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Elite Dangerous: Horizons |OT| Just scratching the surface

Fantastapotamus

Wrong about commas, wrong about everything
So, can somebody explain to me how Assassination missions work? I've read like 20 other threads about this but I still don't get it. How the hell am I supposed to find my target? I've read that I need to buy an Advanced Scanner, so I bought that. No change. I've read that I need to scan a Nav Beacon so I'm sitting 10m away from one right now, nothing changes.
Some people say I need to find USS, some say I don't need to. I am in the right system and my target should be here right now.
I'm kinda losing patience right now. I'm sure this question has been asked multiple times but I don't understand what I'm doing wrong.
 

Sibylus

Banned

I am so thirsty for them it's unreal. I want to explore the internals of my ship, and also go for a walk outside (childhood dream).

g04_s65_30427.jpg
 

JoeMartin

Member
So, can somebody explain to me how Assassination missions work? I've read like 20 other threads about this but I still don't get it. How the hell am I supposed to find my target? I've read that I need to buy an Advanced Scanner, so I bought that. No change. I've read that I need to scan a Nav Beacon so I'm sitting 10m away from one right now, nothing changes.
Some people say I need to find USS, some say I don't need to. I am in the right system and my target should be here right now.
I'm kinda losing patience right now. I'm sure this question has been asked multiple times but I don't understand what I'm doing wrong.

Mission should say target X will be in system Y between <time> and <time>. Go to the system at the prescribed time and honk or drop at the nav beacon and target it and let your ship scanner go. You'll get a mission update that says he's in supercruise somewhere (need an interdictor) or was last seen around celestial body C. In the first case just boat towards where he is, interdict him and kill. In the second case boat to C, cruise around the object and eventually you'll get a mission USS, drop into it and kill.
 

Fantastapotamus

Wrong about commas, wrong about everything
Mission should say target X will be in system Y between <time> and <time>. Go to the system at the prescribed time and honk or drop at the nav beacon and target it and let your ship scanner go. You'll get a mission update that says he's in supercruise somewhere (need an interdictor) or was last seen around celestial body C. In the first case just boat towards where he is, interdict him and kill. In the second case boat to C, cruise around the object and eventually you'll get a mission USS, drop into it and kill.

I feel like that's exactly what I've been doing. Does it matter if I'm in the system too early?
 
I finally made it back to civilization. Well I took the easy way out. I said fuck Colonia so I decided just to suicide my ASPX and spawn in a Sidewinder. I love my ASPX, but it was finally time for an upgrade. I had 200 million. I wanted a FAS or FDL. In the long run I want a Corvette, but I don’t have the rank for it atm. So I went with a FDL (the FAS is just fugly). This thing is just a fucking beast. I need to start working on some engineering for it. The jump on it sucks though. I was so use to my 40ly ASPX and this thing is like 12ly lol.

 

vector824

Member
I finally made it back to civilization. Well I took the easy way out. I said fuck Colonia so I decided just to suicide my ASPX and spawn in a Sidewinder. I love my ASPX, but it was finally time for an upgrade. I had 200 million. I wanted a FAS or FDL. In the long run I want a Corvette, but I don't have the rank for it atm. So I went with a FDL (the FAS is just fugly). This thing is just a fucking beast. I need to start working on some engineering for it. The jump on it sucks though. I was so use to my 40ly ASPX and this thing is like 12ly lol.

Have both. The FDL is a shield tank and that huge weapon mount is the tipping point for me. Plus that it can turn harder, boost faster, has more hardpoints and looks waaaay better. I haven't been back in my FAS since... probably should sell it now that I think about it. Yours looks great with that black and red scheme. Almost bought that but went with the tactical instead because...

Nah... the Black Friday is the best for that. All black, except it keeps the chrome bits

I wanted an all black paint scheme so going with what I could get...
 
Have both. The FDL is a shield tank and that huge weapon mount is the tipping point for me. Plus that it can turn harder, boost faster, has more hardpoints and looks waaaay better. I haven't been back in my FAS since... probably should sell it now that I think about it. Yours looks great with that black and red scheme. Almost bought that but went with the tactical instead because...



I wanted an all black paint scheme so going with what I could get...

I looked up some builds, so I’m pretty much just using all shield boosters with one point defense. But the shield is insane on the thing. I was taking on a wing of three and was able to kill two before my shields even went down. I might get rid of another booster for chaff though.

