Stories and Experiences

[fragger]

I've been thinking about this ship... Maybe the reason why it was showing up so rarely in the space station is because it's some kind of a one-off, or a "special". Maybe the program throws up one of these ships sometimes that have extra performance or some outstanding set of characteristics. Maybe the key is to look for anything really different about a ship design, like those big box-like structures sticking out of the sides of this ship (they don't appear to be engines as there are no outlets on the backs of them, just solid panels). I've never seen a blatantly conspicuous design feature like that on any other ships.

So maybe keep an eye out for any really distinctive-looking ships that don't appear very often in the space station. At times I would wait up to half an hour or so for this one to put in an appearance, while all the other designs were showing up quite regularly.

[Binnatics]

Wow Fragger, you're making progress! The cool thing is, you and Art are more or less equally advanced, shipwise. Probably both going for the first jump in approximately a day or two, Nice!

Your ship looks really special. Weird wing-like things indeed. I also like the 48 slotter. It looks like a fighter dog in a giant ring-construction.
Your current 40 slotter reminds me of 2 ships in Arts space station. One is like yours but without wing-like structures. It's the ship of his buyer called Consul Yew. There's one other ship with the same body, but it does have wings. They're very tiny ones though with a curling end, reminding me of machinegun arrays on helikopters. I believe these ships often have a high amount of slots, as if being cargo ships

[fragger]

Cheers Binn :) I'm getting there. I got lucky with this system because with five planets you have a good chance of getting everything you need, resource-wise.

I just set up the 19-slot Multitool with upgrades, then got offered this from a wall crate (I already stripped out all the upgrades before taking the screenie - I want to rebuild it from scratch):

[smg id=9064 align=center width=600]

Apparently, 24 is the maximum for Multitool slots, so I'm there. I got rid of the upgrades that were there as I find it easier to plan the arrangement without any existing upgrades confusing things.

I got a lot of resource back from the dismantled upgrades, but it looks like there's a bit of mining ahead... I know from assembling all the upgrades for the 19-slot number that all the minerals I'll need can be found on the resource haven planet below the station, except for Crysonite and one or two others that I can get from another planet.

Right, to w@&k then...

[Dweller_Benthos]

Oh, 24 slots is the biggest multi-tool? Then I've had that for a while. I was wondering why every one I came across, either at a wall crate or trading with an alien, only had 23 slots in it. I guess I can strip everything out of it and re-organize where I want the upgrades and what type. I was under the assumption that you could fit all the upgrades possible on the largest tool, and since I still have a bunch I can make, that there was a larger one available. Probably can also skip looking for tool upgrades, I think I have them all. Haven't gotten a new one in a long time anyway.

[fragger]

Yeah, I think I've maxed them out as well, I keep getting ones I've already got. I'm not up on my Boltcaster stuff, but I believe the upgrades for the Mining Laser are: 3 levels of Beam Focus; 3 levels of Beam Intensity; 3 levels of Coolant System and 4 levels of Combat Amplifier.

I rarely use the Boltcaster, but there'll be room for it and some upgrades so I might as well fill up the spaces :) I think there is actually a higher number of upgrades for the Boltcaster than there is for the Laser. And then there are all the grenade variants.

[Art Blade]

fragger, I'm in a Vy'keen system.

Nice ship and tool  :-X :)

I like grenades. :-D

[fragger]

Cheers :-X

Thanks :)

I know 8-X

[Dweller_Benthos]

Grenades will get you in a locked door after a couple shots. Less if you upgrade them.

[Art Blade]

that's why I like them plus why I don't need the bolt caster  :-()

Also, you can bomb your way in and out of underground caves.

[Art Blade]

here's finally my 24-slot tool. An alien just gave it to me, nice  :-D

Not sure about how to best do the layout. Particularly the scanners. I used to do it like this, scanner and range cross over

SC - RA
RA - SC

Now I tried it as follows and I can't really notice a difference

RA - SC
RA - SC

[smg id=9071 type=preview align=center caption="tool 24"]

And I just found my 31st backpack (exosuit) upgrade :) Almost all of my stuff I found on this tiny little moon of mine. I really like it there  :-D

About an hour ago or so I came across two locations that were just perhaps 100 yards away from each other and both locations had three installments each. Like, those containers where you find tool upgrades (usually two containers which is why I call them trailer park, :-() ) and two types of what I call "lab" (observatory and whatnot, those long-ish buildings where you keep finding aliens in or where you keep finding that beacon type of thing you need to unlock solving a riddle).

