EDGeneral

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This page contains general information about Elite: Dangerous, such as how to fly your ship or navigation.


Flying your ship

Docking

I have found my landing pad but I can't land even though I have deployed my landing gear. What's up? 
  • The ship must face forward, otherwise you will just bump into the landing pad and nothing will happen.
  • The schematic showing your ship during landing indicates whether the ship is facing forward - you must see the engines from behind, i.e. the ship is facing the same direction as you are.
How do I find the entrance to a coriolis station? 
  • The entrance tends to face the planet that the station is orbiting.
  • There are also blinking guidelights: Blue/white lights are on the face of the station where the entrance is, so if you spot these from an angle you immediately know where to fly to. Red lights are on the face of the station that is opposite the entrance, so if you spot these you can estimate where you should fly.
How can I abort the docking computer's operation and take over ship control? 
Accelerate to a speed greater than zero. If you want to rest at zero speed without the docking computer taking over, you must disable the docking computer module.


Navigation

In a multi-star system, can I somehow control where I will jump into the system? For instance, Hewish Station, LHS 3505, is far away from the system's entry point. 
  • No, there is no way how to control the entry point, it's always the same.
  • I have read somewhere that the entry point is at the star with the most mass. This sounds sensible, but I have not verified this, either personally or from a second source.
I am targetting a starport while I approach it. If I now target something else, what is the simplest way to re-target the starport and get the nice approach schematic - preferrably without having to go the system or galaxy map? 
Press the "0" (zero) key.
What does it mean when I get a message like "Frame shift inhibited by factor 7 by disruptive mass."? 
 ???
How can I look behind my ship? 
There is no such thing as a "rear view". The normal view is from the cockpit, and that's it. However you can use the camera suite to switch between a number of fixed internal and external cameras. Internal cameras allow you to view the cockpit from several angles, while external cameras show a forward view from outside of the ship. Last but not least, there is a "free camera" mode where you can freely move around your point of view in space up to a certain maximum distance from your ship. While in this mode you can decide whether your controls should steer the ship or steer the camera. The free camera mode can be difficult to manage, but is great for taking pictures.
How can I find out whether a station is an outpost? 
  • When you accept a smuggling mission, the destination station is usually marked as "Outpost" in the mission overview.
  • When you look at a station in the system map, the symbol that looks a little bit like a gun :-) indicates that the station is an outpost.
When I target Trevithick dock, and I press "T" multiple times, I get two different, alternating displays in the target info panel and the target schematic. What do these displays tell me about the target? 
  • Display 1
    • Industrial Outpost
    • 2.18 km
    • Trevithick Dock
    • Future of LHS 3447
    • Trevithick Dock
    • Future of LHS 3447
    • The target hologram shows what seems to be the schematic of the space station
  • Display 2
    • Trevithick Dock
    • Future of LHS 3447
    • LHS 3447 System
    • Democracy
    • Agriculture
    • The target hologram shows what seems to be an overview of the star system with its orbiting planets
  • Specifically, in display 1 I don't know what "Future of LHS 3447" means
  • And in display 2 I don't know why I am shown "Trevithick Down" at the top, although I am obviously taking a look at the star system. Does it show the only space station? Or the main space station?
  •  ???
While flying through a system, when I see an astronomical object in the sky such as a nebula or star formation, how can I find out what the object is and where it is located in the galaxy map? 
  • Go to the galaxy map. Select any system that you suspect lies in the general direction of the object. Go back to the normal flight mode and check whether the selected system is close to the unknown object.
  • Repeat until you have selected a system that lies in the middle of the unknown object. This establishes the general direction of the vector pointing from your current location to the unknown object.
  • In the galaxy map you can now try to follow that vector until you arrive at an object that matches what you see in the sky.
  • Obviously this method is not foolproof and works better if the unknown object is not too far away.


Galaxy Map

I want to find out the galactic coordinates of the system I am currently in, but the jump route lines emenating from that system obscure the coordinate grid so that I can't properly count the grid lines. Is there a way how to hide the jump route lines? 
Yes! Simply click on whatever type of route calculation type you currently have selected and the option will be turned off, hiding all jump route lines. For instance, if you have selected "Fastest routes", click on "Fastest routes" again.
Does the galaxy map use the real galactic coordinate system? 
 ???
Why does the galaxy map mark up some stars as a small greyish smudge? At first I thought this indicated some special feature of a system, but I encountered one entirely unremarkable T Tauri star system that consisted of only the single star and nothing else. Also, flying out into deep space surrounding the star did not reveal anything special. 
 ???
What is the "Trade Data Shop" in the galaxy map? 
 ???


System map

In the system map, what does it mean if a star is marked as "Unexplored"? 
  • Even though you may know that a celestial body exists and is at a certain location, you still don't have any detail information about the body - it is still unexplored.
  • See the next section for a Q&A about how to explore a celestial body.
In the system map, what does it mean if a planet description has "Low reserves" at the end? 
This refers to the richness of the metal/mineral deposits in a gas giant's rings and is of interest if you intend to go mining.
In the system map, what does it mean if a gas giant's rings are not classified, i.e. there is no mention of whether the rings are icy, rocky or metal rich? 
This is because the planet has not been explored yet.


