It's beginning to feel like there is some sort of conspiracy to stop the players from solving this mystery - it has been brought up a few times over the years, but never gets much traction and always seems to fade into obscurity. Years ago I posted about this on the Thargoid Anomaly Coalition Discord server... but at some point that server (along with all my research) seems to have disappeared (presumably the server owner closed their account).

I posted it on the Elite Dangerous subreddit a couple of weeks ago after someone reminded me about it, which gained some traction and sparked several lines of investigation... But just over a week later the subreddit moderators deleted the post without providing any notice, explanation or removal reason, then deleted my attempts to direct anyone who appeared to be following any line of investigation to another place where they could continue the investigation, then proceeded to shadow ban me from the entire subreddit, again without providing any sort of notice or explanation (presumably in retaliation for me being critical of their actions, criticism which they have now only reaffirmed was warranted).

Let's see if posting it to lemmy.world fares any better! Here's the original post from Reddit:

I'm sure we've all seen that something appears slightly off in the loading screen (more noticeable in VR since it is pinned to your face Edit: and it seems low graphics quality and messing with gamma can make it easier to see), but most people have just dismissed this as some sort of graphics glitch - however it is very clear to me that it is indeed something hidden there that to the best of my knowledge no one has deciphered. A couple of years ago CMDR Glitterbeard posted this cleaned up version on Twitter (relatively spoiler free. Edit: Apologies to anyone who currently would like nothing to do with X, but consider this link as historical context only which predated all recent controversy):

https://x.com/o7_Glitterbeard/status/1567419597363761152

That perked some interest, but didn't get noticed by enough players and was quickly forgotten.

Some of you may know that I'm one of the main authors of 3DMigoto, a modding tool originally created for adding stereoscopic 3D (not VR) rendering to games, but which has since become a more generally useful DX11 graphics modding tool, and indeed a lot of you will already be using it since it forms the basis of EDHM and CPM. Using this tool I extracted the texture used for this pattern on the loading screen:

CLICK HERE TO REVEAL THE RAW TEXTURE EXTRACTED FROM THE GAME (Canonn members should be aware that using these may be against your player group rules, hence the spoiler tags)

Here's a cleaned up version with the black lines removed:

The raw dds file can also be found here: https://darkstarsword.net/files/elite-dangerous-loading-screen/

There is without any question something hidden there - this is not a glitch or an accident, that texture has been very intentionally crafted that way by Frontier. I've extracted the texture, now it's your turn to help decipher it!

Currently I want some materials or a ship to a friend of mine. Neither of us want to do the grind at the start, and she wants to at least START with the ability to laser mine or fight pirates. Is there a way to give a ship? Or if not, how can I give them minerals that they can then sell and be able to afford the ship?

So… this is news to me, because I don’t have a VR headset, but I can set my Viture Pro XR glasses into SBS (side by side) mode by pressing the small button longer. Some games, like EliteDangerous, can do this as well without fiddling around with Reshade. I didn’t really expect it but it just works. This way I even get 3D on foot, which is not supported for VR in Elite Dangerous Odyssey at all! Side by side Crosseye mode (right eye left, left eye right) though? Add some head tracking to the mix, which is totally possible, and I get a very nice VR-like experience even on foot in Elite Dangerous – and on Linux PC!

This is the SBS version that does REQUIRE VR/XR glasses and mebbe something like xr-video-player: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEtRijojBx8

This is the MONO version that does NOT require VR/XR glasses: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYPTk1vygM4

The FOV is somewhat cramped. No idea if this can be tweaked any further but I’ll fiddle with the settings on my next test. Mebbe this can be tweaked (or I use #Breezy Desktop to zoom in somewhat).

Update: I got the aspect ratio somewhat under control. It’s not perfect but much better and an odd combination of window mode and resolution and upscaling, that somehow affects the HUD only but make no sense to me at all. At this point I think it’s simply a bug of Elite. It’s like the HUD doesn’t get the memo to scale up after the intro played. I’m also not sure if this is a side effect of gamescope but I can totally live with this result.

New footage with better aspect ratio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qdvfdpTy_k

New footage with better aspect ratio framepacked, which MAY just work with VR (or fall back to anaglyph) – the YT FAQ is very thin on 3D content: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWYYJTqnpz8

Update2: Haha it works! https://www.reddit.com/r/EliteDangerous/comments/2o5j30/using_google_cardboard_or_equivalent_kit_as_a_vr/ had a lead: It suggests to double the vertical resolution to get a proper aspect ratio with SBS and shrink the resulting window again.

That’s easy with gamescope:

gamescope -h 2160 -w 3840 -H 1080 -W 3840 –scaler stretch

e voila, perfect aspect ratio. Wonder if my GPU manages to keep this up though. May have to throw FSR into the mix.

So I'm coming back to the game after a two year break. I didn't get too deep into the game before, mostly doing low level combat and trading.

I was wondering what resources people more familiar with the game would suggest I check out for getting into some of the other content like mining, exobiology, and exploration. I'd like to take a shot at the basics of the different gameplay loops/styles before I start trying to get into the deeper content like engineering.

