Newcomer / Intro Was I just unlucky or is this how Open play works?

[h0bn0bb3r]

Been playing Solo for a while and have got used to the game and earned enough to own a Cobra and a T6. I'd started getting a bit bored with Solo so thought i'd given Open a go.

The first hour was great - started working on a Community Goal, saw a few CMDR's flying around , all was fine and friendly. Then, in the second hour, I get interdicted, lose the 'mini-game', get forced out of jump and get killed in 5 seconds with no warning by a CMDR in a Fer de Lance. TBH, I was in a T6 but even if i'd had my Cobra i'd have still lost given how quickly i got killed.

If I have to do a rebuy every other hour in Open play then I don't see what the point is, as i can't earn enough credits to pay for this kind of loss. I could go back to Solo, get bored doing the grind to get better a better ship and then try again but i'm not sure i can be bothered and it doesn't seem to be the 'right way' to play the game.

Was I just unlucky to get killed with no warning 2 hours into Open play or is this something i'll just have to put up with if i want to play Open? Obviously i could avoid the heavily populated area's but that seems to defeat the object of Open and if i want to take part in Community Goals then i'll obviously always be near places that will attract traffic.

 

[Defacto]

I have played in open since before the game was released, and I have pretty much never been interdicted by a player. If you want to stay on the safe side, try avoiding the starting areas (LHS 3447, Eravate) and the Old worlds (around Lave) as these places attract all kinds of illdoers.

 

[krysohmyz]

It's not how open works, don't worry. But you can't avoid things like that, unfortunately.
Especially if you're in some more populated areas. (Starting systems, rare trade hubs, etc...)

The good thing is, these people are usually cowards, so once you have a Dropship, Clipper or something decent, the attacks miraculously stop.

 

[RafeZetter]

Dropship, Clipper.. lol both have rubish milage to start off with

 

[h0bn0bb3r]

Thanks Defacto and krysohmyz - i guess i was just unlucky then, although if it happens later i will not be amused and my wife my have to deal with the noise of a rage-quit from me.

I did google the CMDR name and it looks they not only have form for doing this to others but also quitting the game if someone fights back and starts winning. I've started a new list of CMDR to hunt down when i get a good enough ship to fight back with. Based on current earning rates i'm expecting to be able to do this shortly after the next total eclipse visible from the UK, sometime around 2090.

 

[ethelred]

It takes a different skill set to play in Open over what you might be used to in solo. I'd suggest:-

1. In busy systems (e.g. Core) you'll have to learn to treat other cmdrs as hostile. Have bindings for quick comms and say hi at least to people - no response will tell you more than them moving into position to interdict you.
2. Some people suggest taking zig-zag routes into stations and/or following a circuititous route.
3. Never fly without insurance or what you'd be happy to lose.
4. Practise avoiding interdictions - either by winning the interdiction mini-game, submitting and boosting away or fighting
5. There will always be bad apples but the majority I'd say are just trying to make some credits.

Once you you consider the additional challenge of open, and adjust your gameplay accordingly I hope you'll see it as the only way to play!

just imagine if your skill with the T6 had allowed you to escape that FDL or even given them a bloody nose. (I'd say you could take them but that might be a stretch)

tl;dr

you were unlucky but it's a different mode of play and solo tactics won't work.

 

[krysohmyz]

Dropship, Clipper.. lol both have rubish milage to start off with

They both have an awesome capability of being un-killable if flown right.

 

[Werppa]

It takes a different skill set to play in Open over what you might be used to in solo. I'd suggest:-

1. In busy systems (e.g. Core) you'll have to learn to treat other cmdrs as hostile. Have bindings for quick comms and say hi at least to people - no response will tell you more than them moving into position to interdict you.
2. Some people suggest taking zig-zag routes into stations and/or following a circuititous route.
3. Never fly without insurance or what you'd be happy to lose.
4. Practise avoiding interdictions - either by winning the interdiction mini-game, submitting and boosting away or fighting
5. There will always be bad apples but the majority I'd say are just trying to make some credits.

Once you you consider the additional challenge of open, and adjust your gameplay accordingly I hope you'll see it as the only way to play!

just imagine if your skill with the T6 had allowed you to escape that FDL or even given them a bloody nose. (I'd say you could take them but that might be a stretch)

tl;dr

you were unlucky but it's a different mode of play and solo tactics won't work.

Kinda depends what you want to do. There's no incentive whatsoever to trade in open currently since you get the same payments in solo mode without the risk of losing everything to some jerk.

 

[Jaeger]

Was I just unlucky to get killed with no warning 2 hours into Open play or is this something i'll just have to put up with if i want to play Open?

Unfortunately as a trader in a T6 you have no defense against a tooled up pirate. This is exactly as was intended by the game designers. That it is a tragic failure of game mechanics is a elephant to be ignored. Congratulations on Elite.

