2.1 beta feedback - warning for explorers....

Ziljan

Ziljan
The complaint threads are usually knee jerk reactions that don't take into account ALL of the changes.

The higher security systems are supposed to be safer now. And I haven't heard anything about NPCs being more aggressive vs Explorers, who typically have no cargo. So these changes to AI and NPC power are unlikely to event impact Explorer CMDRs who aren't looking for a fight. Or who don't completely ignore the warnings about a system's lawlessness.
 

Arubeto

Arubeto
Although I understand that some explorers are worried about being interdicted by pirates when returning to the bubble, I think it adds a nice gameplay mechanic: that of the explorer escort service. Groups like "Iridium Wing" (https://iridiumwing.space/#/) always sounded like a nice idea, but up until now I never really felt the need to call upon their services. Now, escort for returning explorers could become an integral, new and interesting new way to play the game, a new kind of "profession", if you want. Perhaps DW veterans could even take this role up for future Distant World expeditions, if they don't want to go to BP themselves, again. Would be a nice way to contribute to future expeditions without actually being part of the expedition fleet itself.
 

Ian Doncaster

Ian Doncaster
I need to try it out a bit more, but ships of Master rank or lower don't seem significantly tougher. Above that, the AI is nastier than before and they have engineering mods (though so far nothing too dangerous). You do still get the occasional pirate without a cargo scanner who'll shoot you on the basis you might be carrying something - generally in something small like an Adder or Eagle which doesn't have space for one - but standard running away should still be fine.

Conversely, in high security systems the police turn up fairly quickly - I must remember to turn "report crimes" off when actually testing the new AI, or they blow it up before I'm done.

I don't think returning explorers are in significantly more danger than before - I would have recommended not skipping shields or dropping the distributor below the boost threshold in 2.0 and I don't think that changes in 2.1. Requesting an escort may well be a good idea, though - especially if you've hit a few too many binaries/planets while out there.
 

newman1702

newman1702
Ian Doncaster said:
I need to try it out a bit more, but ships of Master rank or lower don't seem significantly tougher. Above that, the AI is nastier than before and they have engineering mods (though so far nothing too dangerous). You do still get the occasional pirate without a cargo scanner who'll shoot you on the basis you might be carrying something - generally in something small like an Adder or Eagle which doesn't have space for one - but standard running away should still be fine.

Conversely, in high security systems the police turn up fairly quickly - I must remember to turn "report crimes" off when actually testing the new AI, or they blow it up before I'm done.

I don't think returning explorers are in significantly more danger than before - I would have recommended not skipping shields or dropping the distributor below the boost threshold in 2.0 and I don't think that changes in 2.1. Requesting an escort may well be a good idea, though - especially if you've hit a few too many binaries/planets while out there.
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I assumed that was the case, though without beta access I couldn't exactly confirm it. Glad to hear it, though. I quite like that exploration builds involve a lot of stripping down and are quite different to every other type of build; making returning too dangerous would turn exploration builds into combat builds with scanners attached. I'd prefer not to see that happen, myself.
 

[VR] optimal_909

[VR] optimal_909
Ian Doncaster said:
I need to try it out a bit more, but ships of Master rank or lower don't seem significantly tougher. Above that, the AI is nastier than before and they have engineering mods (though so far nothing too dangerous). You do still get the occasional pirate without a cargo scanner who'll shoot you on the basis you might be carrying something - generally in something small like an Adder or Eagle which doesn't have space for one - but standard running away should still be fine.

Conversely, in high security systems the police turn up fairly quickly - I must remember to turn "report crimes" off when actually testing the new AI, or they blow it up before I'm done.

I don't think returning explorers are in significantly more danger than before - I would have recommended not skipping shields or dropping the distributor below the boost threshold in 2.0 and I don't think that changes in 2.1. Requesting an escort may well be a good idea, though - especially if you've hit a few too many binaries/planets while out there.
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I'll head to Pratchett's Disc which is about 500 ly out in the black, so it should be an almost risk-free opportunity to repair the ship before heading into the jungle.
 

Darth Krayt

Darth Krayt
An interesting thing about the running away tactics of the AI at the moment is that you can make use of the help the feds when they jump in and then steal the kill from them when your aggressor has been battered down.
My combat rank in live is competent, but in beta it's still at novice and I was encountering deadly ranked NPCs in beta. It seemed like most of them had some kind of weapon mods. For those without beta, your ship computer warns you when you when you are first hit by a modified weapon. I had an Anaconda shooting what seemed like fireballs at me and Betty was trying to warn me about what it was, but her warning got drowned out in the Boom-Boom noise. That was a fight I was about to run away from until the feds arrived to help.
 