Sir, I will fight you where you stand.

The cockpit suck! It has those annoying lines things on the side.
 

DrBo42

Member
Take it even farther, they've mentioned ship boarding in the future!

Imagine interdicting a ship, disabling the thrusters, jumping into your SLF that has the capability of attaching to the hull of the disabled ship (sending your ship back into SC), busting down the door and engaging in hand to hand (FPS) combat, taking out the other pilot and then selling his ship to the scrap yard and/or stealing the cargo.

Of course the risk here is getting killed and losing your ship in the process (or just paying funeral costs). There would be a whole new level of strategy to pirating besides limpets. And the reward is snagging an Clipper, 'Conda or Corvette to sell at a reduced value, say 25-75% less because of damage etc... Big risk, big payout.

If you wing up everyone gets a cut of the profit just like bounty hunting.

I'd like to believe FD will get there before the player base moves on but I'm not sure. Sounds great though and man if people combat log now...hahaha. Board someone's ship and all of a sudden you're back in space.
 

vector824

Member
I looked up some builds, so I’m pretty much just using all shield boosters with one point defense. But the shield is insane on the thing. I was taking on a wing of three and was able to kill two before my shields even went down. I might get rid of another booster for chaff though.

Right now I'm running all boosters and no defense. But chaff is what I put when out bounty hunting. I took on three MKIIIs at once and they only got through my first ring.

I'd like to believe FD will get there before the player base moves on but I'm not sure. Sounds great though and man if people combat log now...hahaha. Board someone's ship and all of a sudden you're back in space.

Oh yeah! Didn't think of that. They'll have that resolved by then hopefully. You CL out, you lose your ship. Who knows really though?
 

Burny

Member
Sounds great though and man if people combat log now...hahaha. Board someone's ship and all of a sudden you're back in space.

Ship stealing is a whole new can of worms. If they simply allow a serve-yourself mechanic in relation to ships, the whining will be glorious.

As for the player base moving on, I don't see it unless a certain other space game proves to be all it's touted to be and makes Elite obsolete. There's still the possibility for some unexpected game to show up, and be a competition, but of the other direct control space games I know of, most seem to be going too much into the minecraft in space direction. Infinity: Battlescape might provide a competing and well working flight model going by its demos, but its scope is too different from Elite to fill the same niche.

No matter how much I wish for Elite to have some fierce competition, I can't see it happening anytime soon. In general however, imagine another, high profile space game, done by competent designers, going for a similar scope to Elite, but respecting player time and maybe even providing compelling mission content? Oh boy, Frontier would have good reason to start getting cold feet.


Think of the PC RTS landscape. As old fashioned and traditional as Blizzard games have been, they've been so good so consistently, that everything else has slowly degraded into a niche game. For all the newer games with fancy mechanics, the Dawn of Wars, Company of Heroes, Ground Controls and World in Conflicts, Blizzard has mopped the RTS floor with comparatively conservative, but rock solid games. But there is no comparable established studio specializing in direct control space games anymore and it's doubtful some big studio that's not riding on an oversized wave of backer cash might develop for the genre, as it's in itself a niche.


What remains is the frustrating realization, that Elite will be the only released game of its kind for a while and whenever they introduce a new facepalm-worthy mechanic, there's no better alternative to scratch the same itch currently.
 
Right now I'm running all boosters and no defense. But chaff is what I put when out bounty hunting. I took on three MKIIIs at once and they only got through my first ring.

What are you using for the huge hardpoint? I'm trying the PAC, but I can't hit shit. Most of my shots are misses especially against smaller ships.
 

vector824

Member
What are you using for the huge hardpoint? I'm trying the PAC, but I can't hit shit. Most of my shots are misses especially against smaller ships.

Fixed beam, melts shields like a hot knife through butter. Then 4 gimbled multi's on the mediums. I'll take on anything alone from an AspX and below easily. Takes some practice with the fixed mount, but its hella fun watching the shields plummet.
 
Fixed beam, melts shields like a hot knife through butter. Then 4 gimbled multi's on the mediums. I'll take on anything alone from an AspX and below easily. Takes some practice with the fixed mount, but its hella fun watching the shields plummet.

Yeah, I'll give that a shot later. I mean the PAC does amazing damage
if I can hit anything.
Against condas, clippers, and other FDLs I don't really have a problem, but anything smaller than that I'm missing a majority of my shots.
 

Reckheim

Member
Holy crap, those animation are better than I was expecting. Seems sharp to control too. Seems less cumbersome than Star ctizens movement's at least.

Its not done by Frontier, someone made it in in Unity to show off the scale of the ships.

Based on the game it self I would imagine everything will be in first person (if space legs ever come out).
 

Burny

Member

Holy crap, those animation are better than I was expecting. Seems sharp to control too. Seems less cumbersome than Star ctizens movement's at least.

Its not done by Frontier, someone made it in in Unity to show off the scale of the ships.

No offense Aztechnology, but what with all the incessant banging on about ultrasuperfidelicious seemless first person experience (not so much by you, but by some other people around) and month long alleged animation (re)working to be the best-est, unseen-est etc. in the industry ever of that other project, this is pretty much comedy gold. ;-)
 
No offense Aztechnology, but what with all the banging on about ultrasuperfidelicious seemless first person experience (not so much by you, but by some other people around) and month long alleged animation (re)working to be the best-est unseen-est etc. in the industry of that other project, this is pretty much comedy gold. ;-)

No offense taken. I may be an advocate in support of Star Citizen as it's a product I want to get completed and still have some faith in, but that doesn't mean I'm going to pretend it doesn't have a lot of work to do. The animations and movements last time I played felt very rigid and cumbersome outside of E.V.A which I like, but still needs improvement. In style name in motion I actually like very much what this guy did though. It's not realism but I don't mind that at all.

That being said last time I played SC was around 2.2. So I haven't played Star Marine or anything like that.
 

vector824

Member
Yeah, I'll give that a shot later. I mean the PAC does amazing damage
if I can hit anything.
Against condas, clippers, and other FDLs I don't really have a problem, but anything smaller than that I'm missing a majority of my shots.

Yeah I'm sure it does! Hard to miss with a fixed beam though...

Here's what I run for bounty hunting in a RES:

Coriolis FDL
 

DrBo42

Member
Ship stealing is a whole new can of worms. If they simply allow a serve-yourself mechanic in relation to ships, the whining will be glorious.

As for the player base moving on, I don't see it unless a certain other space game proves to be all it's touted to be and makes Elite obsolete. There's still the possibility for some unexpected game to show up, and be a competition, but of the other direct control space games I know of, most seem to be going too much into the minecraft in space direction. Infinity: Battlescape might provide a competing and well working flight model going by its demos, but its scope is too different from Elite to fill the same niche.

No matter how much I wish for Elite to have some fierce competition, I can't see it happening anytime soon. In general however, imagine another, high profile space game, done by competent designers, going for a similar scope to Elite, but respecting player time and maybe even providing compelling mission content? Oh boy, Frontier would have good reason to start getting cold feet.


Think of the PC RTS landscape. As old fashioned and traditional as Blizzard games have been, they've been so good so consistently, that everything else has slowly degraded into a niche game. For all the newer games with fancy mechanics, the Dawn of Wars, Company of Heroes, Ground Controls and World in Conflicts, Blizzard has mopped the RTS floor with comparatively conservative, but rock solid games. But there is no comparable established studio specializing in direct control space games anymore and it's doubtful some big studio that's not riding on an oversized wave of backer cash might develop for the genre, as it's in itself a niche.


What remains is the frustrating realization, that Elite will be the only released game of its kind for a while and whenever they introduce a new facepalm-worthy mechanic, there's no better alternative to scratch the same itch currently.

I tend to agree with a lot of this, the last bit especially. But FD has a very slow process at the moment and what they do manage to put out is almost always extremely barebones or even badly designed. Then you have to wait up to a year or so to see that feature fixed or expanded. Or in the case of exploration you're still waiting 2 years later

SC is jank and has been from day 1 but they're at least making steady progress and tend to be more on the side of releasing something when it's not just barely functional (room for debate here). While FD has a similar goal but their version of "ready" isn't what players tend to agree with in terms of depth and design.

It then becomes a choice of slow actual progression or slow progression of a base design and reevaluation of that design months later. I don't see FD's approach sustaining the community outside of lifetime backers with how it's going. Especially with SC catching up.
 

