High Grade Frustrations

[AdmiralDoughnutz]

1) search for systems by war, civil war, civil unrest
2) jump to system
3) scan nav beacon
4) look for high grade emission
5) jump to system
6) scan nav beacon
7) look for high grade emission
8) jump to system
9) scan nav beacon
10) find a single high grade emission
11) super brake assist into a 1 min 39 sec remaining 'war' state contact
12) arrive at 1 min 38 sec hear ping 'contact lost' *sigh

is it just me or have these been nurf'd....? I was having no trouble finding them all week last week, now it seems different, or maybe a rare/ratio limit per week I'm not aware of....most annoying

EDIT;
Well... after nearly a month of scouting, I have nailed the perfect set of rules to follow to increase the chance of finding some of the rare materials for your ship mod upgrades - in a pinch; the population seems to be a key aspect and I haven't seen much online that references this, just usually the states and allegiance ect. So i have "cool whipped" up this simple text file table to save myself/others weeks of time searching for these rare materials. (i'm sure most here are already aware of how to farm the raw/encoded materials so shall exclude that part to keep it short).

Table Definitions;
HGE = High Grade Emmission Source
POPULATION; LOW  = <100K :: MED = 1-100M :: HIGH = 100M-1B+
SYSTEM SECURITY/GOV; L = LOW/COMMUNIST/ANARCHY :: M = MEDIUM :: H = HIGH
PAY ATTENTION TO THE LOCAL STATE YOU HAVE LOCKED IN ON - MATCHES THE SYSTEM STATE YOU REQUIRE/LOOKING FOR.
#############################################################################################
NAME                        =SHORT        ::POP    ::SEC     ::ALLEG    ::STATE
#############################################################################################
*COMMON/SELL DOWN BEFORE RUN;
Core Dynamic Composites         =PC & CDC     ::L/M    ::ANY    ::FED    ::NONE/ELECTION
& Proprietary Composites
Proto Light Alloys             =PRA & PLA  ::HIGH    ::M/H    ::FED    ::BOOM
& Proto Radiolic Alloys
Proto Heat Radiators          =PHR         ::HIGH    ::M/H    ::FED    ::BOOM
Military Grade Alloys          =MGA         ::ANY    ::ANY    ::FED    ::War/Civil War
Imperial Shielding             =IS         ::ANY    ::ANY    ::EMP    ::NONE/ELECTION
Improvised Components          =IC        ::L/M    ::L/M    ::IND    ::Civil Unrest
*RARE DO NOT SELL DOWN BEFORE RUN;
Military Supercapacitors     =MS         ::L/M    ::ANY    ::FED    :: War/Civil War
Pharmaceutical Isolators     =PI         ::LOW    ::LOW    ::IND    :: OUTBREAK

MAP SEARCHING; STATE CAN CHANGE DAILY, CHECK IF PRE-SET ROUTE IS STILL VALID.
INITAL NEW SEARCH MAP PARAMS;
STATE; WAR,CIVIL WAR,CIVIL UNREST,OUTBREAK; TAG THESE 2-3 EACH FOR FED, EMP, IND.
POP = LOW TO MEDIUM
ADD IN BOOM STATES, SET POP TO MEDIUM TO HIGH, TAG AND LINK BETWEEN ABOVE TO CREATE LOOP/PATH
tag EXAMPLE samples; (route number; tbc)/*# of HGE in system - population - security - item - allegiance - state))
S.HGE ?.?)LOW = PI :IND: OUTBREAK
S.HGE ?.?)? = PI :IND: OUTBREAK
S.HGE ?.?)MED = MS :FED: WAR
S.HGE ?.?)? = IS :EMP: WAR
S.HGE ?.?)? = IS :EMP: NONE
S.HGE ?.?)? = PC-CDC/PRA-PLA/PHR :FED: BOOM
S.HGE ?.?)? = MGA :FED: WAR
S.HGE ?.?)? = IC :IND: Civil Unrest

 

[Capitano Holden]

There is a trick. Goes only in imperial systems no matter of their situation (civil unrest or others) search High Grade. You probably found imperial shield. Collect, move to the next HGE, collect then go to another imperial ssystem (the navigation panel can help you: click to a system to see if it's imperial) and repeat. When you have 100 imperial shields, trade them first downline, then for other, more rare 5 grade materials. After a while it become boring, so you could then do some missions that gives you 5 grade materials.

