Colonia Engineers

[Ian Doncaster]

The folks out in Colonia are supposed to be rough hewn and hardy frontiers folk. Yet they balk at a trip to the bubble.!!!???

I'm noticing a lot of complaining on this forum on behalf of Colonia residents from people who are nowhere near the place, and just a general "hey, now we'll be able to get experimentals easily" from the actual Colonia residents I've talked to.

The requirement to have unlocked the basic bubble engineers will literally only affect people who have:
- gone out to Colonia having not unlocked them before
- are still out in Colonia now
- care so little about engineering that they've not gone back in 2 years to get some really easy unlocks of the first-line engineers done
- despite having made it to Colonia with an unengineered ship, are now worried about the travel time needed for a trip back to the bubble
- but suddenly want to do some engineering, though only at G1 [1] now that it's nearby?
...and it only affects them as a one-off

I'm pretty sure there must be several times more people complaining about this than actually meet those conditions. Pretty much everyone I know out here who cares about engineering at all has gone back sometime in the last six months anyway to pin blueprints.

[1] Conversely, I don't see any complaints that the Colonia engineers will only max out at G3, and that if you want G4 or G5 you'll have to ... go back to the bubble! (at least to pin some blueprints)
And I don't see any complaints that there aren't Powerplay spheres or Guardian ruins near Colonia so you have to ... go back to the bubble! ... if you want packhounds or Guardian FSD Boosters or whatever.
Everyone actually out here is used to the concept of "if you want the latest stuff it may require a long trip"

 

[WR3ND]

...

It's kind of like everyone want's to be one of the cool kids without actually having to put in the effort to be one of the cool kids.

Who wants a golden sticker? I already got mine in a 15 Ly jump range Python.

Spoiler

...

Just to be clear, leastwise as it pertains to the game's current progression meta with the Engineers, I can definitely sympathize, as working with a lot of the Engineers contradicts how my Commander cares to progress in the game, playing as an independent pilot as I prefer.

Outside of the meta progression though, I like having these sort of options in the game, Commander agency and character building, as it were. It's nice having something in the game to work toward that makes sense in the game contextually and means something, even if it's just something for ourselves to enjoy accomplishing and not "pown" others with, or similar.

There's more to the game than just the respawn arena death match, and the journey is part of the reward of playing the game. If there comes a time when it isn't, then I'll give up the ghost and retire, letting others have their way with it, if they find it suits them more then.

 

[Lestat]

This is the most ridiculous analogy i've heard all day. I can't take you seriously if you compare your life to FDev implementing a pointless time sink that offers no gameplay. If you don't see how mental what you just said is I doubt there's any value in discussing with you further.

You spoke like a true city folk. With the Starbucks at every corner.

Thing is I don't think people can take you seriously. I am hearing people suggest great idea how to cut your trip in half using suicide sidewinder after my First suggest to cut your trip to 200 to 300 jumps.

Why don't we start posting FACTS? This video shows someone who went from Sol to Colonia in less than 2 hours. Do we need it any easier? This topic is a year old and I bet people are doing it a lot faster. Evacuation Proclamation


[video=youtube;DDbWf4bvWZ8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDbWf4bvWZ8[/video]

The topic was written by Alex Brentnall

Stats:
Note: Items marked * use the time to Colonia System entry

Distance travelled: 22,000.47Ly
Jumps made: 107
Neutron star boosts: 93
FSD grade 3 boosts: 13
FSD repair stops: 3

Time to Colonia: 1.79 hours OR 107.54 minutes OR 6447 seconds
Time to Jaques: 1.87 hours OR 112.25 minutes OR 6735 seconds

Average distance per jump: 205.61Ly/jump
*Average time per jump: 60.25 sec/jump

*Average jumps per hour: 59.77 J/hr
*Average distance per hour: 12,290Ly/hr

With a few route optimisations I can maybe shave off 1 or 2 jumps tops saving 2 minutes. Without the 3 missed neutron boosts and 9 minor errors I can probably take another 2 minutes off. Probably not worth it.
Goes nicely alongside the 2hrs 19min from Sol->Sag A* and the 6hrs 35min from Sol -> Beagle Point.

We have to point out to the Op Colonia is not that far anymore.

