Newcomer / Intro Silent Running

[cassog]

I'm sure you guys know this, but for anyone that doesn't....if you happen to accidentally pick up a bounty...dock at an Outpost to pay the fine..no scans.

Take care! This is not always the case. I found out through experience just this afternoon. While Bounty Hunting around the Nav beacon in Lave system I picked up a small (330 cr) bounty and Wanted status when another ship flew through my beams.
I got out of there fast and looked for the nearest outpost station - Warinius - and quickly made my way there to pay off the fine.
For the first time ever at an outpost I was scanned while trying to dock and the next thing I knew was being attacked by a squadron of security vessels. Just before I SC'ed out I noticed that Warinius is actually a Military Outpost - which probably explains it.
I do think the use of Lethal Force is a little over the top BTW for an unintentional Friendly Fire incident and a 300cr fine.
If it's for a less-than-lethal attack with just a small fine attached, I can't understand why they don't allow you some time to pay off the fine before slapping a Wanted bounty on your head.
Anyway just remember - not all outposts are scan-free.

 

[Dommarraa]

Take care! This is not always the case. I found out through experience just this afternoon. While Bounty Hunting around the Nav beacon in Lave system I picked up a small (330 cr) bounty and Wanted status when another ship flew through my beams.
I got out of there fast and looked for the nearest outpost station - Warinius - and quickly made my way there to pay off the fine.
For the first time ever at an outpost I was scanned while trying to dock and the next thing I knew was being attacked by a squadron of security vessels. Just before I SC'ed out I noticed that Warinius is actually a Military Outpost - which probably explains it.
I do think the use of Lethal Force is a little over the top BTW for an unintentional Friendly Fire incident and a 300cr fine.
If it's for a less-than-lethal attack with just a small fine attached, I can't understand why they don't allow you some time to pay off the fine before slapping a Wanted bounty on your head.
Anyway just remember - not all outposts are scan-free.

You can get scanned by System Security anywhere, although Military Outposts are a hot spot for them. Always look for ships on your radar, and take appropriate action (run or hide and wait for them to go away)

 

[willowfan]

When the next update drops, it will be more dangerous to boost in when smuggling (Ramming Fines). Silent Running might be a better option.

Maybe, though I never boost in, just full speed, no afterburners. Still might have to rethink the occasional "tight squeeze" entry

 

[Mulreay]

The problem I've found with silent running is panic. When you forget a key binding or system and your heat is going through the roof. I've had it happen to me a couple of times when in a stressful situation. I would advise going to a safe place like a station no fire zone and practising switching everything on and off in a logical order as fast and as safely as you can.
Do this many times to get the muscle memory then the stress doing it under pressure becomes much more manageable.

That's what helped me out anyway.

 

[p.opus]

I know I could get voice attack, but I would feel like a tool "talking to my computer". I wish you could bind a button that would allow your ship to go cold and turn off everything except life support. That would take out some of the cool, powering off all systems stuff, but it would be great in combat. I know it's not currently possible without me screaming at my computer, but it is a wish that you could automate shutting down subsystems.

 

[cassog]

I find silent running crucial when trying to dock with stations with a bounty and avoiding getting killed when I've bitten off more than I chew.

Silent running as others have mentioned immediately reduces your external heat signature which makes you very hard to target. As a result, it is difficult to be scanned and difficult to get a gimble lock or any other lockon.

Where people screw up Silent Running is that they don't power down systems afterwards so that they can stay silent.


Combat avoidance:
If you are getting creamed and you can't immediately jump out, you can hit silent running to disappear momentarily from your enemies screens. Then turn off flight assist and boost away in a random direction. With flight assist off, you now can stay going indefinitely in that direction without further thrust. Immediately go to your right CRT and start shutting off all your systems, including thrusters except vitals (like life support). By the time you turn off all your systems, you should be getting close to 100% heat. Now turn off silent running. You will initially bloom on your enemies radar as you dissipate all that stored up heat, but then since you are generating nearly zero heat you will almost immediately disappear again. Yes, you are defenseless at this point, basically a small tumbling piece of metal, but most likely your enemy won't be able to target you and eventually will give up looking or will start looking the wrong way and you'll eventually drift out of his sensor range. After about 3 minutes to 5 minutes, turn on your sensors and see if he's still around...This will make you a little bit more detectable, but not much. If the coast is clear, turn on your systems and frame shift jump the heck out of there.

Busting into a space station.
You've got that cargo full of slaves, that you want to black market, or you just copped some stolen death star plans from some wreckage and you now need to enter the space station to get rid of them. If you go in the typical way, chances are station security will scan you, and either open fire, or jack you with a huge fine that makes those death star plans worthless. So how do you get in undetected. Simple strategy that works every time. Take a wide turn around the station and hover out of the front of the station at about 7.25 clicks. This is too far out for patrols to care about you and is a great place to start your run. Now power down all your systems. If you power enough of them down, you'll see the ice forming on your windshield. Keep life support on, after all, no need to evacuate the cabin for this. The idea is you want to start cold enough that you can get into the station with silent running activated and not do internal damage. Once you are nice and chilly, turn on your sensors and ask for clearance to land. Once you have clearance. enable silent running and turn thrusters on and make a bee line to the mail slot. You are going to raise heat fast so don't dilly dally. You should be able to get through the mailslot without being scanned. Once you are inside the station, turn off silent running and vent all your heat on that poor pedestrian and his poodle making a doodle beneath your ship. Now you can land normally and get rid of those contraband items through the black market. Be sure to turn on all your systems while on the pad.