Exploring a system

What does it mean when I see an "Unexplored" marker in the HUD? 
  • This is a celestial body for which you don't have any information except that it exists in the star system you are currently in.
  • You need to scan the celestial body to collect information about it, then it will no longer display as "Unexplored", but instead will be shown with its name (e.g. "Svitra A 1").
  • Before version 3.4 (Beyond Chapter Four) you had to fly near a celestial body before you could scan it. In modern day versions of the game you can now scan a body from any distance using the FSS scanner.
  • Note that in addition to scanning a celestial body, if it is a planet it also needs to be mapped to get the full details about the planetary surface. This is a separate process that still requires proximity to the planet.
How do I go about exploring an "unexplored" celestial body? 
  • The full process of exploring an entire system is too complicated to detail here, and exploring a single celestial body is only slightly less so. I can recommend two YouTube videos: This "Beginner's Guide" by Obsidian Ant (11 December 2018), and this tutorial by Down To Earth Astronomy (19 December 2018). The latter video has a few more details, but is slightly less accessible if you don't know anything about the system yet.
  • Exploration is a three step-process: First you discover a system's signals, then you scan each signal, then if it is a planet or planetary ring system you map it.
  • For all three steps you need to be in Analysis mode. The default key binding for switching to Analysis mode is "M" (which I usually change to "H" because I use "M" for something else).
  • Discovery
    • Activate ("fire") the discovery scanner to establish the basic system layout, including the orbital plane, and the number of signals that are located in the system. You must be in supercruise and in Analysis mode to perform the discovery scan.
    • Although it seems illogical, the system map (including the Orrery view) is populated without performing a system discovery scan.
    • The discovery scanner is an integrated module that can be found in all ships.
    • The discovery scanner must be added to a fire group so that it can be "fired" by triggering the appropriate fire control.
  • Scanning
    • To scan a signal you need to scan it with the FSS scanner (Full Spectrum System scanner).
    • Activate the FSS. You must be in supercruise and in Analysis mode to do this.
    • Move the reticle towards each signal, then zoom into it. If the signal is a celestial body, zooming in instantly scans it.
    • Once a celestial body is scanned, its label will change from "Unexplored" to something more appropriate, based upon the celestial body's position in the system.
  • Mapping
    • If the celestial body is a planet or a planetary ring, it must also be mapped to get the full details about the planetary surface or the planetary ring's contents. Mapping also increases your profit when you sell the exploration data.
    • Mapping is done with the DSS (Detailed Surface Scanner).
    • To map a planet or planetary ring you need to be within a certain distance of it so that it is in the range of the DSS. The distance required for scanning varies with the size (not the mass) of the celestial body. According to the wiki stars may be scanned from a distance of 1000 ls or more, while for small moons you need to be much closer (e.g. 10 ls or even closer).
    • Activate the DSS. You need to be in supercruise and in Analysis mode to do this.
    • Fire the DSS. Each time you fire the DSS it sends a sensor probe flying towards the body to be scanned. On impact the probe will map a certain percentage of the body's surface. When you reach 90%, coverage automatically jumps to 100%, i.e. the body becomes fully mapped.
    • A sensor probe that is fired towards the edges of a planet will be pulled in by the planet's gravitation to impact on the planet's side or even on the far side of the planet.
    • If you manage to fully map a planet by firing only a certain maximum of probes (the efficiency target) you get a credit bonus.
    • You have an unlimited supply of sensor probes.
    • Surface features found by mapping are revealed in the navigation panel.
  • Scanning may award the "First discovered by" tag, while mapping may award the "First mapped by" tag when you sell the exploration data.
Why do I sometimes get a notice in the HUD that a planet has been "discovered" even though I didn't scan it with the FSS? 
  • Your ship is continuously passive-scanning the nearby space you are flying through. Planetary bodies that get to within about 30 ls of your ship are automatically picked up and scanned.
  • The planetary body thus goes from "Unexplored" to its full system designation without you having to do anything.
  • This frequently happens when you jump into a system and there are planets or asteroid belts very close to your entry point.
Why do I sometimes get a message "Slow down" during super cruise, but if I don't heed the warning nothing happens? 
  • This is not a prompt for you to do something (like a traffic sign), it is merely a message that informs you that the frameshift drive is slowing down.
  • This occurs because you are near a large mass, such as a planet or a star. When you travel at superluminal speed, any nearby masses impose a maximum on your speed. Because of this, when you jump into a system close to its star you first have to leave the star's vicinity to be able to accelerate. As you travel towards the destination planet you first gain speed while you leave the star's vicinity, then you slow down again when you approach the planet.
  • If you cannot accelerate although you are in super cruise, you may be too close to a planet without realizing it. Check out your surroundings, then head away from the planet. If you see orbit lines, try to leave the plane of the orbit, this usually takes you away from the planet as well.
How do I measure a planet's distance from the star it is orbiting? 
  • In the system map check out the value of the planet's semi-major axis. The higher this value the farther away the planet is from its star (or from whatever is at the center of its orbit)
  • The value given is in astronomical units (AU). 1 AU is equivalent to the average distance of the earth from the sun. 1 AU is also roughly equal to 500 LS, a value that has more meaning to an Elite Dangerous pilot since light seconds is the unit used while travelling within a star system.
  • From geometry: Planets orbit in an ellipse. The major axis is the longer axis of the ellipse. The semi-major axis is one half of the major axis. See the Wikipedia article for more information.


