A few questions from a new AspX owner looking to explore

[Torrack]

Greetings Commanders!

Having recently made the jump up from my Cobra Mk3 to an AspX I find myself wanting to spend some time "in the black" to experience life outside the bubble. In order to prepare for this I have been reading over the forums (and some light YouTube searches) for tips, tricks, warnings, and general advice on exploration. While I have learned quite a fair bit I find myself with a few questions which could use some clarification/answers. Any help would be most welcome.


Landings and resources

• When landing on planets/planetoids is it best to leave your ship parked our should you dismiss it and then recall later?
• If I, God forbid, run out of fuel in my SRV are there any other options aside from self destruct?
• Assuming lightest weight for maximum FSD efficiency, do I really need cargo bays?
• If there are no cargo bays equipped can I still gather/synthesize/store resources in my SRVs?
• How many SRVs are considered optimal? Two, four, one?

Repairs, refueling, resting

• I have seen many posts regarding the AFMUs (field maintenance units) and how many do I need? Will one suffice?
• What will the AFMUs fix and what will they not?
• Are there any stations/outposts to dock at when you are over the 400Ly distance from the bubble where we are supposed to be "alone"?
• I love fuel scoops and don't mind waiting a bit to refuel for free at a star, is there really any point in buying a fuel scoop larger than class 4 grade A?
• Should I desire to go AFK or to log out from the game, are there any mistakes to avoid when leaving my ship?
• Is it better to log out when in space versus landed?

Miscellaneous

• Back when I played on my Xbox1, before joining the PC master race , I passed through a small black hole. Was that a glitch/bug? Is this something we can still do?
• If I die while outside the bubble do I respawn following the same rules as death in the bubble?
• I have a couple of stored ships, if I die do I have to pay the insurance for my AspX or can I simply respawn in one of my stored ships?
• Should I make it to Colonia, or some other station/outpost (assuming they exist) can I store my ship there and then respawn at a previously stored ship in the bubble?
• Assuming the prior question was answered with a NO, as I correct in assuming you cannot jump from stored ship to stored ship? You'd have to move around "the old fashoined way?"

I realize this was a long post, thank you for taking the time to read it. I welcome any and all advice!

Fly safe, CMDRs. o7

 

[Iron Orchid]

Greetings Commanders!

Having recently made the jump up from my Cobra Mk3 to an AspX I find myself wanting to spend some time "in the black" to experience life outside the bubble. In order to prepare for this I have been reading over the forums (and some light YouTube searches) for tips, tricks, warnings, and general advice on exploration. While I have learned quite a fair bit I find myself with a few questions which could use some clarification/answers. Any help would be most welcome.


Landings and resources

• When landing on planets/planetoids is it best to leave your ship parked our should you dismiss it and then recall later?
  Depends where you are - it's at risk if you leave parked - if you're 25kly way it's unlikely - if you're in an anarchy system - well...
• If I, God forbid, run out of fuel in my SRV are there any other options aside from self destruct?
  You would have to be very foolish to run out of fuel in a SRV - you can make fuel from the synthesis menu (as long as you have the mats (sulphur and Phosphorus are very common))
• Assuming lightest weight for maximum FSD efficiency, do I really need cargo bays?
  If you want to carry cargo yes otherwise no
• If there are no cargo bays equipped can I still gather/synthesize/store resources in my SRVs?
  Yes - mats are separate to cargo
• How many SRVs are considered optimal? Two, four, one?
  I've only had one at a time - if you look after it it one should be enough

Repairs, refueling, resting

• I have seen many posts regarding the AFMUs (field maintenance units) and how many do I need? Will one suffice?
  One or two. Two is handy as you they can repair each other (mats can be collected to refill)
• What will the AFMUs fix and what will they not?
  Everything apart from Powerplant and Hull and themselves
• Are there any stations/outposts to dock at when you are over the 400Ly distance from the bubble where we are supposed to be "alone"?
  I don't understand the question
• I love fuel scoops and don't mind waiting a bit to refuel for free at a star, is there really any point in buying a fuel scoop larger than class 4 grade A?
  Depends how quickly you want to fill you tank. Bigger one fills quicker. Smaller one lower cost and hence insurance.
• Should I desire to go AFK or to log out from the game, are there any mistakes to avoid when leaving my ship?
  Always log out when AFK
• Is it better to log out when in space versus landed?
  No

