Newcomer / Intro What are you up to?

[0threeleven]

I've had it sometimes that they would keep radio silence or somehow manage to disappear from my contacts list right after that message.
Though the fishy message is also quite common amongst pirates.

I think you are referring to the assassins always coming in groups of three. Which means, for every initial message you get from your contractors that someone is sniffing for your exhaust fumes, there are three of them, but you only ever see one of them until you kill that one. Then the next takes over.
But as you can stack those missions (I usually took 20 of them at the starting point of my trip, creating some kind of roundtrip, picking up new missions on my way.), you might get more than just one message, up to five, which makes 15 assassins in total.
I've had had it happen like that, up to five assassin groups following me around on my courier trips. Which can be fun if your destination is a little further into the system - I once had seven interdictions in one system, five assassins and two pirates. No chance to recieve any rewards for the extra speedy delivery...
And in my experience, if you have so many sassasins on your six, the best way to survive would be evading them, as I died a few times trying to fend off al lower ranked assasin (smaller ship / less reward for deleting them), only to have a big gun in an Anaconda jump in mid-fight and blast me out of the sky before I completely realized what was going on.

That makes sense, what I meant by having up to 3 after you is I've seen them buzzing around and they never interdict me, then I leave and jump to the next system and get interdicted by a different assassin, we start dueling and the first one shows up but doesn't attack me until I'm finished with the one I've been fighting. They get in the way of our fight but I'm careful not to hit it until I'm ready.

When I was doing the massacre contracts, my notoriety plunged and they would open up on me as soon as they found me, up to 3 attacking at the same time (thus, cell banks are a must have). They would ambush me everywhere, nav beacons, extraction sites (sometimes NOT welcomed by pirates from different factions) and when I left supercruise to enter a station. One of the funniest I saw was at the megaship Dove Enigma, Colonia system, an NPC cop barracks/system control ship. Right after they attacked me, they were swarmed by NPC cops, I was in rough shape from a previous interdiction so I moseyed on over to ship and landed to make repairs. Anyway they are a lot of fun if your setup for it and know what to expect.

 

[CMDR Timber McWolf]

That makes sense, what I meant by having up to 3 after you is I've seen them buzzing around and they never interdict me, then I leave and jump to the next system and get interdicted by a different assassin, we start dueling and the first one shows up but doesn't attack me until I'm finished with the one I've been fighting. They get in the way of our fight but I'm careful not to hit it until I'm ready.

Interesting. Never had that happen during my courier runs... Different assassins in my case usually were from a different group, chasing me for a different bit of data.

 

[Miscellaneous]

I just noticed this today, how can deploy the SRV and reboard the ship from garages at the planetary ports. Cool!!

Brazilian Dream in Santos Dumant

​

 

[Markov Chaney]

Wow the overboost thingy* really takes the grind out of scanning 20+ body systems. The only problem now is when I am going to listen to all these here ambient albums?

Seriously though being able to just get out of the Mm/sec domain after you're done scanning, back into fraction-of-c almost instantly is a literal game changer for anyone who does planet-hopping.

Interesting that when you drop out of boost it thinks you are in a gravity well. I am not sure the wibblywobbly is random, I think the ship might be slewing in the direction of stable orbits (or equipotentials) around the significant bodies nearby.

* Rocket science term of art

 

[0threeleven]

Interesting. Never had that happen during my courier runs... Different assassins in my case usually were from a different group, chasing me for a different bit of data.

I have a question for you, have they come after you like in my video? That was a level 8 courier mission.

 

[CMDR Timber McWolf]

I have a question for you, have they come after you like in my video? That was a level 8 courier mission.

They didn't. In my heyday of courier missions, I wouldn't be able to get missions of that level, due to the fact that my own level wasn't high enough. And there is a second reason. After trying different methods to get out of these interdictions (fighting, submit to the interdiction and try to run) and always dying, I opted to resist the interdiction. Which woked like a charm for me, even if it meant that on a longer supercruise, I would have to cope with several interdictions from the different groups hunting me.

There's something else that just came to my mind... Is it possible there was a change in how these assassins act between Horizons (n.k.a. Legacy) and Odyssey?
Most of my experience with those scumbags stems from Horizons - remember the Elusive Imp? That Python got her name from evading hundreds of interdictions.

 

[0threeleven]

They didn't. In my heyday of courier missions, I wouldn't be able to get missions of that level, due to the fact that my own level wasn't high enough. And there is a second reason. After trying different methods to get out of these interdictions (fighting, submit to the interdiction and try to run) and always dying, I opted to resist the interdiction. Which woked like a charm for me, even if it meant that on a longer supercruise, I would have to cope with several interdictions from the different groups hunting me.

