Forlon's fly log 0005 - Elite Dangerous: Community Goals

ED space is so huge, you could be there all your RL time, and yet did not encounter any other from hundreds thousands commanders, which can be in space in the same time as you. This offers alot freedom/"safety" on one side, but after some time you may want more as only beat/dealt with NPCs ... and exactly for this were implemented community goals, which often concentrate to very few systems or stations (or only one single station) in by humans habitated space and also offer some nice bonuses ("$") when are theirs goals reached. Now it come when you cannot rely on previously learned templates and if you want survive, is really good idea to be concentrated all the time and watch radar if it not show outlined icon (solid icon = NPC, outlined = cmdr). Also fights are very different, there do not count some "fair" conditions ... if you not have friends and your target will have, you may easily have only "flee" as option how to survive. Same is related to ships used on both sides ... like Sidewinder vs Anaconda etc. On other side there exist many different ways how to have much more fun (could be costly ... ) when will be your play based on interaction with other players.

First I tried participate on community goal (CG) at Namarii where was needed support one from local factions in the Civil War. I was in my multi-purpose Cobra_ and had more good occasions to learn ... yes I had "died" more times, included situation when I successfully escaped common attack by two commanders and with broken canopy on backup_oxygen hurried to base when ... when two times in row friendly NPC interdicted me. I was still few ls from the base when was whole my backup_oxygen depleted. But each this "lesson" gave important experience and also showed that it will need more combat/PvP practice if I should have chance to finish off some other commander and how important is quickly recognize when is right time to flee. In most of fights there are very good chances to flee and therefore avoid your ship destruction (and insurance payment) IF you will learn for what are you strong enough.

Now is coming into play also how is your ship equipped. For ships made primarily for fight it may be only slight difference (... but here also counts whether you want primarily fight NPCs or commanders), BUT for multi-purpose ships like is ASP, there are a really huge differences. As example may serve situation when in one system simultaneously ran two community goals, one based on mining, second one based on bounty-hunting. In first case your ASP will use big cargo-hold, mining stuff and you will avoid fighting and rely on stealth, in second case you will carry only small cargo space (if any), your ship's weapon hardpoints will hold combat arms and you will purposely search for conflicts (at CGs with high chance to encounter commanders).

And during all the time, as I mentioned also in previous blog entries, is ways better if is/are in space some of your friend(s) which can give a hand if needed or which will go with you to action ... or which can go for friendly/training fights with you. It was a real pleasure and big fun try fight with Bold Mole in my ASP armed with gimbaled weapons against his DBS armed with rail guns and double chaff ... these ships are so much different, it was like play a chess when the chessboard was changing randomly in time

But there is still much more other different things for by experienced ... one from them, on which I'm really curious, is an ED group named themselves the Fuel Rats. Who knows which unexpected doors it may open if I decide to join ...