After some short delays from the initially announced Nov. 24 2015 release, Elite: Dangerous has launched the 2.0 Beta phase for it’s upcoming mega-expansion Horizons. The slew of updates included within the “season” of Horizon will bring many new features to the expansive and wildly varied universe of Elite.
Horizons, as players probably know by now, adds planetary landing capabilities to craft, as well as surface exploration options and mechanics. There’s a huge list of changes posted over here on the Frontier forums, the main details of which can be read below.
NEW CONTENT/FEATURES (Horizons):
– Ships can land on planet surfaces!
- Orbital cruise mode added
- Sub-orbital flight mode added
- Added glide path planetary approach flight model
- Added the Planetary Landing module slot
- Scanner landing radar added
- Adjusted ships that can carry SRVs to have sufficient clearance when landed
- Added the ability to dismiss and recall your ship
- FA Off for planetary flight model
- Added Planetary Approach Suites to all starter load outs
- Added Planetary Approach Suite to all ships
- Added current gravity strength indicator
- Added role switch GUI panel
- Can deploy SRV when landed
- Can deploy SRV at planetary ports
– SRV Surface Operations
- SRV surface driving added
- SRV vertical boost added
- SRV turret added
- SRV surface interactions added
- Wave scanner added
- Playable Scarab SRV added
- Terrain scanner added
- Added SRV specific control options
- Add pilot animations for SRV
– Planet Rendering
- Updated mid-distance planet rendering
- Added surface rendering for airless worlds
- Added quality settings for surface rendering
- Improved planet lighting
- Added detail objects for surface
– NPC surface skimmers added
- Goliath
- Sentry
- Guardian
- Stinger 2
– Added surface ports
- Players can dock at planetary ports
- NPC ships use planetary ports
- Added planetary ports as mission targets/givers
- Added planet surface market specific commodities
– Added surface settlements
- Art assets added
- Opposition strength variants added
- Added air defense turrets
- Added ground attack turrets
- Surface base components added
- Surface base interaction points added
- Settlement data link rewards added
- Trespass zones added
– Added surface points of interest
- Scanner indication added
- Wave scanner signals added
- Materials POIs added
- Encounter POIs added
- Natural POIs added
- Structure POIs added
– Materials & Synthesis
- Added generation of materials
- Added synthesis
- AFM module resupply
- FSD Boost
- Ship projectile resupply
- SRV hull repair
- SRV refuel
- SRV ammo refill
- Synthesis quality bonuses
– Missions
- Add planetary Missions
- Make some missions only spawn at planetary ports
- Add rare planetary missions
- Add off-base planetary missions
– GUI
- Nav panel indicate planets that can be landed on
- Hook planet map into the ‘hyperlinking’ we support with galaxy/system map
- Provide direct access to the planet map from the cockpit
- Added planetary schematic map
- System map: Adding planetary resource level in info panel
- Indicate if a nav target is on the other side of the planet
- Render trespass zone boundaries over the terrain schematics
- Show settlement and ports locations on planetary map
– General
- NEW: 64 bit client!
- Added Horizons specific starter package
- Planetary permits added
If you were an Alpha backer of the original Elite: Dangerous Kickstarter, or a Premium Beta backer, or own the ‘Lifetime Expansion Pass’, then you should have beta access to Horizons. The base price for the original game plus Horizons is set at $60, with a $10 discount for previous owners of the base game who wish to upgrade to the expansion.