Not Spaceghost

Spaceghost
Here's what I run for bounty hunting in a RES:

Coriolis FDL

I pretty much run the same weapon configuration on my FdL but I run with less hull armor and without the KWS to manage powerdraw better. I prefer an SCB or two if possible with the FdL because it has so few optional internals that you can't really build a big shield and keep decent hull rolling.

I don't usually run the KWS since I'm just there to dog fight not to get rich :p

https://coriolis.io/outfit/fer_de_l...0402004a5d326b25.Iw18aQ==.CwBhrSusKA==?bn=FDL
 

DrBo42

Member
Via reddit, interesting reaction from Ed here: http://www.tubechop.com/watch/8826000
Classic. We're in the unfortunate situation where I hope those outposts aren't found because the mission gameplay/variety is so bland. Like when there was speculation of maybe finding those generation ships. You can't do those justice without being able to EVA and board those ships like exploring a derelict wreck. Everything interesting is being held back by the design progress and priority.
 

Volimar

Member
Classic. We're in the unfortunate situation where I hope those outposts aren't found because the mission gameplay/variety is so bland. Like when there was speculation of maybe finding those generation ships. You can't do those justice without being able to EVA and board those ships like exploring a derelict wreck. Everything interesting is being held back by the design progress and priority.

They might just be talking about the ones being searched for right now in the Formidine Rift, Hawkins Gap and that other place the name of which I can't remember.
 

DrBo42

Member
They might just be talking about the ones being searched for right now in the Formidine Rift, Hawkins Gap and that other place the name of which I can't remember.
Yeah was just more of a general thought that reminded me of the generation ships specifically. And how they should absolutely avoid stuff like that until they can do it justice.

A Thargoid war is probably the only real gameplay based story they can do right now.
 

vector824

Member
I pretty much run the same weapon configuration on my FdL but I run with less hull armor and without the KWS to manage powerdraw better. I prefer an SCB or two if possible with the FdL because it has so few optional internals that you can't really build a big shield and keep decent hull rolling.

I don't usually run the KWS since I'm just there to dog fight not to get rich :p

https://coriolis.io/outfit/fer_de_l...0402004a5d326b25.Iw18aQ==.CwBhrSusKA==?bn=FDL

That's because you recommended it ;-) Yeah I need the extra hull for my own safety net! I'll eventually drop the reinforcements one day.
 

Osiris

I permanently banned my 6 year old daughter from using the PS4 for mistakenly sending grief reports as it's too hard to watch or talk to her
First week back, first trip out in an Asp Explorer and first system discovery claimed.

Gotta get my name on a buttload more. :)

synuefe.jpg
 

vector824

Member
Oh man I'm excited for my stupid eagle

http://beta.coriolis.edcd.io/outfit...5s8f2ihe0e000B42o272566.Iw18kA==.AwgsJBGbktSA.

Next week i'll have the enforcers, and then I can grind out the imp hammer, the damage on this sucker will be so ridiculous, coupled with it's speed it doesn't even matter that the shields will crack if anything looks at them funny because 1-2 boosts and I'll be out of range of almost anything.

That's insane. I've been messing around with weight by down grading internals on my FDL. This is what I use to bounty hunt at the RES sites in my home system, making 2.8mil in the last hour. Engineered the multi's to grade 2 so far. Dropped the military bulk heads and added reinforcements instead, which weigh less and have better protection... Which brings me to the question... why have military bulkheads? To save internal slots I guess?

https://coriolis.io/outfit/fer_de_l...727272704040404040m4a2b--25.Iw18aQ==.Aw18aQ==
 

DrBo42

Member
Searching for those ruins. A needle in a room full of haystacks.
Beige ruins on beige moons. All they really have to do is include a scanner that's useful in orbital cruise or give the existing discovery scanner more use. Or move the detailed surface scanner to a utility slot and give it an active function.


Edit: This is a great, found on Reddit. Elite surface scanner concept https://imgur.com/a/duIA5
 
Think of the PC RTS landscape. As old fashioned and traditional as Blizzard games have been, they've been so good so consistently, that everything else has slowly degraded into a niche game. For all the newer games with fancy mechanics, the Dawn of Wars, Company of Heroes, Ground Controls and World in Conflicts, Blizzard has mopped the RTS floor with comparatively conservative, but rock solid games. But there is no comparable established studio specializing in direct control space games anymore and it's doubtful some big studio that's not riding on an oversized wave of backer cash might develop for the genre, as it's in itself a niche.
nah, that's only half true. The majority of RTS games died because strategy games in general shallowed down and moved to mobile as free to play counterparts. Good enough for the players, highly profitable for the developers. Why do a proper RTS, when those can make you a fortune?