Miscellaneous

• Back when I played on my Xbox1, before joining the PC master race , I passed through a small black hole. Was that a glitch/bug? Is this something we can still do?
  Don't know
• If I die while outside the bubble do I respawn following the same rules as death in the bubble?
  yes
• I have a couple of stored ships, if I die do I have to pay the insurance for my AspX or can I simply respawn in one of my stored ships?
  Why would you not pay the insurance? You can always downgrade it. (Answer is I don't know as I've never done it )
• Should I make it to Colonia, or some other station/outpost (assuming they exist) can I store my ship there and then respawn at a previously stored ship in the bubble?
  No ( yes but you have to self destruct and lose all your data that you collected -see my other answer re the stored ship use) It you want to get back from Colonia you have to travel back
• Assuming the prior question was answered with a NO, as I correct in assuming you cannot jump from stored ship to stored ship? You'd have to move around "the old fashoined way?"
  Yes

I realize this was a long post, thank you for taking the time to read it. I welcome any and all advice!

Fly safe, CMDRs. o7

Answers added above.

 

[newman1702]

Welcome and grats on the new ship! Let me answer your questions in order:

When landing, it's indeed better to dismiss your ship unless you're in a very particular circumstance (like on a waypoint of an expedition with other commanders so it's just cool to have that many ships parked next to one another). When just prospecting, dismissing your ship ensures it's safety - it can't be destroyed if someone happens upon it - and it won't generate a signal on the wave scanner leaving only the planetside stuff and eliminating false positives.

If you run out of fuel in your SRV, your emergency life support will kick in and you will still be able to move around at reduced speed. This will give you a few minutes to either find some sulphur and phosophorus, or recall your ship and get back aboard.

Not sure I get the cargo bays question. When empty they have no mass and don't reduce your range. It can be useful to have them in order to use the slider on the galaxy map to manually reduce your range, or if you want to be able to pick anything up, but they're by no means mandatory on an explorer.

Resources for your SRV, or materials, go into your material storage and not your cargo bays like commodities, so you can still collect these without a cargo rack.

The optimal number of SRV's depends on what you intend to do with them, your driving style, how long you intend to be out etc, so it's hard to pin down one number because it's very individual. I personally usually take two, in case I lose one due to a bug / accident, but if you like doing crazy stunts and intend to go out for a longer trip you may want to bring more.

Regarding AFMU's, one will suffice, just be aware that an AFMU can't repair itself. This usually isn't a problem as the ship really needs to take a huge beating for this thing to malfunction, but if you have free internals it doesn't hurt to bring an additional small one just so they can keep each other in top condition. You can refill these with materials as well.

AFMU's fix everything except the hull and the power plant. When those are gone, so are you.

400 ly distance from the bubble is nothing - and yes, there are indeed outposts that can still be found that far. On one side there's the mini-bubble in the Pleiades Nebula with Maia as the center, on the other there's Colonia, where Jacques station now resides - and there's a series of refueling outposts on the way to Jacques, which is some 22kly away. But once you go far enough that's not in either of those two directions you'll be all alone. Or will you? *thunder cracks*

Yes, there is a point in getting the best scoop you can afford. It will help you not overheat and scoop faster, which means you can cover distances faster and safer. Even a few seconds difference amounts to a lot after you've made thousands, if not tens of thousands of jumps - a faster scoop will mean you've wasted less time of your life just waiting for your ship to top up. A recommended scoop for the AspX is the 6A, if you can't afford that go with a B or C. Be aware that you don't take a loss when reselling modules, so when you're back you can sell the scoop back at the same price you bought it for, so if you can get the best, get the best.

When AFK-ing always log out to the main menu or shut down the game. There have been threads of commanders complaining how they left their ship in space while AFK, only to find themselves on the insurance screen when they came back. Don't let this happen to you, logging out and then later back in takes a few seconds. I personally prefer to log out at least 50ls away from the nearest body in deep space, just so there's no bugs involving me spawning inside an astronomical body (not that it's ever happened to me, but I like caution when I have lots of data aboard).

There used to be a bug when you'd log out landed, some people would find themselves below the surface when relogging, sometimes even leading to their ship destruction. I'm not 100% sure but I do think it's been fixed. In any case, it's never happened to me. If you want to be 100% sure just log out in space.

