I've participated in doing this many many times across both the Xbox and PS4 as it has become a necessary part of engineering and sourcing the rare materials, but when I factor in that the game can be very random, sometimes never spawning the USS that you seek, or the specific materials you're after, you then ask yourself what alternative actives are available. Then it occurs to you that the mission board is equally tedious and random and the traders have a 6/1 ration on G5's. So if I want to max G5 engineer something I could be looking at needing 10+ mats and data per grade 5 completion.
Personally I just want to see FD either sort out the trader ratios or at least incorporate more enjoyable alternatives to obtaining the stuff you need in the game. More consistency with missions and a broader choice of rewards would also be appreciated because when I think about how devoted to this game I am and the sheer amount of time invested, it suddenly makes me wonder how on Earth the players who have much less time to play this can even remotely immerse themselves in it if they find themselves needing to waste the little time they have drifting aimlessly about to source a material!
Sure, have a grind of a game. Throw in some times sinks, FD, if you insist... Just add more enjoyment to the activities involved, and if not... Reduce the trader ratios. Lol.
Well, I'm not sure I've ever played any game where being super-focused about one particular part of it was ever fun. No matter the mechanics, when you pound on them, they get old, tedious, and feel like they are taking longer than what they actually do take to accomplish the given goal. As an example, playing Mass Effect 2/3 (very highly regarded games) by just going through the game and taking upgrades as they come can be an enjoyable experience. However, if you want to max out your Shepard (let alone your entire entourage), you will have to farm the planet scanning mini-game, which gets very tedious, very quickly, and it's a no-skill activity, to boot.
So, you have two options when it comes to the High-Grade USS items - you can gather them as you go about your normal business (which is predicated on checking USS spawns as part of your normal routine), or you can do an efficient pounding until you get what you are looking for. One method takes longer, but is less tedious overall, and the other is faster, but is likely to feel boring and repetitive...because like the planet-scanning, it is.
So, if you must use Option B:
Use this:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...RsDxfAcQa7cBq0YUIFy3m2NII/edit#gid=1438475835
Go to an appropriate system, and Supercruise about 1500 ls directly above or below the entry star. Turn around and face the star, and fly back towards it at around 1.5C. Yes, that is one-point-five C. Once you get to around 300ls, turn around, and speed back out. Rinse, repeat. On average, you should get 3-5 HGE spawns per loop, which should take around 40 minutes. Put on some tunes, and just hoe the rows until it's done.
Within a few hours, you should have 50+ of the HGE item that you are looking for. Really, that isn't too bad.
My data set admittedly consists of just myself, but I was able to get 50+ of each HGE item I was looking for (Imperial, Federal, and Outbreak/Independent) in roughly 6 hours (total). That was three different systems, utilizing the same selection criteria and the same flight method for each. Three points is the minimum to make a line, as it is said. I don't consider this to be a terrible return on investment, though others might. It's not fun or engaging, but that isn't something that should be expected when you are attempting to get something done as quickly or efficiently as possible. That mentality actually runs completely counter to fun, immersive, or engaging by definition.
If you are going to just pound it, then pound it right.
Riôt
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