How can I survive this scenario - couldn't outrun interdictor

[Sireei Lieesi]

Hi

I just came across a scenario where I need your input in order to find out how to survive.

I fly an Asp Explorer out in Colonia. pretty much all parts are upgraded to max (no engineers, though). I have two shield boosters as well.

I'm mostly doing exploration (Elite) and trading (Entrepreneur) and only little combat (Novice), so whenever I'm interdicted by a stronger opponent I immediately submit, boost away with 4 pips to system and 2 to engine, engage FSD as soon as possible and keep boosting to put distance between me and the NPC. I play in Mobius, so I only encounter NPCs when in a combat scenario.

Anyway, what just happened was this: I got a mission update with a warning of a NPC coming for me. I could see from the bonus that this NPC was too strong for my Asp, so as soon as the interdiction came, I submitted, boosted away and engaged the FSD.

First off, the FSD was inhibited by a factor 12 mass. Second, the NPC used this time to take out my maxed out shields and then the hull.

So... what options do I have in such a situation? As I see it, it is pretty much a death sentence if I can't outrun or engage the attacker (and live).

 

[Vincyre]

Best way to get away is to high wake, pick a nearby system and start up a hyperspace jump, as hyperspace jumps aren't inhibited by another ship's masslock factor.

 

[Thetele]

Mass lock (reason you couldn't jump) only prevents jumping to super cruise (in system travel mode). To leave instance faster, target some other system and do H-jump. Its impossible to mass lock H-jump (jump to other system). That is to be faster at it.

So strategy to run away from npc is. After submission or or failed escape. Do 180 degree turn and face your npc. Then boost past him, select system that is in front of you by going to left hand ui and navigation then select systems until you find one that is in that general direction and H-wake there.

I don't know how good or bad outfitting is in colonia but i would suggest to get size 5 or 6 shields. Asp shields or hull can't take a lot of damage so for mission running in asp i would get 6A or 5A pristine shields. Exploration build Asp shields can't block much damage.

 

[DukeIronHand]

So strategy to run away from npc is. After submission or or failed escape. Do 180 degree turn and face your npc. Then boost past him, select system that is in front of you by going to left hand ui and navigation then select systems until you find one that is in that general direction and H-wake there.

So sayeth the Great Trader from on-high as it is written in the scrolls of Commerce.
This is your nugget of wisdom for the day OP.

 

[fergal]

So... what options do I have in such a situation? As I see it, it is pretty much a death sentence if I can't outrun or engage the attacker (and live).

Yip, sometimes the RNG gets you.
In the scheme of ships, the Asps shields are very weak, and its speed is poor, there is a price to pay for its excellent jump range.

First thing you could have tried is not submit to the interdiction, but try to fight it off. If that starts going poorly, then you could still submit.
You say you have "pretty much all parts upgraded to max", but does that include the thrusters, and do you have a size 5 (6 is not worth it) shield or size 3?

Size 3 shield is hoping nothing shoots at you for long (I know I use a 3D shield on my Asp)

Get yourself some chaff, and try to hi-wake out like Vincyre suggests.

 

[Sireei Lieesi]

Thanks for the replies. I will try the high wake solution, although the NPC is connected to a data package, I'm delivering, so he seems to show up in every system, I jump to.

Outfitting in Colonia is pretty terrible, and I really don't like the thought of flying all the way back to the Bubble to upgrade. My shields are 5B.

 

[Arry]

You have show yourself that 4 pips to systems did not save your shields.

I would say that you have it right, by submitting to the blue circle game and taking advantage of the shorter FSD cool down for doing so. I however; always put pips to engines and run as fast as I can. Speed and distance is key. Most weapons only have a range of about 3kms and so that is your first target. Use chaff and if they are still hitting you, then use your up, down thrusters, because they must be using fixed weapons. With any NPC mission aggressor, Hi-waking works and I use it as a last resort; i.e. if I get pulled a second time by the same aggressor. At the same time, watch the comms. If Mr. Badguy lets his presents known, then just Hi-wake anyway, before he pulls you and then come back in a few minutes.

 

[ExoForce]

Then boost past him, select system that is in front of you by going to left hand ui and navigation then select systems until you find one that is in that general direction and H-wake there.

Good tip, but it is faster to pick closest system in the nav panel? Saves seconds...

 

[Arry]

Good tip, but it is faster to pick closest system in the nav panel? Saves seconds...

Every second counts and sometimes so does every drop of fuel.

 

[Pville_Piper]

If you get enough warning you can drop out of super cruise and either jump out of the system or go back into super cruise. This will often reset the instance and the NPC will take some time to respawn. Don't loiter long after dropping down as the NPC will drop down with you.

As another has said, you have a shield and boosters so don't put 4 pips to the system. Put them to the thrusters and boost away quickly. If you can maintain +2km then 2 pips to the shields should be enough to handle any damage an NPC can throw at you. Continue to boost while the FSD is charging to maintain your distance.

You might try to beat the interdiction as these have become easier to do in the latest update.

 

[Sireei Lieesi]

Thanks for all the suggestions!

This is a great community

 

[Mr T]

Thanks for the replies. I will try the high wake solution, although the NPC is connected to a data package, I'm delivering, so he seems to show up in every system, I jump to.

