Dev Update - 01.04.2015

[Flip]

Some interesting info, in there!

From: https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=133134

Hi everyone,

I realise the date and this isn't an April Fools post!

The big release for this week is the Mac beta. If you have beta access then you can access the Mac beta by downloading the launcher from the store in the downloadable products page. You then install the launcher and the game as normal. Any issues found in the Mac beta should be reported in the Mac beta area of the bug reports forums here:

https://forums.frontier.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=112

General discussion on the Mac beta should take place in the Mac area of the forum here:

https://forums.frontier.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=113

We’re also working on the Powerplay update which is shaping up to be the biggest update so far. We know you’re all excited to learn the details and there will be a big announcement in around three weeks’ time. I can say that it will include a new method of interaction in the galaxy.

As well as the big ticket items we’re also working on smaller, but still important additions and improvements. A major part of this is balancing the different roles further and part of this is expanding the drones system. Collection drones will be added and will prove useful for pirates needing to gather cargo in a hurry and also to improve mining efficiency. Players will also be able to transfer fuel using the fuel transfer drones so players can act as buddy tankers for each other.

The collection drones have two modes of operation. The first is a targeted mode where you select something to collect and fire the drone which then collects the cargo or mining chunk and returns it to the ship – make sure that your cargo door is open! This will consume the drone. There’s also an area collection mode so when fired without a target the drone will collect what it can within a radius before it expires.

Last week we released the latest minor update (1.2.06) for the game which contained various fixes and tweaks. Two of the changes impacted the background sim in particular and knowing how many of you enjoy delving into the simulation here are a some details on those changes. Minor factions enter conflict in a few ways such as overtaking a rival minor faction’s influence or reaches 70% but isn’t the controlling minor faction. So once a conflict is declared it then enters one of three states: civil war, war and election. The state is selected from the following criteria:

- Election: two minor factions of the same type that isn't criminal, regardless of home star system
- Civil War: two minor factions of different types or are both criminals, with the same home star system
- War: two minor factions of different types from different home star systems

The conflict ends when the maximum duration is reached or their influence levels move too far apart in the daily update. The victor will the try to take ownership of the loser’s most important starport in the system.

Thanks!

Michael

[Zeroxephon]

Oh man, the drones themselves are worth it for mining (if they are reasonably priced). My biggest gripe when I was mining was scooping space rocks.

[Flip]

I don't know about mining:

The first is a targeted mode where you select something to collect and fire the drone which then collects the cargo or mining chunk and returns it to the ship – make sure that your cargo door is open! This will consume the drone.

If you need one drone for every chunk you mine, they'd better be quite cheap and small!

[MaccGyver]

I don't know about mining:

The first is a targeted mode where you select something to collect and fire the drone which then collects the cargo or mining chunk and returns it to the ship – make sure that your cargo door is open! This will consume the drone.

If you need one drone for every chunk you mine, they'd better be quite cheap and small!

Yeah, I did a double take at that too - this will be especially bad if the drones are treated as cargo, like limpets, and not as ammo.

[Nanosmo]

Sounds awesome, drone system would be sweet for combat too.

[Zeroxephon]

One of the targeting modes is if you have nothing targeted the drone will collect everything it can before it expires.

[Nanosmo]

Hopefully they don't bork the drones, wish there was a dedicated mining ship as well.

[Emanon]

Yeah even if the drones are cheap you would think with future tech you could get more than ONE use out of them. Make them break down over time, as computers and electronics do, but one time use seems extreme.

[clivewil]

get more than ONE use out of them

how many of these things can you carry? i mean if you carry many, then one use isn't so bad. but if you can only carry 5 or so, then you'll be constantly having to land and re-stock

me, i'd have preferred a tractor beam or even a psuedo-teleporter like what the 'Seeking' guys use - e.g. pass within a given distance, collect the item automatically