howcome ships can scan you when you're on silent running, but you can't scan them if they are?
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silent running & scanning
- Thread starter jadefriendly
- Start date
I think you just need to get closer to scan them.
Nonya
Banned
Those same NPCs can interdict you from 50,000ls out as well.IIRC, silent running just reduces the range at which you can be scanned, and is coupled with ship temperature. That said, it does seem like some NPCs (system sec) have super scanners
Basically anyone can scan anything at sub 1.5 kilometres or so.
The distance is based on ship size (base hull mass I think), the rating and class of sensors on the other ship, proximity, and heat signature.
Heat signature is basically null in any ship running silent, so that can be safely ignored as a factor in this scenario.
The distance is based on ship size (base hull mass I think), the rating and class of sensors on the other ship, proximity, and heat signature.
Heat signature is basically null in any ship running silent, so that can be safely ignored as a factor in this scenario.
I've been trying to use silent running a lot more lately in a shieldless Diamondback Scout, which can maintain SR for quite a while before needing to vent.
The way it works is... inconsistent. Some NPCs appear to be able to scan you and detect you regardless of your SR state or your distance. It'd be nice if we got some info from the Devs about this.
The way it works is... inconsistent. Some NPCs appear to be able to scan you and detect you regardless of your SR state or your distance. It'd be nice if we got some info from the Devs about this.
Nonya
Banned
Officially the devs say the NPCs can only operate their ships in the same manner as the human players but as we've seen time and time again that's complete .
When silent running and cold it's impossible for a player to get a lock on you to scan you or do anything else to you except use fixed weapons.
NPCs on the other hand all seem to be Elite ranked with fixed weapons and can scan you from 5 kilometers away.
NPCs can do a lot of things that players can't... just a few examples:
- Scan you while you are deploying chaff
- Hyperjump while mass-locked
- Hyperjump through celestial bodies
- Charge their hyperdrive with hardpoints deployed
So I wouldn't be surprised if they could scan you with silent running enabled from any distance.
- Scan you while you are deploying chaff
- Hyperjump while mass-locked
- Hyperjump through celestial bodies
- Charge their hyperdrive with hardpoints deployed
So I wouldn't be surprised if they could scan you with silent running enabled from any distance.
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rootsrat
Volunteer Moderator
All that Silent Running does is closing your heat dispensers so that all the heat that your ship generates is not expelled. If your ship however was already hot it will still show on the scanners. The correct way to use SR is to cool your ship down first so that it's not detectable unless at a very close range and then engage SR.
Even with SR on there is a chance that NPC will "visually" spot you and they'll be able to target your ship at a very close distance regardless of SR and your ship's temperature (unless it's 0%, but I am not sure on that). I can't remember what the distance is, someone above mentioned 1.5 km though.
- Chaff is not supposed to interfere with the scan, that's a bug. It's only used to distract gimballed weapons.
- NPC H-Jumping was supposed to be fixed soon™.
- HJ through celestial bodies - never came across this myself, so can't comment
- Charging HD with HP deployed - ditto.
The developers confirmed a few times now that when it comes to scanning, NPC ships behave exactly like player ships.
Even with SR on there is a chance that NPC will "visually" spot you and they'll be able to target your ship at a very close distance regardless of SR and your ship's temperature (unless it's 0%, but I am not sure on that). I can't remember what the distance is, someone above mentioned 1.5 km though.
- Chaff is not supposed to interfere with the scan, that's a bug. It's only used to distract gimballed weapons.
- NPC H-Jumping was supposed to be fixed soon™.
- HJ through celestial bodies - never came across this myself, so can't comment
- Charging HD with HP deployed - ditto.
The developers confirmed a few times now that when it comes to scanning, NPC ships behave exactly like player ships.
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That's not right is it?
Doesn't closing the heat dispensers prevent heat from being vented into space altogether, thus make you inivisible to heat-based tracking?
But if not, if it works as you say, and you are (for example) 70% heat visible when you close your vents at 70% of heat then "silent running" really needs a name change and a better explanation.
rootsrat
Volunteer Moderator
That's my impression of how SR works... I'll stand corrected if it's not the case!
::EDIT::
Here's Sandro's posts on the matter:
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=68069&page=3&p=1158586&viewfull=1#post1158586
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=24248&page=2&p=523568&viewfull=1#post523568
It doesn't confirm the part you're questioning, but at least it's a better explanation than mine
It's really easy to test though, just meet with someone in space, heat up your ship and turn SR on - see what happens on their scanner, then cool your ship down and repeat the process (they'd need to be at the same distance of course for consistency). I'm out in the black at the moment, so can't do it myself sadly.
If anyone will test this out, please let us know in this thread, would be much appreciated.
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rootsrat
Volunteer Moderator
This has come up recently on DBS/Stealth threads. CMDR rumour has it that above a certain % you might be leaking heat. It's something I want to prod, but finding the time is another matter; want to get a vid of it then 'bug report' it for clarity.
FD seem to be dropping the name-rank-and-number approach to the game and are starting to give us good information at last. My gut tells me if heat leaks are a thing, they're a bug.
Any chance a Dev popping in and clarifying?