Robogo, old school!

[Hugeness]

Robigo, old school!

Is it just me who thinks the old Robigo smuggling missions were some of the best fun, outside of PVP, you could have in the game?

Do you think FD should bring them back?

I speak of the fail on scan smuggling runs out of Robigo. The ones where you were pursued across the galaxy by enforcers and pirates who had been "tipped off".
I remember desperately attempting to flee the scans and assailants in a cloud of chaff and heatsinks, having engaged silent running.
NPCs attempting to bribe you to "drop down"
The panic of arriving at an outpost only to realise it was "Military " and watched by NPC police who would scan you on sight, and attempting to sneak under the radar via quiet paths with ice forming on the canopy.
Being yanked out of supercruise, usually whilst attempting to fuel scoop on route.
Sneaking into stations - in silent - trying not to hit other ships, or mess up the landing without shields.
Nervously taping the table as you waited for a landing pad at outposts, whilst desperately scanning the area for any police.

Well paid, but with some jeopardy and huge fun!

I know some of the NPCs appeared to be magic in their ability to get ahead of you, but even so, I thought FD were onto somthing with this mechanic, and I wish they woukd bring it back.

Edit: I know I spelled Robigo wrong in the thread title, apologies, I dont know how the change it!

 

[Red Anders]

No it's not just you. They were good fun but sadly many people didn't seem to like the fact that it was actually possible to fail at something if they only applied 10% of their concentration to it whilst watching netflix and so they were removed.

Thank you modern gamers, take a bow.

 

[tafkabb]

No, the short range smuggling missions were brilliant. But when that mission mechanic was discovered to be broken in a place as far out as Robigo, it ruined everything.
The short range smuggling missions I enjoyed so much in a silent running Cobra were killed off completely, and the long range missions required the cargo space of a Python.
I've never forgiven Robigo for that.

 

[Notwyn]

Nope, you are not alone. I thought those missions were great. The possibility of fail was a key component to the fun of the missions.
I would love to see smuggling missions back.

 

[Hugeness]

I think the "Fail on scan" was part of what made them so good.
You could loose everything, that jeopardy really made you keep your wits about you, and gave you a sense of achievement on completion.
The rewards were high, but so was the cost.

 

[Zeeman]

Yup, the only issue was really the way they always appeared on top of you, and the lack of original dialogue (the same text gets dull after a while... Use your RNG skills here, FD!!!).

Fail on scan was awesome, I've never been scanned yet, but there were so damn close calls, and those final few seconds when a scan started, and I had to get the ship into the letter box with my brain mentally counting form 10->1, whilst trying to keep my control of the ship smooth and precise... That was awesomeI'd love more gameplay like that, stuff that rewards flying skill...

Smuggling should be hard, and the payouts made it worthwhile.

Z...

- - - Updated - - -

I think the "Fail on scan" was part of what made them so good.
You could loose everything, that jeopardy really made you keep your wits about you, and gave you a sense of achievement on completion.
The rewards were high, but so was the cost.

Exactly, especially if you stacked a few missions, and you had 30m cr riding on making it without a scan... Otherwise your whole trip was wasted, not to mention lost rep (which, really, should be a huge rep loss).

Z...

 

[Martian Successor]

Robogo. Is that some sort of robot dance club?

I only ever did a Robigo run once and that was back in the day of the old school Robigo, 1 day before they killed the challenge of it in 2.1 in fact. I wanted to see what all the fuss was about before they patched it out. It was surprisingly immensely fun! And I say this having failed my first and unfortunately last run by getting scanned right at the end at the station just as I was seconds away from entering the slot - in my haste and nervousness I missed the slot and crashed against the station and before I could scramble into reverse and ungracefully clamber into the slot I got scanned. No time for anger or remorse at missing out on that big payday as I had to high tail it outta there as the station opened up on me.

Fun stuff. Unfortunately most things the player considers fun in ED usually meets an untimely yet inevitable demise at the hands of 'the next' update.

Is there anywhere else in the game were a similiar smuggling rush might be found currently or is the 'Robigo chase' experience totally gone for good from the game?

 

[Limoncello Lizard]

Exactly, especially if you stacked a few missions, and you had 30m cr riding on making it without a scan... Otherwise your whole trip was wasted, not to mention lost rep (which, really, should be a huge rep loss).

Rep loss from failing/abandoning missions is being increased significantly in 2.3. Maybe FD might be more inclined to bring back smuggling missions now.

 

[Hugeness]

No, the short range smuggling missions were brilliant. But when that mission mechanic was discovered to be broken in a place as far out as Robigo, it ruined everything.
The short range smuggling missions I enjoyed so much in a silent running Cobra were killed off completely, and the long range missions required the cargo space of a Python.
I've never forgiven Robigo for that.

Part of the pain/reward mechanic with the Robigo runs was because it was so far out. You really felt it, particularly if you were caught in the last few jumps!
I do however take your point that people with less time for the game could get a little frustrated after investing valuable time traveling out to Robigo...

Perhaps there's room for both, giving you the choice?
Lets have another go at them FD!

 

[Gunnet]

Never did them. But they sound like fun.

I don't see why they would remove high risk, high reward missions rather than just tinkering with the risk-reward factors until the net reward for the average player was about where they wanted it.

 

[Fendalton]

No it's not just you. They were good fun but sadly many people didn't seem to like the fact that it was actually possible to fail at something if they only applied 10% of their concentration to it whilst watching netflix and so they were removed.

