Expansion Edition: A Hints&Tips Guide to Evochron

Post by **DaveK** » Sat Jan 14, 2012 5:45 pm

The latest "5th Edition" (October 2014 Edition) is available from SeeJay's new website Seejay's website

The Guide is now in one 325 page volume and the info has been distilled drastically with 106K collected "words of wisdom" from the threads in the forum. Get the Hints and Tips Guide here

There are still two contents lists - they have been revised to make them much cleaer and easy to use. The first is of just the main sections, the second a full, comprehensive contents list including the questions and other sub-sections. The contents lists are "interactive" so if you <ctrl-click> on an entry you are taken there! The pdf file is bookmarked so you can jump from place to place without having to revisit the contents each time

I've compiled it to keep an up-to-date collection of the info available from the forum, my own experience, chats with pilots etc in this one place - it compliments Viper's excellent Resources thread

I would like feedback on anything - things you want added, corrections, hints you'd like to offer . . .

Main Sections

Section: Fundamental stuff about gameplay and role play
Section: Training Videos
Section: The Shipyard
Section: Surviving Combat
Section: Flying
Section: Navigation
Section: The Station Hangar
Section: Rank
Section: Clans in MP
Section: Careers, Jobs & Making Money
Section: Racing
Section: Explorer
Section: Contracts
Section: Mining
Section: Trading
Section: Ship Equipment
Section: Stations - Permanent, Build & Deployed
Section: Reputation
Section: Crew
Section: Quests
Section: Spoiler - for making a fortune quickly - Spoiler
Section: Appendices

[Edited on 10-12-2012 by DaveK]

[Edited on 11-12-2012 by DaveK]

[Edited on 11-12-2012 by DaveK]

[Edited on 2-10-2013 by DaveK]

[Edited on 14-11-2013 by DaveK]

[Edited on 10-10-2014 by DaveK]

Dingo · Post by **Dingo** » Sat Jan 14, 2012 5:55 pm

Dave, you are doing awesome things for the evoverse. Thanks for your tireless special project efforts!

FYI you should probably include the tables. Took me almost a full year to be certain where people are base don the coords alone.

I'm slow, so what?

[Edited on 1-14-2012 by Dingo]

Post by **Marvin** » Sat Jan 14, 2012 6:18 pm

Keep in mind ... when checking what's being sold at each default trade station, you'll need to do that in SP ... possilbly with a "clean" pilot. Otherwise, if you try to do it in MP (checking all the player-built stations), your data will probably be out of date before it's even available for download.

Post by **DaveK** » Sat Jan 14, 2012 6:32 pm

From post: 123353, Topic: tid=8312, author=Marvin wrote: Keep in mind ... when checking what's being sold at each default trade station, you'll need to do that in SP ... possilbly with a "clean" pilot. Otherwise, if you try to do it in MP (checking all the player-built stations), your data will probably be out of date before it's even available for download.

Good point!

I was only going to list the top stuff like Maxims, antimissile systems, Mantis drives and such - basically the ones that people ask about on the forum. I'm also not looking for absolutely comprehensive - just a few systems for each item and just those systems that have interesting stuff!

I'll just visit the system stations and leave clan/player stations out of it. I know that in the system I set up for trading there are some real "goodies" that appeared because I built lots of research/energy etc stations there - and hence would disappear if the stations do!

Of all the spoilers this could be the biggest and I'd like to avoid compiling so much info that there's no fun left tracking things down

Viper · Post by **Viper** » Sat Jan 14, 2012 6:38 pm

I have to second what dingo said - it is really awesome that you have taken this upon yourself and are seeing it through. Your projects will be incredibly helpful for new pilots joining the game. Well, and some older ones as well lol!

But seriously, kudos Dave!

Now as to your questions:

From post: 123350, Topic: tid=8312, author=DaveK wrote:Question: Is this too cumbersome? Would you prefer the hints to be visible anyway and just try to ignore the ones you don't want to see?

I'm either way on this one. Personally I would be prepared to see some spoilers if I consulted a documents like this, so I wouldn't mind. On the other hand, there are probably those who will consult the document only to help them whenever they hit a snag somewhere, and those people might not necessarily be looking for spoilers right away.

From post: 123350, Topic: tid=8312, author=DaveK wrote:Question: Would a contents list be useful even though you would have to change Word's mode?

Definitely. Seeing the document itself is going to be quite extensive, it would come in handy to be able to click & go to the info you are really looking for, instead of having to browse through a lot of pages to get there.

From post: 123350, Topic: tid=8312, author=DaveK wrote:Question: Is this too much info - too much of a spoiler?

