Last week's original Choose My Adventure plans took a back seat to my Open forum on Dawntrailso thanks for putting up with me on this, but i'd also be lying if i didn't also admit that i felt a little apprehensive about coming back Elite: Dangerouswhat i did this week.
As I wrote beforemost of the support system I had in terms of other people to play with Elite has evaporated over the past couple of years, and I don't really blame them, considering how wobbly and underdeveloped the game looked for a while afterward The Odyssey So yeah, I sat there for a bit, wondering if I was really going to be able to get back into it. Finally, I kicked myself in the butt and took the plunge and did what I know.
You'll all probably be happy to know that I didn't spend as much time reconfiguring controls, settings, or visuals, mainly because those options were still saved in several data files that I had set aside. I'm also pretty happy to report that muscle memory was largely preserved as well. I knew pretty much exactly what each button on my HOTAS did when I got back into my ship.
I still needed a few moments to make sure everything was working, but mostly I took a tour of the station my character had been sent to – a space station in the Agartha system. I don't really remember where I was the last time I played, but I think it was aboard an aircraft carrier that I'm sure has since been lost due to debt.
So, I'm starting from scratch – albeit with five different ships and over 200 million credits under my belt.
Considering that things had been somewhat reset for me—a semi-soft reset considering my strengths—I decided to lean into the newness of it all and take things in small steps. That meant walking around the station, reminding myself of what services were available, reminding myself of how daunting upgrading my weapons and armor seemed, and of course, heading to the kiosks for certain missions.
My gaming memories E:D The threat levels continued to serve me well here, as I remembered what the icons meant and that threat levels are usually a blatant lie to someone playing solo. And while I wanted to get into a fight, I pushed them aside in order to keep taking baby steps and decided to take a courier mission in the local star system instead.
This actually turned out to be a blessing, as it reminded me of a few things I had forgotten. For example, I accidentally took a ship that was too big for the landing zones of the base I was headed to. But I also happily watched my muscle memory return in terms of landing nearby, using lights and radar to better see the ground, and even making sure that when I was on foot, I waited to be properly scanned at security.
There was a brief moment where I felt a pang in my heart because I wasn't sure how to find my contact to get the package I was supposed to deliver, but then I remembered previous on-foot missions where I had to access a terminal to highlight a location. Yes, this worked for staff as well, and within moments I found myself face to face with the NPC I was supposed to see. A quick jump and landing later, the mission was complete and I felt satisfied.
I understand that this all sounds very basic on paper, and I admit that it is, but all these little measures reminded me of how nice it was to be back in that sandbox. There really is something very basic yet satisfying about all the little things associated with the game. Odyssey Or E:D in general, namely flying, plotting a route, taking off and landing. Even though I wait for this moment for months, landing never ceases to feel good.
The good feelings continued when I decided to return to my all-time favorite E:D Activity: Space Transport. Once again, my memory served me well, as I switched back to a route planner, hopped back into my beloved Type-7 transporter, and began a loop of hauling cargo from one star system to another. I even remembered how to efficiently refuel. Again, basic but satisfying, especially since I'm a space trucker at heart in this game.
Of course, it didn't hurt that the loop I was on was extremely profitable. I was earning 2 million credits each round trip for a route that only required three round trips in total.
As I returned to what I knew, the worry, concern, and stress I had been heaping upon myself began to melt away, replaced by the simple, calming sensations that grounded me. E:D First of all. I don’t really want to be a space jockey, I’m pretty sure combat isn’t my strong suit, and I don’t know if I have the sense of adventure or direction to be a deep space explorer. I’m perfectly happy just flying for Space FedEx. Or more accurately, flying for my own logistics company.
But I digress. I've stopped being a worrywart and become a commander again, and so I'm not annoying anyone else, I'm ready to dive back into this thing. And while I'll miss out on some major stuff like anti-xeno, the Thargoid War, or even most of the engineering and guardian stuff, I still have a few options to focus on in general. After all, E:D it's nothing but a series of long grinds.
Where do we start?
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The poll will close at 1:00 PM ET on Friday, July 19. And I will make sure it lasts longer than usual, because I was very late. I apologize if I was unnecessarily late, even if I was not. feel useless for now. But it's good to get back into that rhythm.
welcome to Choose my adventurethe column where you join Chris each week as he travels through mystical lands to have fantastical adventures – and you get to decide his fate. Which is a good thing because he can often be a pretty indecisive person unless he's ordering a burger.Advertisement