Maneouvering

What's the best cargo scooping technique? 
  • The following technique only works if the canister to scoop is completely at rest in space. This is usually the case if canisters spawn from a "weak signal source".
  • Deploy cargo scoop. The target area changes into a crosshair.
  • Exactly (!) center the canister in the crosshair
  • Fly towards the canister. If you are nicely centered on the canister you should not need to make any corrections, which is the whole point of the maneouver. If you approach the canister while it is not centered you will need to use the thrusters to continuously make corrections, which is at least time consuming and at worst may destroy the canister when you accidentally ram it.


Planetary landing, flight, navigation

How does planetary landing work? 
  • During planetary landing you progress between different flight modes: Super Cruise > Orbital Cruise > Orbital Glide > Planetary Flight > Ship landed.
  • When you enter the blue radius displayed around a planet, you are still in Super Cruise but now a series of instruments is displayed in the HUD.
    • Altimeter. The altimeter axis has fixed "OC" and "DRP" indicators which are important markers explained further down.
    • Rate of Descent indicator on the right of the Altimeter.
    • 3 lines of digits below the Altimeter. Line 1/2 = Latitude/Longitude. Line 3 = G force indicator, i.e. how much gravitational force the planet exerts on the ship at the moment.
  • When the current altitude reaches the "OC" indicator on the Altimeter, the ship shifts from Super Cruise to Orbital Cruise (OC). The "Verity" COVAS calls this "Orbital Flight".
  • While in Orbital Cruise, the HUD displays an additional Attitude Ladder instrument on the left of the Altimeter.
    • The Attitude Ladder shows the angle in relation to the planet surface.
    • The indicators turn blue around +/- 5°.
  • When the current altitude reaches the "DRP" indicator on the Altimeter, the ship shifts from (or "drops") from Orbital Cruise into Orbital Glide. The "OC" and "DRP" indicators on the Altimeter are replaced by a "SURF" indicator.
  • Orbital Glide is used to quickly cover large distances.
  • While in Orbital Glide, the HUD displays an additional Heading indicator above the Attitude Ladder.
    • The Heading indicator shows the direction in which the ship is currently headed.
  • When the ship's pitch goes outside the range -60/+5, or the ship's speed drops below a certain threshold, the ship shifts from Orbital Glide to Planetary Flight.
  • During Planetary Flight you navigate with your thrusters. The goal is to find a flat area as a landing site and then to land your ship.


How does planetary flight work? 
  • In Planetary Flight you navigate with your thrusters.
  • If Flight Assist is on the ship will simply hover in the air. If Flight Assist is off the ship will slowly drop towards the surface, pulled in by the planet's gravitiy.
    • Turn Flight Assist on/off by pressing the little wheel on the throttle part of the HOTAS
  • During planetary flight, the "Rate of Descent" indicator in the HUD is very sensitive and clearly shows what happens. The "Rate of Descent" indicator is also present in earlier flight modes (Super Cruise, Orbital Cruise, Orbital Glide) but much less sensitive - obviously because the altitude is still very high during these flight modes and there is no need for a sensitive indicator.
  • To return to space from planetary you have to engage the FSD to re-enter Orbital Cruise. This is possible only at an altitude of 2km or above.
  • Finding a flat area to land
    • If the landing gear is deployed, the scanner area automatically switches to terrain rendering when you get to an altitude of 800m or below.
    • If the landing gear is retracted, this switch to terrain rendering occurs only when you get to 75m or below.
    • A small disc on the rendered terrain indicates whether or not you can land here: Blue = terrain is suitable for landing, orange = terrain is not suitable for landing.
  • Land
    • Once a suitably flat area has been found, approach the surface and deploy the landing gear.
    • Use the instruments displayed inside the Attitude Ladder to align the ship to the surface.
    • The instruments show blue if the ship is correctly aligned, and orange if the ship needs re-alignment (including arrow-shaped indicators that show how to align).
  • Lift off
    • Thrust vertically to lift off.
    • Retract the landing gear.


How does planetary navigation work? 
  • The HUD shows two numbers, one for latitude (Breitengrad in German) at the top, and one for longitutde (Längengrad in German) at the bottom.
  • The upper number (latitude) will increase if you move north (360) and decrease if you move south (180).
    • Longitude = East/West.
  • The lower number (longitude) will increase if you move east (090) and decrease if you move west (270).
    • Latitude = North/South.
  • Flight direction north (0/360°)
    • Direction 359
      • Upper number (latitude) = Decreasing
      • Lower number (longitude) = Increasing
    • Direction 0
      • Upper number (latitude) = Decreasing
      • Lower number (longitude) = Stable
    • Direction 1
      • Upper number (latitude) = Decreasing
      • Lower number (longitude) = Decreasing
  • Flight direction east (090°)
    • Direction 89
      • Upper number (latitude) = Decreasing
      • Lower number (longitude) = Decreasing
    • Direction 90
      • Upper number (latitude) = Stable
      • Lower number (longitude) = Decreasing
    • Direction 91
      • Upper number (latitude) = Increasing
      • Lower number (longitude) = Decreasing
  • Flight direction south (180°)
    • Direction 179
      • Upper number (latitude) = Increasing
      • Lower number (longitude) = Decreasing
    • Direction 180
      • Upper number (latitude) = Increasing
      • Lower number (longitude) = Stable
    • Direction 181
      • Upper number (latitude) = Increasing
      • Lower number (longitude) = Increasing
  • Flight direction west (270°)
    • Direction 269
      • Upper number (latitude) = Increasing
      • Lower number (longitude) = Increasing
    • Direction 270
      • Upper number (latitude) = Stable
      • Lower number (longitude) = Increasing
    • Direction 271
      • Upper number (latitude) = Decreasing
      • Lower number (longitude) = Increasing


HUD

What does it mean when I see "Hostile" above the heat signature bar (where I usually see "Illicit cargo")? 
 ???
What does the status "Lawless" mean if I see it when scanning a ship? 
 ???
What is the meaning of the small bar above my fuel bar? 
  • Your ship actually has two types of fuel tanks, not just one.
  • The main fuel bar is for the main fuel tank. The fuel in the main fuel tank is used to perform hyperspace jumps between star systems.
  • The small fuel bar is for the reservoir fuel tank. The fuel in the reservoir fuel tank is used to travel in-system, regardless of whether this is done in supercruise mode or in normal travel mode.
  • When the reservoir fuel tank becomes empty, it is automatically refilled from the supply in the main fuel tank.
  • When you refuel on a station you refill both fuel tanks.
  • When you collect fuel via scooping you only refill the main tank.
What is "local rep", which can be seen in the lower-left of the "Status" tab on the status (right) panel? How does this relate to the reputation the player has in relation to the individual local system factions? 
 ???
The info panel may show "1 new contact" when I hover in space. What does this mean? What is a "contact"? 
The scanner shows contacts, so I assume when a new contact shows up on the scanner, this is what the info panel mentions.
How do I see on the scanner which contact is new? 
 ???
Can I interact with NPC contacts? 
 ???
What does "RST" mean in the power distributor display? 
This probably means "Reset", because triggering this resets the power distribution to 2 pips per system.
How do I distribute power between systems? Cursor keys seem to do something, but I am not sure exactly how this works. 
  • In total there are 6 pips to distribute (based on that 2 pips appear for each of the 3 systems when I reset power distribution)
  • A system can be assigned 0-4 pips
  • Cursor Left = Add 1 pip to SYS
  • Cursor Up = Add 1 pip to ENG
  • Cursor Right = Add 1 pip to WEP
  • Cursor Down = Reset distribution to 2 pips per system
  • When pips are added to a system, they are taken away from the other systems that currently have pips.
  • If both of the other 2 systems have pips, a half-pip is taken away from each. The remaining half-pips show as half-lighted pips.
What do the bars shown by the power distributor mean? Do these bars ever get less-than-full? 
  • They show how much power is stored and ready for use by the corresponding system (systems, engines, weapons)
  • The "SYS" bar depletes when shields regenerate after being powered down
  • The "ENG" bar depletes when you trigger the engine boost
  • The "WEP" bar depletes when you shoot your weapons
  • The bar shows a percentage, not an absolute value. The absolute value represented by the percentage changes with the number of pips you assign to a system.
  • Bars also regenerate faster the more pips you assign to them. Zero pips = Bars do not regenerate at all.
What is the sensor scale? 
  • I assume "sensor" refers to the scanner display
  • The sensor scale defines how much space the scanner display represents
How can the sensor scale be changed 
Page up / Page down.
What is "Cargo Insurance" (visible in the status panel under "Status > Finance")? 
 ???


Managing your ship

Ship equipment

Is there any benefit from the Power Plant providing more energy than necessary to run all modules? For instance, will the Power Distributor be able to assign additional energy to weapons or shields? 
 ???
What effects can better equipment have on supercruise travelling? For instance, is it possible to escape from gravity wells faster? Or to accelerate faster to higher speeds? If it's not the equipment, maybe a different ship type helps? Or are these things the same for everybody? 
 ???
What do I need life support for? 
  • If the ship is damaged in a way that the atmoshpere is escaping into space, the life support module will enable the player to survive until he reaches the next station. The better the module, the longer time you have to reach the station.
  • TODO: It is unclear whether life support is required during normal operations, i.e. when the canopy is not damaged.
If there are several starports and/or outposts in a system with the outfitting facility, do these facilities all have the same equipment for sale? What about prices? 
 ???
What is the best place to buy equipment? 
  • Outfitting and shipyard prices are generally reduced by 15% in all systems in the influence sphere of Li Yong-Rui (aka Sirius Corporation, one of the Power Play entities).
  • The best known station is Ray Gateway in Diaguandri (457ls), which has almost every part available.
  • From there it’s a short hop to the capital of Lembava and even Yimakuapa, which have many of the parts not available in Diagurandri.
  • Last time I was there, Diaguandri and Lembava did not have a Type 7, but Balante (a close-by system) did


Multiple ships

How do I get back to a ship that I have stored somewhere else? 
You can transfer the ship to your current location, but this takes time and money. It is often preferrable to fly to the location where you have stored the ship.
What happens with the cargo I currently own when I buy a new ship? 
The game forces you to empty the cargo hold before you can buy the new ship, so this is not an issue.
If there are several starports and/or outposts in a system with the shipyard facility, do these facilities all have the same ships for sale? What about prices? 
 ???


