Anti-ganking tips?

[Lord Tareq]

So I just got ganked for the first time :O For the community goal I went into one of the mining area's to hunt some wanted npc's. While fighting a master level Python with my new FAS (I only got it yesterday [downcast] RIP FAS Rocinante) and winning, https://www.google.nl/search?client...&ved=0ahUKEwja_Inks-XSAhVBPhQKHRejCF0QBQgZKAAhalfway into the fight suddenly my shields dropped and I started taking significant hulldamage. I checked my radar but nothing showed bar some npc signatures, so I thought it was the Python I was fighting, and since it was close to being destroyed I kept pounding it. When the Python was at 1% hull I blew up, and to my surprise it showed I was destroyed by a CMDR (edit: name removed) or some variation of that name.

Oddly enough, being of a suspicious nature I had scouted the area for other players before engaging the NPC, but none showed on my contact list or radar. Even when I got attacked by this player, I never saw a player signature on my radar. So I'm assuming he used some form of silent running build?
Anyhow I shrugged it off. The 2.5 million credit insurance was annoying as I was getting short on credits and saving for some A rated thrusters, but what can you do. Actually, what can I do? Are there any ingame mechanics that can be used to detect such hidden players? As I prefer to play in Open Play as I like the thrill of players potentially attempting to intercept you for your cargo etc. plus when you meet someone you can chat a bit. But in those cases you know its happening and can anticipate, decide to fight/flee/surrender etc.
However being ganked without even knowing there is another player doesn't have any thrill, its just (mildly) annoying when it happens. In this case I switched to Solo mode afterwards and killed npc's with a warrant for an hour to earn the insurance cost back plus a million extra, but I'd have preffered to just be in Open.

 

[OfftheRails]

Ctrl-B to monitor your bandwidth usage. You can see when a player joins the instance.

 

[c00ky1970]

You will need to edit post to remove CMDRs name, naming and shaming not permitted.

Tips for playing in open, is play in a wing, or treat all CMDRs as potential attackers if you will go solo. Dont be afraid to warp out if there is a CMDR paying you too much attention.

You can play in Private or Solo groups instead as that eliminates the risk of unwanted CMDR interactions.

 

[Hugeness]

You can show the bandwidth on screen. High numbers indicate the presence of another Cmdr in your instance. Ctrl + B

Edit: Off the Rails already there!

 

[Taranis Dekker]

You weren't wanted yourself, with a bounty?

 

[Lord Tareq]

Ctrl-B to monitor your bandwidth usage. You can see when a player joins the instance.

Hmm, not really an ingame mechanic but I'll take it. Thanks for the tip.

You weren't wanted yourself, with a bounty?

No.

 

[Andovar]

I like the bandwidth tip, but that still doesn't answer why he wouldn't see the other cmdr on his radar?
Is it actually possibly to attack in silent running and still not show up on radar? I would have thought that the heat signature of the weapons themselves would make you visible.

 

[StiTch]

Bolster your defenses, learn how to run.

That you missed the hollow icon on your radar means you encountered someone built to do this or weren't observing correctly. I strongly suspect the latter, as most pure hull tankers for SR won't stand up in a CG if someone decides to return the favour and SR ganking is overkill as a whole, but if you want to help yourself in this area remember D-rated scanners aren't obligatory.

 

[Lord Tareq]

Bolster your defenses, learn how to run.

That you missed the hollow icon on your radar means you encountered someone built to do this or weren't observing correctly. I strongly suspect the latter, as most pure hull tankers for SR won't stand up in a CG if someone decides to return the favour and SR ganking is overkill as a whole, but if you want to help yourself in this area remember D-rated scanners aren't obligatory.

I'm using A rated scanners, though the FAS only has class 4 scanners. (My Asp had class 5) Perhaps that is the issue? There was definitely no hollow square or triangle on my radar. Maybe just a bug or latency rather than a SR build?

 

[kaboki]

Ctrl-B to monitor your bandwidth usage. You can see when a player joins the instance.

Cheater, kidding though, but i wish Frontier removed the exploit, it gives players unlimited radar range... I never use it myself because I like the surprise and dont like to see things im not supposed too see...

 

[StiTch]

I'm using A rated scanners, though the FAS only has class 4 scanners. (My Asp had class 5) Perhaps that is the issue? There was definitely no hollow square or triangle on my radar. Maybe just a bug or latency rather than a SR build?

Nope, class of scanner makes next to no difference.

I suspect pilot error, but I also suspect that won't be accepted as an answer. If you ever want a serious analysis of an event your only hope is to bring vid footage - otherwise it's all just speculation on top of an already coloured account of events.

 

[jasonbarron]

OP, just assume you're never alone in Res during a CG, even if you don't detect anybody at first. Probably the guy was silent running, but I still think it's possible you just missed his icon as you were in the middle of combat.

