"Elite Dangerous": Help, the Thargoids are coming!
12.1.2017
Translation: machine translated
For me, "Elite Dangerous" is the coolest space game currently available. A few days ago, there was a big hit in terms of content: The aliens, traditionally the Thargoids in the Elite universe, have appeared!
The Thargoids were the reason for me to start the game again. I'll admit it: "Elite Dangerous" disappeared into my mothballs for a good year. I had transported goods from one station to another and back again until I was finally able to acquire a well-armed Anaconda - the largest ship in the game. (Don't ask me how long I spent moving Superconductors and Beryllium around. It took a very long time.)
After that, I made a detour to the centre of the Milky Way, where a large black hole resides. The journey and back took just over two months (real time!). I made countless hyperspace jumps and was able to "fuel scoop" in my sleep. I was the first player to visit hundreds of star systems and discovered countless neutron stars and black holes.
Back in inhabited civilisation, I was looking forward to immediately earning the elite rank of explorer with the data I had collected. I was wrong: it was barely enough for half. It was this frustration that ultimately made me put the game in the corner.
But basically I can recommend the game to anyone who likes space games. For me, after "Privateer" and "Freelancer", it's the best space game in a long time. Graphically, it is very appealing and new content is constantly being added. Of course, I also played "No Man's Sky". I found it better than the sometimes scathing reviews suggest, but for me it never comes close to Elite. I'm of course looking forward to "Star Citizen", but the latest status is 2019. Let's see what the spin-off "Squadron 42", which is due to be released this year, has to offer.
So now it's got me hooked again. (And not just me.) I'd be delighted to meet you in the infinite expanses, Commander! Together we'll knock the Thargoids back into their dimension.
Products that make Elite even more fun
HOTAS
What I recommend to every space pilot is a HOTAS control system (short for "hands on throttle and stick"). In addition to a joystick, you hold a throttle in your left hand. This enables a very sensitive and - in my opinion - natural flight feel. I use a Saitek X55. Since Saitek was bought by Logitech, the successor product X56 is hardly available at the moment. A lot of buttons are also useful, as you can control an extremely large number of functions in Elite. Buttons on the joystick are better, because in the heat of battle you can hardly hit the right button on the keyboard straight away. In my opinion, this is a must-have for "Elite Dangerous". In addition or as an alternative, many space pilots use voice control such as "Voice Attack". But I've never tried it yet.
Basic HOTAS: Well rated and reasonably priced.
With lots of buttons and still affordable.
The stable (and heavy!) luxury solution with lots of buttons. At the time, I decided against the Warthog. It looks great, but as I'm not much into flight simulators apart from space, it was too expensive for me.
Immersion light: head tracker
I had my eye on a head tracker for a long time, but ultimately never tried it out myself. My colleague Phil has tested one:
Conclusion: At just under 170 francs, it's still affordable and definitely useful. However, according to Phil, there are only a handful of games that can benefit from a head tracker. If you are flying a ship with a large Cockpit (e.g. "Asp Explorer"), the extended field of vision and the head tracker can certainly make the difference between victory and defeat in a dogfight.
Full immersion: VR glasses
Until now, I had never managed to try out VR glasses. According to our blogger Marc the Oculus Rift is best suited to flight simulators, which includes "Elite Dangerous". Fortunately, I work at digitec and was allowed to borrow a Rift for a few days. The demos from Oculus are cool. But this game is simply awesome with VR glasses. Once you've experienced it in VR, you'll never want to play "Elite" any other way again. However, a HOTAS is mandatory for this.
I was determined to wait for the second generation of glasses. But now I'm sorely tempted. I can't. Not. On. Order. Press!
Aurel Stevens
Chief Editor
aurel.stevens@digitecgalaxus.chI'm the master tamer at the flea circus that is the editorial team, a nine-to-five writer and 24/7 dad. Technology, computers and hi-fi make me tick. On top of that, I’m a rain-or-shine cyclist and generally in a good mood.