Planetary Scan Missions - ARRRRRRRGH!!!!!
- Thread starter SxChuck
- Start date
But this is not the case since 2.4. Each mission does create its own POI. The only exception to this that I have noticed is if you hit the multiple missions to one system bug described above.
Gotta say, the repeated messages can be irritating.
If you've got, say, a scan job in the same system where you're also making a bunch of deliveries you end up getting the same bloody message over and over and over again, every time you dock at a station, leave a station, enter SC, leave SC, land on a planet, leave a planet etc.
Surely it couldn't be that hard to set it up so it gives you the message once and that's your lot?
Not that fussed about things that happen as a result of stacking missions.
When you're doing that, you shouldn't be surprised when wacky things happen.
If you've got, say, a scan job in the same system where you're also making a bunch of deliveries you end up getting the same bloody message over and over and over again, every time you dock at a station, leave a station, enter SC, leave SC, land on a planet, leave a planet etc.
Surely it couldn't be that hard to set it up so it gives you the message once and that's your lot?
Not that fussed about things that happen as a result of stacking missions.
When you're doing that, you shouldn't be surprised when wacky things happen.
Based on FD's history of these things, I find I have to agree.
However, it would be nice if they eventually get round to fixing things properly. I just ignore all the message, though. They disappear once you hand the mission in anyway (though I do have to clear all the data messages from the scans). Shame the passenger messages don't do the same (why do I need to know that my passengers disembarked? I told them to!).
Okay - completed the ramaining 4 missions and all went well. In fact, three of them were in the same system and for the first time (I've probably done nearly a thousand of these missions this year - it's what I got Horizons for) each scan was at a different planet. They all worked as they should - one scan got me sent to a second location, to recover 'lost' items from a USS, which I have never had before. I even messed it up the first attempt by destroying one of the items when trying to scoop it - I simply returned later and was able to find the mission critical items in a different USS.
So not only does it appear the problem is fixed for me - the missions are now much better, too.
Must have been either something in yesterdays hotfix, or something that's been changed server side.
So not only does it appear the problem is fixed for me - the missions are now much better, too.
Must have been either something in yesterdays hotfix, or something that's been changed server side.
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Bob Lighthouse
Banned
There are 20 slots...
How many should one take?
Why should that result in wacky things?
Yes. I have done a few in the past few weeks but today however its been pretty bad. I put a bug report in about what happened.
Have you installed ED yet?
Bob Lighthouse
Banned
I've done quite a few of these over the last week, and they are working much better than pre 2.4, but they still have a bug occasionally.
If stacking 2 or more in a single system, they do send you to different locations, sometimes on the same planet.
But sometimes when I scan one site, the wrong mission completes. If I am supposed to go to planets A and B, I scan A, and B shows complete. Then you just have to get into supercruise, and come right back to A to re-activate the beacon and scan it again.
Otherwise they are working well, albeit a bit dull.
If stacking 2 or more in a single system, they do send you to different locations, sometimes on the same planet.
But sometimes when I scan one site, the wrong mission completes. If I am supposed to go to planets A and B, I scan A, and B shows complete. Then you just have to get into supercruise, and come right back to A to re-activate the beacon and scan it again.
Otherwise they are working well, albeit a bit dull.
It looks like I spoke too soon. Those remaining scan jobs I had worked okay - I have been avoiding them since, but took on quite a few yesterday, to see how it went. I had 4 which were single missions in 4 systems and 14 that were multiple missions in 5 systems.
I didn't get past the 4 singles, though. The first 3 went okay, but the last one refused to complete - and it was in the same system that I had all the problems last time. FK5 2550 - last time the scan was on 9C and it took me 4 attempts that didn't work, before taking a break of a day and then revisiting and getting success on the 5th scan.
Yesterday, it was on 9D - and I have so far scanned it twice, with no success. It's nothing special - just a standard "our equipment isn't working, please scan so we can analyse" type.
I went on to one of the multiple missions in a system - Siren, and 3 scan tasks. These actually all came up as different planets, which is great - but the issue here is different. It was also a malfunctioning equipment scan, but it is full of "wanted" drones and had a navy Python hovering overhead, waiting.
This is really ridiculous. I don't mind getting difficult missions, but this is folly. I know they can be cancelled, but why should I lose rep and money for such a stupid task? If I shoot the skimmers, the Python will attack me and kill me - if not in the SRV, then almost certainly in my DBX, before I have a chance to get the gear up. If I go close enough to scan the beacon, I will get a bounty (forbidden zone) with the same result.