Destruction

Where do I start again when I am killed? 
At the port nearest to where you died (this used to be at the port where you last docked).
When I buy a new ship and I get destroyed, what do I have to pay to get it back? Including the previous configuration? 
  • 5% of the cost of the ship (including mandatory modules) + 5% of the cost of all additionally bought modules
  • If you don't have enough money, a loan of up to 600k is available. The loan needs to be paid back via a 10% fee which is automatically deducted from all income. The 600k are reduced by the amount of previously unpaid loans.
  • Any cargo is lost, as well as any uncollected bounties and all unsold exploration data
  • Also see the ED Wiki


The universe

Factions

Do I get into trouble when I have a Federation rank and I visit Empire or Alliance systems? (the same goes the other way round) 
No, this is not a problem.
Can I have ranks with more than one major faction, e.g. can I have ranks with both Federation and Empire? 
  • Yes
  • I've read somewhere that higher ranks may be exclusive, though
In the Systems panel I see that two local factions have status "Civil War", yet the overall system status (in the System map) is "None". So what exactly does this "Civil War" status mean? The two local factions have influence 2% (decreasing) and 3% (increasing), respectively. 
 ???


Bounties and fines

When do I get fined? 
  • For breaking any docking rules
  • Failing to deliver some (but not all) missions within the allotted time (the mission details state when a fine is possible)
  • Getting caught smuggling stolen or illegal goods (I can confirm that illegal goods get you a fine). Caught = Getting scanned by a vessel of the system's authority. Usually this happens when you approach a station, but it may happen anywhere you encounter a system authority vessel - even when you are in a combat zone, or check out a signal source, or are interdicted.
  • TODO: More?
  • Also see the ED Wiki
How do I get rid of a fine? 
  • Go to a station under the control of the jurisdiction that issued the fine. In the "Contacts" section of the Station Services menu, select the "Authority Contact" to view and pay off any open fines.
  • Alternatively, you can pay off the fine at any station that has an "Interstellar Factors Contact", without having to travel to a station under the control of the jurisdiction that issued the fine. Note, however, that you will have to pay a 25% surcharge for this convenience service.
  • A fine must be paid off within 7 days of the fine being issued. If after 7 days a fine has not been paid, it is automatically converted into a bounty issued on your head!
  • If you die for any reason, the fine becomes dormant. The dormant fine is not converted into a bounty. The dormant fine will re-activate 1) when an NPC from the jurisdiction that issued the fine scans you; or 2) when you commit another crime against the jurisdiction that issued the fine.
  • Unlike a dormant bounty, a dormant fine does not expire after 7 days. It remains in place apparently forever in the form of a "legacy fine", which can be paid off just as a normal/active fine.
  • TODO: Does a re-activated fine get a new 7 day expiration timer, just like bounties do?
When is a bounty issued against me? 
  • By shooting someone who is not wanted by the jurisdiction of the system you are in
  • Since Anarchy systems do not have a jurisdiction, you can shoot people at will without incurring a bounty against you
  • If you see that someone has a bounty issued against him by another jurisdiction than the one from your current system, then killing that pilot will award you the bounty, but you will also incur a bounty against yourself! TODO: Is this still true?
  • By letting a fine expire
  • TODO: More?
How do others see if I have a bounty on my head? 
  • Bounties issued by the jurisdiction of the system you are in will show as "WANTED" on normal ship scans
  • Bounties issued by other jurisdictions will only show up when a kill warrant scanner is used
How do I clear a bounty once I have one on my head? 
  • The following details are no longer accurate. Since 3.0 bounties no longer go dormant.
  • Wait 7 days for the bounty to expire
  • Get killed by someone who has seen the bounty. The bounty will then be awarded to the pilot who killed you, clearing it off your head.
  • If you get killed by someone who has not seen the bounty, then the bounty will not get awarded to the pilot who killed you. The bounty still exists, but becomes dormant. The bounty also becomes dormant if you kill yourself (whether intentionally or accidentally). After 7 days the dormant bounty will expire as usual. The dormant bounty is never visible to other players (even if they use a kill warrant scanner), or NPCs from jurisdictions other than the one that issued the bounty. The dormant bounty will re-activate 1) when an NPC from the jurisdiction that issued the bounty scans you; or 2) when you commit another crime against the jurisdiction that issued the bounty. The re-activated bounty gets a new 7 day expiration timer.
  • It used to be possible to pay off a bounty, but since the Power Play update (1.3) this is no longer possible
  • Also see the ED Wiki
  • In this forum thread someone (Lord_Crazy) says that after 7 days a bounty does not expire, it becomes dormant. After 7 more days the dormant bounty is turned into a fine. This is completely different from what the wiki says, especially here the conversion is from bounty-to-fine, but in the wiki it's fine-to-bounty. Someone else still (Cmnd Fulsom) says that after 7 days the bounty is turned into a fine, without intervening dormant status. Confusion reigns.


Missions

When a mission mentions a specific system, is there an easier way to find that system on the galaxy map than to write down the system name, then type it into the search field in the galaxy map screen? For instance, can I click somewhere into the mission text? 
There is now a button "Open Galaxy Map" at the bottom of the mission that shows you where the mission takes place.
What does it mean when a mission has both a reward and a fine? 
  • The reward is - obviously - what you get when you complete the mission
  • The fine is what happens if you fail to complete the mission
Besides a fine, is there a negative impact when I fail a mission? 
 ???


