So, release tomorrow and things aren't looking that good right now.

I tried playing a bit last night and there were major problems with server disconnects to the point where it was practically unplayable. From their forums now, it seems things haven't improved much.

Really annoyed that they removed offline mode as this sort of thing was exactly what I was hoping to avoid. Having to rely on servers being up to play a single player game can get really annoying. Hopefully they will sort it out before too long - don't think the first few days after release will be much fun, but then they rarely are with games that depend on server-connections.

Also find it pretty strange that they have decided to not do a wipe for release after the gamma-test. For one thing, there have been several bugs discovered which have been used to make a ton of money for some, so not sure what they are thinking there. I can't imagine they'll spend time trying to track down who got money from it and what they used it on to be able to reverse it, so I guess those who took advantage of it get to keep it.

Release was a few hours ago and it seems to have gone amazingly smooth

So picked this up yesterday, pretty noob hostile, I like it like that though.

Gamesradar review (4/5)

Game has surpassed my expectations and then some. Its off the charts so good.

Played a little bit just now. Docking a bit harder than the original, probably running it on too high settings as my comp (albeit moderately old) overheated and shut down after about 30 mins

Downloading now.

GG life.

Be warned, will have to spend sometime (not that much tho) on Youtubz.

They should have some basic how to trade, how to use discovery scanner (and set weapon groups), how to use galaxy,system maps vids in the actual game and not just combat tutorials.

Game is just off the charts though, and it is a lot easier to get in the station, actually landing on the pad is tricky at first.

TP keep an eye out for commander Maybon Kernow.

Whats your sig?

this seems right up my strata

is it gonna run on a meh 2010 laptop or will i have to ask santa for a proper computer

Haven't started playing yet, presumably you choose your sig on first play. I'll probably just go with the unimaginative Tall Paul.

I've seen some of the tutorial vids, looks like a steep learning curve.

Gonna have a butty, then get stuck into it. Are the combat tutorials worth playing through?

Kind of, but they are pretty irrelevant starting out as you will be running away more than fighting.

I would say learning how the discovery scanner works, how the galaxy and system maps work, the economic relation between the different planet economies (extraction, refinery,industrial, agricultural) as this determines flow of goods, e.g. raw ore from extraction to refinery to industrial etc, also worth noting that systems can have more than one type of economy and you can even do in system trades.

Some people claim to find the trading hard, but its pretty intuitive if you ask me, the trading screen show you how high demand and supply for any good are at a station, it even tells you which systems they import or export from and what the galactic average price is, so buy below galactic average sell above, not that hard imo. Just stay away from food cartridges imo as they seem cheap everywhere. Meat though sells well, mmmm meat.

Game is a PC masterpiece and really shows what PC gaming as a platform can do and just **** all over consoles from a infinitely large height.

i've literally done it once, do it a few more times and it'll probably seem equally trivial compared to classic elite. still getting used to the controls etc

Just got this and love it so far. Playing with a PS3 controller... it took me forever to learn and configure the controls, but I like my setup now. I was going to get a joystick but might not now.

Super n00b still. I have a basic Sidewinder and the only upgrade I have is a new frame jump engine to jump further.

1/1 in combat so far. Someone pulled me out of supercruise and then fell to my basic, starter, lasers.

What happens when you die in this game? Do you lose everything and start over? Just lose your ship/cargo but keep everything else?

If you "die", you can get your old ship back (with all extras, but minus the cargo) from insurance, but you have to pay 5% of the value yourself. That amount is displayed on the right hand side screen when you fly. If you don't have enough money, you get downgraded to a basic sidewinder.

I found the easiest way to make money at the start is to take courier missions. I upgraded to an Adder two days ago and switched to trading. With 18 cargo I found a trade route where I can make 800c/t for two out of three flights.
I am thinking about moving to a Viper to try out Bounty hunting for a while. Doesn't seem as lucrative, but a more fun way to play. My medium goal is to get a Cobra as that seems to offer the most flexibility.

Lonely Flyer in-game. I want to experience dropping out of hyperspace on a Rift.

In regards to multiplayer: can you fly in squadrons/convoys of friends? Pretty sure I'd get this ASAP and convince others to if we could setup as a pirate gang and jack anyone leaving Earth...

Wings are coming soon, and there are 4 billion systems in the game and you can start a long way from Sol, which you need a special permit to jump to.

What I don't understand is how trade Data works.
In the right hand column I can choose a sysrem and get "exported to" and "imported from" information. That's not very useful as sometimes commodities seem to be exported at a loss.
I think it is pretty ridiculous that I can't access price Information from a station I visited ten minutes ago wirhout taking screenshots.
Buying trade data for a system doesn't seem to do anythinh at all.

Trading is pretty easy in my experience.

You need to understand what goods the different economy types demand, buy that good, go to system and would say 8 times out 10 you will sell for a profit, buy what ever good is in high supply, go galaxy map, find system with relevant economy for that good, go there, rinse repeat.

It would probably be more realistic to show you trade data, but that would just make trade so easy it would just take all the satisfaction of finding a good run.

You can filter the galaxy map to show you trade flows by commodity type, so if you select food, it will show you coloured lines moving to or from systems that import/export food etc, buying trade data will show you this information for a system.

Oh, I have made good money on trading, but I think not having specific prices from stations you have recently visited, is pretty ridiculous. You are probably right, that this would make trading very easy, but some of the missions you can get are also pretty unrealistically easy (like paying double the price for getting 3 tonnes of a commodity that can be purchased a system over and that have a demand of hundreds of thousands in that system).

How do you get it? I started pretty close to Sol.

Are people (both in-game population and gamers) equally distributed throughout the galaxy? It seems like you'd basically never run into another person playing the game.

You have to gain rep with the federation.

Not sure about the starting positions, though worth mentioning that only a small % (not sure of actual number) of the systems are populated.

I see lots of other players.

Got one guy I am hunting for at the moment for VENGEANCE.

Here's a 200-page pilot's guide.

Lots of good info there.

The game is ****ing mindblowing with the rift. I haven't even had a chance to play the game since launch, though. Soon, hopefully. If anybody's looking for action, I read that a bunch of people got a civil war going in Ho Hsi.

Game is so, so fun on rift. There a few control issues (default x-55 bindings are terribad with rift) and the galaxy map is awful, but just flying around is awesome.