There's something else that just came to my mind... Is it possible there was a change in how these assassins act between Horizons (n.k.a. Legacy) and Odyssey?
Most of my experience with those scumbags stems from Horizons - remember the Elusive Imp? That Python got her name from evading hundreds of interdictions.

When I played Horizons, Odessey had just been released and everybody was complaining about it being buggy, so I stayed with Horizons and left for Colonia as soon as I got out of the sandbox. I started playing the same week Odessey was released, so I didn't do any courier missions, I barely had enough money to buy a Vulture and equip it for exploration, it took me several months to get to Colonia, exploring off the beaten path and when I arrived, I had enough money to buy my Anaconda.

 

[KnezBP]

How many heatsinks do you have? You might think about having it engineered for extra capacity especially if you use shield cell banks (a must have in my opinion). I never shoot first, you can get fined or have a bounty placed on you (I've spent many-a-night at Oden's Crag).

I've never used heatsinks or shield cell banks. Not that I wouldn't look at them in future. They've just never been a priority given the limited utlity mounts I've had. The Krait and Python are the only medium ships I've tried and they only have four slots. I've got a wake scanner, I'm liking the K-warrant scanner, and I have point defence top and bottom on the medium ships. I'm not sure if that's necessary.

If engineering I would start with the Beams* Efficient + Thermal Vent is great while you don't miss, if you miss a lot don't use Thermal Vent using Thermal Spread as an experimental elsewhere can help heat wise.

I never use Shield Cell Banks as either the fight is over before my shields are down or I am too busy fighting to notice until they have gone.

*Actually the first thing I would do would be to get rid of the fixed mounts more time on target and more chance of Thermal Vent not cooking me rather than the target.

I was gonna go with overcharged regarding lasers, or whatever the multi-cannon equivalent is. Certainly for the Cobra, but I'll probably take a fresh look for the Krait. That's the ship I'm almost permantly in now. Only partly to unlock the laser guy. I'm mostly just having fun blowing stuff up.

The Cobra's way better for zipping around the bubble though. 4A FSD and it has almost 10Ly more range that the Krait with its 5A.

 

[KnezBP]

When I played Horizons, Odessey had just been released and everybody was complaining about it being buggy, so I stayed with Horizons and left for Colonia as soon as I got out of the sandbox. I started playing the same week Odessey was released, so I didn't do any courier missions, I barely had enough money to buy a Vulture and equip it for exploration, it took me several months to get to Colonia, exploring off the beaten path and when I arrived, I had enough money to buy my Anaconda.

I thought you'd been around way longer than that. I started the spring before and Odyssey was the only game I've ever pre-ordered.

N-E-V-E-R A-G-A-I-N

I'm not even sure I have the special pre-order suit.

 

[0threeleven]

I thought you'd been around way longer than that. I started the spring before and Odyssey was the only game I've ever pre-ordered.

N-E-V-E-R A-G-A-I-N

I'm not even sure I have the special pre-order suit.

If it wasn't for the old salts in this thread, I might not have made it. I remember having a 1A fuel scoop (didn't grasp the significance of the numbers and letters) and it took forever to refuel (scoop). I remember asking these guys a ton of questions and they were more than happy to help.

 

[CMDR Timber McWolf]

When I played Horizons, Odessey had just been released and everybody was complaining about it being buggy, so I stayed with Horizons and left for Colonia as soon as I got out of the sandbox. I started playing the same week Odessey was released, so I didn't do any courier missions, I barely had enough money to buy a Vulture and equip it for exploration, it took me several months to get to Colonia, exploring off the beaten path and when I arrived, I had enough money to buy my Anaconda.

I started playing about two years ago. I already had bought several ships (and often sold them again to buy a new ship) during my time in the PF permit-locked district. I wandered around a bit, visiting The Blaster first, as I already unlocked him during my time under the wings of the PF, as well as having collected the stuff needed to convince him to work with me. Then I turned my attention to Elvira, as I felt it was easier to unlock her and get her to cooperate than Felicity (And I had heard rumours that visiting Felicity could be very dangerous.). There was something about the area that I liked, so I settled in the neighboring system of Suhte and did a lot of courier and delivery missions in that area. That's how I gathered a lot of the money to buy all those ships I had before steam forced me to play Odyssey (which I had bought later, in order to install on a better computer I hoped to be able to set up soon - well, that hasn't happened almost two years later).