Outfitting in Colonia is pretty terrible, and I really don't like the thought of flying all the way back to the Bubble to upgrade. My shields are 5B.

Outfitting in Colonia is pretty terrible? That's an understatement. If I needed upgrades I'd definitely be going back to the bubble to do it. If you do happen to look into engineer upgrades (although it doesn't sound like you will), I'd start with the FSD and then do the thrusters. Farseer will do both for you so you only have to go to the 1 engineer.

 

[Sireei Lieesi]

Outfitting in Colonia is pretty terrible? That's an understatement. If I needed upgrades I'd definitely be going back to the bubble to do it. If you do happen to look into engineer upgrades (although it doesn't sound like you will), I'd start with the FSD and then do the thrusters. Farseer will do both for you so you only have to go to the 1 engineer.

I think I'll give the engineers a try, once I've reached Elite in trading. They seem to be handy in connection to combat (especially if you're no ace, as I'm not). I just wanted to go exploring first, and I didn't feel I needed a huu-u-uge jump range to do so.

 

[Pville_Piper]

Outfitting in Colonia is pretty terrible? That's an understatement. If I needed upgrades I'd definitely be going back to the bubble to do it. If you do happen to look into engineer upgrades (although it doesn't sound like you will), I'd start with the FSD and then do the thrusters. Farseer will do both for you so you only have to go to the 1 engineer.

A level three dirty drives thruster upgrade can go along way to keeping the seat covers from getting butt-clinched. [yesnod]

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

Since 2.2.03, fighting and winning an Interdiction is quite a bit easier than before.
Try to remember that, instead of immediately submitting to it.

Even i still "auto submit" to Interdictions out of habit from time to time, because they were almost impossible or could bug out for quite awhile. Lol

You don't particularly need Engineering to survive the NPC's. But it can make life easier. As already stated, the Farseer will sort your FSD and thrusters out.

 

[Comrade Napoleon]

You have show yourself that 4 pips to systems did not save your shields.

I would say that you have it right, by submitting to the blue circle game and taking advantage of the shorter FSD cool down for doing so. I however; always put pips to engines and run as fast as I can. Speed and distance is key. Most weapons only have a range of about 3kms and so that is your first target. Use chaff and if they are still hitting you, then use your up, down thrusters, because they must be using fixed weapons. With any NPC mission aggressor, Hi-waking works and I use it as a last resort; i.e. if I get pulled a second time by the same aggressor. At the same time, watch the comms. If Mr. Badguy lets his presents known, then just Hi-wake anyway, before he pulls you and then come back in a few minutes.

Well partly right I suppose, my 'Conda has Cannon class 3 range 5125 meters, MC clas 3 + 4 Range 7865 m. no Fall off. I can hit 'em alright but not very hard. And Cannon is turret, MC gimballed.

Cheers Cmdr's

 

[Arry]

Well partly right I suppose, my 'Conda has Cannon class 3 range 5125 meters, MC clas 3 + 4 Range 7865 m. no Fall off. I can hit 'em alright but not very hard. And Cannon is turret, MC gimballed.

Cheers Cmdr's

......So how much do you charge when you rent it out to NPCs?

 

[Spacecat]

Do you not have Horizons or just don't engineer? If you have horizons, grd 3 dirty drives and charge enhanced power distributors are relatively easy to get and will help a lot. The turning toward your attacker thing also helps sometimes. I usually just submit, put 3 pips to thrusters and high wake and that works 95% of the time. Just be aware, even in an A rated AspX, there are some ships that can both mass lock and out boost you.

 

[ChubbyBunneh]

If you see the nasty NPC lining up behind you to interdict, you could pre-emptively drop out of frameshift. Then either high wake to somewhere else, or wait a few seconds and re-enter SC. He might not even show up again when you go back into SC.

I used this tactic all the time during the Robigo shadow delivery mission fest.

 

[Elyssaen]

As others have said, their "coming for you" warning messages are a godsend. Dropping out, I do sometimes get them following my wake, but not before I'm ready to jump back into SC.

A more 'fair' trick I like to use is zig-zagging once I know they're in system. Particularly get above the plane of the system, keep them targeted, and don't let them see your back. Once they've sent a warning message, your Contacts tab should have their ship named, so you can easily ID them.

Definitely agree on a 2/4/0 pip layout for fleeing – that is, 4 to ENG, and boost a lot. If you high wake (I fly a Clipper for these sort of missions, and don't need to high wake), definitely prefer a system that's in the direction you're facing: you don't want to have to turn around and fly any closer to them. Remember, their weapons mostly become useless at 3 km, but even before then they suffer enormous damage falloff with range.

And lastly... in my opinion, don't just submit to interdiction. I don't really get why so many players do: even in the Clipper I often don't. It doesn't bug out as much as it used to, you can at least fight it for a bit and still submit, and quite often you'll be able to beat it. Maybe not in a Type-9, but in an Asp, sure.

Oh! A few more things I do. Overshoot your destination intentionally to deny them your back. A good trick when overshooting is to just barely miss a planet, using the gravity well to slow you right down and save time. If you're interdicted near a planet or sun, consider telling the escape vector to sod off and just flying into the planet/sun. Best thing is skimming it so close that when they try to follow the intercept course, THEY fly into the planet/sun. I learnt that by having an NPC flukily do that to me.