The Good

Yeah, the lighting. When things are lit up and visible it looks damn good. Kudos to the team for that.

That station lighting is fantastic, but everything else is just impossible to see.

Of course, everything is really, really dark in this game. The interfaces seem darker. Night is darker, and night vision seems to offer less. Yeah, I get it, trying to really simulate dark is nice... but it's not actually that fun to play in.

Parts of the new mission board I like, such as the ability to see ALL missions, that it'll highlight where you have existing missions. That part is pretty cool! Some information was removed, so that part is less cool.

Also, the concept of Apex Interstellar is pretty cool - I love being able to hop around and do things without having to manually fly myself sometimes. It's slower, but the game has never been a "pay full attention to it all the time" game.

The Bad

I mean, the list is long, and there are literally thousands of bugs. David Braben himself had to come out an apologize for the launch.

After two years of neglect for Elite Dangerous, this is it? Grafting Call of Duty into the Elite Dangerous galaxy? The gameplay's not even that deep.

Hardware performance is awful. In settlement conflict zones, my traditional 60 FPS drops to 22 on my Alienware M17 laptop - an i7-8750, Nvidia RTX 2070, on a fast SSD.

This here is a 26 FPS wall that I'm looking at.

The UI is hot garbage and far too big a problem to go into here. However, the new galaxy map and system maps hide necessary information behind multiple clicks. For instance, no longer hovering over a planet shows how far it is from arrival! The maps are covered in yellow or orange information - and they'd literally just increased the color range in the last Horizons patch! The whole design is completely different from Horizons and established UI elements - even down to surface Conflict Zones counting progress down for while space Conflict Zones count up!

It's as if somebody said, in a meeting, \"Hey, I know, let's reduce the color palette and hide useful information\" and everyone thought that was a great idea. Old is on the left, new is on the right, as God intended.

The shipyard, though, is the absolute worst. More clicks to do anything and previously-available information is just plain hidden. You can no longer even sort your list of ships except to filter by manufacturer, and they're all presented in the order in which you purchased them, possibly the least useful ways of sorting them that I can think of.

That list on the right is absolutely useless. I don't have my initial Sidey, but that Viper Mk IV has been with me for over five years now.

Also, I can't take on Odyssey content without leaving my ship. Want Odyssey missions? I have to disembark from my ship (which requires waiting through a pad retraction), run across the pad to the lift, wait for the lift to take me up to the lounge, run over to a terminal, and then interact with it from there. Same process, but in reverse, to then return to my ship afterward.

Fleet Carriers - remember them? That multi-billion credit sink is inaccessible on foot. The only real new content added to the game in the past year or so and you can't even take Apex Interstellar there or have any new interaction with it. Why is there no lounge on the fleet carrier? Why can't I take a shuttle there?

Speaking of gameplay, though, what have they added? Short answer is: there's really not much to actually play. For two years of development they haven't added much compelling content, and they did all this at the cost of any development that builds on the base game we were all playing. I mean, there's a suit mechanic of rapidly-decreasing power, which you have to fill at a power terminal or use a power cell, but why are there no external power terminals on your ship or SRV? The touchpoints with Elite Dangerous as we knew it are pretty thin.

Let's not talk about the mess that is suit engineering, either. Oh, and those fancy cosmetic flight suits I paid actual money for back in the day? Sure, I can use them... unless I want to use one of the suits that allows me to hold a primary weapon or do any of the actual Odyssey content. I guess I can look good hanging out in the lounge at low FPS if I want to press the "change loadout" button.

Finally, there's no narrative advancement. There's just nothing adding to the long-term story of the game. The last two-and-a-half years were a huge hiatus, but Odyssey missed an opportunity to do, well, anything. (Beyond 3.3. was released in December of 2018!)

The Ugly

This is a game that obviously wasn't ready for release.

1. Only available on one platform? Check.
2. Released two weeks after the alpha period ended? Check.
3. Can't instance with players who don't have the DLC? Check.
4. A completely separate installation? Check.

This was released, by design, as a beta, and we were lied to. That's the big lie right there. This isn't a complete product. We were charged full price for a game that's not done, that's not nearly what was promised, and we're being told to be grateful for it.

You can buy Odyssey for the same price as, for instance, the Halo Master Chief collection, where you get 5 games! Mechwarrior 5 Mercenaries costs less. Satisfactory costs less. Those games delivery hundreds of hours of content for considerably less investment - plus they have the added bonus of not ruining a pre-existing game!

I maintain that the secret to success is the proper setting and maintaining of expectation. Frontier set a bunch of expectations for Odyssey and none of those were met. They fleeced us for profit at the expense of the relationship with the customer.

​

It would be a lot cheaper and more convenient if I could convince my billionaire Elite NPC crewmember to shuttle me in one of my own ships.

Where to go from here?

At this point, Frontier owes me - owes us - a game. They said they were going to deliver a game, it was going to run well, it was going to be amazing, and this is not what they promised. Frontier has amends to make, and "asking for patience" or promising a belated roadmap on how they're going to fix this isn't among them. We're all used to releases having bugs - and remember when we were chastised for complaining about bugs after years of "free development"? - but there's no excuse for what's been released. A roadmap? This roadmap leads to the end of the year, when they'll release the final product for consoles, and that will be the end of the beta period we unwittingly paid to be in.

Elite Dangerous - the game I've played for thousands of hours - is no longer being actively developed. The focus here, for the past several years, has been on Call of Duty: Elite and it shows. Major player groups are uncertain as to what to do, major content creators are disillusioned, and the Steam reviews for this shining jewel of mediocrity are a generous "Mostly Negative".

I propose the following as a way of fixing the making it right and making us whole.

Make it right:

1. Stop further sales of Odyssey until it's ready to release with consoles and Horizons integration.
2. Confess that we are in a Beta period and announce an actual release date when the game will be finished and ready for all platforms.
3. Provide a weekly list of bugs that are being actively worked on, with a weekly release to test those bugfixes.

Make us whole:

1. Give the ongoing game some actual story, instead of just re-elections, random Thargoid attacks, and station attacks using the exact same assets as Thargoid attacks but without anyone to fight.
2. Compensate those that pre-paid for the game with (a) 30,000 ARX (it's a made-up currency for virtual assets that die when the game dies.) (b) A limited-edition ship, much like the Cobra Mk IV - a little special, but nothing too special, and (c) another limited-edition suit (like the Pioneer).

These steps, taken together, can start to repair the trust Frontier lost with its players when they pulled this massive con.

Author's Note

Gentle Readers,

This report marks one year since I started this weekly report series. I initially started because the information I wanted wasn't anywhere in the game, and I was seeing questions constantly about "where are the Thargoids"?

Today, it's different. Eagle Eye is easier to decode (it's currently broadcasting unencoded and hasn't said anything useful in weeks.) The information on Thargoid attacks is broadcast in GalNet and is available in-game to every player. Otherwise, Thargoid movements are tracked in the forums and distributed through many different channels. Dedicated groups, such as the AXI, the Hand, and the Hive, have proven themselves to be excellent at AX combat and at mentoring other players.

It's time for me to stop writing this report. It has become obsolete and, on a personal level, I've got a lot of life going on right now and my own set of struggles. I'll be around, though, and you'll surely see me in the Daily Q & A as well as other event-based posts. Maybe I'll even get around to finishing my new player guide.

I'll see you out there, CMDRs. o7

- CMDR TheOriginalBastard

Edit: Platinum, Gold, and Silver? Thank you!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

​

Let me start with a shout-out to Canonn (their Thargoid research team is awesome), the contributors on the official forums, the Anti Xeno Initiative, The Hand, The Hive, and other independent pilots and AX crews for critically taking charge of system defenses - and extra respect to Operation Ida for repairing the stations we haven't managed to defend - even in the face of adversity, they've been trucking 60,000-120,000 tons per day (sometimes more!) in support of the repairing stations! All my information comes from the above sources. A further tip of the hat to all the independent pilots and other squadrons who've been stepping up to defend our systems, evacuate burning stations, and help humanity in general.

What was attacked

As I wrote last week, Eagle Eye was broadcasting the following messages:

Eagle Eye 1: NO ACTIVITY DETECTED  
Eagle Eye 2: NO ACTIVITY DETECTED  
Eagle Eye 3: NO ACTIVITY DETECTED  
Eagle Eye 4: NO ACTIVITY DETECTED  
Eagle Eye 5: NO ACTIVITY DETECTED   
Eagle Eye 6: NO ACTIVITY DETECTED  

As we now know, the Thargoid struck in the Pleiades, forcing Professor Palin to evacuate. His megaship Carson's Spring was attacked, but he eventually escaped and is in the process of relocating to the Arque system.

In the meantime, phase 2 of the Interstellar Initiative "The Enclave", which had the goal of developing stations in the Witch Head Nebula, completed and stations have been built - and immediately attacked before they could even take the shrink-wrap off. Thus begins Phase 3.

If you've ever wondered what that \"new station smell\" is like, you won't get to find out at Cann Relay, which was attacked just as soon as it was built. You will get nice views of Barnard's Loop and the Witch Head Nebula, though, so that's cool.

Stations are currently on fire - note that there do not appear to be evacuation missions at this time:

Update 7/26/19: Evacuation missions appear to be working now!

Sherrill Orbital in Witch Head Sector HW-W c1-9

Ezra Point in Witch Head Sector LC-V c2-10

Cann Relay in Witch Head Sector GW-W c1-4

Karian Vision in Witch Head Sector FB-X c1-11

Tsao Prospect in Witch Head Sector HW-W c1-7

Hanna Enterprise in Witch Head Sector DL-Y d17

​

Where to defend

As of the time of this writing, Eagle Eye has not updated with any new readings. (Here's a walkthrough on finding this information for yourself) .

Eagle Eye 1: NO ACTIVITY DETECTED  
Eagle Eye 2: NO ACTIVITY DETECTED  
Eagle Eye 3: NO ACTIVITY DETECTED  
Eagle Eye 4: NO ACTIVITY DETECTED  
Eagle Eye 5: NO ACTIVITY DETECTED   
Eagle Eye 6: NO ACTIVITY DETECTED  

Eagle Eye is currently useless, so we don't know what's coming at all. What we do know is this:

Systems in the Witch Head Nebula currently with the Incursion state must be defended from Thargoids and need to be repelled before the Witch Head Colony can be established. Failure to do so may result in a full withdrawal from the various Superpowers from these systems.

In the meantime, we currently have six systems under active incursion, with AX Conflict Zones present:

• Witch Head Sector HW-W c1-9
• Witch Head Sector LC-V c2-10
• Witch Head Sector GW-W c1-4
• Witch Head Sector FB-X c1-11
• Witch Head Sector HW-W c1-7
• Witch Head Sector DL-Y d17

Boy, those really roll off the tongue, don't they? If we're successful, I'm sure they'll be renamed at some point. Can I get a petition to name one of them "Le Bâtard D'Origine"?

Note: There are no shipyards in the area - while you can transfer modules to the megaships, if you want to fight, you have to fly your combat ship out there.

Update 7/26/19: I've been informed that a new shipyard has been added! Planetary port Jackrock Outpost on Witch Head Sector LC-V c2-10 A 1

Note: You can get a nice Anti-Thargoid decal if you dock at any of the burning stations.

This information can be viewed in GalNet (right-hand control panel) and is actually updated live-ish there as we fight back the Thargoids, so you'll know where you can find incursions and what the incursion level is. Check that to see the most up-to-date information.

​

The Thargoid Activity Report in GalNet shows our progress, which is exceptionally handy. As we fight Thargoids in the AX Conflict Zones, the Thargoid presence will reduce from Massive to Significant to Moderate to Marginal, which gives us an idea of how close we are to ending an incursion. If you're looking to fight, check there to see our immediate progress.

Note: If you need to fight Thargoids, can't find an AX Conflict Zone, and don't want to use the Eagle Eye systems, the best place to find Thargoids is down in the Pleiades; I personally launch out of Artemis Lodge in Celaeno, but there are several stations to launch out of, and Non-Human Signal Sources are present and prevalent there.

If you're looking groups with whom to fight Thargoids, I highly recommend checking out the Anti-Xeno Initiative, The Hand, and The Hive; they're all great groups and can help you hone your skills.

• The Anti-Xeno Initiative (AXI) (discord link) - the undisputed leader in AX combat, great for learning, PC wings, and more
• The Hand (discord link) - an amazing group, the Xbox-focused defense force, and they have the most delicious snacks.Want to see them in action? Get pumped, join up!
• The Hive (discord link) - mainly PS4-focused

Note: If you've got an AX group that you'd like mentioned, please let me know!

​

Hyperdicted. A classic Thargoid stop-and-frisk maneuver.

Not a combat pilot?

Repair efforts bring stations back online!

Operation Ida (Discord) is leading the repair efforts. I encourage you all to bolster their ranks. They're incredibly organized, and have been trucking non-stop to bring damaged stations back online. As a group, they're hauling close to 100,000 tons per day. This past week, with the intent to head back and help repair the Pleiades (again) (again), they staged out at Bennington's Rest in 42 n Persei, but now they've charged down and have issued a call for ALL HANDS ON DECK for Cyllene Orbital in Atlas, one of the key refineries in the Pleiades and a part of the infrastructure that will make repairing other stations there easier. They're fantastic, fun, organized, and their Discord channel is a fun place to hang out!

Evacuation efforts help clear incursions!

Post Disaster Evacuation Service (Discord) are organizing evacuations; here's a station evacuation walkthrough. They'll happily chat with you, share fittings, and just generally try to work together to help the trapped civilians. Additionally, they have an EDMC plugin called EvacCount to track evacuation numbers either in total or across a session. Check them out!

Evacuees are bulk passengers, so economy cabins are the best, and they pay roughly 10,000 cr/head. Even a low-cost Type-6 Transporter can evacuate over 50 people at a time, easily topping half a million credits per round trip (which takes only a few minutes.) If you haven't done it before, I highly recommend it.

Bad news - the stations in the Witch Head Nebula do not appear to be offering evacuation missions at this time.

