Edit: after the 28 Feb server tick, the needed services are now in place.
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showt...-services-(including-Universal-Cartographics)
We now have a barebones station at Stuemeae FG-Y d7561. According to the information on eddb:
https://eddb.io/station/outfitting/70700
it currently has basic outfitting including some but not all mining equipment. eddb is not showing a pulse wave analyser or seismic charge launcher, but everything required for old-style mining is present, though not in high-rated versions for Optional Internals.
There is also a Commodity Market and refuelling, but crucially Restock and Repair is missing; and according to reports, though eddb doesn't say this, there appears to be no Authority Contact currently active in the station, causing at least one unfortunate player to pick up a small fine for a traffic violation and find himself locked out of the only station for 11,000 LY because there was no way to pay his fine; though latest reports are that Support has resolved his problem.
It is of course possible that Frontier intends to add these services at a later date - I've seen it suggested that Frontier has chosen not to add them immediately in order to inconvenience gankers and griefers.
It is also, however, possible that whoever was given instructions to create a station with barebones services (to be upgraded through the CG) but some Outfitting (so that mining equipment would be available) simply did exactly what they were told to do without thinking through the consequences of leaving out the Authority Contact and the ability to restock - in particular, the ability to restock limpets. And, of course, it's also not unthinkable that the intention was to add them but they were simply left out by mistake.
I hope and expect these necessary services are in place by the start of the CG; because the consequences of their being absent are not going to be fun.
First of all, mining without being able to buy limpets. Well, there's always limpet synthesis, and the rings we're likely to be mining do contain the iron and nickel required for that. So how would that go?
I actually tried it yesterday. I consumed 440 iron and 440 nickel to synthesise 176 limpets; during which time I picked up 330 iron and 266 nickel. In other words, consumption exceeded supply, and I eventually hit limpet bankruptcy.
And I was using A-rated limpet controllers, whose limpets last longer than those launched by the low-grade controllers to be had at Explorer's Anchorage.
Now I was in a T9 (the ship I intend to bring to the CG) and using controllers for 9 limpets; you might think that using fewer limpets would eke out the supply and help to avoid limpet bankruptcy. The trouble with that is that fewer limpets mean slower mining, and so even less iron and nickel coming in. While I haven't tested it, I think there's a very good chance that limpet bankruptcy would be unavoidable. There might be an exceptionally skilled full-time miner who could avoid it, though I don't know that. But I doubt that the casual miners who will make up the bulk of the particpants of the CG will be able to.
There is an alternative: interleave mining sessions with planetary SRV mining for iron and nickel. There are Planetary Vehicle Hangars available in Outfitting for those who don't have them. Once restocked you can resume ring mining. I intend to show up for the CG whatever the state of the services, and if I have to do this I will. But I doubt I'll particularly enjoy it.
And I suppose I must mention the possibility of scooping fragments directly, if only to remind people that there's a reason collector limpets were introduced.
The absence of the ability to restock limpets would be horribly inconvenient for all, but the absence of an Authority Contact would be disastrous for a fair number of the participants.
Thousands, perhaps, will be participating in this CG. Dozens if not hundreds will forget to request docking or commit some other minor traffic offence. Some will be jostled by NPCs they couldn't even see and pick up a fine through no fault of their own.
If they cannot pay off the fine at Explorer's Anchorage, they will be unable to continue participating in the CG because they won't be able to hand in mined commondities at the Market.
Nor, if they've parked their exploration modules in order to fit mining equipment and cargo racks, will they be able to access Outfitting to refit for exploration and go on their way. They'll be stuck, not just until the CG ends, but until Frontier assesses the outcome and adds additional services (including, presumably, an Authority Contact). If they've unshipped their fuel scoop they won't even be able to retreat to Colonia to re-equip.
Now I'm lucky in that I shall be showing up for the CG in a purpose-equipped T9. It'll do a better job of mining if I can swap the fuel scoop, FSD booster and AFMU for cargo racks and another limpet controller, but it'll be capable of mining as is. And that is how I'll be mining if there's any risk of a fine locking me out of Outfitting - I can always swap a limpet controller for a PVH if I have to, but I won't be offloading anything I need to travel. If the worst happens I'll be able to just head back to Colonia and pay off the fine there, though to be honest I don't see me returning afterwards.
Others, however, will be totally banjaxed (not the word I first thought of).
The way to avoid all this awkwardness and unpleasantness is for Frontier to activate an Authority Contact and Restock/Repair before the CG. Here's hoping that, regardless of the reason why these services weren't in place to begin with, this will soon happen.
