Engineers Medium Security Settlement List and Guide for Modified Embedded Firmware

[Sevenperry]

Great thread, thanks!
I got 1 MEF from the Scientific layout of Fibonacci Survey on A 6 A at
V640 Cassiopeia

Well I say 1 but it counts as THREE!

 

[Devari]

So far only one L3M settlement inspected since last patch update - new one in the list in Acan system I've visited for "tip off"- "Saavedra Survey" - and with surprisingly low catch - 2 UEF's+1 OSK

Great thread, thanks!
I got 1 MEF from the Scientific layout of Fibonacci Survey on A 6 A at
V640 Cassiopeia

Well I say 1 but it counts as THREE!

I noticed this as well when I was collecting some materials at USSs today, it looks like a single "unit" of a material from a drop actually counts as 3 units when it is added to your inventory. At first I was confused when I saw my inventory was full after collecting only 3 units as I had about 10 units of space left, then I realized that it was putting in three units of each item for every one unit I collected with the scoop. If that is how it's working with the MEF drops than it sounds like the "drop rates" for MEF from the data point scans might remain unchanged in terms of the number of units "dropped" by the data point link, but then the actual inventory numbers are multiplied by three when the MEF is added to your inventory. If that's the case then the overcharged mods have gotten 6X easier to get in the 2.1.05 patch, i.e., 3X as much MEF per "drop" and 2X as many mods for the same MEF since the blueprints only require 1 MEF per roll now. I'll need to see if this is consistent by testing the bases but if it's correct that's quite an impressive increase.

 

[djadjok]

I noticed this as well when I was collecting some materials at USSs today, it looks like a single "unit" of a material from a drop actually counts as 3 units when it is added to your inventory. At first I was confused when I saw my inventory was full after collecting only 3 units as I had about 10 units of space left, then I realized that it was putting in three units of each item for every one unit I collected with the scoop. If that is how it's working with the MEF drops than it sounds like the "drop rates" for MEF from the data point scans might remain unchanged in terms of the number of units "dropped" by the data point link, but then the actual inventory numbers are multiplied by three when the MEF is added to your inventory. If that's the case then the overcharged mods have gotten 6X easier to get in the 2.1.05 patch, i.e., 3X as much MEF per "drop" and 2X as many mods for the same MEF since the blueprints only require 1 MEF per roll now. I'll need to see if this is consistent by testing the bases but if it's correct that's quite an impressive increase.

Yep, in effect now each unit - "seed" - "acquired" produce 3 units (pirate copies?=))) in your on-board data storage. At the same time the number of "original" units is reduced ~ two times. So the gain in quantity is not as impressive as one can judge looking at patch notes. But the side-effect of the change in the number of the original seeds is the reduced variety of them - with most interesting part falling outside of the random generator result. So yes, now one'll have much bigger quantities of the junk-quality data rapidly filling up it's on-board storage space with reduced ratio of having something of interest. Doesn't do enough test to judge resulting effect correctly but that was the first impression.
btw, new item appear very frequently from DAP's scans now - "Specialized Legacy Firmware" (never saw it earlier as a drop from scans in settlements)
PS: I think that the drop ratio can be correctly re-calculated (with some assumptions) using simple combinatorics math and existed data.

 

[Sevenperry]

Kelly's folly yielded the 1 MEF (3) at Lodemovoi 2 in the Lodemovoi system after a tank of fuel!

 

[djadjok]

I got 1 MEF from the Scientific layout of Fibonacci Survey on A 6 A at V640 Cassiopeia

Is it Medium security?

Kelly's folly yielded the 1 MEF (3) at Lodemovoi 2 in the Lodemovoi system after a tank of fuel!

I'm not so lucky this days, catching only junk software (large industrial med.sec - 3x3=9! "unusual encrypted files" - what I'm supposed to do with them?)
Can you supply also layout type/security for "Kelly's folly"?
I've recently added this data to the spreadsheet:

Djuhti	7 A	L3H	Schweickart Base
La Tenha	A 1	L2H	Makarov Vision
17 Virginis	1 E	L1M	Khayyam Base
V640 Cassiopeia	A 6 A	L3M	Fibonacci Survey
Lodemovoi	2	???	Kelly's Folly

 

[Flavourless]

Hi

Newbie to base DAP scanning here. Thanks for all the good info.

I went to a +++ Med base to hunt for MEF.
The base was enclosed in a large trespass zone. (Looks like line 14 in the 2.1 settlements spreadsheet where it encloses all structures)

Can this type of base actually be entered without getting infringements?