 

[0threeleven]

Recepta Deltahedronix.

Fumarola Aquatis.

 

[Rhialto]

Thanks. I'll take a look at that. I've been playing with the Krait by taking combat missions but it didn't occur to me to look for mission rewards in my old courier stomping grounds.

Maybe I can actually turn and fight this time. Punks.

That's kinda what i am doing now, i have set up a cargo Python with decent shielding and weaponry.
Just taking on high threat courier and cargo missions, if i get interdicted i take the fight to them.
My Python can take quite a beating, one or two pirates i can usually handle, but when there are too many at once i have to make a run for it.

 

[CMDR Timber McWolf]

That's kinda what i am doing now, i have set up a cargo Python with decent shielding and weaponry.
Just taking on high threat courier and cargo missions, if i get interdicted i take the fight to them.
My Python can take quite a beating, one or two pirates i can usually handle, but when there are too many at once i have to make a run for it.

I'm still not ready to fight, despite having at least two ships that should be capable of doing that...
I think that's what usually is called a skill issue...

 

[Frankymole]

Having a poor run of luck here. No high CZ's at all in the past few systems I've been to. Gah. I'll keep searching!

I've got a good on-foot one close to me with lots of health packs and energy cells everywhere.
Mbegua, Cummings Vision station, CZ is at body 2, Trau Dredging Platform.

 

[0threeleven]

Sunset on an ice moon.

To my back was this.

 

[Rhialto]

I'm still not ready to fight, despite having at least two ships that should be capable of doing that...
I think that's what usually is called a skill issue...

It's best to start with low level pirates, learn about pip management, manoeuvring with flight assist off, and have at least your thrusters engineered so you can make a fast getaway when things go south.
It helps to have a joystick/throttle like a Logitech/Saitek X52, that works way better than keyboard and mouse.

 

[CMDR Timber McWolf]

It's best to start with low level pirates, learn about pip management, manoeuvring with flight assist off, and have at least your thrusters engineered so you can make a fast getaway when things go south.
It helps to have a joystick/throttle like a Logitech/Saitek X52, that works way better than keyboard and mouse.

I'm playing with an XBox 360 controller. Works quite well most of the time, but sometimes, a few more buttons would be nice...

I did a lot of practicing in the early days, but it always felt more like a chore than some fun activity to me. Probably due to the limitations the PF district brought with it, combined with the limitations of my input method.

 

[aRJay]

I've never used heatsinks or shield cell banks. Not that I wouldn't look at them in future. They've just never been a priority given the limited utlity mounts I've had. The Krait and Python are the only medium ships I've tried and they only have four slots. I've got a wake scanner, I'm liking the K-warrant scanner, and I have point defence top and bottom on the medium ships. I'm not sure if that's necessary.

I only bother with a wake scanner on a nippy ship and only use it to catch wakes near a busy station I have better uses for the utility slots especially in combat builds.

Point Defence are usually fitted near the cargo hatch to try and stop limpets or at the back, unless I am going to a Guardian site when I make sure to fit one on top for missile defence. They are handy when fighting in a RES as hearing them kickoff alerts me to nearby mines.

I didn’t use to but nowadays I include a Heat Sink Launcher on most things not just for removing excess heat but for helping break lock and sneaking about.

I was gonna go with overcharged regarding lasers, or whatever the multi-cannon equivalent is. Certainly for the Cobra, but I'll probably take a fresh look for the Krait. That's the ship I'm almost permantly in now. Only partly to unlock the laser guy. I'm mostly just having fun blowing stuff up.

The Cobra's way better for zipping around the bubble though. 4A FSD and it has almost 10Ly more range that the Krait with its 5A.

An overcharged beam will use twice as much energy for only about a third more damage and heat you up around three times faster than an efficient one both using thermal vent.
That mounts up when you have a multi laser build so you end up having to take shorter bursts and suffering from a drained distributor more often.

Out of the box the Krait should have nearly 5Ly better jump than the Cobra, sounds like it has put on weight.

 

[Rhialto]

I'm playing with an XBox 360 controller. Works quite well most of the time, but sometimes, a few more buttons would be nice...

I did a lot of practicing in the early days, but it always felt more like a chore than some fun activity to me. Probably due to the limitations the PF district brought with it, combined with the limitations of my input method.

I use almost all buttons on the X52 and i have a mini gaming keyboard between the units of which i use most keys. (sometimes i feel i could use an extra hand).
An Xbox controller wouldn't work for me.