 

[AdmiralDoughnutz]

I will try this thanks, i had a bag of systems at war tagged but not many for imperial now i'm looking at it. Military supercapacitors... such wow

 

[Capitano Holden]

I will try this thanks, i had a bag of systems at war tagged but not many for imperial now i'm looking at it. Military supercapacitors... such wow

I use this metod for difficult to find materials. But, for military related materials, i also use a Krait with 1a collector limpet and 3e cargo rack and then do massacre missions/go to Compromised beacon/Hazards and then destroy ships, collcet materials, destroy ships and so on. Instead of the Krait you can use the python: no fighter bay (it's not mandatory anyway) but more cargo space, more collector limpets and so on.

 

[Capitano Holden]

I will try this thanks, i had a bag of systems at war tagged but not many for imperial now i'm looking at it. Military supercapacitors... such wow

Post scriptum: equip a fuel scoop, for more efficiency. Using this method you can earn 100 imperial shielding/hour then convert them and restock limpets (bring with you at least 20, for convenience) and then repeat until you have replenished.
If you use a python/anaconda, then you can do missions (for earn materials) and, at the same time, going for HGE, without vasting time. And, if you bring with you a surface scanner and a srv, you can also alternate the space farming, with ground raw (or data, if you scan terminal hub on settlement) materials.

 

[AdmiralDoughnutz]

Well... after nearly a month of scouting, I have nailed the perfect set of rules to follow to increase the chance of finding some of the rare materials for your ship mod upgrades - in a pinch; the population seems to be a key aspect and I haven't seen much online that references this, just usually the states and allegiance ect. So i have "cool whipped" up this simple text file table to save myself/others weeks of time searching for these rare materials. (i'm sure most here are already aware of how to farm the raw/encoded materials so shall exclude that part to keep it short).

Table Definitions;
HGE = High Grade Emmission Source
POPULATION; LOW  = <100K :: MED = 1-100M :: HIGH = 100M-1B+
SYSTEM SECURITY/GOV; L = LOW/COMMUNIST/ANARCHY :: M = MEDIUM :: H = HIGH
PAY ATTENTION TO THE LOCAL STATE YOU HAVE LOCKED IN ON - MATCHES THE SYSTEM STATE YOU REQUIRE/LOOKING FOR.
#############################################################################################
NAME                        =SHORT        ::POP    ::SEC     ::ALLEG    ::STATE
#############################################################################################
*COMMON/SELL DOWN BEFORE RUN;
Core Dynamic Composites         =PC & CDC     ::L/M    ::ANY    ::FED    ::NONE/ELECTION
& Proprietary Composites
Proto Light Alloys             =PRA & PLA  ::HIGH    ::M/H    ::FED    ::BOOM
& Proto Radiolic Alloys
Proto Heat Radiators          =PHR         ::HIGH    ::M/H    ::FED    ::BOOM
Military Grade Alloys          =MGA         ::ANY    ::ANY    ::FED    ::War/Civil War
Imperial Shielding             =IS         ::ANY    ::ANY    ::EMP    ::NONE/ELECTION
Improvised Components          =IC        ::L/M    ::L/M    ::IND    ::Civil Unrest
*RARE DO NOT SELL DOWN BEFORE RUN;
Military Supercapacitors     =MS         ::L/M    ::ANY    ::FED    :: War/Civil War
Pharmaceutical Isolators     =PI         ::LOW    ::LOW    ::IND    :: OUTBREAK

MAP SEARCHING; STATE CAN CHANGE DAILY, CHECK IF PRE-SET ROUTE IS STILL VALID.
INITAL NEW SEARCH MAP PARAMS;
STATE; WAR,CIVIL WAR,CIVIL UNREST,OUTBREAK; TAG THESE 2-3 EACH FOR FED, EMP, IND.
POP = LOW TO MEDIUM
ADD IN BOOM STATES, SET POP TO MEDIUM TO HIGH, TAG AND LINK BETWEEN ABOVE TO CREATE LOOP/PATH
tag EXAMPLE samples; (route number; tbc)/*# of HGE in system - population - security - item - allegiance - state))
S.HGE ?.?)LOW = PI :IND: OUTBREAK
S.HGE ?.?)? = PI :IND: OUTBREAK
S.HGE ?.?)MED = MS :FED: WAR
S.HGE ?.?)? = IS :EMP: WAR
S.HGE ?.?)? = IS :EMP: NONE
S.HGE ?.?)? = PC-CDC/PRA-PLA/PHR :FED: BOOM
S.HGE ?.?)? = MGA :FED: WAR
S.HGE ?.?)? = IC :IND: Civil Unrest