Unfortunately a lot of guides I've found seem to focus on maximum optimization before you even try to get into the content. I don't want to do an engineering grind, or grind to get an FC, before I figure out if I even like the type of gameplay it's going to make easier.

Sure this ship can make the Hutton run in less than 12 light years

Graphics and keybindings both are affected. But here's my PSA: if you also own the game on Epic, use Epic via GFN. I only bought oddy on steam but once got ED free on Epic . There I only own the base game without Odyssey, but since it's the same Frontier account, the game lets me disembark.

Feel free to share this information elsewhere

O7, CMDRs

There I was, cruising around massive pieces of shattered titan carapace, my attention divided between scanners and the view through my canopy. I had my heart set on a couple of new, pre-engineered SCO frame shift drives, each of which requires one of those rare treasures known as titan drive components. I had one already, and if there was another floating out here in the wreckage, I was determined to find it.

Preoccupied as I was, I neglected to check my immediate surroundings before applying a hard downward thrust to get around an obstacle, and smacked my ship right into another titan chunk. The impact knocked my shields offline, and damaged the hull as well. Not severely, though, and no enemies had shown up yet. I figured I would be fine continuing my scavenger hunt for the moment. I went back to my search, picking up whatever useful materials I found along the way.

Then, just as I had slowed to a crawl with my cargo hatch open to scoop up some thargoid bits, I noticed another ship getting a little too close for comfort. I hadn't seen any threats or demands on the comms, so I didn't expect a pirate, but it sure looked like it was moving deliberately in my direction. And then, another blip on the scanner. It was a single limpet, zipping along on a direct path to my ship.

I suddenly remembered that this was exactly what an incoming hatch breaker looks like just before it steals your precious cargo. Damn it. My first and only drive component took hours to find, so I didn't want to risk losing it in battle. Maybe I could outrun this thing. As I shut the cargo hatch and reached for my boost button, I noticed an identifying signature on that incoming blip:

Repair Limpet

What?? Was it possible that the would-be thief had hit the wrong limpet button? Surely my scanners wouldn't be wrong about what kind it was. Curiosity got the better of me, so (with my thumb still over the boost button) I checked the nearby contacts. The approaching ship was a Type-9 Heavy. Not quite the typical pirate wagon.

Identification: Rescue Ship

WHAT??

As I sat there in disbelief, the repair limpet diligently sealed up the cracks in my ship, and then... poof ...expired, its job complete. Hull integrity: 100%. The Lakon hulk that brought the little fix-it bot slowly turned toward a new heading, and peacefully lumbered away.

I must have laughed out loud for fifteen or twenty seconds. I have been playing this game for years. I knew it was risky to linger in the flotsam of a dead titan, where nobody ever shows up but pirates, AX teams, and thargoid interceptors. The last thing I would have expected was exactly the encounter I had: a kindly NPC mobile repair service.

Elite Dangerous dev team, I salute you. That was great.

Alternative front end

MESSAGE FROM THE AXI

Titan, Down.

3310-12-17

Good morning. Titan Cocijo has entered final meltdown. Those seeking to observe its end are advised to be there at approximately 06:36 UTC A good 10+ minutes before the estimated explosion, allows some time for supercruise, positioning, setting up the camera and so on.

Those who wish to do something in the interim - The conflict zones ceased yesterday, though hyperdiction and drop-in Thargoids if they detected you remained hostile, so, no major fighting left in the bubble.

There are still bio-storage capsules on the titan for those willing to grab the sub-surface extraction missiles. Tens of billions were displaced by the Sol invasion, lets see if we can save some of the more unlucky ones. Recovery/repair efforts will take a while in turn most likely.

Past that... will monitor things when possible. We don't know what'll happen next, so, keeping an eye out for rogue signals, checking on the damaged witch head ports, 22460's glowing whirlpool and so on shall continue over time.

Until something else happens... There's nothing to Defend right this minute. After all the incursions and two years of full-force invasions, we're still here.

Make the most of that. Glory, to Mankind.

Disclaimer: I am not a staff member of AXI

• Video Link

Featuring multi angle views. And Commander Mechan Radio. Played on Bazzite.

PRIORITY BROADCAST FROM THE ANTI-XENO INITIATIVE:

The Final Battle Begins

AXI CMDRs, Federal/Imperial/Allied/Independent CMDRs,

That's it. The final enemy bastion of Alpha Centauri is about to fall (and the Hutton Mugs rightfully liberated.)

Tomorrow (Thursday) after server downtime (and save major surprises) the final assault on Titan Cocijo will begin, in Earth's orbit no less.

We've made a tutorial on what to expect, as beginners and experienced pilots alike, here: https://youtu.be/AzH-o_Lg--k

As mentioned in the tutorial, Titan Bombing is best done in small groups (vs large instances.)

You CAN fight in the Anti Xeno Initiative Private Group if you want, but we highly discourage it - it will be chaos. You have been warned.

The Maelstrom has darkened our skies. Less us go back together, and light 'em up again.

