2.1.03 and explorer safety returning to bubble

[gooddoc]

It must be something that you've done in the past year that's got the NPC's attention, bounty somewhere maybe?

Iv only ever been chased by NPC's when I was doing missions or carrying cargo in my Trading days, but Iv not done anything like that since DWE started & won't do it now. Maybe I just keep my head below FD's radar 'cos I stay out of populated system's nearly all the time.

It must be really crappy trying to play an Explorer role while being hounded by NPC's, I'v read lots of other similar threads, I'm fortunate atm that they leave me alone.

However, I sense that while I'm in the black in the coming months, I'm gonna jump in the middle of a Thargoid's nest!

 

[Kalpa]

Well, this short VOD from a rant stream I made some time ago pretty much summarizes my experience of things pre-patch... it should still be available for a few more days, but I don't feel like uploading it to youtube for posterity: https://www.twitch.tv/kalpa1/v/72551037. Important bits around 5 minute mark where I whine about value of cargo vs. intensity of pirate attack.

Should be noted I haven't pledged to any power either, ever.

Anyway I'm done upgrading, let's see if things have changed at all. I doubt they did anything to the "cargo hold value" trigger for NPC pirates, so meh, I'll probably be interdicted every other second for hauling random crap in my cargohold anyway.

 

[Ziljan]

Those are the moments you regret not having Action or Shadowplay running in the background. That must have been an awesome spectacle.[up]

These are the kinds of moments that are now gone from the game since the AI is now on prozac.

 

[dubsdj]

I just came back from a trip and went to 17 Draconis. I didn't see anyone so that appears to be a safe place.

 

[Porina]

I got back from my trip yesterday, and I have flown around in the bubble a little today while I try to work out the engineers stuff. Not a single interdiction.

 

[bkrownd]

My combat rank is Mostly Harmless and exploration rank is Elite. Before 2.1.03 the game was unplayable to me to a point i was considering quitting ED. The NPCs were totally out of control. I tried Mining profession - my Type-6 was interdicted as soon as i put something in its cargo bay.

Generally mining is just about the most peaceful activity in the game. When you drop into rings put 4 pips to engines and descend towards the rings while watching the scanner - once you see the standard NPC spawn boost away from it until it leaves the range of the scanner. (may take a while) Carry mine launchers for a Cobra or Imperial Eagle NPC that just won't give up. Those are just about the only ships that should catch a boosting A rated T-6. After you've boosted away from the one initial NPC spawn you should have hours of peaceful mining ahead of you. I stack mining missions and mine for the required ores to complete them, and I never keep gold because gold in your hold spawns random pirates. The new power of mine launchers and point defense has made most interdictions a comedy show for my mining ship. I'm worried about racking up kills too fast with my mine launchers.

As an explorer I really haven't had problems returning to the Bubble since I could afford my first Cobra III BoostMobile. I called that ship "The Easy Button". (I did skip the carnage of the 2.1 launch week) Plot a course through uninhabited edge systems to a friendly station (better than a starport) within 100ls of the drop star. Even if you get unlucky with a hostile NPC any reasonably capable ship should be able to reach a less than 100 ls station and get within the comfort of its no-fire zone.