Anyone else got this problem with Engineers?

[AP Birdman]

the thing about the engineers that annoys me the most,
ist the need to travel to them for the secondaries.

and experimenting with different mods and weapons requires often that i get back and forth between the engineers...

Build an anaconda with good jump range to be your engineering ship and whenever you need a module engineered just put it on that conda.

Also now that you can put on any experimental from any engineer at any grade you can go to Felicity Farseer for pretty much everything.

 

[Weps]

I remember thinking about this back in 2016, how RNGineers was released just after an interview with Braben in which he addressed complaints from players that there's not enough to do in the game. His argument at the time was that there's plenty to do in the game, but that the studio did not do a good job in making the various gameplay mechanics known to the player.

And then RNGineers came and suddenly combat pilots had to mine and to carry rare goods and to fly 5kly to finish the unlock. And I thought: "so this is how they will make mechanics known to the players, by forcing them to do stuff, or otherwise be gated out of mandatory power upgrades without which they'll be eaten alive".

A long time has passed since then, and the RNGineers so called rework could have featured some choices in the unlock process, but I guess there aren't that many new customers coming in, or old customers living under a rock, to actually carry out the unlock, most of the playerbase has done it already, so any change here wouldn't be warranted. Problem or no problem, it's in the past.

 

[Cmdr Nemo]

If one perfer's not to partake in a certain aspect of the game such as "MINING" or attempting to get "COMBAT VOUCHER'S" for instants, they can't get the unlock particular engineer's in order to do some engineering as to qualify for the invitation to another engineer they actually want to engineer stuff. Personally, though I've managed to get almost all the normal engineer's unlocked and I've no wish to go to colonia nor fight thargoids. I've had to get involed in both mining and combat or I'd never have unlocked them. Now that I was basically forced, though I still don't like mining nor combat; I'm a more seasoned and slightly better pilot than previous. I just didn't like the mandates and wished their were alternatives to unlocking engineers of choice.

 

[lenna]

I just didn't like the mandates and wished their were alternatives to unlocking engineers of choice.

I agree that the primary kit unlocked by a given engineer and the path to their unlock should be better related than they currently are but personally I have not found the current path of unlocks that bad on balance.

 

[DNA-Decay]

I’ve only unlocked Alliance and Independent engineers.

It stops a whole pathway. But it’s my choice.

I unlocked one of the Human Tech Brokers today.
Now I’m sure I read “couple of hours” but it’s been my whole day.

Got some pretty dirty looks from the missus by mid afternoon.
Had to go cut down that spiky thing that self seeded on the nature strip.

It’s nearly midnight on a school night. Work in the mornin y’all.

 

[edj]

Putting aside the material gathering, Engineering itself should be more accessible.

Once the main engineer is known to you, and the initial requirements are met, at least grades 1-2 should be available to unlock, through several 'engineer's apprentices', at more convenient locations about the bubble, without any further messing about. I suspect if anyone just wanted to dip into engineering, this would be enough to satisfy their curiosity.

If not, then as it is now, grades 3-5 can only be unlocked with the engineer themselves, including satisfying their particular, irrelevant demands.

 

[Requiem Mortis]

Some of the 'rare' requirements for unlocks could do with a balance pass but on the whole I feel the spacial separation and scarcity of expertise is good for the game, with unlocks requiring different game play to be tried and moral questions asked of role players.

 

[lenna]

Once the main engineer is known to you, and the initial requirements are met, at least grades 1-2 should be available to unlock, through several 'engineer's apprentices', at more convenient locations about the bubble, without any further messing about.

Currently, we have the option of pinning a single blueprint chain for a given engineer - increasing the level of engineer access up to level 5 is not too onerous once you have the materials and it is a one-time-deal on the unlock front (Level 1 is the initial available state, and Level 3 is relatively trivial to get to). After that, you can apply the pinned blueprint(s) to the unlocked level almost anywhere.

 

[DaveB]

The engineer unlock tree is baked-in the way it is because it makes you at least try almost everything in the game. To be able engineer any module type you want up to G4 or G5 levels, you HAVE to have done at least SOME trading, mining, smuggling, mission running, exploring, bounty hunting, CZ's to meet the engineers criteria.

Some of it you won't like and if you don't you can either give up on that engineers upgrades (and all those "downstream" from the one you pass on too) or just unlock the pesky so-and-so and never do that activity again.

 

[lenna]

To be able engineer any module type you want up to G4 or G5 levels, you HAVE to have done at least SOME trading, mining, smuggling, mission running, exploring, bounty hunting, CZ's to meet the engineers criteria.

Not entirely accurate but I do get where you are coming from - I think.

FSDs and at least some weapons are unlockable to G5 without engaging in one or more of the activities you have referred to.

 

[Shy'la Nesthorn]

Nope, not just you mate. Remember "Blaze your own trail"? Well that means ignoring them now. I sense the engineer panacea is diminishing so maybe ignoring them will be a real option soon. I for one refuse to go questing for dragons teeth or sweaty orc jockstraps..

Of course there are plenty that love the wizards… see above.

See this is my exact issue with it. I got this game waaay back near when it first came out because I've always loved the X series for just giving you a giant space to play in and letting you do what you want, so when ED popped up and advertised "play in giant multiplayer space the way you wanna play" it sounded great and I bought it almost immediately. But now it's like "Play the way you wanna play, unless you wanna upgrade your ship then you have to play the way we want you to play"
I don't wanna be forced to raise my allegence with the federation or do illegal smuggling/pirating when I play a imperial pilot who flies for the imperial navy. And in a game that let's you "blaze your own path" why should I?

I get that as a system that significantly let's you upgrade your ship that it should be hard to get, which is why I have no issues with the mat gathering or grinding. I just don't like how it's basically forcing you to not enjoy the game like you like to do.