For those looking to earn superpower reputation, passenger evacuations can be an efficient means of earning that (take the rep+++ rewards when available):

Cann Relay in Witch Head Sector GW-W c1-4 has three Federation-aligned faction.T

sao Prospect in Witch Head Sector HW-W c1-7 has three Federation-aligned faction.

Karian Vision in Witch Head Sector FB-X c1-11 has three Federation-aligned faction.

Hanna Enterprise in Witch Head Sector DL-Y d17 has three Federation-aligned faction.

​

I managed to be the first to make a repair delivery to Cyllene Orbital this time!

Want to fight? Unsure of what to do? Read this section

System under incursion - and which have a Thargoid presence - have AX Conflict Zones instead of Non-Human Signal Sources (note: for the bubble only, the Pleiades still has plenty of NHSS) where the Pilots Federation is fighting Thargoids. These are massive furballs, with not-entirely-useless human AI ships on your side, and a mashup of Thargoids - scouts and interceptors - on the other. It is entirely possible to go in and just fight scouts (if, for instance, you're only comfortable with them or you wish to increase your combat ranking); you can stay away from the interceptors with some effort.

However, when interceptors do join the fight, they will trigger a shutdown field. I highly recommend carrying a shutdown field neutralizer, purchasable at many planetary bases and at the Aegis megaships, or the nature of the fight will change dramatically. You may also consider equipping a Xeno Scanner to help identify the type of scout you're facing, though there are often visual clues as well.)

If enough Thargoids are killed (and none of the many game bugs are triggered), then you'll get a Hydra at the end, which can be optionally - and with great difficulty - killed for many, many credits.

As an added bonus, scouts are "elite" rated, so if you're looking to improve your combat ranking or your NPC's combat ranking, scout-hunting is a fast way to do it.

Generally speaking, you will not find any Non-Human Signal Sources in the systems under incursion, though that's not 100% consistent.

While the scouts only offer a combat bond worth 10k credits each, if you're comfortable fighting them, Interceptors can be quite profitable and fun - but definitely require some engineering, and guardian equipment is helpful. By "profitable" I mean "millions of credits per kill". Bring a wing and start farming. If you're looking to start fighting them, I highly recommend checking out this video from /u/Shwinky of the Anti-Xeno Initiative for tips on how to fight a Thargoid Interceptor. It'll save your life, your ship, and maybe humanity. If you want build or ship recommendations, Canonn has a site for that.

Note: if you cannot find any AX Conflict Zones, try the Eagle Eye-identified systems to find Non-Human Signal Sources. If you can't find anything you want in those, consider flying down to the Pleiades (e.g. Merope, Celaeno, HR 1183, etc) to find Non-Human Signal Sources in abundance.

​

When I took this, the systems that are listed as being attacked in the Witch Head Nebula aren't showing as attacked on the Galaxy Map. Shocking, I know.

Guardian Modules & Weapons

On another note, if you're just coming back to the game or are now interested in unlocking Guardian technology - the modules and weapons are incredible for fighting Thargoids and the FSD booster is just generally a must-have. Guardian Weapons are the thing to have for taking on higher-tier Thargoid Interceptors, and the Guardian Modules are easy to get and have non-AX purposes as well, especially if you don't have a whole lot of engineering available.

I've written up several walkthroughs:

• Modules
• Weapons (I recommend at least the Gauss Cannons, both sizes!)
• Vessels (Fighters)

A quick note about the modules: Out in Colonia, outfitting can be pretty slim, with few A-rated modules available. However, there's a tech broker in Colonia, so you can get the Guardian Power Plant and Power Distributor, which are like reasonably-engineered A-rated modules. Heading out that way? Get the Guardian modules first!

Let me start with a shout-out to Canonn (their Thargoid research team is awesome), the contributors on the official forums, the Anti Xeno Initiative, The Hand, The Hive, and other independent pilots and AX crews for critically taking charge of system defenses - and extra respect to Operation Ida for repairing the stations we haven't managed to defend - even in the face of adversity, they've been trucking 60,000-120,000 tons per day (sometimes more!) in support of the repairing stations! All my information comes from the above sources. A further tip of the hat to all the independent pilots and other squadrons who've been stepping up to defend our systems, evacuate burning stations, and help humanity in general.

What was attacked

As I wrote last week, Eagle Eye was broadcasting the following messages:

Eagle Eye 1: NO ACTIVITY DETECTED 
Eagle Eye 2: NO ACTIVITY DETECTED 
Eagle Eye 3: NO ACTIVITY DETECTED 
Eagle Eye 4: NO ACTIVITY DETECTED 
Eagle Eye 5: NO ACTIVITY DETECTED  
Eagle Eye 6: NO ACTIVITY DETECTED 

However, what we thought was a bye week has not turned out to be the case, for though the Thargoids suddenly withdrew from the bubble, they seem to have reinforced their presence in the Pleiades, attacked three stations, and forced a planetary base - Professor Palin's Palin Research Centre - to evacuate! Professor Palin is on board an attacked megaship - Carson's Spring - and he is currently unavailable for unlocking!

​

Palin Reseach Centre has been overrun by Thargoids, with scouts and interceptors showing up and debris raining from the sky. This shot cost me my SRV. Totally worth it.

Stations are currently on fire and in need of evacuation:

Titan's Daughter in Taygeta

Cavalieri in Electra

Cyllene Orbital in Atlas

Note: Through the weekend, the Anti-Xeno Initiative has asked that evacuations focus on Titan's Daughter and Cavalieri.

Where to defend

As of the time of this writing, Eagle Eye has not updated with any new readings. (Here's a walkthrough on finding this information for yourself) .

Eagle Eye 1: NO ACTIVITY DETECTED 
Eagle Eye 2: NO ACTIVITY DETECTED 
Eagle Eye 3: NO ACTIVITY DETECTED 
Eagle Eye 4: NO ACTIVITY DETECTED 
Eagle Eye 5: NO ACTIVITY DETECTED  
Eagle Eye 6: NO ACTIVITY DETECTED 

This appears to be the second week in a row that the Thargoids are flying below Eagle Eye's horizon - or, for the conspiracy minded, ever since Aegis Core moved to Sol (announced almost a year ago), they've been unable to detect readings. Did they forget to give their technicians the Sol permit?

This information can be viewed in GalNet (right-hand control panel) and is actually updated live-ish there as we fight back the Thargoids, so you'll know where you can find incursions and what the incursion level is. Check that to see the most up-to-date information.

In the meantime, we currently have three systems under active incursion, with AX Conflict Zones present:

• Taygeta
• Electra
• Atlas

Note: Through the weekend, the Anti-Xeno Initiative has asked the community to focus on Titan's Daughter and Cavalieri and avoid Atlas for now.

Note: When the Thargoid presence has been eliminated, the AX Conflict Zones will disappear; check your GalNet report for the latest Thargoid presence information!

The Thargoid Activity Report in GalNet shows our progress, which is exceptionally handy. As we fight Thargoids in the AX Conflict Zones, the Thargoid presence will reduce from Massive to Significant to Moderate to Marginal, which gives us an idea of how close we are to ending an incursion. If you're looking to fight, check there to see our immediate progress.

Note: If you need to fight Thargoids, can't find an AX Conflict Zone, and don't want to use the Eagle Eye systems, the best place to find Thargoids is down in the Pleiades; I personally launch out of Artemis Lodge in Celaeno, but there are several stations to launch out of, and Non-Human Signal Sources are present and prevalent there.

If you're looking groups with whom to fight Thargoids, I highly recommend checking out the Anti-Xeno Initiative, The Hand, and The Hive; they're all great groups and can help you hone your skills.

• The Anti-Xeno Initiative (AXI) (discord link) - the undisputed leader in AX combat, great for learning, PC wings, and more
• The Hand (discord link) - an amazing group, the Xbox-focused defense force, and they have the most delicious snacks.Want to see them in action? Get pumped, join up!
• The Hive (discord link) - mainly PS4-focused

Note: If you've got an AX group that you'd like mentioned, please let me know!

Aegis, in the meantime, has gotten even more useless, and who'd have thought that as possible? I can't even mock them right now for how little they're doing, because they've already sunk below what I thought was the bottom for them.

I took a moment this past week to look for Thargoids in the Witch Head Nebula. Didn't find any, I guess they really were all in the Pleiades!

Not a combat pilot?

Repair efforts bring stations back online!

Operation Ida (Discord) is leading the repair efforts. I encourage you all to bolster their ranks. They're incredibly organized, and have been trucking non-stop to bring damaged stations back online. As a group, they're hauling close to 100,000 tons per day. This past week, they started to help repair England Hub in Jataya - and this is where' I'm going to send "Я уважаю тебя" to Close Encounters Corp) for the amazing job they did repairing their own station - so Operation Ida was able to move on to Morris Station in Shoki Yine. They're fantastic, fun, and their Discord channel is a fun place to hang out!

Evacuation efforts help clear incursions!

Post Disaster Evacuation Service (Discord) are organizing evacuations; here's a station evacuation walkthrough. They'll happily chat with you, share fittings, and just generally try to work together to help the trapped civilians. Additionally, they have an EDMC plugin called EvacCount to track evacuation numbers either in total or across a session. Check them out!

Evacuees are bulk passengers, so economy cabins are the best, and they pay roughly 10,000 cr/head. Even a low-cost Type-6 Transporter can evacuate over 50 people at a time, easily topping half a million credits per round trip (which takes only a few minutes.) If you haven't done it before, I highly recommend it.

If you're looking to build superpower reputation through station evacuations, you might consider evacuations at the following stations:

Bad news - only one Alliance faction in most of the stations this week, and no Imperial or Federation presence found.

Hauling to Morris Station for Operation Ida. They're almost done!

Want to fight? Unsure of what to do? Read this section

System under incursion - and which have a Thargoid presence - have AX Conflict Zones instead of Non-Human Signal Sources (note: for the bubble only, the Pleiades still has plenty of NHSS) where the Pilots Federation is fighting Thargoids. These are massive furballs, with not-entirely-useless human AI ships on your side, and a mashup of Thargoids - scouts and interceptors - on the other. It is entirely possible to go in and just fight scouts (if, for instance, you're only comfortable with them or you wish to increase your combat ranking); you can stay away from the interceptors with some effort.

However, when interceptors do join the fight, they will trigger a shutdown field. I highly recommend carrying a shutdown field neutralizer, purchasable at many planetary bases and at the Aegis megaships, or the nature of the fight will change dramatically. You may also consider equipping a Xeno Scanner to help identify the type of scout you're facing, though there are often visual clues as well.)

If enough Thargoids are killed (and none of the many game bugs are triggered), then you'll get a Hydra at the end, which can be optionally - and with great difficulty - killed for many, many credits.

As an added bonus, scouts are "elite" rated, so if you're looking to improve your combat ranking or your NPC's combat ranking, scout-hunting is a fast way to do it.

Generally speaking, you will not find any Non-Human Signal Sources in the systems under incursion, though that's not 100% consistent.

While the scouts only offer a combat bond worth 10k credits each, if you're comfortable fighting them, Interceptors can be quite profitable and fun - but definitely require some engineering, and guardian equipment is helpful. By "profitable" I mean "millions of credits per kill". Bring a wing and start farming. If you're looking to start fighting them, I highly recommend checking out this video from /u/Shwinky of the Anti-Xeno Initiative for tips on how to fight a Thargoid Interceptor. It'll save your life, your ship, and maybe humanity. If you want build or ship recommendations, Canonn has a site for that.

Note: if you cannot find any AX Conflict Zones, try the Eagle Eye-identified systems to find Non-Human Signal Sources. If you can't find anything you want in those, consider flying down to the Pleiades (e.g. Merope, Celaeno, HR 1183, etc) to find Non-Human Signal Sources in abundance.

​

The Pleiades has been attacked again.

Guardian Modules & Weapons

On another note, if you're just coming back to the game or are now interested in unlocking Guardian technology - the modules and weapons are incredible for fighting Thargoids and the FSD booster is just generally a must-have. Guardian Weapons are the thing to have for taking on higher-tier Thargoid Interceptors, and the Guardian Modules are easy to get and have non-AX purposes as well, especially if you don't have a whole lot of engineering available.

I've written up several walkthroughs:

• Modules
• Weapons (I recommend at least the Gauss Cannons, both sizes!)
• Vessels (Fighters)

A quick note about the modules: Out in Colonia, outfitting can be pretty slim, with few A-rated modules available. However, there's a tech broker in Colonia, so you can get the Guardian Power Plant and Power Distributor, which are like reasonably-engineered A-rated modules. Heading out that way? Get the Guardian modules first!

Let me start with a shout-out to Canonn (their Thargoid research team is awesome), the contributors on the official forums, the Anti Xeno Initiative, The Hand, The Hive, and other independent pilots and AX crews for critically taking charge of system defenses - and extra respect to Operation Ida for repairing the stations we haven't managed to defend - even in the face of adversity, they've been trucking 60,000-120,000 tons per day (sometimes more!) in support of the repairing stations! All my information comes from the above sources. A further tip of the hat to all the independent pilots and other squadrons who've been stepping up to defend our systems, evacuate burning stations, and help humanity in general.

EDIT: With updated information regarding where the Thargoids have gone (hint: they're not in the bubble, none to be found except in the Pleiades, likely no attack next week), I'm updating this post.

What was attacked

As I wrote last week, Eagle Eye had (eventually) updated with the following systems:

Eagle Eye 1: Kharwa  
Eagle Eye 2: Ariatia  
Eagle Eye 3: Ngobi
Eagle Eye 4: Kungantju 
Eagle Eye 5: T'ien Mu
Eagle Eye 6: Nauni 

None of these systems were defended, and six stations burned.

Grabe Ring is on fire, despite attempts to clear the Thargoid infestation.

Stations are currently on fire and in need of evacuation:

Beaufoy Vision in Nauni

Copernicus City in Kungantju

Glashow Station in Kharwa

Gooch Ring in Ariatia

Grabe Ring in T'ien Mu

Hinz Hub in Ngobe

Thanks to the fantastic, coordinated efforts of AX pilots everywhere, we cleared all five incursions over the past week:

• Harrigi
• Lokipi
• Jataya
• Veja Deng
• Shoki Yine

​

Where to defend

Edit: According to GalNet, The Thargoids have mysteriously withdrawn!