We need missions that are plausible and possible - not suicide missions. This is different from the main issue here - but I think these things have long been due a complete overhaul. I always feel a bit of a prat, following that "search" target around like a lost puppy, until it settles on the POI. Why not either just let us go to the POI directly (who would believe they don't know where it is, unless it's a salvage op?) or have it inside a defined area and let us actually search for the thing.
Anyway, I'm going back to scan 9D again in a minute - and if it doesn't work this time, I'm sticking cabins back into my DBX and heading off exploring again. It's so much more staisfying when I don't get repeatedly messed around unnecessarily.
EDIT: Nope - repeatedly messed up, continually wanted, paying fines, etc - just abandoned the 12 remaining scan missions and binning it until it gets sorted. Back to VR flight simming...
I didn't get past the 4 singles, though. The first 3 went okay, but the last one refused to complete - and it was in the same system that I had all the problems last time. FK5 2550 - last time the scan was on 9C and it took me 4 attempts that didn't work, before taking a break of a day and then revisiting and getting success on the 5th scan.
Yesterday, it was on 9D - and I have so far scanned it twice, with no success. It's nothing special - just a standard "our equipment isn't working, please scan so we can analyse" type.
I went on to one of the multiple missions in a system - Siren, and 3 scan tasks. These actually all came up as different planets, which is great - but the issue here is different. It was also a malfunctioning equipment scan, but it is full of "wanted" drones and had a navy Python hovering overhead, waiting.
This is really ridiculous. I don't mind getting difficult missions, but this is folly. I know they can be cancelled, but why should I lose rep and money for such a stupid task? If I shoot the skimmers, the Python will attack me and kill me - if not in the SRV, then almost certainly in my DBX, before I have a chance to get the gear up. If I go close enough to scan the beacon, I will get a bounty (forbidden zone) with the same result.
We need missions that are plausible and possible - not suicide missions. This is different from the main issue here - but I think these things have long been due a complete overhaul. I always feel a bit of a prat, following that "search" target around like a lost puppy, until it settles on the POI. Why not either just let us go to the POI directly (who would believe they don't know where it is, unless it's a salvage op?) or have it inside a defined area and let us actually search for the thing.
Anyway, I'm going back to scan 9D again in a minute - and if it doesn't work this time, I'm sticking cabins back into my DBX and heading off exploring again. It's so much more staisfying when I don't get repeatedly messed around unnecessarily.
EDIT: Nope - repeatedly messed up, continually wanted, paying fines, etc - just abandoned the 12 remaining scan missions and binning it until it gets sorted. Back to VR flight simming...
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Yeah, did this to me the other night. Jumped into a system with 3 different destinations shown, but after I scanned the first beacon, it kept sending me back there. Made almost 9 mil though for scanning the same beacon 3 times, so I'm not really complaining!
The situation you described is actually doable...
(And protected planetary scan locations are more common now, although it is all just RNG.)When you land, and get into your SRV, if the outpost has an exclusion zone, marked in red, then it will be a private data point. There's no way of getting around becoming wanted for completing the mission, but if you are clever you will escape, the bounty will be 400 credits (or thereabouts), and will expire after 8 minutes.
Do not dismiss your ship, but try and land in a place that is not visible to turrets at the outpost, behind a hill, or perhaps in a crater.
(If there are skimmers or turrets present, but the outpost has no exclusion zone and the data point is marked as public, you can safely ignore them.)
Drive up to the exclusion zone, but don't trigger it. The skimmers will act menacing, but ignore them, they won't attack until you become wanted. There will be one place around the perimeter where the data point will be targetable without entering the exclusion zone. You just have to find that place. Target the data point in turret mode, you should see that it is marked as private. Ideally you want to be positioned for a quick getaway, because things are about to get messy...
Scan the data point. As soon as the scan completes you become wanted. Turrets and skimmers will attack you immediately, so you already need to be speeding away towards your ship. If there is a ship present, it will now take off and as soon as it can it too will start to attack you. Your SRV is a small target for the ship to hit easily, you can survive. Get back to your ship and board it.
As soon as you are back in your ship you will get messages that the ship is under attack, so without further ado, take off, stow landing gear and boost away from the attacking ship. Have pips to SYS also for stronger shields. Depending on your ship, you will, with a bit of boosting be able to get away from the NPC ship, then jump to supercruise and out of the system.
