Is there any way to NOT target system authority ships?

[ARNUD SWAZZANEGGER]

I was hanging around a nav beacon at "shinratra dezra" in solo helping to take out wanted ships so i could collect wake data and materials, and in the last ship battle there i was turning my ship to target the wanted one, when a system authority ship just got in the way during my turn around and my beams locked to that ship instead and of course it was too late by then.

The instant my beams hit, i broke the lock and steered away, but they all attacked. So i take it the NPCs aren't programmed to realise you have sorta stood down by breaking lock and steering away?

I was there for quite a while helping to take down wanted ships, building rep, getting materials for engineering, so is that all wasted now?

I tried to do the log thingy i heard so much about, but it didn't make any difference. I was in solo, so i didn't think the log thing would matter since it was NPCs, but they had the countdown timer there as well. Maybe i should have just killed the power to my PC?!

Surely there's a friend or foe system so that sort of thing doesn't happen?

It's not so much about the rebuy cost, because i had over 500 million credits, it's about not being a law breaker in the game.

 

[Speedcuffs]

and my beams locked to that ship instead

? I don't understand what you mean here.
You targeted a System Authority vessel?

 

[ARNUD SWAZZANEGGER]

? I don't understand what you mean here.
You targeted a System Authority vessel?

Yes. I didn't mean to target, or better put, lock-on to the system authority ship.

As i was turning in to lock-on to the wanted ship, at the same time the system authority ship came into the screen and into my crosshairs just as i pressed the button to engage the lock, adn as you know with beams, there was no way to miss it.

A perfect storm as it turned out in the end. Only my ship didn't sink, it got blown into a trillion bits!

 

[Ethaidan]

Sounds like you pushed the select target button when the system authority ship was the most central target - it should have had a green square around it, designating friendly, but if you fire after selecting a friendly target, that's on you. The select button will select whatever is most central - in supercruise it could be a planetary body, a ship, a USS; in normal space it could be an enemy ship, a neutral ship (before scanning), an allied ship, engineering material, mining frag, nav beacon, etc. To avoid this in combat, until you're a bit more savvy with targeting, maybe try using the 'cycle next hostile' or 'cycle highest threat' keys instead of the generic 'select' key?

 

[ARNUD SWAZZANEGGER]

To avoid this in combat, until you're a bit more savvy with targeting, maybe try using the 'cycle next hostile' or 'cycle highest threat' keys instead of the generic 'select' key?

^ Thanks for the advice.

I'll learn how to do this in such situations as helping to take out wanted ships at nav becons.

As I'm sure you know, when taking down wanted ships at a nav becon, you get into these sorta "huddles" along with system authority ships as you are all chasing the wanted target around, well that's how it was when this happened. The ship just burst onto my screen, it was that close. So i really didn't have a chance as it flew right in front of me just as i hit the target button (I use the Xbox controller) and, well, that was the end of that.

I have had the game for around 2 weeks now, but i still don't know all the ins and outs yet, which is why i am asking if there's a way to avoid this sort of thing. I don't want to become a pirate or whatever bad rep types there are because i made a mistake like this.

 

[Ethaidan]

^ Thanks for the advice.

I'll learn how to do this in such situations as helping to take out wanted ships at nav becons.

As I'm sure you know, when taking down wanted ships at a nav becon, you get into these sorta "huddles" along with system authority ships as you are all chasing the wanted target around, well that's how it was when this happened. The ship just burst onto my screen, it was that close. So i really didn't have a chance as it flew right in front of me just as i hit the target button (I use the Xbox controller) and, well, that was the end of that.

I have had the game for around 2 weeks now, but i still don't know all the ins and outs yet, which is why i am asking if there's a way to avoid this sort of thing. I don't want to become a pirate or whatever bad rep types there are because i made a mistake like this.

Yes, combat can be hectic. Just wait until you get involved in CZs. Personally, I very rarely use the select button in combat. I always use 'select next target' which flips you through all targets (allied, neutral, or hostile) at nav/res sites to quickly find wanted targets, or the 'select next hostile' & 'select highest threat' in CZs - where everyone is Green or Red. I only use the manual target button when an enemy is right in front of me and I'm ready to switch targets. It sounds like you also might be using turrets, or are really quick to fire after selecting a target? If so, maybe consider gimbals?

As for your controller, I have mine (PS4) customised so all the target options I use are on one button - on Xbox it would be A (select), A +left (select next target), A +down (select highest target), A +right (select next hostile), A +up (select next subsystem).

 

[Faded Glory]

I have had the game for around 2 weeks now, but i still don't know all the ins and outs yet, which is why i am asking if there's a way to avoid this sort of thing. I don't want to become a pirate or whatever bad rep types there are because i made a mistake like this.

There's not really a way to avoid making mistakes in the game...

As you become more familiar with combat (and the controls) you'll get better at avoiding them yourself. As has been mentioned, if you target a ship and shoot it, then that's not considered (by the game) as a mistake, but that you intended to shoot it, and if it's a clean ship you will get a bounty for that. Best thing you can do in such circumstances is to immediately disengage, leave the instance by going to supercruise or jumping to another system (in case the ship you hit is destroyed, because if that happens you will end up with a murder bounty and notoriety, which you cannot pay off immediately), and then have an Interstellar Factors bookmarked so you can pay off the bounty and carry on with what you were doing.

