The Elite Dangerous 14 update has arrived, marking a new phase in the ongoing war against the alien Thargoids. In the months since the explosion of the Proteus Wave weapon in the space game, the activity of the Thargoids has increased, but now, with Aftermath: War, they are on the attack and humanity will now have to fight to protect what they have built. worldwide. . Galaxy, or you risk losing it.
Since their arrival in Elite Dangerous many years ago, the Thargoids have largely limited their activities to reconnaissance and exploration. The eight Thargoid anomalies heading towards Earth and the inhabited regions of space are a real threat, threatening any major spaceports or other facilities in their path. In Aftermath, players will find themselves in battles with Thargoid forces around large space stations, and in these battles the stakes are high: their loss will mean the destruction or abandonment of these stations and possibly loss of control of the planet or system. in which they are. .
Where the Thargoids are most active, you’ll find sites entirely new to the elite: stations on fire or, worse yet, engulfed by a huge cloud of gas called a whirlpool. Lead game designer Luke Betterton says it’s hard to say how good they are at the game.
“All projection [of supercruise] experimenting and seeing this thing appear from afar, and it still hits me very, very hard every time I do it,” he told PCGamesN.
Frontier Developments says the eddies can be up to 180 kilometers in diameter and consist of a corrosive gas that can damage ship components and hulls. However, players will want to explore them; Despite the danger, discoveries await them inside.
Although Frontier doesn’t want to spoil anything before launch, the developers have revealed that there is a new class of Thargoids. Nicknamed “Orthrus”, these Thargoids are different from the various classes of interceptors players have grown accustomed to since their introduction to the game many years ago. Orthrus Thargoids are more for reconnaissance and logistics and can call in reinforcements in case of danger.
“We have endeavored to make the familiar unfamiliar, so when you see [abandoned] ports, there is a palpable difference, a palpable change,” says lead producer Samantha Marsh. “And I think the whirlwind takes it to the extreme. It’s something we’ve never seen before, something we can’t wait to see and know for what it is. It must sound strange, and I think it’s the experience that’s really fun to play in Elite.”
In Update 14, the threat of the Thargoids will increase significantly and you will be able to witness the destruction of the orbital facilities and planetary ports that they have attacked. However, if you prefer “space charge” in Elite: Dangerous, there are still plenty of galaxies to play with – Aftermath’s action is something you can dive in and out of depending on your preference.
“Look at a map of the galaxy,” Betterton advises. “It contains a lot of advice on how to act and interact with things and how, most importantly, to stop the progression too much so that you can defend yourself.”
Marsh agrees, saying that players should interact with Aftermath on their own terms. “If you feel like you need to go out and recuperate a bit, do something else, and come back later, that’s up to you,” he says. “I think we made sure you didn’t have to fight if you didn’t want to. Participate on your own terms and ultimately enjoy being a part of it.”
Aftermath is available to all players using the 4.0 codebase, so you don’t need to buy the Odyssey expansion to join the war. Frontier says this is just the beginning.
“Update 14 is a development, it’s a war, but we don’t just jump and run,” says Marsh. “There are many different ways that we want to do this journey. He can take different directions depending on the story, the Thargoids, the way players interact with him. [update]. It’s not just one last box of stuff.”
If this all sounds like your cup of tea, be sure to check out our Elite Dangerous guide to get started.
Source : PC Gamesn
