Elite Dangerous Thread

[Brix]

Still oodling around, trying to get myself blown up! In the Python, people were after me every trip - in the Sidey, no-one is interested!

I’ve been hopping between stations, hanging out in the RES (far more wanted types than I ever see when I’m actually bounty hunting) and at Nav Beacons - nothing.

The Sidey is unable to reach the system that I’m actually wanted in (Timocani) so I have to hang around those I can reach. I’ve been scanned loads of times, but no-one is interested.

I ended up getting so fed up that I took on a DBX in my standard Sidey - and he never even got a shot off! One more bounty payout, thanks you very much!

Will someone come and please blow me up?! This is wasting away CG time.

Thought this guy had a nice name:

[Brix]

AAAAARRRGGGHHH!!!

Really, really cheesed off.

I went to do my final scan job before duzing off to the CG. Gets close to landing, after surviving the 20 minute supercruise tedium, when I spot a ship lingering nearby. It’s clean - a DBS. Most times I get attacked, it’s by some clean guy in a DBS, so I’m very suss, and decide to wait and see what happens.

Sure enough, he scans me and starts with the threats. This time, I have learned from past experience, and hold fire. He can shoot first. He does - so I return fire and blow him to Hades, only to find a bounty on my head for murder!

So it seems, not only do I have to wait for the pirate to shoot first, I have to actually let him hit me, before I can shoot back. That is just bloody ridiculous.

Now I have every AI Tom, Dick (Edit: seems we can’t use Frederick’s normal name nere )and Harry bouncing me on every single trip, after the bounty. I can’t pay it off either, it seems - and it has 7 days until it turns to a fine, or whatever. So I daren’t head out to the CG, cos it will be a real pain, getting continually attacked for this. I can’t even defend myself, because that will just add to my supposed ‘crimes’.

I am thinking, though - does my bounty get cancelled if I actually get killed? If it does, I might as well just buy a cheap Sidewinder and go out and let someone have the bounty. Problem solved. Bet it’s not that simple, though!

Frustration.

[komemiute]

Heheh you can’t write dick…

[Brix]

Yeah - well I can’t speell eniway so,

Just found the wiki entry concerned - and I’m off to get my Sidey and have myself a blowing-up party!:

Since dying is effectively an instant way to remove a bounty, in a lot of situations it becomes more efficient to just buy a cheap Sidewinder and get killed to remove the bounty. To do this:

Buy a new Sidewinder (storing your current ship at the station you're at).
Let another Player or NPC kill you (you don't have to be killed by another CMDR to get your bounty removed, if an NPC scans and kills you the bounty will be removed too).
Respawn in the insured Sidewinder at the station you were at (with bounty now removed), NOT the starting location free sidewinder.
Retrieve your old ship.
Sell the Sidewinder. 

For removing high bounties this method is actually more cost efficient than the now non-functional repaying of whole bounty sum (since it just sets you back the re-sale loss of a Sidewinder), and it’s much faster than waiting for 7 days.

[Brix]

Apologies, I posted in the wrong thread

[Navynuke99]

Made it to the Gagarin Gate outpost with another 25 million in exploration data sold, including a couple more Earth - likes. Lots and lots of unexplored systems still on this path.

Just started season 6 of The West Wing, and I’m worried I’ll run out of episodes before I run out of jumps back.

[komemiute]

Wow, what Elite rating do you hold in Exploration?

[Navynuke99]

@komemiute

Wow, what Elite rating do you hold in Exploration?

Pioneer still. It’s gonna be a while before I get enough data to get to Elite.

[fearlessfrog]

Looking forward to the 26th for the 2.4 release. Saw in the newsletter today a nice poster (not sure how well this will come out):

Full size images available here: https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php/376017-Expeditions-In-Elite-Dangerous-A-Visual-History-Printable-Tribute-Poster

[Andrew116]

Oh man thats really cool!

[Brix]

Half way(ish) to Colonia now. Been at it about a week. I did the first hundred-plus as normal jumps, then switched to the Neutron Highway router - however, I found a lot of errors in it and ended up going back to the galaxy map planner after the 2.4 update.

After some info from Navynuke99, I found the half way station and decided to head there - although it was a long way from the line I was taking.

Landed on this very interesting planet to scrounge materials for AFM unit refills:

Just needed Vanadium, as I had plenty of everything else - and got enough for 6 refills. I also found a crash site on the planet - was sending my SRV scanner nuts, but I couldn’t find a thing to salvage from it - not even data.