Last night I was at the CG and the Res was empty and I'd been there long enough to burn through all of my ammo. I had been battling a wing of highly ranked NPC's and my shields were gone and I was down to 60% hull as I destroyed the last of them. I was just getting ready to reboot the ship when all of a sudden I started taking fire. There were no more angry NPC's, and I was very confused. There was a cluster of NPC's on my radar all kind of knotted up close together and at first, I couldn't make out the red enemy warning, then it kind of cleared up as I moved away and I saw that I was taking fire from a CMDR. I was flying FA Off so I retracted my guns and just started boosting away, 4 pips to ENG. For every boost I inputted a random direction including spiraling madly through the asteroid field. I zigged behind, over, around and under every rock I could get to, the entire time with this guy whittling away at my hull and FSD. He chased me for about 4 minutes before I was able to get enough distance to scamper from the cover of the Res, clear the masslock and high tail it to the station to repair and rearm.

So, moral of my story was pay more attention I guess. And when you're attacked, as it is inevitable that you will be at some point, if you can't fight run like hell using any object you can to give you cover and a chance to escape.

With all that said, it's stuff like that that I live for in ED, that white knuckle kick of adrenaline that NPC's just can't give you. That story (and the part where I rearmed/repaired and went right back and found him in SC a minute later) was the highlight of my evening, and the main reason I even go to CG's in the first place. My advice is to send the guy a friend request and keep an eye on his marker and then go destroy him some day soon when he least expects it

 

[Thetele]

If player icon, Holo square, change to or is holo triangle that means the player has pressed fire button (and same time deploy hardpoints) to try if you are in interdicting range. Holo triangle is player who activated scanner or FSD interdictor. Players who are high above system are potentially players ready to dive after you (there is no reason to be high far away from stellar other than be in good position to attack players).

Also if you see potential threat (fdl, corvette, cutter or anaconda in sc) face/fly towards him when leaving the star or stellar body. Then when he fly past you and turn don't go towards station or planet just fly towards empty space this way he can't catch you. Stay on this course or fly big circle around system until the player turn away from you or clearly isn't following you.

Remember every CMDR is potential threat to you. And never fly with out or with just the weakest shields you can have.

 

[Vandaahl]

Join Mobius

I sometimes find more people there than in open.

 

[Ian Skippy]

I like the bandwidth tip, but that still doesn't answer why he wouldn't see the other cmdr on his radar?
Is it actually possibly to attack in silent running and still not show up on radar? I would have thought that the heat signature of the weapons themselves would make you visible.

No, you will always show up to the person you attacked.

And ctrl+B is lame. Its why I dont like PvP in general, its always exploity to some extent. Using teamspeak to bypass the awesome 'comms quality degrade with ship damage' we have in-game, grinding+meta to bypass skill and creativity, network-debugging tools to bypass awareness etc. Not my cup of tea...

 

[Jimmysal]

No, you will always show up to the person you attacked.

Even if I hit you with a volley of cannon shots from a shieldless DBX/S, and pop silent running/heat sink while they're still travelling in your direction?

 

[CMDR DarkxXPhoenixXx]

Even if I hit you with a volley of cannon shots from a shieldless DBX/S, and pop silent running/heat sink while they're still travelling in your direction?

Correct, your ship automatically pinpoints the origin of the shots, but only for a short time and I believe only if they hit you.

 

[Ziljan]

Pro tip #1:

If you're being fired upon and don't immediately see a flashing red triangle you are likely being attacked by a stealth ship that is using heat sinks. They will still show up as an unresolved radar blip. So look at your​ Holo and see where the fire is coming from. Take note on the radar which blip could be firing on you. Turn to face them and look for them visually. Should be obvious since they are putting on a light show by attacking. Now get within 1km to 600m of their ship. They should be targeteable now, and they will have no shields up. Proceed to rip them apart or simply maim them as you see fit.

^the above assumes you have a PvP capable ship of course! Which requires more than a single post's worth of advice.

 

[Jimmysal]

Correct, your ship automatically pinpoints the origin of the shots, but only for a short time and I believe only if they hit you.

So assuming it works like you say, it still would be easy to miss.

Edit: Oh yeah, you show as an unresolved contact... that's what I thought.

 

[jasonbarron]

No, you will always show up to the person you attacked.

And ctrl+B is lame. Its why I dont like PvP in general, its always exploity to some extent. Using teamspeak to bypass the awesome 'comms quality degrade with ship damage' we have in-game, grinding+meta to bypass skill and creativity, network-debugging tools to bypass awareness etc. Not my cup of tea...

I agree that some of that is pretty exploity, especially the ctrl+b trick. I don't use that because I'm actively seeking locations where the likelihood of player encounters go up. As far as not liking PvP in general, when you get to the point where we are what else is there, really? I've plumbed the very depths of everything this game currently has to offer and hostile player encounters is all that's left, with the exception of learning to fly kb&m 100% FA Off & fixed weapons to make things more difficult and interesting.