 

[djadjok]

Hi

Newbie to base DAP scanning here. Thanks for all the good info.

I went to a +++ Med base to hunt for MEF.
The base was enclosed in a large trespass zone. (Looks like line 14 in the 2.1 settlements spreadsheet where it encloses all structures)

Can this type of base actually be entered without getting infringements?

Hi, and welcome to the club =)
If I understand you well and you mean 14th row in the "ED:H maps 2.1" then this is in effect "L4M2" (Large size_Type #4_Medium Security_Variation 2) - or - "Large - Military - Medium Security, Variation #2".
Personally I attribute the highest - 3rd - level of difficulty (treat level) to this kind of settlements as it have rather impressive capabilities to defend itself in case of assault. And there is no way to perform a DAP's scan run without a fight (and you must be really skilled in this kind of assaults to stand it if you plan to do it in solo mode). Large size "Military" layouts are kind of exception, they have no "Low security" variation but have 2 medium, and both are well protected and you can not silently sneak in for DAP scan. So if you have alternatives and your original intent is the hunt for "treasures" it's better to avoid military layouts.

PS: Also, I start to doubt that large size-medium security bases (military or not) are as good sources for MEF as they were before 2.105.

 

[Flavourless]

Thanks for reply.
I believe this was an L4M2 (the one with no image). Would have taken an overhead shot but it was dark.

Are all the type L4 (BAP) bases military layout then?
It was just a +++ Med that I stumbled across in an outworld system. Haven't seen many of them, but will try to find an easier target.

PS: Also, I start to doubt that large size-medium security bases (military or not) are as good sources for MEF as they were before 2.105.

I see. Thanks again.

 

[djadjok]

Thanks for reply.
I believe this was an L4M2 (the one with no image). Would have taken an overhead shot but it was dark.

Yep, if restricted area encloses not only the core part, but also satellites (sites with defense platforms), and there are four of them, then this is L4M2.

Are all the type L4 (BAP) bases military layout then?
It was just a +++ Med that I stumbled across in an outworld system. Haven't seen many of them, but will try to find an easier target.

Historically layout numbers are inherited from the fact that the base official "naming" was unknown at the beginning. I've discovered the relation between "visible aspect" and FD model's names only recently, and "not by surprising coincidence" old BAP numbers can be directly translated to official "names". So yes - all L4 are "Large Military". I'm thinking of changing the way of layout coding (see "SVS->EDH FNC" page)
Also while I've visited not so many 0-treat level MEF candidates settlements since 2.105 update (so far only four of them - L3M, L1M types) I haven't got a single MEF copy from them. May be just a bad luck, but this can be also a sign that - intentionally or not - developers push commanders to fight for them. So I'm planning to recheck Medium size/High security types and some Large Size/High Security (if I'll encounter some anarchy owned). But L4 - large military - are the worst candidates and too risky for me.

 

[Sevenperry]

Is it Medium security?


I'm not so lucky this days, catching only junk software (large industrial med.sec - 3x3=9! "unusual encrypted files" - what I'm supposed to do with them?)
Can you supply also layout type/security for "Kelly's folly"?
I've recently added this data to the spreadsheet:

Djuhti	7 A	L3H	Schweickart Base
La Tenha	A 1	L2H	Makarov Vision
17 Virginis	1 E	L1M	Khayyam Base
V640 Cassiopeia	A 6 A	L3M	Fibonacci Survey
Lodemovoi	2	???	Kelly's Folly

Yes Fibonacci is med security and Kelly's is also an exploration layout. I scanned hub to stop countdown for the data point behind the security doors but maybe could've done so from ground level anyway.

 

[Sevenperry]

Gibson prospect same planet as blaster for is extraction med sec but I gave up!

 

[djadjok]

Yes Fibonacci is med security and Kelly's is also an exploration layout. I scanned hub to stop countdown for the data point behind the security doors but maybe could've done so from ground level anyway.

Hub access terminal? So far as I know it doesn't affect DAP countdown.
A known issue with "Core Data Terminal" is present, but it doesn't stops the timer, just hide it - temporary - from the HUD.

Gibson prospect same planet as blaster for is extraction med sec but I gave up!

Thank you, I'll add them later today.

 

[Devari]

I went to a +++ Med base to hunt for MEF.
The base was enclosed in a large trespass zone. (Looks like line 14 in the 2.1 settlements spreadsheet where it encloses all structures)

Can this type of base actually be entered without getting infringements?

