Newcomer / Intro "Hostile ships may be sent against you"

[Fyren]

Hello CMDR's,

What factors influence what kinda of ships and the skill level of said ships?

I made the mistake to again take on a salvage mission for a change of pace. Ended up abandoning it. I just couldn't make a dent in the Dangerous FDL that kept popping up with its wing of 3 Dangerous Eagles.

I'm in a combat/multi purpose Python myself and my combat rank is Expert ¹. (The mission suggested rank is based on exploration, where I'm Pioneer.)

4 against 1. Dangerous against Expert. I did try. Turned tail at 25% hull integrity (FDL was still at +/- 75%) and consider myself lucky that I didn't loose my ship.

I know I have the option to straight up run at first sight of a ship, but if that's the way the mission is meant to pan out, I'll stick to data delivery.

Thanks!

¹ Which I don't agree with... Shooting thousands of Adders/Eagles/Cobras/DB's/Asps (with the occasional Condas/FDL's/FAS's/FGS's with the help ² of local authorities) out of the sky in High RES's does not make one an Expert...

² I wish all 15 of them would not always jump on my target as soon as I fire though... I'm not gonna learn much if the ship is destroyed after I shoot it only a couple of times...

 

[Dommarraa]

It's based on the difficulty of the mission, which sounds like pioneer or elite level.

Random npc pirates are based on your ship and combat level (or other level -1 or 2 if higher)

 

[Pyrotiger]

Who and how many come after you is wholly dependent on if a good lunch buffet is on in the local systems or not.

 

[Maenden]

Did you go for the FDL or the Eagles first?

What's the best tactic?

I think I'd go for the Eagles first and try to leave myself with a 1vs1 with the FDL.

What do other people think?

 

[Darty]

I believe that the size of the ship is influenced by the rank recommendation of the mission. Elite missions give you anacondas, and occasionally FDLs or T-10's, while Penny-less missions give you like adders and sidewinders or something. The RANK of the ship is based off of your rank I believe.

 

[Fyren]

It's based on the difficulty of the mission, which sounds like pioneer or elite level.

Random npc pirates are based on your ship and combat level (or other level -1 or 2 if higher)

Oh well... Makes little sense to me. Anyone can find 4 sets of plans in deep space. Doesn't require a Pioneer Explorer.

I should therefore stick to Trailblazer-level exploration missions and Merchant-level trade missions so that their combat component is at Expert-level?

Conversely, an Elite-level Explorer with little or no combat experience should never take an Elite-level exploration mission that states that enemy ships may be present?

 

[Fyren]

Did you go for the FDL or the Eagles first?

What's the best tactic?

I think I'd go for the Eagles first and try to leave myself with a 1vs1 with the FDL.

What do other people think?

FDL.

I wouldn't let a Dangerous FDL have its way with me while I concentrate on the small fish... I may be wrong.

 

[Fyren]

I believe that the size of the ship is influenced by the rank recommendation of the mission. Elite missions give you anacondas, and occasionally FDLs or T-10's, while Penny-less missions give you like adders and sidewinders or something. The RANK of the ship is based off of your rank I believe.

The Rank of the ship is based on my Mission-related rank and not my Combat rank?

I'm Pioneer in exploration and Expert in combat. The mission is Exploration-based. The rank of the combat mission component (enemy ship) will be based on my Exploration rank?

 

[Faded Glory]

It's based on the difficulty of the mission, which sounds like pioneer or elite level.

Random npc pirates are based on your ship and combat level (or other level -1 or 2 if higher)

It's pretty much this, although the rank of even mission spawned NPC's is tweaked a little based on your own combat rank. Sounds like you took a very high ranked mission.

The ambush scenario for space salvage missions has been changed a bit in 3.0, and the pirate wing is much more aggressive, and (IMHO) have somewhat stronger weapons than previously, not OP, but stronger. Once they jump in, you get only seconds before they are all opening up on you. If you can manage to salvage one canister before they drop in, you can boost away, go back to SC and a new mission USS will spawn, rinse and repeat as many times as required. Pirates will spawn each time.

If you want to fight the wing, well, it's best to wait until system security drop in to even out the odds. NPCs aren't the pushovers they used to be, waiting in line to be destroyed, but behave like a real wing and will all attack at once. Unless you have a significant shield tank ship you won't last, I'm in a Cobra MkIII, and my shields last less than 10 seconds against these wings. If the system is high or medium security, I boost out of range, but keep them on scanner, wait for system security, then creep back in and help them take the wing out, starting with the small ships while security keep the big one busy. Unfortunately, by the time the wing has gone, so has the salvage, and when you drop into the next USS so does another wing of pirates, so it's only worthwhile fighting them if you just want the combat, it doesn't help with the mission at all.

