Newcomer / Intro Three hopefully simple noob questions

[King Drax I]

Ok so I have just ballsed up a data delivery mission, and I have been fined. Where do I go to pay the fine (the starport I am at says I have no outstanding fines) or was it deducted automatically from my credits balance?

Secondly, I am looking at another mission to be flown using my starting Sidewinder. The mission recommends (As they all seem to do) that I check the galactic map to see if the route is 'viable'. How do I know if it is viable?

Finally, how do I know my ship's maximum single jump range, and how much fuel that will take?

Thanks

 

[Chris Simon]

1) Try going back to the station where you got the mission. You should be able to pay your fine there. But honestly, somebody else will have to give you more specific answer. I haven't been fined or wanted for a year and the crime and punisment system changed a lot in the mean time.

2) When you look at the galaxy map, you will see the system you're in and you will see it connected with other systems by a blue lines. These blue lines mean that your ship can jump there. Also while we're at it, if you're about to accept a cargo mission, don't forget that cargo on board will decrease your maximum jump range due to extra weight.

3) You can see your ship's jump range in the outfitting screen and on the right-hand panel in the Functions screen. Fuel per jump is trickier. I don't think you can see it anywhere, at least not as a number. When you plot a jump, you can look at your fuel gauge and you will see a blue line that represents the amount of fuel your FSD is going to use. I think it's about 2T for a max range jump in a stock Sidewinder? (not really sure)

 

[Maenden]

The simplest way to pay off a fine is to return to the station where you were given the mission.
Otherwise look for a station with Interstellar Factors
There are other methods.

Checking the Galactic Map basically means that you look to see if it can plot the route automatically for your ship with it's current jump range.
It usually can.
So the simplest thing to do is accept the mission.
Then go into the Transactions tab.
Select the mission.
The choose the option to plot your route and when the map appears the system you need to go should be indicated by an orange globe-like thingy.
Clicking on the system map then shows you your final destination.
If it's a space port select Plot route.
If it's a planetary base then select the planet map, then the base, then Plot route.

 

[King Drax I]

Brilliant! Thanks folks!

 

[King Drax I]

How do you find out the station where you got the mission? One tends to blend into another....

 

[Cmdr Nemo LXXI]

Assuming you filled up prior to looking at the board for a mission, checking the map prior to accepting will show you if it's doable. The additional weight seems to be factored in while checking in the mission description menu vs chcking after I accepted in the navigation menu.

A dotted line means it not doable and you'll need fuel beyond that point where the line is solid. On occasion which rarely happens, you might have to plot using the eco instead.

Checking in the mission description prior will also show you what type of station and allow you to plot directly to it rather than having to when you get to the system.

I use to wait until after I accepted a mission and utilized the nav menu. Had a few mishaps where I had to replot to a different system to get fuel and once done replot to finish the mission. I was lucky becasue there was a fuel stop to detour to and never had to call the fuel rats. Since using the area in the missions description for checking, I've not had an issue.

 

[Infernal-Jawa]

The easiest way to pay a fine if you can't find where you got the mission from, is to look for a station that has an interstellar factors facility. You can pay all fines there.

 

[King Drax I]

Excellent, thanks. How do we find an IF station without clicking every. single. one?

 

[aRJay]

How do you find out the station where you got the mission? One tends to blend into another....

After completing a trip if you look at the galaxy map straight away the route you took should be marked in a grey colour, this will allow you to plot a return or add a bookmark as required.

 

[Mo Ronik]

In the age of computers I know it's silly but I keep a steno pad and a sharpened pencil right here beside my computer and I jot down each trip I make, star system and station and what credits I expect to receive when the mission is completed. It's just part of my routine with double checking the transactions panel, galaxy map for route, nav panel to be sure the route is plotted, etc. Then before I leave the starport screen I double check that my fuel is topped off. My route is always set to economy so I'm sure I can get where I'm going. Plus, having a fuel scoop means I don't have to take the time and find a station to refuel along the way as I top my tank at every scoopable star.

 

[King Drax I]

Ok so I am on approach to a landing pad inside aCoriolis station. The pad is the correct one I have been given clearance for but the landing guide holograms are blue rather than orange. Try to land and they get all stroppy. Tried for further clearance and now all the orbital stations are flagged as anonymous access.

