It’s OK to jump out. No really it is!

[Red Anders]

He was asking for defensive advice so he could go about his business without being ganked.

Mobius is the ideal solution for new players who want time to improve, do their missions without fear of being blown out of the sky by jerks who can't handle anything that shoots back etc. etc.

You do realize that the Mobius group has many times more players participating in it on a typical day than OPEN mode right? Why do you think the Murder Hobos and all the other gankers are constantly up here demanding the end to PGs and Solo?

You don't see anyone from the other two modes demanding an end to Open. That stark difference speaks volumes to anyone paying attention.

Hopefully the OP will look into his options. Open is only one way to play. Its certainly not the only way to play.

What do you think a player will learn about the experience of being interdicted by another player and trying to make it out before he gets blown up by playing in Mobius?

For a start you have to actually work at failing an interdiction from an npc these days since simply getting the crosshair onto the target and then rolling constantly will see you evade 95% of interdictions regardless of what you're flying. Chuck in the fact that you're unlikely to be interdicted by an npc with god-tier DD5s and as long as you submitted to the interdiction before losing it, anything that can fly at 350 or faster should be able to escape with time to spare by simply hitting boost once and then sticking four pips to shields if you start to take damage.

As a learning experience for dealing with a competent player in a decent ship, that's on a par with using going upstairs to bed as training for an Everest expedition.

 

[flyauburn41]

Perhaps, but PG and Solo have an effective threat level of 0. I've not been ganked in a long time (about 1.0), being aware of the situation, and knowing how to get away from ganking is part of the fun for me, but that's just my personal viewpoint.

Z...

Exactly this. Even in Solo or PG there are NPC pirates that should provide this. Unfortunately; they do not, because everyone in that camp whined about the Post 2.1 AI that was “too difficult”. It was perfect, but unfortunately the mass histeria of the ‘84 forumdads won against this exciting gameplay development, thereby ensuring “Elite: Never Ever The Least Bit Dangerous Space Trucking Zero Danger Zero Consequences Adventure Time” remaining a thing in PG and Solo.

 

[True Phoenix]

Exactly this. Even in Solo or PG there are NPC pirates that should provide this. Unfortunately; they do not, because everyone in that camp whined about the Post 2.1 AI that was “too difficult”. It was perfect, but unfortunately the mass histeria of the ‘84 forumdads won against this exciting gameplay development, thereby ensuring “Elite: Never Ever The Least Bit Dangerous Space Trucking Zero Danger Zero Consequences Adventure Time” remaining a thing in PG and Solo.

This. So this. I played '84 elite and it was lethal, if you became wanted (or worse) you were pretty much dead-meat. Thargoids ate us for breakfast in witch-space. It was a harsh environment. I started this version in beta, I wanted that threat, that fear, as part of my game, not from some spec'd up ganker, but from the game itself. After the great bleat of 2.1, it all got toned down. I fear nothing from PvE in a trader fit Python, I should be bricking it, running for the hills etc, but in PvE I select tactic 1, kill with abandon and collect. Its too easy. At least in open there is always the threat of something, even if its nothing, just by seeing a hollow marker it at least gets the blood pumping. I could not go back to private or solo now, its too damned boring! This game needs a structured threat and reward base. Escaping an interdiction should be the least of my worries.....

 

[flyauburn41]

This. So this. I played '84 elite and it was lethal, if you became wanted (or worse) you were pretty much dead-meat. Thargoids ate us for breakfast in witch-space. It was a harsh environment. I started this version in beta, I wanted that threat, that fear, as part of my game, not from some spec'd up ganker, but from the game itself. After the great bleat of 2.1, it all got toned down. I fear nothing from PvE in a trader fit Python, I should be bricking it, running for the hills etc, but in PvE I select tactic 1, kill with abandon and collect. Its too easy. At least in open there is always the threat of something, even if its nothing, just by seeing a hollow marker it at least gets the blood pumping. I could not go back to private or solo now, its too damned boring! This game needs a structured threat and reward base. Escaping an interdiction should be the least of my worries.....

I never played ‘84 Elite but I’ve always heard this. That is was HARD and that was part of the appeal. So it’s strange to me that the only thing that comes close to emulating that is Open. Solo and PG are simply a massively “watered down difficulty” version of the real game. And they didn’t have to be. The AI technology exists. There was a real challenge in that post 2.1 AI and it was exciting. We should all lament the loss of it, no matter what mode we play.

 

[Clicker]

I never played ‘84 Elite but I’ve always heard this. That is was HARD and that was part of the appeal. So it’s strange to me that the only thing that comes close to emulating that is Open. Solo and PG are simply a massively “watered down difficulty” version of the real game. And they didn’t have to be. The AI technology exists. There was a real challenge in that post 2.1 AI and it was exciting. We should all lament the loss of it, no matter what mode we play.

