Newcomer / Intro Alpha and Omega

[Nemo Lazarus]

A mission has directed me to undertake combat training at the Orna system in the Pilot's Federation District. A message told me to choose a station under control of a minor faction and dock there. The two factions are called Alpha Company and Omega Company. Can anyone tell me the difference between these two factions, and if I will be committing to some allegiance? The only information I can find about these factions on the wiki are:

Alpha Company (Patronage, Pilots Federation)
Omega Company (Cooperative, Pilots Federation)

What's the difference between a patronage and a cooperative? Does it matter which one I choose?

 

[Ashnak]

As long as the tutorials inside the Federation District work in any way like the universe outside, no. Some direct actions against another faction may reduce your reputation with them, but you'll have to do a lot of missions for a significant drop.
The most allegiance thing you can do later on is Powerplay, and even there you can leave any time without consequences.
Patronage Vs. Cooperative only matters (like a lot of things in ED) for your own roleplay - do you want to work for a hierarchy or as an equal?

 

[Nemo Lazarus]

As long as the tutorials inside the Federation District work in any way like the universe outside, no. Some direct actions against another faction may reduce your reputation with them, but you'll have to do a lot of missions for a significant drop.
The most allegiance thing you can do later on is Powerplay, and even there you can leave any time without consequences.
Patronage Vs. Cooperative only matters (like a lot of things in ED) for your own roleplay - do you want to work for a hierarchy or as an equal?

Thanks; that's reassuring. I'll just take the closest one then!

 

[Para Handy]

I have heard hairy stories of people being seriously outmatched in these things in the noob-zone so before picking a side lock-in a course to an adjacent system, that way if you are about to have your posterior handed to you you can "target next system" (you DO have that binding set, don't you ) and h-jump (high-wake) out (no inhibition by other ships for a h-jump).

 

[Nemo Lazarus]

I have heard hairy stories of people being seriously outmatched in these things in the noob-zone so before picking a side lock-in a course to an adjacent system, that way if you are about to have your posterior handed to you you can "target next system" (you DO have that binding set, don't you ) and h-jump (high-wake) out (no inhibition by other ships for a h-jump).

From what I've read, that seems to be the best way to flee an opponent since they can't mass lock you when you go into hyperspace. Sadly, I experienced my first ship destruction when I recently got trapped in an asteroid field like a fly in a spider web. Within in a minute, a pirate by the name of Bryan Wilkes (may the name be long acursed) appeared, who demanded I hand over my cargo; some 40K worth of tea. As I was unable to use my FSD due to the asteroid field's mass lock, I was promptly dispatched by his laser beams while I spun my own craft around in random circles with no plan of escape. What is the recommended procedure for this?

 

[Faded Glory]

As I was unable to use my FSD due to the asteroid field's mass lock, I was promptly dispatched by his laser beams while I spun my own craft around in random circles with no plan of escape. What is the recommended procedure for this?

Speed...

Good thrusters (A rated) and boost away from the pirate with two pips to SYS and four to ENG (the pips to SYS give your shields some strength, and the pips to ENG will allow your capacitor to recharge faster so you can boost more often). Assuming your own ranking is low, you should only be getting lower ranked NPC's after you and they shouldn't have totally overwhelming ships themselves so you should have a decent chance of outrunning them.

And in an asteroid ring, aim up or down from the plane and you will eventually clear mass lock and be able to wake out.

 

[Cmdr Nemo]

From what I've read, that seems to be the best way to flee an opponent since they can't mass lock you when you go into hyperspace. Sadly, I experienced my first ship destruction when I recently got trapped in an asteroid field like a fly in a spider web. Within in a minute, a pirate by the name of Bryan Wilkes (may the name be long acursed) appeared, who demanded I hand over my cargo; some 40K worth of tea. As I was unable to use my FSD due to the asteroid field's mass lock, I was promptly dispatched by his laser beams while I spun my own craft around in random circles with no plan of escape. What is the recommended procedure for this?

