Exploration: Dangerous ...very, Very Dangerous.

[Amazing Mr. X]

I'm currently 518.73 light years away from Sol, far beyond the fringes of civilized space, in a system just above the Corona Austr. Dark Region. I'm flying a stripped down Asp specially outfitted for the task. I'm at 76% hull, my canopy is cracked, and I'm about ready to call it quits and run home with my tail between my legs.


The cause of all of this damage? Unrelenting NPC interdictions.


I have been interdicted continuously, without end, by freshly spawned NPCs in every single system I've lingered in since I first left officially policed space. The standard 2% hull damage from successful interdiction is accumulating without any end in sight, and my internal modules are also suffering quite dearly at this point. That's not even mentioning the two times my escape attempts forced me to collide with a star, and despite all manner of laser fire my class 3 D rated shields have yet to fall once during any of this mess!


I've reached the end of my rope, sitting still in R CRA Sector JS-K B8-4, out of super cruise, floating helplessly beside the first planet in this system. Every time I enter Super Cruise an AI spawns and angles itself straight for me, threatening further interdiction damage. The last time I attempted Super Cruise two of them spawned in at once and instantly made a dash for me from either side.


At this point, I believe I may be able to make the return trip to the safety of civilization without taking fatal hull damage, even if I stop to scan further systems along the way. Though it pains me to admit my losses will likely far exceed the benefits of this terrifying excursion, and it may be cheaper for me to simply abandon the cartography data and self destruct on the spot. I have no idea how other explorers managed to find all of these bodies before me and safely return home to sell their data, but my respect for their courage has grown to incredible levels.


I wasn't prepared.


I thought it would be easy.


I thought I would be safe out there.


I thought exploring way out here would be like exploring back home.


I wasn't ready, not for this. Seven hundred bounties claimed, four hundred systems visited, twenty four thousand commodities traded, three ships owned, and I had the audacity to think I could survive out here. I can't believe I fooled myself into thinking that anything in civilized space was truly dangerous or risky. I can't believe I thought experience and expense could assist me on this journey. I can't believe I had the nerve to remove those free pulse lasers from my ship, and justify it all under the premise of extending jump range. I guess I've learned my lesson now.


I'm not cut out for this. I'm not lucky or bold or daring enough. My ship is too fragile and my heart is too soft. Assuming I survive, I would do well to put my head down and safely assassinate anacondas for the rest of my days. At least those are close to home, unlike the psychopaths shooting me on sight right now.


Let this post serve as a warning to those fools who might try to follow in my footsteps:


Stay Home.

 

[rote1]

Didnt read all of it, but the short answer ist: travel more than 500 lys from the next inhabited system and the interdictions will stop

 

[Raz0rking]

when you get interdicted submit directly (throttle to 0). your fsd will cool down faster after you have submited instead of a whole minute.
when sumbitted, just boos with FA off until you can activate your fsd

 

[S'Rau]

Yeah, passed a point between 500 and 600 LY from colonized space you'll be allllll alone in your tin can.
This is one of the many reasons why a long jump range ship is handy : with 36 LY jump range ou get out of the twilight zone much much faster.

 

[AnnuverScotinExile]

For now (it is going to be fixed) to avoid interdiction damage, submit to the interdiction (minimum speed does that) and then boost away and FSD out of there.

 

[Nutter]

I feel you pain, there is a solution, get 500+ly away from the nearest station as quickly as possible, don't stop to gorp!

I agree interdicting a empty explorer setting off into deep space makes as much sense as a politician, but just like them we are stuck with them for now...

So fit the biggest and best scoop you can, don't come off the throttle, skim each scoopable star you find and race away from the stupid pointless interdiction logic. (Currently set for "Find any Ship & Kill")

Until NPC pirates figure out how to use a cargo scanner, this is how it is, exploring takes place 1,000ly from home.

 

[Flavourless]

I'm a trailblazer but have dropped exploring.
Every system has an NPC waiting by the primary star even though none of the systems I am visiting are populated (or even explored). Its a bit pathetic really. Deep space should be fundamentally empty.

 

[Xexexh]

Yeah, I'm 1200 ly from inhabited space and haven't been interdicted all day. Yo just have to get through the first 500 ly with minimal damage, submit to interdictions and run away.

If your Asp is nicely kitted out you can probably get through that 500 ly without stopping more than twice to scoop fuel

 

[Xexexh]

And put at least D6 shields on your Asp - submit to interdiction, full power to shields and then punch the FSD as soon as possible

 

[clivewil]

when you get interdicted submit directly (throttle to 0). your fsd will cool down faster after you have submited instead of a whole minute.

hmm i got interdicted 3 times today in my unarmed Sidewinder taxicab, i submitted each time and each time it took the whole minute to cool off. not sure why, i think my Asp and Cobra both do the fast cooldown when submitting

 

[GrillMonkey]

Im 5000 ly out. On my way back with 88% hull due to getting too close to a star. Interdictions stop about 500ly out. Not seen a player or NPC for days.

 

[Varrag]

Don't hang around in so called "twilight zone" ~500 LYs bubble around the civilization. Just plot fast travel route out, and jump, jump, jump. Once you pass 500 LYs mark (give or take hundred) you won't be seeing anyone any more.