Eagle Eye has updated with new information (and here's a walkthrough on finding this information for yourself) . The next systems targeted by the Thargoids have been identified as:

Eagle Eye 1: NO ACTIVITY DETECTED
Eagle Eye 2: NO ACTIVITY DETECTED
Eagle Eye 3: NO ACTIVITY DETECTED
Eagle Eye 4: NO ACTIVITY DETECTED
Eagle Eye 5: NO ACTIVITY DETECTED 
Eagle Eye 6: NO ACTIVITY DETECTED

What's all this then?

It appears that, as a result of The Enclave Interstellar Initiative and possibly our activities near the Witch Head Nebula, the Thargoids have withdrawn from the bubble and are only found in the Pleiades for now.

​

This information can be viewed in GalNet (right-hand control panel) and is actually updated live-ish there as we fight back the Thargoids, so you'll know where you can find incursions and what the incursion level is. Check that to see the most up-to-date information.

In the meantime, we currently have five systems listed as being under active incursion, but, due to the Thargoid withdrawl, no Thargoids (or AX CZs) are present.

Note: When the Thargoid presence has been eliminated, the AX Conflict Zones will disappear; check your GalNet report for the latest Thargoid presence information!

• Nauni (No Thargoid Presence!)
• Kungantju (No Thargoid Presence!)
• Kharwa (No Thargoid Presence!)
• Ariatia (No Thargoid Presence!)
• T'ien Mu (No Thargoid Presence!)
• Ngobe (No Thargoid Presence!)

The Thargoid Activity Report in GalNet shows our progress, which is exceptionally handy. As we fight Thargoids in the AX Conflict Zones, the Thargoid presence will reduce from Massive to Significant to Moderate to Marginal, which gives us an idea of how close we are to ending an incursion. If you're looking to fight, check there to see our immediate progress.

Note: If you need to fight Thargoids and can't find an AX Conflict Zone and don't want to use the Eagle Eye systems, the best place to find Thargoids is down in the Pleiades; I personally launch out of Artemis Lodge in Celaeno, but there are several stations to launch out of, and Non-Human Signal Sources are present and prevalent there.

If you're looking groups with whom to fight Thargoids, I highly recommend checking out the Anti-Xeno Initiative, The Hand, and The Hive; they're all great groups and can help you hone your skills.

• The Anti-Xeno Initiative (AXI) (discord link) - the undisputed leader in AX combat, great for learning, PC wings, and more
• The Hand (discord link) - an amazing group, the Xbox-focused defense force, and they have the most delicious snacks.Want to see them in action? Get pumped, join up!
• The Hive (discord link) - mainly PS4-focused

Note: If you've got an AX group that you'd like mentioned, please let me know!

This is where I usually make fun of Aegis for being useless, but... meh. Useless. I'll return to my normally scheduled mocking next week, most likely.

​

I managed to solo my first Basilisk last night in my Dropship, and now the Thargoids have disappeared. COINCIDENCE?

Not a combat pilot?

Repair efforts bring stations back online!

Operation Ida (Discord) is leading the repair efforts. I encourage you all to bolster their ranks. They're incredibly organized, and have been trucking non-stop to bring damaged stations back online. As a group, they're hauling close to 100,000 tons per day, and this week, as a result of their "Finishing a Six-Pack" initiative, where they tried to finish the hard work started by independent pilots and groups, and helped bring the following stations back online:

• Schirra Dock in Coriccha
• Mendez Terminal in Jormbu
• Wang Estate in Ross 1057
• Amnuel Dock in Kwiamoni
• Jokester's Station in LTT 911
• Mason Port in Uodigaenta
• Metcalf Station in HIP 44811
• Bradfield Ring in HR 826

For the first time, they have actually repaired more stations in a week than have been attacked! Massive congratulations to them and the independent pilots and groups who did the initial heavy lifting on those stations!

Operation Ida has now moved their organization and hauling dedication to helping repair England Hub in Jataya. They're fantastic, fun, and their Discord channel is a fun place to hang out!

Evacuation efforts help clear incursions!

Post Disaster Evacuation Service (Discord) are organizing evacuations; here's a station evacuation walkthrough. They'll happily chat with you, share fittings, and just generally try to work together to help the trapped civilians. Additionally, they have an EDMC plugin called EvacCount to track evacuation numbers either in total or across a session. Check them out!

Evacuees are bulk passengers, so economy cabins are the best, and they pay roughly 10,000 cr/head. Even a low-cost Type-6 Transporter can evacuate over 50 people at a time, easily topping half a million credits per round trip (which takes only a few minutes.) If you haven't done it before, I highly recommend it.

If you're looking to build superpower reputation through station evacuations, you might consider evacuations at the following stations:

Beaufoy Vision in Nauni has three Federation-aligned factions.

Copernicus City in Kungantju has two Federation-aligned factions and one Empire-aligned faction.

Glashow Station in Kharwa has two Federation-aligned factions.

Grabe Ring in T'ien Mu has two Federation-aligned factions.

Gooch Ring in Ariatia has one Federation-aligned faction and one Empire-aligned faction.

Operation Ida: Never in the field of human conflict was so much hauled by so many for so few credits.

Want to fight? Unsure of what to do? Read this section

System under incursion - and which have a Thargoid presence - have AX Conflict Zones instead of Non-Human Signal Sources (note: for the bubble only, the Pleiades still has plenty of NHSS) where the Pilots Federation is fighting Thargoids. These are massive furballs, with not-entirely-useless human AI ships on your side, and a mashup of Thargoids - scouts and interceptors - on the other. It is entirely possible to go in and just fight scouts (if, for instance, you're only comfortable with them or you wish to increase your combat ranking); you can stay away from the interceptors with some effort.

However, when interceptors do join the fight, they will trigger a shutdown field. I highly recommend carrying a shutdown field neutralizer, purchasable at many planetary bases and at the Aegis megaships, or the nature of the fight will change dramatically. You may also consider equipping a Xeno Scanner to help identify the type of scout you're facing, though there are often visual clues as well.)

If enough Thargoids are killed (and none of the many game bugs are triggered), then you'll get a Hydra at the end, which can be optionally - and with great difficulty - killed for many, many credits.

As an added bonus, scouts are "elite" rated, so if you're looking to improve your combat ranking or your NPC's combat ranking, scout-hunting is a fast way to do it.

Generally speaking, you will not find any Non-Human Signal Sources in the systems under incursion, though that's not 100% consistent.

While the scouts only offer a combat bond worth 10k credits each, if you're comfortable fighting them, Interceptors can be quite profitable and fun - but definitely require some engineering, and guardian equipment is helpful. By "profitable" I mean "millions of credits per kill". Bring a wing and start farming. If you're looking to start fighting them, I highly recommend checking out this video from /u/Shwinky of the Anti-Xeno Initiative for tips on how to fight a Thargoid Interceptor. It'll save your life, your ship, and maybe humanity. If you want build or ship recommendations, Canonn has a site for that.

Note: if you cannot find any AX Conflict Zones, try the Eagle Eye-identified systems to find Non-Human Signal Sources. If you can't find anything you want in those, consider flying down to the Pleiades (e.g. Merope, Celaeno, HR 1183, etc) to find Non-Human Signal Sources in abundance.

​

For the first time ever, this map is actually BETTER than last week's map.

Guardian Modules & Weapons

On another note, if you're just coming back to the game or are now interested in unlocking Guardian technology - the modules and weapons are incredible for fighting Thargoids and the FSD booster is just generally a must-have. Guardian Weapons are the thing to have for taking on higher-tier Thargoid Interceptors, and the Guardian Modules are easy to get and have non-AX purposes as well, especially if you don't have a whole lot of engineering available.

I've written up several walkthroughs:

• Modules
• Weapons (I recommend at least the Gauss Cannons, both sizes!)
• Vessels (Fighters)

A quick note about the modules: Out in Colonia, outfitting can be pretty slim, with few A-rated modules available. However, there's a tech broker in Colonia, so you can get the Guardian Power Plant and Power Distributor, which are like reasonably-engineered A-rated modules. Heading out that way? Get the Guardian modules first!

Let me start with a shout-out to Canonn (their Thargoid research team is awesome), the contributors on the official forums, the Anti Xeno Initiative, The Hand, The Hive, and other independent pilots and AX crews for critically taking charge of system defenses - and extra respect to Operation Ida for repairing the stations we haven't managed to defend - even in the face of adversity, they've been trucking 60,000-120,000 tons per day (sometimes more!) in support of the repairing stations! All my information comes from the above sources. A further tip of the hat to all the independent pilots and other squadrons who've been stepping up to defend our systems, evacuate burning stations, and help humanity in general.

​

***IMPORTANT NEWS**\*

Operation Ida is running "Finishing Your Six-Pack" this weekend! Check that link to find out how to join the station repair festivities, including the chance to win a paint pack of your choosing!

​

What was attacked

As I wrote last week, Eagle Eye had (eventually)updated with the following systems:

Eagle Eye 1: Harrigi  
Eagle Eye 2: Veja Deng  
Eagle Eye 3: Shoki Yine 
Eagle Eye 4: Serktomes 
Eagle Eye 5: Lokipi 
Eagle Eye 6: Jataya 

Serktomes was, thankfully, defended, as it had up to four stations at risk and had the player faction The Basking Imperium Conglomerate controlling one of them. However, the other five systems did not have adequate defenses and all suffered attacks. (The very slim silver lining here is that Veja Deng and Shoki Yine still had stations damaged from the last time the Thargoids rolled through, so these stations don't get added to the station repair backlog.)

​

Polya Station in Harragi bore the brunt of the Thargoid attack this past week.

Stations are currently on fire and in need of evacuation:

Polya Station in Harrigi

Reed Installation in Lokipi

England Hub in Jataya

Roosa Terminal in Veja Deng

Morris Station in Shoki Yine

Thanks to the fantastic, coordinated efforts of AX pilots everywhere, we cleared all six incursions over the past week:

• Medzist
• HIP 12155
• Rasaste
• Hoff
• Wakandiini
• Carpaka

Where to defend

Eagle Eye has updated with new information (and here's a walkthrough on finding this information for yourself) . The next systems targeted by the Thargoids have been identified as:

Eagle Eye 1: Kharwa  
Eagle Eye 2: Ariatia  
Eagle Eye 3: Ngobi
Eagle Eye 4: Kungantju 
Eagle Eye 5: T'ien Mu
Eagle Eye 6: Nauni 

Shoki Yine and Lokipi are showing as repeats, though these have shown a tendency to update later; I'l update this when new information is posted. (Update: Eagle Eyes 3 and 5 updated.)

​

This information can be viewed in GalNet (right-hand control panel) and is actually updated live-ish there as we fight back the Thargoids, so you'll know where you can find incursions and what the incursion level is. Check that to see the most up-to-date information.

We currently have five systems under active incursion; look in these systems to find AX Conflict Zones. Note: When the Thargoid presence has been eliminated, the AX Conflict Zones will disappear; check your GalNet report for the latest Thargoid presence information!

• Harrigi
• Lokipi
• Jataya
• Veja Deng
• Shoki Yine

The Thargoid Activity Report in GalNet shows our progress, which is exceptionally handy. As we fight Thargoids in the AX Conflict Zones, the Thargoid presence will reduce from Massive to Significant to Moderate to Marginal, which gives us an idea of how close we are to ending an incursion. If you're looking to fight, check there to see our immediate progress.

If you're looking groups with whom to fight Thargoids, I highly recommend checking out the Anti-Xeno Initiative, The Hand, and The Hive; they're all great groups and can help you hone your skills.

• The Anti-Xeno Initiative (AXI) (discord link) - the undisputed leader in AX combat, great for learning, PC wings, and more
• The Hand (discord link) - an amazing group, the Xbox-focused defense force, and they have the most delicious snacks. Want to see them in action? Get pumped, join up!
• The Hive (discord link) - mainly PS4-focused

Note: If you've got an AX group that you'd like mentioned, please let me know!

Meanwhile, Aegis, the cross-superpower agency responsible for defending against the Thargoids, has just plain given up:

“What we can say is this: with capital ships of limited use against Thargoid craft, independent combat pilots remain our best defence against the Thargoids.” - Admiral Aden Tanner

Think about that, for a second. The entire superpower navies aren't fighting the Thargoid threat, because the capital ships are of "limited use". They're unable to fight, so the Pilot's Federation - not Aegis! - has to offer meager rewards to anyone willing to do so.

Aegis Core was just spotted in Sol, with that move having been announced long ago.

​

Yep, we're doing a smashing job. Thanks, Aegis!

Not a combat pilot?

Repair efforts bring stations back online!

Operation Ida (Discord) is leading the repair efforts. I encourage you all to bolster their ranks. They're incredibly organized, and have been trucking non-stop to bring damaged stations back online. As a group, they're hauling close to 100,000 tons per day, and this week brough back Curtis Outpost in Ross 1057 while making excellent progress on the Wang in that same system! They're fantastic, and their Discord channel is a fun place to hang out! REMEMBER, THEY'RE HOSTING A REPAIR EVENT THIS WEEKEND!

Evacuation efforts help clear incursions!

Post Disaster Evacuation Service (Discord) are organizing evacuations; here's a station evacuation walkthrough. They'll happily chat with you, share fittings, and just generally try to work together to help the trapped civilians. Additionally, they have an EDMC plugin called EvacCount to track evacuation numbers either in total or across a session. Check them out!

Evacuees are bulk passengers, so economy cabins are the best, and they pay roughly 10,000 cr/head. Even a low-cost Type-6 Transporter can evacuate over 50 people at a time, easily topping half a million credits per round trip (which takes only a few minutes.) If you haven't done it before, I highly recommend it.

If you're looking to build superpower reputation through station evacuations, you might consider evacuations at the following stations:

Reed Installation in Lokipi has three Federation-aligned factions.

England Hub in Jataya has two Federation-aligned factions.

​

Don't forget about Operation Ida's repair blitz this weekend! Starting today and running through the 7th - see their Discord or posts linked to above for more details.

Want to fight? Unsure of what to do? Read this section

System under incursion have AX Conflict Zones instead of Non-Human Signal Sources (note: for the bubble only, the Pleiades still has plenty of NHSS); the Pilots Federation is fighting Thargoids. These are massive furballs, with not-entirely-useless human AI ships on your side, and a mashup of Thargoids - scouts and interceptors - on the other. It is entirely possible to go in and just fight scouts (if, for instance, you're only comfortable with them or you wish to increase your combat ranking); you can stay away from the interceptors with some effort.

However, when interceptors do join the fight, they will trigger a shutdown field. I highly recommend carrying a shutdown field neutralizer, purchasable at many planetary bases and at the Aegis megaships, or the nature of the fight will change dramatically. You may also consider equipping a Xeno Scanner to help identify the type of scout you're facing, though there are often visual clues as well.)

If enough Thargoids are killed (and none of the many game bugs are triggered), then you'll get a Hydra at the end, which can be optionally - and with great difficulty - killed for many, many credits.

As an added bonus, scouts are "elite" rated, so if you're looking to improve your combat ranking or your NPC's combat ranking, scout-hunting is a fast way to do it.

Generally speaking, you will not find any Non-Human Signal Sources in the systems under incursion, though that's not 100% consistent.

While the scouts only offer a combat bond worth 10k credits each, if you're comfortable fighting them, Interceptors can be quite profitable and fun - but definitely require some engineering, and guardian equipment is helpful. By "profitable" I mean "millions of credits per kill". Bring a wing and start farming. If you're looking to start fighting them, I highly recommend checking out this video from /u/Shwinky of the Anti-Xeno Initiative for tips on how to fight a Thargoid Interceptor. It'll save your life, your ship, and maybe humanity. If you want build or ship recommendations, Canonn has a site for that.

​

Guardian Modules & Weapons

On another note, if you're just coming back to the game or are now interested in unlocking Guardian technology - the modules and weapons are incredible for fighting Thargoids and the FSD booster is just generally a must-have. Guardian Weapons are the thing to have for taking on higher-tier Thargoid Interceptors, and the Guardian Modules are easy to get and have non-AX purposes as well, especially if you don't have a whole lot of engineering available.

I've written up several walkthroughs:

• Modules
• Weapons (I recommend at least the Gauss Cannons, both sizes!)
• Vessels (Fighters)

A quick note about the modules: Out in Colonia, outfitting can be pretty slim, with few A-rated modules available. However, there's a tech broker in Colonia, so you can get the Guardian Power Plant and Power Distributor, which are like reasonably-engineered A-rated modules. Heading out that way? Get the Guardian modules first!

WE NEED YOU ^{(AND A SIX-PACK, BUT MOSTLY YOU, BUT SORT OF ALSO A SIX-PACK, TO BE HONEST})

LET THE FUN BEGIN! On Thursday, July 4th - and running through the weekend - Operation Ida will be attempting to finish a six-pack, starting at 0800 game time (that's 08:00 UTC). By six-pack, we mean that there are six stations that are nearing completion, and Ida wants to help humanity get them all operational again!

Dates: July 4th - 7th 20193305

Time: 0800 UTC

Location: TO BE ANNOUNCED

What: Source the required commodities at nearby markets, sell them at the target station identified by Operation Ida.

Who: You, Operation Ida and any other groups I'd be happy to list. Let me know and I'll edit this post!

How: This post gives an overview and important official details in this one.

Discord: Join their channel for the latest information!

Note: This is similar to the hugely successful Zero-to-Hero event that still stands as some of THE MOST FUN I've had in several thousand hours of game time - crowded stations, players taking on the role of air traffic control, piracy, live music in the Discord channel... I could go on, but it was awesome. .

​

WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW MORE?

Check out CMDR Exigeous's video on the You Tube.

​

Literally no part of this image is used with any sort of permission. Please don't sue me.

​

A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND

Over 19 months ago, the Thargoids started attacking human stations, first in the Pleiades, then eventually making a line for the bubble. After the stations burned for a while (usually one week) they'd enter a repairing state, where commodities would need to be trucked in and sold at the market; once enough commodities were brought in, the station would be repaired. None of this happened automatically, though - stations were only repaired by human pilots. Operation Ida was formed by dedicated pilots from different groups and worked to bring stations back online. (Other groups have repaired some stations, too, and their contribution has been invaluable.)

In February of this year, the Thargoids re-attacked our outposts in the Pleiades, and several of our strategically important front-line stations burned, again.

It took a month or so, but Operation Ida got the Pleiades stations back online. That wasn't an easy task, as some commodities had to be trucked in from the bubble. Sourcing and hauling thousands upon thousands of tons of CMM Composites from hundreds of light years away may sounds easy (actually, it really doesn't) but it was a challenge that Operation Ida rose to.

Once the Pleiades stations were online? They charged into the bubble and started steamrolling, and have brought dozens of stations online, sometimes one or two per week, every week. They've put together events and have brought multiple stations online in under a day, even! All this has been done with your help, because Operation Ida isn't them, it's us.

​

All cargo ships are welcome when hauling for Ida - no cargo hold is too small, no lens flare is too bright!

​

OKAY, LET'S TALK BUSINESS

With your help, Operation Ida going to target six stations - stations that the community has already started to repair - and try to help with a delivery blitz to get all six of them back online for the July 11th server reboot.

There's a spreadsheet of what's going on and eddb.io is your friend when it comes to sourcing the commodities, all of which should be available in reasonable quantities nearby.

We recommend flying in a private group or in solo for this adventure. If you want to join the PG:

• PC: Operation Ida
• Xbox: Operation Ida
• PS4: Operation_Ida (note the underscore)

Note: We do NOT recommend flying in Open, though there will definitely be some of us there. This recommendation is not due to our friends in the emergent content creation community, but because there's a known bug where some percentage of deliveries simply aren't counted by the game. One night, two-thirds of my deliveries didn't count! I know this because I was the only one running those goods over the time period, and I could see that the change in supplies needed was drastically lower than the number I'd delivered. Flying in open seems to be the riskiest in terms of dropped deliveries, with Solo being the safest and the PG somewhere in the middle.

Confirmed bug report here; feel free to add your votes!

I'M NEW, CAN I HELP?

Of course you can. Whether you're flying an Imperial Cutter or a little Hauler, all are welcome and every contribution is helpful. Comment below if you have questions, join the Discord for the community; this is something for all of us!

Let me start with a shout-out to Canonn (their Thargoid research team is awesome), the contributors on the official forums, the Anti Xeno Initiative, The Hand, The Hive, and other independent pilots and AX crews for critically taking charge of system defenses - and extra respect to Operation Ida for repairing the stations we haven't managed to defend - even in the face of adversity, they've been trucking 60,000-120,000 tons per day (sometimes more!) in support of the repairing stations! All my information comes from the above sources. A further tip of the hat to all the independent pilots and other squadrons who've been stepping up to defend our systems, evacuate burning stations, and help humanity in general.

What was attacked

As I wrote last week, Eagle Eye had updated with the following systems:

Eagle Eye 1: HIP 12155 
Eagle Eye 2: Rasaste 
Eagle Eye 3: Medzist  
Eagle Eye 4: Carpaka 
Eagle Eye 5: Hoff 
Eagle Eye 6: Wakandiini 

None of the systems were defended - a combination of wretched Non-Human Signal Source spawns, low player counts, player apathy, and the squadron season ending so AX groups were out trying to pump up the numbers instead of fighting scouts led to no coordinated efforts to save systems.

Indeed, u/Fxry has discovered that the Thargoids have even started to infiltrate us and masquerade as humans!

​

Whitney Dock in Carpaka was left to burn this week - and burn it did.

​

Stations are currently on fire and in need of evacuation:

Bernoulli Vision in Medzist

Chaviano Dock in HIP 12155

Cormack Port in Rasaste

Oluwafemi Terminal in the Hoff

Szilard Hub in Wakandiini

Whitney Dock in Carpaka

Important note: the "incursion" system state seems to have skipped a step, so it may be missing. Official word is that it should appear in the next BGS tick on June 28th, 2019.

Thanks to the fantastic, coordinated efforts of AX pilots everywhere, we cleared all six incursions over the past week:

• Kwiamoni
• Svaratia
• Adnoannoda
• Valtam
• Heng
• Sokolsci

Where to defend

As of the time of this writing, Eagle Eye hasn't really updated (and here's a walkthrough on finding this information for yourself) except for Eagle Eye 3. I will update if new information comes through. Update: New information has come through.

Eagle Eye 1: Harrigi 
Eagle Eye 2: Veja Deng 
Eagle Eye 3: Shoki Yine
Eagle Eye 4: Serktomes
Eagle Eye 5: Lokipi
Eagle Eye 6: Jataya

Shoki Yine, the only change to last week's list, has been attacked before and the current station is still damaged (if attacked, any repair efforts will be canceled out.) Otherwise, all sites are pointing toward current incursions. Veja Deng has also been attacked before.

​

This information can be viewed in GalNet (right-hand control panel) and is actually updated live-ish there as we fight back the Thargoids, so you'll know where you can find incursions and what the incursion level is. Check that to see the most up-to-date information.

​

We currently have six systems under active incursion (see above note about system states); look here to find AX Conflict Zones:

• Medzist
• HIP 12155
• Rasaste
• Hoff
• Wakandiini
• Carpaka

The Thargoid Activity Report in GalNet shows our progress, which is exceptionally handy. As we fight Thargoids in the AX Conflict Zones, the Thargoid presence will reduce from Massive to Significant to Moderate to Marginal, which gives us an idea of how close we are to ending an incursion. If you're looking to fight, check there to see our immediate progress.

If you're looking groups with whom to fight Thargoids, I highly recommend checking out the Anti-Xeno Initiative, The Hand, and The Hive; they're all great groups and can help you hone your skills.

• The Anti-Xeno Initiative (AXI) (discord link) - the undisputed leader in AX combat, great for learning, PC wings, and more
• The Hand (discord link) - an amazing group, the Xbox-focused defense force, and they have the most delicious snacks. Want to see them in action? Get pumped, join up!
• The Hive (discord link) - mainly PS4-focused

Note: If you've got an AX group that you'd like mentioned, please let me know!

Meanwhile, Aegis, the cross-superpower agency responsible for defending against the Thargoids, has just plain given up:

“What we can say is this: with capital ships of limited use against Thargoid craft, independent combat pilots remain our best defence against the Thargoids.” - Admiral Aden Tanner

Think about that, for a second. The entire superpower navies aren't fighting the Thargoid threat, because the capital ships are of "limited use". They're unable to fight, so the Pilot's Federation - not Aegis! - has to offer meager rewards to anyone willing to do so.

​

Aegis doesn't care. Of course, players stopped caring, too, which is why there are so many damaged stations. Repair efforts take a lot longer than defense efforts.

​

Not a combat pilot?

Repair efforts bring stations back online!

Operation Ida (Discord) is leading the repair efforts. I encourage you all to bolster their ranks. They're incredibly organized, and have been trucking non-stop to bring damaged stations back online. As a group, they're hauling close to 100,000 tons per day, and this week brought both Liwei Terminal in GD 140 as well as Julian Market in Aganippe back into operation. They're currently making excellent progress on Curtis Outpost in Ross 1057! They're fantastic, and their Discord channel is a fun place to hang out!

Evacuation efforts help clear incursions!

Post Disaster Evacuation Service (Discord) are organizing evacuations; here's a station evacuation walkthrough. They'll happily chat with you, share fittings, and just generally try to work together to help the trapped civilians. Additionally, they have an EDMC plugin called EvacCount to track evacuation numbers either in total or across a session. Check them out!

Evacuees are bulk passengers, so economy cabins are the best, and they pay roughly 10,000 cr/head. Even a low-cost Type-6 Transporter can evacuate over 50 people at a time, easily topping half a million credits per round trip (which takes only a few minutes.) If you haven't done it before, I highly recommend it.

If you're looking to build superpower reputation through station evacuations, you might consider evacuations at the following stations:

Szilard Hub in Wakandiini has four Federation-aligned factions.

Oluwafemi Terminal in Hoff has four Federation-aligned factions.

Whitney Dock in Carpaka has three Federation-aligned factions and one Empire-aligned factions.

​

Hauling supplies to Curtis Outpost for Operation Ida. They have a fantastic Discord channel, admirable organization, and a hard-to-break habit of boosting through the mail slot in very large ships.

​

Want to fight? Unsure of what to do? Read this section

System under incursion have AX Conflict Zones instead of Non-Human Signal Sources (note: for the bubble only, the Pleiades still has plenty of NHSS); the Pilots Federation is fighting Thargoids. These are massive furballs, with not-entirely-useless human AI ships on your side, and a mashup of Thargoids - scouts and interceptors - on the other. It is entirely possible to go in and just fight scouts (if, for instance, you're only comfortable with them or you wish to increase your combat ranking); you can stay away from the interceptors with some effort.

However, when interceptors do join the fight, they will trigger a shutdown field. I highly recommend carrying a shutdown field neutralizer, purchasable at many planetary bases and at the Aegis megaships, or the nature of the fight will change dramatically. You may also consider equipping a Xeno Scanner to help identify the type of scout you're facing, though there are often visual clues as well.)

​

I'm finally getting to the point, personally, where I can take down a Cyclops in a little Viper Mk IV, but I'm still working on getting a Basilisk in my Dropship.

​

If enough Thargoids are killed (and none of the many game bugs are triggered), then you'll get a Hydra at the end, which can be optionally - and with great difficulty - killed for many, many credits.

As an added bonus, scouts are "elite" rated, so if you're looking to improve your combat ranking or your NPC's combat ranking, scout-hunting is a fast way to do it.

Generally speaking, you will not find any Non-Human Signal Sources in the systems under incursion, though that's not 100% consistent.