Another ‘84 Elite player here. I too thought the AI in 2.1 was awesome and a real challenge...not all of us are “Forumdads”, even though I am a dad...and this is a forum. (Sorry...dad joke fail)

Clicker

 

[CMDR Karrde Sun]

There's alot of crazy idealism regarding open, and the only gain in the speech given mobius exists is for seal clubbers not to loose their plump new seals.

- When i first started, there was no heat, no passion, everyone just calmly said 'start in solo until you're ready for open'. This calm statement has been replaced over the years with rivers of drama of pvp people, come in open, noone to gank, come to open, ganking other people in pvp ships isn't fun, play in open.
- If you want a pve experience, mobius works. It takes you to join it to find out, but there are people there.
- If you want a more riskier multiplayer experience, that just happens to be exactly the same as a pvp mmo server, well, thats open.

If you know and respect that, you'll be at least mentally prepared for what happens.

In the protection of solo or mobius you can learn the ropes and importantly gear up your ship with engineer progression. A pvper made a truly excellent pdf (including lots of in character swearing) with overviews what you're going to need to do. You will have to compromise your outfitting if going in open is important to you however. There's no other way around that sadly.

 

[Majic-12]

Majic's Foolproof Guide To Winning In Open

This is how you dominate Open like a boss:

1. Don't believe all the hype. "Open" really just means "Open Space", and you'll be lucky if you ever see another commander. Ever.

2. Consequently, Open is best played almost exactly like Solo mode. Focus exclusively on PVE and dump such unnecessary window-dressing as weapons and shields so you can maximize profit on your trading and mining.

3. What matters most is the size of your ship, not the magic in it, so always prioritize buying the most expensive ship you can afford and always be working toward the next bigger ship. Modules, shmodules, just run with whatever comes with the ship and don't waste money. Do you want that Imperial Cutter or not?

4. On those extremely rare occasions where you see another commander, take the initiative and post threatening messages in Local. Be creative. Talk smack about blood for the blood god, skulls for the skull throne, and so on. Make it clear you're not afraid of anyone, and you're not somebody to trifle with. If you're willing to spend some real money to enhance your gameplay, consider a "spike pack" for your ship to scare people off.

5. Should someone call your bluff and interdict you, don't try to win the interdiction mini-game. Zero your throttle and come to a complete stop. Once in normal space, maximize your throttle and be sure you have four pips to engines -- which you already should, since you don't need power for shields or weapons you don't have.

6. The best defense is a good offense, and now is not the time to back down! So without hesitation, target your attacker's ship, point directly at it and RAM YOUR ENEMY! Rammers are the one thing that is universally feared in the Open community, because they ram you, and nobody wants to get rammed, right?

7. Continue pressing the attack until your enemy sees reason and runs away. But don't stop there. Keep ramming until they've completely waked out. Make sure they never forget the lessons you have taught them, and repeatedly ask in Local if anyone else wants a piece of you.

8. Of course, even the best strategies aren't perfect. On rare occasions, you may not emerge victorious. When that happens, log out and proceed immediately to the appropriate forum to make your case before the Elite: Dangerous community as a whole, because the only people who could possibly win against you when you're using this guide are exploiters and griefers.

9. As with combat, never back down in the forums. Ram and keep ramming. You're right, you're always right, and it's your sacred duty to make sure everyone else knows it! For maximum effect, be sure to tell everyone you'll never play in Open again and this game sucks.

10. Once you're confident no one remains to challenge you and everyone is convinced you'll never be seen in Open again, log back in to the game, choose "Open" mode, hop into your starter Sidewinder (oh please, don't tell me you set aside valuable ship-buying money for insurance), return to Step 1 of this guide and resume your relentless march to victory in Open!

Trust me. With this strategy, you can't lose.

 

[True Phoenix]

'84 Dad jokes never fail, they just are not appreciated correctly. Have some rep.

All I want is a hard time playing this game. Is that too much to ask? If others want an easier route, I'm ok with that I suppose but come on, if this game got much easier then fluffy kittens would play it.

 

[Stealthie]

Wait - doesn't an emergency stop put you on a long FSD cooldown?
I thought submitting was the fastest way to get your FSD back online.

Yes, and yes.

Thing is, submitting will drop you back into real-space within range of the attacker and everything else will happen within range of their weapons, which makes things a bit frantic.

Also, there's the question of speed.
Is it likely your ship is faster than a PvPer's ship, and how big is the difference?
Worst case is that you're flying a T9, in which case you are not going to outrun the attacker and your escape will be made while under fire.
Best (realistic) case is that your ship is, say, 100m/sec faster than the attacker, which means you're going to be under fire for roughly 30 seconds before you are out of range.
In either case, you're going to have to set-up the escape-jump while under fire.

