Horizons Thinking Ahead ... How will we now smuggle to planet-based stations with AI scanning?

[Lightspeed]

Approached for landing at a planet port in Beta, and saw the warning "Scan Detected."

So now that ships, and presumably the police, can patrol the approach to planetary stations, how are we going to get into them without being scanned for smuggling or missions that fail if scanned? It's not as if there is a slot through which we can charge at high speed hoping to avoid the scans.

Is silent running the only option for planet station smuggling?

 

[Flimley]

Have you tried in silent running mode ?? Heat sinks and chaff ?

 

[Lightspeed]

Not yet. I am going to load up with something to smuggle, or a "don't get scanned mission" if I find it, and try out silent running. The use of chaff is an interesting idea - not thought of that. Assuming the AI plays by the same rules as we human pilots.

 

[Alex Brentnall]

oooh oooh this:

https://youtu.be/3vx56NwYj4Y?t=206

Nerd level a bit high but pretty awesome and I want to try it in Elite.

 

[777Driver]

Approached for landing at a planet port in Beta, and saw the warning "Scan Detected."

So now that ships, and presumably the police, can patrol the approach to planetary stations, how are we going to get into them without being scanned for smuggling or missions that fail if scanned? It's not as if there is a slot through which we can charge at high speed hoping to avoid the scans.

Is silent running the only option for planet station smuggling?

Same deal as military outposts, monitor patrols and run silent. I've been dropping out of glide a little early to get the ship setup.

Been sat a planetary base for half an hour, it seems there are gaps in the patrols, they'll announce that they are off to explore certain sectors away from the base. AI traffic and patrols seem to have a lot of variety.

It's pretty amazing sitting here in VR, watching all the traffic and hearing the comms and port announcements, it really feels alive now

 

[Lightspeed]

Adding to that, yes there is life. The police have just said something about "shift's over, so returning to base now" which presumably signals a gap in cover. Things could be very interesting smuggling to/from planetary stations.

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oooh oooh this:

https://youtu.be/3vx56NwYj4Y?t=206

Nerd level a bit high but pretty awesome and I want to try it in Elite.

Straight down onto the landing pad from altitude ! [woah] But remember to ask for docking permission to get the pad number on the way down !

 

[Alex Brentnall]

Straight down onto the landing pad from altitude ! [woah] But remember to ask for docking permission to get the pad number on the way down !

Yeah Terminal velocity drop without thrusters, docking permission and silent running at 7.5km, reactivate thrusters at 2km. Hopefully no stain on the floor or in my trousers at 0km
Maybe I should video that when I try it...

 

[Flash_Baggins]

Probably a very low approach is in order- hedge skipping

I do it all the time in War Thunder, Im sure itll be fine

 

[Lightspeed]

Seems like the planetside police scanned me approaching the station but didn't care that I was carrying "illicit goods." Either that or the one chaff I fired off did the trick. Now I have to test again !

I like the control chatter - telling you off for deploying hardpoints, and with a concerned voice that you have "dropped off radar contact" when you go silent running. It's much more immersive !

 

[Marc_Hicks]

Maybe The Dweller can upgrade your hull so it is more resistent to scans?

 

[Landge]

I had a smuggling run today along with a couple of legit runs I needed to complete first due not paying attention to time remaining.

A Fed who had a tip I was smuggling interdicted me. I couldn't shake him so I submitted, hoping to out run him, boosting. I got the scan alert and panicked. Next I got the "you're clean" message.

What? No fine? Took a moment for me to realized I was in a system that allowed my contraband (Personal Weapons) and I was not in the system I was delivering to. lol!

Made my jump to deliver the goods and I didn't get scanned entering the mail slot either.

Never dawned on me to drop chaff. I'll have to try that next time.

 

[MickyG1982]

I've been scanned at a planetary base before, this is nothing new.

 

[Lightspeed]

I've been scanned at a planetary base before, this is nothing new.

You may have been unlucky with an NPC and hostile craft have made it to the planet surface before, but the introduction of police at planetary bases has only been introduced in Beta.

 

[Ian Doncaster]

What if you land a little way from the base and dismiss your ship, then drive in with the SRV. When you park, your ship will be waiting in the hangar, entirely free of scans. (This shouldn't work, but I bet it does...)

 

[Tinman]

Yeah Terminal velocity drop without thrusters, docking permission and silent running at 7.5km, reactivate thrusters at 2km....

...and then suddenly realize it's a 3 G world!!!

 

[Alex Brentnall]

Looks like i'll need the new advanced thrusters then

 

[GG7]

I'm already ignoring smuggling missions with any SCAN caveat included simply because they never pay enough $$ to be worth all the extra work of avoiding said scans. I agree that 2.1 is likely going to make me even less inclined to bother.

Then again... If the missions are indeed paying a living wage in 2.1 I might reconsider, but the current release version is a joke. Pretty much all the missions I get are a joke/insult in terms of payouts. I;ve had to rely 100% on Rare Trading to earn what I have since starting from scratch on the PC.

 

[777Driver]

I'm already ignoring smuggling missions with any SCAN caveat included simply because they never pay enough $$ to be worth all the extra work of avoiding said scans. I agree that 2.1 is likely going to make me even less inclined to bother.

Then again... If the missions are indeed paying a living wage in 2.1 I might reconsider, but the current release version is a joke. Pretty much all the missions I get are a joke/insult in terms of payouts. I;ve had to rely 100% on Rare Trading to earn what I have since starting from scratch on the PC.

Lol what are talking about, I'm picking up missions insystem 0LY for 1 million+ credits each (weapons) long haul smuggling and haulage is paying up to 60+ million credits per mission.. Devs said they will obviously tweak those extremely high Elite rank missions.

2.1 is a massive boost for anyone with a good rank and likes hauling illegal goods, I'm not just talking about cash payouts.

Prior to Beta you'd still make up to 10 mill per mission long range hauling, average was 400,000 up to a million for short range runs, occasionally you'll see 2.8/3 million, just to haul weapons or narcotics a few LY away.

Run silent, watch the patrols, easy money.

 

[GG7]

WOW! lol!

I'm pretty sure that those payouts you are getting in the Beta are way higher than the release will be, simply to make sure everyone can afford to buy all the new goodies. At least I hope so! lol!

Those amounts would definitely unbalance an already shaky in-game economy in my opinion.

That said... It would be nice to get paid high six figures minimum for high risk smuggling missions, as opposed to the 70-150k I am being offered right now.

 

[Mephane]

Seems like the planetside police scanned me approaching the station but didn't care that I was carrying "illicit goods." Either that or the one chaff I fired off did the trick.

Chaff is unlikely. It never delayed NPC cargo or kill warrant scans, and apparently was also never intended to do that for the player either (hence it was finally changed, NPC chaffing doesn't halt our KWS in 2.1).

Yeah Terminal velocity drop without thrusters, docking permission and silent running at 7.5km, reactivate thrusters at 2km. Hopefully no stain on the floor or in my trousers at 0km
Maybe I should video that when I try it...

Smells like a variant of the Adama Maneuver.