 

[Lestat]

I love how you think playing the game as it's not meant to be played is a great solution for poor gameplay, when the sensible option would be to make the unlock process exist in Colonia. So why don't you explain to me why the unlock task living in the bubble, 20000ly away from the engineers, a better idea than the unlock task residing in or near Colonia? And try to avoid referencing some weird hillbilly justification but actually talk about the game please. Ta.

Your justification is your unwilling to listen to anyone advice. How to get to and from Colonia fast. I think your idea of having all the Engineering handed to you while your away from the bubble is the definition of poor gameplay.

You know when it uses to take 24 hours to get to a location like Colonia or Saga A*. Your idea might have been good.

I did post the Video on the First page. So people can see how fast some people can do Sol to Colonia in less than 2 hours 107 Jumps I think it important for people to know it possible and it does not take long to get to Colonia.

 

[CMDR Dreamstate]

I can totally understand the OPs frustration.

Whoever dreamt up the idea of having to unlock the Colonia Engineers AFTER you have already levelled up and used the ones in the old bubble needs some perspective (by perspective, I mean playing their own game).

It is not fun for those who have chosen to move out to Colonia - they have only just recieved ship yards, for god's sake. And the kicker? They only go up to Grade 3!

Whoever is having these ideas and is personally responsible for implimenting them - just STOP.

STOP.

Anyway, I doubt they will reverse their decision, unfortunatley. Anything that goes against their unquestionable game mechanics is a heretic because, of course, they always know best - despite huge criticisms from their streamers such as Obsidian Ant etc. for these otherworldly decisions to punish their playerbase in such a god-aweful manner.

 

[WR3ND]

I can totally understand the OPs frustration.

Whoever dreamt up the idea of having to unlock the Colonia Engineers AFTER you have already levelled up and used the ones in the old bubble needs some perspective (by perspective, I mean playing their own game).

It is not fun for those who have chosen to move out to Colonia - they have only just recieved ship yards, for god's sake. And the kicker? They only go up to Grade 3!

Whoever is having these ideas and is personally responsible for implimenting them - just STOP.

STOP.

Anyway, I doubt they will reverse their decision, unfortunatley. Anything that goes against their unquestionable game mechanics is a heretic because, of course, they always know best - despite huge criticisms from their streamers such as Obsidian Ant etc. for these otherworldly decisions to punish their playerbase in such a god-aweful manner.

Right?! They shouldn't even have Engineers at Colonia...

So soft, so supple, so wanting, and so meta. Get wrecked, nub.

Someone take care of this lightweight for me. My goodness.

...

Sorry, mate. I've had a fair bit to drink, but it is what it is, and there should be something in this game that's actually worth achieving, or what's the point anyway? Why bother in the first place?

Bit off topic here, and I'm not sure where the rest of you are on the world, but some of you have hopefully noticed that you can prominently see Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars in an arcing line across the sky the last several weeks. Pretty cool. Kind of helps put things in perspective.

Yeah, I still can't get to Sol in the game. Like I said, it is what it is.

Cheers.

 

[[VR] Goooost]

I hope they offer blueprints unique to them.

Recipes not on offer in the bubble.

I'll fly there to do it.

I was suggesting that the experimentals have blueprints there. Because they all kind of suck right now and need engineers, and I think the kind of people who spend the time grinding out the unlocks for those guns would appreciate the added exclusivity of having to trek all the way to colonia and back to get them modded. The whole appeal of those weapons is that they're hard to get.

 

[[VR] Goooost]

And yes, Jaques should be one of the Engineers. How cool would that be?

He could engineer passenger cabins to have bars in them. This would placate irritable passengers and make them less prone to calling off the trip.

 

[WR3ND]

He could engineer passenger cabins to have bars in them. This would placate irritable passengers and make them less prone to calling off the trip.

Haven't had an issue with it myself yet on the handful of missions that I've done for them so far, but then I might well keep an eye on things a bit more than most. I'm kind of... determined like that, for the missions I take. I'm very selective though, and only bother with what I intend to do. I don't really need credits in the game; as for my testing there aren't really any other ships I care that much for since... What was the last one I got? Well, it's probably been years since it's been out.

Bars? Alright. I'd personally rather a fuel scoop mod or something that's a bit more useful to me. To each their own though. And yeah, if people are just going to complain about it being far off in Colonia or something, it isn't worth the hassle, in my opinion. Kind of undermines the point of Colonia in the first place.