Some black holes are bugged so they don't have exclusion zones and you can fly right through, while others don't. Turn your orbital lines on and you'll see if there's a yellow circle around it indicating the exclusion zone - if there is trying to fly through it will result in an emergency drop and probably taking heat damage when waking out.

If you die outside the bubble, you respawn back at the last station you were docked at, just as you would if you died inside the bubble. Be aware that you will lose all exploration data if this happens.

If you die, you can switch to another stored ship, or get the starter sidey, but this will result in you losing your AspX forever. I wouldn't recommend it as AspX's rebuy costs aren't that great.

You can't store your ship at Colonia and then teleport to another one in the bubble - you need to be able to fly yourself there somehow. What you can do is use ship transfer to recall another ship which you'll use to go back to the bubble, though you may find the waiting time and costs involved to be less than optimal.

And no, you can't move from stored ship to stored ship via teleport, you have to fly there with something, or recall your ships to your location. When you do, you get to stare at a timer for a set period of time and think about how much fun this immershun thing is

Hope that helps, good hunting!

 

[Dregory The Crow]

[*]Should I make it to Colonia, or some other station/outpost (assuming they exist) can I store my ship there and then respawn at a previously stored ship in the bubble?

You can sell all your exploration data in Jaques Station (or other nearby station), then buy cheap Sidewinder, self destruct and choose free Sidewinder in your starter location in The Bubble.

[*]Assuming the prior question was answered with a NO, as I correct in assuming you cannot jump from stored ship to stored ship? You'd have to move around "the old fashoined way?"

There is ship transfer from station to station but it takes time (around 60 hours for transfer from The Bubble to Colonia) and it's very expensive.

 

[Major Klutz]

Always Zero throttle when AFK and never go AFK while pointed at anything you can hit.
If you're going to be gone for more than a bathroom break, log out to the main menu.
You never know how long you'll be gone. People get distracted and forget about the game for hours only to return to a destroyed ship or out of fuel.

In the past it was a bad idea to log out on a planets surface. You could log in to find yourself inside the planet.
That doesn't seem to happen anymore, or it has never happened to me.
I generally log out wherever I am. I don't land or take off in preparation to log off.
In space, zero throttle, drop from super cruise, log out. On the surface, just log out, even in your SRV, you'll log back in right where you were.

Bigger fuel scoops save time. 2 minutes refueling with a 4A vs 30 seconds with a 6A.
Less time fueling means more time jumping so you get where you're going faster.

400LY away from the Bubble is pretty much still in the Bubble. I think you mean 4000Ly.
The only stations you'll find outside the bubble are a few small planetary bases on the way to colonia.

One SRV, No cargo bays.
I ran out of fuel in my SRV once. Once. I heard heavy breathing and it took me a minute to realize what happened. I just had to synthesize more fuel which takes about 1 second.
As long as you keep a few refills of synthesis materials on hand you won't run out of fuel.
If you do, and you can't synthesize more, your SRV will just self destruct when you run out of air. If that happens or if for any other reason your SRV is destroyed, you'll find yourself back in your ship and you'll have one less SRV available. If you only had one, then you're without one for the rest of your trip.

If I'm in or near occupied systems, I dismiss my ship immediately. I started this habit after the first time my unoccupied ship was attacked by pirates on the surface.
If you're out in the black it doesn't matter. I just leave it parked and it will dismiss itself if you drive too far away from it.

 

[Straha Yeagar]

A couple of things to add to what has been said...AFMU's are excellent damage sponges. They are weightless, and compared to other internal modules one might use for the same purpose, they can actually be useful. A damage sponge is a module there to absorb damage should you get too close to something and emergency stop, or over heat, etc. A certain number of damage points are assigned randomly among modules, so the more modules you have the less likely any particular one will take damage, so it is always beneficial to have all module slots occupied.

Now fuel scoops...raw scoop rate...the bigger, the better. The A-E rating is not nearly as important. For example, the 4A you quoted scoops max 342, draws .57, and costs 2.86 mil. Compare that to the 6C...max scoop 627, draws .59 and costs 1.8 mil...I'm not seeing where the 4A would in any way shape of form be better than the 6C

With regards to landing, logging out, etc...I would still recommend trying not to log out in White Dwarf or Neutron Star systems...squirly things have been known to happen. Yes, those issues have supposedly been fixed, but still...

