No, Shadow Delivery smuggling missions are not to difficult!

[noldunar]

After reading some threads about how difficult they are and how unfair it is that you get scanned no matter what you do etc. I would like to chime in and say NO! They are not to difficult.

As with many things, you have to use the right tools for the job. I just stacked and completed 5 shadow deliveries from Robigo into the bubble and made 13 million in little over an hour. Same thing yesterday.

So this is far from being any kind of guide and I will not consider myself an expert but here are some quick tips:

1. Chaff will not stop or delay or disturb scans. Period. The only thing that can save you once you receive the scan detected message is speed. You have to be out of range before the scan is complete. That is why I consider only a Cobra MK III build for speed or an Imperial Clipper viable for these missions.

2. This is the ship I use: http://coriolis.io/outfit/cobra_mk_...03010101.Iw1-kA==.Aw1-kA==?bn=shadow smuggler

3. Bind a button to zero throttle. When you read the NPC chatter relating to interdictions (juicy cargo, glad I found you first, background check etc.) just fly straight, watch you scope and have the finger above the button. As soon as the interdiction starts hit the button to immediately submit. This way you mimimize the chance of a successful interdiction and your FSD will be ready in no time.

4. After submitting, while still spinning, immediately engage silent running and boost away. Use a heat sink and change your course slightly to not accidently ram a cop that sometimes spawns in (in addition to the encounter) in front of you. Engage FSD.

5. When approaching an outpost where a cop patrols to scan you boost away and don't engage supercruise. Just boost away, the cop will jump out once the distance between you is to big. You will know when you detect the high energy wake left behind. Fly back to the outpost in normal space and dock. Job done.

I can't stress enough how speed is the most importand factor. So if I read people complaining and then look at the ship builds and the max boost speed and it is something around 350-380 that's the problem right there. I would consider even 400 pushing your luck.

Hope that helps some of you. I am having a blast with these missions. That is Han Solo gameplay right there

 

[Butter of Sorrow]

Risk/reward is the word. Also I'm still skeptical about silent running since I've used it 3 times and it didn't help me once. It actually made me kill myself once since upon a scan I did a panic boost into a wall and whad'ya know, my shields were gone before the impact. (Just to be clear I don't blame the game for that incident lol)

Personally I just align properly with the starport airlock at +8km or so and fly straight in. Not having any problems and I'm using an ASP Explorer.

 

[777Driver]

If all else fails shoot the cop (especially outside the bubble), they will stop scanning you. Since I fly a Python to max smuggling profits I'll emergency drop if a cop is harassing me, engage SR, change course and boost away. Not been caught yet.

 

[goemon]

that's a very specialized build, OP ... the right tool for the job for sure!

(back in my multipurpose cobra, mission gameplay ... but as @777Driver has said, you can achieve the same in a python, or Asp....)

 

[Mississippi Jones]

Thanks for your research, noldunar - appreciated. Long suspected chaff was usless for scans, but its nice to hear it stated with conviction. Heat sinks are a smugglers best friend...

BTW - has anyone experienced "ninja scans"? That is no warning of the initial scan - just a sudden fine out of the blue! Happened to me a few times leaving a station. Unsure if its a bug or whether its related to the rating of what sensors module you have currently equipped. i.e. If I've got a D-rated sensors...and the cops got A-rated scanner...is it possible to get 'stealth' scanned? (It's probably a bug )

 

[Butter of Sorrow]

BTW - has anyone experienced "ninja scans"? That is no warning of the initial scan - just a sudden fine out of the blue! Happened to me a few times leaving a station. Unsure if its a bug or whether its related to the rating of what sensors module you have currently equipped. i.e. If I've got a D-rated sensors...and the cops got A-rated scanner...is it possible to get 'stealth' scanned? (It's probably a bug )

Did you get scanned on your way in?

I've noticed that the security can't scan you once you're inside the starport and if they tried to scan you on entry and failed to finish on time they'll resume it once you get out and it gives you no warning. Not sure if this is entirely correct though.

 

[DragoonKnight]

It is not the difficulty, it is the fact that they have multiple bugs to them that makes people complain. Difficulty should not come about as a result of bugs where the AI essentially cheats.
Chain interdictions (annoying but can live with it), Ghost scans when no one is around, being scanned inside the landing pad / docking bay - these things do happen and are completely beyond the player's control.

 

[Soothsayer]

It is not the difficulty, it is the fact that they have multiple bugs to them that makes people complain. Difficulty should not come about as a result of bugs where the AI essentially cheats.
Chain interdictions (annoying but can live with it), Ghost scans when no one is around, being scanned inside the landing pad / docking bay - these things do happen and are completely beyond the player's control.