Blizzards games are top notch though, no question :)
 

SmartBase

Member
Beige ruins on beige moons. All they really have to do is include a scanner that's useful in orbital cruise or give the existing discovery scanner more use. Or move the detailed surface scanner to a utility slot and give it an active function.


Edit: This is a great, found on Reddit. Elite surface scanner concept https://imgur.com/a/duIA5

Just read any thread on FD's forum asking for basic tools, if only for the entertainment value. Who needs to develop more complex content when your dumb fans are fine with things as they are?

I'm trying to contain my snide comments to their forums because they truly deserve it, just a minor minor lapse here.
 

Not Spaceghost

Spaceghost
Which brings me to the question... why have military bulkheads? To save internal slots I guess?

Well bulkheads are the biggest increase on your hull integrity, normally I avoid them all together unless my ship is going to be taking hits to the hull frequently, they're very worth it on the federal ships, but on the FdL? If the shields on the FdL crack you're looking at a 50% chance to be sent to the rebuy screen.

Another time I love military bulkheads is on my diamondback scout, which is a shield less silent running set up, the bulkheads give me the hull integrity of a ship 3x my size and allows me to soak up extra hits, which is super important when fixed weapons start hitting me.

Normally hull reinforcement packages are used to supplement ships who are going to be hull tanking anyway and will be equipped with military bulkheads, on shield tanking ships I usually throw them in slots which I can't fit anything else on due to power limits lol. Better use of the weight than a 1D cargo rack I figure.

Basically it all comes down to the following question:

Can I make the shields be strong enough to be the primary tank?

Yes -> Ignore bulkheads, prioritize grade A shield boosters and SCBs, fit in small hull packages if power doesn't permit anything else in internals.
No -> Throw on bulkheads and as many reinforcements as possible, give up on hopes of shields being useful and either go for shield-less or throw on a bi-weave.
 

vector824

Member
Well bulkheads are the biggest increase on your hull integrity, normally I avoid them all together unless my ship is going to be taking hits to the hull frequently, they're very worth it on the federal ships, but on the FdL? If the shields on the FdL crack you're looking at a 50% chance to be sent to the rebuy screen.

Another time I love military bulkheads is on my diamondback scout, which is a shield less silent running set up, the bulkheads give me the hull integrity of a ship 3x my size and allows me to soak up extra hits, which is super important when fixed weapons start hitting me.

Normally hull reinforcement packages are used to supplement ships who are going to be hull tanking anyway and will be equipped with military bulkheads, on shield tanking ships I usually throw them in slots which I can't fit anything else on due to power limits lol. Better use of the weight than a 1D cargo rack I figure.

Basically it all comes down to the following question:

Can I make the shields be strong enough to be the primary tank?

Yes -> Ignore bulkheads, prioritize grade A shield boosters and SCBs, fit in small hull packages if power doesn't permit anything else in internals.
No -> Throw on bulkheads and as many reinforcements as possible, give up on hopes of shields being useful and either go for shield-less or throw on a bi-weave.

Yep! Makes sense. With the setup I have on my FDL I have less weight, but more hull points with the basic and reinforcements than the military bulk heads. I thought it could turn hard before, now it's like I don't even need to try!

Next step is for me to figure out SCB management that works well.
 

JoeMartin

Member
Have both. The FDL is a shield tank and that huge weapon mount is the tipping point for me. Plus that it can turn harder, boost faster, has more hardpoints and looks waaaay better. I haven't been back in my FAS since... probably should sell it now that I think about it. Yours looks great with that black and red scheme. Almost bought that but went with the tactical instead because....

Believe it or not the FAS both turns harder and is capable of higher top speeds (by a hair) than the FDL. The FDL accelerates faster, both straight line and directional thrusters, by about 30% tho.

Most of the PVP world is moving towards FAS too; the ship can fit an absolutely disgusting armor tank while still maintaining extremely good mobility, and with the military slots and the addition of MRPs armor tanking isn't useless anymore, so there's that.
 
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