Years after starting playing, I’ve still never been able to afford an Anaconda. Despite making the pilgrimage to Hutton Orbital, the colossal ship continues to elude me. No matter how much Elite Dangerous I play, I never seem to come closer to my goal but I have to remember that it’s alright, there are plenty of other ships for me to pick from on my journey to the top. That selection just became a little larger, but there’s a catch.
Today’s 18.04 patch for Elite Dangerous has introduced a few things to the colossal space game but the one with the biggest impact is the release of the brand new Python Mk II ship. One of the first ships released in six years, it looks to be a more advanced version of its mid-weight cousin. One of the most enduring and popular ships in the game, the Python is an all-rounder that can easily handle combat, mining, exploration, or even cargo transport. If this new variant is anything like the Mk I, this has the potential to become one of the workhorses of the universe.
A new ship hitting Elite Dangerous can only be a good thing but unfortunately, there’s a catch. Currently it is only possible to pick up the Python Mk II through the game’s ARX shop, meaning it costs real money to buy unless you want to wait until Wednesday August 7 when those with Elite Dangerous Odyssey accounts will be able to grab it for credits.
The Python Mk II will set you back 16250 ARX for the basic model, which translates to roughly $12.99/£9.59. This is the first ship to be sold for real money with some fans in the Steam forums fearing this will be a slippery slope moment that may see the game become something akin to the transaction-filled Star Citizen.
Outside of the release of the Python Mk II, this update has also introduced a series of Pre-Built ships which come already configured for a particular role, allowing commanders to jump straight into the game without having to earn credits and work their way up. These range from 25500 ARX for the Laser Mining Jumpstart Type-6 for those looking to blast rocks, to 33000 ARX for the Python Mk II Stellar, outfitted for pure combat.
In addition to these new store items, the 18.04 patch fixes a fair few bugs including one that saw the new Frame Shift Drive SCO generating too much heat on systems which run at higher frame rates. You can check out the full patch notes, along with the tumultuous Steam comments, here.
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