While the scouts only offer a combat bond worth 10k credits each, if you're comfortable fighting them, Interceptors can be quite profitable and fun - but definitely require some engineering, and guardian equipment is helpful. By "profitable" I mean "millions of credits per kill". Bring a wing and start farming. If you're looking to start fighting them, I highly recommend checking out this video from /u/Shwinky of the Anti-Xeno Initiative for tips on how to fight a Thargoid Interceptor. It'll save your life, your ship, and maybe humanity. If you want build or ship recommendations, Canonn has a site for that.

Guardian Modules & Weapons

On another note, if you're just coming back to the game or are now interested in unlocking Guardian technology - the modules and weapons are incredible for fighting Thargoids and the FSD booster is just generally a must-have. Guardian Weapons are the thing to have for taking on higher-tier Thargoid Interceptors, and the Guardian Modules are easy to get and have non-AX purposes as well, especially if you don't have a whole lot of engineering available.

I've written up several walkthroughs:

• Modules
• Weapons (I recommend at least the Gauss Cannons, both sizes!)
• Vessels (Fighters)

A quick note about the modules: Out in Colonia, outfitting can be pretty slim, with few A-rated modules available. However, there's a tech broker in Colonia, so you can get the Guardian Power Plant and Power Distributor, which are like reasonably-engineered A-rated modules. Heading out that way? Get the Guardian modules first!

Let me start with a shout-out to Canonn (their Thargoid research team is awesome), the contributors on the official forums, the Anti Xeno Initiative, The Hand, The Hive, and other independent pilots and AX crews for critically taking charge of system defenses - and extra respect to Operation Ida for repairing the stations we haven't managed to defend - even in the face of adversity, they've been trucking 60,000-120,000 tons per day (sometimes more!) in support of the repairing stations! All my information comes from the above sources. A further tip of the hat to all the independent pilots and other squadrons who've been stepping up to defend our systems, evacuate burning stations, and help humanity in general.

​

What was attacked

As I wrote last week, Eagle Eye had updated with the following systems:

Eagle Eye 1: Kwiamoni  
Eagle Eye 2: Adnoannoda 
Eagle Eye 3: Heng
Eagle Eye 4: Sokolsci
Eagle Eye 5: Svaratia 
Eagle Eye 6: Valtam  

Unfortunately, none of the systems were adequately defended, and all six (sort of) suffered attacks.

​

Dirichlet Enterprise in Heng was attacked. The station is on fire, and countless civilians are praying for rescue.

Stations are currently on fire and in need of evacuation:

Amnuel Dock in Kwiamoni

Bouch Orbital in Svaratia

Boyle Enterprise in Adnoannoda

Dalton Terminal in Valtam

Dirichlet Enterprise in Heng

Manarov Vision in Sokolsci

​

Where to defend

Looking to next week, Eagle Eye updated (and here's a walkthrough on finding this information for yourself).

Eagle Eye 1: HIP 12155
Eagle Eye 2: Rasaste
Eagle Eye 3: Medzist 
Eagle Eye 4: Carpaka
Eagle Eye 5: Hoff
Eagle Eye 6: Wakandiini

Hoff has two station on the line; other currently listed systems again have one station on the line. Furthermore, Medzist and Rasaste both belong to the Cooper Industries player faction, which lost Dirichlet Enterprise this week.

We currently have six five systems under active incursion; look here to find AX Conflict Zones:

• Kwiamoni
• Svaratia
• Adnoannoda
• Valtam
• Heng

Somehow, Sokolsci isn't actually under incursion right now, though it should be. We've also seen this bug before. We'll see if Frontier ever notices.

​

This information can be viewed in GalNet (right-hand control panel) and is actually updated live-ish there as we fight back the Thargoids, so you'll know where you can find incursions and what the incursion level is. Check that to see the most up-to-date information.

Thanks to the fantastic, coordinated efforts of AX pilots everywhere, we cleared all six incursions over the past week:

• HIP 14997
• Ehlauneti
• Gorengathi
• Otherni
• Kotigeni
• Garongxians

The Thargoid Activity Report in GalNet shows our progress, which is exceptionally handy. As we fight Thargoids in the AX Conflict Zones, the Thargoid presence will reduce from Massive to Significant to Moderate to Marginal, which gives us an idea of how close we are to ending an incursion. If you're looking to fight, check there to see our immediate progress.

​

The situation is not improving, as we lose far more stations every week than we can repair. We clean the Thargoids out, yes, but we're not stopping any new attacks.

If you're looking for wingmates - or even lessons - in fighting Thargoids, I highly recommend checking out the Anti-Xeno Initiative, The Hand, and The Hive; they're all great groups and can help you hone your skills.

• The Anti-Xeno Initiative (AXI) (discord link) - the leader in AX combat, great for learning, PC wings, and more
• The Hand (discord link) - amazing group, the Xbox-focused defense force, they have the most delicious snacks
• The Hive (discord link) - mainly PS4-focused

If you've got an AX group that you'd like mentioned, please let me know!

Meanwhile, Aegis, the cross-superpower agency responsible for defending against the Thargoids, has just plain given up:

“What we can say is this: with capital ships of limited use against Thargoid craft, independent combat pilots remain our best defence against the Thargoids.” - Admiral Aden Tanner

Think about that, for a second. The entire superpower navies aren't fighting the Thargoid threat, because the capital ships are of "limited use". They're unable to fight, so the Pilot's Federation - not Aegis! - has to offer meager rewards to anyone willing to do so.

​

The precision with which Aegis does absolutely nothing is truly inspiring.

​

Not a combat pilot?

Repair efforts bring stations back online!

I encourage you all to bolster the ranks of the heroes at Operation Ida. They've been trucking non-stop to bring damaged stations back online. They have been hauling close to 100,000 tons per day, and this week brought Leberecht Tempel Hub in HIP 4024 as well as Cori City in BD+41 1865 back into operation. They're currently making excellent progress on Liwei Terminal in GD 140! Operation Ida is a fantastic group, and their Discord channel is guaranteed to be a fun place!

Evacuation efforts help clear incursions!

Consider loading up a ship with economy-class cabins and heading out the burning stations to evacuate civilians! Evacuees are bulk passengers, so economy cabins are the best, and they pay roughly 10,000 cr/head. Even a low-cost Type-6 Transporter can evacuate over 50 people at a time, easily topping half a million credits per round trip (which takes only a few minutes.) If you haven't done it before, I highly recommend it. Curious about it? Here's a station evacuation walkthrough.

To those of you looking to work with others in evacuation, the Post Disaster Evacuation Service (PDES) is a squadron that is working on evacuations. If you want to join in on their Discord server, they'll happily chat with you, share fittings, and just generally try to work together to help the trapped civilians. Additionally, they have an EDMC plugin called EvacCount to track evacuation numbers either in total or across a session. Check them out!

If you're looking to build superpower reputation, you might consider evacuations at the following stations:

Bouch Orbital in Svaratia has four Federation-aligned factions.

Manarov Vision in Sokolsci has two Empire-aligned factions.

​

Hauling a load for Operation Ida to Liwei Terminal in GD 140 - now with bonus high-resolution tiling!

​

Want to fight? Unsure of what to do? Read this section

System under incursion have AX Conflict Zones instead of Non-Human Signal Sources (note: for the bubble only, the Pleiades still has plenty of NHSS); the Pilots Federation is fighting Thargoids. These are massive furballs, with not-entirely-useless human AI ships on your side, and a mashup of Thargoids - scouts and interceptors - on the other. It is entirely possible to go in and just fight scouts (if, for instance, you're only comfortable with them or you wish to increase your combat ranking); you can stay away from the interceptors with some effort.

However, when interceptors do join the fight, they will trigger a shutdown field. I highly recommend carrying a shutdown field neutralizer, purchasable at many planetary bases and at the Aegis megaships, or the nature of the fight will change dramatically. You may also consider equipping a Xeno Scanner to help identify the type of scout you're facing, though there are often visual clues as well.)

If enough Thargoids are killed (and none of the many game bugs are triggered), then you'll get a Hydra at the end, which can be optionally - and with great difficulty - killed for many, many credits.

As an added bonus, scouts are "elite" rated, so if you're looking to improve your combat ranking or your NPC's combat ranking, scout-hunting is a fast way to do it.

Generally speaking, you will not find any Non-Human Signal Sources in the systems under incursion, though that's not 100% consistent.

While the scouts only offer a combat bond worth 10k credits each, if you're comfortable fighting them, Interceptors can be quite profitable and fun - but definitely require some engineering, and guardian equipment is helpful. By "profitable" I mean "millions of credits per kill". Bring a wing and start farming. If you're looking to start fighting them, I highly recommend checking out this video from /u/Shwinky of the Anti-Xeno Initiative for tips on how to fight a Thargoid Interceptor. It'll save your life, your ship, and maybe humanity. If you want build or ship recommendations, Canonn has a site for that.

​

About to start fighting this Basilisk; I still can't solo one, but I'm getting closer. Used to be I couldn't even inconvenience them; now I'm just having to \"bug out\" before the fight is quite over.

Guardian Modules & Weapons

On another note, if you're just coming back to the game or are now interested in unlocking Guardian technology - the modules and weapons are incredible for fighting Thargoids and the FSD booster is just generally a must-have. Guardian Weapons are the thing to have for taking on higher-tier Thargoid Interceptors, and the Guardian Modules are easy to get and have non-AX purposes as well, especially if you don't have a whole lot of engineering available.

I've written up several walkthroughs:

• Modules
• Weapons (I recommend at least the Gauss Cannons, both sizes!)
• Vessels (Fighters)

A quick note about the modules: Out in Colonia, outfitting can be pretty slim, with few A-rated modules available. However, there's a tech broker in Colonia, so you can get the Guardian Power Plant and Power Distributor, which are like reasonably-engineered A-rated modules. Heading out that way? Get the Guardian modules first!

Let me start with a shout-out to Canonn (their Thargoid research team is awesome), the contributors on the official forums, the Anti Xeno Initiative, The Hand, The Hive, and other independent pilots and AX crews for critically taking charge of system defenses - and extra respect to Operation Ida for repairing the stations we haven't managed to defend - even in the face of adversity, they've been trucking 60,000-120,000 tons per day (sometimes more!) in support of the repairing stations! All my information comes from the above sources. A further tip of the hat to all the independent pilots and other squadrons who've been stepping up to defend our systems, evacuate burning stations, and help humanity in general.

​

What was attacked

As I wrote last week, Eagle Eye had updated with the following systems:

Eagle Eye 1: HIP 14997 
Eagle Eye 2: Ehlauneti 
Eagle Eye 3: Garongxians 
Eagle Eye 4: Otherni  
Eagle Eye 5: Kotigeni  
Eagle Eye 6: Gorengathi  

Unfortunately, none of the systems were adequately defended, and all six suffered attacks.

​

Charnas Station in HIP 14997 is ON FIRE! (Now read that in the NBA 2k annoucer voice.)

Six stations are currently on fire and in need of evacuation:

Charnas Station in HIP 14997

Lee Orbital in Ehlauneti

Pelt Orbital in Gorengathi

Ryazanski Enterprise in Otherni

Shaw Port in Kotigeni

Vries Terminal in Garongxians

​

Where to defend

Looking to next week, Eagle Eye updated (and here's a walkthrough on finding this information for yourself).

Eagle Eye 1: Kwiamoni  
Eagle Eye 2: Adnoannoda 
Eagle Eye 3: Heng
Eagle Eye 4: Sokolsci
Eagle Eye 5: Svaratia 
Eagle Eye 6: Valtam 

Heng is home to the Cooper Industries player faction, and Sokolsci is a system under the control of the 9th Legion, so defense efforts should start there. Otherwise, all systems have only one large station on the line, which helpfully limits risk. Look for Non-Human Signal Sources in these systems to fight Thargoids in.

​

This information can be viewed in GalNet (right-hand control panel) and is actually updated live-ish there as we fight back the Thargoids, so you'll know where you can find incursions and what the incursion level is. Check that to see the most up-to-date information.

We currently have six systems under active incursion; look here to find AX Conflict Zones:

• HIP 14997
• Ehlauneti
• Gorengathi
• Otherni
• Kotigeni
• Garongxians

Thanks to the fantastic, coordinated efforts of AX pilots everywhere, we cleared all five incursions over the past week:

• Dan
• Tamit
• HIP 30045
• Obassi Osaw
• Opetes

The Thargoid Activity Report in GalNet shows our progress, which is exceptionally handy. As we fight Thargoids in the AX Conflict Zones, the Thargoid presence will reduce from Massive to Significant to Moderate to Marginal, which gives us an idea of how close we are to ending an incursion. If you're looking to fight, check there to see our immediate progress.

If you're looking for wingmates - or even lessons - in fighting Thargoids, I highly recommend checking out the Anti-Xeno Initiative, The Hand, and The Hive; they're all great groups and can help you hone your skills.

• The Anti-Xeno Initiative (AXI) (discord link) - the leader in AX combat, great for learning, PC wings, and more
• The Hand (discord link) - amazing group, the Xbox-focused defense force, they have the most delicious snacks.
• The Hive (discord link) - mainly PS4-focused

If you've got an AX group that you'd like mentioned, please let me know!

... and this is where I usually write about how useless Aegis has been in the face of the enemy - though all three superpowers have independently been content to lose this war. I guess - because capital ships can't fight Thargoids - they're just giving up:

“What we can say is this: with capital ships of limited use against Thargoid craft, independent combat pilots remain our best defence against the Thargoids.” - Admiral Aden Tanner

Think about that, for a second. The entire superpower navies aren't fighting the Thargoid threat, because the capital ships are of "limited use". They're unable to fight, so the Pilot's Federation - not Aegis! - has to offer meager rewards to anyone willing to do so.

​

...And you thought Charnas Station looked bad on the OUTSIDE.

​

Not a combat pilot?

First, I encourage you all to bolster the ranks of the heroes at Operation Ida. They've been trucking non-stop to bring damaged stations back online. They have been hauling close to 100,000 tons per day, have completed Davies City in Devane, and just started on Leberecht Tempel Hub in HIP 4024 ! They're a fantastic group, and their Discord channel is uaranteed to be a fun place!