This. Smuggling is stressful enough as it is without the additional worry of being completely screwed by a horrific bug that instantly fails all of your missions. It's outrageous.

Edit: Protip... The Asp is ridiculously sluggish. I only recently got into the smuggling business, and I ended up halfway crashing into the annoying fencing around a station's docking slot. My shields kept progressively getting whittled down, although I finally managed to escape with ~80% hull integrity. My ship was scanned in the process of this fiasco, and I ended up losing the seven remaining smuggling missions I had out of the ten I accepted. So, after deploying heatsinks, take it slow-ish.

 

[Mississippi Jones]

@ Butter of Sorrow

You could be on to something there. Makes more sense than either theory I suggested.

 

[Shaamaan]

4. After submitting, while still spinning, immediately engage silent running and boost away. Use a heat sink and change your course slightly to not accidently ram a cop that sometimes spawns in (in addition to the encounter) in front of you. Engage FSD.

Does silent running work against NPCs? I thought it does not...

 

[Thebadmf]

Avoid the interdictions completely. When you jump in head toward the star and put your butt to the wall (you may need to wiggle it to make sure the star stays in the way), sit for a few seconds as your pursuers all drop out of SC and you can be on your merry way.

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That said I do disagree that the missions aren't broken, we have workarounds. Silent running should drop scans at 1-2km out. Chaff should delay scans in progress, just like they do for players.

 

[shambles1980]

Thanks for your research, noldunar - appreciated. Long suspected chaff was usless for scans, but its nice to hear it stated with conviction. Heat sinks are a smugglers best friend...

BTW - has anyone experienced "ninja scans"? That is no warning of the initial scan - just a sudden fine out of the blue! Happened to me a few times leaving a station. Unsure if its a bug or whether its related to the rating of what sensors module you have currently equipped. i.e. If I've got a D-rated sensors...and the cops got A-rated scanner...is it possible to get 'stealth' scanned? (It's probably a bug )

as far as im conncerend scans with no scan detected warnings are a latency/server issue.
only happend twice..

i did laugh a min ago though..
I didnt enter the hanger in robgo and started accepting missions 1st thing i clicked launch they all failed.

apparantly space police were busy scanning me as i accepted them..
those sneaky space cops lol.
So im here on the forums for while then when boards refresh il do it again, this time il go in to the hangar before i accept..

I dont mind the added feature it makes things interesting.

 

[Achilles7]

After reading some threads about how difficult they are and how unfair it is that you get scanned no matter what you do etc. I would like to chime in and say NO! They are not to difficult.

As with many things, you have to use the right tools for the job. I just stacked and completed 5 shadow deliveries from Robigo into the bubble and made 13 million in little over an hour. Same thing yesterday.

So this is far from being any kind of guide and I will not consider myself an expert but here are some quick tips:

1. Chaff will not stop or delay or disturb scans. Period. The only thing that can save you once you receive the scan detected message is speed. You have to be out of range before the scan is complete. That is why I consider only a Cobra MK III build for speed or an Imperial Clipper viable for these missions.

2. This is the ship I use: http://coriolis.io/outfit/cobra_mk_...03010101.Iw1-kA==.Aw1-kA==?bn=shadow smuggler

3. Bind a button to zero throttle. When you read the NPC chatter relating to interdictions (juicy cargo, glad I found you first, background check etc.) just fly straight, watch you scope and have the finger above the button. As soon as the interdiction starts hit the button to immediately submit. This way you mimimize the chance of a successful interdiction and your FSD will be ready in no time.

4. After submitting, while still spinning, immediately engage silent running and boost away. Use a heat sink and change your course slightly to not accidently ram a cop that sometimes spawns in (in addition to the encounter) in front of you. Engage FSD.

5. When approaching an outpost where a cop patrols to scan you boost away and don't engage supercruise. Just boost away, the cop will jump out once the distance between you is to big. You will know when you detect the high energy wake left behind. Fly back to the outpost in normal space and dock. Job done.

I can't stress enough how speed is the most importand factor. So if I read people complaining and then look at the ship builds and the max boost speed and it is something around 350-380 that's the problem right there. I would consider even 400 pushing your luck.

Hope that helps some of you. I am having a blast with these missions. That is Han Solo gameplay right there

Generally good advice except for the silent running & heat sinks..a waste of time and module slot!

