How important are shields for an explorer?

[Dan Bender]

This is half a question about exploration, and half about outfitting. So if this is the wrong subforum, my apologies.

Anyway, I see lots of exploration guides suggesting to have shields for planetary landings. How important is this?

I've never taken damage from a hard landing on a planet. And I can't exactly chalk that up to my l337 piloting skillz, because if I did I would be full of crap. Am I just lucky, or am I not landing on enough high-gravity worlds?

I ask because my current exploration Asp Explorer doesn't have space for a shield with all the other stuff I've brought:

-Cargo scoop, discovery scanner and surface scanner. (these three of course are necessary for any explorer)
-PVH and Scarab (without this there's no need to land).
-AFMU.
-Mining laser, refinery, and cargo rack.

The last things I'm starting to question. I had assumed that the best way to get materials for synthesis was from asteroid/ring mining, but a lot of threads are suggesting that SRV surface mining is good enough. Is this what you've found? If I can leave out the mining equipment, I could add a shield. But I think I would hamstring myself without the cargo rack entirely, as I make it a point to pick up escape pods whenever I find them.

I haven't used my AFMU yet either, but leaving that off seems a little risky for a long trip.

Your thoughts?

 

[CMDR CHIGGY VONRICTOFEN]

You don't need a refinery or even cargo bay to collect materials...just the mining laser for mats in belts...and the SRV for surface gathering..in fact if you have any cargo on your way back...it'll increase your odds of interdiction substantially.

 

[Faded Glory]

Can't say I've ever considered mining while out exploring, happy to gather materials using the SRV. Although my Asp has cargo racks, I never pick up cargo while I'm out exploring. As the poster above points out, cargo can make you a higher priority target for NPCs, and when I return to the bubble, I want to sell my data. It's worth more than any cargo might be. Of course, if your role play demands you pick up any escape pods, then that's perfectly legitimate.

I do have shields on my explorer, for landing on planets, and also as added protection for when I'm back in the bubble. I disable them while I'm out in the black, just to make my ship run cooler and fuel scooping a touch faster, but always enable them for planetary landings and when I'm back in regions of space that might have NPCs.

 

[Jitkaas]

The shield is not necessary but its better to have one and not need it, than need it and not have one. Id drop the argo racks and mining equipment, because as already stated, if you return to the bubble with cargo, an npc will most likely go after you, and you DO NOT want to lose all that data. You can replace equipment and cargo, but data is unique.

 

[Col Frost]

I used to take shields exploring, but have ditched them now and the increased jump range is well worth it. I don't need them imho

 

[Pyrotiger]

9000 ly out and no Shields. 96% hull due to carelessness. 2 AMFUs just in case. I am willing to accept the low risk.

 

[Jitkaas]

9000 ly out and no Shields. 96% hull due to carelessness. 2 AMFUs just in case. I am willing to accept the low risk.

This.
Amfus and an srv are borderline essential to deep space exploring. You can repair your fsd (and almost everything else) from damage caused by neutron jumping and you can synthesize the ammo for it. Just dont crack the canopy...

 

[Cmdr-Wotherspoon]

This.
Amfus and an srv are borderline essential to deep space exploring. You can repair your fsd (and almost everything else) from damage caused by neutron jumping and you can synthesize the ammo for it. Just dont crack the canopy...

I think the AFMU can repair cracked (not broken) canopies, can't it? I've been to Beagle Point and back without an AFMU, but neutron jumping makes them essential, and as they're massless, there's no down side to having one. The SRV is essential for materials and - more importantly - to let you explore all these wonderful planets you're discovering.

I've always taken shields, because I have this horrible fear that after months out in the black I'll forget how to dock and destroy myself on the toast rack. And I'm a bit rubbish at landing on planets.

 

[Pyrotiger]

Why not bring an autopilot? No mass, low energy consumption, can be switched off until the end anyway.

 

[Jitkaas]

Why not bring an autopilot? No mass, low energy consumption, can be switched off until the end anyway.

Doesn't autopilot take up a slot? Ive never used one so i could be mistaken. If it does, then you'd have to choose between either a 2nd amfu, a shield, or the autopilot, assuming youre bringing along an srv. Neither a 2nd amfu or the autopilot can save you if you're interdicted on your way out of or into the bubble, hence why i prefer a shield. Id hate to lose my data after a long journey

 

[Pyrotiger]

Ah yeah. I haven't brought a SRV. I used that slot for the autopilot.

 

[Jitkaas]

Ive heard too many horror stories of the autopilot crashing ships into stations, its turned me away from ever trying it. Ive also heard that such things usually happen to knobheads who arent paying attention but still

 

[Whitmann]

120k light years into my last big trip I misjudged a landing and planted into a moon. Hull went from 94% to 36%. I was 35k ly from the nearest station. I was very glad I'd packed shields, as I'd have died for sure, losing weeks of data.
I won't leave home without them.

 

[Sams]

120k light years into my last big trip I misjudged a landing and planted into a moon. Hull went from 94% to 36%. I was 35k ly from the nearest station. I was very glad I'd packed shields, as I'd have died for sure, losing weeks of data.
I won't leave home without them.

I agree! It only takes one stupid mistake for the hull to plummet. On my last trip out I made a few mistakes, mainly because I was tired and wasn't paying close enough attention. I would never leave without a weak shield for all those stupid moments that I seem to be drawn too

 

[Codger]

Everyone has their own way of doing things. Some folks do just fine without shields when exploring. Not me. I always put on a decent set of shields. Saves me from myself, mostly

 

[marx]

How important are shields for an explorer? I'd rephrase that question as: how important is it for you to have a damage buffer before you start taking hull damage, which you can't repair?
For me, it's "very", but I can see why others would disagree. Being out in the black isn't dangerous... yet?

 

[Major Klutz]

It depends on your play style and piloting skill.

Since 2.2, Good pilots can land softly even in high gravity without taking any hull damage, maybe 99 times out of 100.
It's easier with analog thuster controls.
Shields are there for that 1% of the time when you loose 1% of your hull on a bumpy landing.

If you are accident prone while landing or while flying in rings or asteroid fields, you need the shields.
Even if you're not accident prone, a slight mistake while landing once in a while adds up over time.

 

[Ian Skippy]

Shields are essential for landing on high-g planets. Dont need much, so a small d-rated one will be fine. It will barely impact your range, and you can disable it most of the time to prevent unneeded heat. Plus it may help when interdicted on the way home.

Just bring a shield.

 

[GJ51]

Probably the biggest reason to take a shield on extended exploration voyages is due to the fact that by the time you return you'll likely be rusty trying to get back through the letter box.

But yeah, something to absorb the planetary landing bumps is a good idea. You can turn them off while travelling without consequence.

If I go out for a max jump range trip to tag a few systems that can only be reached with Jumponium, I may elect to leave a shield off to get more range, but when I do that I don't intend to land anywhere. A rare endeavor for most.

 

[Dan Bender]

Thank you all. I see some comments here about how to fly with a shield and when you can turn it off, but that wasn't really the question - the question is "what can I give up to take that shield?" It seems that the refinery is the obvious one - though it seems to me that means you ditch the mining laser as well, since you can't pick up fragments without the refinery. I wasn't able to, at least. Maybe I'm missing something. And the cargo rack isn't needed for "materials", so that potentially frees up two slots (r4efinery and cargo rack).

So I would be taking:
1) fuel scoop 2) discovery scanner 3) surface scanner 4) SRV 5) AFMU 6) shield.

There are seven slots on an Asp Explorer, so that's completely doable. However, what do those of you running other ships with 5 or 4 slots - such as a DBX - do it? What do you forgo on your trips?