I'll update the guide to make this more clear, it's only certain types of Medium Security +++ bases that we've identified on the list (Industrial, Exploration, Scientific and Extraction) that can be approached with the SRV without crossing a large security perimeter. There are other types of Medium Security +++ bases, specifically the Military layout settlements, that can still have an active security perimeter and this will activate when you cross it with the SRV even though they're Medium security.

- - - - - Additional Content Posted / Auto Merge - - - - -

A known issue with "Core Data Terminal" is present, but it doesn't stops the timer, just hide it - temporary - from the HUD.

Scanning the Core Data Terminal seems to do both of these things, it makes the timer disappear from the HUD but also stops the clock as well. Not sure if this is a bug but I've had several cases where I scan a rooftop data point, then the Core Data terminal, and for some reason I couldn't reach the next data point in time. When I get to the next data point and scan it (sometimes a few minutes later when the timer should have reset) it will simply start a "new" countdown at whatever the data point increment happens to be without resetting any of the progress from prior data points that I scanned. For Industrial or Exploration layouts this is 60 or 90 seconds, for Extraction layouts it's 300 seconds, and so on, it just uses that amount of time as the "new" timer. So for some reason scanning the Core Data Terminal is both removing the HUD timer and also stopping the clock but is also retaining the prior data points that you've scanned so that you can just continue wherever you left off when you resume scanning the data points (which as I said can even be long after the original timer would have counted down). Essentially this means that if you are having trouble in the middle of a scan but are close to a Core Data terminal you can just scan the Core terminal to "stop/reset" the clock and take as much time as you want to find the next data point. You can only do this once of course for a given scan attempt (since the core data terminal won't reset for another 2 weeks) but I've used this occasionally on the high-gravity worlds when it was very challenging just to reach the roof and I realized I could use the Core data scan to stop the clock in the middle of the data point scans.

 

[djadjok]

Scanning the Core Data Terminal seems to do both of these things, it makes the timer disappear from the HUD but also stops the clock as well. Not sure if this is a bug but I've had several cases where I scan a rooftop data point, then the Core Data terminal, and for some reason I couldn't reach the next data point in time. When I get to the next data point and scan it (sometimes a few minutes later when the timer should have reset) it will simply start a "new" countdown at whatever the data point increment happens to be without resetting any of the progress from prior data points that I scanned. For Industrial or Exploration layouts this is 60 or 90 seconds, for Extraction layouts it's 300 seconds, and so on, it just uses that amount of time as the "new" timer. So for some reason scanning the Core Data Terminal is both removing the HUD timer and also stopping the clock but is also retaining the prior data points that you've scanned so that you can just continue wherever you left off when you resume scanning the data points (which as I said can even be long after the original timer would have counted down). Essentially this means that if you are having trouble in the middle of a scan but are close to a Core Data terminal you can just scan the Core terminal to "stop/reset" the clock and take as much time as you want to find the next data point. You can only do this once of course for a given scan attempt (since the core data terminal won't reset for another 2 weeks) but I've used this occasionally on the high-gravity worlds when it was very challenging just to reach the roof and I realized I could use the Core data scan to stop the clock in the middle of the data point scans.

Oh, looks like here we have a bit of misunderstanding.
The only issue is that CDT scan make disappear DAP countdown timer from the HUD. And this is a bug. Possibility to retry is "a feature".
If one haven't finished full cycle DAP's scan run in provided time - and haven't received any data/intel creds as a prize - he can try one other attempt at any given time. It's normal. If I've scanned, say, 3 points of five and timer is already elapsed - I can retry this procedure at any time to, i.e scan - once again - _ALL_ 5 of them. CDT is not a way to "pause" timer. You can scan only one datapoint - receive nothing for that (besides important info - how many datpoints you'll need to scan and time bonus for each scan) - retreat - return - and scan all of them. The only thing important is that you must repeat the procedure for all datapoints if your previous attempt have failed.

 

[Devari]

Oh, looks like here we have a bit of misunderstanding.
The only issue is that CDT scan make disappear DAP countdown timer from the HUD. And this is a bug. Possibility to retry is "a feature".
If one haven't finished full cycle DAP's scan run in provided time - and haven't received any data/intel creds as a prize - he can try one other attempt at any given time. It's normal. If I've scanned, say, 3 points of five and timer is already elapsed - I can retry this procedure at any time to, i.e scan - once again - _ALL_ 5 of them. CDT is not a way to "pause" timer. You can scan only one datapoint - receive nothing for that (besides important info - how many datpoints you'll need to scan and time bonus for each scan) - retreat - return - and scan all of them. The only thing important is that you must repeat the procedure for all datapoints if your previous attempt have failed.

