Ships Discovering Engineers in 2025

[CMDR Lefty Jackson]

I'm now ready to get started on engineering modules. I've spent A LOT of time collecting materials. (which is an adventure all it's own!)

But almost all of the engineering I now have the materials for I can't do because I haven't "discovered" the engineers yet. I do have some of the basics like Felicity Farseer, but that's it.

I have one module engineered to Grade 4, maybe another Grade 3, but others at Grade 1 or 2. Most are no engineering.

(see attached "crafting list" from Inara)

What I find disappointing is the required process of just "unlocking" an engineer. Some will say, "But you don't have to do any engineering to play the game." True, I get it, but who doesn't want faster, stronger, lighter, etc?

So, looking at the Crafting List, I see all those engineers that are "Undiscovered". Now I have a whole new adventure that I dread. Many of the engineers I will never need or want, but there seems no other option for those engineers I need for the upgrades I want.

How do players deal with discovering engineers? Is there "secret" methods that make the process less of a major grind?

Ideas? Thoughts? What say you?

 

[Oberost]

Engineering guide

Here you have, a really usefull guide to unlock most of the engineers with a step by step walkthrough.

Credits to the author.

Also, a great ToDo list from Luriant. Credits to him.

Luriant's ToDo list

 

[GroG79]

Should have unlocked them before getting all the materials.. Mind you. The obtaining of materials is a reoccurring event. Unlocking the engineers is not.

 

[Dragsham]

It's not an easy curve to unlock. And there's now 2 specific types.
Ships engineers
And odyssey (on foot) engineers.
The whole process takes ages. But once you have them unlocked then engineering a ship, suits, ships weps, personal weps becomes simple.
But the collecting of mats almost never ends.
Think I've been to the crystal forest to max mats at least 3 times.

Theres also the unlocking of guardian tech. Which isn't essential but also contributes to the ships overall improvement. Especially the fsd booster.
But you can also get guardian powerplants and distributors.
And let's not forget the V1 sco fsd.
All in all it's a huge daunting undertaking which will take weeks if not mths to complete.
And of course you only unlock what you want/need.

 

[SteveWW57]

"How do players deal with discovering engineers? Is there "secret" methods that make the process less of a major grind?"

First you should think about what you want to do in game, exploration and hauling do not really need engineering. PvE and PvP set you on the long path of engineering.

So, for exploration and hauling you need a few mats (meta alloy to start). A tech broker will sell you an anti corrosion cargo rack so that you can visit a Titan debris field to get a Titan drive component* and several propulsion elements. Providing you have the rest of the materials, you can burn space and buy a pre-engineered SCO FSD. This will do for hauling and exploration.

For exploration, buy the expanded radius detailed surface scanner.

Your hauling/exploration ships can make do with A/D rated modules apart from the above.

If you are into combat, then the SCO FSD again is a start and buy A/D modules and start with PvE. If you want to have an engineered ship before starting, get the SCO FSD and DSS and start following the guide to unlocking the engineers. This takes time and can be a bit arduous.

* one needed for each FSD you want to purchase.

 

[AlSki]

Some will say, "But you don't have to do any engineering to play the game." True, I get it, but who doesn't want faster, stronger, lighter, etc?

Engineering can either be a set of bonuses that you get just for playing the game (which it tends to become once you have enough materials and everything unlocked), or a massive grind forcing you to play the game over and over just to get something specific. It all depends how you personally approach it.

 

[CMDR Lefty Jackson]

Engineering guide

Here you have, a really usefull guide to unlock most of the engineers with a step by step walkthrough.

Credits to the author.

Also, a great ToDo list from Luriant. Credits to him.

Luriant's ToDo list

Awesome. I don't use Reddit, so I had no idea that was there. Thanks!

 

[CMDR Lefty Jackson]

Should have unlocked them before getting all the materials.. Mind you. The obtaining of materials is a reoccurring event. Unlocking the engineers is not.

We have the advantage of playing the game more than one way.

It's purely personal preference.

 

[CMDR Lefty Jackson]

It's not an easy curve to unlock. And there's now 2 specific types.
Ships engineers
And odyssey (on foot) engineers.
The whole process takes ages. But once you have them unlocked then engineering a ship, suits, ships weps, personal weps becomes simple.
But the collecting of mats almost never ends.
Think I've been to the crystal forest to max mats at least 3 times.

Theres also the unlocking of guardian tech. Which isn't essential but also contributes to the ships overall improvement. Especially the fsd booster.
But you can also get guardian powerplants and distributors.
And let's not forget the V1 sco fsd.
All in all it's a huge daunting undertaking which will take weeks if not mths to complete.
And of course you only unlock what you want/need.

Thanks for pointing out that we now have more than one engineering group. Engineering for suits is another adventure. I ran across a Grade 3 Artemis suit, so I snagged that quick.

Never-ending indeed, materials collecting truly is ongoing. That's why I have focused on collecting them at this stage. I had a need for some that put me in locations to also collect other materials that would help fill up yet other materials, so I thought since I was at it, might as well grind it out and get topped up on stuff I know I will need in the future.

I do have the Guardian FSD Booster on two ships. It was a no-brainer to me. It's not that bad to get, so I recommend new players have that on their to-do list early on. Otherwise, I'm not really interested yet in overall Guardian tech. But it's there for the adventure.

V1 FSD (SCO) is a big upgrade to have, which introduces one to Guardian tech and such things as "caustic sinks, anti-corrosion racks"! It's my current number 1 goal for modules.

No question this process will take a lot of time. Commanders don't need all engineers unlocked, or any for that matter. But there are several that are required for certain things that are subjectively preferred "must have".

 

[CMDR Lefty Jackson]

"How do players deal with discovering engineers? Is there "secret" methods that make the process less of a major grind?"

First you should think about what you want to do in game, exploration and hauling do not really need engineering. PvE and PvP set you on the long path of engineering.

So, for exploration and hauling you need a few mats (meta alloy to start). A tech broker will sell you an anti corrosion cargo rack so that you can visit a Titan debris field to get a Titan drive component* and several propulsion elements. Providing you have the rest of the materials, you can burn space and buy a pre-engineered SCO FSD. This will do for hauling and exploration.

For exploration, buy the expanded radius detailed surface scanner.

Your hauling/exploration ships can make do with A/D rated modules apart from the above.

If you are into combat, then the SCO FSD again is a start and buy A/D modules and start with PvE. If you want to have an engineered ship before starting, get the SCO FSD and DSS and start following the guide to unlocking the engineers. This takes time and can be a bit arduous.

* one needed for each FSD you want to purchase.

"...think about what you want to do in game...".

Yes indeed, that's about the best advice. I think otherwise one can be easily overwhelmed with all the options available.

I decided early on that I need those type modules, so I went after materials. I now have all the materials for multiple V1 FSD (SCO) 5A except the Titan Drive Component and Propulsion Elements. My home base is the Lincoln in Sol, so we have a Titan site right in our backyard. I'll be stopping in there soon.

I got the DSS in the CG for Brewer cartographic data. That was cool, it's a great module.

Combat? Assassinations? Bounty Hunting? Nah, to each their own.

Great tips! Thank you.

 

[CMDR Lefty Jackson]

The goal for this thread was to hopefully get some tips on the topic that are still valid and current.

There is a ton of information that is 4-8 years old now, so it's hard to know what is still valid.

Thank you to all for your comments.

 

[Ozric]

I'm now ready to get started on engineering modules. I've spent A LOT of time collecting materials. (which is an adventure all it's own!)

But almost all of the engineering I now have the materials for I can't do because I haven't "discovered" the engineers yet.

What I find disappointing is the required process of just "unlocking" an engineer.

At least materials don't take up any space of disappear when you die.

I am a bit confused at your process though. You say that you are disappointed with the process of unlocking engineers, but you have already used 3rd party sites to decide what upgrades you want and grind materials for those first.

You've started backwards. If you look in the in game Engineers menu then you could work through them and also be progressing at a more natural rate with gathering materials via missions or general gameplay.

How do players deal with discovering engineers? Is there "secret" methods that make the process less of a major grind?

Use the engineer menu in the system panel in ship But the majority of them I wouldn't describe as a major grind. These days for many of the delivery ones you will find Fleet Carriers parked in orbit above the engineer's base selling the items, if you can't be bothered to do it yourself. And now you can buy/sell rare goods from them that's the cigars sorted.

Palin is the most annoying one and that's because you need to unlock Marco Qwent first, which forces you to become Allied with Sirius. (at least I could tank my reputation with them afterwards)

Many of the engineers I will never need or want, but there seems no other option for those engineers I need for the upgrades I want.

What a bizarre statement I'll never want them, but I want them.

If you don't want them, or can't be bothered then don't do it. Simple. The majority of Engineers are only 1 unlock deep, and the initial engineer is one that offers upgrades you will use anyway.

