How to do spying/scanning missions in EM 2.x ?

[Tinka]

Hello all.

I'm at lost, how does one do spying missions in EM 2.x - is there a trick or something i'm missing? All the guides i've found, seems to be made around 1.X, but Vice must have changed something since then

Here's how it goes for me:

- i accept the mission, and jump to the waypoint.
- (at my level i guess, just starting) there's usually about 4-5 red's, and similar number of greens welcoming me.
- after all red's are gone, then what? (all red's are fighters)

One time i noticed a flickering in the distance, and steered towards it - around 30K distance - found the mark.

Another time, i followed the group of greens - similar distance as above, and found the mark.

But usually i'm just lost, as to who to scan, and has to cancel the mission.

All guides i've seen, start when the mark is already in view (they also mention one can ignore escorts, which are flying around the mark in them).

So, is there a new strategy for this mission in EM 2.X?

[Maarschalk]

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

The spying missions are the easiest done with a stealth generator, the other option is to use a stealth field but is more tricky to use and is more limited in time usage!
Stealth Device is a cloacking device!






************SPOILER ALERT********
In a Spy mission you have to scan the enemies Capital ship!.....After accepting the mission set your Compass heading to 180 degrees and your thrusters to inertial mode and your energy to weapons. Jump to the Waypoint and you should come out of the jump 4000 distance infront of the Capitol ship you are supposed to Scan for the spy mission. you should set your speed in inertial mode between 1700 and 1800 and cruise in inertia mode only to the capitol ship do not use ids mode thrusters to adjust speed you will loose energy needed for the stealth device if you do! Target the Capitol ships Weapons right in front of you and wait for your energy to be up to 100% and then put energy bias quickly to shield and engage your stealth generator or stealth field or generator at a distance of about 2500. Keep cruising towards the Capitol ship when you are at around 1600-1500 distance from Capitol ship switch to ids thruster mode but before you do make sure your throttle is set to 0,. Your speed should bleed of and when you are at a distance of about 1400 from Capitol ship the scanning will start if you have the right Capitol ship targeted. The scanning will take 60 seconds, do not target any other ship!........Once the scanning is done mission should complete, turn inertia mode back on and use reverse inertial thrusters to back away from the Capitol ship when you are about 2500 Distance from Capitol ship you can turn of the Stealth device but keep traveling backwards at a speed above 1600 incase you get missile spammed when uncloacking surrounded by enemies!.....

You have to pay close attention to the distances and react fast to set the required target, speed, modes, energy bias and Stealth device at the right moments and distances.

The Distances mentioned are to the Capitol ships Weapons system so you have to target the Capitol ships weapons system to read/use the right distances!.....

[Edited on 4-23-2013 by Maarschalk]

[SeeJay]

Hi and welcome.

There is also scan missions for contraband.
Those are not scanning on a capital ship. You need to jump to the waypoint and
fly close to all ships nearby until you find the right one.

You might wanna deploy a sensor station to find more targets to check out.

[Busch]

The spy missions generally involve a capital ship of some ilk. And, it's usually the cap ship closest to the mission way-point marker that's the "prize". Usually, there are "tenders" hanging about. Either close-in on the cap ship, or mopeing about some where close by. Some pilots suggest ignoring the tenders and concentrate on the cap ship. Others say take out the tenders first, then move to scan the cap ship. While still others say use this or that piece of equipment - it really helps !..... To me, what matters is the depth/breadth your skill-set with the equipment you possess when you begin the mission. IIRC, the scan takes about 30 seconds to complete. There's sort of a "sweet spot" on cap ships. If you can put yourself/your ship in real close to the cap ship, and not get too badly beat up by the flak and missile barrages on the way in, you should be able to complete the scan and the mission.

[Maarschalk]

@ SeeJay, Tinka is specificaly asking about spying missions.

@ Busch, the Captial ships have become a little bit tougher lately with the last update. Also the Spying mission scans take 60 seconds. I have been doing hundreds of those lately!
with the tougher Capital ships you can not sit in the sweet spot anymore with out being destroyed unless you have a stealth generator or the Capital ship is too engaged in heavy battle or has severe Weapons system damage!.....

[Marvin]

Btw, gentlemen, if you accept a spy contract in Talison Conflict, the cap ship is not co-located with its escort. Ergo, bring a sensor array.

[DaveK]

And life used to be so simple!

[Tinka]

Btw, gentlemen, if you accept a spy contract in Talison Conflict, the cap ship is not co-located with its escort. Ergo, bring a sensor array.

I guess i should have mentioned, that i was indeed in Talison Conflict, so no wonder. And i was already starting to wonder about my sanity, since every other tip mentioned that you jump almost next to the capital ship.

And thanks Marvin, i'll try the array.

[Marvin]

The good thing about how the Vonari try to "sucker" mercenaries into jumping to the wrong location is that it leaves the Vonari cap ship unguarded. Try deploying the sensor array close to the waypoint then look for a lone red dot and set a jump point near it. If more than one red dot is visible inside the array, go from one to the other until you find the cap ship.

[Maarschalk]

Good point Marv!....about the Talison Warzone not having Cap ships with the escort.....That is why I stopped doing combat contracts in that Warzone, Cause I like to take out the Cap ship even after the spying is complete and after I have taken out all the hostile escort......:P

[Marvin]

You can still do that. The waypoint (blue box) is where you'll find the escort. It's also where most of the red dots show up when you deploy a sensor array. The capital ship will be skulking off at a distance ... doing what, I don't know. But, then, that's why you're spying on it ... to find out what it's up to.

[Maarschalk]

You can still do that. The waypoint (blue box) is where you'll find the escort. It's also where most of the red dots show up when you deploy a sensor array. The capital ship will be skulking off at a distance ... doing what, I don't know. But, then, that's why you're spying on it ... to find out what it's up to.

I have only limited time to play, so wasting time to find the Cap ship shortens the amount of Spy missions I can do and the amount of Cap ships and escorts I can destroy!. Yes once in a while I do use a sensor array if one of the escorts or the Cap ship for some reason suddenly disappears from radar!....:P