Subnautica (+Elite Dangerous) (Gaming)

by Phoenix_9286 , Saturday, February 17, 2018, 21:41 (2258 days ago) @ cheapLEY

So I've watched some videos on this game now, and it looks cool.

I'll be playing Forza 7 for a while still, I think, but I'm looking at Subnautica or Elite Dangerous next. I just can't figure out if Elite Dangerous will actually be fun or not. It looks really cool and like something I'd like to try, but I'm still on the fence.

ED is a huge time suck and absolutely not for everyone. It can be, and frequently is, a lot of long stretches of jumping from system to system and relative inactivity punctuated by gorgeous sights and some wicked combat. Things have improved economy wise since I jumped in about two years back, but it's still a long haul to get the credits you need to buy some of the best ships and then the upgrades and engineering needed to truly make them shine. Be prepared to do a lot of cargo runs and Community Goals until you get good (or at least less likely to die as soon as anyone looks at you) at combat. I also like to tell people it has less of a learning curve, and more of a learning wall (Though I'm told, much like the economy, the same is true of the tutorials. They're loads better now than when I jumped in). You're gonna fumble for what feels like ages before the controls and basic menial tasks like docking or basic navigation or plotting a course are comfortable.

That aside, if you like the idea of owning your own ship and doing whatever you please, where ever you please, in the entirety of the Milky Way, you can't go wrong. The game is really what you make of it.

Few last tips if you do decide to buy it:
- Play in Solo or join a friendly Private group until you learn your ship. Public can be awesome, but in a galaxy where anyone can do whatever they want, griefing and trolling is regular occurance.
- Find someone, or a couple someones, to wing up with while you're learning. Having a wingmate with experience in a fully kitted ship makes learning much easier.
- Think about crewing up with someone for your first couple combat experiences. You'll get put in a Fighter or be a Gunner, and reap rewards with zero risk to yourself. It's also an excellent way to get a handle on basic flight (if you can manage a fighter, you can fly anything) and get a feel for the ebb and flow of combat zones.
- Prepare your wallet. Once you settle into a ship, you're gonna want to make it yours. That means shipkits, paintjobs, nameplates, bobbleheads and engine/weapon colors. There's always a case to be made against microtransactions, but I think Frontier has done it in a way that doesn't feel shitty. You don't need any of it and can opt to never even know it exists, but they're fairly reasonably priced items that make your ship feel like YOUR ship.
- If you're ever looking for wingmates, drop me a line! I've got a small group I fly with on a fairly regular basis and it's never not fun getting a full wing together!