I don't think it is. There are always those players who prefer to just get the goodies and get on with playing the game, rather than spending a lot of time looking for them. So for them this could be useful.

From post: 123350, Topic: tid=8312, author=DaveK wrote:Question: Are these tables worth including? Would a table with systems split into the four quadrants we worth adding?

Definitely! I still can't get around the coordinates system, and I'm sure I'm not alone in it. Very helpful!

From post: 123350, Topic: tid=8312, author=DaveK wrote:Question: Would it be useful to have the URL's listed in the guide?

Why not? Personally, I have watched all the videos when I started playing, and I have found them to be quite helpful indeed. They will probably also be helpful to other players.
I would give the creators of the videos proper credit, though.

Keep up the awesomeness, Dave. Looking forward to reading your work.

[Edited on 1-14-2012 by Viper]

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Sat Jan 14, 2012 7:16 pm

Excelent work Dave......I agree with Viper on all the points.....The Spoiler pages could be pages by themselfs so you could skip these pages if you wanted to! Or make it both hidden by text color and on pages by themselves.....

[Edited on 1-14-2012 by Maarschalk]

Post by **DaveK** » Sat Jan 14, 2012 7:46 pm

Viper . . .

Thank you

the tables of coordinates were created for you and me specifically plus anyone else who might find them useful!

:P

I've also tried to track everyone down who has made an original contribution. Some are lifted from the manuals (to save poor newbies from having to waste playtime tracking them down) - those I have tended to meld together

SeeJay · Post by **SeeJay** » Sat Jan 14, 2012 8:25 pm

Great work mate.

If you need anything from my DB, just let me know and you can have it as an excel file.

Post by **Marvin** » Sat Jan 14, 2012 8:39 pm

I like binders ... hard copy. So, having an actual "Spoilers" section is a good idea. In both formats: Word and PDF.

Post by **DaveK** » Sat Jan 14, 2012 11:39 pm

I'll have a play around and see what different things look like

I could have a multi part - same layout but each at a different level

Post by **DaveK** » Sun Jan 15, 2012 8:39 pm

The guide is now available on SeeJay's website:

http://evochron.junholt.se/files/A_Book ... _Ver01.doc

http://evochron.junholt.se/files/A_Book ... _Ver01.pdf

Thanks SeeJay!

The contents list is:

General

Adding an Avatar
Editing and deleting posts on the forum
Etiquette in Multiplayer
What is the link between SP and MP?
How do I update the game?
How do I chat to other pilots?
How do I save my important files, like pilot saves?
Getting rid of Background Radio Chatter
Rapid Atmosphere Descents for Cover
Reverse Thrusters Can Use the Afterburner
Autopilot behaviour
Selling fuel-rescuing pilots

Where can I get a . . . ? - table of where to find hard to find gear!

How do I jump through a gate in an asteroid cave?
How do I jump through a Black Hole?
Basics of Manoeuvring
Basics of the Shipyard
Basics of the Hangar
What do crew members do?
Building a station when being attacked!
Blowing up a station whilst being attacked

Contracts

How do I:
find the item I have to return to a station or inspect?
(How close do I have to be for an inspection?)
make retrieval contracts efficient?
make inspections efficient?
do scanning/spying contracts?
make scanning/spying contracts efficient?
do escort/protect missions
raise my Military Rank as quickly as possible.
jump straight into a station (or an asteroid cave or a carrier or a BH or a gate or a WH!)

Racing Tips from rookie to a rookie:

Exploration & Navigation

Navigation I - overview
Basic Navigation II - entering destination coordinates

Exploration I - Finding New systems
Quick method
Trilateration
How can I find containers?
Where is that coordinate?
How do I explore an asteroid cave?

Trading

Basics of Inventory Management and Trading
What does a station licence do?
What's the best income I can hope to achieve trading?
How can I maximise my rate of earning?
I'm fairly new, so how can I maximise my rate of earning in a safe system?
Other good trade routes (15 - 35 million per run)

Combat

Combat
Maneuvering (Inertia/IDS)
Combat Advice (against AI)
Combat Advice (against real pilots!)
1 v 1:
1 v 2:
1 v 3 or more:
When Fighting as a group:
Limited Directional Tracking (AI Combat)
How do I get (or be) a turret gunner?
Are the rumours about a new weapons system true?

