Unscoopable M-class stars

Heavy Johnson · Jan 4, 2017

Greetings Commanders,

Recently, someone on one of the E: D facebook communities claimed that "unscoopable" M-class stars existed. After asking this Commander if he had a fuel scoop, knew how to use it, knew what M-class stars looked like, wasn't looking at a carbon star, and/or was high at the time, all was denied. Said Commander persists in claiming some M-class stars can't be fuel scooped.

Of course, no proof has been provided of an example star.

So, my fellow Commanders: Does such a mythical beast exist? If so, name it, so it can be checked out. Fuel Rats in particular would like to know.

Thank you,
ibanix

nr. · Jan 4, 2017

I'll bet it was a T class. Some of them look very much like M class.

777Driver · Jan 4, 2017

Wish I had taken a screenshot, had the same thing happen to me a few days ago. Was plotting a course using the correct filters OBAFGKM, Jumped into an M class and didn't scoop. First time I have ever seen that happen, rest of the trip was normal.

Rennard · Jan 4, 2017

I've had the same issue with a K class. Likely just a bug.

Non Grata · Jan 4, 2017

I've had this with an orange star. After the event I thought maybe if the star hasn't been explored you don't know what class it is so can't scoop. I'm probably wrong though.

Trafalgar Law · Jan 4, 2017

I've come across stars which looked like they should have been scoopable but weren't. Always assumed it was a bug.

samuelb · Jan 4, 2017

I believe I may have had this happen, I just put it down to my being half asleep and trying to scoop the wrong class sun.

Not very helpful, I know.

Alec Turner · Jan 4, 2017

777Driver said:
Wish I had taken a screenshot, had the same thing happen to me a few days ago. Was plotting a course using the correct filters OBAFGKM, Jumped into an M class and didn't scoop.

For the record just wanted to point out that applying filters does not 100% guarantee that all systems en-route will be of the filtered type. The route plotter tries to honour the filter selection but if it can't find a route using the selected system types then it will simply use unfiltered systems to complete the route.

That said, not being able to plot a route using any of the OBAFGKM star types seems pretty unlikely.

777Driver · Jan 4, 2017

Alec Turner said:
For the record just wanted to point out that applying filters does not 100% guarantee that all systems en-route will be of the filtered type. The route plotter tries to honour the filter selection but if it can't find a route using the selected system types then it will simply use unfiltered systems to complete the route.

That said, not being able to plot a route using any of the OBAFGKM star types seems pretty unlikely.

yup, I always confirm the class on the top of the HUD, kinda hard to miss in VR, it's a huge box floating 1ft away from you.

racer1 · Jan 4, 2017

IIRC I have jumped to an M-class that was unscoopable - at least it was labelled M-class in the galmap, so could just have been labelled wrong.

I don't have proof it was pre-engineers so nothing to do with filters.

Ian Skippy · Jan 4, 2017

Alec Turner said:
For the record just wanted to point out that applying filters does not 100% guarantee that all systems en-route will be of the filtered type. The route plotter tries to honour the filter selection but if it can't find a route using the selected system types then it will simply use unfiltered systems to complete the route.

That said, not being able to plot a route using any of the OBAFGKM star types seems pretty unlikely.

Probably binary system: Binary is scoopable, primary is T and unscoopable. Will be good enough for the filter. It happens, just scan and look for the scoopable star. If there is no scoopable start, either primary or otherwise, then it wont be used. If no alternative and valid system can be used for the filter, the route wont plot at all.

Windscreen Smudge · Jan 4, 2017

777Driver said:
Wish I had taken a screenshot, had the same thing happen to me a few days ago. Was plotting a course using the correct filters OBAFGKM, Jumped into an M class and didn't scoop. First time I have ever seen that happen, rest of the trip was normal.

Had this happen too recently, but I thought I was just being too cautious and didn't get close enough.

I judge scooping range by the halo that appears around stars, and I've been seeing a few M class stars that barely have any halo at all. This results in me keeping my distance so that I don't get pulled out because I can't judge how close I am, even though from my perspective I should still be in scooping range as I fly by.

