Silent Running prevents scans from security ships.

[GothSkunk]

Condition: VIP passenger hates being scanned.

Solution: Run ship silently when departing or arriving port.

What SHOULD happen: While running silent, security ships CANNOT scan you.

What IS happening: Despite running silent, security ships are still able to perform scans, upsetting your passenger and putting the mission at risk.




I will not accept any other explanation. Make these missions doable.

 

[varonica]

Silent running doesn't make you invisible, it's not a cloaking device, I can can still SEE you!

 

[yianniv]

Condition: VIP passenger hates being scanned.

Solution: Run ship silently when departing or arriving port.

What SHOULD happen: While running silent, security ships CANNOT scan you.

What IS happening: Despite running silent, security ships are still able to perform scans, upsetting your passenger and putting the mission at risk.




I will not accept any other explanation. Make these missions doable.

Just use heat sinks.
And get off that horse, OK?

 

[GothSkunk]

I do use heat sinks. Doesn't do a lick of good.

I can still see ships running cold or running silent, too, but the sensors only register it as a blip. If I get close enough I can get a sensor lock, so it stands to reason that bots and players can, too. My argument is that they should NOT be able to.

I remain committed to my position.

 

[Kzak]

Silent running isn't a 'I win!' button, it just reduces significantly the range at which other people can detect you on sensors and scan you. They can still see you with the good Mk 1 Eyeball. Combine this with exiting or entering the station at a good speed and this should help you avoid being scanned.

 

[CMDR M Kozak]

I do use heat sinks. Doesn't do a lick of good.

I can still see ships running cold or running silent, too, but the sensors only register it as a blip. If I get close enough I can get a sensor lock, so it stands to reason that bots and players can, too. My argument is that they should NOT be able to.

I remain committed to my position.

Ok.

 

[Rubbernuke]

IIRC ships have a vision cone, as well as radar awareness. The cone is driven by a 'conspicuousness' factor too.

Smuggling, sec ship evasion should be driven by many intertwined factors and not simply one.

 

[GothSkunk]

Silent running isn't a 'I win!' button, it just reduces significantly the range at which other people can detect you on sensors and scan you. They can still see you with the good Mk 1 Eyeball. Combine this with exiting or entering the station at a good speed and this should help you avoid being scanned.

To the best of my knowledge, there does not exist a meaningful counter to a scan against your vessel. No matter what I do, no matter how I fly, whether entering or exiting a port, it's inevitable and guaranteed. I THOUGHT I could evade scans by running silent, but now that I know that I cannot, I have to ask, 'then what's the bloody point?'

Smuggling illegal cargo lands the player a fine. A VIP passenger that doesn't want to be scanned loses satisfaction and aborts the contract. As far as I can see, the only thing I can do to avoid being scanned is to pray to RNGesus. That's not meaningful gameplay. If not an 'I win' button by silent running, then there NEEDS to be something, whether a module or a utility mount, that gives the player more time to get away from a scan. Otherwise, smuggling illegal cargo and VIP's that don't want to be scanned, are not worth the hassle. If they're not worth the hassle, why bother putting them in the game at all, except to trap the player?

I remain committed to my position.

 

[Kzak]

To the best of my knowledge, there does not exist a meaningful counter to a scan against your vessel. No matter what I do, no matter how I fly, whether entering or exiting a port, it's inevitable and guaranteed. I THOUGHT I could evade scans by running silent, but now that I know that I cannot, I have to ask, 'then what's the bloody point?'

Smuggling illegal cargo lands the player a fine. A VIP passenger that doesn't want to be scanned loses satisfaction and aborts the contract. As far as I can see, the only thing I can do to avoid being scanned is to pray to RNGesus. That's not meaningful gameplay. If not an 'I win' button by silent running, then there NEEDS to be something, whether a module or a utility mount, that gives the player more time to get away from a scan. Otherwise, smuggling illegal cargo and VIP's that don't want to be scanned, are not worth the hassle. If they're not worth the hassle, why bother putting them in the game at all, except to trap the player?

I remain committed to my position.

Back when we were running smuggling operations from Robigo to the Bubble, I used a shieldless Cobra Mk III (this was before engineering was implemented).

Approaching a space station (with an internal docking zone, i.e. Orbis, Ocellus etc.), I kept my distance at about 7-8 km out to stay off the scopes of the security ships, watching carefully to see if there was any ships entering or leaving the station. When I had found a gap/timeslot that I could enter the station in, I'd boost towards the station, requesting docking clearance at 7.5 km and then go silent running, usually passing through the mailslot at almost 400 m/s. A scan takes about 10 seconds to complete, and the security ships usually don't have that kind if time if you have silent running active and that speed, they would also stop the scan once you pass through the mailslot.

Worked hundreds of times for me. Just my two cents.

 

[Rebel Yell]

Silent running should make ships invisible to NV yarrrr

 

[Rubbernuke]

silent runs into a Fed station using a Cutter painted bright orange

I PROMISE I'M LEGIT DUDES NOTHING TO SEE HERE

 

[Darrack]

My argument is that they should NOT be able to.

You already had your answer here

Silent running doesn't make you invisible, it's not a cloaking device, I can can still SEE you!

^ see above, just because you are running cold doesn't mean your ship disappears.
Compare it to a modern stealth fighter which uses technology to 'mask' its position, its still visible if another plane gets close enough for a visual.