If you do an emergency-stop and then boost while your FSD is cooling down you're putting distance between yourself and your attacker every second before they follow you (assuming they do at all).
Boosting at 300m/sec, you only need 10 seconds to be 3km from your drop-in point and out of range of your attacker when they arrive.
Also, it's slightly less frantic if you're just mashing the boost button while you hit-up that left HUD to select a high-wake destination than it is to do it while you're being shot at by some laser-death-beam.
Basically, if you can get 3 boosts done, you're probably out of immediate danger. Keep on boosting while your FSD cools down and jump away.
No guarantees, but if you're already in a bad situation it's probably the best chance you have.

Worth practicing this a few times to get comfortable with it.
Either just hit the emergency-stop whenever you feel like it or practice it when you get attacked by an NPC.


On a similar note, if there's a planet nearby (or a set of rings), just head straight for it.
If it's landable, the interdiction will end as soon as you enter the "blue zone", shortly after which you'll probably go hurtling into the "yellow zone" and drop out of SC but, hey, at least you're not getting shot at, amirite?
If it's not landable, you'll just drop out of SC when you hit the "yellow zone" and get a chance to run away.
The benefit of this is that an attacker probably won't get a chance to follow your low-wake because they'll splat into the exclusion zone all by themselves, possibly hundreds of KM from your location.
Also, it usually makes the attacker feel like you "got lucky" and annoys them, which is always a bonus.

Main thing is, when you're interdicted you're reacting to somebody else's planned attack.
If you evade (unsuccessfully) or submit then things are still going according to the attacker's plan so they're still following a routine.
If you make an emergency-stop (or fly into a planet), you gain the initiative and it's your attacker who is forced to react, which means their plan goes out the window and they're the one being forced to make decisions quickly, which helps even up the playing-field - especially if you do have a plan. [up]

 

[Cmdr Ultra]

If your Trading in Open equip Mine Launchers with Ion Disruptor special effect. It reboots an enemies Drives. Leaving them dead in the water with no Thruster / Drive power for about 10 seconds?

When I'm pirating I scan every Cmdr in Supercruise to check their weapon loadout. I give Ships with Mine Launchers a wide berth usually.

You can also get very close to a Planet and stay there, you can't be Interdicted if your too close to a Body.

 

[flyauburn41]

Another ‘84 Elite player here. I too thought the AI in 2.1 was awesome and a real challenge...not all of us are “Forumdads”, even though I am a dad...and this is a forum. (Sorry...dad joke fail)

Clicker

I’m an American and was 6 in ‘84, hence I missed the opportunity to play it.

Also, I too am a Dad of two, and also on the forums, but do not meet the Urban Dictionary definition of ‘forumdad’.

It seems that you do not either. Cheers.

 

[True Phoenix]

Majic's Foolproof Guide To Winning In Open

This is how you dominate Open like a boss:

1. Don't believe all the hype. "Open" really just means "Open Space", and you'll be lucky if you ever see another commander. Ever.

This is often true, except in hi use areas and CG's

2. Consequently, Open is best played almost exactly like Solo mode. Focus exclusively on PVE and dump such unnecessary window-dressing as weapons and shields so you can maximize profit on your trading and mining.

Lol. No it isn't. Do the opposite of this.

3. What matters most is the size of your ship, not the magic in it, so always prioritize buying the most expensive ship you can afford and always be working toward the next bigger ship. Modules, shmodules, just run with whatever comes with the ship and don't waste money. Do you want that Imperial Cutter or not?

Lol, no, do the opposite, be comfortable with your rebuy, equip to kill and be hard to kill

4. On those extremely rare occasions where you see another commander, take the initiative and post threatening messages in Local. Be creative. Talk smack about blood for the blood god, skulls for the skull throne, and so on. Make it clear you're not afraid of anyone, and you're not somebody to trifle with. If you're willing to spend some real money to enhance your gameplay, consider a "spike pack" for your ship to scare people off.

lol, 99% of the commanders I meet do this - "o7 commander", reply accordingly.

5. Should someone call your bluff and interdict you, don't try to win the interdiction mini-game. Zero your throttle and come to a complete stop. Once in normal space, maximize your throttle and be sure you have four pips to engines -- which you already should, since you don't need power for shields or weapons you don't have.

See above. To run, 3 to sys 3 to eng, boost x 3 and jump out. Fly like you are drunk to avoid fixed weaps.

6. The best defense is a good offense, and now is not the time to back down! So without hesitation, target your attacker's ship, point directly at it and RAM YOUR ENEMY! Rammers are the one thing that is universally feared in the Open community, because they ram you, and nobody wants to get rammed, right?