 

[Werppa]

Unfortunately as a trader in a T6 you have no defense against a tooled up pirate. This is exactly as was intended by the game designers. That it is a tragic failure of game mechanics is a elephant to be ignored. Congratulations on Elite.

That's why you don't do trading in open. But the design decision itself that some ships aren't just made for combat is fine imo. Every ship in the universe doesn't have to be competent combat ship. Besides, if you've spend 200 million credits to kit up your combat ship, it would be pretty odd if one little freighter had chance against you, other than to flee. But that's just my 2c.

 

[Ancipital]

just imagine if your skill with the T6 had allowed you to escape that FDL or even given them a bloody nose. (I'd say you could take them but that might be a stretch)

Even an A-fitted T6 would be smoosh trying to escape even a mediocre FDL. They're not slow and they can drop the shield and pop the hull of such a small ship so fast that you won't even finish saying "oh shi-".

 

[rightsideupsidedown]

I started in LHS 3447... it's a lagfest of interdiction trolling and landing pad crowding. On my second trade mission I had to ram a player off my landing pad. I guess there are different starting zones and I try to stay away from them. I trade in open because imo there is no point to trade in solo it's not interesting, fun or as risky. Once you get further away from the starting zones you won't see other players as often but it's still fun to see them. The reason there are dedicated trade ships is to encourage grouping/wings which means open play which means interaction. If ED was a singleplayer game I wouldn't have bought with its current depth.

I wouldn't be surprised if future updates allow cargo type ships to hire an NPC to help guard you on routes it doesn't seem unreasonable and the rates could be adjusted based on a variety of factors. Try not to get down about the current state there's so much possibility yet.

 

[Lithari]

When it comes to me, the rewards have to equal the challenge and risk, if it doesn't, there isn't any point in it, if i am doing something that risks the loss of 10mil or something of my credits, i would hope the reward would match what i would lose if i actually won.

I personally play in the mobius group, much more interesting, there are players to interact with and its all about pve, i mean i might try open play at some point, but i find little interest in pvp when there is nothing to gain, i mean if i was in the position to take on a player with a huge bounty and it was a chance i could win or lose, i would go for it and see...but i never see the point in taking out players that have no chance at all in beating me.

 

[CaptainKremmen]

Unfortunately as a trader in a T6 you have no defense against a tooled up pirate. This is exactly as was intended by the game designers. That it is a tragic failure of game mechanics is a elephant to be ignored. Congratulations on Elite.

Last night as I flew my unshielded Lakon Type 7 in Open Play back and forth to Lugh, I was asked by a nearby combat ship pilot if I wanted an escort. I thought that sounded really cool, so I accepted his wing invitation. He happily followed me as I meandered from system to system.

There was no trouble with hostile ships last night, so it was a quiet life for us.


But... how cool is that?

Congratulations on Elite.

 

[Chrisfs]

Unfortunately as a trader in a T6 you have no defense against a tooled up pirate. This is exactly as was intended by the game designers. That it is a tragic failure of game mechanics is a elephant to be ignored. Congratulations on Elite.

Funny thing is you also have pirates complaining that it's too hard to pirate other ships.

Find some people to 'wing up' with. They can be your bodyguards, and will earn a part of your profits, it's a built in feature of the game. (and something people were asking about).
Avoid the high pirate areas (it's a big galaxy), just like ships would avoid pirate infested waters. Get good at submitting, and then boosting until you can jump out. Spend some money on better thrusters, and heat sink so you can go silent and make it harder for them to see you on radar.

 

[Distance]

I think everyone is missing the point. The guy was in a T6 in lugh most likely ferrying weapons for one of the community goals. That's pretty much a big "shoot me" target on his head. If the other cmdr had seen him going back and forth from the fed or csg stations and he was assumed to be working for "the other side" the other cmdr was well within his rights to shoot them down.

Open isn't as bad as you think it it if you stay in the out of the way system. Any time you're in a populated area there's a higher chance of getting shot. If you're in a warring system well . . .

 

[Chance-]

Getting away.

As a fairly new player myself, I really tried to get as far away as I could right from the start because more players means more people to try and ruin your day. If any ever wants an escort I'm around

 

[starman]

The solution is to join a wing of vipers as escorts. I have only ever played in openplay. Its not called Elite Dangerous for nothing.

 

[Werppa]

As a fairly new player myself, I really tried to get as far away as I could right from the start because more players means more people to try and ruin your day. If any ever wants an escort I'm around

That's what a pirate would say, you even put that wink smiley in the end...

 

[MetalMicky]

Kinda depends what you want to do. There's no incentive whatsoever to trade in open currently since you get the same payments in solo mode without the risk of losing everything to some jerk.

Interesting CMDR "Werppa". I was always under the impression that trading in OPEN PLAY was set at a higher rate than SOLO. ??????