15 insurance claims apparently!
Also five weeks playing time, bit surprised at that.
There is a sync button on the top right of the screen, it asks you to fill out your CMDR name and platform and what you want synched.
14 fleet carriers at the Guardian module site!
Matt
Spent most of this evening doing beer runs between Fuca Dock and Petit Ring.
That's still in Elite, right?
Matt
I did chuckle.
Made it. However I forgot to consider that I might need to meet requirements to discover the engineer here, which has annoyed me. That's what you get for doing spur of the moment stuff. I only suggested it because it'd give my wife something safe to play on whilst joining in the game.
What are the requirements? Hopefully something you can do out there.
Matt
It's gain sufficient rep with Martuk, who is back in the Bubble.
—STW Squadron PRIORITY Comms—
**LTD Price Alert***
1,731,578cr/tonne, system; Daesitiates
M and L pads available.
Message ends.
Oooo, nice!
More LTDs? You saving up for a fleet carrier or something?
Nope, not at the moment (although I’m actually starting to see the attraction now). Can’t even get online at the mo, between work and family commitments though. I’m Eliting vicariously through you lot and 5-10 mins of background research here and there.
How’s Colonia? Annoying about the engineer requirements 😫
Colinia's what you'd expect really. An outpost, not much stuff here, had been thinking about mining to get funds to bring my ships over but maybe I'll just use the AspX to explore a bit.
Is it worth mining outside the bubble?
Molgrips there was an LTD3 out in Colonia. If the surface mining has been nerfed then core mining is a steady trade at any hotspot.
There's two stations at Daesitiates, so if you have more than 100t go to the high demand (2000), if you have a mega load, then Walker Orbital at L 639-45 has a demand over 5000.
The last time prices were this high I was also out of the bubble, hmmmmmmmmmm
Matt
Just looked up the Daesitiates system on Inara. OK 14 fleet carriers, not surprising, not too bad.
Then noticed the show more button. There must be over a hundred, more Ishimuras, Nostromos and Prometheuses (Prometheii?) than you could poke sticks at.
Last post on the subject I promise! I'm just going to filter them out in the bubble.
Matt
If I get one I’m calling it the “Bag for Life”
A massive carrier that you pay over the odds for.
The second line stopped me typing......
Thanks!
A suitable exploration job would be looking for hotspots. Will have to get some mining kit for the Asp
I do think that a default ‘filter fleet carriers’ setting is going to be needed on the nav panel. It’s getting a bit daft and I don’t need to see them.
I think the Asp X is a great core miner, better than the python. 96t gives just enough room for a dual set-up.
Matt
I never got on with my AspX. It did me sterling service as an intermediate ship and allowed me to enter the big money club, but I can’t get over how ugly it is, and I’m not a fan of the engine noise. I recognise how useful it is, but I just can’t love it.
I spotted a Gravitas carrier earlier 😀
Tried mining. Turned up at a ring, flung seismic charges about like confetti, nothing. Pew pewed with abrasion lasers, few chunks. Looked up mining and realised I'm doing it wrong. Loaded prospectors, no limpets in the hold. This game is so bloody annoying at times. But now I have a better idea of what I need so not a total waste of time, outpost was right next door anyway.
Can see me getting some mileage out the AspX (badum tish) once I outgrow it for hauling so it's not a wasted investment. Cobra has been doing well for fast attack too. That's half the fun I think, every ship is the right tool for a particular job and its just a case of figuring out the niche.
My biggest issue with the AspX has been thrusters, you can't just crash stop the same way as smaller ships. Ended up hitting a few things yet amazingly it's only ever come away with paint damage.
Yeah the AspX slows down pretty slowly! It is super maneuverable but only at a relatively low speed, perfect for swooshing round the rocks planting the seismics.
6 jumps back to the bubble then Guardian FSD booster here we come, should get the Phantom close to 60Ly.
Matt
*Waves from the Empyrean Straits*
Pew pewed with abrasion lasers, few chunks. Looked up mining and realised I’m doing it wrong. Loaded prospectors, no limpets in the hold. This game is so bloody annoying at times.
Been there... 🙁
So, I went for a play with a new mining loadout and a Python. Seismic charges, abrasion blaster, 2 mining lasers and subsurface displacement missile. I've got all the bases covered. I've only ever done core mining before. Kinda getting the hang of the subsurface missiles, a bit of skill involved.
