Can someone explain to me how to scan data ports in settlements without being caught?

[Agony_Aunt]

something something watched pot something something

Those things always go slow when you're counting them

Sure, but second engineer... i'd say i hope the later engineers are better, but this is FD....

Having said that, i know one just requires 10 complete missions of certain types. At least that is a fixed and certain goal.

 

[Sighman]

Sure, but second engineer... i'd say i hope the later engineers are better, but this is FD....

Having said that, i know one just requires 10 complete missions of certain types. At least that is a fixed and certain goal.

When you're doing the conflict zone one, make sure they're all Low. I only do high so I thought that was bugged.

 

[Agony_Aunt]

When you're doing the conflict zone one, make sure they're all Low. I only do high so I thought that was bugged.

Oh, that's one of the engineer unlocks? I've done 1 so far, it was low. Would only bother with Low anyway until i upgrade.

 

[Sighman]

Oh, that's one of the engineer unlocks? I've done 1 so far, it was low. Would only bother with Low anyway until i upgrade.

Yes one of them is 10 low conflict zones.

Caused grief a while back because a lot of people did 1 low, then moved on to medium and high pretty quickly. I had something like 120+ CZ with only a couple of them Low, and didn't get the engineer invite.

 

[Factabulous]

Sure, but second engineer... i'd say i hope the later engineers are better, but this is FD....

Lol nope Settlement Defence Plans make you appreciate how easy Opinion Polls are

Seriously worth looking out for all the unlock mats (especially data) for all the engineers from the start (on inara) - or you'll be kicking yourself later. But don't hand them in before asked - that won't work.

 

[Northpin]

Oh, that's one of the engineer unlocks? I've done 1 so far, it was low. Would only bother with Low anyway until i upgrade.

Regarding unlocks - they're not retroactive
So dont sell anything to traders unless you were referred to that engineer - for example, dont sell any Opinion Polls until you got the referral to Kit from Domino Green

 

[HRDiagram]

Don't think so.

At some point your luck has to run out.

Luxury!

Since Odyssey launched, I've found a grand total of 3 Opinion Polls!

(I have fould plenty of everything else, including Smear Campaign Plans, Settlement Defence Plans, Weapon Test Data... you name it!)

One other thing to consider when doing stealth runs (I only do those), is that distractions work well if an NPC is in the way.
The only NPCs I attack are those with bounties, and I zap them. I carry an unengineered pistol only, and not to shoot at people, but to make noise: I go to where I would like to attract the attention, shoot, and move away.
Alternatively, a grenade works as well.
It is especially useful in some CMD buildings, where the guard stands in front of the alarm panel all of the time without moving: if I make noise in the next room, the guard will go and investigate, giving me a chance to sneak behind their back and disable the settlement alarms.

I have done it enough times to know when I can actually land with my own ship on the landing pad and not dismiss it, because I won't become hostile.
After having looted everything under their eyes, I just walk casually back and before I take off I even cash in the bounties, if any, with many thanks by the chief officer of the settlement!
But no opinion polls.

 

[Agony_Aunt]

Happy to report i'm now at 5/10 Opinion Polls. The grind is real (my choice) but also filling up on lots of stuff (most of it useless and will get sold at the bar probably) and getting lots of practice at raiding settlements and figuring out optimal routes.

 

[Screemonster]

Here's a vid I took while I was raiding a tourist settlement - while hostile with the faction, no less.

I didn't have any silenced weapons at the time. Learning the patrol routes helps, and knowing where the alarms console is so you can bumrush it the instant you land really helps. In this tourist layout, it's in the power building which means it's one e-breach away from being in (and you can use the guy inside's access to disable the alarms)

Remember, even if they hear a suspicious noise and come running, as long as they don't see you you're good! That rocket no doubt alerted half the settlement, but since I was off the roof and away by the time anyone got there to investigate it, it's all gucci.

As for the settlements - don't do the tourist base with the long road.
The best one has 7 ports and a layout like this:

There's another one with a single large pad, with the power building on one side of the pad (with the alarms in it) and 6 data ports spread across the various buildings on the other side, but I haven't made a map of that one.

 

[taniwha-qf]

There's another one with a single large pad, with the power building on one side of the pad (with the alarms in it) and 6 data ports spread across the various buildings on the other side, but I haven't made a map of that one.

Too small to bother with a map, I'd say. Even the one you did doesn't really need a map, nor the large 8-port settlement (though getting at some of the ports makes its value dubious).

 

[Screemonster]

Too small to bother with a map, I'd say. Even the one you did doesn't really need a map, nor the large 8-port settlement (though getting at some of the ports makes its value dubious).

You don't need a map if you've been there before. If you haven't been there before, a map is a really handy thing to have.

Like, sure, I don't need a map to navigate this settlement. I didn't make it for me. I made it for anyone who might ask where to find the data ports, alarm console and a good landing site for that particular settlement layout.

 

[Agony_Aunt]

There's another one with a single large pad, with the power building on one side of the pad (with the alarms in it) and 6 data ports spread across the various buildings on the other side, but I haven't made a map of that one.

That's what i'm grinding out. Its disabled as well, so no hassle. Just go and power it up then run around grabbing data and stuff. Then power down and while its shutting down go grab stuff from containers and the SRV so you're not just waiting.

Scavengers can be there when you arrive, just nuke them as you approach. They won't spawn (from what i've seen) as long as the power is on, so they might turn up after you have deactivated and returning to the ship, in which case they are landing as i'm taking off... again, nuke them for lulz.

 

[Screemonster]

That's what i'm grinding out. Its disabled as well, so no hassle. Just go and power it up then run around grabbing data and stuff. Then power down and while its shutting down go grab stuff from containers and the SRV so you're not just waiting.

Scavengers can be there when you arrive, just nuke them as you approach. They won't spawn (from what i've seen) as long as the power is on, so they might turn up after you have deactivated and returning to the ship, in which case they are landing as i'm taking off... again, nuke them for lulz.

The fun thing about that settlement is that you can bait people into running across the landing pad, which is a nice big flat clear area to scrape the keel of a viper mk4 across and smash everything in its path.

For example.

 

[Agony_Aunt]

Had to change my approach as the base i was grinding out is now active again. I guess people will trash it again soon enough, but in the meantime i get to practice my stealth.

I watched @Ydiss videos and now trying to get around the ports in the habs without being scanned. The bar one is open access so that's fine.

However, it seems like 1-3 of the 5 habs have 2 people inside. Otherwise its 0 or 1. Zero is fine. 1 is also fine, just run in, shove gun in face and kill them. 2 is the tricky one. Kill one, second will raise the alarm if i'm not quick. Need to practice taking 2 out without alarm being raised if i want those data ports, or can just ignore them, not take the risk, not spend the time, and instead just leave. Alternately i could go for PWR and disable alarms but that's a trickier prospect as there are 3 people inside.

I've also considered going full rambo to see if i can do it. While its anarchy so no bounties/prison, i will hurt my rep with the faction, and not sure i want to do that.

Anyway, still, got 1 more opinion poll doing the stealthy approach.

6/10.

The grind continues!

 

[Screemonster]

This is why I always go for the alarms first. They should be in the power building at that settlement.
Most of the guards around the outside should have some part of their patrol route where they're isolated from the others and you can zap them, or else just kill them quickly and move on before anyone else that heard the sound gets there to see you.

Once you've cleared the guards from the immediate outside of the building, the workers inside the building should be relatively quick to handle. You don't have to worry about noise as the building is isolated enough that people in the main body of the settlement won't be able to hear you.

 

[Sighman]

Or you enter a building, throw a grenade, and pop every guard as they come through the choke point - sorry, airlock - to investigate.

 

[Frop]

However, it seems like 1-3 of the 5 habs have 2 people inside. Otherwise its 0 or 1. Zero is fine. 1 is also fine, just run in, shove gun in face and kill them. 2 is the tricky one. Kill one, second will raise the alarm if i'm not quick.

Are you perhaps confusing the alarm popup above their heads with the actual alarm? It takes quite a while for them to successfully call in the alarm (they have to stand still/crouch and you'll hear very specific voice lines), at which time the popup will disappear. If you kill them while the popup is still active, the alarm won't be raised.

 

[Unknown Zombie]

However, it seems like 1-3 of the 5 habs have 2 people inside. Otherwise its 0 or 1. Zero is fine. 1 is also fine, just run in, shove gun in face and kill them. 2 is the tricky one. Kill one, second will raise the alarm if i'm not quick. Need to practice taking 2 out without alarm being raised if i want those data ports, or can just ignore them, not take the risk, not spend the time, and instead just leave. Alternately i could go for PWR and disable alarms but that's a trickier prospect as there are 3 people inside.

For those rooms, I find that the 2 occupants always path behind the partition to stand near the bay windows and converse at some point in their patrol, and once they do you are free to crouch in, access the port, start the download, and then crouch back outside the entry door to exit the tresspass area. There you can let the download complete in peace because you'll still be in range of the data port.

Are you perhaps confusing the alarm popup above their heads with the actual alarm? It takes quite a while for them to successfully call in the alarm (they have to stand still/crouch and you'll hear very specific voice lines), at which time the popup will disappear. If you kill them while the popup is still active, the alarm won't be raised.

Just dealing damage to an NPC who is trying to radio for the alarms is enough to interrupt them. When the NPC has the icon over their head, they are in the process of doing the radioing, and the alarm isn't actually activated (and the base alerted) until that icon goes away (by that I mean that the icon disappears naturally, and not because of damage received).

 

[Agony_Aunt]

Are you perhaps confusing the alarm popup above their heads with the actual alarm? It takes quite a while for them to successfully call in the alarm (they have to stand still/crouch and you'll hear very specific voice lines), at which time the popup will disappear. If you kill them while the popup is still active, the alarm won't be raised.

Ah, probably. I'll give that a try then.

 

[Agony_Aunt]

8/10

Seems like inhabited settlements have more than abandoned ones. Or maybe its confirmation bias

Also, yeah, taking out 2 is possible without alarms, just got to check no guards near the building first! Ooops.

Also, when you walk into a bar, its like one of those old westerns where everyone stops what they are doing and stares at you. Keep expecting someone to say "You're a stranger here gringo"