How do you decide where to go?
Do you just try to maximize friendly sectors?
Are hostile sectors harder or more rewarding?
Do nebula sectors offer an advantage?
In my experience the nebula sectors slow down the rebels, but also seem to contain less ships and stuff.
I'm generally fine without the sight, unless I use hacking or need to deal with fires or boarders on my ship.
I find mantis sectors really annoying because they seem to contain a lot of boarders.
Unless I have a boarding crew myself, or a ship with good blast doors that I can vent to space.
I just read that rock sectors have more missile weapons?
Next to boarders, missiles are what I have most trouble with.
Abandoned sectors creep me out.
I just started playing with advanced content. Maybe it's just me, but I had to run from several Lanius fights, on a run that was otherwise flawless.
Sector planning
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Re: Sector planning
Nebulae can be rewarding especially if you've got a Long Range Scanner, but they can also give you half a dozen empty beacons in a row.
Green sectors usually get you less fights and more shops, more quests and free stuff, but if you've got a ship in good shape, red sectors give you more scrap through more fights (and a better score). Some green sectors got nebula beacons, so it may roughly balance out.
In my experience, early abandoned sectors provide easy fights, while a sector 7 abandoned sector is tough, as you get lots of Lanius Bombers with Mind Control/Hacking, Cloaking and Teleporter, and many missile launchers.
Running from fights is sometimes a good strategy.
Green sectors usually get you less fights and more shops, more quests and free stuff, but if you've got a ship in good shape, red sectors give you more scrap through more fights (and a better score). Some green sectors got nebula beacons, so it may roughly balance out.
In my experience, early abandoned sectors provide easy fights, while a sector 7 abandoned sector is tough, as you get lots of Lanius Bombers with Mind Control/Hacking, Cloaking and Teleporter, and many missile launchers.
Running from fights is sometimes a good strategy.
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Re: Sector planning
I usually choose to go to red sectors because they can give you more scrap. However, green sectors have the "potential " to hand you a lot of free stuff without a fight, If you are lucky... Once I got three free weapons from traveling through an Engi Sector. It is also good to go to green sectors if you are looking for stores to buy, sell, or repair.
I am not afraid of nebulae like a lot of people. The only real risk I think they have is that they can drain your fuel if you are trying to maximize the sector. It is entirely possible to go to nearly every beacon in a nebula sector but that requires a lot of fuel so I would say go to nebulas only if you've acquired a lot of fuel somehow.
And then of course you have to consider what type of ship you are using. Slug's excel in nebulae so you will want to go there when using them. Mantises should avoid Zoltan shields and Auto ships at all cost so avoid nebulae and Zoltan Sectors when using them. Engi have lots of Blue options in Engi and other green sectors, but they and Zoltan are weak to boarding so they should probably avoid Mantis, Rock, and nebula sectors. And things like that...
I am not afraid of nebulae like a lot of people. The only real risk I think they have is that they can drain your fuel if you are trying to maximize the sector. It is entirely possible to go to nearly every beacon in a nebula sector but that requires a lot of fuel so I would say go to nebulas only if you've acquired a lot of fuel somehow.
And then of course you have to consider what type of ship you are using. Slug's excel in nebulae so you will want to go there when using them. Mantises should avoid Zoltan shields and Auto ships at all cost so avoid nebulae and Zoltan Sectors when using them. Engi have lots of Blue options in Engi and other green sectors, but they and Zoltan are weak to boarding so they should probably avoid Mantis, Rock, and nebula sectors. And things like that...
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Re: Sector planning
I usually prioritize sectors which can have nebula beacons, which includes civilian, Engi, Zoltan, pirate, rebel, and of course nebula sectors. I'm in the minority of players who prefers nebula sectors, and the reason is that the larger number of jumps you can take not only compensates for the relatively poor beacon quality, but it smooths things out a bit, so you rarely get screwed by unfavorable events and/or a total lack of fights. And if you have long range scanners, you can ensure you get nearly all fights, making nebula sectors a very strong choice.
Of course, it also pays to consider what your ship can handle when choosing your sector. As you have discovered, Mantis sectors can a pain if you're not well-equipped to handle boarders, and Zoltan sectors are dangerous if you can't quickly penetrate the Zoltan shields.
The one type of sector I always avoid is the abandoned sector, because tends to have a sparse beacon layout, sometimes forcing you to miss out on a few jumps, and a lot of unfavorable events and empty beacons.
Of course, it also pays to consider what your ship can handle when choosing your sector. As you have discovered, Mantis sectors can a pain if you're not well-equipped to handle boarders, and Zoltan sectors are dangerous if you can't quickly penetrate the Zoltan shields.
The one type of sector I always avoid is the abandoned sector, because tends to have a sparse beacon layout, sometimes forcing you to miss out on a few jumps, and a lot of unfavorable events and empty beacons.
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Re: Sector planning
I don't think abandoned sectors are that bad. They are new and provide new encounters and choices. I may have been very lucky, but many distress beacons were leading to a fight with friendly ASB, very cool. And I got a Vulcan from a crafting event. You can also pick up more Lanius crew for your boarding party, if desired - or get rid of your crew for scrap
Edit: also the abandoned sector music is awesome!
Edit: also the abandoned sector music is awesome!
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Re: Sector planning
You got lucky on that crafting event. Usually you spend 50 scrap and get something like a chain burst laser, which isn't a horrible value if you actually wanted a weapon like that, but it's a big loss if you didn't.
Most of my experiences in the abandoned sector have gone a little like this:
empty beacon
empty beacon
crappy trade event
cool encounter with double reward
boarded by random humans
boarded again by identical humans
another decent fight
empty beacon
forced to exit early by the terrible layout.
Most of my experiences in the abandoned sector have gone a little like this:
empty beacon
empty beacon
crappy trade event
cool encounter with double reward
boarded by random humans
boarded again by identical humans
another decent fight
empty beacon
forced to exit early by the terrible layout.
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Re: Sector planning
Most people don't like the nebula cause it can be scary, especially when you've got a good run going. Your sensors are down and there's a environmental event wherein you only get half of your reactor. But i kinda like the nebula.
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Re: Sector planning
Depends on my outfit.
If I have a teleporter, I avoid Lanius (not pleasant to board) and Rebel (too many Autoships), and favour Nebula and Pirate (good chance of picking up crew).
If I have Mind Control, I favour Lanius (small, uniform crews).
Zoltan sectors depend heavily on whether I can easily remove their shields.
If I have a teleporter, I avoid Lanius (not pleasant to board) and Rebel (too many Autoships), and favour Nebula and Pirate (good chance of picking up crew).
If I have Mind Control, I favour Lanius (small, uniform crews).
Zoltan sectors depend heavily on whether I can easily remove their shields.
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Re: Sector planning
remember, if rebels are helping civilians, always steal from the civvies, even if it is a vaccination for a plague
"The're coming to destroy us... Why?... We want peace..."
The Dark Ones
The Dark Ones
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Re: Sector planning
Tharsis wrote:remember, if rebels are helping civilians, always steal from the civvies, even if it is a vaccination for a plague
Bad idea
"The colonists willingly give up their supplies. But as you make to jump away, an explosion rocks your ship! The cargo was booby-trapped!"
Take 2 hull damage, 2 system damage.
Kestrel C breaks apart
One final explosion marks your fate as you ship is torn apart
F M L.