Can I get some advice for my Beluga please?

[Kamiyoda]

When I tried it, hardpoints were deployed, and at least at some places, I would have to eject a heat sink when leaving the station. I expect to be destroyed immediately when doing that or to at least get a fine, and that would definitely make them scan me. There is no way that traffic monitoring wouldn't detect a hot heatsink right away and trace it back to the ship that ejected it. The ships aren't that close together that there could be any doubt about who ejected it. And there's nothing to keep them from to register every heat sink manufactured so they would always know whom it belongs to.

Turning on silent running brings the temperature up way too fast to use it and it's impossible to dock like that. So I abandoned heatsinks and silent running entirely because it turned out to be useless and dangerous. I can only wonder why there are so many passanger missions that are impossible to do.

Materials are way too scarce for wasting them on manufacturing anything.

Then you didnt turn off Auto deploy Hardpoints when the fire key is pressed. Or just assign heat sinks a hotkey. And no stations dont fire on you fire deploying hardpoints.

This game isnt that complex, and this is far from impossible your overthinking it.

 

[Phill P]

Low Emissions PP for fuel scooping, Clean Drives for any overheating in normal flight. Drives make no difference to fuel scooping.

 

[Rat Catcher]

When I tried it, hardpoints were deployed, and at least at some places, I would have to eject a heat sink when leaving the station. I expect to be destroyed immediately when doing that or to at least get a fine, and that would definitely make them scan me. There is no way that traffic monitoring wouldn't detect a hot heatsink right away and trace it back to the ship that ejected it. The ships aren't that close together that there could be any doubt about who ejected it. And there's nothing to keep them from to register every heat sink manufactured so they would always know whom it belongs to.

Turning on silent running brings the temperature up way too fast to use it and it's impossible to dock like that. So I abandoned heatsinks and silent running entirely because it turned out to be useless and dangerous. I can only wonder why there are so many passanger missions that are impossible to do.

Materials are way too scarce for wasting them on manufacturing anything.

A key can be assigned to use a heatsink rather than assigning it as part of a fire group.
Allegedly deploying hardpoints breaks a scan too - near a station the only response you get for that is a warning to retract them.
Engaging silent running immediately the scan starts breaks the scan too - it can be switched off just as quickly (and your shields will come back online after you land)

 

[limpetdwarf]

Well, I wish had keys, but the keyboard doesn't work on xbox. Are you saying that when it says "scan detected", there is something I could do against it? It only seems to mean that the ship has been scanned, and that is why a scan was detected.

 

[Rat Catcher]

Well, I wish had keys, but the keyboard doesn't work on xbox. Are you saying that when it says "scan detected", there is something I could do against it? It only seems to mean that the ship has been scanned, and that is why a scan was detected.

Substitute 'button chord' for key...

'Scan Detected' informs you that it is about to start - at that time you can prevent it completing (which is trhe thing you'd want to avoid) by using a scan-breaking action, e.g. heatsink, silent run, deploy hardpoints etc.

 

[limpetdwarf]

Then you didnt turn off Auto deploy Hardpoints when the fire key is pressed. Or just assign heat sinks a hotkey. And no stations dont fire on you fire deploying hardpoints.

This game isnt that complex, and this is far from impossible your overthinking it.

I didn't know I could turn that off. There is a bug in that the cockpit mode keeps switching to analysis mode, and instead of turning off deploying hardpoints when pressing the fire button, I wish I could pre-define which fire group is being used and that the correct cockpit mode for it, or a pre-defined one, is automatically enabled. It's something that sane ship designers would allow.

There is also no indication that hardpoints don't need to be deployed to fire something or to use a scanner. And if you have no devices in a fire group that don't need the hardpoints deployed to be used, there is no reason for the hardpoints to be deployed when the fire button is pressed. It's also something that sane ship designers would do.

You could say it's overthinking; I'm saying some things are just very badly made, and there are a lot of things I'm simply not stupid enough for. And on top of badly made, just ask yourself how anyone is supposed to know such things. I've started playing E about a year ago and still don't know things like that, and what I've tried out only showed me that it's not possible to avoid being scanned. There are also some things you don't want to try out because you may end up in detention, and it's not like you could easily make all the money required to pay the insurance. That's another thing badly made ...

The more I learn, the more it seems to me that the game may work for players who have been playing since it was released and kept playing since because they have, over time, received a lot of information. For anyone starting only later, it's basically impossible to get into it except maybe for people who have a lot of time, are unusually persistent and are somehow extremely inclined to wanting to play it. When you start late, you don't have the required information, and you're not getting it because there is nothing in the game that would tell you, because you don't even know what you'd be looking for and because there is a lot of outdated information, which is misleading.

It's also insane that there is no flight simulator. We have to try out everything 'for real'. Why can't we can't set up ship in a simulator (at stations having such equipment) and try out what happens when you fire a heatsink inside a station, for example? Not having flight simulators for training is totally unrealistic. (And even in Wing Commander III there was one.)

