I just noticed another weird time limit issue . . .
I'm still subscribing to DF1, but I haven't subscribed to Elite yet, so at this point, I get the same log on experience as any first time player.
I just did this. You can log into multiplayer, spend a little too much time looking at the planes you can buy, go to log-in, and get booted back to the log-in screen where you have to subscribe, watch an add, or wait to play.
I'm assuming that it will happen if you are attempting to log into a game that is on the verge of ending. Not a big deal for me, but not a great first impression for someone new to the game.
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