But mining lasers, are you serious? Just point at a suitable rock, pew pew, collect the bling?? Is that it? Rock depleted, move to the next one? You can shoot it anywhere and get the goodies?? That's not how mining works IRL. No wonder everyone was making megabucks. It's like a slot machine that just pays out.
Yes, this is just me making excuses for my ignorance 😉 Right, I'm off to make my first billion.
That’s not how mining works IRL
And how does asteroid mining work in real life? 🙂
The game's not a mining simulation. It's complicated enough as it is even with these simplified 'mini games' to mine and so on.
The biggest issue with the mining mechanic is that supply and demand effects only work at local stations. LTDs are still hugely valuable despite nearly everyone heading out to Boran for limitless supplies of them. You can crash the price if you sell too much at any given station, but clearly if people were producing this much it should depress prices across the board. In real life, stations near or in Boran would pay you decent money for an easy drop-off and then pay people to ship them around the galaxy to far off markets that really needed them for.. whatever LTDs are actually for. This would be pretty easy to implement in the game, the mechanisms for boom time deliveries are already there.
And pirates would know this too. So, poorly armed mining ships would operate in Boran under heavy security, and then people would form armed protected convoys to ship to further markets.
And pirates wouldn't bother risking death to rob you of LTDs they'd just head over to Boran and legally fill their holds like everyone else!
@son-of-mike yep, I think you've summed it up pretty well there. Maybe only to add that in the triple hotspot, around 2/3 of the rocks you prospect are >10% LTD.
The sub-surface at least has some element of skill (if not risk), even if the recent buff is absolutely insane.
Matt
@molgrips - yeah, I keep forgetting it's a game. 😉 Actually, I'd quite enjoy missions to protect miners but I'm terrible at combat. And I too have wondered what LTD's are actually for.
@matt_bl there does seem to be a knack to when to release the trigger on sub-surface. I was watching D2EA's recent stream where someone pointed out the % left on the target indicator to give you an idea of when the deposit is exhausted. A very useful tip.
So I tempted fate yesterday; I managed to get on for an hour this morning, jumped a few systems in my shiny new Anaconda on a shake down voyage, then promptly got interdicted and wiped out by a twit in a federal corvette. I didn’t even shoot back, just attempted to high wake out then boom; rebuy screen. I’m not set up for combat in that ship, so I wasn’t interested in looking for a fight. Can’t see what satisfaction he gets from that really; it’s just silly and will drive players into solo mode. Irritating and I’m now 16m credits lighter due to the rebuy and unclaimed bonds lost.
Ah well, at least that’s not much money, given the games odd economy at the moment.
They probably need to fix the random killing thing; it’s not good gameplay.
Well I’m sorry guys as well as the good weather, work I’m now distracted by No Man’s Sky as it’s had another huge patch. Maybe I’ll get back come winter.
Irritating and I’m now 16m credits lighter due to the rebuy and unclaimed bonds lost.
You're alright, my rebuy is about 30m on the Anaconda!
Drac we play NMS too chez Grips.
They probably need to fix the random killing thing; it’s not good gameplay.
Pilots' Federation could unveil a new super hard ship and elite security force that hunts down anyone with enough bounty or notoriety. Make it basically impossible to continue playing if you're too much of a dick.
Just chatting to my sister (who doesn't play video games) and we were talking about the kids gaming for social contact during lockdown. She said 'I don't like running around and shooting stuff.. what was that game we used to play as kids? Elite something? I wish there was something like that we could play...'
Well yes, there is. Step this way... I've told her to set up a PSN account then she can watch me for a bit.
my rebuy is about 30m on the Anaconda!
Blimey! I guess (looking at your loadout on INARA😎) the difference is largely your fancypants reactive surface composite armour and turrets, which hopefully would have meant you survived a similar situation. We live and learn.
Get your sister in the Squadron Mol, she sounds okay by me 👍🏼
The aim is to make the Anaconda as tough as possible. It needs engineered shields and more engineered armour. Better lasers will be the icing on the cake.
I'm not at all sure my sister has the patience to learn a complex game, but maybe.
Drac we play NMS too chez Grips.
Oooh! I’ll look out for you. I’ve restarted a character as it seemed easier then trying to sort out my original.
Arse.
7 seconds from docking at Colonia and the servers go down.
Should be down for an hour to fix things but shouldn't there be warnings in the bloody game.
I've had to hunt the web to find out why.
Grumpy of (nearly) Colonia.
