Engineers Trying to understand after 1.5 year hiatus...

I've not played in almost 1.5 years but I'm considering a return to see some of the new content. I've read a couple threads already about this new engineering system, and I'm not quite sure I understand how that will affect my current ship.

I spent... hundreds of hours lvl 5 engineering an Anaconda with prismatic shields. While I'm not sure exactly what a "god roll" is, most of my modules were pretty amazing after rolling and rolling with the old system. Here are my questions:

1) While I understand my modules will be unchanged, due to the new system they are all basically inferior now as you can now guarantee max spec with new experimental effects?

2) If I remove one of these modules it will default to level 4, which means I'd have to grind all over again for materials to get it to max?

3) What exactly is the benefit for someone who spent the time in the old system to build an awesome ship? Were we compensated in some way?

4) (unrelated) Other than Thargoids and seeing my avatar in a chair, has anything else been added to make a return worth it? (I had fighter bays aready)


I appreciate it, thanks!
 
1. Unless you are into PVP your Anaconda with legacy G5 engineering is still pretty powerful. There are better upgrades available in the new system for most modules, but some secondary or experimental effects can make for a module that is more powerful than you can get now.

2. If you store a module it should keep the previous engineering. If you want to modify it in the new system it will drop one level (5 to 4). If you want to get back to G5 you will have to obtain the G5 materials. If you want to change the blueprint entirely (light weight to overcharged, for example) you will start from G1 (but G1 at an engineer you have a good reputation with will probably only be one roll).

3. You get to keep what you had or try for better. In any case, the existing ship is pretty awesome.

4. Whether to come back or not depends on why you left.
 
1. Unless you are into PVP your Anaconda with legacy G5 engineering is still pretty powerful. There are better upgrades available in the new system for most modules, but some secondary or experimental effects can make for a module that is more powerful than you can get now.

2. If you store a module it should keep the previous engineering. If you want to modify it in the new system it will drop one level (5 to 4). If you want to get back to G5 you will have to obtain the G5 materials. If you want to change the blueprint entirely (light weight to overcharged, for example) you will start from G1 (but G1 at an engineer you have a good reputation with will probably only be one roll).

3. You get to keep what you had or try for better. In any case, the existing ship is pretty awesome.

4. Whether to come back or not depends on why you left.

I appreciate the reply. I had left after finally finishing my perfect ship-- considered top 1% in its class by any reasonable estimate-- and going out of my way to have a Thargoid encounter (back then they were very rare). I had run out of content and was bored with bounties, mining, cargo runs and doing community goals. I realized my only remaining goals were to grind my way up the Federation ranks and finally reach Elite pilot status, and that just wasn't worth keeping me coming back anymore.

I was planning to return once Thargoid wars got underway and/or they allowed more interesting planet exploration. But the fact that my ship, and countless hours of effort maxing it, seems to have been thrown aside with this new engineering system makes me think it's best to let sleeping dogs lie. Thanks again!
 
.............. But the fact that my ship, and countless hours of effort maxing it, seems to have been thrown aside with this new engineering system makes me think it's best to let sleeping dogs lie. Thanks again!

That is just wrong. If you really think your engineered ship was "top 1%" then you had the so-called "god-rolls" and so the ship will still be very enhanced.

To dismiss the game because you felt you had "end-gamed" one ship, seems sad to me.
 
That is just wrong. If you really think your engineered ship was "top 1%" then you had the so-called "god-rolls" and so the ship will still be very enhanced.

To dismiss the game because you felt you had "end-gamed" one ship, seems sad to me.

I'm not dismissing it-- I've played most of the ships and had fun, at least 1000hours I'd guess. I thought it was worth spending the time it took to max an Anaconda, which pound for pound was my favorite ship, and then take a break from the game until more content was added. 1.5 years later I'm thinking it will be a turn-key operation but now I find out my ship I spent a gazillion hours on is only 'very good', and to achieve max level I'd have to spend countless more hours collecting materials. No grandfathered modules, no bonus raw materials to get you up to speed, not even a "we've changed the system and ed you, here's a bonus ship skin". It kind of is amazing to me.

On top of that, not a lot of new content has been added other than Thargoids and avatars. Maybe a couple new ships. *shrugs* I'll check back in another year or two. Thanks again!
 
Last edited:
There are still grandfathered modules that are impossible to do with the new engineering system, one example is having a class 5 shield on an Imperial Cutter with the +optimal mass secondary effect. This cannot be done with the new system as no such modifier is possible for the post-3.0 shields.
 
I'm not dismissing it-- I've played most of the ships and had fun, at least 1000hours I'd guess. I thought it was worth spending the time it took to max an Anaconda, which pound for pound was my favorite ship, and then take a break from the game until more content was added. 1.5 years later I'm thinking it will be a turn-key operation but now I find out my ship I spent a gazillion hours on is only 'very good', and to achieve max level I'd have to spend countless more hours collecting materials. No grandfathered modules, no bonus raw materials to get you up to speed, not even a "we've changed the system and ed you, here's a bonus ship skin". It kind of is amazing to me.

On top of that, not a lot of new content has been added other than Thargoids and avatars. Maybe a couple new ships. *shrugs* I'll check back in another year or two. Thanks again!