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Genar-Hofoen

Genar-Hofoen
I created that thread, I'd just like to clarify some things... :)

1) My combat rank is at Dangerous - which means I start to get the really nasty NPC's ;)

2) It wasn't a panic post, it was a "feedback on my experiences" post.

3) I was carrying cargo - apparently collection limpets are cargo and apparently Pirate NPC's lurve this cargo.

4) The only reason I was carrying collection limpets is because I was going to try seeing if an Engineer-enhanced Clipper was going to be any good for exploration, but the trouble is that in this current iteration of the 2.1 Beta, the Clipper has a serious bug whereby you can't scoop directly - the limpets were to get around that bug in the meantime.

Hope that clears this up ;)
 

jasonbarron

jasonbarron
Speaking to the short term relevance to the explorer profession, I suspect that the explorers in greatest jeopardy are the one's returning from various expeditions with severely compromised hull values, as well as those who've eschewed good thrusters, life support and and shields in favor of increased jump range.

To the CMDR's who fall into this category it might be prudent to make a beeline for safety before the update(s) drop. To everybody else, I think this might be reason for precaution, but nothing to get too terribly worked up about--simply make sure you're not aligned with any powers, are not carrying any cargo, have rehearsed your "submit/boost/high wake" protocol and pick a high tec system fairly close to the edge of the bubble to make your data delivery.

Speaking to the long term aspects of the exploration career path, it seems fairly clear that by the end of the year (2.4), being a passive explorer will simply no longer be a viable option.
 

Ian Doncaster

Ian Doncaster
Hmm. One thing which explorers might find troublesome in 2.1 - the SRVs are quite a bit more fragile. Collisions with rocks which would have taken 1-2% if that in 2.0 have lost me 15% hull in one go in 2.1. So, drive carefully and pack a spare. (Dock with ship to repair still works for now, though iron and nickel should still be reasonably easy to find)
 

Ziggy Stardust

Ziggy Stardust
More fragile than the nitroglycerine based ones we have now? :)

Funny how a vehicle designed to explore the landscapes has an accident in it's trousers the moment it is shown a picture of a rock.
 

Allitnil

Allitnil
Ziggy Stardust said:
More fragile than the nitroglycerine based ones we have now? :)

Funny how a vehicle designed to explore the landscapes has an accident in it's trousers the moment it is shown a picture of a rock.
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They've been watching the progress of the Mars Rover and have come to believe that's the correct speed for planetary exploration [haha]
 

Ian Doncaster

Ian Doncaster
Ziggy Stardust said:
More fragile than the nitroglycerine based ones we have now? :)
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Previously from what I'd heard that only generally happened in instances with other people around - certainly I've bounced mine around a lot (driven off the top of a sheer cliff once or twice in the dark) and never quite lost one in 2.0 with over 3Mm travelled. Perhaps they've "fixed" the bug by making them as fragile for lone explorers.
 

jabberwalkie

J
Ian Doncaster said:
Previously from what I'd heard that only generally happened in instances with other people around - certainly I've bounced mine around a lot (driven off the top of a sheer cliff once or twice in the dark) and never quite lost one in 2.0 with over 3Mm travelled. Perhaps they've "fixed" the bug by making them as fragile for lone explorers.
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Perhaps you haven't had the correct accident yet but I've depleted the hull of an SRV pretty easily in the past landing after a jump kind of hard or hitting a rock that I thought would have been easy to traverse over (this is the more frequent one I have come across, they just annihilate you). I've found that the SRV takes more a beating when it takes that sudden sharp impact as opposed to rolling down the side of a mountain.

I'm sure one of us could.... arrange your accident. :D
 
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Alex Brentnall

Alex Brentnall
I am not racing back, I have an estimated 200mil of exploration profits so far and I'm aiming for around 500mil total and I'm Deadly combat ranked.

If 2.1 is as crazy as people say I will simply stay out and refuse to return until they fix it, what do I care I've got tea, gold, fuel limpets and escape pods :D
Although If I reach over est 1bil credits and it's not balanced I will be rather disappointed and may have to call for a wing escort... No plans yet though.
 

Cdr Voorheez

Cdr Voorheez
On balance of my esteemed CMDRs solid sensible advice and on watching the vid of the FED corvette getting bum loved by psycho NPCs I think I will delay return until this silliness gets balanced.

I can make more money out here that way:)
 
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