I learned a lot from my recent efforts to unlock Palin and finally get G5 thrusters

[PanTast]

Does anyone remember the 25 unknown fragments for Palin when engineers were new? You had to go to certain systems, orbit the sun and hope to find a USS with a unknow whatchamacallit. Then you had to ram it carefully to break it apart without completely destroying it. If you were really lucky, you got two fragments. Sometimes you got none.

I think the best is to try and enjoy what you are doing in the game. Don't rush the activities. I have three commanders. Allmost all engineers unlocked on all of them. One commanders is almost always out in the black.

When I explore, I do sessions of 1000 Ly at a time. Then I switch commander and do something else.

But in the end: just do what you like - regardless of credits.

o7

 

[CptArcher]

5k ly is nothing

 

[Danieros]

To be fair, you weren't exploring... you were just jumping to complete a 5k ly requirement for the engineer unlock. With that goal in mind, the journey was already bound to be boring.

That said, I think the game doesn't give explorers enough flashy data to keep the process interesting. The codex limits itself to record entries and only one "confirmed" for each object type per region. Outside of the codex, if you just look at planet data by itself (which is hidden behind the system map), it doesn't make a lot of sense by itself.

 

[Eraden]

I am a somewhat peculiar kind of person. When I go mining, every rock seems different and interesting. When I go trading, every port and every deal seems interesting (that's why Lei Cheung was an easy unlock for me). When I go exploring, every jump seems the same and agonizing. I'm pretty sure that exploration is just not for me. I can probably handle a few hundred light years without going nuts, but for me, 5K light years was just pure TORTURE. Are we there yet?

 

[Dutchman141]

With due respect Sir you'll have to jump around for all of the game's activities,even if you just stay in the Bubble,if that bothers you so much I'm afraid ED it's not a game you'll enjoy.

Although you're right that you have to jump around for practically every activity in the game I think that's not the same as going 40k ly outside the system on an exploration trip.
If I had to jump 5k ly for every cargo run then I would've quitt the game years ago.

 

[Lightspeed]

With my new Epic alt, I now realize why all the noobs make a bee line for the ganker trap at Felicity Farseer (hope I'm not off topic with this ... apologies if so). You get the invite to Farseer very quickly in the noob awakening experience; she lures them in.

Instead, Elvira Martuuk, who offers a safer venue for FSD improvement, remains silent.

 

[Drelthar]

Lemme guess.

Did you learn that 5000Ly was a totally over the top dumb amount of lightyears to make people go- in order to get... their... thrusters... not even their FSD... modified?

That's what I learnt.

(Also that there is all 5000Ly out except more spheres.)

 

[Lightspeed]

Lemme guess.

Did you learn that 5000Ly was a totally over the top dumb amount of lightyears to make people go- in order to get... their... thrusters... not even their FSD... modified?

That's what I learnt.

(Also that there is all 5000Ly out except more spheres.)

I should imagine it was debated within FDHQ whether to make the FSD requirement a 5000 ly trek, but the thoughts of the tons of salt being dumped at their steps switched it to the thrusters at Palin instead. The thoughts of 5000 ly without engineered FSDs would be too much for many to contemplate.

 

[Drelthar]

Extremely unlikely unless you've been just randomly trading for a very long time.

By the time engineers came out, Ydiss had traded for most of the 2 years I think it was. Ranked Tycoon. 50 markets?

Not close.

I... hit 50 markets pretty quickly really, and was way above before engineers came out.

I started playing on launch day.

The reason is - I was NOT a trader but I DID wander around, a lot (until carriers, my fleet was....literally strewn all over the bubble) and I normally carried a few tonnes of something that looked cheap - or, I was running guns/drugs/slaves.

If I WAS a trader, I reckon I would have been to less than 50 though- because I would find good routes and stick to them.

 

[Drelthar]

I should imagine it was debated within FDHQ whether to make the FSD requirement a 5000 ly trek, but the thoughts of the tons of salt being dumped at their steps switched it to the thrusters at Palin instead. The thoughts of 5000 ly without engineered FSDs would be too much for many to contemplate.

I agree.

Make it 1000Ly, and then make it for FSD engineering - so it makes some kind of intuitive sense.

 

[Ydiss]

Does anyone remember the 25 unknown fragments for Palin when engineers were new? You had to go to certain systems, orbit the sun and hope to find a USS with a unknow whatchamacallit. Then you had to ram it carefully to break it apart without completely destroying it. If you were really lucky, you got two fragments. Sometimes you got none.

I think the best is to try and enjoy what you are doing in the game. Don't rush the activities. I have three commanders. Allmost all engineers unlocked on all of them. One commanders is almost always out in the black.

When I explore, I do sessions of 1000 Ly at a time. Then I switch commander and do something else.

But in the end: just do what you like - regardless of credits.

o7

You're right. I'd point out that the old way of getting sensor fragments compared to the current (way more fun) way is a key example of why it'd be great if we had more like that and less like "50 markets".