Eventually - another 105 jumps later - I reached Skaudai CH-B d14-34 - the system that is home to Sacaqawea Space Port. There is a weird red haze in a large part of the area where the port is…

It makes everything else appear red, too.

I have been playing in open since I started out, but haven’t come across another soul along the way. When I got into orbit at Sacaqawea I put a couple of calls out, but there were only a couple of AI system security vessels around. I was a bit disappointed - I had expected there to be a few people around, but no.

I then cashed in my scan data - for a nice 15.4 million credits! So if I get about the same on arrival at Colonia - that will be a ‘free’ 30 million credits for my account. Nice.

I also got half a million first finder bonuses - fame at last!

So - off on the remaining 335 jumps to Colonia.
Whilst I am pleased we can use the galaxy map to plan routes up to 20kLY away and include neutron jumps - I am not too impressed with the routing the planner makes. For a start, in the +/- 10,000LY for the remaining trip, it only uses a few Neutron stars and the vast majority are normal, short jumps. I think the trip could be made a lot quicker with more use of them.

But I just decided what the hell - and will knuckle down to it. Seeya in another week or so.

[Navynuke99]

Stay safe. Reports of ships being pulled out of hyperspace 4-5000 light years outside the bubble now.

Something more wicked this way comes…

[Brix]

According to some people on FD forum - some simple jobs are paying out billions since the patch. A guy on the OR forum just reported getting 2.2 million for transporting 88t of gold 9 LY.

Looks like the new anti-Thargoid weapons may be expensive, then.

[Navynuke99]

My understanding is that’s a bug that should get ironed out soon. There were kill pirate missions paying out over a trillion credits.

[Rhinosaurus]

lol!

[weaponz248]

So Im starting to get that, I need to go to beagle point or farther itch. Ive never been exploring but I really am thinking about doing it.

Been looking at the Diamondback explorer or the ASP X. Leaning towards the DBX since its cheaper.

This is a build I put together

If I drop the power distrubutor to a 1D class my jump range will go to 40.85.

I know nothing about exploring outside “civilized space”

Any input will be greatly appreciated.

[tempusmurphy]

Hopefully should be able to get my game updated later today … Damn AOL was filtering emails and not allowing the validation code to come through …

[miRage]

You might want to consider adding AFM and Vehicle Hangar for repairing / resupplying en route.

I haven’t ventured in exploration yet so don’t rely on my opinion.

[Brix]

Definitely take an AFM unit. As mentioned, an SRV is very useful, too, for collecting the materials you need for synthesis.

Of what I have taken, the only thing I wish I had was a second AFMU and a larger fuel scoop. I tried fitting a larger scoop in my class 6 slot, but it wouldn’t have it, so I’m stuck with the 3A one. It’s okay, but seriously, I find myself falling asleep in the Rift whilst scooping!

My unboosted range is 27.9LY and it’s not too bad at all, tbh. It does seem a lot of jumps required, but on the other hand that earns me more in scan data rewards.

Oh - I also shut down everything that isn’t necessary when I start out from a port. I don’t know whether that’s of use or not, but I do it anyway, so instead of having a 98% drain on the power, it’s only 77%

People say not to bother with weapons when exploring, but I refuse to do that. I’m packing some pretty hefty heat - just in case - but they are deactivated unless required.

Also - I don’t see a detailed surface scanner on there - definitely required for a) higher rewards for data and B) finding which planets to land on for materials. It gives you a detailed list of exactly which materials are on each planet, and how much.

Don’t worry if you are after a material and the scan says the planet has only one or two percent of it - chances are, you will find it. Mostly in things like outcrops or metallics metoerites and mesosiderite (??) blocks - the Bronzite Chondrite ones are usually full of very common stuff.

I’ll add more if I think of it. @Navynuke99 will be a better person to advise, as he has more experience.

[weaponz248]

I completely forgot about the Surface scanner, Also I have read a few things from people saying the AFM doesn’t real matter. Im not sure what I would use it for, I guess getting to close during a fuel scoop?

@Brix you said you wish you would have a second AFMU, would you rather have 2 AFMUs or 1 AFMU and a SRV?

With inputs so far here is my new build, 36.5 ly jump range full of fuel.

@Brix said it best the lower jump range means more data which is really the whole point of exploration. However my concern is the Abyss, I want the biggest jump range I can get for the Abyss crossing. So as I look at it on the map it would appear as if Im going across the galaxy!

Im sitting at roughly 6 mil right now so for me 20 mil would be the absolute lowest I would go before buying the ship and setting out. Which would leave me at about 5.5 mil for the journey.