It is funny what I keep seeing and finding on that small moon. Only it apparently doesn't have some stuff like copper which I really need for many high-end upgrades.

[fragger]

Excellent :-X I see you're not bothering with the Boltcaster. Neither am I, it's pretty useless, really. Grenades are best for locked doors, and once you get the Combat Amplifiers added to the Laser you can knock down those little floating Sentinel buggers before they can even get a shot off.

I think the square arrangement of scanner and upgrades is best, that's what I did too. As long as the #2 and #3 Range Boost upgrades are adjacent to each other, either horizontally or vertically. If they're diagonal to each other, they'll still w@&k but they won't impart an adjacency bonus.

Funny how your Multitool looks totally different to mine. I guess it depends on which race you get it from.

I've almost got my Multitool fully populated, except for that one space in the middle where my Combat Amplifier Theta (#3) is going to go. For that I have to get 20 worth of some stuff called "Radnox" and I don't have a clue as to where to get it from. None of the other starship pilots have any and I can't buy it from the Galactic Trade Network. Odd how you can get the #4 Combat Amplifier more easily than the #3 - #4 doesn't need any exotic minerals, just the "common" varieties of stuff.

[smg id=9073 align=center width=600]

[Art Blade]

hehe thanks :) And I got my Radnox from a trade terminal. In homeopathic doses, but still just enough :-()

[fragger]

Not listed on mine. I might have to mug an alien :-D

Mind you, I haven't checked the Trading Post terminals yet, or the ones you find "in the wild" - just the Space Station one. Maybe I'll have better luck with those, or with the space jockeys at the Trading Posts.

[Art Blade]

Hehe  :-D

I think as long as we stick to our home system, those purple rare things can only be found at trade terminals as I have never met an alien with those materials. They may have rare goods such as antimatter or other stuff that has been constructed and a few more or less common materials such as zinc sometimes. Oh, sometimes feeding little beasts on planets may help. Occasionally they seem to puke up or crap out rare stuff, I found some of those purple items that way. Just a few units, though.

And I finally found copper, yay! FINALLY! I had been busier trying to find copper than a mosquito having lunch at a nudist colony, really :)

Here's the copper: Floating eggs :) Easy to spot from the spaceship.

[smg id=9077 type=preview align=center caption="copper egg"]

They yield around 300-400 units of copper, I'd say
[smg id=9078 type=preview align=center caption="copper egg close"]

Found them on my ice planet. I hate it there. And I just dismantled my sigma and tau thermal protection shields as they melted down like a lump of wax in the sunlight. I needed to charge both shields with zinc or titanium, not iron, but I was able to craft some shield plating with iron which can be used to charge those protection upgrades. However, I had to constantly charge them and it wasn't even that cold, only like -20°C. Useless stuff. When it went down to -70, I was busier recharging my shields than a cat covering up crap on a linoleum floor.

Note the shield icons next to the ice symbol
[smg id=9079 type=preview align=center caption="thermo shields"]

Here my bum flap failed, too.
[smg id=9080 type=preview align=center caption="thermo shield failing"]

[fragger]

Holey moley, that's a scary-looking critter in that last shot ??? "bum flap" failed, lol You've got some good metaphors in that post :-D :-X

I found some Radnox, indeed I was able to buy it from a Training Post Terminal. Those have a different range of stuff for sale than the Space Station one. But now I need something called Omegon for a Jetpack upgrade and even the Trading Post terminal doesn't have that one. I had some of that in my first game but I can't remember where I got it from. Maybe some alien gave it to me as a reward for something I did.

[Art Blade]

cheers :-D

And you just came up with a very funny typo, I suppose your exercises on the trading floor rubbed off a bit..

Training Post Terminal

:-X :-()

I need that Omegon for my jetpack upgrade as well, haven't yet come across it. Maybe we can tame some critters so they can spit it out for us  :-D

[fragger]

Oops :-[ Sounds something like a scratching post for a cat, doesn't it :-()

[Art Blade]

  yes, why not :-D

[Art Blade]

OK.. so I tried one more, a test run, whether I'd see pirates after the first jump. And I wanted to see something else. I'm starting to get enough of my home system  :-D

