Guide / Tutorial [GUIDE] "Eliminate the Grind" - small ship career path mini-series

VR andysonofbob

VR andysonofbob
Hi

I have finally finished the "Eliminate The Grind" mini-series, celebrating Elite Dangerous's smaller ships, with ED's amazing Flight Assist Off flight model.

The series started as an experiment to see if you could have compelling gameplay using a Sidewinder. As you can see the scope changed somewhat to include other small ships but the ethos has remained the same, simply put: you don't need a big ship to get the most out of this game. I also want to help mitigate the inevitable Big Ship Envy that most new CMDRs experience.

The videos are presented as a series of quasi-tutorials on potential career paths. The first and second careers are the easiest but each career has been sequenced in order of 'risk', as opposed to difficulty, with the first career being the safest and the last career, arguably, the least safe. For instance "The Prospector" is a trickier career to master compared to the one in "The Thrillseeker". One often sees old grizzled Prospectors, you rarely see old age Thrillseekers...

For those who would like to find out more please have a look at Newton's Gambit group page on this forum, a friendly player group who help train CMDRs to fly FA Off.
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php/325125-Newton-s-Gambit-(100-FAOFF-Concept-Group


Career 1 - "SCAVENGER"
Risk 1/5 Difficulty 1/5
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3Rsw-33osw



Career 2 - "SABOTEUR"
Risk 2/5 Difficulty 1/5
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q38OrHHHx3Q



Career 3 - "PROSPECTOR"
Risk 3/5 Difficulty 5/5
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1IVshC0xDA



Career 4 - "STALKER"
Risk 4/5 Difficulty 4/5
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Im0X27au0Q4



Career 5 - "THRILLSEEKER"
Risk 5/5 Difficulty 3/5
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywc6uJVTiCc



Bonus - "ANGEL"
Risk N/A Difficulty N/A
Source: https://youtu.be/BwpSrs6haWo


Thanks and all the best!

Andy
 
Last edited:

YinYin

YinYin
Don't go mining without a prospector, even in a Sidewinder.

It still boosts the fragment yield of an asteroid. So tag it after you've judged a fragment to be good.
 

VR andysonofbob

VR andysonofbob
YinYin said:
Don't go mining without a prospector, even in a Sidewinder.

It still boosts the fragment yield of an asteroid. So tag it after you've judged a fragment to be good.
Click to expand...
Hey YinYin

I love it!!!

[Caveat]
The Sidey is just a little bit too small for enjoyable mining, especially when you factor limpets. Even if you go shieldless, the max cargo you can get is 6 tonnes (plus the refinery's bin count of 4). If you add a Prospector Limpet Controller you only get 4 (+4). I think in this scenario, Prospecting would be too much of a PITA to be an absorbing and fun career, even with the challenge of FA Off scooping.

But

The Prospectors in the video don't use Sidewinders, they use Viper 4s.
So in this case, sacrificing the Class 1 cargo bay for a 1A Prospector Limpet Controller would only cost 2 tonnes of cargo, which still leaves 24 tonnes of cargo space for ore / limpets - plenty. Also, and this is AWESOME, adding the use of prospecting limpets to a small ship adds gameplay that is compelling! Yeah this 'roid is good but is it good enough to warrant use of one of my limpets??

Yet ANOTHER reason why small ship gameplay is more compelling than big ship gameplay!!! Brilliant!
 

YinYin

YinYin
andysonofbob said:
[Caveat]
The Sidey is just a little bit too small for enjoyable mining, especially when you factor limpets. Even if you go shieldless, the max cargo you can get is 6 tonnes (plus the refinery's bin count of 4). If you add a Prospector Limpet Controller you only get 4 (+4). I think in this scenario, Prospecting would be too much of a PITA to be an absorbing and fun career, even with the challenge of FA Off scooping.
Click to expand...

I'm looking at 12 tons capacity shieldless, which yields 1.5 millions per run: https://s.orbis.zone/ba2

I've done it before, it's not a PITA (and I don't know why low capacity would be a factor).
 

VR andysonofbob

VR andysonofbob
YinYin said:
I'm looking at 12 tons capacity shieldless, which yields 1.5 millions per run: https://s.orbis.zone/ba2

I've done it before, it's not a PITA (and I don't know why low capacity would be a factor).
Click to expand...

Dude! I take it back.

Maths! I can't do it. How on earth did I get 6 tonnes?? We din need mafs where I woz.

And fair-dinkum! I thought 6 tons might be just shy of being sufficient for a long enough session to get into the mining, but 8 is not 6. And as you clearly know, I bow to your wisdom! :)

Andysonofbob
4
Sidewinder

Sidewinder4Life
 

Alec Turner

Alec Turner
Just started watching these (which I appear to have completely missed out on).

I absolutely ADORE these videos (and your approach to the game). Would I be right in thinking they're in some way inspired by Isiniona's videos? (they certainly have a similar ethos and style to them, not to mention the use of flight assist off).

Anyway, I'm gonna find a permanent home for them in my sticky "Best of Forum" thread, probably in the video section right next to those of the great man himself.

I'd also like to thank BulletTrev for turning me on to this thread.

o7
 

Alec Turner

Alec Turner
BulletTrev said:
Andys sterling work should be on Alec Turners 'Best of' thread soon.
Oops didn't mean to post what I did 'ere a mo ago, silly me
redface.png
Click to expand...

Already there! (in the "manuals, guides and other stuff for new players" section) :D

Thanks Trev!
 

Alec Turner

Alec Turner
Just finished watching the last two. An extra thumbs up for using The Smiths "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want" on "Stalker", a truly inspired music choice! And as for "Thrill Seeker" ... well you're clearly a man after my own heart, wonderful! Thanks so much for making these videos. In the current climate of doom and gloom these were just the tonic I needed.

[heart]
 

VR andysonofbob

VR andysonofbob
Blimey! Thanks all :)

Alec Turner said:
Would I be right in thinking they're in some way inspired by Isiniona's videos? (they certainly have a similar ethos and style to them, not to mention the use of flight assist off).
Click to expand...

Mate!

Shamelessly. I think that man is awesome proof that one's personal narrative can lead to grind free gameplay. I'm defo one of the many CMDRs who have been inspired by Isiniona, as ofc were the vids. Hopefully imitation is still considered the most sincere form of flattery! :)

Alec Turner said:
Anyway, I'm gonna find a permanent home for them in my sticky "Best of Forum" thread, probably in the video section right next to those of the great man himself.
Click to expand...
Sweet!
Thanks!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom