Newcomer / Intro Pirates and where to find them.

HardstyleFlavor · Dec 17, 2014

Well as the title suggests, I'm wondering how to find them.

I recently accepted a mission where I was asked to kill at least 2 pirates in a group of systems. I first started by going to the closest system, and hanging out at the nav. beacon looking for pirates. I found plenty of 'wanted' people, but how do I know they are pirates specifically. Maybe they are wanted for loitering? Anyways I ran out of time on the mission, and have reverted to doing hauler missions to build up credits for my first 'real' ship purchase.

Oh and maybe I was just looking in the wrong place, are there any specific parts of a system to look in? I figured nav. beacons would be good, or just outside of a station's commodities market's 'no-fire' zone.

Playing on solo mode btw, if that helps.

askmike72 · Dec 17, 2014

Look at resource extraction sites at planets with rings

bAdbUd · Dec 17, 2014

For missions they'll be in the USS's "Unidentified Signal Sources" they randomly pop-up and can usually be found near and around Suns, Nav Points and on routes to Stations, just keep an eye on your contacts.

Note that you'll be extremely lucky if the first one you visit has what you're looking for just keep trying and eventually you'll find the pirates.

Decrayer · Dec 17, 2014

Go to the system that they told you and look out for unknown signal sources. Enter them, some of thoose are pirates that attack you.

Actually, thoose missions need a lot of time because you need to go into lots of unknown signal sources and it's pure luck to get pirates in them. Sometimes you get cargo, sometimes traders. I tried to speed up the process by bying an interdiction module and interdict ships with a "wanted" status, but it seems that thoose are not counted as pirates. Currently, I'm a bit frustrated by this kind of mission, I've had one where I had to kill 7 pirates and I've had 5 hours time limit. It took me 4 hours of playing only to get about 27.000 Credits (there where no asteroid belts etc. in that system, just USS). Thats very bad for that much risk, I wouldn't recommend it.

Suicidal Tendancies · Dec 17, 2014

You can also go to the Nav Beacon at each system - there will always be some in there. Or alternatively, keep 1 ton of Gold in your cargo hold and wait to get interdicted

noodle · Dec 17, 2014

Decrayer said:
....interdict ships with a "wanted" status, but it seems that thoose are not counted as pirates.

Yeah, this threw me for ages. If the missions want you to attack specific pirates, that should really be made clear.

HardstyleFlavor · Dec 17, 2014

Thanks everyone for the replies.

Now if I could figure out how to refuel my ship without:
A. Enough fuel to fully explore the system i'm in (my basic discovery scanner only reports the main star)
B. Enough fuel to get to another system with a re-fueling capable station
C. A fuel-scoop

Time to go scour the wiki's

Epicurean Dream · Dec 17, 2014

HardstyleFlavor said:
Thanks everyone for the replies.

Now if I could figure out how to refuel my ship without:
A. Enough fuel to fully explore the system i'm in (my basic discovery scanner only reports the main star)
B. Enough fuel to get to another system with a re-fueling capable station
C. A fuel-scoop

Time to go scour the wiki's

Basic Discovery Scanner only works out to about a 5,000 LS radius. You'll need to fly about a bit and 'eyeball' for stars with parallax movement. They'll be in the system. Fly towards them and your speed will eventually begin to tank, hit your DS then and you should find the new astronomical objects that are now in range.

If you're all out of fuel with no options though, your only choice is to self destruct :/

Stations always show up on the nav panel though, they don't need to be discovered. If there are none on the nav panel there aren't any in the system.

Tettric · Dec 17, 2014

You can either self destruct (and re-spawn at the last station you were in) or run your ship entirely out of fuel. This will broadcast a distress signal and you'll be able to buy fuel for an inflated price.

HardstyleFlavor · Dec 17, 2014

Tettric said:
You can either self destruct (and re-spawn at the last station you were in) or run your ship entirely out of fuel. This will broadcast a distress signal and you'll be able to buy fuel for an inflated price.

I did hear about a distress beacon of sorts, but also that it was removed in a patch. I don't think there are any stations in my system, nothing but the main star shows up in the nav. panel. I suppose I'll have to try running out of fuel completely, although I just bought some gold (which is in my cargo hold) and might not have enough for an NPCs fuel cost lol.

Thanks again.

Kitiara · Dec 17, 2014

HardstyleFlavor said:
I did hear about a distress beacon of sorts, but also that it was removed in a patch. I don't think there are any stations in my system, nothing but the main star shows up in the nav. panel. I suppose I'll have to try running out of fuel completely, although I just bought some gold (which is in my cargo hold) and might not have enough for an NPCs fuel cost lol.

Thanks again.

The distress signal was a placeholder feature before the introduction of fuel scoops. It was removed when fuel scooping became a possibility

lefty1117 · Dec 17, 2014

When I get these missions I try to remember to put something in my cargo hold. Some of the USS will have NPCs that are "clean" but then they scan you. If they see you have cargo, they will attack which should make them valid mission targets.