Elite Dangerous is not a simple game, which means its starter experience is nigh-crucial for long-term player retention. That’s why the game’s September Update will focus on reworking and improving early game tutorials and guides.
Its December Update, on the other hand, will introduce long-awaited Fleet Carrier ships, which are essentially mobile super-structures and player housing all-in-one. Frontier Developments aren’t pulling any punches, that’s for sure.
First things first, the reworked new player experience that’s coming with the September Update on 17th of September will focus on delivering a fully-voiced in-ship tutorial that will cover the basics of interstellar flight, space combat, scanning, and travelling in general. Frontier has also announced that the game’s Frontier Points will be rebranded as Arx. Its purpose will still be to act as a “premium currency” of sorts, but it will also be earnable through in-game activities, alongside the regular purchasing options.
Elite Dangerous veterans will certainly be more interested in the December Update, however, which will allow players to buy the massive Fleet Carriers to act as mobile bases. These massive ships will be limited to one Credit purchase per Commander, and they will be available for both base game and Horizon players.
Fleet Carriers will feature 16 landing pads total, and will be able to support a wide variety of activities:
- Bounty Hunter
- Mercenary
- Pirate
- Trader
- Smuggler
- Miner
- Explorer
- Search & Rescue
Fleet Carriers will have a max jump range of 500 light years, but preparing jumps will require a unique type of fuel, adding a bit of strategy to using them for travel.
There’s no release date available for the December Update yet, but we think it’s likely to be coming sometime in December.