 

[limpetdwarf]

Substitute 'button chord' for key...

'Scan Detected' informs you that it is about to start - at that time you can prevent it completing (which is trhe thing you'd want to avoid) by using a scan-breaking action, e.g. heatsink, silent run, deploy hardpoints etc.

I have already problems with all these button combinations. There are way too many combinations; I need a keyboard for a game like this.

Of course I've always been thinking it means that you have been scanned. What else is it supposed to mean. If it means something else, then why doesn't it say 'ship is about to be scanned' instead?

Can you explain to me how a ship is scan is being detected before it has occured? Is the ships AI predicting such things? If so, then it should say 'an imminent ship is being predicted' or something like that.

Like I said, there are things I'm not stupid enough for.

 

[limpetdwarf]

As to Belugas: I've configured mine to go the 1000ly to get a guardian FSD and whatever other guardian things I can find. It makes a good exploration ship for me because it has a decent jump range of about 42ly with 4 SRVs on board and because I rather travel in confort and style. When I need it for passanger missions, I can always swap for cabins.

So I went with a small armoured power plant for increased durability because the two AFMS I'm carrying can't repair the PP, and I'm using an undersized power distributor that saves weight but doesn't allow me to boost. I found out that I would need a much larger distributor, and ended up deciding against boost in favour of saving the weight. I tried to engineer hull and shields for kinetic resistance because it seems more likely to get damage from bumping into something than from being attacked with lasers.

I have to keep some modules switched off until I need them, which is fine because you can't repair thrusters, for example, without switching them off first. They can also be switched off when the ship is landed, and once they are off, there's plenty power left.

I got half way or so yesterday and landed on an unmapped ice planet for the night. This is the first expedition-like thing I'm doing, and I'm planning on recording the whole trip. Somehow, 1000ly seem a lot at first, but once started, it somehow isn't all that much.

 

[Rat Catcher]

I have already problems with all these button combinations. There are way too many combinations; I need a keyboard for a game like this.

Of course I've always been thinking it means that you have been scanned. What else is it supposed to mean. If it means something else, then why doesn't it say 'ship is about to be scanned' instead?

Can you explain to me how a ship is scan is being detected before it has occured? Is the ships AI predicting such things? If so, then it should say 'an imminent ship is being predicted' or something like that.

Like I said, there are things I'm not stupid enough for.

The scan has started, but not completed, when you get the warning, so you have a few seconds to interrupt it. (We all had to learn these things, no problem).

Can you not add a keyboard to your xbox (I know the tiny one that clips into the controller exists) and use both? (I don't know, which is why I'm asking!)

 

[Kamiyoda]

I didn't know I could turn that off. There is a bug in that the cockpit mode keeps switching to analysis mode, and instead of turning off deploying hardpoints when pressing the fire button, I wish I could pre-define which fire group is being used and that the correct cockpit mode for it, or a pre-defined one, is automatically enabled. It's something that sane ship designers would allow.

There is also no indication that hardpoints don't need to be deployed to fire something or to use a scanner. And if you have no devices in a fire group that don't need the hardpoints deployed to be used, there is no reason for the hardpoints to be deployed when the fire button is pressed. It's also something that sane ship designers would do.

You could say it's overthinking; I'm saying some things are just very badly made, and there are a lot of things I'm simply not stupid enough for. And on top of badly made, just ask yourself how anyone is supposed to know such things. I've started playing E about a year ago and still don't know things like that, and what I've tried out only showed me that it's not possible to avoid being scanned. There are also some things you don't want to try out because you may end up in detention, and it's not like you could easily make all the money required to pay the insurance. That's another thing badly made ...

The more I learn, the more it seems to me that the game may work for players who have been playing since it was released and kept playing since because they have, over time, received a lot of information. For anyone starting only later, it's basically impossible to get into it except maybe for people who have a lot of time, are unusually persistent and are somehow extremely inclined to wanting to play it. When you start late, you don't have the required information, and you're not getting it because there is nothing in the game that would tell you, because you don't even know what you'd be looking for and because there is a lot of outdated information, which is misleading.

It's also insane that there is no flight simulator. We have to try out everything 'for real'. Why can't we can't set up ship in a simulator (at stations having such equipment) and try out what happens when you fire a heatsink inside a station, for example? Not having flight simulators for training is totally unrealistic. (And even in Wing Commander III there was one.)

I meant the whole tracking which ship fired what heatsink thing. That is very much just you overthinking things.

As for the rest, yeah the game is very bad at actually explaining this stuff.

 

[Frankymole]

I realy like the Beluga and use it primarily for passenger missions, 54 1st class seats or 12 seats less when using a 6a fuelscoop for sightseeing missions.

Always have the shields off when fuel-scooping, at least in unpopulated systems. Applies to all ships, really, especially explorers.