I was detected from 5-6km in a RES while stalking an FAS behind an asteroid using silent running and o% from heatsinks in my stealth DBS. The FAS did a u turn and headed straight for me...works well against cmdrs but against NPC, it's worse than useless! Just use speed! My bread and butter is smuggling and assassinations so I'm wanted everywhere too, but this doesn't affect my gameplay one bit - I have no heatsinks & never use silent running when docking,,just use speed!..I've been caught just once and that was my own fault - I cocked up my docking at an outpost!

Show us your technique with a vid pls - 'getting real fed up with all the misinformation & plain (not you..generally speaking!) on these forums - if you have shadowplay it will take 10 mins (not inc upload to YT)

 

[Apina]

Agree with OP. Done these runs multiple times, had no problems.

Also have not experienced any "ghost scan" or anything else that would seem like a bug. Makes me think that Shambles might be right with the latency/server idea.

Anyways, I would not consider the new no scan-missions broken as such. They seem to work for multiple people very well and are at the moment most enjoyable mission type in my opinion.

 

[Dathayn]

Good advice I learned the hard way in the last few days. Made a killing doing these missions and really fun once you get past the initial frustration. Learn the tricks and profit. My fave is turning my back to the star and watching cops/pirates fall into it whilst trying to get behind me. Good stuff, Noldunar. Rep comin at ya

 

[ratchet5000]

This. Smuggling is stressful enough as it is without the additional worry of being completely screwed by a horrific bug that instantly fails all of your missions. It's outrageous.

Edit: Protip... The Asp is ridiculously sluggish. I only recently got into the smuggling business, and I ended up halfway crashing into the annoying fencing around a station's docking slot. My shields kept progressively getting whittled down, although I finally managed to escape with ~80% hull integrity. My ship was scanned in the process of this fiasco, and I ended up losing the seven remaining smuggling missions I had out of the ten I accepted. So, after deploying heatsinks, take it slow-ish.

If you think the asp is sluggish, wait until you get bigger ships...the asp is one of the more maneuverable ships in game.

 

[shambles1980]

i would say the asp is the perfect smuggeling ship. its a good combination of everything you need to do the job, and the big factor is It can land on an outpost,
as i am about to buy a python now i am equipping the asp (downgrade) to be 100% long haul smugler.
no sheilds. reinforced alloys, no weapons, a3 fule scoop. and 100t of cargo space the rest is fule, d class scanner, d class life support. maxed out A class thusters and power distrbutor. i think C3 powerplant. (it makes 10mw and i use just over 9mw)
Basically its designed to take a reasonable tonnage of high value cargo (slaves) from 1 point to a nother in the least amount of jumps and scooping for the minimum ammount of time possible..

Prior to this it was reasonably well armed and sheilded and took more jumps and had to refule a lot more. but even then it was prety darn good at being a smuggler,

 

[goemon]

If you think the asp is sluggish, wait until you get bigger ships...the asp is one of the more maneuverable ships in game.

i don't think so... a maxed out python or clipper do maneuver much better than an Asp. the yawrate and deceleration is terrible. anyway, the Asp is a great tool!

 

[ratchet5000]

i don't think so... a maxed out python or clipper do maneuver much better than an Asp. the yawrate and deceleration is terrible. anyway, the Asp is a great tool!

Hmm, could have sworn the asp from my exploring days in 1.0 and smuggling asp of 1.4 were a heck of a lot more maneuverable than my smuggling Python of 1.3/1.4. Could have been the game version or time, in any case to each his own. And the asp is definitely less maneuverable than the four superheavies - type 9 and up - as well as some of the medium ships - federal anything and their armor.
I can't say for the clipper though, never tried it despite stories about its legendary magical maneuverability

 

[Soothsayer]

Hmm, could have sworn the asp from my exploring days in 1.0 and smuggling asp of 1.4 were a heck of a lot more maneuverable than my smuggling Python of 1.3/1.4. Could have been the game version or time, in any case to each his own. And the asp is definitely less maneuverable than the four superheavies - type 9 and up - as well as some of the medium ships - federal anything and their armor.
I can't say for the clipper though, never tried it despite stories about its legendary magical maneuverability

I'm not worried about maneuverability for general-purpose use. It's tricky business to boost into a mail slot when your deceleration and turning prevents you from aborting due to a mistake, though. I'm debating whether to just fit a Cobra for Shadow Delivery missions, since it's much harder to screw up horribly (not to mention the extra speed). I like the Asp's carrying capacity, but I don't realistically ever approach my maximum cargo capacity, since I don't stack upwards of 20+ SD missions. ~8 is the most I'm willing to stack.