The RANK of the ship is based off of your rank I believe.

No, the rank of the ship is based upon the mission rank (translate exploration / trade ranks to combat to figure out what it will be), but is adjusted a little bit to account for your own combat rank. So if you take a Pioneer (Deadly) ranked mission, but your combat rank is Expert, then the Deadly opponent will very likely in reality be Dangerous or Master.

 

[Fyren]

It's pretty much this, although the rank of even mission spawned NPC's is tweaked a little based on your own combat rank. Sounds like you took a very high ranked mission.

I don't remember the required rank of this particular mission, but I do know I was above it, exploration-wise (the only time I don't look at the rank requirement is for data delivery).

From what I understand, High level Traders or Explorers with little combat experience should avoid High level Trade-based or Exploration-based missions that may contain a combat component.

 

[Faded Glory]

I don't remember the required rank of this particular mission, but I do know I was above it, exploration-wise (the only time I don't look at the rank requirement is for data delivery).

From what I understand, High level Traders or Explorers with little combat experience should avoid High level Trade-based or Exploration-based missions that may contain a combat component.

Well, yes...

At this time, all challenge for missions is based upon combat, by which I mean that a Pioneer / Tycoon ranked mission won't actually have any exploration or trade based challenge to it, but is simply likely to have hostile ships sent against you (as per the title of your thread). As mentioned previously, that threat might be watered down a little if your own combat rank is low, but not enough I should imagine if you are not combat proficient, don't know how to evade or escape and don't have a ship capable of withstanding an attack.

 

[aRJay]

Mission generated NPCs are based on the mission rank (well the equivalent level combat rank) there will be some random in there but not much.

Random NPC encounters are based on your combat rank with a potential 1 or 2 level boost to the NPCs rank if your combat rank is much below your highest rank.

So yes an Elite level explorer or trader with no combat rank and skills is likely to be in for a bad time. Missions are there as a challenge not an easy income source.

 

[Fyren]

Missions are there as a challenge not an easy income source.

Right, and that's what I'm looking for. Not insurmountable odds...

Thanks! I'll be more careful about the rank required on non-combat missions where combat is very likely..

 

[Codger]

Back in the day, the game would not let you take a mission that was above your rank.

But, that was deemed too restricting, and now you can take any mission regardless of rank. It's up to you to determine if the risk is worth it, and if you're up to the task.

You've got it figured out now, it looks like.

Fly safe.

 

[Fyren]

Back in the day, the game would not let you take a mission that was above your rank.

But you see, that's the point I'm trying to make... The mission was Exploration-based. The rank requirement was based on my Exploration rank. I don't remember the exact level, but I was above it (I'm Pioneer). "Back in the day", I would have been able to take this mission.

However, the combat component had nothing to do with my combat rank.

So it looks like when you take a non-combat-based mission that may have a combat component, you better drop the level to your combat level. For these missions, you cannot just be a good Explorer or a good Trader. You also need to be good at combat (or know how to get out of combat, which comes from the same experience pool in my view).

Let's take extremes : If I'm Novice at Combat and Elite at Exploration, should an Exploration-based mission pit me against Novice fighters or Elite fighters? The game seems to be set to "Elite". Not sure that's the right way... Not sure what the "right" way would be either...

Anyway, yeah, I did figure it out. It just shuts down opportunities in the mission board because I did not spend as much time in combat (and outfitting my ship for combat) as I did exploring.

 

[Codger]

You're right, it takes your highest rank and uses that as part of the calculation -- not just combat rank. So as you rank up in Trade or Exploration, the ships sent against you get harder too. I guess the idea is that you're more experienced.

I'm elite in Trade and Exploration, but only Master in combat, but during missions all I get is deadly, dangerous, and elite ships after me. Such is life in ED. I've learned how to build my ships to survive, though, so I just kill them when they come after me.

All of the ranks are just time counters, anyway. They don't indicate actual skill.

Anyway, that's how it works, so now ya know.

Have fun out there

 

[Fyren]

All of the ranks are just time counters, anyway. They don't indicate actual skill.

So true! Not sure who decided I was an expert at combat, but it sure wasn't me!

Thanks!

o7