VERY CLOSE CALL

[Borgkube]

I am exploring out beyond the Orion Nebula over 1500 light years from the bubble and I had a REALLY close call that I wish I had video of.

I was hyper jumping into a system that unknown to me had 4 suns. The primary is a Class-A blue white giant and secondary was a Class-M red dwarf. I might mention that I always throttle down to zero once I am in hyperspace so that I don't plunge into the sun at my destination. When I popped out of the wormhole, there was the vast circle of the Class-A filling my view port. Right above my head was the red dwarf filling the upper part of the screen and painting my cockpit with its orange-red glow. It was so close that I unconsciously ducked in my seat. I passed through the photosphere, so closely that I got the "Fuel Scooping" message and then immediately the "Fuel Scoop Retracted" message like 1, 2 within less than a second. The whole thing happened in the amount of time the hyper jump wind-down sound occurs. Like 2 seconds. Then there I was parked in front of the giant Class-A like nothing had happened. I don't know how the game calculates these things but I couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if my trajectory coming out of wormhole had been a few degrees higher. I know this is only a game but it was really an Oh S#1T! moment. It scared me.

Really an outstanding game.

 

[xmediawork]

It happens to the best of us sometimes.

 

[Grumpy181155]

This is why you need to be wearing asbestos undies when exploring and you should always keep your seat belt firmly fastened during jumps. It stops you falling off your chair during the 'duck' manoeuvre and possibly dragging the joystick onto the floor with you.

 

[Borgkube]

This is why you need to be wearing asbestos undies when exploring and you should always keep your seat belt firmly fastened during jumps. It stops you falling off your chair during the 'duck' manoeuvre and possibly dragging the joystick onto the floor with you.

I like the people who claim that ALL Explorers fly with no shields and no weapons. I have both and little unexpected events like this are the reason why.

 

[Grumpy181155]

I like the people who claim that ALL Explorers fly with no shields and no weapons. I have both and little unexpected events like this are the reason why.

Me too. I never, ever run a ship without a shield or weapons to defend myself. It doesn't matter if I'm hauling freight or exploring I am always prepared for some cunning little NPC or player to turn up at any time and I always want to be able to decide whether to run or fight. If I'm hauling and it's it an Anaconda that pulls me out of SC then the option is always run but if it is anything smaller then I am prepared to swat them.

 

[GunnerBill]

Awesome, it's fun ain't it? :d

Not to reopen a much discussed topic but unless you pack the guns you need to win the fight IMO you are always better running.

 

[Crazy Jedi]

I like the people who claim that ALL Explorers fly with no shields and no weapons. I have both and little unexpected events like this are the reason why.

My Asp is tooled up too and quite capable of defending herself, although I do have the Brave Sir Robin Maneuver down pat....

I've done exactly the same thing more than once myself. I managed to amass enough minor damage that my cargo hatch malfunctioned and deposited the few "interesting" bits of salvage that I had picked up, and left them floating in orbit around a white dwarf star somewhere near the Horses Head Nebula...

 

[RexKraemer]

I like the people who claim that ALL Explorers fly with no shields and no weapons. I have both and little unexpected events like this are the reason why.

I am not sure but I believe that shields dont help in this case. Instead they sum up some amount on top of the total heat making it even worse. So shields off may give you a few more seconds to get away.
(To be confirmed by wise explorers)

 

[Barton Smith]

I am not sure but I believe that shields dont help in this case. Instead they sum up some amount on top of the total heat making it even worse. So shields off may give you a few more seconds to get away.
(To be confirmed by wise explorers)

Yep, my experience (flew to Sgr A* in a Hauler) indicates that shields have no effect on heat damage from stars, or indeed the damage taken when you drop out due to cutting the green line too close / smacking face-first into a White Dwarf. I always turn my shields off once I'm outside inhabited space, for the heat saving. And nearly always remember to turn them on again if I venture into a ring for screenshots.

With shields and other non-essentials off, my Diamondback Explorer runs at under 20% base heat, can scoop a full tank at maximum speed without the heat ever going over 70%, and can jump again as soon as the fuel scoop has disengaged (at about 60%).

Fly safe

 

[Lupin]

See your 2 and rase you 3 stars, see old report:
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=148555&highlight=lupines+tale

But passing through a start on entry to a system alarming.

 

[Alex Brentnall]

To be honest I see unshielded explorers as a thing of the past once 2.0 comes out. It's kind of a requirement to do planet landings especially on high G worlds. My new Conda exploration build has 7A thrusters and a 6A shield!

On topic bit:
Yeah, iirc there are maybe between 50-100 systems where entering from the wrong side spawns you inside a star and pretty much insta-death but I believe unless the drop point is specifically inside you can fly through the star (fuel scooping on the way) and drop at the primary without damage.

 

[RexKraemer]

To be honest I see unshielded explorers as a thing of the past once 2.0 comes out. It's kind of a requirement to do planet landings especially on high G worlds. My new Conda exploration build has 7A thrusters and a 6A shield!

On topic bit:
Yeah, iirc there are maybe between 50-100 systems where entering from the wrong side spawns you inside a star and pretty much insta-death but I believe unless the drop point is specifically inside you can fly through the star (fuel scooping on the way) and drop at the primary without damage.

You are right with the shields in 2.0, but still as an explorer you would only switch them on before landing or in asteroid fields/rings. While traveling from star to star you would have switched them off to reduce heat load.