Fdev took something repetitive, dull, unimaginative and very time consuming and changed it into a neat little trip that's fun, tells a story and requires actual exploration. My only feedback for the Thargoid crash site is it still needs more than one run to fill 25 (so one restart) and QA missed the bug where the fragments fall through the ground into the void below (actually, I think fixing the latter would solve the former).

 

[Felix DiCestria]

The journey back was harder than the journey out when I unlocked Palin, mostly because the journey itself had taught me more about the game than I could learn in the bubble and set off a whole new direction of ship design I wanted to try out.
Of course I was doing it in a 30LY jump ship so it took a while.
The real grind for me was Selene's mining. Kitted out a brand new T-9 for it and when I unlocked her it sat gathering dust till the Coalsack CG. Then I ripped out the mining modules put in cargo racks and she's earned me a 10% position in the latest CG. (even if finding a suitable pad is frustrating...)
I do have some more mining to do to unlock another engineer up in Alioth but I've been putting that off as the thought of more mining instantly drains me.

 

[Drelthar]

With due respect Sir you'll have to jump around for all of the game's activities,even if you just stay in the Bubble,if that bothers you so much I'm afraid ED it's not a game you'll enjoy.

Bit different when there's stuff to do when your jumping aside from looking at spheres.

 

[Drelthar]

So you think people will prefer to be told to go to one location rather than be given a choice of thousands Sure .... I can see people loving that ... especially on their 3rd unlock

You know, it'd be possible for them to select one of several locations?

One's that were thargoid related would make sense considering Palins background.

Crash site.
Barnacle.
Surface site.

Now choose randomly from several of those around Palin.

Makes more sense now.

 

[Oytis57]

Bit different when there's stuff to do when your jumping aside from looking at spheres.

Nonsense.

 

[Oytis57]

Although you're right that you have to jump around for practically every activity in the game I think that's not the same as going 40k ly outside the system on an exploration trip.
If I had to jump 5k ly for every cargo run then I would've quitt the game years ago.

A totally different matter...

 

[Ydiss]

So today I just finished Cheung again for the third time

If anyone wants me to share, I've got a pretty decent route of 48 markets all roughly 150ly from Ngurii (Soontil relics rare system) that ends up within 1 jump from Laksak. All stations are within 1000ls (most within 300ls, just the odd one outside, they start closer than 20ls and get further along the list).

You just need a ship with 50 cargo and a jump range around 25 to 40ly. And I'd recommend fitting both advanced docking and supercruise assists. It just lets you do other stuff while you're running the route.

It still takes hours to do. I started in the morning and finished in the afternoon (not doing this exclusively mind). But it's the fastest way that I know.

Or just wait until you've accidentally done 50. Whatever suits you. Depends how important shields are to you. The cost of his 200 gold demand has rocketed too. Might be worth ignoring Cheung and just doing Didi for boosters to be honest. Unless you're into combat.

In which case, get jumping

Anyway at more than 50 jumps I'd say this requirement is just as much for explorers as traders...

 

[Eraden]

So today I just finished Cheung again for the third time

If anyone wants me to share, I've got a pretty decent route of 48 markets all roughly 150ly from Ngurii (Soontil relics rare system) that ends up within 1 jump from Laksak. All stations are within 1000ls (most within 300ls, just the odd one outside, they start closer than 20ls and get further along the list).

You just need a ship with 50 cargo and a jump range around 25 to 40ly. And I'd recommend fitting both advanced docking and supercruise assists. It just lets you do other stuff while you're running the route.

It still takes hours to do. I started in the morning and finished in the afternoon (not doing this exclusively mind). But it's the fastest way that I know.

Or just wait until you've accidentally done 50. Whatever suits you. Depends how important shields are to you. The cost of his 200 gold demand has rocketed too. Might be worth ignoring Cheung and just doing Didi for boosters to be honest. Unless you're into combat.

In which case, get jumping

Anyway at more than 50 jumps I'd say this requirement is just as much for explorers as traders...

I think I mentioned a little earlier that Cheung was a fairly easy unlock for me. Mostly because the vast majority of my activity in this game has been mining and trading. However, because not all players engage in a lot of trading, I can definitely see how Cheung could become just as much of a terror as Palin, for some folks. Thanks for offering up these tips! I'm sure there are a lot of players out there who will REALLY appreciate the help in dealing with that silly engineer.

 

[NCFCpaul]

Now to go get my darn thrusters finished. My Type 10 should fly a whole extra 10 meters per second once I'm done!

I think I've spotted the problem OP... don't travel 5kly in a Type 10 it's always going to be a mission. Next time do the trip in a DBX with a G5 FSD. It'll be much better.

Probably best not to touch the Type 10 at all, to be honest...

 

[Eraden]

I think I've spotted the problem OP... don't travel 5kly in a Type 10 it's always going to be a mission. Next time do the trip in a DBX with a G5 FSD. It'll be much better.

Probably best not to touch the Type 10 at all, to be honest...

Actually, in the configuration that I had it for the trip, my Type 10 has a jump range of 41 light years. It's got a pretty decent FSD on it.