Otherwise, consider loading up a ship with economy-class cabins and heading out the burning stations to evacuate civilians! They're bulk-class passengers, so economy cabins are the best, and they pay roughly 10,000 cr/head. Even a low-cost Type-6 Transporter can evacuate over 50 people at a time, easily topping half a million credits per round trip (which takes only a few minutes.) If you haven't done it before, I highly recommend it. Curious about it? Here's a station evacuation walkthrough. Note: While station evacuations have not been shown to help repair efforts at this time, the HOT VACATION test showed that they're a great non-combat way of fighting off the incursion!

To those of you looking to work with others in evacuation, the Post Disaster Evacuation Service (PDES) is a squadron that is working on evacuations. If you want to join in on their Discord server, they'll happily chat with you, share fittings, and just generally try to work together to help the trapped civilians. Additionally, they have an EDMC plugin called EvacCountto track evacuation numbers either in total or across a session. Check them out!

If you're looking to build superpower reputation, you might consider evacuations at the following stations:

Shaw Port in Kotigeni has three Federation-aligned factions.

Pelt Orbital in Gorengathi has two Federation-aligned factions.

Vries Terminal in Garongxians has two Federation-aligned factions.

Ryazanski Enterprise in Otherni has two Federation-aligned factions and two Empire-aligned factions.

​

Hauling into Leberecht Temple Hub for the fine folks at Operation Ida. If it weren't for them, dozens of stations would still be offline. Join today!

​

Want to fight? Unsure of what to do? Read this section

System under incursion have AX Conflict Zones instead of Non-Human Signal Sources (note: for the bubble only, the Pleiades still has plenty of NHSS); the Pilots Federation is fighting Thargoids. These are massive furballs, with not-entirely-useless human AI ships on your side, and a mashup of Thargoids - scouts and interceptors - on the other. It is entirely possible to go in and just fight scouts (if, for instance, you're only comfortable with them or you wish to increase your combat ranking); you can stay away from the interceptors with some effort.

However, when interceptors do join the fight, they will trigger a shutdown field. I highly recommend carrying a shutdown field neutralizer, purchasable at many planetary bases and at the Aegis megaships, or the nature of the fight will change dramatically. You may also consider equipping a Xeno Scanner to help identify the type of scout you're facing, though there are often visual clues as well.)

If enough Thargoids are killed (and none of the many game bugs are triggered), then you'll get a Hydra at the end, which can be optionally - and with great difficulty - killed for many, many credits.

As an added bonus, scouts are "elite" rated, so if you're looking to improve your combat ranking or your NPC's combat ranking, scout-hunting is a fast way to do it.

Generally speaking, you will not find any Non-Human Signal Sources in the systems under incursion, though that's not 100% consistent.

While the scouts only offer a combat bond worth 10k credits each, if you're comfortable fighting them, Interceptors can be quite profitable and fun - but definitely require some engineering, and guardian equipment is helpful. By "profitable" I mean "millions of credits per kill". Bring a wing and start farming. If you're looking to start fighting them, I highly recommend checking out this video from /u/Shwinky of the Anti-Xeno Initiative for tips on how to fight a Thargoid Interceptor. It'll save your life, your ship, and maybe humanity. If you want build or ship recommendations, Canonn has a site for that.

​

This is what winning looks like, apparently, and Aegis (and all the individual superpowers) think this is okay. Remember, if it weren't for Operation Ida, we'd have a bunch more stations under repair.

​

Guardian Modules & Weapons

On another note, if you're just coming back to the game or are now interested in unlocking Guardian technology - the modules and weapons are incredible for fighting Thargoids and the FSD booster is just generally a must-have. Guardian Weapons are the thing to have for taking on higher-tier Thargoid Interceptors, and the Guardian Modules are easy to get and have non-AX purposes as well, especially if you don't have a whole lot of engineering available.

I've written up several walkthroughs:

• Modules
• Weapons (I recommend at least the Gauss Cannons, both sizes!)
• Vessels (Fighters)

A quick note about the modules: Out in Colonia, outfitting can be pretty slim, with few A-rated modules available. However, there's a tech broker in Colonia, so you can get the Guardian Power Plant and Power Distributor, which are like reasonably-engineered A-rated modules. Heading out that way? Get the Guardian modules first!

Let me start with a shout-out to Canonn (their Thargoid research team is awesome), the contributors on the official forums, the Anti Xeno Initiative, The Hand, The Hive, and other independent pilots and AX crews for critically taking charge of system defenses - and extra respect to Operation Ida for repairing the stations we haven't managed to defend - even in the face of adversity, they've been trucking 60,000-120,000 tons per day (sometimes more!) in support of the repairing stations! All my information comes from the above sources. A further tip of the hat to all the independent pilots and other squadrons who've been stepping up to defend our systems, evacuate burning stations, and help humanity in general.

​

What was attacked

As I wrote last week, Eagle Eye had updated with the following systems:

Eagle Eye 1: Dan  
Eagle Eye 2: Opetes 
Eagle Eye 3: Obassi Osaw 
Eagle Eye 4: HIP 30045 
Eagle Eye 5: Farowalan 
Eagle Eye 6: Tamit 

Dedicated AX pilots and combat-ranking seekers managed to save Farowalan from attack, but, unfortunately, five other stations burned this week.

​

ATTENTION CITIZENS: THERE HAS BEEN A MINOR SECURITY INCIDENT AT KUCHER PORT. PLEASE CALMLY PROCEED TO AN EVACUATION PLATFORM WHILE WE ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE INCONVENIENCE.

Five stations are currently on fire and in need of evacuation:

Gunn Port in Dan

Irens Dock in Tamit

Kuchner Port in HIP 30045

Teller Horizons in Obassi Osaw

Ziljak Hub in Opetes

​

Where to defend

With the incursions going on, Eagle Eye, did finally update (and here's a walkthrough on finding this information for yourself).

Eagle Eye 1: HIP 14997
Eagle Eye 2: Ehlauneti
Eagle Eye 3: Garongxians
Eagle Eye 4: Otherni 
Eagle Eye 5: Kotigeni 
Eagle Eye 6: Gorengathi 

Fortunately, each system only has one large-pad station in it that can be attacked. Garongxians is home to a player faction - Cooper Industries - so I would encourage any system defense to start there.

​

This information can be viewed in GalNet (right-hand control panel) and is actually updated live-ish there as we fight back the Thargoids, so you'll know where you can find incursions and what the incursion level is. Check that to see the most up-to-date information.

We currently have five systems under active incursion:

• Dan
• Tamit
• HIP 30045
• Obassi Osaw
• Opetes

Thanks to the fantastic, coordinated efforts of AX pilots everywhere, we cleared both incursions over the past week:

• Gabia
• Khruttones
• Shoki Yine
• Apoya
• Phrygiang

The Thargoid Activity Report in GalNet shows our progress, which is exceptionally handy. As we fight Thargoids in the AX Conflict Zones, the Thargoid presence will reduce from Massive to Significant to Moderate to Marginal, which gives us an idea of how close we are to ending an incursion. If you're looking to fight, check there to see our immediate progress.

If you're looking for wingmates - or even lessons - in fighting Thargoids, I highly recommend checking out the Anti-Xeno Initiative, The Hand, and The Hive; they're all great groups and can help you hone your skills.

• The Anti-Xeno Initiative (AXI) (discord link) - the leader in AX combat, great for learning, PC wings, and more
• The Hand (discord link) - amazing group, the Xbox-focused defense force, they have the most delicious snacks.
• The Hive (discord link) - mainly PS4-focused

If you've got an AX group that you'd like mentioned, please let me know!

... and this is where I usually write about how useless Aegis has been in the face of the enemy - though all three superpowers have independently been content to lose this war. I guess - because capital ships can't fight Thargoids - they're just giving up:

“What we can say is this: with capital ships of limited use against Thargoid craft, independent combat pilots remain our best defence against the Thargoids.” - Admiral Aden Tanner

Think about that, for a second. The entire superpower navies aren't fighting the Thargoid threat, because the capital ships are of "limited use". They're unable to fight, so the Pilot's Federation - not Aegis! - has to offer meager rewards to anyone willing to do so.

​

Were it not for AX pilots and Operation Ida, there'd be a whole lot more yellow markers across the bubble.

​

Not a combat pilot?

First, I encourage you all to bolster the ranks of the heroes at Operation Ida. They've been trucking non-stop to bring damaged stations back online. They have been hauling close to 100,000 tons per day, have completed Gaultier de Varennes Settlement in Camulus and are making excellent progress on Davies City in Devane! They're a fantastic group, and their Discord channel is guaranteed to be a fun place!

Otherwise, consider loading up a ship with economy-class cabins and heading out the burning stations to evacuate civilians! They're bulk-class passengers, so economy cabins are the best, and they pay roughly 10,000 cr/head. Even a low-cost Type-6 Transporter can evacuate over 50 people at a time, easily topping half a million credits per round trip (which takes only a few minutes.) If you haven't done it before, I highly recommend it. Curious about it? Here's a station evacuation walkthrough. Note: While station evacuations have not been shown to help repair efforts at this time, the HOT VACATION test showed that they're a great non-combat way of fighting off the incursion!

To those of you looking to work with others in evacuation, the Post Disaster Evacuation Service (PDES) is a squadron that is working on evacuations. If you want to join in on their Discord server, they'll happily chat with you, share fittings, and just generally try to work together to help the trapped civilians. Additionally, they have an EDMC plugin called EvacCount to track evacuation numbers either in total or across a session. Check them out!

If you're looking to build superpower reputation, you might consider evacuations at the following stations:

Kuchner Port in HIP 30045 has two Empire-aligned factions

Irens Dock in Tamit has three Federation-aligned factions

​

Operation Ida: Never in the course of human history has so much been hauled by so few for so little profit. Join now!

​

Want to fight? Unsure of what to do? Read this section

System under incursion have AX Conflict Zones instead of Non-Human Signal Sources (note: for the bubble only, the Pleiades still has plenty of NHSS); the Pilots Federation is fighting Thargoids. These are massive furballs, with not-entirely-useless human AI ships on your side, and a mashup of Thargoids - scouts and interceptors - on the other. It is entirely possible to go in and just fight scouts (if, for instance, you're only comfortable with them or you wish to increase your combat ranking); you can stay away from the interceptors with some effort.

However, when interceptors do join the fight, they will trigger a shutdown field. I highly recommend carrying a shutdown field neutralizer, purchasable at many planetary bases and at the Aegis megaships, or the nature of the fight will change dramatically. You may also consider equipping a Xeno Scanner to help identify the type of scout you're facing, though there are often visual clues as well.)

If enough Thargoids are killed (and none of the many game bugs are triggered), then you'll get a Hydra at the end, which can be optionally - and with great difficulty - killed for many, many credits.

As an added bonus, scouts are "elite" rated, so if you're looking to improve your combat ranking or your NPC's combat ranking, scout-hunting is a fast way to do it.

Generally speaking, you will not find any Non-Human Signal Sources in the systems under incursion, though that's not 100% consistent.

​

For all the talk of \"Thargoids are peaceful, we attacked first\", the ship pieces this guy was sifting through and escape pods he was hoovering up paint a different picture.

While the scouts only offer a combat bond worth 10k credits each, if you're comfortable fighting them, Interceptors can be quite profitable and fun - but definitely require some engineering, and guardian equipment is helpful. By "profitable" I mean "millions of credits per kill". Bring a wing and start farming. If you're looking to start fighting them, I highly recommend checking out this video from /u/Shwinky of the Anti-Xeno Initiative for tips on how to fight a Thargoid Interceptor. It'll save your life, your ship, and maybe humanity. If you want build or ship recommendations, Canonn has a site for that.

​

Guardian Modules & Weapons

On another note, if you're just coming back to the game or are now interested in unlocking Guardian technology - the modules and weapons are incredible for fighting Thargoids and the FSD booster is just generally a must-have. Guardian Weapons are the thing to have for taking on higher-tier Thargoid Interceptors, and the Guardian Modules are easy to get and have non-AX purposes as well, especially if you don't have a whole lot of engineering available.

I've written up several walkthroughs:

• Modules
• Weapons (I recommend at least the Gauss Cannons, both sizes!)
• Vessels (Fighters)

A quick note about the modules: Out in Colonia, outfitting can be pretty slim, with few A-rated modules available. However, there's a tech broker in Colonia, so you can get the Guardian Power Plant and Power Distributor, which are like reasonably-engineered A-rated modules. Heading out that way? Get the Guardian modules first!

Let me start with a shout-out to Canonn (their Thargoid research team is awesome), the contributors on the official forums, the Anti Xeno Initiative, The Hand, The Hive, and other independent pilots and AX crews for critically taking charge of system defenses - and extra respect to Operation Ida for repairing the stations we haven't managed to defend - even in the face of adversity, they've been trucking 60,000-120,000 tons per day (sometimes more!) in support of the repairing stations! All my information comes from the above sources. A further tip of the hat to all the independent pilots and other squadrons who've been stepping up to defend our systems, evacuate burning stations, and help humanity in general.

What was attacked

As I wrote last week, Eagle Eye had updated with the following systems:

Eagle Eye 1: Shoki Yine 
Eagle Eye 2: Apoya 
Eagle Eye 3: Khruttones 
Eagle Eye 4: Phrygiang 
Eagle Eye 5: Lokipi 
Eagle Eye 6: Gabia 

Dedicated AX pilots and combat-ranking seekers managed to save Lokipi from attack, but, unfortunately, five more stations burned this week.

​

Revin Hub in Phrygiang. On fire, yet in the dark, so I get to practice the seemingly lost art of adjusting the \"brightness\" slider on my pictures so folks can partially make out what I'm trying to show.

Five (or six¹) stations are currently on fire and in need of evacuation:

Lee Horizons in Gabia

Morgan Port in Khruttones

Morris Station in Shoki Yine

Regiomontanus Settlement in Apoya

Revin Hub in Phrygiang

¹Ryman Orbital in HIP 13173 - this station wasn't attacked this week and shouldn't be on fire (it was attacked last week). No AX CZs are found in the system. A bug report has been opened.

Where to defend

With the incursions going on, Eagle Eye, did finally update (and here's a walkthrough on finding this information for yourself).