I guess much depends on your ship. I typically use a Viper MkIV or an Imperial Courier for these missions, so it's relatively easy to find decent hiding places on the ground, and both are fast enough and have strong enough shields to get away from the attacking ship. I actually quite like the defended outpost missions as they offer a little bit of tactical challenge. Anyway, above is how I approach them, and they are definitely possible, and as mentioned, the fine you pay after the bounty expires is nothing in comparison to the payment for the mission.
Bob Lighthouse
Banned
The situation you described is actually doable...
When you land, and get into your SRV, if the outpost has an exclusion zone, marked in red, then it will be a private data point. There's no way of getting around becoming wanted for completing the mission, but if you are clever you will escape, the bounty will be 400 credits (or thereabouts), and will expire after 8 minutes.
Do not dismiss your ship, but try and land in a place that is not visible to turrets at the outpost, behind a hill, or perhaps in a crater.
(If there are skimmers or turrets present, but the outpost has no exclusion zone and the data point is marked as public, you can safely ignore them.)
Drive up to the exclusion zone, but don't trigger it. The skimmers will act menacing, but ignore them, they won't attack until you become wanted. There will be one place around the perimeter where the data point will be targetable without entering the exclusion zone. You just have to find that place. Target the data point in turret mode, you should see that it is marked as private. Ideally you want to be positioned for a quick getaway, because things are about to get messy...
Scan the data point. As soon as the scan completes you become wanted. Turrets and skimmers will attack you immediately, so you already need to be speeding away towards your ship. If there is a ship present, it will now take off and as soon as it can it too will start to attack you. Your SRV is a small target for the ship to hit easily, you can survive. Get back to your ship and board it.
As soon as you are back in your ship you will get messages that the ship is under attack, so without further ado, take off, stow landing gear and boost away from the attacking ship. Have pips to SYS also for stronger shields. Depending on your ship, you will, with a bit of boosting be able to get away from the NPC ship, then jump to supercruise and out of the system.
I guess much depends on your ship. I typically use a Viper MkIV or an Imperial Courier for these missions, so it's relatively easy to find decent hiding places on the ground, and both are fast enough and have strong enough shields to get away from the attacking ship. I actually quite like the defended outpost missions as they offer a little bit of tactical challenge. Anyway, above is how I approach them, and they are definitely possible, and as mentioned, the fine you pay after the bounty expires is nothing in comparison to the payment for the mission.
I kill the skimmers before I scan the data point, either from my ship of the srv.
You usually get a small bounty.
They are not very tough.
The smaller turrets go down in a few shots too.
i quite like it when there is an exclusin zone amongst my scan job missions, stops them being too dull. Todo: Must read text on mission givers screen, is there a hint on the missions where I will become wanted, so I can plot my route properly to minimise risk of having to scan whilst wanted?
There are 2 methods above on how to achive these, quite like the fact one is "sledgehammer", taking the defences out before the scan, the other is "stealth" trying to avoid triggering till the last minute, and then the run for the ship.
I use the "stealth" method, nothing quite like full throttle on an SRV in rough terrain, bobbing about to avoid ship weapons and trying to get back to your ship! I suspect, I am just bad at it! Where you park your ship is really important. Not too close, nothing more embrrassing as an SRV still folded up trying to scan a data point!
Only thing I wil add is, the ships seems to be more accurate at shooting when you "fly" the SRV in my experience, so wheels on ground.
Simon
There are 2 methods above on how to achive these, quite like the fact one is "sledgehammer", taking the defences out before the scan, the other is "stealth" trying to avoid triggering till the last minute, and then the run for the ship.
I use the "stealth" method, nothing quite like full throttle on an SRV in rough terrain, bobbing about to avoid ship weapons and trying to get back to your ship! I suspect, I am just bad at it! Where you park your ship is really important. Not too close, nothing more embrrassing as an SRV still folded up trying to scan a data point!
Only thing I wil add is, the ships seems to be more accurate at shooting when you "fly" the SRV in my experience, so wheels on ground.
Simon
I think it's simply RNG as to whether a planetary scan will be public or private. I've always wished that all missions were more specific about their legality or whether they will be opposed, but with the proceduraly generated method that seems to be used, it's probably not possible.
Yes, the full on attack method is quite viable, and one thing I will say is that in all of the complaints regarding missions, it's actually quite nice, intended or not, that there are multiple ways of successfully completing these missions.