Also, always submit to interdictions.

 

[kneddofresh]

I'm a trailblazer but have dropped exploring.
Every system has an NPC waiting by the primary star even though none of the systems I am visiting are populated (or even explored). Its a bit pathetic really. Deep space should be fundamentally empty.

the diameter of the milky way ingame is roughly 20.000k ly... the diameter of colonized space is roughly 700 ly (estimated, never measured it) ... around that there is a ~500 ly belt without population but npc, which seems realistic. behind this begins the real deep space, which is 99,9 % of all systems... and you can play there forever without meeting any npc. deep space is fundamentally empty, but obviously you weren't there...

 

[Parmo]

I agree with some of the posts about the interdiction logic. I'm in a Viper, playing in Solo, about 250LY from Sol. My feeling is that since 1.1 I'm suffering from a significant increase in NPC interdictions. They just jump in an go for me. Yes mostly in systems that have been previously explored by other players. But still it seems hard to fathom why.

The other thing I've noticed is that the interdiction itself seem to be inconsistent. At times I've got the blue bar nearly all the way up and red bar less, being nearly always on the escape vector, then I'm dropped out. Other times the blue bar is nearly at the bottom and the red is just about 100% and I escape. Strange! Anyone else found this?

 

[Zieman]

the diameter of the milky way ingame is roughly 20.000k ly... the diameter of colonized space is roughly 700 ly (estimated, never measured it) ... around that there is a ~500 ly belt without population but npc, which seems realistic.

If the NPC population were only a few (like one in 20 or 50 systems) explorers or miners, I'd agree. But several psychos in every system is beyond ridiculous.

 

[Korenwolf]

I'm currently 518.73 light years away from Sol, far beyond the fringes of civilized space,

Pah, you're still in the back garden. Get 500Ly beyond the fringe of human space and you'll not see a soul, NPC or CMDR.

3500Ly out from Sol and still that's nothing compared to some.

 

[mattensky]

I spent a few hours today scanning some systems around 200LY from the edge. I agree interdictions are up - I got heaps (I am in a Cobra armed to the teeth) - which was fine because I like the bounties and the dog fights break up the exploration.

The thing that got me today was that I received damage on several occasions when I submitted. I always hit the 0% button as soon the minigame starts. And it appeared to me that the damage I received was from heat. I could be in supercruise at 44% heat, press instant submission and go spinning around over with my heat over 100% taking damage - but I was not in the vicinity of a star (if I'm scooping and I see an NPC I always SC for the nearest planet to avoid being interdicted at the star face).

This happened several times (each time I took around 6-8% damage) and my military grade composite hull was down to below 80% (never had my shields down in combat).

I'm a bit confused and it made me wary about going on a longer trip - as just getting away from civilisation could be dicey in a ship kitted out for long jumps

Is this a bug or a feature of interdiction? I wasn't really sure why it was happening. . .

 

[Zieman]

I spent a few hours today scanning some systems around 200LY from the edge. I agree interdictions are up - I got heaps (I am in a Cobra armed to the teeth) - which was fine because I like the bounties and the dog fights break up the exploration.

The thing that got me today was that I received damage on several occasions when I submitted. I always hit the 0% button as soon the minigame starts. And it appeared to me that the damage I received was from heat. I could be in supercruise at 44% heat, press instant submission and go spinning around over with my heat over 100% taking damage - but I was not in the vicinity of a star (if I'm scooping and I see an NPC I always SC for the nearest planet to avoid being interdicted at the star face).

This happened several times (each time I took around 6-8% damage) and my military grade composite hull was down to below 80% (never had my shields down in combat).

I'm a bit confused and it made me wary about going on a longer trip - as just getting away from civilisation could be dicey in a ship kitted out for long jumps

Is this a bug or a feature of interdiction? I wasn't really sure why it was happening. . .

Sounds like bug to me.

Ticket it, with video link if possible.

 

[Varrag]

If the NPC population were only a few (like one in 20 or 50 systems) explorers or miners, I'd agree. But several psychos in every system is beyond ridiculous.

You know what was really ridiculous? NPCs used to be EVERYWHERE. Literally. First guy who managed to reach Sagittarius A* reported interdictions all along the way, and when he finally jumped into the galactic center, he saw... yeah, you may guess... NPC pirate chilling near the supermassive black hole. Roughly 27.000 LYs away from the nearest outpost.

Only real enemies we explorers are now facing in deep space are... this:

Spoiler

... and, of course, this:

Spoiler

 

[Troa Barton]

To add to the other suggestions.
submitting to the interdiction if roughly aligned to the escape vector causes you no damage.
i was also in this situation on my way home I got interdicted by a dangerous Python that unexpectedly had 3 rail guns. He also somehow managed to shoot my cockpit as I was running for my life.
Canopy critical, 33% hull mill grade armor when I got back home.
Also if you want to make any money go exploring in a cobra the ship integrity repair is peanuts and you're the fastest ship in the game.
fit a big fuel scoop a repair module and shield cells lighten everything else down and you can explore with or without weapons. If you do run with guns consider mill trade armor it saved my hide in the asp.