Over the last couple of days, I gave the test server (otherwise known as Sisi or Singularity) a bit of a try.
Primarily, I was looking to test out a new boat setup. I normally fly T1 battleships, and this was more expensive than that, so I wanted to see what I could do in PVE with this new setup.
The new setup had no issues with L3 highsec missions (as it should have). It also walked over a L4 lowsec mission though I think the one I got was particularly easy. One of the last times I tried a L4 security mission, it didn’t go so well, but that was a few skillpoints ago.
So, off to find a wormhole. I really want to try this new setup in a C4, so I go scanning. And scanning, and even more scanning. Without wormhole pilots constantly creating highsec K162’s, it seems that it is actually difficult to find an outgoing wormhole from known space to J space.
Fortunately, there are precious few signatures in the majority of empire systems I pass by, each having only one or two quickly resolved gas / data sites. After about 20 systems, I finally find an outgoing wormhole, an R943, to a C2. C2 wormholes always have at least 2 outbound, and we have occasionally seen 3 outgoing wormholes, so are wonderful for my purpose of getting deeper into wormhole space. This one happens to be a Null/C5 system. Good enough.
I run a combat site, don’t remember which one, with my new setup, and it is straight forward. As expected. Good, so log off for the night.
The following night I log back in, and scan. After scanning 20+ systems last night with each system having 1 or 2 signatures, facing an entire system full of signatures is a task. I can well imagine that this system could be empty on tranquility; not enough PVP for a heavy PVP corp, not enough market access for a PVE corp. Oh well, suck it up princess.
Gas sites, data, relic, the works. Finally I scan down the C5 exit, but … where is the nullsec exit? If I am going to run a C5 site solo, it will be ambitious, and the better part of valour says more tank, less gank. I like my ships big and slow. I need to find a market.
I am down to 2 signatures, and finally partially scan down a one of them, but it disappears before I resolve it. No new signature has taken it’s place. Ok. Maybe it was the incoming highsec. Maybe I scanned the nullsec entrance last night? I think I did, but am not sure, it was late and I was not properly paying attention.
Ok lets resolve this last signature. I have been scanning for 18 months now; I know how to scan. I am in a well skilled scanner, nothing at 5 but mostly 4’s. I am in a T2 covops frigate (also at level 4 skill), with sister core launcher and sister core probes. This last signature should not be this hard.
There is a small red bubble on the scanning screen (no screenshots unfortunately), and it just does not resolve. I try matching the bubble exactly with probes. I try one size larger. I try 8AU. Nothing registers. Hmm. I really did not expect a c5 wormhole to be this hard. I check staticmapper.com again. Yes, I definitely am in a C2, it definitely has 2 outbound wormholes. I definitely can not resolve this last signature. Mmm.
Thinking about options, Von Keigai thinks that new signatures don’t pop up until you toggle show anomalies on the probe scanner window. I try this, but no change to my signatures.
I have read that CCP are looking to change the way new signatures are found. This is a big system. I launch a 32AU flat scan to maximise coverage across the whole system. I have not done this in a very long time, as normally this is only needed for hunting ships. I don’t do that enough.
I also remember some talk about scanning midslot items becoming
active rather than passive. I try to turn them on but get told off by
Aura for trying to activate passive modules. Good, that has not changed at least.
A new signature pops up. This is very strange. While a change to the way new signatures appear has been talked about on the forums due to CCP asking questions, I did not expect this.
So some questions for those who know a thing or 2 about scanning, especially if you have or are willing to install the test client.
Neither of these two are a problem for me. If my suspicion is true, some hunters will be very happy (won’t you Penny), but I really don’t have a problem offering the occasional sacrifice to Bob in the form of a ship, (or even the occasional squad). I might not take out my new shiny boat as much, and when I do, I will probe scan a little more.
Oh and that C5 site I optimistically decided to run? I whelped on the first of 3 phases. There is a reason I ran this site on test before trying it on live first. Neuts are bad enough when split between 4 ships. Any solo ship with only enough cap struggles with so many neuts. Oh well.
– Foo
Want to read more of Foo’s work? Then check out his blog.
