Elite Dangerous is an open-world space flight simulation game that fans spend more time on than they care to admit. It's truly addicting game, and despite it being introduced to Microsoft Windows in 2014, this massive game has remained widely popular to this day. It's the fourth game in the Elite franchise, which is one of the longest-running video game franchises, having released its first installment in 1995.
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The game takes place in the year 3300. Players start with a spaceship and a small amount of money, and the goal is to survive and grow. They can accomplish this through activities like mining, exploring, trading, transportation, bounty-hunting, and more. Elite Dangerous is the first game in the franchise to introduce a multiplayer mode next to the single-player version. But people are often lost in the first few hours of the game, not knowing how to reach a higher status quickly.
10 Don't Skip The Tutorials
A lot of gamers choose to avoid the tutorials and jump right in. They know the controls, they'll figure it out. But in Elite Dangerous, this is not a smart move. Players will have to know and learn a lot of information in order to start the game.
This is a game where the tutorials are key to becoming successful because, after that, players will be left completely alone. The game is unforgiving, and will not lend a helping hand as players progress. So taking a step back and going through all tutorials is key to this complex game because, without them, it will take a lot of time to get back on track.
9 Practice Before Jumping Into Multiplayer
The multiplayer mode is a new thing in the Elite franchise. For fans, it's the most exciting and intriguing part of the game, but that doesn't mean they can jump right in. After finishing the tutorials, players have the opportunity to start playing in multiplayer mode. However, for those who don't want to die every 5 seconds, or for those who want to be successful in the game, it's not recommended to start there.
Space in this game is highly dangerous and unforgiving. Players will not get any mercy after failing, they will have to face the financial and other consequences. It's better to practice basic maneuvers and combat strategies in solo mode to really get the hang of it before going into the "arena".
8 Learn To Dock Properly
Docking is something players are going to do hundreds, if not thousands, of times throughout the game. Furthermore, there are penalties for a bad dock, and they can be very high. One of the first things players should do before diving into the game, is learning how to dock properly.
Some people actually enjoy it, most hate it with a passion. But once a player becomes a master of docking, they can rule the world, so no matter their feelings towards this exercise, they must get it over with and do it well.
7 Take Notes Along The Way
This game doesn't help out the player at all. Space is massive and complex, and the gameplay is too. It's important to store all important information, and take notes when needed. A lot of people don't do this at first, but quickly get the hang of it, after forgetting which planet those resources were on.
While jumping from planet to planet, from one solar system to the next, players come by a lot of very important information that is impossible to store in a short amount of time. It's best to keep a phone, a tablet, or a notepad close, to scribble up some valuable information. This information can be which solar system a planet is in, the name of the planet where the player found valuable resources, et cetera.
6 Find A Group
Elite Dangerous is a massive game, and it has many challenges and threats. An easy way to grow as an individual is by joining a group. There are plenty of active groups in the game, all useful for different things. The first step is figuring out what type of character the player wants to be, and what their priorities.
Groups like the Fuel Rats gather fuel all around the galaxy and deliver it to stranded pilots. The Code group is filled with pirates and various explorers who run mission after mission throughout the galaxy, be it good or bad. The First Great Expedition group is best in travel and exploration. Groups are easy to find in Elite Dangerous forums.
5 Remove Upgrades Before Selling Old Spaceships
When players get to the point of switching to a different, bigger, better ship, they will most likely sell the one they used. But chances are that throughout the gameplay, they added valuable upgrades to that ship.
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To ensure a quicker and better sell, players will have to remove these upgrades by taking the ship to the nearest Outfitter. Here, they can exchange these upgrades for parts that they can either use in the future, or sell with the ship.
4 Trading Is The Best Way To Earn Money Quickly
Being good at trading is the most efficient way to earn money quickly in Elite Dangerous. Most players value money in this game more than anything else. After doing a few missions, players will be aware of the nearest planets and solar systems they can jump around in. They will also see that each planet has different resources.
When visiting a planet, the smart thing to do is stock up on anything that the player can sell for the cheapest price. They should then find a planet that has less of that resource. This way, players can quickly turn a profit. Trading can also be connected directly to exploring, so if a player chooses to be more of an explorer, this is the easiest way to earn money.
3 Become A Taxi
Get a cabin ASAP, and become a taxi. This is true for any type of player, but especially for the explorers and traders who spend most of their time jumping from spaceport to spaceport. Players will have to free up some space in their ship, but it's worth it in the long run.
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After getting a cabin, the mission board will offer contracts so players can start picking up people and become a space-taxi. This is easily connectable to being an explorer or trading, so why not kill two birds with one stone? Furthermore, if there's enough storage in the ship, there's nothing standing in the way of transporting a person alongside some tradable resources.
2 Plan Out Expeditions And Adventures
After starting to actively get into the game, players will most likely do a lot of things at once. They'll get lost in exploration, do missions, start trading, and transport people from point A to point B. It can all get too much very fast.
Players should quickly start planning ahead, to make their time spent in the game as efficient as possible. If they start transporting people, they should check the resources on those planets. If they go exploring, it's smart to check missions, resources, and taxi contacts as well. Be efficient and plan ahead.
1 Put On Some Music
Creating a playlist for playing Elite Dangerous could be a life-saver. This game can become monotonous, and traveling from one place to another, or going exploring and not finding anything can get on a person's nerves fast.
To avoid this, it's good to have a playlist or a podcast ready to entertain players while flying around in space. If players add great music to the game, it becomes even more addictive and fun.