Day three of Gamescom 2016 is complete! You can watch the livestream back on our official YouTube channel, but keep reading on to find out about some of the highlights we spoke about over the two livestreams.
Quality of Life
Starports – Keeping Up Appearances
Starports across the galaxy have been built for different purposes. Whilst some serve as simple trade hubs, others were built to support large scale enterprises.
After the launch of the Guardians (2.2), you’ll notice a wider range of character in starports across the galaxy. Population size and economic market are now represented by bespoke architecture at a grand scale.
For example, when arriving at starports in systems focused on the production of agricultural goods, you might see vegetation being grown in vast hydroponic incubator towers, the verdant light of the foliage creating a colourful contrast to the metallic structures around it.
Alternatively, at a starport dedicated to servicing those who are wealthy beyond reason – those with the resources to take the best the galaxy has to offer, you’ll encounter ultra-modern towers soaring out from the port ground level, statues lining artificial lakes, and other, equally extravagant decorations.
Contrasting sharply with such extravagance, are starports dedicated to the refining of resources. Here you can expect to find huge machinery smelting vast quantities of metal – you can see the metal being heated up, stretched then cooled.
These awesome structures – and more – await your discovery.
See the livestream VOD for more information on these starport variants.
The Bigger Picture - Planetary Maps
Your ship computer will see an upgrade with regards to the planet view in the system maps. Previously you would zoom in closely to a particular planet and see a grid that represented the planet you were looking at.
Now, in the system map you can zoom all the way in to a planet and it will show a 3D representation of that exact planet with the surface details included. You will be able to see interesting geographical features from afar, then land down on those exact locations if you choose too.
The SIN broker
The SIN broker is a new contact at Starport Services in low security systems. The SIN broker will let you pay off fines, claim bounties and hand in combat bonds that relate to any systems and jurisdictions, not just the system you’re in.
This will save your time, as you won’t have to go back to the original systems to pay off fines or claim bounties. However, it comes at a cost – there will be a fixed percentage increase on the fines, and a fixed decrease on the bounty and combat claims.
Starport Services Layout Change
Starport Services has received a refresh, and Commanders will be able to navigate menus much more efficiently than before. See the images below for some examples.
A new Look for Hyperspace
The star you’re approaching during hyperspace will now appear to grow larger as you approach it, increasing the level of immersion… the visuals in hyperspace have been improved too making for an overall better experience.
System Information - Should I stay or should I go?
When locking on to a system and engaging your FSD, your ship’s computer will now give you some quick information about the system you’re jumping to. It will tell you its security level, and if applicable its relevant state. This info is given to you before the countdown timer appears, allowing you to make a quick decision about whether to jump there or not.
It’s Full of Stars
In Guardians 2.2, Neutron stars and White Dwarfs now have the potential to generate enormous electromagnetic fields, accelerating out vast amounts of visible radiation in beautiful, funnelled emissions, as the star rotates at an extraordinary rate.
These emissions are also incredibly dangerous, putting massive strain on your frame shift drive should your ship pass through them (don’t even think about dropping from super cruise near them!), though you are able to temporarily boost jump range by harnessing this energy.
Installations
Get ready to encounter new structures in space – installations. These buildings cover a range of facilities, from comms arrays to unauthorised hideouts to prisons, and more.
As well as making for great backdrops to meet up with other Commanders, expect appropriate traffic, from traders, to pirates to military vessels, as well as the chance to locate and collect tasty materials and cargo.
It’s a mysterious place, the Milky Way
There’s so much more out there that we haven’t even touched on in these livestreams… puzzles to solve, mysterious abandoned structures, geographical marvels and ancient sites. We’ll leave these for you to find Commander. Good luck out there.
Special Delivery - Ship and Module Transfer
At the launch of The Guardians (2.2), Commanders will now be able to move their ships from one starport to another throughout the galaxy.
If you desperately want to change in to your Anaconda, but then realise you’d otherwise miss a key Elite Racers event if you don’t get your Eagle, then you can now head over to Starport Services, and have the ship transported to where you are via the Shipyard menu.
There’s a fee based on the ship to be transported and how far away it is from your current position. The more expensive the ship and the further distance, the higher the cost, but transportation is instantaneous .
Don’t Throw It Away
You now have access to module storage facilities via the outfitting services. You can store any type of module for free. However, port regulations require your ship to be functional at all times, so if you want to store a core module like the power plant, you must pay a mandatory charge that covers the fitting of a basic replacement module.
In addition, storage services are able to transport modules to any starport outfitter, allowing you to recover modules from any port that has this service. As with ship transfer, there’s a fee for module transportation based on distance and module cost.
Managing and maintaining a fleet has never been this slick.