Communications

Chat is the primary form of text-based communication in Elite Dangerous. To view or send ship-to-ship text messages, the player must select the Comms panel (use focus mode or press the Comms hotkey, which is "C" by default). The player can use standard interface controls to navigate the Comms Panel and cycle through tabs.

Chat Channels

There are various chat channels. The incoming text channels can be customized in the options tab of the Commans Panel.

• Main = is used for Wings and such.
• Direct Messages From Players = for sending and receiving direct messages from other players.
• System = message people in the same star system. System chat crosses all game modes within the same star system. So e.g. a person flying in Solo mode in supercruise can talk to another person docked in a station in Open mode in the same star system.
• Wing = message Wing members.
• Squad = the main chat channel for Squadron members.
• Squad Leaders = high level discussion among leaders of a Squadron based on ranks.

Squadron Feed

The Comms Panel has a Squadron Feed tab where activity from the squadron gets posted. Certain ranks are permitted to post public and internal statements in the feed. Public statements can be viewed by non-members while browsing Squadrons. Internal statements are only view able by squadron members. There can be one sticky per category. The most recent one is listed on top. Squadrons can also share bookmarks.

Chat log

This tab is marked with a speech bubble icon. Here you can view incoming text comms and send text comms.

• Untargeted (local) comms will be broadcast to *all* nearby ships.
• Use [TAB] to cycle through valid message recipients.

Commands

To submit a command, type it and submit it (press [Enter]).

• /help brings up a list of all commands.
• /clear to clear the chat log.
• /d (or /direct, or /to) then a player's Commander name then your message to send a direct message.

Channels

To select an outgoing message channel, type it and press space. If that channel is valid in your current context, the command will disappear from your chat bar immediately. If not, it will remain and give you an error message when you submit it.

• /r (or /reply) to respond to the last ship that you received comms from.
• /t (or /target) to send comms directly to targeted ship.
• /w (or /wing) to send comms to all members of your wing.
• /v (or /voice) to send comms to players you are in voice comms with.
• /l (or /local) to send comms to all ships within range.
• /sy (or /system) to send comms to current star system.
• /mc (or /multicrew) to send comms to Multi-crew.
• /sl to send comms to Squadron leaders (if accessible).
• /s (or /squadron) to send comms to squadron.

Colours

Comms text is colour coded:

• Orange: local broadcast.
• Cyan: wing broadcast.
• Yellow: direct message.
• Red: authority broadcast.
• Green: squadron broadcast.

Comms contacts

This tab is marked with a people icon. Here you can view and interact with contacts. Highlight and select a contact to summon comms and wings options.

Inbox

This tab is marked with an envelope icon. Here you can view and interact with friend or wing requests and invitations and messages. Highlight accept/decline icons to accept or decline a wing invitation.

Alerts

This tab is marked with a list icon. Here you can view and dismiss alerts regarding your Powerplay faction and your Pilots Federation ranks.

Comms options

This tab is marked with a gear icon. Here you can view and alter text and voice settings. Highlight and select options to toggle them.

You can turn on or off each text chat channel (Local, Voice, Wing, Direct messages from players), and toggle whether to automatically enable voice comms with your wing.