System security

When a system has high security, this usually means that you get scanned more often when you approach a starport than in a low-security system. Does this happen because in a high security system there are more security vessels nearby the starport, so the chance that one of them scans you is higher? Or is the number of vessels the same, but they will simply perform scans more often? 
 ???


NPCs

Sometimes I see a message in my comms panel that comes from a wedding barge. The message invites me to follow the NPC ship. Should I follow? 
  • Not necessarily, no. A wedding barge is just a random NPC ship that attempts to bring a little bit of flavour to the game.
  • The same goes for funeral barges.
  • There may be missions that involve wedding/funeral barges, or simply civilian targets in general.
What is the meaning of various other NPC comms chatter? 
  • "Good job I've found you..." and several others: An NPC pirate announcing that he will shortly attempt to interdict you. Watch the sensors to see him getting behind you, maybe you can evade him.
  • "Oh the violence...": ???
  • "Come down with me": ???
  • Random political / ideological chatter


Permits

Some systems, planets or even entire regions of space require you to have a permit before you are allowed to visit them. This forum thread lists all known permits, and how to obtain them. The ED wiki also has a page that lists permits. Some permits currently cannot be obtained - obviously these systems and regions are reserved for future development. Fleet Carriers cannot enter a permit-locked system even if the FC owner has the permit.

To see all permits you currently have, call up the Systems panel (mapped to "2"), select the "Status" tab, then cycle through the available sections until you get to the "Permits" section.

You can see whether a specific system requires a permit by selecting it in the galaxy map. If a permit is required the system's tooltip will show "Requires <foo> permit" at the bottom. An example is the Polaris system. To see whether a planet requires a permit you have to open the system map: Planets that require a permit are marked up with a red "swish". An example is the moon Triton in the Sol system.

Notes on obtaining faction permits:

  • Typically you need to obtain Allied status with the faction that issues a permit. This can be done in the usual ways, such as doing trading and other missions for them (if the faction is the mission giver or receiver), selling exploration data (at a station controlled by the faction), or handing in bounties (I'm not sure how this works).
  • Once you are allied an invitation mission will spawn that you have to do to obtain the permit. The ED forum thread linked at the beginning of this section has the information that the invitation mission can spawn anywhere within 15 ly of the permit-locked system.
  • If a permit-giving faction has no presence outside of the permit-locked system then it is usually impossible to obtain the permit, either because you can't interact with the faction to get allied, or because you won't find a place where the invitation mission spawns.
  • Handing in bounties at an Interstellar Factor (IF) instead of at a regular faction contact has some sort of capping mechanism that requires turning in bounties frequently in smaller quantities instead of once in a mass sale. Here's a forum post with some details that I didn't bother to understand until I actually have to deal with the mechanism.


Materials and Engineers

Materials

What are "materials"? 
  • Materials were introduced in version 2.0 of the game, "Horizons". They are a new concept of things that you can own in quantities and that you need an inventory for. Until version 2.0 there was only cargo, which was stored and inventorized in the cargo hold.
  • Materials are different from cargo in that they don't take up cargo space. Instead each type of material has its own storage limit.
  • Also, material storage is not tied to a ship, it is tied to the CMDR personality, i.e. your account. For instance, you can change to a different ship and don't have to bother unloading materials from your current ship to the new ship. Even more importantly, you can't lose any materials when you die - whatever materials you own remain in your possession. Finally, materials don't have a weight so they don't limit your ship's jump range.
What types of materials are there ? 
  • There are two broad categories of materials:
    • "Regular" materials, frequently called simply "materials": These are physical things. Their storage is inventorized in the systems panel on the "Inventory" tab, in the "Materials" section.
    • "Encoded" materials, sometimes also called "encoded data", or simply "data": These are non-physical, immaterial things that exist only in electronic form. Their storage is inventorized in the systems panel on the "Inventory" tab, in the "Data" section.
  • Materials are sub-categorized into:
    • Element materials: These are natural materials such as Sulphur, Phosphorus or Carbon. Elements are usually gathered by driving around with an SRV on a planetary surface, and less frequently as by-products from mining asteroids. There may be other sources as well.
    • Manufactured materials: These are non-natural materials such as Electrochemical Arrays, Grid Resistors or Heat Exchangers. Sources for manufactured materials are too varied to list them here, this is an entire topic of itself.
  • Currently there are no sub-categories for data.
  • All materials are graded according to their rarity, ranging from grade 1 (most common) to grade 5 (most rare). The term "high grade" typically refers to grade 4 and 5.


Synthesis

What is "synthesis" ? 
  • Synthesis is the process of manufacturing something from a stock of raw materials.
  • For each thing you want to manufacture you need a synthesis recipe. Currently all synthesis recipes are known to all players, so there are no acquired synthesis recipes.
  • Every synthesis recipe comes in three grades: Basic, standard and premium. The basic grade manufactures something without any enhancement, while the standard and premium grades typically manufacture "more of the same" and may even add something "extra" on top. For instance, higher grades of the FSD Injection recipe just add more jump range, while higher grades of the Plasma Munitions recipe not only manufacture more ammunition but also add a damage bonus.
  • The in-game UI for Synthesis is found in the Systems panel (mapped to "2"), on the "Inventory" tab, in the section named "Synthesis".
What are the non-combat synthesis recipes? 
  • The following recipe list is per version 3.4 of the game.
  • FSD Injection
  • SRV Ammo Restock
  • SRV Repair
  • SRV Refuel
  • AFM Refill
  • Limpets. This can be important for exploration because with the right limpet controller you can repair the ship's hull, repair the canopy (as long as it has not yet been completely shattered), or collect research samples from alien organic lifeforms found at Notable Stellar Phenomena.
  • Heatsinks
  • Life Support. This fully restocks the Life Support module's emergency oxygen supply. Apparently this works even if the ship's canopy is currently shattered and you are consuming emergency oxygen. On a deep-space expedition this synthesis recipe will probably not be able to save you because a shattered canopy can only be repaired when docked at a station.


