Safety, or a place for low-risk play

[Mannie Davis]

TL;DR: Is there a place in E, or a playstyle, where I can give up more lucrative reward, in exchange for a safer, calmer, low-risk gaming experience?

Longer version: I'm a lousy gamer. Poor reflexes, low tolerance for twitchier combat and challenges. I'm also pretty casual, playing any games only a few hours a week, so I'm not likely to put the time in to get much better. What I was hoping for in E (picked up EH right before release) is a game where I can just putz around, avoid combat, explore, craft, upgrade, etc. I played a lot of Runescape back in the day, doing mostly gathering and crafting; I've played a lot of GW2 recently, mostly in the starter areas, gathering and crafting and playing Barbie.

But having played for maybe 10 hours of E, figuring out how to dock, travel between systems, do simple missions off the BB, etc., I get interdicted and killed with annoying regularity. This is either in Private play, or playing with Mobius, so I'm fairly certain that it's just NPCs that I'm up against. I am *not* saying there's *anything* wrong with E's combat; I've watched enough vids and streams, that I'm certain that the problem here is just me.

So yeah, I could just stick with a starter ship and fly around and try to not let it bother me when I die, but I'd rather find a place or playstyle that will let me stay safe, but yet progress at *something*. I'd like to try my hand at exploring, but what little I've done, I've lost 2/3 of it w/o selling, because of getting killed before going enough LY to sell. I'd consider mining, but I keep hearing that that's one of the *more* dangerous activities out there. I got myself a SRV and landed (somewhere, I forget where), but in an hour of wandering around, found absolutely nothing, resource-wise, to collect.

Any ideas? Or is E just not my game?

Thanks,
Mannie

 

[Riverside]

Well the nature of the game is that you'll get some action wherever you call home, but if you look at the traffic news items in each port it'll give you an idea of how many players use it. Pick a low traffic area & do some bounty hunting to improve system security.

I've had the same home system for a long time now, and it's pretty safe for me to fly in it because I 'manage' it and it's neighbouring systems. Takes time though.

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

Baisc courier missions are pretty low risk. They pay very little though. Sometimes less than 1000cr. Lol
Chances are though, you're gonna get in to a scrap.
You may as well practice combat vs weedy opponents.

 

[Arry]

Remember those 1st days in Runescape, with that bronze axe and sword? In ED that is the Sidewinder, with two small pulse weapons. Try running delivery mission to build up you credits. Truth be told, I went through 19 free sidewinders, before being able to afford my first Cobra, this is not the easiest game, but just take it one day at a time, keep your goals simple. My 1st goal was to just complete a day without loss.

 

[Mannie Davis]

Yeah, and I've seen people comment that "they don't call it EliteANGEROUS for nothing". :/

I have been a bit underwhelmed with how well the game itself communicates things; I've had to use other sources (this forum, Reddit, YouTube, etc.) to figure most everything out about the controls and gameplay. Was just hoping there was something I was missing, where if you stay in this kind of system, vs that kind, you're in a safe zone and won't ever get messed with, but won't ever make much money, etc.

Thanks, both of you,
Mannie

- - - - - Additional Content Posted / Auto Merge - - - - -

Remember those 1st days in Runescape, with that bronze axe and sword?

... this is not the easiest game ...

Yeah, the good old days... I guess the contrast for me is that it was pretty clear in Runescape (and GW2), even from the start, that a) there was a lot to do with zero risk, and b) it was clear where there was risk and where there wasn't. Seems like E includes risk in everything, and that's just what you should expect when leaving the dock.

Thanks,
Mannie

 

[Nick Sticks]

You don't say whether you are using keyboard or joystick. If you are using the keyboard to play you will find that a joystick (HOTAS) makes it much easier to fly a ship, and therefore deal with NPC's.
.
If you are not sure get a cheap one like the Thrustmaster T-Flight Hotas X for £35 on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Thrustmaster-T-Flight-Hotas-Joystick-PC-PS3/dp/B001CXYMFS
.
http://www.thrustmaster.com/products/tflight-hotas-x
.
I have one and really like it.
.

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

They other way to gain a few credits, with minimal risk, is head go a Resource Extraction Site, ideally LOW.
Make sure you take NO cargo what do ever. And equip some weapons you can afford.
Then just follow system security ships about. If you see them shoot something thats WANTED, wait until its half dead, depending on its size, then join in.
You'll get full bounty to cash in at a station.
That's more or less how I earned my Eagle and then my Viper.

For a rough guide on 'when to kill steal'
A small ship, Sidey, Viper, Eagle, wait until 0% shields and 50% hull.
Medium ships, like Cobras and DiamondBack Scouts, wait until 30% hull. And anything bigger is not recommended.
Definitely avoid Federal Dropships, Assault ships, Asps, Clippers, Pythons, Anacondas, unless they're taking a real beating and you can hop in at 30% hull without risking yourself.

 

[Bacalao]

Sounds like you need to practice your escape and set up defensively. Install a chaff launcher! If interdicted, submit, turn toward your attacker and boost past him. As soon as he starts shooting, use a chaff amd keep boosting. Go back to supercruise(low wake). If he interdicts you again (is persistent), do the same thing, but jump to another system(high wake).

If he is in a bigger ship then your supercruise charge time will be inhibited, so switch to a high wake (you can select any system quickly from the left hand nav panel, any will do). As you upgrade your ships, chaff launcher, shield cell back, a heat sink launcher(to counteract the heat from an SCB), used moderately well with the appropriate high/low wake will allow you to escape any engagement.