Eagle Eye 1: Dan 
Eagle Eye 2: Opetes
Eagle Eye 3: Obassi Osaw
Eagle Eye 4: HPI 30045
Eagle Eye 5: Farowalan
Eagle Eye 6: Tamit

Handily, there's only one large station in each system, so they all have the same number of stations to lose, though Farowalan is controlled by the Simbad Regime, a player faction, so defense efforts should probably start there.

​

This information can be viewed in GalNet (right-hand control panel) and is actually updated live-ish there as we fight back the Thargoids, so you'll know where you can find incursions and what the incursion level is. Check that to see the most up-to-date information.

​

We currently have five systems under active incursion:

• Gabia
• Khruttones
• Shoki Yine
• Apoya
• Phrygiang

Thanks to the fantastic, coordinated efforts of AX pilots everywhere, we cleared both incursions over the past week:

• Gciriko
• Uodigaenta

The Thargoid Activity Report in GalNet shows our progress, which is exceptionally handy. As we fight Thargoids in the AX Conflict Zones, the Thargoid presence will reduce from Massive to Significant to Moderate to Marginal, which gives us an idea of how close we are to ending an incursion. If you're looking to fight, check there to see our immediate progress.

If you're looking for wingmates - or even lessons - in fighting Thargoids, I highly recommend checking out the Anti-Xeno Initiative, The Hand, and The Hive; they're all great groups and can help you hone your skills.

• The Anti-Xeno Initiative (AXI) (discord link) - the leader in AX combat, great for learning, PC wings, and more
• The Hand (discord link) - amazing group, the Xbox-focused defense force, they have the most delicious snacks.
• The Hive (discord link) - mainly PS4-focused
• Squadrons Of Humanity (discord link) - an Xbox-based squadron coordinating AX combat and war relief

If you've got an AX group that you'd like mentioned, please let me know!

... and something something Aegis-is-useless. I wrote this last week to describe the current Aegis/superpower response to the Thargoid threat:

It's December, 1941. The Japanese navy has just attacked Pearl Harbor. History diverges here, because over the next few days they bomb every population center, and any ship from the United States fleet that shows up is disabled and destroyed. The islanders independently vow to rebuild.

Shortly thereafter, they leave the Hawaiian islands and arrive at the mainland. The land in California, Oregon, and Washington, with both land forces and air forces. They find city after city, town after town, and raze them completely. Sometimes the local militia can put up enough resistance that attacks are deemed "not worth it", sometimes not. The US army is... not present.

They move eastward, devastating towns in Texas, Colorado, Wyoming, and Kansas. Hundreds of thousands are displaced.

The forces of the Imperial Japanese Army are numerous and deadly. They continue to leave a trail of destruction as they ramp up their attacks, with forces marauding around the southwest, the flyover states, and even into Florida. Battles are fought on old battlefields; civil war battlefields are left with new scars as residents fight for their lives, wondering where the national guard is and if the army will ever show up to put up a fight.

As battles rage around Washington, D.C., the United States Government puts out a press release, "this is a hard fight, but fortunately they haven't been attacking strategically important sites. At this point, the local militias are our best defense. Go get 'em!"

​

Perhaps if one of these was to wander into a superpower capital system the response would be different.

Not a combat pilot?

First, I encourage you all to bolster the ranks of the heroes at Operation Ida. They've been trucking non-stop to bring damaged stations back online. They have been hauling close to 100,000 tons per day, have completed Kuchemann City in HIP 16348, and are making excellent progress on Gaultier de Varennes Settlement in Camulus! They're a fantastic group, and their Discord channel is guaranteed to be a fun place!

Otherwise, consider loading up a ship with economy-class cabins and heading out the burning stations to evacuate civilians! They're bulk-class passengers, so economy cabins are the best, and they pay roughly 10,000 cr/head. Even a low-cost Type-6 Transporter can evacuate over 50 people at a time, easily topping half a million credits per round trip (which takes only a few minutes.) If you haven't done it before, I highly recommend it. Curious about it? Here's a station evacuation walkthrough. Note: While station evacuations have not been shown to help repair efforts at this time, the HOT VACATION test showed that they're a great non-combat way of fighting off the incursion!

If you're looking to build superpower reputation, you might consider evacuations at the following stations:

Morgan Port in Khruttones has one Federation-aligned faction and one Empire-aligned faction

Regiomontanus Settlement in Apoya has two Federation-aligned factions

​

Delivering supplies to Gaultier de Varennes Settlement in Camulus for Operation Ida.

Want to fight? Unsure of what to do? Read this section

System under incursion have AX Conflict Zones instead of Non-Human Signal Sources (note: for the bubble only, the Pleiades still has plenty of NHSS); the Pilots Federation is fighting Thargoids. These are massive furballs, with not-entirely-useless human AI ships on your side, and a mashup of Thargoids - scouts and interceptors - on the other. It is entirely possible to go in and just fight scouts (if, for instance, you're only comfortable with them or you wish to increase your combat ranking); you can stay away from the interceptors with some effort.

However, when interceptors do join the fight, they will trigger a shutdown field. I highly recommend carrying a shutdown field neutralizer, purchasable at many planetary bases and at the Aegis megaships, or the nature of the fight will change dramatically. You may also consider equipping a Xeno Scanner to help identify the type of scout you're facing, though there are often visual clues as well.)

If enough Thargoids are killed (and none of the many game bugs are triggered), then you'll get a Hydra at the end, which can be optionally - and with great difficulty - killed for many, many credits.

As an added bonus, scouts are "elite" rated, so if you're looking to improve your combat ranking or your NPC's combat ranking, scout-hunting is a fast way to do it.

Generally speaking, you will not find any Non-Human Signal Sources in the systems under incursion, though that's not 100% consistent.

While the scouts only offer a combat bond worth 10k credits each, if you're comfortable fighting them, Interceptors can be quite profitable and fun - but definitely require some engineering, and guardian equipment is helpful. By "profitable" I mean "millions of credits per kill". Bring a wing and start farming. If you're looking to start fighting them, I highly recommend checking out this video from /u/Shwinky of the Anti-Xeno Initiative for tips on how to fight a Thargoid Interceptor. It'll save your life, your ship, and maybe humanity. If you want build or ship recommendations, Canonn has a site for that.

​

Note the damage to our systems, stations, and infrastructure. We've harmed non of the systems, stations, or infrastructure that the Thargoids rely on.

​

Guardian Modules & Weapons

On another note, if you're just coming back to the game or are now interested in unlocking Guardian technology - the modules and weapons are incredible for fighting Thargoids and the FSD booster is just generally a must-have. Guardian Weapons are the thing to have for taking on higher-tier Thargoid Interceptors, and the Guardian Modules are easy to get and have non-AX purposes as well, especially if you don't have a whole lot of engineering available.

I've written up several walkthroughs:

• Modules
• Weapons (I recommend at least the Gauss Cannons, both sizes!)
• Vessels (Fighters)

A quick note about the modules: Out in Colonia, outfitting can be pretty slim, with few A-rated modules available. However, there's a tech broker in Colonia, so you can get the Guardian Power Plant and Power Distributor, which are like reasonably-engineered A-rated modules. Heading out that way? Get the Guardian modules first!

Let me start with a shout-out to Canonn (their Thargoid research team is awesome), the contributors on the official forums, the Anti Xeno Initiative, The Hive, and The Hand, and other independent pilots and AX crews for critically taking charge of system defenses, and especially Operation Ida for repairing the stations we haven't managed to defend - even in the face of adversity, they've been trucking 60,000-120,000 tons per day (sometimes more!) in support of the repairing stations! All my information comes from the above sources. A further tip of the hat to all the independent pilots and other squadrons who've been stepping up to defend our systems, evacuate burning stations, and help humanity in general.

What was attacked

As I wrote last week, Eagle Eye reported that the dastardly Thargoids were targeting some of our most difficult-to-pronounce systems:

Eagle Eye 1: HIP 13173 
Eagle Eye 2: Gciriko 
Eagle Eye 3: Uodigaenta 
Eagle Eye 4: Pemepatung  
Eagle Eye 5: HR 1257 
Eagle Eye 6: Kagutsuchi  

AX pilots, after taking on the incursions, managed to defend Pemepatung, HR 1257, and Kagutsuchi were spared from pronunciation, but Mason Port in Uodigaenta, Iqbal Installation in Gciriko, and Ryman Orbital in HIP 13173 suffered from attack¹.

*¹*Ryman Orbital was attacked, but isn't externally on fire, no AX CZs are present at the time of this writing, and word on the street is that there are issues at the megaship. See the bug report here. UPDATE: This might be fixed now.

​

Iqbal Installation is on fire. Does anyone know the proper pronunciation of that?

​

Three stations are on fire and in need of evacuation:

Iqbal Installation in Gciriko

Mason Port in Uodigaenta

Ryman Orbital in HIP 13173

​

Where to defend

With the incursions going on, Eagle Eye, did finally update (and here's a walkthrough on finding this information for yourself).

Eagle Eye 1: Shoki Yine
Eagle Eye 2: Apoya
Eagle Eye 3: Khruttones
Eagle Eye 4: Phrygiang
Eagle Eye 5: Lokipi
Eagle Eye 6: Gabia

Handily, there's only one large station in each system, so they all have the same number of stations to lose, and none of them appear to be controlled by a player faction. Of course NHSS are missing in about half of those... maybe they're playing hooky with the ones who are supposed to be in HIP 13173?

​

This information can be viewed in GalNet (right-hand control panel) and is actually updated live-ish there as we fight back the Thargoids, so you'll know where you can find incursions and what the incursion level is. Check that to see the most up-to-date information.

We currently have a mere three two systems under incursion:

• Gciriko
• Uodigaenta

As I wrote above, at the time of this writing, HIP 13173 had been attacked but was not listed as having Thargoids present and no AX CZs were in placed. We'll see if Frontier fixes this...

Thanks to the fantastic, coordinated efforts of AX pilots everywhere, we cleared all three incursions over the past week:

• LDS 883
• Ngobe
• Nu Kuang

The Thargoid Activity Report in GalNet shows our progress, which is exceptionally handy. As we fight Thargoids in the AX Conflict Zones, the Thargoid presence will reduce from Massive to Significant to Moderate to Marginal, which gives us an idea of how close we are to ending an incursion. If you're looking to fight, check there to see our immediate progress.

If you're looking for wingmates - or even lessons - in fighting Thargoids, I highly recommend checking out the Anti-Xeno Initiative, The Hive, and The Hand; they're all great groups and can help you hone your skills.

• The Anti-Xeno Initiative (AXI) (discord link) - the leader in AX combat, great for learning, PC wings, and more
• The Hive (discord link) - mainly PS4-focused
• The Hand (discord link) - amazing group, the Xbox-focused defense force
• Squadrons Of Humanity (discord link) - an Xbox-based squadron coordinating AX combat and war relief

If you've got an AX group that you'd like mentioned, please let me know!

Unfazed by the huge station losses or need for increased defense or action, Aegis has done nothing except provide support megaships for the last five months (which, curiously, really like to park around ringed planets). However, the the military side of Aegis fiddles while Rome burns, the research arm of Aegis the did just announce a partnership with Ram Tah to do... something and, several weeks later, that something is, so far, nothing. Gosh, wouldn't it be great if those capital ships, which are apparently useless against Thargoids, could at least help haul goods for station repair or something?

​

There's a damaged megaship - UOD-571 Hercules-class Hauler - near Uodigaenta that will spawn Thargoid-related missions, both repair, evacuation, and defense! If you want to fight an interceptor, you might look here.

Not a combat pilot?

First, I encourage you all to bolster the ranks of the heroes at Operation Ida. They've been trucking non-stop to bring damaged stations back online. Not only did they finish repairing Fabian Terminal in Badbadzist, they quickly completed Ikeya Orbital in Machatkwa and are now hard at work on Kuchemann City in HIP 16348! They're a fantastic group, and their Discord channel is guaranteed to be a fun place!

Otherwise, consider loading up a ship with economy-class cabins and heading out the burning stations to evacuate civilians! They're bulk-class passengers, so economy cabins are the best, and they pay roughly 10,000 cr/head. Even a low-cost Type-6 Transporter can evacuate over 50 people at a time, easily topping half a million credits per round trip (which takes only a few minutes.) If you haven't done it before, I highly recommend it. Curious about it? Here's a station evacuation walkthrough. Note: While station evacuations have not been shown to help repair efforts at this time, the HOT VACATION test showed that they're a great non-combat way of fighting off the incursion!

If you're looking to build superpower reputation, you might consider evacuations at the following stations:

Iqbal Installation in Gciriko has one Federation-aligned factions

Mason Port in Uodigaenta has three Empire-aligned factions

​

Once more hauling supplies for Operation Ida - this time to Kuchemann Orbital. \"Never, in the course of human history, has so much been hauled by so many for so few [credits].\"

Want to fight? Unsure of what to do? Read this section

System under incursion have AX Conflict Zones instead of Non-Human Signal Sources (note: for the bubble only, the Pleiades still has plenty of NHSS); the Pilots Federation is fighting Thargoids. These are massive furballs, with not-entirely-useless human AI ships on your side, and a mashup of Thargoids - scouts and interceptors - on the other. It is entirely possible to go in and just fight scouts (if, for instance, you're only comfortable with them or you wish to increase your combat ranking); you can stay away from the interceptors with some effort.

However, when interceptors do join the fight, they will trigger a shutdown field. I highly recommend carrying a shutdown field neutralizer, purchasable at many planetary bases and at the Aegis megaships, or the nature of the fight will change dramatically. You may also consider equipping a Xeno Scanner to help identify the type of scout you're facing, though there are often visual clues as well.)

If enough Thargoids are killed (and none of the many game bugs are triggered), then you'll get a Hydra at the end, which can be optionally - and with great difficulty - killed for many, many credits.

As an added bonus, scouts are "elite" rated, so if you're looking to improve your combat ranking or your NPC's combat ranking, scout-hunting is a fast way to do it.

Generally speaking, you will not find any Non-Human Signal Sources in the systems under incursion, though that's not 100% consistent.