Engineers

See the EDEngineering wiki page for a detailed list of Engineers and blueprints.

The EDShipBuilding wiki page contains practical applications of engineering.


Planetary surfaces

What is the primary interface for ship/SRV interaction when landed on a planet? 
  • The primary interface is the "Role" panel.
  • Reveal the "Role" panel with key "3", or with the control bound to "UI Focus", followed by the control bound to "UI Down".


How do I deploy an SRV, or return to the ship from a deployed SRV? 
  • The "Role" panel allows to deploy the SRV. Once the SRV is deployed the cockpit view and all controls shift to the SRV.
  • To get back into the ship, drive the SRV below the ship under the cargo hatch, then use the "Role" panel to board the ship.
    • Certain ships have a very low clearance below their hull, making it difficult to navigate the SRV under the cargo hatch.
    • A rugged landing site might also make it difficult to reach the correct position.
  • The SRV can also be deployed while docked at a surface port.
  • To board a ship that is docked at a surface port, you must first request docking from the SRV, then drive to the garage that is assigned to you.
  • If you are unable to reach the boarding location under your ship for any reason, you wil have to self-destruct your SRV to return to your ship. By doing so you will lose your SRV, but your overall progress remains intact and you can continue your journey.
    • Note that it should be "safe" to self-destruct if your ship is currently dismissed and in orbit.
    • I am not sure, however, whether it is safe to self-destruct if your ship is currently still on the ground.


How do I find the landing pad I was assigned when I requested docking permission from my SRV? 
  • Don't look at the scanner - the target reticle in the HUD is the indicator.


How do I dismiss / recall the ship? 
  • Once you are in the SRV, you can dismiss the ship from the "Role" panel. The ship will then automatically fly into a safe orbit around the planet.
  • If you travel further than 2km from the ship, the ship will be automatically dismissed (the training video calls this feature the "auto pilot").
  • A ship that is in orbit can be recalled from the "Role" panel.
  • The ship cannot be recalled while you are near a settlement.
  • A recalled ship will automatically select a suitable landing site more or less nearby the SRV's current location.
  • Warning: If your SRV is inside a gorge or any other narrow depression, it is likely that the recalled ship will not land down at the ground of the depression, but somewhere above. If the gorge walls are steep you might be unable to climb the walls with your SRV to reach the recalled ship's landing site. If this happens you will be forced to self-destruct your SRV to return to your ship. It is therefore dangerous to dismiss a ship after landing inside a gorge because the ship might not be able to return to its original landing site.


What tools can I use to navigate on a planet's surface? 
  • A surface map can be called up via the "Target" panel. The surface map is also called up instead of the system map if you press "M" (or whatever control is currently bound to that function).
    • If you are in space you can also open up the system map, select a planet and then zoom in very close - at some point the view will switch from the system map to the surface map.
  • In the "Target" panel the Navigation tab shows all known surface locations, and their distance from the current location. Locking a surface location will show it in the scanner area. Surface locations appear only if you have discovered them, or bought the system data for the planet.
  • In the "Systems" panel the headlights can be switched between full / dipped down / off.


What types of surface locations are there? 
  • Settlements. These offer a variety of things to interact with.
  • Surface ports. These allow you to dock your ship. They offer port services, similar to starports.
  • Points of interest (POIs). There is a wide range of POI types, some may be natural (e.g. volcanism, geysers), others are artifical (e.g. crash sites).


How do settlements "work"? 
  • Settlements have different sizes, indicated by a number of '+' characters next to their name in the Target panel. Range = 0-3.
  • Settlements have security levels, also indicated in the Target panel. Low security = Little hostility, Medium = Some trespass zones, High = Dangerous place to visit.
  • Settlements are protected by "no fly" zones. Entering the zone is possible, but you have to leave it again or you will be fined and the settlement will become hostile.
  • You can connect/link to communication towers, data points and other useful structures. The procedure is explained in the next question.
    • Linking to a communication tower will trigger an action, such as deactivating gun batteries or skimmers, or opening doors.
    • Linking to a data point can do different things, such as providing an interesting bit of lore about the settlement, or it may trigger a chain reaction where you have to find and scan a number of other data points in the settlement within a time limit.
  • Generators can be disabled by firing at them with the SRV gun.