 

[newman1702]

Now fuel scoops...raw scoop rate...the bigger, the better. The A-E rating is not nearly as important. For example, the 4A you quoted scoops max 342, draws .57, and costs 2.86 mil. Compare that to the 6C...max scoop 627, draws .59 and costs 1.8 mil...I'm not seeing where the 4A would in any way shape of form be better than the 6C

Well, of course, there's 2 size classes difference between them That doesn't mean the rating is not important - compare ratings in the same class and you'll see massive differences on the scale between E and A.

 

[Mysturji]

Landings and resources

• When landing on planets/planetoids is it best to leave your ship parked our should you dismiss it and then recall later?
  Out in the black, it makes little difference. your ship will dismiss itself when you go more than 2km away from it anyway.
• Assuming lightest weight for maximum FSD efficiency, do I really need cargo bays?
  Only if you find some alien relics or something
• How many SRVs are considered optimal? Two, four, one?
  I think it's nice to have a spare, just in case.

Repairs, refueling, resting

• I have seen many posts regarding the AFMUs (field maintenance units) and how many do I need? Will one suffice?
  More than likely. If you bring 2, make the second one smaller - it only has to repair the big AFMU.
• Are there any stations/outposts to dock at when you are over the 400Ly distance from the bubble where we are supposed to be "alone"?
  There are new planetary bases on the way to Jaques. There's a thread about it somewhere. "Neutron Superhighway" or something.
• I love fuel scoops and don't mind waiting a bit to refuel for free at a star, is there really any point in buying a fuel scoop larger than class 4 grade A?
  You say that now. After a few thousand jumps...
• Should I desire to go AFK or to log out from the game, are there any mistakes to avoid when leaving my ship?
  Just make sure there are no ships on your scanner, drop to normal space, boost and max throttle. Space is big. No-one will find you, but don;t stay away too long: You're still using fuel.
• Is it better to log out when in space versus landed?
  Logout wherever you are. Just don't be close to anything (stars, asteroids)

Miscellaneous

• Back when I played on my Xbox1, before joining the PC master race , I passed through a small black hole. Was that a glitch/bug? Is this something we can still do?
  I think you probably just passed near to it. I've done that. Very disconcerting. :O
• If I die while outside the bubble do I respawn following the same rules as death in the bubble?
  Yes.
• I have a couple of stored ships, if I die do I have to pay the insurance for my AspX or can I simply respawn in one of my stored ships?
  You either pay the insurance on the ship that got destroyed, or take the free sidewinder and lose your Asp.
• Should I make it to Colonia, or some other station/outpost (assuming they exist) can I store my ship there and then respawn at a previously stored ship in the bubble?
  Yes, if you buy a sidewinder, die, then choose the free sidewinder option.
• Assuming the prior question was answered with a NO, as I correct in assuming you cannot jump from stored ship to stored ship? You'd have to move around "the old fashoined way?"
  Yes

[/SIZE][/FONT]

To infinity... and back again!

 

[Straha Yeagar]

Well, of course, there's 2 size classes difference between them That doesn't mean the rating is not important - compare ratings in the same class and you'll see massive differences on the scale between E and A.

There is for sure, but with an explorer build, even the undermoduled DBX, the largest slot should always be used for the scoop. No need to fit shields or any other size sensitive modules there. Now, if one were to move from an explorer build into the multi role builds, there would be other considerations.

 

[newman1702]

There is for sure, but with an explorer build, even the undermoduled DBX, the largest slot should always be used for the scoop. No need to fit shields or any other size sensitive modules there. Now, if one were to move from an explorer build into the multi role builds, there would be other considerations.

Absolutely, I always recommend using the explorer vessel's largest internal for the scoop, so we're agreed there

 

[Freebird]

I'm currently on my way to Colonia in an Asp with a 6C scoop, and apart from the odd occasion where I've had a couple of unscoopables in a row, I've not noticed any difference from when I had a 6A (other then a lot more credits in the bank )

 

[Straha Yeagar]

I'm currently on my way to Colonia in an Asp with a 6C scoop, and apart from the odd occasion where I've had a couple of unscoopables in a row, I've not noticed any difference from when I had a 6A (other then a lot more credits in the bank )

For the most part yeah, not much difference, especially now that we are lined up and essentially forced to scoop for a while on every jump. The one thing I did notice however with my 6A vs when I ran a 6C is that the 6A is better with the heat management, and I do like me some jumping when scooping at 700...without overheating.