 

[nanite2000]

It funny it just seems your asking for a lazy button.

As usual, you assume that anyone who doesn't have as much free time to play computer games as you is 'lazy', when actually it's the opposite.

You are lazy for repeatedly doing the same boring time-consuming actions which require zero skill over and over again, not wanting the game to change, and for dismissing anyone who has less free time than you.

 

[WR3ND]

As usual, you assume that anyone who doesn't have as much free time to play computer games as you is 'lazy', when actually it's the opposite.

...

So you don't have time to go to Colonia and back again. What's so bad about that? No need to race off there, my friend. Feel free to take your time when you can, if you find it compelling to do so, and if you don't, that's alright too. Plenty of Engineers in the bubble.

Can you feel the weight of eternity, and isn't compelling? It's one of the best features of a one to one scale sim of the galaxy, in my opinion.

 

[nanite2000]

So you don't have time to go to Colonia and back again. What's so bad about that? No need to race off there, my friend. Feel free to take your time when you can, if you find it compelling to do so, and if you don't, that's alright too. Plenty of Engineers in the bubble.

I don't have a compelling need to visit an engineer in Colonia as of yet, so the distance to get there doesn't bother me.

What does bother me is that, having travelled there, I would be pretty gutted to find that the local engineer is unavailable to me because I failed to visit Felicity Farseer, Elvira Martuuk, The Dweller, Liz Ryder, and Tod “The Blaster” Mcquinn first. Especially when there is nothing in-game to tell me this before.

It would be far better for everyone already in Colonia who hasn't yet visited any of those engineers if they could do something that doesn't require you to go all the way back to the bubble to qualify for an engineer who is right on your doorstep. For example, hand in data from 20 Black Holes, or perform 20 Neutron Star/White Dwarf booster jumps, etc...

It just feels so unnecessarily time consuming/grindy to have to first visit several engineers from a region so far away.

 

[WR3ND]

I don't have a compelling need to visit an engineer in Colonia as of yet, so the distance to get there doesn't bother me.

What does bother me is that, having travelled there, I would be pretty gutted to find that the local engineer is unavailable to me because I failed to visit Felicity Farseer, Elvira Martuuk, The Dweller, Liz Ryder, and Tod “The Blaster” Mcquinn first. Especially when there is nothing in-game to tell me this before.

It would be far better for everyone already in Colonia who hasn't yet visited any of those engineers if they could do something that doesn't require you to go all the way back to the bubble to qualify for an engineer who is right on your doorstep. For example, hand in data from 20 Black Holes, or perform 20 Neutron Star/White Dwarf booster jumps, etc...

It just feels so unnecessarily time consuming/grindy to have to first visit several engineers from a region so far away.

It's the meta progression, mate, and I take issue with it too. The distance as someone who traverses the galaxy in a combat loaded Vaulter as preference isn't the issue.

The distance isn't the problem; it's the perceived and seemingly intended progression in the game and a disconnect between the two.

Totally got you on that, if that's what this is distilling down to.

...

I try and rise above that meta to find what the game is worth for myself. There isn't much beyond that for me, but what the game has to offer other than that, I still find compelling.

YMMV

 

[Lestat]

So you gonna answer my question? Let me know if you can't.

Well you are the one that saying Traveling or Exploration Boring not me. After Horizon released I took a badly made Anaconda 17ly 20ly jump range and stayed out for a few years Visited Colonia Saga A* and came back explored every system I visited. 7,000 system later I came back to the bubble. At the time Only one place I could be repaired at that was Colonia. Talk about Roughing it.

Blowing yourself up is clearly a dreadful solution. If you have to do that then it's badly designed. Really, you've done badly here.

Well I was not the first to suggest that. CMDR Redcrest did. I just reposted the suggestion and your idea is asking for an easy way to get engineering blueprints with little or no effort. That something you can do right now and you get what you want and a 100+ jumps you can be back at home in Colonia.

Can't offer a reason why it's better than my suggestion and can only offer in-game suicide as a fix. You're argument has totally collapsed under the first bit of scrutiny.

Well your argument failed also with remarks like

No. I'll just not bother with it.

This remark really shows how you don't like the game. Because you have to work for your upgrades.