How do I connect/link to a structure located in a settlement? 
  • You can do this either in turret mode or in normal driving mode.
  • In both modes you aim roughly towards the structure you want to link to.
    • In normal driving mode this may not always be possible (e.g. if a data point is high above the ground). At these times you must switch to turret mode.
  • Target the structure you want to link to.
  • In turret mode you can see whether the structure is public or private.
    • If the structure is marked as "public", it is legal to link to it.
    • If the structure is marked as "private", it is illegal to link to it.
    • The structure may not have a "public" or "private" marker, in which case it should be OK to link to it.
  • To link, press the button that you have assigned to the "Datalink Scanner" in your current fire group configuration.
    • Usually this is the secondary fire button (button "C" on my HOTAS)
    • Note that there is NO control binding for the datalink scanner! There may have been such a binding in older versions of Elite Dangerous (called "Operate Datalink Scanner"), but that no longer exists (or I don't know where to find it).
  • The scan takes some time to complete, a small control in the HUD will show the progress of the scan.


I have been awarded an "Intel package", what do I do with this? 
  • You can sell this at "relevant ports" in the "Contacts" section.


How does the wave scanner work? 
  • During planetary flight, the sensor will display "anomalies" as blue circles, but only when the ship is at a certain height. TODO: What height?
  • The location of the object within the blue circle is unknown, it must be located from the SRV.
  • The wave scanner can be switched on and off. If switched on, the HUD displays the scanner above the terrain renderer.
  • If the scanner detects an object, it shows the object's "signature". The signature corresponds to the elements that the object is made from.
  • The elements display vertically on the scanner band.
  • At distance, the signature will be "smeared" over a large left-to-right section of the scanner band.
  • When you get closer to the object, the signature will become narrower and brighter.
  • TODO: More details.


How does SRV driving work? 
  • The driving model is always tuned for a 1g world. High g worlds will have an effect on how much boost is available, or other parameters.
  • Drive Assist
    • On = SRV attempts to maintain its current speed after you stop accelerating.
    • Off = Once you stop accelerating, speed will slowly decrease back to 0.
    • Drive Assist is toggled using the same control as Flight Assist (in my HOTAS the small wheel on the throttle stick)
  • Turn left/right by rolling
  • Handbrake can be used for emergency stops, or for sliding on icy terrain. The control bound to the handbrake function on my HOTAS is "Toggle button 1 down (T2)".
  • Boost is used to perform jumps. Keep the boost button pressed to perform a longer jump. While in the "air" it's possible to control the roll and pitch level of the SRV.
    • ENG pips influence boost capabilities.
    • Higher gravity means less high jumps.
  • Damage
    • When you land from a jump the SRV may take damage if its velocity is too high.
    • The basic rule is: Ground collisions ignore shields!
    • Materials can be collected to repair the SRV via synthesis.
  • Fuel
    • Driving slower = less fuel consumption.
    • Boosts consume fuel.
    • Powering down modules reduces fuel consumption.
    • Running out of fuel = 4 mins left to refuel or return to ship.
    • Refuelling can be done at a port.
    • Materials can be collected to synthesize new fuel.


What is turret mode and how does it work? 
  • Instead of just firing the turret weapon in the direction the SRV is currently facing, it is possible to take complete control of the turret by switching the HUD to turret mode.
  • Use the "Role" panel, or press the button assigned to "Toggle SRV turret" to take control.
  • Turret mode is not only important for firing the turret weapon, but also for operating the datalink scanner when linking to a data point or other structure in a settlement.
  • Turret up/down/left/right = Hat switch on throttle control (same that is used for thrusters).


Do I need to have the Sensors module enabled while prospecting? 
  • Yes.
  • If the module is not enabled, you won't be able to distinguish a prospectable object from other "decorations", i.e. not only will the object not appear on the scanner, you cannot even target it, although it is plainly in sight.


Why am I unable to shoot at an outcrop? The turret gun is not firing. 
  • Make sure that the weapon module is enabled.
  • Make sure that WEP has assigned some pips.
  • Make sure that the sensors module is enabled, otherwise you won't be able to target the outcrop.


Background Simulation

Faction states

List of systems with notable stellar phenomena
State Since Effect How to change Notes
Drought January 2020 Update Economic downturn. Can be countered by importing water and other emergency supplies. See January 2020 Update patch notes for details.
Infrastructure Failure January 2020 Update Reduces both security and economic standards. The increased demands on infrastructure elsewhere in the star system may lead to similar failures for other factions. Food and machinery deliveries can speed up repairs. See January 2020 Update patch notes for details.
Terrorist Attack January 2020 Update Significant security and influence cost. Can be countered by legally selling weapons to the authorities and assisting with bounty hunting efforts, or by the faction entering a Lockdown state. See January 2020 Update patch notes for details.
Natural Disaster January 2020 Update Significant economic and security cost. A natural disaster puts extra strain on the star system's infrastructure, increasing the chance of drought or infrastructure failure for other factions in that system. - See January 2020 Update patch notes for details.
Public Holiday January 2020 Update Increase a Faction's influence and standard of living, however that comes at small economic and security cost. - See January 2020 Update patch notes for details.
Blight ? ? ?


Controls

Here's a list of uncommon / undocumented controls:

  • Reset all pitching/rolling to 0 = Reset mouse, custom key = §. With a joystick this control is not needed.
  • Screenshot = F10
  • High resolution screenshot = Alt + F10 (only possible in Solo mode)
  • A screenshot without the HUD, or a screenshot that includes your ship, can be taken by enabling the so-called "camera suite" (before the 2.3 release of the game this was called the "debug camera")
  • SRV Handbrake = Toggle button 1 down (T2)
  • Select Target Ahead while in SRV = Button B
  • SRV Cargo scoop = Toggle button 2 up (T3)
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