Some heroes just go in at full speed and try to "beat the scan". However, that can get you killed if someone is coming out, or if you fail to stop before hitting the far wall. I prefer going in silent with full control of my ship. I can ususally vent my ship at 70% heat or less which is plenty of time and I have yet to get scanned.

So Silent Running definitely has it's uses, but it is temporary at best.

many thanks for a really detailed explanation of using Silent Running - and even better - one that actually works. I have just tried out your system for sneaking into a Coriolis - worked perfectly (even though I didn't have any contraband - too much of a chicken to try that out).
Have some well-earned Rep.

 

[Dommarraa]

Sorry, but actually trying it out BEFORE your life depends on is cheating. You are supposed to be pumped up, panic, take heat damage, get scanned and fined anyway shortly before boosting onto a wall. That's how REAL smugglers do it! ;}

 

[drspikes]

Am I right in thinking that a successful scan when wanted by security forces will lead to cancellation of docking privileged as that didn't happen tonight? I got scanned despite silent running and the security vessel started firing on me as I went through the mailbox. The station did not fire on me and allowed docking.

 

[Blaubart]

about the combat avoidance: i tried to use slient runnign to get rid of some security when i got a RES bounty lately.... only about half of them decided to let go of me. i got out alive by going out of silet running again and boosting away but here is my quesiont: is this sensor loss not instant or something? I paniced a little bit because... well... no shileds. But how do the pros evade? i just read p.opus description but i basicly failed on the first step... my ship is a vulture with a quite low basic heat profile actually; when i smuggle i usually just turn off the unnecessary components and my heatsignature is already only one or two pixels wide.

 

[cassog]

Sorry, but actually trying it out BEFORE your life depends on is cheating. You are supposed to be pumped up, panic, take heat damage, get scanned and fined anyway shortly before boosting onto a wall. That's how REAL smugglers do it! ;}

Point taken, so I just tried it again - not while carrying illicit cargo but with a bright red Wanted tag showing above my fuel gauge and an impressive 98k of fines stacked up against me.
Once again P.opus method worked a treat and I snuck through the mail slot without being scanned.
Still a bit of a cheat really though - I was playing the new Beta (crossover) game, so it wasn't as if I was really risking anything.
The Beta has given me a chance to do some things that I've always wanted to try:

1. Buy and fly an Imperial Clipper. With all ships costing just 100cr and no rank limitations, this was an ideal opportunity to try out the ship of your dreams. last Beta I tried the Anaconda - only to discover that it wasn't my dreamship after all.
I'm finding the Clipper very impressive though.
I used the 'Buy'n'Strip' Anacondas ploy to generate some quick credits, and with 20+ stripped out shells in storage (you have to store them remember, not sell them back!) I soon had almost 100 million in the bank.
I used most of that to upgrade - with the best of everytning and packed to the gunwales with Shield Boosters and Hull Reinforcements.
2. Stand up to the cops. Successfully Bounty Hunting at the nearest Nav beacon when the familiar 'Friendly Fire' accident happened. This time though I stayed to face the Security Vessels ---- Lord how often have I (and I'm sure I'm not alone in this) wanted to do that. Managed to take out close to 20 of them - while still carrying on racking up bounties from other ships in between - before my shields were down to about 30% and I chose discretion over valour. Boy did it feel good though.
3. Sneak into a station without being scanned and while being Wanted. Instead of SC'ing to the nearest outpost, I deliberately chose to put in at a full station.
As I said - P.opus' method for doing this worked brilliantly and I glided through the slot with the first Heat Level warning just ringing out - turned Silent Running back off and everything was OK again.

So, all in all, a really good and fun experience - especially taking down those arrogant Security Vessels.
Now, does anyone know where the worm hole is that allows me to fly my Clipper out of Beta and into the real ED environment?
Take care and fly safe - unless your one of those power-crazy cops of course.

 

[who?]

Some heroes just go in at full speed and try to "beat the scan". However, that can get you killed if someone is coming out, or if you fail to stop before hitting the far wall.

Maybe I'm exceptionally lucky (I doubt it) or it's dependent on the ship you're in (cargo ships are scanned more often than smaller craft maybe?), but getting into stations with illicit / stolen cargo can be incredibly easy. You don't need silent mode or to boost in at full speed.

You just need to line up with the slot >5Km out, then head in at 200m/s or so. Once you're about to enter the "toast rack" slow to about 100 - or whatever speed you need to get safely through the letterbox. I haven't even had them start a scan in weeks of playing like this, and even if they did there's nowhere near enough time for them to finish it before I get in.

I'd actually prefer it if it were more difficult, so I had to use silent running.