You have to face this fact your roughing it living in a small town Colonia. That how Colonia should be as a small town like Tombstone, Arizona But in station type not bustling large city like New York city, It should not be supplied with all bells and whistles of the Bubble that Including Engineering. Face it you are Roughing it. Not living in the Life of luxury in the deep.

That why I suggest once a month or every other month going back to the bubble for your engineering.

The only thing I would suggest is a New type Engineering Colonia that help with Chapt 4. Nothing to do with anything in the bubble Engineering type.

As usual, you assume that anyone who doesn't have as much free time to play computer games as you is 'lazy', when actually it's the opposite.

You are lazy for repeatedly doing the same boring time-consuming actions which require zero skill over and over again, not wanting the game to change, and for dismissing anyone who has less free time than you.

Why not watch that video in my first post. That Neutron highway sound fun. It might be more your cup of tea. It requires Skill.

 

[[VR] Goooost]

Bars? Alright. I'd personally rather a fuel scoop mod or something that's a bit more useful to me. To each their own though.

I mean, really what else would Jacque engineer other than bars and minibars. That's what he does.

 

[WR3ND]

...

Why not watch that video in my first post. That Neutron highway sound fun. It might be more your cup of tea. It requires Skill.

Fair play, but I'll reserve judgment on skill for myself. It is relative after all, and if you're actually exploring out in the black because you care to instead of using AFMUs, I'd say that's just as valid a reason to get to where you're going as using star boosts. YMMV

 

[danubezoe]

I've full access to all engineers and I've been using them extensively on every new ship I buy. I've also been to colonia in the past, and spent about 3 months there, visited BP and finally returned to the bubble.

I mean to say that this change doesn't affect me, personally. Having said that, I think it's stupid to ask people in Colonia, those that haven't used engineers before to travel all this distance and back. If they don't, suddenly they're at a disadvantage against all those that arrive fully prepared and able to engineer the ships they buy locally without having to wait 60 hours for them to transfer from the bubble and at a huge cost.

Why does this company have to give with one hand and take with the other?

I must say I agree with this +1 (if I can find the button)
Unlock-requirement for Colonia engineers should be something like: Travelled 20 000 ly from starting position, Handed in 1 000 000 exploration data and deliver 5 units of polonium, cordial to a Colonia faction (unlock mission even)

Hoping for a solution that makes more sense.
DZ

 

[Ian Doncaster]

What does bother me is that, having travelled there, I would be pretty gutted to find that the local engineer is unavailable to me because I failed to visit Felicity Farseer, Elvira Martuuk, The Dweller, Liz Ryder, and Tod “The Blaster” Mcquinn first. Especially when there is nothing in-game to tell me this before.

Sure, but that's in general how it already works if you go out to Colonia without preparing first - you may find that you need to go back to the bubble or put up with limited options.

- you can't get any superpower-aligned ship in Colonia (which you could perhaps guess in-game by setting the map to allegiance mode, but it's not explicitly highlighted)
- about half the human tech broker unlocks and all the guardian tech broker unlocks will require a return trip to the bubble for certain parts
- large-ship outfitting is mostly B/C-grade only
- even well after 3.2 release you won't be able to engineer above G3 without a pinned blueprint from a bubble engineer

If you look at the pre-release announcement for 3.2:
Guardian Beacons - unlikely to be anywhere near Colonia, since none of the rest have been
Guardian SLFs - you'll need to head back to Sol
Crusader - you'll need to go back to Alioth or thereabouts
Engineers - actually there's a good chance these will be available to most Colonia residents without a round trip
Wing Missions - probably fine for Colonia
New weapons - we'll probably get the large standard ones, the others will be theoretically unlockable but in practice some of the bits for the tech brokers will need a round trip

So that's 3.5 of 6 headline features which will definitely need a round trip, 1 which might but in practice won't for most people (which is the one getting the complaints!), and 1.5 which won't. This is absolutely normal and expected for Colonia.

 

[WR3ND]

I mean, really what else would Jacque engineer other than bars and minibars. That's what he does.

Guess you haven't been keeping up with the times. He owns his station now and explores the galaxy with it... or at least he used to.

 

[danubezoe]

Jaques is a Station engineer, it would be plausible that he becomes the megaship engineer when they become player/squadron ownable.

Cheers
DZ