Maybe I'll see if I can revisit one of them today and try again, getting as close as possible.

CMDR Harada · Jan 4, 2017

I've had it happen once or twice. Kind of confused as to why it wouldn't scoop, but had enough fuel to jump on, so I never tried to figure it out. Kind of a mental shrug and moved on.

It's rare. And I wouldn't really have noticed except that I was doing a LR run and scooping a bit at each star as I lined up the next jump ( extending the range between the times I actually must stop and scoop ). Maybe it isn't rare and people just don't notice.

shadragon · Jan 4, 2017

777Driver said:
Who would power down a fuel scoop part way through a 1000LY leg? I was about 3/4 the way to my destination. @Op, I guess I could trace my route using the last visited stars, tbh I have much better things to do. If devs really need a system name I'll check at some point.

The particular star is enroute to Fehu, coming from the coalsack Nebula.

Powering up, using an AMFU, then not turning it back off can cause power priority issues. I've had that shut down systems as my AspX only has a C3 PP to save weight,

nosleepdemon · Jan 4, 2017

Binary pair with the T class star being more massive and looking like an M class, with the actual M class being far away enough to not be immediately notieceable?

Windscreen Smudge · Jan 4, 2017

nosleepdemon said:
Binary pair with the T class star being more massive and looking like an M class, with the actual M class being far away enough to not be immediately notieceable?

Can guarantee this wasn't the case for me, and I actually ran across a couple of them just in the short span between the bubble and Maia.

Was in a ship with only a 16ly jump range, so I was hitting a lot of stars that people don't typically see on that route.

Edelgard von Rhein · Jan 4, 2017

There are some star systems where it says 'Jumping to class M' and yet when you get there you are placed near the secondary star, which can be of a different type. I know there is one in the bubble where that secondary type is a white dwarf and you get a rude shock when you arrive! If this happened in a situation where the secondary star is a T Tauri that looks like a M class, then it would seem like an unscoopable M. Checking the system view would be the way to find out.

Heavy Johnson · Jan 4, 2017

Edelgard von Rhein said:
There are some star systems where it says 'Jumping to class M' and yet when you get there you are placed near the secondary star, which can be of a different type. I know there is one in the bubble where that secondary type is a white dwarf and you get a rude shock when you arrive! If this happened in a situation where the secondary star is a T Tauri that looks like a M class, then it would seem like an unscoopable M. Checking the system view would be the way to find out.

Yeah, I feel like this is what happens to a lot of people; no one is actually checking against the actual star type.

GJ51 · Jan 4, 2017

Alec Turner said:
For the record just wanted to point out that applying filters does not 100% guarantee that all systems en-route will be of the filtered type. The route plotter tries to honour the filter selection but if it can't find a route using the selected system types then it will simply use unfiltered systems to complete the route.

That said, not being able to plot a route using any of the OBAFGKM star types seems pretty unlikely.

I see this happen frequently. Opening the Galaxy map and clicking the "Use to Plot route" square at the bottom will re-route properly most of the time.

It seems like the Gal Map doesn't always read the state selected properly and it needs to be refreshed.

Yes, there are orange stars that are unsoopable, but I don't remember what letter they are.

I haven't yet run into the M Class unsoopable - but it certainly could be happening.

Edit: Yes - T Tauri seems right for Orange unsoopable.

Frathos · Jan 4, 2017

Alec Turner said:
For the record just wanted to point out that applying filters does not 100% guarantee that all systems en-route will be of the filtered type. The route plotter tries to honour the filter selection but if it can't find a route using the selected system types then it will simply use unfiltered systems to complete the route.

That said, not being able to plot a route using any of the OBAFGKM star types seems pretty unlikely.

This with the addition that sometimes the next destination is listed as one of the OBAFGKM stars while the actual arrival star is WD or NS, the OBAFGKM that you were expecting is then usually found elsewhere in the same system. This unexpected behaviour has nearly caused some unexpected drops to normal space and/or over-heating if you aren't paying attention.

O7