It's not that uncommon, Opinion Polls actually had me grinding a settlement for a good 4-5 hours back when they lowered the requirement since I was unable to find enough "organically". There were multiple successive runs without any OPs, one time it took over 5 runs to find one again.
Does System Status Matter for Opinion Polls?
- Thread starter KingTurtle
- Start date
That's true, and something I have luckily experienced again in Odyssey. However, at some point there may come a time when you've "hit the wall" and are just unable to progress due to simply not getting something you need (like specific mats for an engineer unlock) through "normal gameplay loops". I'd gladly play the game "as intended" if there was a sense of progress, but when there's not, the only thing you can do is meta.
Playing missions for mats was the best time I've been having in Odyssey. It made the game come alive and "make sense". Regretfully, some mats are unobtainable through missions and cannot be traded for. That was Frontier's conscious design decision, which in turn informs player behaviour.
Well this time it's 6 runs in a row, with several hours' interval and restarting the game. 36 HAB ports checked, not a single OP or SCP in this tourist site. It's dead, Jim.
For completion's sake, I've also made a couple of runs at a similar tourist site in the same system. Again, zero OPs or SCPs in the 12 HAB data ports (so 0/48 in total). There has to be something going on here, not just bad luck.
FYI,
System government: Anarchy
System state: Boom
Settlement government: Anarchy
Settlement type: Tourist installation
Both settlements owned by the same faction (Race Marshalls), which have 74% influence and are in Boom.
Could this indicate that:
a) (Anarchy) systems/factions in Boom state, and/or
b) settlements owned by the system's most influential ("ruling") faction
do NOT generate Opinion polls and Smear campaign plans? Does anyone have evidence to the contrary?
EDIT: Ran through 3 more tourist sites, various configurations (but mostly the 6 bungalow med sec, since it has the most data ports). Different systems, different states, different factions (controlling/non controlling). Zero OPs and SCPs. That's over 80 HAB data ports by now, with not a single OP or SCP. No system at all that I can see. BTW, haven't been getting any "cat entertainment" and the like either, only an endless stream of "propaganda", "shareholders" and equally worthless data junk.
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When I was not trying to fly through the moon to get to you!
thanks for the stuff you dropped, it will go to CMDRs in need.
Steve 07.
Finally, after checking through about a dozen tourist sites which either never dropped OPs/SCPs, or were abandoned, I found one that "works". Well what can I say... yeah now I've got 20 new power regs and 23 SCPs... but only obtained 3 new OPs, so still one Opinion Poll short of 10 
The drop rate of these things is goddamn abysmal.
The drop rate of these things is goddamn abysmal.CMDR Vasja dropped some OPs off for Wanda to donate to others when we met.Finally, after checking through about a dozen tourist sites which either never dropped OPs/SCPs, or were abandoned, I found one that "works". Well what can I say... yeah now I've got 20 new power regs and 23 SCPs... but only obtained 3 new OPs, so still one Opinion Poll short of 10
Who ya gonna call?
Steve 07.
I will be happy to donate my excessive SCPs. Maybe trade it for some other stupid stuff like SDPs?
This got me thinking again about the entire online gaming paradigm. Basically it's a gamble where you trade your free time for a chance to get some virtual reward. It's as insidious and repulsive as real gambling, if not as financially draining. Ugh. Why can't companies produce games that are enjoyable on a higher level, so that players don't feel like a gambling addict rolling a roulette or pushing the lever of a "one-armed bandit" "just one more time" for an illusory dopamine fix...
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It would be a donation, I do not expect anything in return. If you want to get rid of some stuff for me to hold and pass on later to other CMDRs, that's fine by me.
Currently logged into my alt over in Colonia for some stuff to bring back to the bubble, ETD 17th, ETA 19th.
Steve 07.
It's not just you. There is fundamentally something wrong with the drop rate of this data material.Finally, after checking through about a dozen tourist sites which either never dropped OPs/SCPs, or were abandoned, I found one that "works". Well what can I say... yeah now I've got 20 new power regs and 23 SCPs... but only obtained 3 new OPs, so still one Opinion Poll short of 10
The system I was grinding at had 6 data ports at a tourist settlement and about 8-10 at a mining settlement which should yield a lot more than the recommended. I did about 50 runs at both settlements and only got 3 within the first 10. This leaves me to think either the system status matters for the anarchy faction, or the drop rate is terribly low.
People who say to just pick them up playing the game, this would never get me any opinion polls. I don't get legal missions for tourist settlements from any factions in my home system. If I start taking illegal missions and visiting other system, then I am not exactly playing for fun/story.
There's just too much loot in the loot table (including all the garbage data) and it seems to be depending on all kinds of external factors as well. If anything, materials/data required for engineering unlocks should be obtainable as mission rewards.
Once the ability to trade data via carrier bartenders becomes available, this should encourage more CMDRs to collect this, to them, not needed data material, and sell it on. Makes credits at least, and benefits others.
My alt CMDR is currently holding 25 opinion polls for donation when back in the bubble.
Steve 07.
My alt CMDR is currently holding 25 opinion polls for donation when back in the bubble.
Steve 07.
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I can't find these wretched opinion polls either. RNG luvs me long time. If, indeed, it's an RNG thing at all and not some devilishly heinous act of a Dev with a vicious sense of humour...
Bedi Inn (from D2EA's video on the subject) was dropping plenty of Opinion Polls and Financial Projections the other day while farming (looking at my journal I got 7 drops of Opinion Polls in less than 3 hours, plus 8 Financial projections). Arai's Mine (Hawkes Gaming's Walmart) did drop 2 Opinion Polls while I was farming it (and 4 Financial Projections)... but not worthwhile if you're after Opinion Polls specifically (it did however drop 26 Smear Campaign Plans in the same amount of time if you are in need of those).
Also picked up some opinion polls from from Iglesias Tourism Resort and Barrera Botanical Facility while not specifically looking for them.
Now I just need another 6 Settlement Defence Plans and I'll have all the Bubble engineers unlocked...
Also picked up some opinion polls from from Iglesias Tourism Resort and Barrera Botanical Facility while not specifically looking for them.
Now I just need another 6 Settlement Defence Plans and I'll have all the Bubble engineers unlocked...
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I did 7 full runs at Bedi Inn yesterday with zero drops. Is this just bad RNG?
I'm resetting in between runs by flying up, jumping out, and turning right around.
I'm resetting in between runs by flying up, jumping out, and turning right around.
Dunno... if you want an idea of how frequently they were dropping for me here's an excerpt from my logs - 30 total landings to obtain 7 polls, longest dry spell was 13 landings.
Code:
2022-01-05T08:12:07Z", "event":"Docked", "StationName":"Bedi Inn"
2022-01-05T08:18:32Z", "event":"Touchdown", "NearestDestination":"Bedi Inn"
2022-01-05T08:22:16Z", "event":"BackpackChange", "Added":[ { "Name_Localised":"Opinion Polls", "Count":1
2022-01-05T08:25:54Z", "event":"Touchdown", "NearestDestination":"Bedi Inn"
2022-01-05T08:31:35Z", "event":"Touchdown", "NearestDestination":"Bedi Inn"
2022-01-05T08:33:26Z", "event":"BackpackChange", "Added":[ { "Name_Localised":"Opinion Polls", "Count":1
2022-01-05T08:38:21Z", "event":"Touchdown", "NearestDestination":"Bedi Inn"
2022-01-05T08:44:48Z", "event":"Touchdown", "NearestDestination":"Bedi Inn"
2022-01-05T08:50:50Z", "event":"Touchdown", "NearestDestination":"Bedi Inn"
2022-01-05T08:56:24Z", "event":"Touchdown", "NearestDestination":"Bedi Inn"
2022-01-05T09:00:35Z", "event":"Touchdown", "NearestDestination":"Bedi Inn"
2022-01-05T14:03:17Z", "event":"Touchdown", "NearestDestination":"Bedi Inn"
2022-01-05T14:08:19Z", "event":"Touchdown", "NearestDestination":"Bedi Inn"
2022-01-05T14:14:22Z", "event":"Touchdown", "NearestDestination":"Bedi Inn"
2022-01-05T14:19:40Z", "event":"Touchdown", "NearestDestination":"Bedi Inn"
2022-01-05T14:25:44Z", "event":"Touchdown", "NearestDestination":"Bedi Inn"
2022-01-05T14:30:56Z", "event":"Touchdown", "NearestDestination":"Bedi Inn"
2022-01-05T14:35:42Z", "event":"Touchdown", "NearestDestination":"Bedi Inn"
2022-01-05T14:40:49Z", "event":"Touchdown", "NearestDestination":"Bedi Inn"
2022-01-05T14:46:07Z", "event":"Touchdown", "NearestDestination":"Bedi Inn"
2022-01-05T14:49:06Z", "event":"BackpackChange", "Added":[ { "Name_Localised":"Opinion Polls", "Count":1
2022-01-05T14:51:04Z", "event":"Touchdown", "NearestDestination":"Bedi Inn"
2022-01-05T14:56:00Z", "event":"Touchdown", "NearestDestination":"Bedi Inn"
2022-01-05T14:59:48Z", "event":"BackpackChange", "Added":[ { "Name_Localised":"Opinion Polls", "Count":1
2022-01-05T15:01:25Z", "event":"Touchdown", "NearestDestination":"Bedi Inn"
2022-01-05T15:07:57Z", "event":"Touchdown", "NearestDestination":"Bedi Inn"
2022-01-05T15:10:48Z", "event":"BackpackChange", "Added":[ { "Name_Localised":"Opinion Polls", "Count":2
2022-01-05T15:13:57Z", "event":"Touchdown", "NearestDestination":"Bedi Inn"
2022-01-05T15:19:16Z", "event":"Docked", "StationName":"Bedi Inn"
2022-01-05T15:25:28Z", "event":"Touchdown", "NearestDestination":"Bedi Inn"
2022-01-05T15:30:57Z", "event":"Touchdown", "NearestDestination":"Bedi Inn"
2022-01-05T15:36:40Z", "event":"Touchdown", "NearestDestination":"Bedi Inn"
2022-01-05T15:41:42Z", "event":"Touchdown", "NearestDestination":"Bedi Inn"
2022-01-05T15:47:40Z", "event":"Touchdown", "NearestDestination":"Bedi Inn"
2022-01-05T15:54:49Z", "event":"Touchdown", "NearestDestination":"Bedi Inn"
2022-01-05T15:58:40Z", "event":"BackpackChange", "Added":[ { "Name_Localised":"Opinion Polls", "Count":1
2022-01-05T16:05:30Z", "event":"SellMicroResources", "TotalCount":10, "MicroResources":[ { "Name_Localised":"Opinion Polls", "Count":10Wow, thanks - great data! I'll stick with it, there have been worse activities to grind.
Looking at my logs at the time I farmed this the player faction was in boom state:
According to Inara they are currently in Civil Unrest. If that does turn out to make a difference, maybe it's worth trying a different anarchy tourist settlement currently in boom:
inara.cz
Code:
StationFaction":{ "Name":"Race Marshalls", "FactionState":"Boom"According to Inara they are currently in Civil Unrest. If that does turn out to make a difference, maybe it's worth trying a different anarchy tourist settlement currently in boom:
INARA
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inara.cz