 

[Sylow]

To unlock them you have to do some super out of the way stuff that in some cases just go against how you play the game (One wants me to reach a certain level with the federation yet I raid their ships often so will just never be able to unlock that engineer I guess) and that you have to spend a full day flying out to wherever they are, running around the galaxy tracking down each one.

.
That's fully true. But on the positive: you have to unlock them only once. It's a chore to do the first time, but when it's done, it's done, you don't return to it. I get it that FD wants us to earn the engineers. It could've been a bit prettier, but with two exceptions it's not utterly terrible.
.

I think the horrible amount of grinding you need to do to actually upgrade stuff would be fine if there was like, multiple engineers scattered everywhere so you didn't have to track down the only person in the universe that knows how to upgrade your multi-canon and that they just start unlocked by default.

.
As already mentioned: you can pin blueprints. For each engineer you can pin one blueprint. That goes a long way. For example, the last two ships which i have gotten anew have grade 5 dirty drives with drag drives. Yet they never were in Maija yet.
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When i was with Palin, i pinned the dirty drives blueprint. So when i get new engines, i can immediately upgrade them to grade 5 dirty drives at any space station by remote engineering. And then i just go do Deciat. That's much closer to Jameson Memorial, where i have my fleet. A few jumps and i am there. While Farseer can only do G3 drive engineering, she can add the special effect to my drives, no matter who and where they were engineered up.
.
Use this example and some planing and you can reduce your traveling time and effort a lot when engineering a ship.
.

 

[Shy'la Nesthorn]

.
That's fully true. But on the positive: you have to unlock them only once. It's a chore to do the first time, but when it's done, it's done, you don't return to it. I get it that FD wants us to earn the engineers. It could've been a bit prettier, but with two exceptions it's not utterly terrible.
.

.
As already mentioned: you can pin blueprints. For each engineer you can pin one blueprint. That goes a long way. For example, the last two ships which i have gotten anew have grade 5 dirty drives with drag drives. Yet they never were in Maija yet.
.
When i was with Palin, i pinned the dirty drives blueprint. So when i get new engines, i can immediately upgrade them to grade 5 dirty drives at any space station by remote engineering. And then i just go do Deciat. That's much closer to Jameson Memorial, where i have my fleet. A few jumps and i am there. While Farseer can only do G3 drive engineering, she can add the special effect to my drives, no matter who and where they were engineered up.
.
Use this example and some planing and you can reduce your traveling time and effort a lot when engineering a ship.
.

Yeah, it seems working on a priority of what module you have the most of/need upgraded the most would be ideal when pinning a blueprint. When you pin a blueprint is it only for a single grade?

 

[Stigbob]

Yeah, it seems working on a priority of what module you have the most of/need upgraded the most would be ideal when pinning a blueprint. When you pin a blueprint is it only for a single grade?

You can upgrade fully on a pinned blueprint from 0-5 as long as you have that engineer at 5 already.

Pin things like ex-range jump drive which makes everything easier.

You need to visit the engineer to do experimentals.

 

[Sylow]

Yeah, it seems working on a priority of what module you have the most of/need upgraded the most would be ideal when pinning a blueprint. When you pin a blueprint is it only for a single grade?

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No. It's for the whole schematic. That means, you pin "dirty drives". You can then anywhere buy new thrusters and upgrade them from zero to grade 5, without ever having to move. (If you have the materials, that is. ) Of course, you have to have grade 5 unlocked at the engineer.
.

 

[Kzak]

Note - you can visit any engineer which modifies that system in order to get an experimental effect attached. You don't need to visit a top-tier engineer for this, anyone who modifies the system will do.

 

[lenna]

Note - you can visit any engineer which modifies that system in order to get an experimental effect attached. You don't need to visit a top-tier engineer for this, anyone who modifies the system will do.

Not entirely true - if you have G5 upgrade, the experimental can only be changed/added at a G5 engineer for that upgrade. The engineer you visit to change an experimental must be capable of creating the level of engineering you have.

For example: Unlocked one engineer to 5 but have an upgrade at L1 of an unlocked 5, providing the engineer can create at least L1 of that mod type then they can apply/change the experimental.

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

With the annoying rares, I enlisted the help of a couple of CMDRs to load up on them, and abandon them (yes, abandon! ) outside the NFZ.
Scooped em up, and flew off to sell them to the tea addict.

My only setback was 5 units of Fujin tea magically vanished between picking them up, and landing.
Methinks Broo was a stowaway on my ship...

 

[Bunkerkind Anni]

Build an anaconda with good jump range to be your engineering ship and whenever you need a module engineered just put it on that conda.

Also now that you can put on any experimental from any engineer at any grade you can go to Felicity Farseer for pretty much everything.

i've already pinned the most "single best choices" around,
Farseer is always my first visit for secondaries

but when it comes to hull and weapons, there is that mandatory visit at Selene jean (the mining expert that still has no mining gear blueprints...) and the repective engineer that has the grade5 weapon blueprint of what i want to try out.
and since broo is the only one with grade5 lasers, i have to get to him all across the bubble...

my storage is to small for all the experiments i do until i get what fits my playstyle

 

[AP Birdman]

i've already pinned the most "single best choices" around,
Farseer is always my first visit for secondaries

but when it comes to hull and weapons, there is that mandatory visit at Selene jean (the mining expert that still has no mining gear blueprints...) and the repective engineer that has the grade5 weapon blueprint of what i want to try out.
and since broo is the only one with grade5 lasers, i have to get to him all across the bubble...

my storage is to small for all the experiments i do until i get what fits my playstyle

Yeah I feel you with SJ. What I do is pin lightweight armor from her then load up my anaconda with nothing but hull reinforcements and engineer them all in bulk.