Today is a pretty exciting day for a lot of Elite: Dangerous players (this writer included) as Frontier Developments is deploying the Type-8 Update today, August 7th, bringing with it the titular new ship in paywalled early access and a long-awaited revamp to the engineering system.
The new Type-8 transport ship is accessible to players who purchase one of two packages: a standard package that costs 16,520 Arx and a stellar package that packs in some additional cosmetics for 33,000 Arx. The store is also offering two additional jump start bundles that offer a pre-built Beluga liner or a pre-built Vulture to get players to leap right into passenger missions or bounty hunting respectively. Finally, the Python MkII that’s been available only to players who bought an early access bundle is now available for purchase with in-game credits.
Of course, the larger feature set for this patch is the aforementioned engineering overhaul, which adjusts the material rewards for various ship-based and on-foot missions, tweaks engineering modules upgrading to operate on a more predictable path instead of wholly based on RNG, reduces requirements to find specific engineers, lowers recipe costs for on-foot weapon and suit upgrades, and increases the storage capacity of several space suits. There’s also the addition of tiered material rewards for engaging in Thargoid activities on top. The patch was expected to deploy at 9:00 a.m. EDT but it has been delayed for an indeterminate length of time as FDev investigates an unspecified issue.
In other E:D news, players are forming up for another Elite Community Meet event on Saturday, August 10th, at the Hilton St. Anne’s Manor in Wokingham, UK. The event is in support of UK charities SpecialEffect and Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, and it will offer a wide assortment of arcade and multiplayer gaming stations, a stand-up comedy set from Red Dwarf actor and comedian Norman Lovett, and more. Tickets for the event have already sold out, but considering money from sales that goes past the cost of the event is funneled to good causes, we think it’s still worth noting.
⚠️ Greetings Commanders,
The Type-8 update has been delayed whilst we investigate an issue. Please keep an eye on our social channels for updates. pic.twitter.com/cBWKNGrmuu
— Elite Dangerous (@EliteDangerous) August 7, 2024
