick further on down the road. Take a look further down the page for an idea of some of the controller options that are out there.

Here are the most important control elements that you need to be aware of.

• W - Increases your ship's speed
• S - Reduces your ship's speed
• Q - Thrust left
• E - Thrust right
• A - Yaw / rotate left
• D - Yaw / rotate right
• R - Thrusters Up
• F - Thrusters Down
• L - Raise / lower landing gear
• J - Initiate Frameshift Drive / Supercruise
• U - Deploy hardpoints (weapons, scanners etc.)
• Tab - Engine Boost (useful for getting out of Mass Lock range)

The mouse is used to orientate your ship along the X and Y axis. You'll find this very wobbly at first, but finesse comes quickly with practise.

Beyond using the above keys to navigate the area of space immediately around you, there are two critical elements to travel in this universe - Hyperspace and Supercruise. The former is used to travel the enormous distances between different star systems, while the latter is used to cross large distances within the systems themselves.

Using Hyperspace jumps to reach new star systems

If you want to travel to a completely new system, you'll need to complete something called a Hyperspace jump. Hit 1 to open up your left-hand Target panel , then select the star and target it using the list that appears under Navigation. Next, use the compass to the left of your radar to aim your ship at the star. When there's a full white dot directly in the middle of the compass, the star is right ahead of you. Now just hit J and wait for your Frameshift Drive to charge up. You'll automatically jump to the new system when the countdown finishes.

Using Supercruise to reach your destination

When you arrive in the new system, you'll be travelling straight towards a rather hot, rather deadly sun. Your first task is to angle your ship away from this collision course, and level it off so it's not in immediate danger. Next, open up that Target panel in your cockpit again and select the Station, Outpost, or celestial object that you want to reach. Lock onto it, then rotate your ship until you're facing the target. From time to time, the sun will block your path - if that's the case, just travel around it a bit.

Reaching your next in-system location involves a sort of mini-game. The trick is to balance your travelling speed with the distance remaining just enough that you minimise travel time, but not overshoot the target and find yourself having to backtrack. In order to safely drop out of Supercruise mode at your destination (using the J button again), you must be travelling slower than 1,000km/s at a time when your target is less than 1,000km from you.

The easiest way to do this is to look at the column of lights that indicate your throttle level, and always ensure that the top of the column sits within the blue zone on the throttle indicator. Maintain this level and you should manage to drop out at your destination bang on the money.

There's an alternative, slightly faster method which involves pelting towards your target at maximum speed, then dropping down to 75% throttle speed at the very instant the time-remaining indicator hits seven seconds. This involves changing your throttle changes to percentage increments, and tweaking a few keybinds. Try it once you've mastered the basic manoeuvre and want to shave a little bit more off your journey times.

Docking safely in Elite Dangerous

There are two different types of places to dock at in Elite Dangerous: Outposts and Stations. The former are very primitive structures that you simply need to land on top of, while Stations are a bit trickier. Here's how to pitch down correctly at both.

Docking at Outposts

When you're within 7.5km of the Outpost in question, simply lock onto it and then request docking permission by pressing 1, then navigating to Contacts. If you hit 1 again to close the cockpit panel immediately after requesting permission, you'll be able to see the orange glow of your landing pad flash up, making it nice and easy to locate. If you can't see it, it's hidden on the other side of the station, so angle your way around.

You must land on the Outpost landing pad in a very specific way. Pop your landing gear down with L, then approach the pad so that the highlighted number is both in front of you, and the furthest away from you it can be. If you don't ensure you land in this orientation, the station won't accept you and you'll have to spin your ship around 180 degrees (use A and D by default to turn your hovering ship around if necessary).

When you get very close to the landing position, a visual indicator will appear on your radar, displaying your ship, along with a targeting reticule beneath it. The aim here is to get the line protruding from the bottom of your ship into the centre circle. When you do so, the landing grid will turn blue. At this point, simply use your thrusters (F) to inch down to ground level slowly but surely. If you're struggling to be accepted by the Station, try lifting the nose of your ship up a little, and make sure you haven't fractionally overshot the landing area while thrusting downwards.

Docking at Stations

One of the fiddliest aspects of docking at a Station is actually finding the entrance in the first place. The good news is that these imposing structures all follow one important rule: the side with the letterbox opening that you need to enter through always rotates anti-clockwise. What this means is that you just need to picture the plane the station is rotating around when you drop out of Supercruise, then work your way over to the end turning in the correct direction. Keep an eye out for advertising hoardings too - they're always found by the entrance.

Just like docking at Outposts, you must gain permission before docking at the Station. Once you have permission and a pad number, work your way through the letter box opening of the Station very slowly until you're confident at performing this manoeuvre. Keep an eye out for other pilots too - protocol dictates that you should always enter and exit a Station by hugging the side indicated with a green strip of lights. As soon as you're inside, look for your pad number and glide slowly towards it before landing just as you do at Outposts. Remember your landing gear!

Undocking safely

Undocking is a good deal easier than docking. Select Surface from the basic menu to be sent back to the main level of the Station you're in, or Launch if you want to be sent up and then automatically released into the air. Once you're free of your moorings, align your ship with the letterbox entrance/exit and speed on through. Again, stick to the side of the exit with the green lights, retract your landing gear using L by default, and get far enough away from the Station that the Mass Locked indicator to the far right of your dashboard has gone out. When it does so, you're free to initiate a Hyperspace jump to a new system, or use Supercruise to get around the one you're currently in.