Not sure that's the patch. I'm online (PS4) but it's been a bit flaky tonight.
Matt
Grumpy of (nearly) Colonia.
I'm still out there - looking for decent mining hotspots.
Rather than rebuild my Explorer I bought a new ship - went for a Federal Dropship and it's rubbish. Should've bought a Krait.
I'm tempted to buy a ship to mine for a while, I'm about halfway to elite explorer and fancy a change.
You saw that quad overlap spot in the PS4 chat, miles away from anywhere so not that handy.
Was surprised at how close to Colonia I got before the systems were mapped.
When I eventually found painite I got good numbers and that was in a hotspot that overlapped with a hotspot for a different mineral. So I'm wondering if being in an overlap generally boosts numbers for all minerals.
@Molgrips that's an interesting theory, worth testing out for sure.
Didn't do well last night, trying to unlock an engineer Elvira Martuuk. I had to head to Ngurri for some Soontil relics, then 350Ly to Khun to drop them off. All good so far, I am in my new Orca liner, passengering system to system, slow but good for reps and materials. Halfway to Khun I changed my mind and decided to build a bubble bus/mats collection ship, a DBX never mind the looks feel the jump range. On the way I'm dropping into nav beacons to locate HGE. Why then, in the name of anything, do I start a fight with a wing in an unengineered DBX, what is wrong with me! Long story short, dead, another rebuy, soontil relics destroyed, Elite turned off in fit of pique!
Here's hoping to learning eventually!
Matt
Yes, you nutter what were you thinking?
I changed my mind and decided to build a bubble bus/mats collection ship, a DBX never mind the looks feel the jump range.
I did that yesterday too. Finally got my Elite trading, finished the Federal Rank grind and moved my fleet to Shinrarta Dezhra.
Bought and upgraded a DBX for bubble hopping. Visited Jamesons Cobra crash site and a few runs round Dav's Hope. Couldn't start any fights in it as it has no weapons. I quite like how it looks. It's like an Apache helicopter.
Next up is unlocking the Guardian FSD booster and some more engineers.
You haven't messed about with those ranks, I'm still Warrant Officer with the Feds!
That's what I am doing tonight, I have the Guardian Blueprints and the mats, just need to head to a trader. Theory crafting got me to 59Ly loaded, with a class 3 Guardian FSD Booster.
Maybe that's where I went wrong, tempting myself by putting a large beam laser on it in the forst place!
Matt
You haven’t messed about with those ranks, I’m still Warrant Officer with the Feds!
I want a Corvette to equip as a mining ship.
D2EA was mining tritium in livestream last night using a Corvette. It seemed to work really well, even for sub-surface which needs a it more maneuverability. He also slowed down a couple of times by just nerfing into rocks.
No pirates are going to mess with you anyway.
Matt
No pirates are going to mess with you anyway.
Not with two class 4 Plasma accelerators they won't 😉
If I have PAs then the pirate community is safe because they are fixed therefore I cannot hit anything.
I got caught out in a similar fashion!
23:00 on a Tuesday is the regular server maintenance slot, evidently.
Maybe this is why they no longer give a warning! 🙁
If I have PAs then the pirate community is safe because they are fixed therefore I cannot hit anything.
It's unfortunate that you cannot buy Class 4 mining lasers.
That'd be something.
I got caught out in a similar fashion!
23:00 on a Thursday is the regular server maintenance slot, evidently.
Yesterday was Tuesday! 🤣
#lockdowntime
It was a patch, I think notes are out somewhere. I heard it was to rebalance the sub-surface mining buff, plus fix bugs like the mission announcements.
Matt
I found the patch notes
Commodity Market
Reduced repeat speed on market selection arrows on Compare Market screen.Mining
Reduced the largest possible yield when subsurface mining for Low Temperature Diamonds by around 25%.Decreased the effectiveness of the peripheries of Low Temperature Diamond hotspots.
Overlapping hotspots for Low Temperature Diamonds, when coupled with the new Subsurface Mining changes, were more effective than the centre of the hotspot itself. This change increases the drop-off of the hotspot's ring, reducing the likelihood that a double-overlapped hotspot is more lucrative than either of the hotspot's centrepoints. A well-placed triple hotspot will still be very effective at increasing the likelihood of finding Low Temperature Diamonds. This change does not affect any other hotspots or minerals.
Crashes/Stability
Fixed a disconnect triggered by selling exploration data at a Fleet Carrier.Fixed an occasional crash when entering a system with a Fleet Carrier.