If you have a bunch of materials and data still you can just trade them at a market. That reduces the grind considerably for people like you. I don't think you are in the place you think you are. I've just ditched a bunch of old mods on my vette because they were legacy mods from my conda. Mostly I could trade the stuff I needed in a market. I had to find some data but that's not as grindy as it used to be either (once you know where to go).
Back in the day, I got completely jacked off with Engineers because of the grind. It's way easier. Your 1.5 years is probably 2 months at most now.
Still, if you choose not to explore these new options, not much we can do.
I have the big 3 and am currently working through engineering them, with a little fun in between. Missions are much better: wing missions exist (I find it lots of fun to help a noob level up with wing trade or delivery missions) and passenger missions are better.
If you really want a challenge, build up a mad good FDL and go griefer hunting in a pack (or protect noobs getting griefed). They are everywhere and need eliminating. Lots to do, if you choose to do it.
Get back into it and help us rid the galaxy of griefer scum!
 
I'm not dismissing it-- I've played most of the ships and had fun, at least 1000hours I'd guess. I thought it was worth spending the time it took to max an Anaconda, which pound for pound was my favorite ship, and then take a break from the game until more content was added. 1.5 years later I'm thinking it will be a turn-key operation but now I find out my ship I spent a gazillion hours on is only 'very good', and to achieve max level I'd have to spend countless more hours collecting materials. No grandfathered modules, no bonus raw materials to get you up to speed, not even a "we've changed the system and ed you, here's a bonus ship skin". It kind of is amazing to me.

On top of that, not a lot of new content has been added other than Thargoids and avatars. Maybe a couple new ships. *shrugs* I'll check back in another year or two. Thanks again!



Ftr, that's probably not true even in the worst of possible situations, and ALL your modules ARE grandfathered.
I upgraded all of my nearly 30 ships and it was not a big deal.
Just doing the "free" conversion might even make improvements.
You'll almost assuredly see a noticeable benefit to your thrusters and distributor, and that could take as few as 6 rolls each, + special effects.

EDSY has very accurate current engineering numbers.
http://www.edshipyard.com/new/

The whole process is much cleaner and more straightforward now.
 
I've not played in almost 1.5 years but I'm considering a return to see some of the new content. I've read a couple threads already about this new engineering system, and I'm not quite sure I understand how that will affect my current ship.

I spent... hundreds of hours lvl 5 engineering an Anaconda with prismatic shields. While I'm not sure exactly what a "god roll" is, most of my modules were pretty amazing after rolling and rolling with the old system. Here are my questions:

1) While I understand my modules will be unchanged, due to the new system they are all basically inferior now as you can now guarantee max spec with new experimental effects?

2) If I remove one of these modules it will default to level 4, which means I'd have to grind all over again for materials to get it to max?

3) What exactly is the benefit for someone who spent the time in the old system to build an awesome ship? Were we compensated in some way?

4) (unrelated) Other than Thargoids and seeing my avatar in a chair, has anything else been added to make a return worth it? (I had fighter bays aready)


I appreciate it, thanks!

1) No, you can still improve them.

2) You can convert them to garde 4 under new regime. Someone with that hamsterwheeling dedication should have no real problems with it.

3) What compensation for what reason. You still have your stuff.

4) Better read the patch notes, it'd be to long a list.
 
3) What exactly is the benefit for someone who spent the time in the old system to build an awesome ship? Were we compensated in some way?


What had you expected from an upgrade that raised the limits? Take any other MMO, that increase the level cap with a new update, they are not giving existing players a free upgrade on their existing characters to be the new max level, they have to rank up to the new max level. Nor does they upgrade your stuff to match the new max level you can find the stuff in....So why should Elite compensate you for stuff you have got? Do you expect to get free ships as they are introduced as well?


Atleast they let you keep your existing modules without force migration to the new system. As any migration could have pretty huge consequences on any existing ships, mostly thanks to all the secondary effects that are no longer an option.
And to avoid all the issues with old god-rolls they did a mix of raising the max and added new secondary effects that would allow new modules to surpass most old modules, without making these old module obsolete, as they are still very relevant or in no way obsolete...
 
What had you expected from an upgrade that raised the limits? Take any other MMO, that increase the level cap with a new update, they are not giving existing players a free upgrade on their existing characters to be the new max level, they have to rank up to the new max level. Nor does they upgrade your stuff to match the new max level you can find the stuff in....So why should Elite compensate you for stuff you have got? Do you expect to get free ships as they are introduced as well?

It's a valid point, and the reason I don't play MMOs, really at all anymore. Star Wars Galaxies and a handful of others also had major, sweeping system changes well into their lifespan that seemed to cater to people who wanted stuff made easier for them while everyone else who worked for those rewards were like "WTH?". I stopped playing them all after that. Not a one.

But raising a level cap is not the same as completely changing the system. Engineering (at the time) required a vast amount of materials (time) and luck (rolls). Those of us who spent the effort "god rolling" were rewarded with ships that were a few percentages better than your typical player. Is that a big deal? Maybe not to you, but to those of us who did it, it sure is. It was bragging rights and a small bit of pride to know that your ship was just slightly better than the next guy and it was earned by hard work and chance! Elite Dangerous was a universe where you could strike out and make your own destiny!

But the new system guarantees perfect components much faster to anyone who puts in much less work and with far less materials than the old system. I could have a fleet of level 5 ships with the amount of time it took to get 1 then... I know many of you don't agree, but that kind of rubs me the wrong way. And I have no reason to trust Frontier won't change things up again. I'd rather just buy level 5 modules at this point, so if they add that option in the store for the next sweeping engineer overhaul, let me know.
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom