COLONIA and back is it worth it?

So if I go is there any exploring still to do or has it been smashed out since all the FS seem to go there and return on a regular bases. Where do I buy the fuel to get a ride on a FS? Is it still worth it?

cheers CC
 
Only to get the engineers. You don't need to go on a Fleet Carrier, you just need a ship with a minimum 600ly OVERALL range, and I would suggest at least 45-50ly jump range. Also, if you're going to go solo, you need to follow the Colonia Bridge. https://elite-dangerous.fandom.com/wiki/Colonia_Bridge?so=search
I did it with a Type-6 with a 4A FSD fully engineered (Grade 5 Increased Range with Deep Charge), a 4H FSD Booster, a 5A Fuel Scoop, and an extra 4C fuel tank to double my fuel capacity & overall range. Didn't need heat sinks or weapons. As for exploration along the way, if you have shorter range (sub 60 ly), then you may actually discover new systems & planets. I got 1 system myself, also got first footfall on 2 already discovered & mapped planets. Just make sure you get the pre-engineered detailed surface scanner. Also remember, honk every system you go through. Keep all your discovery data until you reach Jaques Station in the Colonia system - the turn in should make you allied with the Colonia Council, which you'll need for one of the engineers. And do it in Solo Play, because griefers & gankers hang around the stations & megaships just to make life difficult. I think that covers it.
 
So if I go is there any exploring still to do or has it been smashed out since all the FS seem to go there and return on a regular bases. Where do I buy the fuel to get a ride on a FS? Is it still worth it?
The star density around Colonia is extremely high.
- first discovery of systems you'll probably need to go a couple of hundred LY out, and not in the direction of the bubble.
- first mapping of planets you can get much closer in (though not for high value planets)
- first footfall and first scan of Odyssey plants you can still get in some systems within 50 LY of Colonia (just about within the inhabited sphere)
Plenty of exploration still to do out here; considerably more than there is around the bubble.


Whether it's "worth it" or not depends on what you're after:
- incremental minor upgrades to SCBs, Interdictor and Life Support engineering: you have to come here, though it is marginal effect only. Before you depart, make sure your reputation with the bubble engineers Martuuk, Dweller, McQuinn and Ryder is at least level 4.
- seeing the sky nearer to the galactic core: you don't have to go to Colonia but you're going to have to go a similar sort of distance in some direction and Colonia is easier and provides a convenient base for further exploration once you get here
- the same things you get in the bubble in terms of combat, missions, trade, exploration, etc. but in a 70-ish system confined area where everything is conveniently close by and the systems themselves are a bit less anonymous: might be to your taste or might not, come and try it
- busy social life: there are players out here, probably similar players/system on average to the bubble, but you can certainly find bigger groups if you stay at home

Transferring ships from the bubble if you don't fly them out either personally or attached to a carrier is extremely expensive - but you can buy new ships here with almost all ship hulls and modules available, so it's probably easier (and certainly cheaper) to just bring the ship you're in and buy a new fleet when you get here. (If you have some engineered modules you don't want to rebuild, storing them for transfer before you leave is a lot cheaper than moving the entire ship, and small ships - Asps and below - are still pretty cheap to transfer)


If the Fleet Carrier you're travelling on needs fuelling up first / would appreciate a donation of Tritium, then you can buy that at any orbital station with a Refinery economy. Larger population systems will stock more, but in the bubble you should be able to find one not far from the carrier easily.

As above, you can fly out without a carrier; I first did the trip before any of the intermediate stations were built in a Python with a 30 LY range - it really depends how much you like travel and exploration as to whether you do that and go slightly off the well-travelled route between the Colonia Bridge stations, or you just take a high-speed ship and hop 500 LY at a time between the bridge points.
 
So if I go is there any exploring still to do or has it been smashed out since all the FS seem to go there and return on a regular bases. Where do I buy the fuel to get a ride on a FS? Is it still worth it?

cheers CC
Take the Shuttle, no need to bother doing the jumps anymore, save your jumps for after, when you are in Colonia. Shuttle will get you there overnight, literally, if you get the Express. Using the Shuttle is 100% free, no credits, no ressources.

Colonia is real nice, it is still worth it to discover the place, a small Bubble but with a very different feeling. It is a very nice place to do engineering, especially combat ships, as all the engineers are very close to each other and you only need 4 of them.

For exploration, Colonia remains a great base to explore West and Central regions.
 
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Going to Colonia on the FC you own is relatively expensive in terms of having to stock up with tritium before heading out - and planning for the return. Getting tritium in Colonia is a pain although you can buy the stuff from other players once out there - at a cost.

To my mind it would make more sense to have a station that sells the stuff at the "usual" price and has extremely high stock. But that would kick the tritium sellers in the teeth... another option would be that mining the stuff yourself is made far more viable. But, again, this would affect the tritium market.

Before FC's, a lot of CMDRs would just go there on a ship loaded out for exploration - DBx's, AspX's and Anaconda's can all do this excellently as well as (my preferred explo ship) the newer * Phantom.

