The Elite Dangerous update 18.06 focuses on significant changes to the Thargoid War and Titan progression based on player feedback and internal reviews. The update enhances combat actions, system difficulty, Spire systems, and Titan vulnerability challenges to create a more balanced and engaging gameplay experience while maintaining the threat of five active Titans in the galaxy.
The Elite Dangerous update 18.06 focuses on significant changes based on player feedback and internal reviews of the Thargoid War and Titan progression. The update aims to address various aspects of the game, starting with improvements to war contribution and bounty changes. Combat actions have been enhanced to make them more impactful in beating back the Thargoid threat, with adjustments made to combat bonds for different Thargoid ships, such as the Cyclops, Basilisk, Medusa, Hydra, and Orthrus.
System difficulty changes have been implemented to ensure a more balanced gameplay experience, regardless of a system’s proximity to a Titan. The update aims to make all systems contestable without requiring Spire Assistance or stockpiling samples. Additionally, system scores have been rebalanced using new war contribution values to maintain a consistent level of difficulty throughout the game.
The update introduces the concept of Spire systems being valuable tools against the Thargoids, affecting systems further away from the associated Titan through spread push back. The spread push back mechanic has been reworked to apply to systems regardless of their progress level, providing a more dynamic and engaging gameplay experience. Counter Strike systems have also been improved to better synergize with Spire mechanics for players to contribute to the war effort.
Titan vulnerability challenges and changes have been revamped to operate on a two-tier system, where Titans are vulnerable to attack with three controlled systems or below, and take minimal damage with four or more controlled systems. Inbox messages and the Galaxy map have been adjusted to align with the new system rules. The update concludes with Frontier stating that they will closely monitor the results of these changes and make further adjustments if necessary, emphasizing that five Titans will remain active threats in the galaxy. Overall, the update aims to enhance the Thargoid War experience and encourage players to engage with the ongoing conflict.