After a slight delay, Frontier Frontier Developments officially released the next big update for its hit online space flight simulator MMO, Elite Dangerous: Ascendancy. The new patch is all about Powerplay 2.0 and the Mandalay, a new exploration ship.
Powerplay 2.0 is set to completely change how you approach gameplay in Elite Dangerous: Ascendancy. First and foremost, players will be unpledged as soon as you log in and install the update, though you won’t get any penalties for affected Commanders and repledge straight away.
More than anything, Powerplay 2.0 encourages the spirit of competition, as you can compete with your fellow agents to see who can earn the most merits for their Power in a given week. Anyone who competes will be rewarded with credits, and the top 10 will be shown off next week. Rebuy costs also encourage push PvP, as there are perks that reward you considerably for fighting other players.
Competing with rival factions to win over a region is also much more difficult in Elite Dangerous: Ascendancy. If you don’t have control over a targeted region, you can focus on completing missions and changing the status to expansion. While this improves your standing, it signals to rivals that you’re vying for control, making you a big target.
Territories can eventually become Exploited, Fortified, or Stronghold status, but you’ll have to fight off the multiple factions that want it during Contested phases. Having Stronghold status systems results in better rewards but once again creates a big target on their back.
Two new Commanders are also joining the fight: Nakato Kaine and Jerome Archer. The former is the newest Alliance Power while the latter is taking over from Zachary Hudson for the Federation.
Alongside these new gameplay features, you can see all about what the new Mandalay ship has to offer broken down below:
- Dreams of flying – the Mandalay, a brand-new ship from Zorgon Peterson, is here. Venture forth into the unknown in style with the next generation of exploration ship, available on the Elite Dangerous Gamestore now.
- Helm the Mandalay – with the most fuel-efficient SCO drive of any new ship to date, coupled with room for a large Fuel Scoop, travelling to those far-away systems and distant Earth-like planets is easier than ever before.
- Cutting through the milky way – with six hardpoints and fantastic maneuverability, the Mandalay is no easy target.
- To the stars that none yet dare – as well as an expansive view from the front canopy, the Mandalay boasts an additional viewport at the bottom of the cockpit, giving you great visibility when landing or taking in a beautiful vista.
You can check out the official blog post for the full patch notes and details, including all of the bug fixes implemented in Elite Dangerous: Ascendancy. The game is currently available for $5.99 for the Steam Halloween discount, with the deluxe edition also marked down to $9.99.
