Wake Scanner triggers security alert?

[HappySpaceInvdr]

Ok, I’ve been wondering about this one for a while now… whenever I deploy my wake scanner inside the “no fire zone” of a station or fleet carrier, I get a stern warning about “aggressive behaviour not tolerated” or similar.

I’m in non-combat mode, and not deploying offensive hardpoints... so why such a warning? Is there any ill effect of getting these warnings? Is there anything I can do to prevent them when scanning wakes outside a station?

 

[Ned Flandalorian]

That warning gets triggered by any hardpoints, even if they're just scanners or limpets.

 

[Spacerschoice-00]

it deploys all your hard points.
don't bother testing at odyssey bases. it's more aggressive than that. it starts shooting

 

[Fnord Velkor]

Remember that the utility point is actually called a "tiny hardpoint". What bugs me is that the wake scanner actually sits extended all the time, why the requirement to extend all hardpoints to use it? You don't need to extend all hardpoints for PDT to work or to eject a heatsink. Sloppy gameplay handwavium I suppose.

 

[Daniel Cloudsifter]

Remember that the utility point is actually called a "tiny hardpoint". What bugs me is that the wake scanner actually sits extended all the time, why the requirement to extend all hardpoints to use it? You don't need to extend all hardpoints for PDT to work or to eject a heatsink. Sloppy gameplay handwavium I suppose.

You hit the nail on the head. Frameshift Wake Scanners, Kill Warrant Scanners, Manifest Scanners, etc. shouldn't require you to deploy hardpoints. They're sitting on the external hull, completely vulnerable. You should be able to use them with have to "deploy weapons" and appear hostile.

 

[Hooplah]

At an orbiting station or outpost >7.5 km distance won't trigger the message. Ships leaving the station also fly out past this distance before jumping. Close to the station doesn't matter as long as only the wake scanner is used and don't accidently fire a weapon!

 

[Jack Winter]

I suppose one could assume that scanning wakes might be frowned upon by system security?

But yes, I've always found it somewhat awkward.

 

[H Fenghuang]

NPC ships jump just out of the no fire zone. Stay near the port till something leaves, follow it close behind, it will turn just before it jumps, then slow just infront of the wake and scan it.

 

[Leadfoot]

I have a key on my keyboard that deploys chaff. Using that key does not deploy weapons.

 

[Rock Hunter]

It just health and safety gone mad, ignore them. Back in the 3290s’ nobody worried about deploying hardpoints near a station, magboots were a personal choice and the police all used to smoke on duty in their Vipers.

Ahhhhh, halcyon days.

 

[Screemonster]

Remember that the utility point is actually called a "tiny hardpoint". What bugs me is that the wake scanner actually sits extended all the time, why the requirement to extend all hardpoints to use it? You don't need to extend all hardpoints for PDT to work or to eject a heatsink. Sloppy gameplay handwavium I suppose.

You hit the nail on the head. Frameshift Wake Scanners, Kill Warrant Scanners, Manifest Scanners, etc. shouldn't require you to deploy hardpoints. They're sitting on the external hull, completely vulnerable. You should be able to use them with have to "deploy weapons" and appear hostile.

There is one difference - while they don't deploy as such, they do need to be deployed (or have firing deploys hardpoints on) in order to use them.
The utility scanners can be very power-hungry and don't consume power when "retracted" - a station is just as likely to be responding to the spike in heat/power signature associated with hardpoints being powered up as they are to be responding to the actual gun ports opening (since, really, who can eyeball that at 7km?)

 

[Felix DiCestria]

My solution was to go to one of the orbital installations to scan wakes. No no-fire-zone so I'm able to scan as much as I want.

 

[Screemonster]

My solution was to go to one of the orbital installations to scan wakes. No no-fire-zone so I'm able to scan as much as I want.

Chelomey Orbital in Cubeo can be a decent spot, the capital ship dock next to the station leads to a lot of traffic coming in and out.
And while they might complain about you having hardpoints out in the no fire zone, as long as you don't actually fire you're good.

 

[CMDR Timber McWolf]

I never understood why I have to extend all hardpoints when I only want to use a scanner.
Utility hardpoints should be a separate group, in my opinion.

 

[Daniel Cloudsifter]

I never understood why I have to extend all hardpoints when I only want to use a scanner.
Utility hardpoints should be a separate group, in my opinion.

Actually, utility points should just be considered always deployed because:

• Unlike weapons, they are always exposed to enemy fire (retracted weapons are protected by Module Protection, if installed)
• Unlike weapons, they are always drawing power from the Power Plant
• You don't have to deploy in order to use Heat Sinks, Shield Boosters, Caustic Sinks, Chaff, ECM, Shutdown Pulse protection, etc.

In short, it has never made sense why you have to "Deploy" in order to use any of the scanners.

 

[CMDR Timber McWolf]

I think they fixed that issue. I was mat collecting today and despite me scanning wkaes inside the no-fire zone, noone asked me to stow away my weapons.
Not that the Stargazer would have any weapons, but that didn't stop them from complaining about my exposed hardpoints before...

 

[R4dioS1lence]

Less than a handwavium and more likely a mix of what Screemonster said (heat/power signature increase) and some default system on all ships (like IFF systems) required via law to be installed by all manufacturers, that all ships by default have (kinda like how seat belts are required from car manufacturers, at least on places that care about lives of drivers and passengers). When you pick someone on your radar, you always know whether their hardpoints are deployed or not, so it's most likely the ship itself sending some signal picked by you.

The way I used to get scans when I needed was while doing conflict zones. I just slapped a long range wake scanner on my CZ ship, finished the CZ, and scanned the wake of the ones that escape at the end. Usually 6-8 scans per CZ. Picking a low difficulty probably makes that even faster. I tried fast scan, but all ships scatter in random and opposite directions, making the travel time needed to get in range of the wake far exceed the extra time per scan on the long range, that can be used while stationary. That saved me the waiting on stations (that is boring to me) and mixed other stuff while doing it (less grindy for me).

 

[CMDR Timber McWolf]

Less than a handwavium and more likely a mix of what Screemonster said (heat/power signature increase) and some default system on all ships (like IFF systems) required via law to be installed by all manufacturers, that all ships by default have (kinda like how seat belts are required from car manufacturers, at least on places that care about lives of drivers and passengers). When you pick someone on your radar, you always know whether their hardpoints are deployed or not, so it's most likely the ship itself sending some signal picked by you.

The way I used to get scans when I needed was while doing conflict zones. I just slapped a long range wake scanner on my CZ ship, finished the CZ, and scanned the wake of the ones that escape at the end. Usually 6-8 scans per CZ. Picking a low difficulty probably makes that even faster. I tried fast scan, but all ships scatter in random and opposite directions, making the travel time needed to get in range of the wake far exceed the extra time per scan on the long range, that can be used while stationary. That saved me the waiting on stations (that is boring to me) and mixed other stuff while doing it (less grindy for me).

Some people don't like doing CZs, thus have to rely on scanning what they can find elsewhere.
On stations, it usually is a thing of timing if you sit there waiting or don't have enough time to scan them all.
I usually take the chance while running courier/delivery missions, especially if the approach to the station is a little longer, and activate the SCA to be able to focus on scanning any ship that crosses the frontal radar cone of my ship.

But I think it is nice to see that station owners finally invested some money in some on-the-job training for their traffic control staff.

 

[CMDR Timber McWolf]

That's odd. Today, my chat was once again full of requests to stow away my non-existant weapons.
Either I missed something in my last session, or the only were able to send one of their controllers to an advanced training...