Mining

Basics of Mining (Asteroids and Planets)
Locate and Acquire a Mining/Tractor Beam
Mining
Esben's Tutorial for efficient mining:
1. Introduction
2. The miner, his ship, and his crew
3. The beginning
4. Waypoints and travelling.General
4.1 Travelling, a small but helpfull tip
5. Maxing cash flow
6. Getting a station license at Oasis in Pearl - the way to get rich
7. Conclusion

Myths & Not Myths but hard to test

Myths
Not Myths but hard to test

IMG Quest
Quest for Peace

Clans

Clans in MP
How does Clan System Control work?
Levels of rules
Generally accepted knowledge
Implications

Training Videos

Official EM Videos
Other Guides

Any corrections, additions, suggestions, requests welcome!

Any errors are mine

[Edited on 16-1-2012 by DaveK]

Post by **Marvin** » Mon Jan 16, 2012 12:18 am

That's quite a compilation. Now I know where to send any pilot who posts questions about EM.

Busch · Post by **Busch** » Mon Jan 16, 2012 12:54 am

Very well done, Dave. Beats the heck outa the Legends Strategy Guide!

Post by **Marvin** » Mon Jan 16, 2012 2:10 am

You might want to drag that major update (the links and Guide contents) up to your first post.

Post by **Marvin** » Mon Jan 16, 2012 2:31 am

A couple comments:

I can't take credit for the Mining tutorial. I forget who wrote it ... but it wasn't me.
I love the map of an asteroid cave. I might add coordinates to it for later use ... but it's cool as is. Especially the notes.

sundalo · Post by **sundalo** » Mon Jan 16, 2012 2:32 am

Awesome merc guide guys! Good info, will definitely be reading this! Thank you for the hard work on this guys, will there perhaps be a revised edition after expansion?

:)

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Mon Jan 16, 2012 8:14 am

Very cool...excelent source of information!.......No, do not look at me for the spoiler of how to Land on Earth!.........

:P:P:P:P:P:P

Post by **DaveK** » Mon Jan 16, 2012 10:53 am

From post: 123490, Topic: tid=8312, author=Marvin wrote:A couple comments:

I can't take credit for the Mining tutorial. I forget who wrote it ... but it wasn't me.

I love the map of an asteroid cave. I might add coordinates to it for later use ... but it's cool as is. Especially the notes.

Thanks - I'll change things in the next update - my apologies to Esben who actually created the Mining Tutorial!

As far as Asteroid caves go . . . they all have basically the same layout but with different goodies to discover. They all of course have different coordinates for the "same" chamber as well!

Since Vice corrected the ghost walls inside them the accuracy for jumping into chambers has increased phenomenally - pinpoint entry position plus direction is needed or you get smeared on a wall

[Edited on 16-1-2012 by DaveK]

Dingo · Post by **Dingo** » Tue Jan 17, 2012 5:34 am

I think this guide will be needed quite soon with the influx of new players!

FungusTrooper · Post by **FungusTrooper** » Tue Jan 17, 2012 4:34 pm

You should edit the first post to include download links! The first few times I was directed to this topic I didn't scroll down low enough to see the guide had been released

!

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Tue Jan 17, 2012 6:21 pm

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

Twilly Frost · Post by **Twilly Frost** » Tue Jan 17, 2012 8:11 pm

I was thoroughly engrossed in your manual when I came across a part I unknowingly contributed. Glad to be included, and don't think for a second that I've abandoned research on external flight crew technology. I suffered a minor setback when I discovered through live trials that on top of being very cold and devoid of oxygen, space is just chocked full of radiation. Imagine my surprise! I may be on to something however. It may be possible to include four addition crew members if I'm willing to have only four missiles loaded at a time. The only drawback should be obvious to anyone who has PvP'd with me lately and had several "volunteers" blasted against their hulls.

Note: Volunteers launched as missiles do little damage to opposing ships. I'm considering strapping warheads to each in case of any more happy accidents.

Post by **DaveK** » Tue Jan 17, 2012 8:11 pm

From post: 123634, Topic: tid=8312, author=FungusTrooper wrote:You should edit the first post to include download links! The first few times I was directed to this topic I didn't scroll down low enough to see the guide had been released !

Thanks - 'tis done!

When you know what you expect to see you don't realise that others who don't, don't!

FungusTrooper · Post by **FungusTrooper** » Tue Jan 17, 2012 11:20 pm

From post: 123699, Topic: tid=8312, author=Maarschalk wrote:Hi FungusTrooper, welcome to the game and forum.....Hope to see you out there some time!...

Hi, sorry, I haven't gotten around to introducing myself yet! I played the demo and was wondering if I should buy.. but I did, so I could try online (which I'm hoping will be a lot more fun!) so now it's downloading through Steam

.

And good job DaveK, I'm sure a lot of the newbies like me will find this useful now!

Flying Brick · Post by **Flying Brick** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 2:44 am

Great stuff - thanks DaveK for putting it together and everyone else who has contributed! It's a really great addition!