If you haven't already set up a vector for escape which would mean point at it and keep boosting until you break the asteroids mass lock which the pirate also has to contend with so all things are equal. Use the vector that got you to the zone and make sure it's in the center of the compass and appears as a ring, not a solid, then boost until you brake mass lock.
Prior to getting involved with either mining or pew pew in an asteroid field. I ALWAYS take the time to set an escape vector. Only takes a minute to do and has saved me more than a few times to get out of Dodge post haste. It doesn't matter which system one can utilize. Personally I always choose the closest. If you take another minute, and aim at the escape vector, engage hyper, you can determine by reading the info in the upper right menu, if the system has a scoop-able star or not. Which in some case's, might be very useful to know.

 

[Nemo Lazarus]

Speed...

Good thrusters (A rated) and boost away from the pirate with two pips to SYS and four to ENG (the pips to SYS give your shields some strength, and the pips to ENG will allow your capacitor to recharge faster so you can boost more often). Assuming your own ranking is low, you should only be getting lower ranked NPC's after you and they shouldn't have totally overwhelming ships themselves so you should have a decent chance of outrunning them.

And in an asteroid ring, aim up or down from the plane and you will eventually clear mass lock and be able to wake out.

Ok cool; so I don't need to find an escape vector? Also, the pirate I encountered I think from memory was "competent" while I am at 0% (harmless). Does that sound about right?

 

[Para Handy]

From what I've read, that seems to be the best way to flee an opponent since they can't mass lock you when you go into hyperspace. Sadly, I experienced my first ship destruction when I recently got trapped in an asteroid field like a fly in a spider web. Within in a minute, a pirate by the name of Bryan Wilkes (may the name be long acursed) appeared, who demanded I hand over my cargo; some 40K worth of tea. As I was unable to use my FSD due to the asteroid field's mass lock, I was promptly dispatched by his laser beams while I spun my own craft around in random circles with no plan of escape. What is the recommended procedure for this?

1. Don't take cargo into an asteroid field. If you are going into a RES to blow NPCs up then having cargo in your hold is the equivalent of a big flashing neon target sign.

2. As @Faded Glory says - speed is your tactic. Basically you just need to point yourself the quickest way out of the asteroid field, boost, chaff, heat-sink if you like, and hit the high-wake button as soon as your mass-lock light goes out. (You did remember to plot a route to a nearby system before you went in to the fight yes? ... You do have a control set for "Next System In Route". yes? if not why not. )

 

[Nemo Lazarus]

1. Don't take cargo into an asteroid field. If you are going into a RES to blow NPCs up then having cargo in your hold is the equivalent of a big flashing neon target sign.

I didn't know there was an asteroid field. I was just trying to deliver 4 units of tea to another system and I got pulled out of supercruise, presumably because I approached too close to one. Is there a way to know where they are so I can avoid them in the future?

 

[Nemo Lazarus]

If you haven't already set up a vector for escape which would mean point at it and keep boosting until you break the asteroids mass lock which the pirate also has to contend with so all things are equal. Use the vector that got you to the zone and make sure it's in the center of the compass and appears as a ring, not a solid, then boost until you brake mass lock.
Prior to getting involved with either mining or pew pew in an asteroid field. I ALWAYS take the time to set an escape vector. Only takes a minute to do and has saved me more than a few times to get out of Dodge post haste. It doesn't matter which system one can utilize. Personally I always choose the closest. If you take another minute, and aim at the escape vector, engage hyper, you can determine by reading the info in the upper right menu, if the system has a scoop-able star or not. Which in some case's, might be very useful to know.

Oh do I need to set up an escape vector? I thought it was just something that's always there.

 

[Nemo Lazarus]

(You did remember to plot a route to a nearby system before you went in to the fight yes? ... You do have a control set for "Next System In Route". yes? if not why not. )

I do now!

 

[Para Handy]

I didn't know there was an asteroid field. I was just trying to deliver 4 units of tea to another system and I got pulled out of supercruise, presumably because I approached too close to one. Is there a way to know where they are so I can avoid them in the future?

I have never been dropped out of supercruise by an asteroid belt since they stopped that happening - must have been four years ago was the only time I had it.

Asteroid fields in ring systems are easy to avoid (except at Dromi where you can be headed for the station but it can be the other side of the ring so you drop out - I think that was when I was trying-out the SCA waste-of-a-slot-module.

There are asteroid stations (there was one in the noob-zone) but again you should have no issues seeing the ring (approach from directly over / under rings).

Lastly - belts are shown on the system map, you can see them listed in your nav panel (if you don't have them fitered off) and you can tell you are passing one when you get the "Slow Down" message (it isn't an instruction) in supercruise when there looks like nothing is near you.

