Anyone ever complete a hostage rescue mission?

[Marc_Hicks]

Hi guys,

So I've tried to complete this mission several times now but-due to varying reasons-I seem to never be able to complete this mission type. I have followed everyone's advice up until now (like turning off "Report Crimes Against Me", using a cargo scanner and hatch-breaker limpets)......yet the problem keeps cropping up-namely the limpets never cause the release of the items I've come to liberate.

Does anyone else have this issue, or do people here have some additional advice as to how I can successfully complete this mission?

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

CMDR Marc Hicks.

 

[insanephoton]

I'm not sure they ever have worked properly. The only hostage rescue missions that I'm certain are working are the ground based ones, which are basically just standard salvage missions with different flavour text.

 

[Marc_Hicks]

I'm not sure they ever have worked properly. The only hostage rescue missions that I'm certain are working are the ground based ones, which are basically just standard salvage missions with different flavour text.

They work up to a point-certainly better than they ever did in 2.0-it really is just a question of getting the target to drop what I'm after.

 

[insanephoton]

To be honest I haven't tried them for a long time as I was getting fed up of rescuing hostages and then finding that they aren't 'the right' hostages plus getting all kinds of negative faction rep over them.

 

[Banana's_Are_Good_For_You]

Last one I tried, the ship in question dumped a ridiculous amount of limpets and only after 3 hatch-breaker did I get 1 hostage.
The missions said I needed 8...and I ended up killing the ship before I could get more candy...basically by trying to nerf it's weapons when I have no clue as to where they are, not owning one.
I understand the difficulty it's presenting but could there be a better way?

There may be a better way as in intercept, kill shields & maybe point defense (hardest missions) and hatch breaker, maybe get one or two hostages, they jump, need wake scanner to follow until the job is done. Playing follow the candy basically.
Target ship drops when shields go down then jumps away. Player has to go fetch candy, then follow...or at least wake scan the targets destination. Then scan the next system or have them flying about where they need interdicted...or just nav beacon it.

On the plus side, hostages now count so that was a nice fix when they didn't before.

 

[Lendri]

Not worth the hassle. Just too fiddly and too many things to go wrong. There's nearly always a more straightforward bounty hunt, assassination or trade mission that pays the same.

 

[Martian Successor]

Sorry I can't help OP but I gave up on doing these missions for they are so very loopy.
● Hatch breakers empty the cargo hold of everything EXCEPT the mission specific items - 88% of the time.
● The 'hostages' (if you do get them) are not the 'mission specific escape pods' you are looking for even though they came out of the belly of the mission named target - 65% of the time.

Cool mission concept - I'd love to be a full time hostage rescuer as a proffession! But broken mechanics that have yet to be fixed. Not worth the headache and rep loss currently.

 

[CMDR-AD]

I've not tried one of these, as I'd been concerned about hammering my local reputation, even with the guys I'm running the mission for, if I get a stack of fines and then have to RTB with potentially Illicit Cargo (more fines and bad rep).

FSD interdiction on target = fine?

Are the target ships "Wanted" to prevent more fines when I start shooting?

Might local security show up and go aggresive on me?

Are the Escape Pods I carry back Illegal Cargo?

 

[Marc_Hicks]

I've not tried one of these, as I'd been concerned about hammering my local reputation, even with the guys I'm running the mission for, if I get a stack of fines and then have to RTB with potentially Illicit Cargo (more fines and bad rep).

FSD interdiction on target = fine?

Are the target ships "Wanted" to prevent more fines when I start shooting?

Might local security show up and go aggresive on me?

Are the Escape Pods I carry back Illegal Cargo?

Since 2.1 you haven't needed to interdict them (unless they flee the scene), & I have never come across one that wasn't wanted. It also sounds like they have fixed it so that the hostages can be delivered properly.

The key issue now, IMHO, is getting limpets to release the mission specific cargo as a priority. I am also hopeful that passenger mission mechanics will help to improve this mission-as it is POTENTIALLY one of the best mission types in the game.