Horizons What the hell just happened...?

[Butter of Sorrow]

I just bought Horizons since the christmas sales (finally) just kicked in on Steam.

Just coming back into this forum after my test drive of the new content, more specifically my first Horizons mission. First impression being overwhelming confusion.


So here's what happened: I browsed through the Mission board of a starport looking for something new, and this planetary scan mission caught my eye. Basically the details said I had to scan a point of interest for a reward of 1.8 million credits with a Deadly combat rank (mine being Dangerous). So I thought "I feel like I'm gonna end up paying a rebuy for this, but whatever let's go."

So I ended on some planet somewhere and my nav-point led me to some ground installation with a bunch of skimmers patrolling around which seemed to ignore me so I went straight for the thing I was supposed to scan. I did the scan and I started hearing several different sounds from inside and outside my ship. You can probably tell what sounds exactly if you've done this exact same thing before. In short, I got the impression I had to get out fast.

I barely had time enough to pick a direction to drive my SRV to until I heard a missile alert followed by an explosion and before I even could process what just happened I was staring at a rotating red Scarab against a black screen.

Then... I was back in my Python, 20km above the surface, safe and sound. I read the message I received after I scanned the thing and it told me to return for my payment. I even checked the planetary vehicle panel and my Scarab was also there.

So I returned to the station I begun this journey from, took my payment and that was the end of that.


So let me get this straight... I took on a high rank mission, spontaneously exploded out of nowhere in progress and without any repercussions from doing so I complete the mission and receive my payment, with no penalties.

That's... just... I... what?

 

[BanzaiZAP]

Okay, the mission was fine: you just need to scan the item. Once scanned, the data stays in your banks, even if destroyed. And that's the entire goal: get the scan! What happens after is not as important.

Yes, those sounds were the skimmers and base defenses attacking you for trespassing. Fortunately, once the data is scanned, you can be destroyed without losing credit for completing the mission. You just need to get back to the original station and turn it in. When getting destroyed in an SRV, you are just sent back to your ship, not a full rebuy. It IS supposed to blow up the SRV, though. I don't know why you got your SRV back. I think that if you had gotten your Python destroyed, that would have been it.

These Scan missions are good for early players, since they are relatively easy to complete, and can pay well if the local faction likes you.

 

[Butter of Sorrow]

Okay, the mission was fine: you just need to scan the item. Once scanned, the data stays in your banks, even if destroyed. And that's the entire goal: get the scan! What happens after is not as important.

Yes, those sounds were the skimmers and base defenses attacking you for trespassing. Fortunately, once the data is scanned, you can be destroyed without losing credit for completing the mission. You just need to get back to the original station and turn it in. When getting destroyed in an SRV, you are just sent back to your ship, not a full rebuy. It IS supposed to blow up the SRV, though. I don't know why you got your SRV back. I think that if you had gotten your Python destroyed, that would have been it.

These Scan missions are good for early players, since they are relatively easy to complete, and can pay well if the local faction likes you.

[video=youtube;zoMiYklHvjk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoMiYklHvjk[/video]

Okay first of all, if it's supposed to be a simple, low risk mission meant for beginners, why is it possible to get so high rewards from it? Like that reward was higher than most of my assassination missions which pit me against Pythons, Federal Assault Ships and Fer-De-Lances for Christ's sake.

Second, if everything that happens after the scan is meaningless, wouldn't it make more sense if the skimmers and security vessels would shoot anything on sight by default? That would at least make it more difficult to get the scan in the first place.

Third, how do people imply that stacking massacre missions is game-breaking but this kind of thing is okay?

 

[varonica]

It IS supposed to blow up the SRV, though. I don't know why you got your SRV back. I think that if you had gotten your Python destroyed, that would have been it.

These Scan missions are good for early players, since they are relatively easy to complete, and can pay well if the local faction likes you.

Unless he had equipped his python with two SRV's, mine has two, although is it parked p ay jaques at the moment.

 

[Codger]

It is odd that you still had your SRV after it being destroyed, that would not normally happen. Sounds like a glitch to me.

Other than that, it sounds normal.

For what it's worth, I don't consider those missions to be for beginners at all. Attacking a defended base is not an easy thing.

Anyway, you did complete the mission, and SRV destruction is not considered the same as ship destruction. There's no re-buy, you just lose the SRV.

Good luck out there.

 

[Butter of Sorrow]

It is odd that you still had your SRV after it being destroyed, that would not normally happen. Sounds like a glitch to me.

Other than that, it sounds normal.

For what it's worth, I don't consider those missions to be for beginners at all. Attacking a defended base is not an easy thing.

Anyway, you did complete the mission, and SRV destruction is not considered the same as ship destruction. There's no re-buy, you just lose the SRV.

Good luck out there.

It seemed pretty easy to me. I literally just drove into the base, scanned the beacon thing and went on my way.

Even if I would have lost my SRV I still payed only 5,000 credits for it, whereas the mission payed me 1,800,000 credits so the insignificant difference is kind of laughable to me.


Actually speaking of SRV's, I may as well ask, when I kitted my Python with the SRV bay and the SRV I noticed that class 3 SRV bays were divided into G and H rated bays. They didn't seem to have any kind of difference to them aside from the G rated one being more expensive and having a bigger power draw. What's up with that?

 

[Pyrotiger]

The other type of SRV is heavier and will reduce your jump range and probably your speed.

 

[d8veh]

Getting your SRV blown up is optional. It's quicker, but you lose some money to replace it. Even though you still had the module, unless you had a spare SRV, you wouldn't have been able to deploy it.

There's often an alternative route to the data beacon without going through the trespass zone. You have to climb over a wall or something like that. It helps if you have a plan of the base, or you can fly over and make notes. Have a look at the thread about how to get modified embedded firmware. There's lots of plans and instructions in there.

 

[Asmodeus]

Or just press Esc leave game, come back SRV still intact with plans ship where you left it and no Skimmers anywhere.

Esc = Cloaking devise.
[wacky]

 

[Andrej]

It OK i suppose, it hard to survive, but it will be nice if you get bonus for survived SRV.

 

[Butter of Sorrow]

Or just press Esc leave game, come back SRV still intact with plans ship where you left it and no Skimmers anywhere.

Esc = Cloaking devise.
[wacky]

Oh hey, that sounds almost a bit like that thing they call combat-logging.

The other type of SRV is heavier and will reduce your jump range and probably your speed.

Those really only sound like bad features, just why would I ever want one?

 

[Pyrotiger]

It takes less to power than the lighter version. So more for weapons.