It's also worth noting that the list you posted seems to list multiple engineers that do that modification, regardless of what rank they do it to, or where they are. So some of them are in Colonia. Some of them only do it to Grade 1, or 3 not 5. Also bizarrely it doesn't list Lei Chung for the Shield Generator, which is odd because he's the only engineer in the bubble who does it to grade 5.

My account that's been active since launch, still doesn't have all the engineers unlocked. I don't do combat, so I'll never be able to get upgrades that any of the combat rank locked engineers have. I despise the Empire so there's no way I'm getting Friendly with them, so I can't access the upgrades that Tiana offers, which is a shame as she offers a lot of lightweight options. But I survive.

If Exploration is your bag then you certainly don't need to lightweight every module, a 42Ly will get you to the furthest possible to reach system (Ishum's Reach). Datamined Exception Wakes are the big thing for increased range FSDs, so I would recommend fitting a Frameshift Wake Scanner to every ship, and whenever you leave a station scan some wakes

 

[CMDR Lefty Jackson]

At least materials don't take up any space of disappear when you die.

I am a bit confused at your process though. You say that you are disappointed with the process of unlocking engineers, but you have already used 3rd party sites to decide what upgrades you want and grind materials for those first.

You've started backwards. If you look in the in game Engineers menu then you could work through them and also be progressing at a more natural rate with gathering materials via missions or general gameplay.


Use the engineer menu in the system panel in ship But the majority of them I wouldn't describe as a major grind. These days for many of the delivery ones you will find Fleet Carriers parked in orbit above the engineer's base selling the items, if you can't be bothered to do it yourself. And now you can buy/sell rare goods from them that's the cigars sorted.

Palin is the most annoying one and that's because you need to unlock Marco Qwent first, which forces you to become Allied with Sirius. (at least I could tank my reputation with them afterwards)



What a bizarre statement I'll never want them, but I want them.

If you don't want them, or can't be bothered then don't do it. Simple. The majority of Engineers are only 1 unlock deep, and the initial engineer is one that offers upgrades you will use anyway.

It's also worth noting that the list you posted seems to list multiple engineers that do that modification, regardless of what rank they do it to, or where they are. So some of them are in Colonia. Some of them only do it to Grade 1, or 3 not 5. Also bizarrely it doesn't list Lei Chung for the Shield Generator, which is odd because he's the only engineer in the bubble who does it to grade 5.

My account that's been active since launch, still doesn't have all the engineers unlocked. I don't do combat, so I'll never be able to get upgrades that any of the combat rank locked engineers have. I despise the Empire so there's no way I'm getting Friendly with them, so I can't access the upgrades that Tiana offers, which is a shame as she offers a lot of lightweight options. But I survive.

If Exploration is your bag then you certainly don't need to lightweight every module, a 42Ly will get you to the furthest possible to reach system (Ishum's Reach). Datamined Exception Wakes are the big thing for increased range FSDs, so I would recommend fitting a Frameshift Wake Scanner to every ship, and whenever you leave a station scan some wakes

...Exactly, since materials don't take up cargo space, you aren't running around with cargo that pirates might want. And indeed, if you happen to die, no materials lost.

...Why confused? A person can be disappointed with a process, but that doesn't mean they won't go through it, or try to find a better way. I'm confused by your comment. The "Crafting List" from Inara is simply a shopping list, a way to keep track of things I want and what is needed. How is that a bad thing? If a tool is available, I can at least consider it for my toolbox, be it in-game or third party.

...Backwards? That's your subjective opinion, that seems to be based on assumptions as to how I'm going about things. You don't know my likes or dislikes, and you certainly don't know how I feel about missions. It's personal preference primarily. Just like with anything combat-related, not interested. And I have zero desire for contract killing/assassination stuff. It's not backwards, it's my way of playing the game.

...yes, I've been reading about Palin and Qwent. I'm personally not too concerned with a given faction since I'm not interested in the whole PP/BGS thing. Currentlly I'm most aligned with the Federation because of ranking up. I'm ex-US Navy in real life, so there's that!

...Bizarre? You misread that comment! Most engineers I won't use, but there are certain specific things I do want or need. Any engineer that involves weapons, I will likely never use, so I won't bother with them. But, there are certain things I do want, so therefore there are certain engineers that I do need to discover. It's not a case of "can't be bothered". I'm not sure I understand why you think that. I find that to be a bit offensive for you to assume such of me. What did I say that gives you that impression?

...The Inara Crafting List shows all engineers involved with a specific module. Did you not know that? It's very handy in that it shows you that you have options. More than one way to skin the proverbial cat. And yes, several are in fact in Colonia, which one will learn when they read up on a given engineer. I'm not sure I understand your point.

