Breaking out of Sapphire

Zaggeh · Post by **Zaggeh** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 2:37 am

First, I'd like to say I LOVE this game. Got it the day it became available on Steam and have already spent 20 hours playing it this weekend with friends and stuff.

I set up a private server for my friends and I to play around with. Not a large group, just four of us. And we're not always online at the same time so when I'm playing it's usually by myself or with one other.

We've spent all our time in Sapphire so far, other than a brief attempt at trying to fly to Sol which kinda ended with us running out of fuel and going back to previous saves. :-P

We've done enough missions to get 100% clan control of Sapphire, which has also provided us enough money to pretty much get the best of what Sapphire has to offer (all tier 3 stuff). But any time we go to one of the neighboring systems, we pretty much instantly get pwned by hostiles. They're usually right at the gates, or waiting for us at the stations.

What's the best situation for dealing with this? I've watched videos of people fighting and think I have the hang of the whole switch to inertia and drift by while shooting them down technique, but idealy I'd like to work out my faction somehow so I don't have to deal with them at all, but I can't seem to do that.

For example, I went to Thuban today, and the navy HATES me. And they're everywhere. I have to pay to receive contracts at stations, and then the only ones I can get are nearly impossible, such as fighting 10 guys at once while protecting a ship.

I kind of feel like I'm missing something here, because there seems to be no smooth transition from sapphire to more profitable space with higher tier equipments to buy.

49rTbird · Post by **49rTbird** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 3:09 am

When you go through a gate have your IDS off and hit afterburner when you are past the gate. This should let you out run the bad guys and their missiles.

Zaggeh · Post by **Zaggeh** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 3:13 am

Yeah, that's what I do. But then I go to a station where there's even more of them waiting, plus I need to pay 30k just to get a contract there. So the threat at the gate doesn't really matter too much. The problem is the entire system hates me.

Professor Paul1290 · Post by **Professor Paul1290** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 3:28 am

I think Olympus Prime is more friendly than Thuban so you might have better luck there.

I also recommend Talison, though you have to pass through Fauston to get there which can be quite hostile, but if you jump from one gate to the other to get through you should be ok.

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 3:55 am

Hi Zaggeh, welcome to the game and forum...Hope to see you out there some time!.....

If you have a Class3 Jumpdrive I recommend you to as soon as you get within 3 sectors of a jumpgate you want to jump through right mouse click on the Gate and set your compass to 0 or 180 degrees and your pitch angle to 0 degrees and then engage full after burner with inertial on and then jump and you will automatically fly through the Gate and out run the bad guys on the other side in a hostile system. Once you are on the other side of the gate and you have out run the bad guys completely jump to an empty sector about 2 sectors from any station or object in the hostile system. Then check your Nav map for the next jump gate while your drifting at inertia at highspeed at compass degree 0 or 180 and pitch again set to 0 and jump your way to the next jump gate and repeat the steps for jumping through the gate while 3 sectors away from the next Gate you want to go through till you get to a Fair reputation System. The right mouse click on a Station also makes it easier to dock quickly with a Station....

Post by **Marvin** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 5:26 am

Hostile and Moderate systems (check the nav map, right side) will charge docking fees ... unless you dock at a player-built station. Most player stations are a few sectors away from planets and gates. Also, there is a star system in the upper-left (with only one gate for entry and exit) which has lots of goodies ... and nobody to attack you.

Flying Brick · Post by **Flying Brick** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 9:13 am

Hi Zaggeh, and welcome!
In addition to what the other folks said, when you're just going from A to B there's really no reason to stand and fight...just be on inertial, hit the afterburner if need be for a small boost, and once you're over 1500 speed, you're pretty much untouchable...

Maarschalk's advice will also help you deal with jumpgates and station docking much faster.

Also, bottom line, yeah, hostile systems aren't exactly...friendly to new players, and that's intentional. But as you get better at flying, you'll stop noticing them, pretty much.

Alternatives to paying docking fees are building your own station or buying a license, if that works for you (may be a bit pricey in the beginning, although you seem to have a steady income source now

). Alternatively, you can try to change your reputation in the system, although that takes a very long time and I wouldn't advise it if you're a starting player...not because it's difficult, but because it takes long enough even when you're maxed out on frames/equipment/etc...

Zaggeh · Post by **Zaggeh** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 1:06 pm

Thanks for the replies everyone. I'll stay out of Hostile systems for now.

What are the different system statuses? So far I've seen Good, Fair, and Hostile I think...

Also, is there a way for me to increase it from Hostile to Good or Fair? Or is it pretty much always going be a thorn in my side until I build a station on the outskirts where they will leave me alone?

And lastly, once I get the higher tier frames, will I be able to completely pwn everything in my path and just point and point and laugh at the puny little guys who were giving me trouble last night? :-P

SeeJay · Post by **SeeJay** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 1:14 pm

Hi and welcome.

There are 4 levels: Good, fair, moderate and hostile.
You change it by doing contracts in a system (Many contracts) and it will change.

I might be wrong here and stand corrected if I am, but you can't leave the system until
it changes threat level. If you do, you must start over again.
In SP the threat level remains after you worked it up.
In MP it will only remain for that session of play and will go back to what it was next time
you log on.

You will not be able to pound everything in your way with a better ship.
Skill is still needed. It will be a little bit easier since they can take more damage, but
if you can't fight, you will die anyway. Especially against a skilled human player.

Hope this helps a bit!;)

Edit:
Threat level added! Good catch Brick!;)

[Edited on 2012-1-23 by SeeJay]

Flying Brick · Post by **Flying Brick** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 2:30 pm

Ahem, SeeJay, last I remember, there were _four_ reputation levels. If that's changed in the meantime, then, of course, I'm wrong

Hostile - Moderate - Fair - Good.

See more details here (scroll down a bit for excellent graphical explanation):
http://www.starwraith.com/evochronlegen ... de.htm#220

(it's for a previous Evochron game, but still valid)

SeeJay is correct - if you start on the sisyphean task of changing your reputation in a system, you need to stay in there until it changes - otherwise, all the progress you've made is lost once you leave that system.

To change your rep, you need to do missons for the factions you want to be on the good side of - usually that's the Navy/Energy/Miners. Maarschalk was saying you get a one percent improvement for every 10 guys killed, and/or contract for the "right" side. I think, I don't want to put (wrong) words in his mouth, and I can't find his post right now.

But based on my personal experience as well, it's a loooooong task if you start doing that. Doable, for sure - I have a thread/post detailing my own experience with that, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it unless you're very committed, and very patient.

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 4:11 pm

From post: 125595, Topic: tid=8503, author=Zaggeh wrote:
Also, is there a way for me to increase it from Hostile to Good or Fair? Or is it pretty much always going be a thorn in my side until I build a station on the outskirts where they will leave me alone?

Yes, I managed to change all 40 or so known Systems from their original level all to Good in one week? Your reputation change will only show in Single Play though but will affect Multi Play and vise versa. If you changed your reputation in Single PLay in a Hostile System to Good then your reputation will be Good in that System in Multiplay as well but it will still show as Hostile in your ships consoles and there should not be any or only very few hostiles.......

:P

[Edited on 1-23-2012 by Maarschalk]

Flying Brick · Post by **Flying Brick** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 4:52 pm

From post: 125626, Topic: tid=8503, author=Maarschalk wrote:
Yes, I managed to change all 40 or so known Systems from their original level all to Good in one week?

*faints*

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 5:16 pm

I think I should post this in the thread of "You know you have been Playing EM to much when".......

:P