For some reason though scanning the CDT will actually "stop" the clock. At first I didn't fully understand what was happening so it took me a while to figure it out, but now I've seen it happen a few times so it does seem to be repeatable, either because of some bug or "intended" feature. Here's what I'd suggest doing, go to any Exploration layout base, start on the roof. Scan the first data point, then scan the CDT. The clock will disappear from the HUD. Wait something like 5 minutes or so (enjoy a coffee or something). At this point the clock should have "timed out" if it was simply the HUD clock disappearing but not actually affecting the background "countdown". Yet when you go try to re-scan the first orange data point on the roof, you'll find it's not scannable as the clock timer did not actually "time out" and reset, it's completely stopped until you resume your data point scan. If you drive down and scan the second orange data point, even without re-scanning the first one (which is unscannable because it already counts as scanned), the clock restarts again with whatever incremental timer that data point is assigned (60, 90 or 300 seconds). The first data point however remains "scanned" and does not need to be re-scanned for that run. After the clock is re-started by resuming the next data point scan, if this times out then all of the orange data points will then re-set as usual, but you have an infinite amount of time to get to the next data point after scanning the CDT (unless of course you leave the area and re-enter supercruise in your ship, which I expect would probably reset them). It can be quite a useful "feature" if you use it intentionally to "pause" a difficult data point scan on a high-g world.

 

[djadjok]

For some reason though scanning the CDT will actually "stop" the clock. At first I didn't fully understand what was happening so it took me a while to figure it out, but now I've seen it happen a few times so it does seem to be repeatable, either because of some bug or "intended" feature. Here's what I'd suggest doing, go to any Exploration layout base, start on the roof. Scan the first data point, then scan the CDT. The clock will disappear from the HUD. Wait something like 5 minutes or so (enjoy a coffee or something). At this point the clock should have "timed out" if it was simply the HUD clock disappearing but not actually affecting the background "countdown". Yet when you go try to re-scan the first orange data point on the roof, you'll find it's not scannable as the clock timer did not actually "time out" and reset, it's completely stopped until you resume your data point scan. If you drive down and scan the second orange data point, even without re-scanning the first one (which is unscannable because it already counts as scanned), the clock restarts again with whatever incremental timer that data point is assigned (60, 90 or 300 seconds). The first data point however remains "scanned" and does not need to be re-scanned for that run. After the clock is re-started by resuming the next data point scan, if this times out then all of the orange data points will then re-set as usual, but you have an infinite amount of time to get to the next data point after scanning the CDT (unless of course you leave the area and re-enter supercruise in your ship, which I expect would probably reset them). It can be quite a useful "feature" if you use it intentionally to "pause" a difficult data point scan on a high-g world.

Hmm, and this is sounds interesting, must recheck this. If this is true - and I have no reason to doubt in your observations - the issue with CDT changes it's grade from "minor issue" to "possible exploit"

 

[Devari]

Hmm, and this is sounds interesting, must recheck this. If this is true - and I have no reason to doubt in your observations - the issue with CDT changes it's grade from "minor issue" to "possible exploit"

Yes, exactly, that is why I suspect it is really a "bug" of some kind rather than "intended".

 

[Morwo]

OP is great! i wonder why getting inside the settlements scanning the data is supposed to be an illegal act. they start shooting at me. am i doing it wrong? is there no legal alternative?

 

[Devari]

OP is great! i wonder why getting inside the settlements scanning the data is supposed to be an illegal act. they start shooting at me. am i doing it wrong? is there no legal alternative?

If you go to the medium security bases on the list (Industrial, Exploration, Scientific or Extraction layouts) you won't get shot at if you drive in with your SRV. Accessing the data points at these bases is perfectly "legal" in the sense that you won't get any bounties or have to shoot anyone and collecting the data from the scans has no negative effects such as decreasing your rep with any of the local factions. If you try entering and scanning data points at a heavily defended base however, such as a Military layout settlement, you will get a trespassing fine/bounty shortly after your SRV crosses the security perimeter that surrounds the base (unless you leave immediately). You can still scan the data points at those heavily defended bases, but it involves shooting and bounties. If you try the bases we've put on the list, however (or if you try other similar medium security settlements with the layout types we've listed) you will be fine.

 

[rav archer]

Awsome thread ! Thank you very much for your work writting it. I cant give you more rep
Ive got a question: what if i do that settlement attack in wing? It will split amterial or evryone in win got the same ?