Does anyone else think AFMU is not "required" for Exploration???

Prior to the latest update, I was always smacking into things. Stars, mainly. I couldn't go 5,000 LY without needing to stop and repair a deep-fried FSD. My last major trip, out to two-thirds of the way to Beagle Point and back, I needed to synthesise ammo refills for both of my AMFUs.

Since the last update has added (I should say "restored") the hyperspace auto-brakes, I can now press "J" and alt-tab out or go AFK without worrying about a stellar faceplant. As a result, on my most recent survey trip, my AMFU got switched on only a couple of times, and that was because I was doing some occasional neutron-jumping, plus a couple of times I alt-tabbed while fuel scooping and misjudged my safety distance.

So I would agree, if you're determined to not use neutron-jumping, then the AMFU is now redundant. Having two AMFUs is certainly now redundant. And if I ever think of anything important I might need to put on my AspX, I migh even consider removing that second AMFU. But I did engineer it, and AMFUs are only really useful for explorers, so I don't really have any other ship to put it on.
 
For this reason, I think that next time I go out, even on a long range Explo-expedition, I'll not be taking AFMUs.

Anybody else have a similar mindset???


Yours Aye

Mark H

No they aren't required, I have one but I rarely use it, the thing is, it has no mass, so not having it won't increase jump range, that's why I packed one on this last trip. I did explore for a long time without one, and many explorers have done many hundred thousand ly travel before they were a thing. I could have done my last 300kly trip without using it at all and made it back just fine but I think I used it twice, I mean if you have it why not keep everything up to 100%.

Oh yes I have my Krait 2 up to 65ly with shield gen
 
I have 2 afmu’s One to repair the other.
But I’m an extreme explorer.
My trip is currently at 18 months.
With no end in sight.
It’s dependent on my power plant.
To each their own but like my 2.
 
When you’re @ 27500 systems you’ll have mistakes
You’ll need self repair

My last big trip was 6,354 systems, I think my hull was down to 70% due to a few badly judged landings early on, after realising it wouldn't last at that rate (I was only around 30kly into the run) I was a bit more careful about the landings on high G worlds. o_O

I finished 380kly with no further hull damage fortunately and only some very minor heat damage on other components that I repaired en-route. I could have managed without it, but each to their own, it may indeed have been vital for a much longer trip.

I had a very rare drop out into a star hot zone the other day, I remember those fondly from before they nerfed it, straight through the first star and exit at the second star but I must have been pretty close to the exclusion zone of the first, I had alarms going and temp was at 85% and rising the moment I emerged from hyperspace. Is it a pity these types of events are so rare these days? It would certainly add a bit of excitement to exploring, so many people complain it's boring. If it was common I could see a couple of AFMU's being vital for any trip outside the bubble.
 
Pico Nobody said AMFU's repairs hull's (not sure where you got that from)
I did receive a hull repair when I ran out of fuel {for the 1st time in ~ 36 months of exploring} the fuel rat was kind enough to fix my hull :)
It's PP that will determine my voyage length.

Edit to add:
this trip has me at 630,507 lys as of tonight
You are the best Varonica -- love your posts -- you are very knowledgeable.
 
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If you don't star boost you can certainly cover a lot of time and distance without the need for one unless you are flying poorly.
As someone who constantly hits Neutron stars, I always take one as attrition wears out your drive. Plus I am needlessly reckless so not really on option to leave behind.
 
I have never used one - my main challenge is keeping the hull intact and not bouncing off planets as the AFMU does not repair the hull.

However I am currently a few thousand ly above the galactic plain and stars are not that frequent and so I did a neutron boost - thought this is handy - but then realised my FSD was down to 98% and so I had to only do that sort of thing if i got desperate.

So yes definitely needed if you are going to try and reach out of the way places or you want to get somewhere faster than normal using neutron boosts.

However for normal exploring where you want to hit as many systems as possible there is no need.

Also as someone else said rarely do you get dropped out into the middle of stars now and even if I did I have a heat sink ready to go so unlikely to get heat damage unless I make a mess of things...

On the other flip side I have been lugging around a load of mining kit - not sure why as never really used it so could easily have put in an AFMU instead.
 
Since the last update has added (I should say "restored") the hyperspace auto-brakes,
PS4 has had these 'auto-brakes' since day one. You just had to SC with flight assist turned off. I'm not sure why this 'new' feature is seen as something so revolutionary.
 
I think it depends on the ship type and loadout. Did the bubble to Sag A and now almost at Colonia in a Challenger with no AFMU. Currebtly 35000ly with no repairs. It is, however, loaded up with HRPs and MRPS. All the damage has come from carelessness while scooping or probing HMC, ELW etc...
 
Usually go on exploration trips with at least two AFMU's for all the earlier mentioned reasons. Sometimes more :)
dfZBuWo.jpg
 
While it's not necessary for exploration, AMFU has couple of benefits:
Repairs modules - as mentioned above, neutron star jumping will damage them, as some other accidents, so it's good to have one.
It also weights nothing and increases hull integrity, so it's actually better to have it in a slot than leave it empty (or use cargo racks that do not increase integrity).
 
No, it isn't required unless you do a lot of star crashing or neutron jumping.
I certainly don't take 2. I take 1 because I do neutron jump. Before that was a thing I had one but rarely used it.
 
On the other flip side I have been lugging around a load of mining kit - not sure why as never really used it so could easily have put in an AFMU instead.
Yeah, afaik there are no materials you may need in the deep black that you can't get by surface mining with an SRV. Just pick a planet with some Geo or Bio POIs and you'll get all you need (I'm currently completely full on every material, and that's just because I like to stop now and then to drive around and shoot stuff ;) )
 
Absolutely required in you are using Neutron stars, other than that , nah.
On my first long trip Bubble -> Sag A* -> Colonia using only KGBFOAM stars i brought two and didn't need any of them.
Next time i go somewhere i'll probably have one AFMU and some repair limpets instead (for those extra spicy high-G landings if the shields die)
 
I don't have an AMFU fitted in my Krait Mk2. I am a short way from beagle point at the moment.

I fitted them in the past at times but never used them.
 
Just one more thought. If you're a safe driver, and have never been in a car accident, it should be perfectly safe to remove the seat belts and air bags, right? ;) After all, they just get in the way. :D Same deal with fire extinguishers. o_O
 
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