Ramming can be effective, with strong shields and good hull. However see the above answers

7. Continue pressing the attack until your enemy sees reason and runs away. But don't stop there. Keep ramming until they've completely waked out. Make sure they never forget the lessons you have taught them, and repeatedly ask in Local if anyone else wants a piece of you.

You should already have waked out

8. Of course, even the best strategies aren't perfect. On rare occasions, you may not emerge victorious. When that happens, log out and proceed immediately to the appropriate forum to make your case before the Elite: Dangerous community as a whole, because the only people who could possibly win against you when you're using this guide are exploiters and griefers.

Lol. I like this. Don't. take it like a player, death visits us all at some time. Revisit the encounter, take on board what was good, what went wrong and learn.

9. As with combat, never back down in the forums. Ram and keep ramming. You're right, you're always right, and it's your sacred duty to make sure everyone else knows it! For maximum effect, be sure to tell everyone you'll never play in Open again and this game sucks.

Or, plays solo / Pve (joke, honest)

10. Once you're confident no one remains to challenge you and everyone is convinced you'll never be seen in Open again, log back in to the game, choose "Open" mode, hop into your starter Sidewinder (oh please, don't tell me you set aside valuable ship-buying money for insurance), return to Step 1 of this guide and resume your relentless march to victory in Open!

If there is no challenge, place a marshall badge on your suit and go forth and protect the weak.

Trust me. With this strategy, you can't lose.

Follow his ways will lead only to the dark side. My rebuttal is enclosed in the quote above.

 

[Clicker]

A couple more observations...

When I play in Open I rarely see other CMDRs (maybe something to do with NZ Time Zone.
When I do see other CMDRs and try to have a chat, they very rarely answer.
When I actually do get interdicted by a CMDR, I fight it. If I’m about to fail, I submit.
If there’s zero banter, I try my best to escape...I’ve been killed (ganked) exactly twice.
If there is banter, then usually I submit, kill engines etc etc...usually the pirate only takes a reasonable percentage, then I’m on my way...This whole experience, whilst I can see could be annoying if it happened all the time, just adds to the game play for me and I quite enjoy it.

Clicker

 

[flyauburn41]

Majic's Foolproof Guide To Winning In Open

This is how you dominate Open like a boss:

1. Don't believe all the hype. "Open" really just means "Open Space", and you'll be lucky if you ever see another commander. Ever.

2. Consequently, Open is best played almost exactly like Solo mode. Focus exclusively on PVE and dump such unnecessary window-dressing as weapons and shields so you can maximize profit on your trading and mining.

3. What matters most is the size of your ship, not the magic in it, so always prioritize buying the most expensive ship you can afford and always be working toward the next bigger ship. Modules, shmodules, just run with whatever comes with the ship and don't waste money. Do you want that Imperial Cutter or not?

4. On those extremely rare occasions where you see another commander, take the initiative and post threatening messages in Local. Be creative. Talk smack about blood for the blood god, skulls for the skull throne, and so on. Make it clear you're not afraid of anyone, and you're not somebody to trifle with. If you're willing to spend some real money to enhance your gameplay, consider a "spike pack" for your ship to scare people off.

5. Should someone call your bluff and interdict you, don't try to win the interdiction mini-game. Zero your throttle and come to a complete stop. Once in normal space, maximize your throttle and be sure you have four pips to engines -- which you already should, since you don't need power for shields or weapons you don't have.

6. The best defense is a good offense, and now is not the time to back down! So without hesitation, target your attacker's ship, point directly at it and RAM YOUR ENEMY! Rammers are the one thing that is universally feared in the Open community, because they ram you, and nobody wants to get rammed, right?

7. Continue pressing the attack until your enemy sees reason and runs away. But don't stop there. Keep ramming until they've completely waked out. Make sure they never forget the lessons you have taught them, and repeatedly ask in Local if anyone else wants a piece of you.

8. Of course, even the best strategies aren't perfect. On rare occasions, you may not emerge victorious. When that happens, log out and proceed immediately to the appropriate forum to make your case before the Elite: Dangerous community as a whole, because the only people who could possibly win against you when you're using this guide are exploiters and griefers.

9. As with combat, never back down in the forums. Ram and keep ramming. You're right, you're always right, and it's your sacred duty to make sure everyone else knows it! For maximum effect, be sure to tell everyone you'll never play in Open again and this game sucks.

10. Once you're confident no one remains to challenge you and everyone is convinced you'll never be seen in Open again, log back in to the game, choose "Open" mode, hop into your starter Sidewinder (oh please, don't tell me you set aside valuable ship-buying money for insurance), return to Step 1 of this guide and resume your relentless march to victory in Open!

Trust me. With this strategy, you can't lose.

This is just... so beautiful. We should write game guides together.

 

[True Phoenix]

goodnight '84'rs and those that wish they were.

The game can't be that bad, we all play it with gusto ......