 

[Major Klutz]

For reference, here's my Exploration build for my ASP. https://eddp.co/u/S7CVtcCt

You can cut the cost and the insurance in half by dropping the 6A scoop to a 6B and the AFMU to a 5B
Also note that AFMU units are tricky. For example the 5B holds more ammo than the 5A but doesn't repair as much damage. Higher rated units repair more damage per unit of "ammo"

The cargo rack is only there to save a little fuel by reducing the jump distance for the route plotter slightly. There is nothing I might find in space that would be worth carrying all the way back.
If you tell the route plotter that you have cargo, it will reduce the max jump range accordingly which will save (a little) fuel on each jump. It's the only way to compromise between an economical route and fastest route but you can only do it if you have a cargo rack installed. In practice though, I almost never use it so I'd probably be better off with a second AFMU just to act as a damage sink.

Leave the AFMU powered off until you need to use it. That way you can go with a smaller power plant saving weight and adding jump range.
Don't repair your FSD while you're in super cruise or you'll cause more damage with an emergency drop.
Drop out of SC and turn off thrusters, then you'll have enough power to turn on the AFMU and start repairs.

 

[marx]

Welcome! Most of your other questions have already been answered well, I'd just like to chime in on one:

[*]I love fuel scoops and don't mind waiting a bit to refuel for free at a star, is there really any point in buying a fuel scoop larger than class 4 grade A?

Oh, definitely. Better fuel scoops don't just allow you to reach a higher maximum scooping rate, but you'll also be able to achieve the same scooping rate from a higher altitude. As such, it's not just that you can get done scooping sooner, but also safer. Sure, you might not think that, say, ten seconds matter much, but over time they do add up.

As for higher rebuy costs: as long as you can afford one rebuy (never fly anything you can't afford to lose!), they don't matter. Exercise due caution, and the odds that you're going to die are minimal. So I too would recommend buying the largest fuel scoop your ship can fit, or at least the highest one you can afford. That way, you can save much more time than you could save credits on a rebuy that you're highly unlikely to have to face. The question then is this: would you rather save time on something you're definitely going to have to do all throughout your journey(s), or would you rather save some credits only in the very rare case of a rebuy?

 

[CMDR CHIGGY VONRICTOFEN]

Doesn't hurt to equip a mining laser...just sayin'. *grins*

 

[Watchdog]

Doesn't hurt to equip a mining laser...just sayin'. *grins*

Does using the mining laser produce only materials (not requiring a cargo bay) or also stuff that does need a cargo bay?

 

[CMDR CHIGGY VONRICTOFEN]

Does using the mining laser produce only materials (not requiring a cargo bay) or also stuff that does need a cargo bay?

Both...But you can use it for emergency material gathering if landing in an SRV isn't an option, and don't need a cargo bay at all.

 

[marx]

Does using the mining laser produce only materials (not requiring a cargo bay) or also stuff that does need a cargo bay?

It produces both micro-materials (like you mentioned) and ore, for which not only cargo racks are needed, but also a refinery.
Carrying a mining laser will ensure that you have another option of getting mats for FSD boosts, not just surface prospecting in an SRV. It might just save you if you get stuck somewhere.

Edit: Oh, never mind, I didn't notice Chiggy's reply while I was writing mine.

 

[Watchdog]

I see, thank you for the explanation.

 

[Straha Yeagar]

It produces both micro-materials (like you mentioned) and ore, for which not only cargo racks are needed, but also a refinery.
Carrying a mining laser will ensure that you have another option of getting mats for FSD boosts, not just surface prospecting in an SRV. It might just save you if you get stuck somewhere.

Edit: Oh, never mind, I didn't notice Chiggy's reply while I was writing mine.

Not that it's ultimately worth more than just a few credits and some novelty, but if you load up a refinery with no cargo bays, you can mine and collect, the refinery bins will fill up with mats, but no refining will take place. The refinery is weightless, as is the collected ore, and then once back at a station, all you have to do is pop in a cargo bay, and boom, free sellable cargo...