1) Why did they have a blue guide hologram, and why did they get strroppy when I tried to reapply for clearance?

2) How do I remove that 'anonymous access' red tag?

Real ATC is nowhere near as unhelpful as these jerks.

 

[Chris Simon]

Ok so I am on approach to a landing pad inside aCoriolis station. The pad is the correct one I have been given clearance for but the landing guide holograms are blue rather than orange. Try to land and they get all stroppy. Tried for further clearance and now all the orbital stations are flagged as anonymous access.

1) Why did they have a blue guide hologram, and why did they get strroppy when I tried to reapply for clearance?

2) How do I remove that 'anonymous access' red tag?

Real ATC is nowhere near as unhelpful as these jerks.

1] Some stations have blue holograms. Presumably they don't like orange. That has nothing to do with you.
2) Anonymous access means that you have a fine (or bounty) at the station and can't officially log into station's services.

 

[King Drax I]

And I've landed at an IF ground base and paid off one of my fines. Other one doesn't even show up on my list. This game is really cockeyed.

 

[Factabulous]

Ok so I am on approach to a landing pad inside aCoriolis station. The pad is the correct one I have been given clearance for but the landing guide holograms are blue rather than orange. Try to land and they get all stroppy. Tried for further clearance and now all the orbital stations are flagged as anonymous access.

1) Why did they have a blue guide hologram, and why did they get strroppy when I tried to reapply for clearance?

2) How do I remove that 'anonymous access' red tag?

Real ATC is nowhere near as unhelpful as these jerks.

They didn't get stroppy - they are calm and relaxed as they are computers. Real ATC don't get stroppy either I would guess, but would also get annoyed if you showed little understanding of AT rules. You can probably look back in the Comms window (2) to see where you broke the law, probably you were pad loitering or took too long, or were carrying illegal goods or passengers. Worth paying attention to messages you get.

Anonymous access is not a big issue - just ask for docking as usual and pay off the fine under 'Contacts' If they offer to send you to jail decline and find an Interstellar Factor elsewhere to clear your criminality

 

[Chris Simon]

And I've landed at an IF ground base and paid off one of my fines. Other one doesn't even show up on my list. This game is really cockeyed.

If you paid everything outstanding at IF, then you shouldn't have anything left.
In that case the station which has inactive services simply might be in a lockdown state. (Security issues, disease outbreak,...)

 

[Factabulous]

This game is really cockeyed.

You mis-spelt complicated

 

[Mo Ronik]

1] Some stations have blue holograms. Presumably they don't like orange. That has nothing to do with you.
2) Anonymous access means that you have a fine (or bounty) at the station and can't officially log into station's services.

I've seen a few red pad holograms as well. First time I saw those I thought I was in trouble. Another time I got clearance to land on pad mmm mmm mmmmm... I heard 6 but it was in such a deep Indian accent I must have misunderstood it because 8 showed up on screen. Had I tried to land on 6 without looking and verifying it might have ended badly.

 

[King Drax I]

Thanks folks. It says I have a 1089CR fine "in Titanstar Alliance" whatever that is.

With the anonymous access, they wouldn't let me dock - access denied. Which is why I thought the Anonymous tag was a big issue.

 

[Greybeard_LXI]

You can find the faction issuing the fine in the transactions tab of the left window. All computer system generated factions have the star system name in the faction name. For player named factions you probably need to go to someplace like inara.cz to look up the systems. Lore specific factions can be found the same way player named factions can be found.

Interstellar Factors should be in all anarchy or low security sytems.

 

[Chris Simon]

I've seen a few red pad holograms as well. First time I saw those I thought I was in trouble.

Maybe they just wanted you to dock... aggressively.

Thanks folks. It says I have a 1089CR fine "in Titanstar Alliance" whatever that is.

With the anonymous access, they wouldn't let me dock - access denied. Which is why I thought the Anonymous tag was a big issue.

Honestly, I think you should simply forget about the fine and go about your business. In your early carreer, you have more important things to do than flying from station to station and trying to settle your debts. Galaxy is big. You may never return to that system ever again so why bother.