The video explores various “abandoned tech” features in Elite Dangerous, such as atmospheric worlds, comets, rogue planets, boarding actions, and big game hunting, which were proposed during the game’s development but remain largely unrealized. While acknowledging the progress made by Frontier and the player base over the years, it expresses hope that these features may be revisited in the future.
The video discusses various features that were once proposed for the game Elite Dangerous but have not been fully realized, referring to them as “abandoned tech.” These features include atmospheric worlds, comets, rogue planets, boarding actions, and big game hunting. The creator emphasizes that this analysis is not a criticism of the game but rather a historical recounting of its development over the past decade, highlighting the progress made by Frontier and the growth of the player base.
Starting with atmospheric worlds, the video notes that the concept was introduced during the game’s Kickstarter campaign in 2012, where David Braben envisioned players landing on planets with diverse environments and life forms. Although some aspects of this idea were partially implemented in the Odyssey expansion in 2021, players can currently only land on planets with thin atmospheres, limiting the experience significantly compared to the original vision. As of March 2025, there has been no further news on expanding atmospheric world features, leaving the community hopeful yet uncertain.
The discussion then shifts to comets, which were confirmed to exist in the game’s data by game director Michael Brooks in 2015 but lack visual representation. Players discovered that while comets are present in the Stellar Forge system, they are not visible or interactable, limiting gameplay opportunities. The video suggests that comets could offer unique mining and exploration experiences if fully implemented, but as of now, they remain in a state of limbo.
Rogue planets are introduced next, which are worlds that drift through space without orbiting a star. Like comets, they have been mentioned in the community and confirmed to exist in the game’s data, but they have not been incorporated into gameplay. The potential for rogue planets includes unexpected encounters during travel, adding an element of surprise and exploration to the game, yet this feature also appears to be on the back burner.
Finally, the video covers boarding actions and big game hunting, both of which were ambitious features discussed during the game’s early development. Boarding actions would allow players to board other ships, while big game hunting would involve tracking and hunting alien wildlife on planets. Despite initial enthusiasm and promises from the developers, these features have not been realized in the game, and the video concludes on a hopeful note that Frontier may revisit these ideas in the future as they continue to develop the game.