GLORY, TO MANKIND

AXI Command

Disclaimer: this has been copy/pasted from the AXI discord. I am not a staff member. References to channels in the discord have been removed

Truly love the Mandalay for traveling. It's insanely zippy in supercruise making for quicker transitions between stars, the jump range is bonkers even before engineering, and the thermal efficiency means you don't even need to clear the star before jumping. Also it's unbelievably stable in SCO, and maintains overcharge for way longer before overheating.

I still love the 'conda because it does everything, but it's a fuggin' boat and flies like one.

If anyone needs me, I'll be fighting for humanity in Sol o7

Dear logbook,

Yesterday, after years of abstinence, I finally returned to the cockpit.

When FDevs announced the console banishment I was sad and butthurt until now. Meanwhile I got a new low tier pc and tried this game streaming service, they had a 50% offer for 3 months, and it works nice. I also already owned an epic games account because I grabbed it when it was one of their free games. But then I bought ED & odyssey for 10€ on steam, also on sale. Because the epic version wouldn't update to the newest version of the game on GeForce now, so I couldn't play. I've read that steam does usually quicker. True, it worked instantly. And in the end I have spacelegs now.

I already got one of those new T8s. I love it, thinking about just getting some FSD engineering and taking it to Colonia region. Where my Playstation carrier was. Inara even says it's still in the game? https://inara.cz/elite/station/202283/ lol must be just rotting there, I don't think it could move in oddy if I jump with it on playstation.

Ah and when I left the Thargs where starting their invasion and now they're all dead but 1 remaining ship is going to destroy Earth? That's kinda fun to see. Nice job, mankind..

Edit: this new FSD boost is awesome, kicks ass. But I really miss having access to Shinrarta Dezhra :(

Well that's it for now,

O7, CMDRs

Galnet

• Widespread Panic in Sol

02 DEC 3310

Confirmation that the final Thargoid Titan, Cocijo, is headed for the Sol system has sparked mass panic among inhabitants.

Evacuation efforts in Sol began as a precaution on November 28th, when Titan Cocijo first moved towards the core systems. Once it became clear that Cocijo was on a direct course for Sol, these efforts were swiftly accelerated.

Defence Secretary Conn Montgomery provided the following update to the Federal Times:

“Rescue Ship Cornwallis is acting as our delivery point for most refugees who do not have access to spacecraft. We’re shuttling civilians from Earth to ports within Sol for transport by Federal military craft and freelance pilots. Other rescue megaships are scheduled for arrival in the next few days to systems close to Sol, which will increase our capacity to process refugees and deliver them to temporary holdings in neighbouring systems.”

“We ask for the people of Sol to pack lightly, move to your nearest designated evacuation centre and follow all instructions from Federal authorities. This is an extremely complicated operation, with over 22 billion people in the system that need to be kept safe. The Federation is doing everything it can to prepare for Titan Cocijo’s arrival.”

News of Cocijo’s approach has triggered significant alarm across Earth, Mars and major ports. Riots have occurred at evacuation centres as people clamour to be transported out of the system. There have been two separate attempts to storm a secure medical facility on Mars where citizens rescued from Thargoid abductions are housed, with gathered crowds blaming the abductees for ‘summoning’ Cocijo to Sol. To date, there is no evidence to support such claims.

ICE-cast analysts have also noted an increase in online hostility towards Seo Jin-ae, the Aegis special advisor who recently declared her unique link to the Thargoid hive mind was ‘exploited’ for information. Some prominent political ICE-casters have blamed her for providing the Thargoids with the location of humanity’s original home world, Earth.

Galnet News Digest

• Panic in Sol: Invasion Inevitable

Two days to save SOL or 🙂‍↔️.

The final battle?

Trailer

Found a Video about the new Cobra Mk V, thought i I could share it

So, Powerplay. Its not about 2.0 or something, just about powerplay in its purest Form.

First of all, who is it for? Like, I currently am pretty much just grinding for a new fer de Lance right now, and I found no real way of making worthwhile money while helping my power. So is it like only for people who have money to spare?

Second, is it just about the merits, or do people actually fight for their favourite power? Most tutorials just go over earning merits, so is there even a community actually using powerplay as it was intended?

3. Is there even any way doing what you like and supporting your power in the meantime, or is it just „do these hyper-specific things 50 times”. So, can I like make my power stronger in that system by doing missions or bounties?

I am very New to powerplay, but I did not find any guide to that, so I appreciate your answers

I'm assuming this was a copy/paste mistake, rather than a Frontier employee making subtle commentary about video game publishers.

My question regards those little fighter hangars you get for bigger ships that can deploy small fighters, specifically on the krait mk2. I see the benefit for something like an Anaconda where you turn to the enemy for 90% of the time, but for the krait they have so little damage output that I dont see any benefit from just buying some hull reinforcements. Any suggestions?

Been going to power wreckage to scoop up escape pods for my weekly missions. This pisses off the enemy faction and the start shooting. I shoot back, I get a bounty. What gives?

Edit: I'm a moron. Enemy power system.

This link should skip past the highlights to the detailed update notes:

https://www.elitedangerous.com/update-notes/4-0-19-0#update-notes-detail