 

[GJ51]

High Population Imperial system

Take whatever you get

Trade for the rest

 

[Northpin]

I have nailed the perfect set of rules to follow to increase the chance

Population is important, but also important is:

• make sure the faction has only the required state and none others (more than one state means it may spawn different materials, lowering the chance to get your desired one)
• make sure the faction is NOT Fed if you are looking for anything else than Core Dynamic Composites & Proprietary Composites (it is highly likely to overwrite the state)
• (optional) single star systems preferred (having a HGE spawning at 400,000 LS and getting there to find 3x Proprietary Composites instead of Pharma Isolators... ouch!)

For me what worked best was to check Inara for factions in the required state, then select several systems, then do several loops
Sometimes is ok to do the searches in Imperial Space - the required faction might not spawn HGE, but if anyone else does, i will still get Imperial Shielding and i can trade that for whatever i need.

So Inara:
A search for factions in Outbreak...
hmm, Mitnahas looks like it has 3 factions in Outbreak

right click Mitnahas, open in new tab
uh-oh - 3 Independent factions in Outbreak, no other states.
Now that one good candidate to add to our loop

Good luck finding some more factions/system suitable to add to a search loop(The search mentioned above was centered around Nidanga)

After i get my loop of 3-5 systems, i jump in each one of them, scan the Nav beacon, wake to supercruise and check for HGE
Rinse and repeat.
Ships best used: Cobra mk3, DBS, Asp Scout - they have decent jump range and the best supercruise maneuverability

Edit: did i said that population is important? yes? well, last time i needed to top up my IC/PI stocks... i did it in 3-4 systems and not a single one had more than 1 million pop.
SO while Population is important, dont diss the smaller systems. Luck is more important

 

[AdmiralDoughnutz]

Edit: did i said that population is important? yes? well, last time i needed to top up my IC/PI stocks... i did it in 3-4 systems and not a single one had more than 1 million pop.
SO while Population is important, dont diss the smaller systems. Luck is more important

this is actually a good idea that can be implemented thank you, also oh no it was quite the opposite. I too was bouncing between as many high pop outbreak states for about 3 days - to the point that if found alloys instead of PI's i would take out my gun and start shooting people - i switch to a very low pop (low security & independent v important!) and behold teh Pharmaceutical Isolators.... i could not believe what i found in the very next system with the same params...*smug - time is so precious when you could have been grinding for creds

 

[AdmiralDoughnutz]

High Population Imperial system

Take whatever you get

Trade for the rest

Not really for grinders, the time it takes to dock each trip and trade down into each category costs more materials and takes too long - when you could stack up on as many limpets grab a few varieties of materials in one trip and then trade down the correct types - as you seems to get more if its traded in the same category. Why dock with 100 when you could with 800. Granted they are common as muck so a good go-to for a quick fix. Those that want to max out there stores in the shortest time should plan ahead, it will save not hours but days if done correctly.

 

[Ian Skippy]

1) search for systems by war, civil war, civil unrest
2) jump to system
3) scan nav beacon
4) look for high grade emission
5) jump to system
6) scan nav beacon
7) look for high grade emission
8) jump to system
9) scan nav beacon
10) find a single high grade emission
11) super brake assist into a 1 min 39 sec remaining 'war' state contact
12) arrive at 1 min 38 sec hear ping 'contact lost' *sigh

is it just me or have these been nurf'd....? I was having no trouble finding them all week last week, now it seems different, or maybe a rare/ratio limit per week I'm not aware of....most annoying

Since U9 I simply do random missions, but check the nav beacon when I enter a system. Found literally dozens upon dozens of High-grades. Doesnt matter what is in there, when you find them so regularly you have so much you just trade for what you lack.