In some ways, going to Colonia - and beyond - in a ship is better than a fleet carrier. However, I only say this from my personal experience because tritium "situation".

* Yes, I know it's not exactly new these days :D
 
Take the Shuttle, no need to bother doing the jumps anymore, save your jumps for after, when you are in Colonia. Shuttle will get you there overnight, literally, if you get the Express. Using the Shuttle is 100% free, no credits, no ressources.

Colonia is real nice, it is still worth it to discover the place, a small Bubble but with a very different feeling. It is a very nice place to do engineering, especially combat ships, as all the engineers are very close to each other and you only need 4 of them.

For exploration, Colonia remains a great base to explore West and Central regions.
What is the overnight shuttle to Colonia? Is it a regular Fleet Carrier run or is it some kind of FDev megaship?
 
The FCOC - Fleet Carriers Owners Club if i remember correctly. They have a discord and it has the schedule of when and where the FC will depart to/from Colonia. I used a Phantom with 72ish ly jump range 314 or 321 jumps each way, when I did it myself. It was fun to do it myself, and while out there I unlocked the engineers. I would FSS scan interesting systems on the way out or back, made several millions via UC for that data. I bought a Python out there to get the needed items to unlock all the engineers and then sold the Python. Not all ships and modules are available out in Colonia, at least when I was last there. FC's will sell almost everything you need, for a price. It was fun. I followed the Colonia highway, simple and easy.

I went back out a second time, but via a carrier, much quicker but the schedule is set and don't get left behind...
 
I went to Colonia a macOS commander, but had to come back a Windows commander.

I can’t tell you if it’s worth it to you. I enjoyed it at the time :)
 
I''m currently on my way to Colonia for the first time. I intend to deposit all my money into FC left in the bubble, store ship, buy basic sidewinder, leave myself with 1k credits and "start anew" without clearing save. Gonna test whether it's fun :D
Of course I'm afraid that something fun will happen in the bubble while I'm gone...
 
FCOC have a site for the big picture of upcoming trips:


And if you join the related Discord then you can get more details & chat - the captain generally says when they are having lunch breaks and plan to restart jumps etc so you can explore for a bit.

I used the service to transport a small flotilla to Colonia, worked well.
 
On my way I'm about half way I have a 50ly jump rate so I enjoy exploring so Im finding it interesting so far I've been first on 5 occasions to set foot on the surface which is quite cool exo Bio is huge prob amassed already 400 mill. I following the suggestion of other players cash it all up when you get to Colonia so I can get to the engineers whether I stay probably will for a while explore deeper in space. " Sheeeee " its a long way about 450 jumps I think providing I survive I won't loose all my data discovered. But enjoying being in the stillness no Thargroids having ago at least yet. Cheers Cmr CM out.
 
Glad you made the decision to fly out rather than taxi ride a carrier. dont get me wrong i have a carrier and my last colonia and back was done with it but i will never forget the feeling of hearing the radio crackle into life for the first time having been out in the black for so long when i flew out and back in my asp x.

I know ed is all about the immersion and it has plenty but for me that one experience alone was quite surreal lol, fuel was low, lots of ship damage after a few narrow scrapes with some beyond belief sized stars, my irl joystick was starting to fail and all i could think was ahhh jeez i'm gonna lose the lot. The sense of relief hearing that radio chatter and knowing i was going to make it even if only barely, pure gold! genuinely felt like i had made it home...... inside of a video game!

Safe travels commander and i'm sure as you know well enough, play it safe, don't go getting foolish and die out in the black before you can cash in all that data- o7
 
yep its getting do be a delightful reward. I'm doing the Colonial Bridge but doing 130 jumps a time. Ship pretty intact no badies yet .. haven't even been introjected, found lots of new bio that pays very well and it cant be stolen from me so all goos commander.

Cheers!
 
Going to Colonia on the FC you own is relatively expensive in terms of having to stock up with tritium before heading out - and planning for the return. Getting tritium in Colonia is a pain although you can buy the stuff from other players once out there - at a cost.

To my mind it would make more sense to have a station that sells the stuff at the "usual" price and has extremely high stock. But that would kick the tritium sellers in the teeth... another option would be that mining the stuff yourself is made far more viable. But, again, this would affect the tritium market.

Before FC's, a lot of CMDRs would just go there on a ship loaded out for exploration - DBx's, AspX's and Anaconda's can all do this excellently as well as (my preferred explo ship) the newer * Phantom.

In some ways, going to Colonia - and beyond - in a ship is better than a fleet carrier. However, I only say this from my personal experience because tritium "situation".

* Yes, I know it's not exactly new these days :D

I traveled out to Colonia area with my FC and stopped at each station on the route buying Tritium as I traveled, while some of them had no Tritium for sale over the average I managed to get there with only around 100 tons of Tritium short of a full hold, so it's quite possible to get there with a full load of Tritium along the Colonia Bridge.

Now the big question I have is, what's this "back" bit all about? You don't need that part of the title ;)
 
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