Elite dangerousthe space game from Frontier Developments, has received a few updates this year. The latest adds a new spaceship to the roster called the Lakon Type-8, only the second one added to the game. in the last five years. I recently tested it briefly and think it could breathe some life back into the venerable title. However, the update is not without controversy.
The Lakon Type-8 looks more like a forklift than a spaceship, but the large outriggers at the front serve several interesting purposes. First, they move the nearly 100-meter-long ship’s maneuvering thrusters further away from the ship’s center of gravity. This extra length gives you much more control over speed when maneuvering, an excellent feature considering we’re talking about a ship twice as long as an Asp Explorer.
The second major benefit of these twin booms is aesthetic. During flight, you can watch the lights of several stars reflect off your ship’s hull in real time. This isn’t possible when you’re in a cockpit attached to the nose of the ship, like in an Asp Explorer or a Type-9. While these booms do obstruct the view a little, the Type-8’s massive curved canopy provides an excellent field of view overall, especially when landing. You can even see your front gear deploy and engage right from the cockpit.
When you step out of the ship in the game’s photo mode, you can also see plenty of other animations during takeoff, landing, and maneuvering. Cooling fins and wings extend and move into position during liftoff, while the ship’s four massive main engines protrude to get into position and even align slightly when turning. All in all, this ugly beast has a whole lot of bells and whistles to offer – just right for keen videographers who like to record their travels.
The Type-8 is touted as a fast little transport. The standard spec is pretty awesome too, giving a significant speed boost over the Python. And even fully equipped, it still has over 100 tons more cargo space than a Python. It also has plenty of mounting points for exotic weapons, but its massive size makes it a challenging choice for combat.
And what about exploration? I spent more time in the game exploring the stars than doing anything else, and I have my beloved Evelyn Christinethe Asp Explorer, with which I flew to Beagle Point in 2019. A video from long-standing Elite dangerous YouTuber AlsWulf (embedded above) argues that the Type-8 can also take on the role of the Explorer. His stripped down version with fully developed components and a Guardian FSD booster comes close 60 light years per jump
Here’s the controversial part: Currently, the Type-8 is only available as a pre-built ship, meaning you’ll have to pay just over $12 in real-world money to fly it in the game. However, we expect it to be available for purchase with in-game currency in a few months – just like its closest predecessor, the Python MK II, which was first made available for purchase in May. In a game that originally began as a closed beta experience a decade ago for $150, that’s a relatively small price to pay for the developers who have been working on it for well over a decade. You can find the Type-8 in its standard configuration for sale on The Elite dangerous Shop windowwhere the PC client is required to play.