Thank you modern gamers, take a bow.

I'd say it's more the immersion crowd who were upset they were being outpaced rather than the modern gamers.

Trust me, modern gamers HATE grinds.

 

[tafkabb]

Part of the pain/reward mechanic with the Robigo runs was because it was so far out. You really felt it, particularly if you were caught in the last few jumps!
I do however take your point that people with less time for the game could get a little frustrated after investing valuable time traveling out to Robigo...

Perhaps there's room for both, giving you the choice?
Lets have another go at them FD!

Yeah I didn't have a problem with the Robigo missions in themselves; I did one and it was fun, if time consuming. I don't begrudge the payouts others were earning either. But when the nerf hammer fell, short range smuggling missions were gone completely. That's what annoyed me the most. Smuggling in the Cobra was the most fun I'd had in the game.

 

[Hooplah]

I did the runs in a Cobra MK III, Asp Explorer, Python and even an Imp Clipper (could work Ceos/Sothis but not Robigo)! I learned more about pushing the envelope and capabilities of these ships than I could ever accomplish cruising around in the bubble. That experience was more valuable than the credits earned and has served me well since then!

 

[Comrade Napoleon]

I never heard of Robogo, you put it on your skin right ?

Cheers Cmdr's

 

[jynxed]

Unfortunately I was not playing during this time, I did however do a smuggling run the other day - didn't notice it was until after I took it as I didnt read all the mission discription. It was really good fun and would like more of them.

A place generating these missions sounds fun - I guess you could take a passanger who had wanted status for something similar.

 

[Infidel Deity]

Thank you modern gamers,... .

Said the really, really old and bitter man....

But, yeah.
Those smuggler runs out of Robigo was fun.
Could be quite intense. [yesnod]

 

[Lucius-Darcia]

Is it just me who thinks the old Robigo smuggling missions were some of the best fun, outside of PVP, you could have in the game?

Do you think FD should bring them back?

I speak of the fail on scan smuggling runs out of Robigo. The ones where you were pursued across the galaxy by enforcers and pirates who had been "tipped off".
I remember desperately attempting to flee the scans and assailants in a cloud of chaff and heatsinks, having engaged silent running.
NPCs attempting to bribe you to "drop down"
The panic of arriving at an outpost only to realise it was "Military " and watched by NPC police who would scan you on sight, and attempting to sneak under the radar via quiet paths with ice forming on the canopy.
Being yanked out of supercruise, usually whilst attempting to fuel scoop on route.
Sneaking into stations - in silent - trying not to hit other ships, or mess up the landing without shields.
Nervously taping the table as you waited for a landing pad at outposts, whilst desperately scanning the area for any police.

Well paid, but with some jeopardy and huge fun!

I know some of the NPCs appeared to be magic in their ability to get ahead of you, but even so, I thought FD were onto somthing with this mechanic, and I wish they woukd bring it back.

Edit: I know I spelled Robigo wrong in the thread title, apologies, I dont know how the change it!

This were times! Rep!
Yes i want to get those missions back. Not because of the money but because of the fun they made. It was the best stuff i have seen so far in ED. I really miss those days, the risk of loosing all what you should deliver at every new location where you arrive. Just so....FUN! That's the gameplay i wish to have for smugglers and not drifting into station with a full cutter load of slaves and just waving at my friends that don't scan me anyways
Times past......smuggling felt really like Han Solo

 

[Crimson Kaim]

I hate smuggling missions in general for the sole reason because NPCs ignore silent running. Smuggling is not about being unseen but rather boosting in a Cutter before the scan completes. So-much-immersion.

 

[Clicker]

Is it just me who thinks the old Robigo smuggling missions were some of the best fun, outside of PVP, you could have in the game?

Do you think FD should bring them back?

I speak of the fail on scan smuggling runs out of Robigo. The ones where you were pursued across the galaxy by enforcers and pirates who had been "tipped off".
I remember desperately attempting to flee the scans and assailants in a cloud of chaff and heatsinks, having engaged silent running.
NPCs attempting to bribe you to "drop down"
The panic of arriving at an outpost only to realise it was "Military " and watched by NPC police who would scan you on sight, and attempting to sneak under the radar via quiet paths with ice forming on the canopy.
Being yanked out of supercruise, usually whilst attempting to fuel scoop on route.
Sneaking into stations - in silent - trying not to hit other ships, or mess up the landing without shields.
Nervously taping the table as you waited for a landing pad at outposts, whilst desperately scanning the area for any police.

Well paid, but with some jeopardy and huge fun!

I know some of the NPCs appeared to be magic in their ability to get ahead of you, but even so, I thought FD were onto somthing with this mechanic, and I wish they woukd bring it back.

Edit: I know I spelled Robigo wrong in the thread title, apologies, I dont know how the change it!

Not just you, my friend.
I agree, it was some of the best fun doing missions, actyually, correct that, it wasn't "some of the best fun", it WAS the best fun so far. The risk versus reward was pretty much spot on.

Clicker

 

[tafkabb]

I hate smuggling missions in general for the sole reason because NPCs ignore silent running. Smuggling is not about being unseen but rather boosting in a Cutter before the scan completes. So-much-immersion.

We used to do them properly. Turn off life support before jumping into the system. Minimal modules. Disable FSD on arrival, shutdown engines, have only sensors running. Request docking, turn off ALL systems. Engage thrusters, heat sink, turn off thrusters.
Glide in, unheard and unseen.

Good times