Elite Dangerous Flight Control HOTAS options

Thrustmaster T. Flight HOTAS Stick X

• Thrustmaster T. Flight HOTAS Stick X from Amazon UK or Amazon US.

If you've not got a lot of money to throw away on yet more gaming bric-a-brac, you could do an awful lot worse than grab this entry-level Thrustmaster unit. It's by no means the most advanced HOTAS you can buy, but you do get a proper taste of the flight control experience nevertheless. Button positioning is good, the keys are all programmable, and there's even the option to tweak the resistance to suit your preferences. Just under fifty of your Earth pounds if you're interested.

Saitek Pro Flight X-55 Rhino HOTAS System

• Saitek Pro Flight X-55 Rhino HOTAS System from Amazon UK or Amazon US

Representing considerably more expensive serious business is the Saitek Pro Flight X-55 Rhino unit. This might be considered the very best all-rounder if you're willing to spend more money on your flight controls - the build is solid and it looks the business. The system'll set you back about £300, however, and those with smaller hands might find it tricky to reach the upper buttons. Try to get some hands-on experience with all of these units before handing over your money.

Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog

• Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog from Amazon UK or Amazon US

Another pricey option - from the second main manufacturer of HOTAS devices this time - is the Thrustmaster Warthog. If authenticity's your thing, you'll be reassured to know that these controls are modelled directly from those of the A-10 Warthog bomber. If you're really feeling adventurous, you can even grab a set of pedals to further authenticate the cockpit experience. Expect to pay around £300 for the base unit, and another £100 to have your feet do some of the hard work.

Read on for advice on how to use Elite's map systems and route-planning tools.

Head back to the first page of this article for the rest of our Elite Dangerous guide .

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Apex Interstellar Transport

• View history

The first step to everywhere. — Apex Interstellar's slogan

Apex Interstellar Transport is a shuttle service that allows commanders to travel between most starports and settlements without the need to operate their own ship . Flights can be booked at Apex Interstellar Transport booths in Concourses for a fee .

• 4 References

Overview [ ]

An Apex Interstellar Transport shuttle in flight

Apex Interstellar Transport maintains franchise locations at most Concourses . Commanders at settlements can also remotely call for a shuttle in order to depart the area. Apex shuttles can be booked to transport commanders to designated "Drop Off Points" in inhabited systems, including starports , outposts , surface ports , and settlements . Total costs for the shuttle service include a Supercruise Fee, for intra-system travel, and a Hyperspace Fee, for interstellar travel. The base Supercruise Fee is 100 Credits and the Hyperspace Fee is only applied if a route involves making hyperspace jumps to other systems.

Apex maintains a dedicated shuttle hangar at every port where they offer their services. The company's fleet consists of custom Adders with Apex-branded livery and a unique internal configuration with four pilot seats, one of which is reserved for the Apex pilot. Once a flight is booked, commanders have five minutes to enter the hangar and board the shuttle before it departs, or cancel the booking. Cancelled bookings are refunded in full. If a commander does not cancel and also fails to board their shuttle, it will depart as scheduled regardless, and the booking fee will not be refunded.

Apex shuttle passengers have the option of redirecting the shuttle mid-flight for an additional fee. If the shuttle has sufficient fuel, it can be directed to either return to its departure point or diverted to a new destination.

• Apex Interstellar Transport shuttles convey their passengers to destinations in real time. If a player quits the game during transit, the shuttle will pause its journey, and resume it when the player logs back in.
• Apex shuttles have a standard jump range of 21.68 ly and an unladen jump range of 23.88 ly.
• Apex shuttles are not equipped with a Fuel Scoop and the maximum number of jumps they can make, typically six or seven, is limited by their fuel capacity. It is therefore impossible to take a shuttle from Sol to Colonia , for example, due to the distance involved. Isolated inhabited systems with no inhabited neighbours within range do not offer interstellar shuttles
• If the player is wanted, NPCs who notice this will attack and destroy the player's Apex shuttle.
• While playing in Open, other players can interdict and destroy Apex shuttles, which is frequently exploited by griefers .
• Odyssey Update 7 added optional mid-flight redirecting to Apex shuttle flights. [1]
• Apex Interstellar Transport is not available in Fleet Carrier Concourses.

Gallery [ ]

References [ ]

• ↑ Frontier Forums: Elite Dangerous: Odyssey Update 7 Notes
• 2 Python MkII
• 3 Federation/Ranks

The Journey So Far

Greetings Commanders!

Elite Dangerous has taken giant leaps over the past five years, with the Horizons and Beyond expansions changing the game forever. Throughout that time, an untold number of pilots have earned their licenses and gone on to achieve greatness among the stars. Take a look back on the journey so far with our new video and tune into the  Game Awards this Thursday 10 December to see our next steps in an exclusive  Elite Dangerous: Odyssey gameplay trailer!

Thank you for joining us on this journey. Without you, Elite Dangerous wouldn't be the same. 

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Elite Dangerous

Originally posted by St0rmFury : If you do not care for ship loss, just self destruct and pick the free sidewinder.

Originally posted by Kosevich : You can take a ride on Fleet Carrier taxi.

Originally posted by Citronvand : Originally posted by Kosevich : You can take a ride on Fleet Carrier taxi.

Originally posted by CoffeeBean : If the last station you visited was in the bubble fly toward a star and cook yourself to death and you will respawn in the bubble, or use the right panel => ship => function, at the bottom you have the self destruct option.

Originally posted by 76561198028519954 : How interesting. So I can respawn only on the last visited station?

Originally posted by St0rmFury : 2) Don't pick rebuy, respawn at Ay Indi in a sidewinder. Your ship is lost forever.

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