Has Bounty Hunting Been Nurfed?!?!?

[WallacEngineering]

So normally I bounty hunt in High RES (Resource Extraction Sites) sites. My normal bounty hunting experience is that of a healthy mixture of medium and large bounties (Cobras, Vipers, DiamodBacks, Pythons, Anacondas, and Fer De Lances mostly), usually ranging from 50,000 to 350,000 credits in most cases.

This results in an average earning rate of 3,000,00 Credits per hour, and ranging from about 2,000,000 per hour to 4,000,000 per hour on most occasions depending on luck.

However, lately I have been struggling to make over 1,000,000 Credits in an hour. Ever since the latest update (the one that nurfed the Quince and Rhea Credit Exploits) a few days ago, I am seeing next to NONE in the way of larger Anaconda, Python, or Fer De Lance bounties. Even when trying Hazardous RES sites, I struggle to find any good bounties.

I have tried HIP 20277, Ross 847, and Delta Doradus systems in the past few days. These are the systems that have netted me the largest credit sessions in the recent past (4.7 Mil/hr in Ross 847, 3.6 Mil/Hr in HIP 20277, and 3.3 Mil/Hr in Delta Doradus).

In the past few days, after a total of 15 hours of pure Bounty Hunting in these systems, I have only had 1 Anaconda kill, 1 Fer De Lance kill, and NO Python kills. And thats after trying EVERY High and Haz RES site in all three systems. I do, however, get plenty of Cobras, Vipers, Adders, and Sidewinders. The weird thing about this is I almost NEVER used to see hostile, wanted Sidewinders in High and Haz RES sites, and Adders were rare. Now I kill at least 5 Sidewinders per hour, while no other criminals can be found. My highest credit rate since the update has been 1,500,000 creds in one hour.

Am I just experiencing really bad luck? Has anyone else been experiencing this?

If Bounty Hunting has been nurfed as well, how can Frontier expect players to keep playing? It was already way to grindy and took way too long to save up for an Anaconda or Federal Corvette. At this rate it will take 200 hours of Bounty Hunting with MINIMAL repairs and NO DEATHS to save for an Anaconda, let alone fully outfit one.

I really just hope this is dumb luck!

 

[yolomcbobbinz]

I haven't res hunt in forever, if you can't get good instances soon try a compromised nav beacon

 

[GTwannabe]

Depends on the RES site. Too many active miners and powerplay enforcers = low pirate spawn rate.

 

[Schmack]

I was at a haz res a couple days ago surrounded by anacondas, clippers, pythons and such. Maybe the haz res is your best bet, but you'll have to do your own fighting unless you wait for them to turn on each other,which they do, and you can selectively get your cheap shots in.

 

[Limoncello Lizard]

FWIW, the payout for assassination missions has been increased.

 

[Manticore]

I wouldn't know for sure as I don't do a heap of bounty hunting. That being said I do enjoy getting out and destroying the occasional NPC.

 

[kofeyh]

RNG, baby, it's a thing. Instances can spawn with endless sidewinders, or more clippers than you can poke a multi-cannon at. I've been shooting since 2.4 dropped and myself and another corvette driver were struggling to bag the bad guys fast enough, in a Resource Extraction Site (Hazardous) - just Clippers and FGS and pythons for days; so it's still 100% situational.

 

[Kevin Kyle]

Near as I can tell, bounty hunting is the same as it has always been. When I get what your having, I just turn around and lowake out and turn around and go back in. Sometimes I have to do it a few times. Eventually, I get what I am looking for. I can usually tell pretty much right away how its likely to be. It takes a bit of bounty hunting to understand what your going to get when you drop in. Ive also seen good payouts in lowres sites too. Its just not common to see a lowres like that but it happens.

 

[Jenner]

RNG, baby, it's a thing. Instances can spawn with endless sidewinders, or more clippers than you can poke a multi-cannon at. I've been shooting since 2.4 dropped and myself and another corvette driver were struggling to bag the bad guys fast enough, in a Resource Extraction Site (Hazardous) - just Clippers and FGS and pythons for days; so it's still 100% situational.

Most likely this.