...I don't technically "need" things per se, but I do have some wants. One interest I have is jump range, and lightweight is key for the ship I'm building for exploration and exobiology. When it comes to horsepower to weight ratio, you NEED lightweight everything! It's basic physics.

 

[Ozric]

...Backwards? That's your subjective opinion,

You got the items required for the upgrade, before unlocking the person who can do it.

...Bizarre? You misread that comment! Most engineers I won't use, but there are certain specific things I do want or need. Any engineer that involves weapons, I will likely never use, so I won't bother with them. But, there are certain things I do want, so therefore there are certain engineers that I do need to discover. It's not a case of "can't be bothered". I'm not sure I understand why you think that. I find that to be a bit offensive for you to assume such of me. What did I say that gives you that impression?

I think I just don't understand what you want, as I don't understand this comment either I'm afraid. Which engineer do you have to unlock that you won't use anything from?

...The Inara Crafting List shows all engineers involved with a specific module. Did you not know that?

No I didn't. But it doesn't, as I already explained the Shield Generator is incorrect and doesn't show you the engineer that does the highest upgrade for it.

 

[SergMx]

Should have unlocked them before getting all the materials.. Mind you. The obtaining of materials is a reoccurring event. Unlocking the engineers is not.

Not really, unlocking is a one-time thing, but then you have to constantly run to engineers to secure another blueprint or put in a secondary effect.

 

[Artie]

No I didn't. But it doesn't, as I already explained the Shield Generator is incorrect and doesn't show you the engineer that does the highest upgrade for it.

It's correct, because it picks the best engineer that is available for the particular commander. So in this case, it shows Elvira as she is unlocked and available, instead of Mel Brandon or Lei Cheung (because they weren't unlocked) and also because there is only a tier 1 engineering set/required, so Elvira is perfectly sufficient for that. So it's not wrong, it's efficient.

 

[CMDR Lefty Jackson]

You got the items required for the upgrade, before unlocking the person who can do it.


I think I just don't understand what you want, as I don't understand this comment either I'm afraid. Which engineer do you have to unlock that you won't use anything from?



No I didn't. But it doesn't, as I already explained the Shield Generator is incorrect and doesn't show you the engineer that does the highest upgrade for it.

...Backwards? It just shows there is more than one way to do it. Personal opinion.

...That is not what I said. My apologies if I didn't make myself clear. I'm not claiming I have to unlock engineers I won't use. If I don't use something why would I unlock that engineer? Some I will unlock, some I won't. I never intended to say I have to unlock ALL engineers.

...Incorrect information posted by a website? It's not surprising; it happens. Inara does a great job, maybe not quite like some might want, I guess.

 

[Ozric]

It's correct, because it picks the best engineer that is available for the particular commander. So in this case, it shows Elvira as she is unlocked and available, instead of Mel Brandon or Lei Cheung (because they weren't unlocked) and also because there is only a tier 1 engineering set/required, so Elvira is perfectly sufficient for that. So it's not wrong, it's efficient.

Even though for DSS it shows undiscovered engineers in Colonia despite 2 closer engineers being unlocked But it's all good, I did only say wrong when I was thinking that it showed all engineers as I was told.

...Backwards? It just shows there is more than one way to do it. Personal opinion.

It is indeed personal opinion. But it is also the intended game flow, the way it was designed to make discovery and progress easiest. You asked people to tell you how they deal with discovering engineers, and I did. Once again the only ones that will take any kind of time will be the reputation ones, but that's only 2 maybe 3 of the engineers you'd want to use.

 

[Artie]

Even though for DSS it shows undiscovered engineers in Colonia despite 2 closer engineers being unlocked But it's all good, I did only say wrong when I was thinking that it showed all engineers as I was told.

Yes, because there is no upgrade set (it's set as 1 to 1 instead of 0 to 1 for example) and as there is not known what the purpose of this entry is, it's lists all engineers then.

 

[Ian Doncaster]

Is there "secret" methods that make the process less of a major grind?

If you want to unlock the minimal number of engineers to have access to all ship and foot blueprints, you only need 12 of them.
- in the bubble, unlock and rank up (do one module to at least rank 4) with Elvira Martuuk, Tod McQuinn, Dweller and Liz Ryder
- then go to Colonia and unlock all eight engineers there (each of which will probably have at least one blueprint you want, and all of which are easy unlocks)
You now have access to a full set of eight engineers, between them covering everything, and very short flight time between them all.