Elite Dangerous Catch-All

Jumped back into this a bit due to the new patch and ship. Bought the Chieftain and a Python... sold my ASPx which was probably a bad idea because grinding money and materials sucks. The game really is an MMO with most of the worst things about MMOs and not many of the good things.

Hoping I won't burn out trying to collect materials for Engineering, looking at you Specialized Legacy Firmware. It would be great if there was a tool that you could easily tell you all of the materials needed to roll up each mod and how best to find them.

Go to Ngalkin and find the Civilian Installation, it's easy to farm the firmware there from the two satellites.

thrawn82 wrote:

jokes aside i would be 200% willing to save and donate credits for a GWJ fleet carrier.

Definitely! I'm trying to stockpile cash so I can throw a good amount into the pot. Hopefully I'll be able to throw in a cool billion... we'll see what I can muster over the coming months.

Any speculation floating around as to the price point for the carrier ships?

Based on my research on EDShipyard the only true all-in-one is the Anaconda, obviously as zeroKFE said. The other options are hampered either by jump range, optional module limitations, or cargo space.

I've thrown a few together in an exploration outfit (stripped down modules), with a fully engineered jump drive, some weapons, various exploration equipment, and as much cargo space as possible.

Python:
$$$
40ly jump
144t cargo
weapons + point defense

DBX:
$$
55ly jump
9t cargo
weapons + point defense

AspX:
$$
52ly jump
16t cargo
some weapons and point defense

Anaconda:
$$$$$
53ly jump
176t cargo
plenty of weapons and point defense

The only real downside to the Anaconda is how sluggishly it handles in supercruise, something that no amount of outfitting or engineering can remedy. It's not really a problem most of the time, but I do notice very much whenever I switch to a smaller ship.

Planetary landings are really tough in a conda as well, especially on higb grave planets.
Though, the deal breaker for me, is i just cant see anything from the bridge! I want to see the galaxy, not hull plating.
For awhile i was really fixated on an exploraconda, but when i got it set up, i ended up going back to my aspx...

Tycho the Mad wrote:

Planetary landings are really tough in a conda as well, especially on higb grave planets.
Though, the deal breaker for me, is i just cant see anything from the bridge! I want to see the galaxy, not hull plating.
For awhile i was really fixated on an exploraconda, but when i got it set up, i ended up going back to my aspx...

Of the ships ive tried, my favorite for exploring was the DBX. Sure it's short on internal slots, but it's agile both in super cruise and regular space, and the view out of the cockpit is fantastic

I agree, it's a fantastic ship and a great first explorer. the only drawback of the dbx is the size 4 scoop which seriously slows down long distance travel. Unfortunately, for me that's a dealbreaker for anything really long range.

Tycho the Mad wrote:

I agree, it's a fantastic ship and a great first explorer. the only drawback of the dbx is the size 4 scoop which seriously slows down long distance travel. Unfortunately, for me that's a dealbreaker for anything really long range.

Really? I went out to The Rift and back and I don't think I ever had to stop to refuel. Swoop-and-scoop was sufficient to keep me topped up unless I hit a series of neutron stars.

Got back into the game over the last week or two and rather enjoying trading in a zen way... But gosh I have to stop reading the official forums as they are so depressing!

Building up my Empire rep -- took a little bit of research but I'm now cruising. Spent a good portion of my cash on an Orca for passenger missions -- figure that investment will open up a solid money-making operation on top of the data delivery + assassination missions that my little two-system Empire loop will give me.

It cost about 2/3rd of what I had at the time, but I figure, long-term, I'll be able to make that up and then some until I get the 'Conda and start ranking up with Empire missions.

LondonLoo wrote:

Got back into the game over the last week or two and rather enjoying trading in a zen way... But gosh I have to stop reading the official forums as they are so depressing!

Yeah, the folks complaining at Frontier have never, ever dealt with, say, CCP.

Frontier's development is exponentially more transparent and responsive to player demand.

EDIT: A question on passenger missions -- long hauls. As far as a money-making operation, seems like a multi-hour trip for even 30m is... not great, at least in comparison to what else is on the table at, say, Orcus. Is my math as far as time/reward cost-benefit correct there?

Logan wrote:

EDIT: A question on passenger missions -- long hauls. As far as a money-making operation, seems like a multi-hour trip for even 30m is... not great, at least in comparison to what else is on the table at, say, Orcus. Is my math as far as time/reward cost-benefit correct there?

They just nerfed it. I made about half a billion a couple months ago in a week or so of passenger missions.

Stations about a half hour or more of cruise from stars were paying great, as they should. Now, not so much.

Yeh I totally rode on Stele's cash-train coattails there for a couple weeks. good times

Commander's Log 03092018:

I have been promoted to Lieutenant in the Federal Navy for being a spacefaring USB drive. I've been doing the Sothis<->Ceos data deliver runs and it's been working out quite well. It' snot the most fun, but it's more fun than the Road to Riches, at least I get to interact with the mission aspects and land on stations. Plus, other players all around. The goal is to get access to the Federal Corvette, I have already received access to Sol system, even if I cannot yet afford it.

Speaking of which, I now have enough money to afford a basic rated Anaconda. It's very tempting. The quality of life improvements from its jump capabilities are immense.

Do it.

Seconded. You won;t regret it, just don't fly without rebuy.

thrawn82 wrote:

Seconded. You won;t regret it, just don't fly without rebuy.

Thirded, I switched to a cheapo conder recently and it's definitely improved my trading profits (though I've rammed a lot of space station exits too)

Do you all find the inability to park on medium size pads a real hindrance?

maverickz wrote:

Do you all find the inability to park on medium size pads a real hindrance?

It's only been a problem for me for a CG i wanted to do. for the most part i haven't noticed it, other than having to keep in mind i need to head for coriolis and orbis rather than outposts.

maverickz wrote:

Do you all find the inability to park on medium size pads a real hindrance?

Occasionally

But then I went down to a planet for the first time in a year last night and forgot I didn't have a SRV thing, so probably best to ignore all my advice!

maverickz wrote:

Do you all find the inability to park on medium size pads a real hindrance?

Not really. There's the odd issue (e.g. unlocking the engineer Zacariah Nemo, both the stations you can get his mission are outposts), but I was using the Anaconda as my one and only ship for so long I forgot what a medium pad looks like. The addition of planetary bases, which tend to always have large pads, is a factor I suppose.

LondonLoo wrote:
maverickz wrote:

Do you all find the inability to park on medium size pads a real hindrance?

Occasionally

But then I went down to a planet for the first time in a year last night and forgot I didn't have a SRV thing, so probably best to ignore all my advice!

If we ignored everyone who did that, none of our advice would be valid. Did that myself just a couple weeks ago.

Piscean wrote:
LondonLoo wrote:
maverickz wrote:

Do you all find the inability to park on medium size pads a real hindrance?

Occasionally

But then I went down to a planet for the first time in a year last night and forgot I didn't have a SRV thing, so probably best to ignore all my advice!

If we ignored everyone who did that, none of our advice would be valid. Did that myself just a couple weeks ago.

I did this when I went out to see Farseer the first time and had to mine for some minerals.

Piscean wrote:
LondonLoo wrote:
maverickz wrote:

Do you all find the inability to park on medium size pads a real hindrance?

Occasionally

But then I went down to a planet for the first time in a year last night and forgot I didn't have a SRV thing, so probably best to ignore all my advice!

If we ignored everyone who did that, none of our advice would be valid. Did that myself just a couple weeks ago.

have definitely done that at least once, probably several times tbh

What are the current best practices for smuggling?

Now that I've finally finished mining for Selene Jean, unlocking The Dweller is next on my list.

misplacedbravado wrote:

What are the current best practices for smuggling?

Now that I've finally finished mining for Selene Jean, unlocking The Dweller is next on my list.

Used to be the easiest way was to accept a courier mission and then immediately abandon it. The cargo becomes stolen and you could sell it to the black market. Do that at five different stations and you were done.

Of course, that was before the crime and punishment revamp. It might have more consequences now

Someone needs to program the NPCs a bit better.

I've been making the routes on the latest CG in my Python. About 800k every 20 minutes. A bit boring, but steady income.

The only problem is that every third jump or so someone tries to interdict me. I just evade it and go on.

Then I get bored on one and submit, just to see what is there.

It's a novice in a Cobra.

I have a fully A-rated Python.

What amused me is that he was still broadcasting "We can end this if you just drop 11 tons of cargo!" while his shields were down, his hull was at 2%, and bits of his ship were falling off around him...

Oh well, 30k bounty for me. Though I probably lost money given how much time he cost me.

And... why you never fly without a rebuy...

I got cocky. Got interdicted and thought I could handle it. Dropped out to see an FDL. Figured... OK.

I was at 80% hull and he was at 60%. I thought I had it. Then I was at 2%. Then I was dead.

It wasn't the 5MCr rebuy that bothered me, it was the 1MCr cargo I lost. Oh well...

Maybe I'll just evade from now on...

I just got Elite for PS4, and I can't even make it past the combat tutorial. The enemy turns towards me, flys right by, and then is somehow instantly on my tail and I can't shake him. I've died five times in a row, only putting a dent in the enemy's shield once or twice. This is getting very very frustrating. The most basic basics of combat are not explained.

I used to play WW2 air combat sims and nothing I learned playing those is working for sh*t in this tutorial I don't even want to think about what would happen if I tried combat in the actual game.