 

[CMDR Karrde Sun]

Since noone seems to have mentioned it, another option is to just wait a few more heartbeats before kicking off the fsd.

Definitely after the fuel scoop has disengaged and the star has changed color. Its feeling for the right balance with the rate of ship temp decreasing vs acceleration starting to increase as you move away.

After you get a feel for it, its possible to do so without the wait feeling stupid and without the smoke coming on (which is the annoying part for me anyway).

 

[Dutchman141]

Since noone seems to have mentioned it, another option is to just wait a few more heartbeats before kicking off the fsd.

Definitely after the fuel scoop has disengaged and the star has changed color. Its feeling for the right balance with the rate of ship temp decreasing vs acceleration starting to increase as you move away.

After you get a feel for it, its possible to do so without the wait feeling stupid and without the smoke coming on (which is the annoying part for me anyway).

I usually fly away from the star after the scoop has disengaged and the temps have dropped a bit.
It takes a bit more time but I'm not in a rush.
My Beluga runs acceptably cool now though, during scooping my temp doesn't rise above 67%.

 

[limpetdwarf]

The scan has started, but not completed, when you get the warning, so you have a few seconds to interrupt it. (We all had to learn these things, no problem).

Can you not add a keyboard to your xbox (I know the tiny one that clips into the controller exists) and use both? (I don't know, which is why I'm asking!)

Well, they should have used appropriate wording ... Perhaps they don't want too many people to play this game.

Plugging in a keyboard is almost the first thing I did. I've already suggested that all the input methods --- keyboard, mouse, controller and HOTAS --- need to work and to be usable at the same time in the suggestions section of this forum. Maybe someone who can do something about takes a look at it. I don't see why it doesn't just work just like that and how anyone could think that a keyboard is not needed.

 

[limpetdwarf]

Always have the shields off when fuel-scooping, at least in unpopulated systems. Applies to all ships, really, especially explorers.

Why? Does it scoop faster then? And how do you intend to survive the radiation?

I also just fly away until the temperature is low enough. I don't let it get so high, especially during this expedition where I rather not get any damage. The change from 67 to sudden smoke is kinda fluent. It usally takes longer to scan an unexplored system with the FSS than it does to scoop, so it's fine when takes a while to scoop while it's still under 60.

So far, my Beluga is performing admirably, and having such a big fuel tank is awesome. I guess there aren't so many people using it for exploration because there are ships with more jump range, but not being cramped into a small ship and enjoying all the luxury makes up for it.

Why are there no passenger missions to guardian sites?

 

[goemon]

Why? Does it scoop faster then? And how do you intend to survive the radiation?

no, but cooler (lower resting heat by less MJ consumed).

 

[limpetdwarf]

no, but cooler (lower resting heat by less MJ consumed).

Well, imagine blasting through the corona of a star without shields. You'd get killed by the radiation long before you get close enough to get hot :~Z

 

[Red_Beard_98]

I've built quite few Beluga's in my time, it's one of my favorite ships!

Go for the largest A rated power plant. I find it is very important to have low overall power draw so having a larger PP with a smaller percentage being used will run cooler than a smaller PP at max output. The Beluga handles weight amazingly well so the difference in jump range in fairly negligible. For engineering I go with armored and thermal spread.

Drives don't make a huge difference, D-rate for more range and less power draw or A-rate for speed, whatever you want. D-rated will overall draw less power and make you run cooler in SC, with engineering the speed isn't terrible on them either (dirty drag drives).

For passengers I go with 4 size 6 cabins (whichever type you need), size 5 shields and size 5 scoop. The scoop is very undersized for the size of the tank/FSD but it's only there for emergencies, you probably won't need it if you're just hanging around the bubble. Minimize the use of shield boosters, again for power draw reasons. If you don't mind throwing away materials on bad engineering choices you can use lower rated shield boosters engineered for resistances to help with shields a bit.

Heatsinks are your best friend.

It's hard to make a Beluga run cold but you can definitely manage the heat with smart build choices and decent engineering.

 

[Red Anders]

Well, they should have used appropriate wording ... Perhaps they don't want too many people to play this game.

I never interpreted 'scan detected' as meaning 'your ship has been scanned.' It means exactly what it says 'a scan has been detected.' Scanning isn't instantaneous, its a process that takes a few seconds. Your ship's systems identify that something is attempting to scan you and notify you of that precisely so that you can then take action if you don't want to be scanned.

I'm not criticising you here for interpreting it the way you did, I can see how you could, just making the point that we both thought it was obvious what that message meant despite thinking it meant completely different things.

Have to admit I can't imagine exploring in a Beluga. The Orca is my explorer of choice from the Saud Kruger stable, completely awesome ship.

 

[goemon]

Well, imagine blasting through the corona of a star without shields. You'd get killed by the radiation long before you get close enough to get hot :~Z

... yes, but not in elite. shields do not shield you against radiation; for those few radiation effects which are in game.