Fixed an issue with some bookmarks being missing.
Fleet Carriers
Fixed an issue which could cause a Fleet Carrier purchase transaction to fail.Skybox will now correctly update after a Fleet Carrier jump without having to re-enter the instance.
Fixed a bug which allowed players to install additional Carrier services even if they didn't have capacity.
Fixed an issue with duplicate Fleet Carrier call-signs - this will cause all Fleet Carrier call signs to be regenerated as of 3.7.01.
Fixed some issues with stats not correctly updating.
Fixed an issues with carrier jump sequence not always proceeding correctly.
Arx & Customisation
Fixed an issues which caused some Fleet Carrier nameplates to be obscured.Fixed the colour of landing pad 7 holo-marker on Fleet Carriers.
Fixed a crash that could occur when switching Fleet Carrier Layout.
Audio
Fixed missing ATC voices at starports.Fixed issue with outfitting ambiance audio layering up on top of itself when going between outfitting and livery.
Fixed an issue with Engineer Remote Workshop ambiance persisting into the main game, and can layer up on itself too.
Text
Fixed missing titles for the audio logs associated with the Golconda.Missions
Fixed an issue where a collect/source mission would request commodities on sale at the same location.Fixed an issue which caused mission critical updates to not appear in the inbox.
Journal
Added a speculative fix for an issue that could cause the game to add excessive NavRoute entries to the journal when looking at the Galaxy Map.Powerplay
Fixed the missing cooldown time which would allow players to repeatedly obtain their allocation of powerplay materials.Background Simulation and Galaxy
Reinstated missing locations.Ongoing balancing of Faction influence normalisation.
We'll add an update here once the servers are live again,
Stay safe and o7 Commanders.
So LTD mining has been ‘adjusted’ downwards quite significantly. I think that’s fair enough, it was ridiculously lucrative before carriers, and the buff to sub surface looked to have made it daft to the power of silly. I’m just a bit gutted I didn’t get a chance to experience the gold rush, lol. Hopefully sub surface And core mining remain a reasonable way to get dosh because they look a lot more engaging and entertaining than ‘hold trigger for twenty seconds’ mining.
I’ve got a few hours ED time scheduled in on Friday, really looking forward to being back in the the Black again 🚀😎
I need to get back out too. I've not played ED since the update, I got sucked back into Stellaris after it had a big update on console instead.
It's pretty much Excel stuck on top of a galaxy map, but its oddly compelling.
More pew pew than Excel, typically. And more Thargoids.
I think there's still 'gold in them there hills'!
Matt
I've been ahem...away for a while... about 16 months out of the bubble. I'm currently sailing about 1/3 of the way through the Formorian Frontier, on my way back to civilization. Has a lot changed while I've been away? I'm playing on the PS4, are there Fleet carriers on this platform now? Can I dock with them and how are they distributed? I have a LOT of exploration data that I'm itching to cash in!
That's some tour, I really admire your resolve, I get twitchy after a week!
You may have missed an update or two! Borann may have passed you by, but I'm sure a lot of things will be comfortingly familiar.
Carriers are everywhere. If you check the DSSA (Deep Space Service(?) Array) there may even be one near you now. They are being posted out for at least a year to various stated locations. The carriers can be equipped with Cartographics, so it is possible to drop data at that point. There is one at Sag A, Colonia (obviously), some Aztec place XIBALBA(sp) but those are only the ones I know.
The carriers are persistent and across all platforms.
Matt
Has a lot changed while I’ve been away? I’m playing on the PS4, are there Fleet carriers on this platform now? Can I dock with them and how are they distributed? I have a LOT of exploration data that I’m itching to cash in!
I suspect it’s not too different, but I’m a relatively new player so can’t say. Yep, there a fleet carriers everywhere; you can’t move for the things in some systems 🙄. Don’t sell your data to one though, I think they take quite a cut.
I’m pleased that there’s another PS4 player active on this thread now; can I be the first to invite you to join Squadron STW? And are you on Inara?