O7

 

[GothSkunk]

Back when we were running smuggling operations from Robigo to the Bubble, I used a shieldless Cobra Mk III (this was before engineering was implemented).

Approaching a space station (with an internal docking zone, i.e. Orbis, Ocellus etc.), I kept my distance at about 7-8 km out to stay off the scopes of the security ships, watching carefully to see if there was any ships entering or leaving the station. When I had found a gap/timeslot that I could enter the station in, I'd boost towards the station, requesting docking clearance at 7.5 km and then go silent running, usually passing through the mailslot at almost 400 m/s. A scan takes about 10 seconds to complete, and the security ships usually don't have that kind if time if you have silent running active and that speed, they would also stop the scan once you pass through the mailslot.

Worked hundreds of times for me. Just my two cents.

That's insane.

 

[metatheurgist]

My usual I win button for leaving unscanned is just to wait for the inevitable wanted ship to fly ahead and aggro all the cops.

 

[GothSkunk]

You already had your answer here

^ see above, just because you are running cold doesn't mean your ship disappears.
Compare it to a modern stealth fighter which uses technology to 'mask' its position, its still visible if another plane gets close enough for a visual.

O7

I'm not disputing that a ship should remain visible. I'm suggesting that, despite being visible, running cold/silent should mean the ship cannot be scanned. The pilot may see it, but the ship's sensors should not.

 

[Darrack]

I'm not disputing that a ship should remain visible. I'm suggesting that, despite being visible, running cold/silent should mean the ship cannot be scanned. The pilot may see it, but the ship's sensors should not.

If the ships close enough for a visual why would a sensor not be able to scan it? Running cold is similar (as i see it) to silent running on a sub, it decreases the detection range but you can still scan the sub if you know what your looking for and within range of the sonar.
Add to that if your close to a station defense ship running cold, don't you think hes going to get a bit suspicious?

Cold running is a tool to help avoid scanning not prevent it.
There is one way though, just run missions from outposts with no security like Robigo mines.

O7

 

[GothSkunk]

If the ships close enough for a visual why would a sensor not be able to scan it? Running cold is similar (as i see it) to silent running on a sub, it decreases the detection range but you can still scan the sub if you know what your looking for and within range of the sonar.
Add to that if your close to a station defense ship running cold, don't you think hes going to get a bit suspicious?

Cold running is a tool to help avoid scanning not prevent it.
There is one way though, just run missions from outposts with no security like Robigo mines.

O7

For the same reason your sensors briefly lose track of a ship that's used a heatsink following the deployment of a shield cell; it gets so cold that the ship's sensors are unable to distinguish it from the cold black abyss of space.

 

[Ashnak]

No matter what I do, no matter how I fly, whether entering or exiting a port, it's inevitable and guaranteed.

You have your answer right there - you just need to accept it.

First - are you talking about stations or the larger ground bases with patrol ships? The latter are more complicated - you need to listen to the NPC patrol chatter and time your approach accordingly. This is where I usually don't bother - there are enough passenger missions that don't involve ground bases that I don't have to accept those.

Otherwise, space stations are a piece of cake. Line up with the slot at 7.5 km out, get docking permission, then keep your ship cool and your speed high - keep in mind that even if the fuzz manage to start a scan, they need to finish it, too - and that they can't do after you disappear inside the station. It's a bit more difficult with a large ship, especially if there's a Beluga coming the other way, it's laughably easy with a souped up Viper or iCourier. Those don't even need to run cold - at 600 m/s, they just don't have the time to scan you. It does take a bit of trial and error, though, to learn to slow down soon enough so the bounce (a.k.a. lithobreaking) off the station's back (or your pad's tower) doesn't completely strip your shields .

Racing approaches in small ships aside, this is what I use for passenger missions:

Coriolis EDCD Edition

A ship builder, outfitting and comparison tool for Elite Dangerous

s.orbis.zone

Loadout is for thargoid evac missions, regular PAX missions would get a slightly different loadout, mainly for the cabin allocation, and would also receive a scoop. Not as fast (by a large margin) as the Viper or iCourier, but still fast enough to evade scans. And running cool enough that I can line up with the slot, request docking permission, go silent, pop a heatsink, hit boost and still arrive in the station without getting even close to overheating. Strangely, the ATCs don't complain if you eject a used heatsink inside the station. Bouncing off any superstructure is not recommended in this case, though, as going silent will cancel the shields - so time the boost accordingly.

Leaving the station is even easier - line up with the slot inside the station, full throttle and boost. Boost again until you can charge the FSD, then turn just in time for the direction and vector to align when the countdown hits zero.

Or, in other terms - Git Gud

P.S. If you are using a (A)DC - dump that piece of junk. That space is better used by basically anything else. The only acceptable use may be for fuel barges, Belugas and Cutters. And even in the latter case, that's highly disputable, as the ADC is prone to running the Cutter into anything solid rather than squeezing it through the slot.

 

[GothSkunk]

My usual I win button for leaving unscanned is just to wait for the inevitable wanted ship to fly ahead and aggro all the cops.

This is passive engagement. If the game requires it from us in order to complete the mission, that's poor game design. I have better things to do than sit and wait inside the station.

 

[Ashnak]

That's insane.

With a Cobra? Nah. You don't even need to wait for the gap, a Cobra can squeeze through almost anywhere.