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showt...-services-(including-Universal-Cartographics)
We now have a barebones station at Stuemeae FG-Y d7561. According to the information on eddb:
https://eddb.io/station/outfitting/70700
it currently has basic outfitting including some but not all mining equipment. eddb is not showing a pulse wave analyser or seismic charge launcher, but everything required for old-style mining is present, though not in high-rated versions for Optional Internals.
There is also a Commodity Market and refuelling, but crucially Restock and Repair is missing; and according to reports, though eddb doesn't say this, there appears to be no Authority Contact currently active in the station, causing at least one unfortunate player to pick up a small fine for a traffic violation and find himself locked out of the only station for 11,000 LY because there was no way to pay his fine; though latest reports are that Support has resolved his problem.
It is of course possible that Frontier intends to add these services at a later date - I've seen it suggested that Frontier has chosen not to add them immediately in order to inconvenience gankers and griefers.
It is also, however, possible that whoever was given instructions to create a station with barebones services (to be upgraded through the CG) but some Outfitting (so that mining equipment would be available) simply did exactly what they were told to do without thinking through the consequences of leaving out the Authority Contact and the ability to restock - in particular, the ability to restock limpets. And, of course, it's also not unthinkable that the intention was to add them but they were simply left out by mistake.
I hope and expect these necessary services are in place by the start of the CG; because the consequences of their being absent are not going to be fun.
First of all, mining without being able to buy limpets. Well, there's always limpet synthesis, and the rings we're likely to be mining do contain the iron and nickel required for that. So how would that go?
I actually tried it yesterday. I consumed 440 iron and 440 nickel to synthesise 176 limpets; during which time I picked up 330 iron and 266 nickel. In other words, consumption exceeded supply, and I eventually hit limpet bankruptcy.
And I was using A-rated limpet controllers, whose limpets last longer than those launched by the low-grade controllers to be had at Explorer's Anchorage.
Now I was in a T9 (the ship I intend to bring to the CG) and using controllers for 9 limpets; you might think that using fewer limpets would eke out the supply and help to avoid limpet bankruptcy. The trouble with that is that fewer limpets mean slower mining, and so even less iron and nickel coming in. While I haven't tested it, I think there's a very good chance that limpet bankruptcy would be unavoidable. There might be an exceptionally skilled full-time miner who could avoid it, though I don't know that. But I doubt that the casual miners who will make up the bulk of the particpants of the CG will be able to.
There is an alternative: interleave mining sessions with planetary SRV mining for iron and nickel. There are Planetary Vehicle Hangars available in Outfitting for those who don't have them. Once restocked you can resume ring mining. I intend to show up for the CG whatever the state of the services, and if I have to do this I will. But I doubt I'll particularly enjoy it.
And I suppose I must mention the possibility of scooping fragments directly, if only to remind people that there's a reason collector limpets were introduced.
The absence of the ability to restock limpets would be horribly inconvenient for all, but the absence of an Authority Contact would be disastrous for a fair number of the participants.
Thousands, perhaps, will be participating in this CG. Dozens if not hundreds will forget to request docking or commit some other minor traffic offence. Some will be jostled by NPCs they couldn't even see and pick up a fine through no fault of their own.
If they cannot pay off the fine at Explorer's Anchorage, they will be unable to continue participating in the CG because they won't be able to hand in mined commondities at the Market.
Nor, if they've parked their exploration modules in order to fit mining equipment and cargo racks, will they be able to access Outfitting to refit for exploration and go on their way. They'll be stuck, not just until the CG ends, but until Frontier assesses the outcome and adds additional services (including, presumably, an Authority Contact). If they've unshipped their fuel scoop they won't even be able to retreat to Colonia to re-equip.
Now I'm lucky in that I shall be showing up for the CG in a purpose-equipped T9. It'll do a better job of mining if I can swap the fuel scoop, FSD booster and AFMU for cargo racks and another limpet controller, but it'll be capable of mining as is. And that is how I'll be mining if there's any risk of a fine locking me out of Outfitting - I can always swap a limpet controller for a PVH if I have to, but I won't be offloading anything I need to travel. If the worst happens I'll be able to just head back to Colonia and pay off the fine there, though to be honest I don't see me returning afterwards.
Others, however, will be totally banjaxed (not the word I first thought of).
The way to avoid all this awkwardness and unpleasantness is for Frontier to activate an Authority Contact and Restock/Repair before the CG. Here's hoping that, regardless of the reason why these services weren't in place to begin with, this will soon happen.
Last edited:
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