There are players who play combat free, no weapons installed at all. It is very doable to avoid combat in ED. If you want to practice combat, put gimballef weapons on your sidewinder, upgrade the shield and distributor and go to a nav beacon. There will be a slow, but steady feed of very low ranked, single wanted ships coming through for you to practice "defensive combat" with, and it things go sour, you get to practice running away.

Good luck commander.

 

[foxpur]

Note, you can join in a group (such as Mobius) and play on a 'shared only by the group' and no other players. So it limits your tactics to AI only since the group just mentioned is PvE only... eliminates a level of annoyance.

 

[Noddie]

Find some high security systems, and don't get ahead of yourself. If combat is a problem, get gimballed weapons or avoid it. Practicing in Cqc might help.

Personally in the early days I went (I think) sidewinder, Hauler, Adder, T6, Cobra. I actually disarmed the hauler and t6 (not worth the weight - these are not combat vessels) and just submitted to interdictions before boosting and jumping away.

Bulletin board mission are good as they don't require any investment on your part. Avoid Anarchy systems like the plague and instead get friendly or allied with a faction so that they'll send ships to help you if you get attacked in their systems.

Hope that helps...

 

[Sams]

Hi Mannie,

I'm in Mobius and I try to help new members as much as possible. Add me as a friend in-game and if possible, join the teamspeak channel so we can talk. I can go through things with you and you can earn you several thousand credits while we do it.

 

[Futuristic Kung Fu]

I would suggest mining AWAY from RESs. Very calming and, in it's own way, fun. Try to get a system with rings very close to the station so you have the least chance of being interdicted.

 

[Gibbralter]

My suggestion would be mining as well. dont drop into a RES sight, just head toward the Pristine metallic ring untill you drop into the ring belt, nobody will be around and you can mine in peace, take your time, Mining is one of the only professions in this game where you can walk away for a period of time and still be ok

 

[Mannie Davis]

Sounds like the general theme of all of these replies is: "Nope, no safe place. You just need to get better at combat".

Might just go look for better tuts showing how to avoid or evade interdictions, and hope some kind of safe mode gets added at some point. I keep hearing ppl say "NPCs are rubbish", so maybe there's something simple that I haven't figured out yet.

Thanks, all,
Mannie

 

[Futuristic Kung Fu]

Sounds like the general theme of all of these replies is: "Nope, no safe place. You just need to get better at combat".

Might just go look for better tuts showing how to avoid or evade interdictions, and hope some kind of safe mode gets added at some point. I keep hearing ppl say "NPCs are rubbish", so maybe there's something simple that I haven't figured out yet.

Thanks, all,
Mannie

Please read the two posts above yours! Combat is NOT essential! As long as you can afford a rebuy (you never know), and can run away, which is pretty easy.

 

[Mannie Davis]

Please read the two posts above yours! Combat is NOT essential! As long as you can afford a rebuy (you never know), and can run away, which is pretty easy.

Right, sorry, I shouldn't have said "combat is essential". More accurate to say that risk is just an integral part of the game, that I either need to get better at fighting or running, but that there isn't anywhere that I can go (outside of stations) or anything that I can do, where I will know I won't get messed with (at least by NPCs) at any point in the process (even if it's just returning to station with goods). Is that more accurate?

Man

 

[Futuristic Kung Fu]

Right, sorry, I shouldn't have said "combat is essential". More accurate to say that risk is just an integral part of the game, that I either need to get better at fighting or running, but that there isn't anywhere that I can go (outside of stations) or anything that I can do, where I will know I won't get messed with (at least by NPCs) at any point in the process (even if it's just returning to station with goods). Is that more accurate?

Man

Yes, but in a high security system where the RES is only a few ls from the station, the risk is EXTREMELY low. And running away consists mostly of boosting in a straight line and (not essential) rolling and holding the vertical thrusters.

 

[Tidal]

Go exploring. Once you're 400ly outside the bubble you're pretty much on your lonesome.

 

[Khazul]

IMHO there is only one to get going in this game - go to a hi-res extract zone and wait for the police to start shooting at something thats likely to have a good bounty on it -= large and wanted - anaconda, fdl etc. Before they actually kill it - get some shots in and keep yourself out of trouble and claim your first bounty. If you are lucky, that could be over 200k credits, should be at least 100k.

Now you can dump the sidewinder and get something else. If you are in a fragile ship and are struggling with it - keep doing the same. Avoid shooting anything in a wing to start with in case the others decide to start shooting at you.

IMHO this is the only way to get yourself going - everything else seems to be an indication and insta-kill hell thats pretty much enough to make anyone say sod this and do something else. Over time, you will get more used to active (you are attacking) or passive (you are fleeing) combat which will help you for anything else in this game.

It wont take long before you can think about a minimal exploring ship and get away from human space completely.

 

[Futuristic Kung Fu]

IMHO there is only one to get going in this game - go to a hi-res extract zone and wait for the police to start shooting at something thats likely to have a good bounty on it -= large and wanted - anaconda, fdl etc. Before they actually kill it - get some shots in and keep yourself out of trouble and claim your first bounty. If you are lucky, that could be over 200k credits, should be at least 100k.

Now you can dump the sidewinder and get something else. If you are in a fragile ship and are struggling with it - keep doing the same. Avoid shooting anything in a wing to start with in case the others decide to start shooting at you.

IMHO this is the only way to get yourself going - everything else seems to be an indication and insta-kill hell thats pretty much enough to make anyone say sod this and do something else. Over time, you will get more used to active (you are attacking) or passive (you are fleeing) combat which will help you for anything else in this game.

No no and NO! This is NOT the case! Mine, or, as Tidal very accurately suggested, go exploring, or even, although the risk is slightly higher, trading! But Combat is NOT the only way to go!