Oh do I need to set up an escape vector? I thought it was just something that's always there.

No - you don't set up an Escape Vector (that is just a direction you need to head towards from a body's mass-lock, it is displayed automatically when needed) - you should set up a course to an adjacent system so you can bale-out using a preset h-jump route though.

 

[Nemo Lazarus]

I have never been dropped out of supercruise by an asteroid belt since they stopped that happening - must have been four years ago was the only time I had it.

Asteroid fields in ring systems are easy to avoid (except at Dromi where you can be headed for the station but it can be the other side of the ring so you drop out - I think that was when I was trying-out the SCA waste-of-a-slot-module.

There are asteroid stations (there was one in the noob-zone) but again you should have no issues seeing the ring (approach from directly over / under rings).

Lastly - belts are shown on the system map, you can see them listed in your nav panel (if you don't have them fitered off) and you can tell you are passing one when you get the "Slow Down" message (it isn't an instruction) in supercruise when there looks like nothing is near you.




No - you don't set up an Escape Vector (that is just a direction you need to head towards from a body's mass-lock, it is displayed automatically when needed) - you should set up a course to an adjacent system so you can bale-out using a preset h-jump route though.

Hmm that's strange then. I was definitely yanked out of supercruise and when I tried to charge up my FSD I got a message saying that I was mass locked. About three minutes later, dread pirate Bryan showed up. I'll attach the journal entry...

 

[Faded Glory]

I suspect you were dropped out of SC because you got too close a planet's ring system...

Spoiler

{ "timestamp":"2019-09-27T21:24:03Z", "event":"Music", "MusicTrack":"Supercruise" }
{ "timestamp":"2019-09-27T21:24:09Z", "event":"SupercruiseExit", "StarSystem":"Otegine", "SystemAddress":5370319620984, "Body":"Otegine AB 2 A Ring", "BodyID":20, "BodyType":"PlanetaryRing" }

The pirate then spawned - well, just because - it's what the game does...

As mentioned above, no, you won't get an escape vector to get yourself out of mass lock, they only pop up if you are in danger (too close to a star), or to indicate where to go when leaving a planet (and then it's not really necessary, you just have to be heading away at >40º).

 

[Para Handy]

Ah yes - Otegine - Aldrich Station is an asteroid base in the planetary ring. As I said, you should approach the rings at a right-angle - so either directly above or below (depending on your point of view ) so as not to be dropped-out of SC by the ring. As @Faded Glory says, dropping into a planetary ring spawns a pirate after any miner's tasty cargo - daft innit.

 

[Nemo Lazarus]

I suspect you were dropped out of SC because you got too close a planet's ring system...

Spoiler

{ "timestamp":"2019-09-27T21:24:03Z", "event":"Music", "MusicTrack":"Supercruise" }
{ "timestamp":"2019-09-27T21:24:09Z", "event":"SupercruiseExit", "StarSystem":"Otegine", "SystemAddress":5370319620984, "Body":"Otegine AB 2 A Ring", "BodyID":20, "BodyType":"PlanetaryRing" }

The pirate then spawned - well, just because - it's what the game does...

As mentioned above, no, you won't get an escape vector to get yourself out of mass lock, they only pop up if you are in danger (too close to a star), or to indicate where to go when leaving a planet (and then it's not really necessary, you just have to be heading away at >40º).

Ah yes - Otegine - Aldrich Station is an asteroid base in the planetary ring. As I said, you should approach the rings at a right-angle - so either directly above or below (depending on your point of view ) so as not to be dropped-out of SC by the ring. As @Faded Glory says, dropping into a planetary ring spawns a pirate after any miner's tasty cargo - daft innit.

Ok good to know; I'll steer well clear of those troublesome asteroid belts. Thanks!

 

[Cmdr Nemo]

Oh do I need to set up an escape vector? I thought it was just something that's always there.

In general, when one simply leaves an area, they utilize super cruise which when attempting to flee is referred to as low waking. Doing such shows an "Escape" vector. What I meant is having a system already plotted to go to if and when the deification hits the rotary oscillator, referred to as high waking. Attempting to low wake while mass locked is extremely hard. Attempting to high wake, keeps one from mass locking you.