If you sell Cartographics to a fleet carrier, they take 25% of your cash. 12.5 goes to the owner. It's a bit steep but it means the carrier owner gets some cash for providing the service and the seller gets it banked and the exploration data logged. I hitched a lift at Thors Helmet base heading out to the galaxy edge. The owner cmdr is based in the States so I explore during the day and he does his stuff including jumps at night. My data pays for my passage.I may leave and work my own way back when we arrive or see where he's off to next. I just hate the idea of losing months of exploration data, not worried so much about the cash. The idea of being like Beagleboy and spending 16 months out, with all that data gone if I mistime coming out of hyperdrive or make a bad landing makes me feel ill 🙂
I'd be more worried about the first discoveries or codex entries than the cash. I lost a couple of fairly common codex entries the other day from 750Ly out and I was seething, so much so that I went back for them the next weekend.
Matt
How do you talk to fleet carrier commanders?
@matt_bl - awesome, thanks for the patch notes, these 2 I'm especially pleased about;
Audio
Fixed missing ATC voices at starports.
and
Fixed an issue which caused mission critical updates to not appear in the inbox.
I missed the arrival greeting, especially from that lovely sounding Yorkshire lass. And, why oh why did the mission critical updates disappear? If there's a bonus to grab or an enemy to avoid/target you had no idea until after you were docked.
And I'm DBX-curious. I agree with @perchypanther - looks like an Apache. I was going with the AspX for exploration but it's been good for trading & mining so maybe I'll keep it that way and get the DBX for wandering.
I found the carrier on Inara and that usually has the commanders name, I then private messaged him, I didn't really expect to get a reply, but we now have an agreement which is working for both of us. He's on PC I'm on xbox, almost cross platform play.
So far I'm impressed by DBX. Great jump range, lots of internals (I have a hanger, collection limpets and 24t cargo), great heat tolerance, actually pretty good hardpoints, looks like an insect, fuel tank is huge (relatively) so my range is well over 300Ly, what's not to love.
My only gripe, and this is tiny now I've increased the FSD is the tiny fuel scoop I fitted. It never seems like hard work filling the Vulture with a 2A, as the tank is tiny, but filling the tank on the DBX takes ages.
Matt
Found a quadruple hotspot - alexandrite, two bromelites and a tritium
Federal Dropship is a bit garbage though.
They seem well tanky in combat, but drifty in the turn? Maybe a bit slow as well.
Matt
I'm not sure if this is of any use to the miners among you but there's a survey effort on Reddit to find new hotspots. Results being added here;
Elite:Dangerous Rings Inventory (Google sheet)
And I had a delivery contract offered to me - my contact was Swiss Tony - PMSL - am I being asked to delivery a fine wine and a box of chocolates??
Delivering thorium is a lot like making love to a beautiful woman.......
Matt
@matt_bl - mailslot + Anaconda + Swiss Tony. You can assemble your own Elite/Fast Show joke from that. 😉
I am grinding my Empire rank ferrying data on the Ngalinn run. Christ I'm bored. Up to Viscount now
Have noticed there are plenty of lucrative passenger missions coming up though. 50m cr for 16k trip. Might be tempted to take one on and have an explore as I'm flying my AspX at the mo and the 40ly range might make it a little bearable
50m cr for 16k trip.
It looks like good money but 16k ly is probably 10 hours of jumping.
Fair enough you might make 100-150m from the exploration data too, but its not a great return credit wise for the amount of time it takes.
Passenger mission are a good way to build explorer rank though
Are there one-way to Colonia missions? That might tip me over the edge decision-wise. I wouldn't want to have to bring them back the next week though.
Matt
So I just tried the New Borann. I took all of of my mining gear meaning that I could basically mine anything that showed up as low temps and during the run I did laser, surface deposits, sub-surface and the very last thing was a core.
Is it as good as Borann, well yes. If you want to laser mine for ease or you want some wing action I am confident you can earn at the same speed as you could in Borann. I beat my best rock twice, with a 37.44 and a 37.81%. The sub-surface deposits seem rarer than in videos I have seen (nerf?) but you can get ~15t per deposit, more if you are better at the mini-game. My best rock was 34t from one with two deposits.
All in all total travel time was around 1 hour, 2 hours to fill the python, then sell at 1.6 for tasty 310M Cr.
Matt
PSA for anyone awake and heading that way, there some pretty average gankers at Farseer. Two goes and only managed to get to the hull in my Viper once!
Matt
Where's the new Borann then?
No exploring or Elite at all today. Logged on to find out where my friendly FC cmdr had taken me to overnight. Popped out...and there are no stars in the sky. Go to the galaxy map and the nearest one is 80ly away, my range is just over 50. Scanned the planets in the system we are in and logged out. Bike ride time 🙂
Put a call in to the fuel rats, they've already done their first carrier based rescue.