Also be aware that even if you haven't targeted a friendly ship, and you hit it hard enough, that's considered to be friendly fire, and that can also get you a bounty, so as best you can, try to practice spatial awareness.

And always have an exit strategy so that a mistake doesn't become a disaster.

 

[ARNUD SWAZZANEGGER]

So..... there's no Friend or Foe system like in Combat Flight Sims. Dammit!
It'd be nice to have an FoF toggle option in the ship's menu where you have lights/NV/beacon etc.

Well, thanks for the responses and tips from all who replied. I turned the game off now for the evening.

 

[alexzk]

There is engineering upgrade to miniguns something like "smart rounds" it will prevent you to hit friendly by that weapons. But lazers still can do.
Maybe you could upgrade lazers to healing beam, then if you hit friendly you will heal it.

 

[ARNUD SWAZZANEGGER]

Maybe you could upgrade lazers to healing beam, then if you hit friendly you will heal it.

Well i go an Anaconda (i want to explore so it's kitted out for that) so a ship that size, and me being ranked Novice or something forr Combat, i went with easy mode Turret Beam Lasers.

But, HEALING LAZERS? How do i get those?

*Looks on youtube

So i need to unlock The Dweller and add an Experimental Effect?

Thank you so much for this help.

Does this method of unlocking The Dweller still work?

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW7X7C8JWls

 

[alexzk]

Well i go an Anaconda (i want to explore so it's kitted out for that) so a ship that size, and me being ranked Novice or something forr Combat, i went with easy mode Turret Beam Lasers.

But, HEALING LAZERS? How do i get those?

*Looks on youtube

So i need to unlock The Dweller and add an Experimental Effect?

Thank you so much for this help.

One of best websites for:
https://inara.cz/galaxy-engineers/

Another one is https://www.edsm.net/
Make a favor to humanity and upload your flight logs (PC) to edsm. That will build up public stars catalog.

 

[Old Duck]

"Is there any way to NOT target system authority ships?"

Yeah, don't target them. Targeting is a manual process, after all.

 

[Dragsham]

A sophisticated targeting system would designate friendly from foe. Op has a point. There should be a way to flag friendlies.

 

[ARNUD SWAZZANEGGER]

"Is there any way to NOT target system authority ships?"

Yeah, don't target them. Targeting is a manual process, after all.

My problem was, as i was turning to the wanted ship again, the security system ship darted into my screen close range (so, big on my screen) just as i got my nose on the wanted ship and hit the button.

So it's not like there was plenty of screen to see it coming for me to have ability to see it and not engage a lock on it.

 

[Rubbernuke]

A sophisticated targeting system would designate friendly from foe. Op has a point. There should be a way to flag friendlies.

There is, they are colour coded green orange and red. The best the OP can do is fit smart rounds, or be careful targeting.

 

[TiberiusDuval]

Trigger discipline. One of the most irritating situations is when cops get between you and your target. And cop gets shot at...

 

[Old Duck]

My problem was, as i was turning to the wanted ship again, the security system ship darted into my screen close range (so, big on my screen) just as i got my nose on the wanted ship and hit the button.

So it's not like there was plenty of screen to see it coming for me to have ability to see it and not engage a lock on it.

But then you actually had to FIRE on the ship. I recommend not doing that.

Thankfully for you I'm not all snark this morning, so I'll give you some helpful advice. Before bounty-hunting in a system, run some missions for the faction that "owns" that system. Once you increase your reputation with them, security ships will show up green (for friendly). Targeting a security ship will give you a green HUD tracker. This makes it glaringly obvious you've targeted a friend instead of a foe.

 

[ARNUD SWAZZANEGGER]

One of best websites for:
https://inara.cz/galaxy-engineers/

Another one is https://www.edsm.net/
Make a favor to humanity and upload your flight logs (PC) to edsm. That will build up public stars catalog.

I'm guessing i would have to link my account to that site, is it 3rd party?, and how can i trust it is safe to do this? I don't want to risk security to my ED account and lose everything.

If it's safe then i will do that, because i would like to contribute anything i find to the community. It would make it feel even more worthwhile i think.

Thanks for the links, they look to be great resources!

 

[TiberiusDuval]

And haz res sites are better bounty hunting areas than any place where system authorities may appear. No problems with friendly targets there...

 

[ARNUD SWAZZANEGGER]

But then you actually had to FIRE on the ship. I recommend not doing that.

Right but it wasn't as clean cut as "you just don't target them".

We were all chasing the wanted ship around, i was turning toward the wanted ship after having already engaged with it, it was like a huddle of good guy ships making a turrn together, i guess the system authority ship had a wider start to his turn in, because how i hit is was due to it cutting right across in front of me.

It really was like a peferct storm, everything just lined up wrong at the same time. Only my ship didn't sink, it was blown to a trillion bits.

I play in 1920x1080, i don't have the VR god mode. Basically, i don't have a wide field of view. I think even if i did, i was so tuned into fighting so much i would have had target tunnel vision anyway and wouldn't have even noticed if i was wearing the VR head set LOL

Before bounty-hunting in a system, run some missions for the faction that "owns" that system. Once you increase your reputation with them, security ships will show up green (for friendly). Targeting a security ship will give you a green HUD tracker. This makes it glaringly obvious you've targeted a friend instead of a foe.

Thanks for this advice.