I didn't see any pirates. My new chosen system is composed of 6 planets which is why I called it Sixpack when I first scouted the area and I already checked it out. Since names stick if you upload them, which I did during my very first test, I was able to find it quickly and visited that system "for the first time" during this career. No pirates. I visited two planets and jumped back. No pirates. But in Sixpack, a Gek system, I saw a new spaceship. And I immediately fell in love with it. I wasn't sure about whether or not it was just fluke I didn't see any pirates, and I tried hard to find some, I decided to reload my backup and do it just once more (hoping I'd manage to see that ship again) so.. I did it a second time. Actually, my third time. And the ship was there again :)

[smg id=9087 type=preview align=center caption="dream ship"]

I have been thinking about whether or not to keep going and I think I will. I went there with my dismantled ship, fully aware that a pirate encounter might be a terrible thing and the last thing I'd want but all went well. Now I get new stuff to see, new blueprints and all that. And new worlds.  :)

And I want that ship.. saw it with 40 slots once. Need to find one like that again.

[smg id=9088 type=preview align=center caption="dream ship again"]

There were other cool ships, too. I am now pretty sure that the game does some random procedural mix. I came across Gek ships a lot during my first career and during my couple of tests I also saw their ships but they never looked the same.

[smg id=9089 type=preview align=center caption="cool ships 01"]
[smg id=9090 type=preview align=center caption="cool ships 02"]

I was too excited about those ships I forgot to take a clean screenshot of this one.
[smg id=9091 type=preview align=center caption="cool ships 03"]
[smg id=9092 type=preview align=center caption="cool ships 04"]
[smg id=9093 type=preview align=center caption="cool ships 05"]

[Binnatics]

Wow, all cool ships indeed. Seem from a complete different range as the ones we saw together :) :-X

[Art Blade]

yes :)

OK, got my new 32-slottie, I mended a wreck :-D

Now I see why the resonator is so common in the home system.. so you can repair your jump drive in order to leave your system. I wasn't in my home system but still, the resonator was available at the spasta (space station) :-()

[smg id=9103 type=preview align=center caption="ex wreck"]

[Art Blade]

scratch that, it's a new 33-slotter  :-()

[smg id=9104 type=preview align=center caption="new 33 slots"]

[fragger]

 :-X :)

[Art Blade]

Make that 34 now :-D

OK, new planet. First shipwreck was a birdie (-1 slot) so I left it, the second was a bogey (+1 slot) so I took it :-D I wonder whether there are more on this planet.

[smg id=9112 type=preview align=center caption="wreck 3"]

I like my exosuit but I still can't get any omegon for the jetpack booster theta.
[smg id=9113 type=preview align=center caption="exosuit 39 "]

The new planet is just perfect: nothing there. But quite a few chunks of emeril and other good stuff :-D That large metal hill is emeril, not gold :)
[smg id=9114 type=preview align=center caption="empty and peaceful"]

[fragger]

Yeah, I'm trying to get Omegon for the exact same upgrade :) But I also need some for the final Phase Beam Impact upgrade. I need 150 altogether, 100 for the Phase Beam and 50 for the Jetpack. I have 97, but my priority is the Phase Beam. The only places I've been able to find any are in those terminals you find out in the "countryside". Trading Post terminals never seem to have any, nor do any of the other pilots that come and go. Nor do the terminals in the Shelters, or whatever those buildings with the landing pads are called.

I've got 42 slots now for my suit, going for 48. The planet under the Space Station has lots of Drop Pods scattered about, but the next slot will cost me around 300,000 (I can't remember if I paid that already for my last slot). I can afford the remaining six slots, but it'll just about clean me out. I'm gonna have to do the Dynamic Resonator hustle on the Space Station again :-()

I finally got the blueprint for the Hyperdrive Theta, which was the last blueprint I needed to get for the ship, and that plus the Phase Beam Impact Theta are the only two upgrades I have left to craft. I need 100 Omigon for the Beam Impact Theta and 3 Resonators (easy to get), 1,000 Gold and 1,000 Emeril for the Hyperdrive Theta. Fortunately my starting planet has lots of Emeril and one of the other planets has lots of Gold, so it's just a matter of going there and doing the mining for the Hyperdrive upgrade. But getting that damned Omigon for the Beam Impact is a bitch :-\\

I was thinking about going for a 48-slot ship, but it's so expensive to buy one and so time-consuming to w@&k up to one via the shipwrecks. Besides, I really don't want to part with the Goose. I've never had a ship that can do 168u in atmosphere and 200u in space. It's too good to give up, plus I really like the look of it :-() So I'm going for max suit slots instead.