 

[CMDR ANCALAGON]

I've had the highest earnings and volume of wanted ships I've ever seen over the past week or two in HazRes sites.

 

[Kevin Kyle]

I made 50 mil total in bounties and cg bonus in a Vulture and didnt really spend too much time doing it. That was in a highres.

 

[Aekero]

Think it's just bad luck. Just got out of a haz res, at least 3 pythons and a couple fdls in about half an hour or so. made over a million without kws or pp bonus, so probably could have done 3 in an hour.... That's not much but it was a lot of fun!

 

[WallacEngineering]

I was at a haz res a couple days ago surrounded by anacondas, clippers, pythons and such. Maybe the haz res is your best bet, but you'll have to do your own fighting unless you wait for them to turn on each other,which they do, and you can selectively get your cheap shots in.

The problem is I have been trying Haz RES sites as well, still just Cobras and smaller. I have no idea what is going on, its really confusing. I play in Solo unless friends come online and then I play in a Wing in Open, so no issues with other players or anything like that.

I do have a well-outfitted Vulture (but based on offence, LITTLE DEFENSE. Its got C class Bi-Weave shields to save power for its Beam Laser + MultiCannon setup with Hull and Module Reinforcements + Chaff and twin point defences.

The Class A Power Plant is totally maxed out, but I figure the Bi-Weave shields make up for their lack in strength with the incredible recharge rate.

 

[EvE4evah]

The problem is I have been trying Haz RES sites as well, still just Cobras and smaller. I have no idea what is going on, its really confusing. I play in Solo unless friends come online and then I play in a Wing in Open, so no issues with other players or anything like that.

Have you tried the low wake out, drop back in approach? And the more hopping approach?
Because I've been doing the RazRES in CG this past weekend, sometimes it was dry, most times it had lots of Annies, Pythons, FGSs, FASs, Clippers and the likes. Even Elite NPCs in DBXs with 90k bounties on them… might be a bad luck streak for you, though

 

[M00ka]

I have found that things have to build up so to speak. For example I dropped into a Nav Beacon (part of a mission). When I first got there, the dozen or so ships where all clean. After a couple of minutes, a couple of low value bounties appeared (Eagles and Sidewinders mostly). Within 10 minutes bigger, high rated and more valuable bounties stated to drop in. By the time half an hour had gone I was having to choose which wanted Anaconda I was going to attack. And when things died down again, I simply left the area, did a quick 180 and came back, resetting the instance.

 

[WallacEngineering]

Have you tried the low wake out, drop back in approach? And the more hopping approach?
Because I've been doing the RazRES in CG this past weekend, sometimes it was dry, most times it had lots of Annies, Pythons, FGSs, FASs, Clippers and the likes. Even Elite NPCs in DBXs with 90k bounties on them… might be a bad luck streak for you, though

Yea I have tried several times, I just Hunt until Im low on ammo in the MultiCannon, head back to station to re-arm, then re-enter site. Ive probably reset each site 3-4 times in the past few days.

 

[Kevin Kyle]

Just drop in and go straight to contacts. If you dont see some navy ships, pythons, FDL's or Anaconda's inside the first 60 seconds or so, just turn right around and lowake out and go right back in. Repeat and rinse until you get a good one. Usually doesnt take very long. Then when I do get a good one, I rock and roll that bad boy until Im tired and or out of ammo but I use beams on my Vulture.

 

[MasterHastur]

I haven't noticed a difference. I did however notice that I can hunt down massacre targets in hazardous sites now so I've actually been making more money than usual.

 

[WallacEngineering]

Just drop in and go straight to contacts. If you dont see some navy ships, pythons, FDL's or Anaconda's inside the first 60 seconds or so, just turn right around and lowake out and go right back in. Repeat and rinse until you get a good one. Usually doesnt take very long. Then when I do get a good one, I rock and roll that bad boy until Im tired and or out of ammo but I use beams on my Vulture.

Ill have to try it this way, Ill keep ya posted

 

[Aashenfox]

Compromised Nav in Avik is working great as of last night. After starting with an Elite Anaconda, then several pythons and vultures, the second elite anaconda sent me back to base for ammo and repairs, but not before tasting space.