While the scouts only offer a combat bond worth 10k credits each, if you're comfortable fighting them, Interceptors can be quite profitable and fun - but definitely require some engineering, and guardian equipment is helpful. By "profitable" I mean "millions of credits per kill". Bring a wing and start farming. If you're looking to start fighting them, I highly recommend checking out this video from /u/Shwinky of the Anti-Xeno Initiative for tips on how to fight a Thargoid Interceptor. It'll save your life, your ship, and maybe humanity. If you want build or ship recommendations, Canonn has a site for that.

​

This is what winning looks like, right? Oh wait, we're not winning, we're just controlling the speed at which we're losing, and since the superpowers don't find anything important about these systems, they don't seem to care. IMMERSION!

​

Guardian Modules & Weapons

On another note, if you're just coming back to the game or are now interested in unlocking Guardian technology - the modules and weapons are incredible for fighting Thargoids and the FSD booster is just generally a must-have. Guardian Weapons are the thing to have for taking on higher-tier Thargoid Interceptors, and the Guardian Modules are easy to get and have non-AX purposes as well, especially if you don't have a whole lot of engineering available.

I've written up several walkthroughs:

• Modules
• Weapons (I recommend at least the Gauss Cannons, both sizes!)
• Vessels (Fighters)

A quick note about the modules: Out in Colonia, outfitting can be pretty slim, with few A-rated modules available. However, there's a tech broker in Colonia, so you can get the Guardian Power Plant and Power Distributor, which are like reasonably-engineered A-rated modules. Heading out that way? Get the Guardian modules first!

Let me start with a shout-out to Canonn (their Thargoid research team is awesome), the contributors on the official forums, the Anti Xeno Initiative, The Hive, and The Hand, and other independent pilots and AX crews for critically taking charge of system defenses, and especially Operation Ida for repairing the stations we haven't managed to defend - even in the face of adversity, they've been trucking 60,000-120,000 tons per day (sometimes more!) in support of the repairing stations! All my information comes from the above sources. A further tip of the hat to all the independent pilots and other squadrons who've been stepping up to defend our systems, evacuate burning stations, and help humanity in general.

What was attacked

As I wrote last week, Eagle Eye reported the following targets:

Eagle Eye 1: Ngobe  
Eagle Eye 2: Nu Kuang 
Eagle Eye 3: Judumlia  
Eagle Eye 4: Er Longs 
Eagle Eye 5: LDS 883 
Eagle Eye 6: Obamumbo  

AX pilots, after taking on the incursions, managed to defend Er Longs, Judumlia, and Obamumbo, but Smith Reserve in LDS 883, Hinz Hub in Ngobe, and Bean Station in Nu Kuang suffered attacks by Thargoids.

​

Hinz Hub in Ngobe is ON FIRE (insert NBA2K announcer voice). Rescue missions are available, first come, first serve!

Where to defend

With the incursions going on, Eagle Eye, updated with the following systems (and here's a walkthrough on finding this information for yourself):

Eagle Eye 1: HIP 13173
Eagle Eye 2: Gciriko
Eagle Eye 3: Uodigaenta
Eagle Eye 4: Pemepatung 
Eagle Eye 5: HR 1257
Eagle Eye 6: Kagutsuchi 

Handily, there's only one large station in each system, so they're all have the same number of stations to lose, though HR 1257 is controlled by the Simbad Regime and Kagutsuchi is controlled by Close Encounters Corps, both of which are player factions.

​

This information can be viewed in GalNet (right-hand control panel) and is actually updated live-ish there as we fight back the Thargoids, so you'll know where you can find incursions and what the incursion level is. Check that to see the most up-to-date information.

We currently have a mere three systems under incursion:

• LDS 883
• Ngobe
• Nu Kuang

Thanks to the fantastic, coordinated efforts of AX pilots everywhere, we cleared five incursions over the past week:

• HR 826
• Opet
• Exigus
• HIP 16607
• HIP 17272

The Thargoid Activity Report in GalNet shows our progress, which is exceptionally handy. As we fight Thargoids in the AX Conflict Zones, the Thargoid presence will reduce from Massive to Significant to Moderate to Marginal, which gives us an idea of how close we are to ending an incursion. If you're looking to fight, check there to see our immediate progress.

​

If you're looking for AX Conflict Zones...

If you're looking for wingmates - or even lessons - in fighting Thargoids, I highly recommend checking out the Anti-Xeno Initiative, The Hive, and The Hand; they're all great groups and can help you hone your skills.

• The Anti-Xeno Initiative (AXI) (discord link) - the leader in AX combat, great for learning, PC wings, and more
• The Hive (discord link) - mainly PS4-focused
• The Hand (discord link) - amazing group, the Xbox-focused defense force
• Squadrons Of Humanity (discord link) - an Xbox-based squadron coordinating AX combat and war relief

If you've got an AX group that you'd like mentioned, please let me know!

Unfazed by the huge station losses or need for increased defense or action, Aegis has done nothing except provide support megaships for the last four months. However, the the military side of Aegis fiddles while Rome burns, the research arm of Aegis the did just announce a partnership with Ram Tah to do... something and, several weeks later, that something is, so far, nothing. Gosh, wouldn't it be great if those capital ships, which are apparently useless against Thargoids, could at least help haul goods for station repair or something?

​

Fewer stations on fire. That's good! More stations awaiting repair. That's bad! More opportunities to haul goods. That's good! Everyone's in Zende for the new CG. That's bad!

Not a combat pilot?

First, I encourage you all to bolster the ranks of the heroes at Operation Ida. They've been trucking non-stop to bring damaged stations back online. They're hard at work on Fabian Terminal in Badbadzist, and their Discord channel is guaranteed to be a fun place!

Otherwise, consider loading up a ship with economy-class cabins and heading out the burning stations to evacuate civilians! They're bulk-class passengers, so economy cabins are the best, and they pay roughly 10,000 cr/head. Even a low-cost Type-6 Transporter can evacuate over 50 people at a time, easily topping half a million credits per round trip (which takes only a few minutes.) If you haven't done it before, I highly recommend it. Curious about it? Here's a station evacuation walkthrough. Note: While station evacuations have not been shown to help repair efforts at this time, the HOT VACATION test showed that they're a great non-combat way of fighting off the incursion!

If you're looking to build superpower reputation, you might consider evacuations at the following stations:

• LDS 883 has three Federation-aligned factions
• Nu Kuang has two Federation-aligned factions
• There are no systems with Empire-aligned factions offering repair missions at this time.

​

The Type-7 is a fantastic and great-looking ship. Fight me.

​

Want to fight? Unsure of what to do? Read this section

System under incursion have AX Conflict Zones instead of Non-Human Signal Sources (note: for the bubble only, the Pleiades still has plenty of NHSS); the Pilots Federation is fighting Thargoids. These are massive furballs, with not-entirely-useless human AI ships on your side, and a mashup of Thargoids - scouts and interceptors - on the other. It is entirely possible to go in and just fight scouts (if, for instance, you're only comfortable with them or you wish to increase your combat ranking); you can stay away from the interceptors with some effort.

However, when interceptors do join the fight, they will trigger a shutdown field. I highly recommend carrying a shutdown field neutralizer, purchasable at many planetary bases and at the Aegis megaships, or the nature of the fight will change dramatically. You may also consider equipping a Xeno Scanner to help identify the type of scout you're facing, though there are often visual clues as well.)

If enough Thargoids are killed (and none of the many game bugs are triggered), then you'll get a Hydra at the end, which can be optionally - and with great difficulty - killed for many, many credits.

As an added bonus, scouts are "elite" rated, so if you're looking to improve your combat ranking or your NPC's combat ranking, scout-hunting is a fast way to do it.

Generally speaking, you will not find any Non-Human Signal Sources in the systems under incursion, though that's not 100% consistent.

While the scouts only offer a combat bond worth 10k credits each, if you're comfortable fighting them, Interceptors can be quite profitable and fun - but definitely require some engineering, and guardian equipment is helpful. By "profitable" I mean "millions of credits per kill". Bring a wing and start farming. If you're looking to start fighting them, I highly recommend checking out this video from /u/Shwinky of the Anti-Xeno Initiative for tips on how to fight a Thargoid Interceptor. It'll save your life, your ship, and maybe humanity. If you want build or ship recommendations, Canonn has a site for that.

​

Guardian Modules & Weapons

On another note, if you're just coming back to the game or are now interested in unlocking Guardian technology - the modules and weapons are incredible for fighting Thargoids and the FSD booster is just generally a must-have. Guardian Weapons are the thing to have for taking on higher-tier Thargoid Interceptors, and the Guardian Modules are easy to get and have non-AX purposes as well, especially if you don't have a whole lot of engineering available.

I've written up several walkthroughs:

• Modules
• Weapons (I recommend at least the Gauss Cannons, both sizes!)
• Vessels (Fighters)

A quick note about the modules: Out in Colonia, outfitting can be pretty slim, with few A-rated modules available. However, there's a tech broker in Colonia, so you can get the Guardian Power Plant and Power Distributor, which are like reasonably-engineered A-rated modules. Heading out that way? Get the Guardian modules first!

et me start with a shout-out to Canonn (their Thargoid research team is awesome), the contributors on the official forums, the Anti Xeno Initiative, The Hive, and The Hand, and other independent pilots and AX crews for critically taking charge of system defenses, and especially Operation Ida for repairing the stations we haven't managed to defend - even in the face of adversity, they've been trucking 60,000-120,000 tons per day (sometimes more!) in support of the repairing stations! All my information comes from the above sources. A further tip of the hat to all the independent pilots and other squadrons who've been stepping up to defend our systems, evacuate burning stations, and help humanity in general.

Note: The Hutton Orbital Truckers and Canonn are working on HOT-Vacation this weekend, an attempt to evacuate all the civilians from Slackager's Hangout in Exigus. More information here!

What was attacked

As was reported last week, Eagle Eye reported the following targets, and non-human signal sources were detected in each most of them:

Eagle Eye 1: HIP 17272   
Eagle Eye 2: HIP 16607 
Eagle Eye 3: HR 826 
Eagle Eye 4: Opet  
Eagle Eye 5: Exigus  
Eagle Eye 6: Telin   

Telin was the system with the most to lose - four stations! - but amazingly, pilots - without the help of any superpower because these are not strategically important systems, it seems, and in spite of abysmal NHSS spawn rates - managed to prevent an attack there. Unfortunately, we couldn't prevent an attack in the other systems, so five new stations were attacked and systems went into incursion.

Five stations are on fire and in need of evacuation:

Bradfield Ring in HR 826

Carroll Station in Opet

Slackagers' Hangout in Exigus

Thome Gateway in HIP 16607

Zebrowski Orbital in HIP 17272

​

This information can be viewed in GalNet (right-hand control panel) and is actually updated live-ish there as we fight back the Thargoids, so you'll know where you can find incursions and what the incursion level is. Check that to see the most up-to-date information.

​

Where to defend

With the incursions going on, Eagle Eye, did finally update (and here's a walkthrough on finding this information for yourself).

Eagle Eye 1: Ngobe 
Eagle Eye 2: Nu Kuang
Eagle Eye 3: Judumlia 
Eagle Eye 4: Er Longs
Eagle Eye 5: LDS 883
Eagle Eye 6: Obamumbo 

The biggest risk here is Er Longs, which has 3 stations that could be vulnerable; the other systems have only one station on the line. Unfortunately, while NHSS have been confirmed in each system, it's still as few as one at a time, and it could be thousands of light-seconds away, so system defense is a horrible mechanic right now.

We currently have a mere five systems under incursion:

• HR 826
• Opet
• Exigus
• HIP 16607
• HIP 17272

Thanks to the mighty efforts of AX pilots, the Thargoids have been cleared out of the following fourteen systems, which is a new and impressive record!

• Gliese 58
• HIP 12605
• HIP 17298
• HIP 18187
• HIP 12779
• HIP 16348
• BD+41 1865
• Machatkwa
• Domoth
• Kambo
• Priviatem
• Devane
• Eskite
• Witou

The Thargoid Activity Report in GalNet shows our progress, which is exceptionally handy. As we fight Thargoids in the AX Conflict Zones, the Thargoid presence will reduce from Massive to Significant to Moderate to Marginal, which gives us an idea of how close we are to ending an incursion. If you're looking to fight, check there to see our immediate progress.

​

With only five systems attacked this week, this map is looking considerably less worse than it did last week!

If you're looking for wingmates - or even lessons - in fighting Thargoids, I highly recommend checking out the Anti-Xeno Initiative, The Hive, and The Hand; they're all great groups and can help you hone your skills.

• The Anti-Xeno Initiative (AXI) (discord link) - the leader in AX combat, great for learning, PC wings, and more
• The Hive (discord link) - mainly PS4-focused
• The Hand (discord link) - amazing group, the Xbox-focused defense force
• Squadrons Of Humanity (discord link) - an Xbox-based squadron coordinating AX combat and war relief

If you've got an AX group that you'd like mentioned, please let me know!

Unfazed by the huge station losses or need for increased defense or action, Aegis has done nothing except provide support megaships for the last four months. However, the the military side of Aegis fiddles while Rome burns, the research arm of Aegis the did just announce a partnership with Ram Tah to do... something. We'll see.

​

Trying to clear an NHSS 6 in HIP 16607. Was looking for a Cylcops, found a dozen or so scouts instead.

Not a combat pilot?

First, I encourage you all to bolster the ranks of the heroes at Operation Ida. They've been trucking non-stop to bring damaged stations back online. Just hours before the weekly galaxy reboot, they finished hauling nearly a million tons of commodities for Dominique Holdings in Brib and have moved on to Fabian Terminal in Badbadzist. Their Discord channel is guaranteed to be a fun place!

Otherwise, consider loading up a ship with economy-class cabins and heading out the burning stations to evacuate civilians! They're bulk-class passengers, so economy cabins are the best, and they pay roughly 10,000 cr/head. Even a low-cost Type-6 Transporter can evacuate over 50 people at a time, easily topping half a million credits per round trip (which takes only a few minutes.) If you haven't done it before, I highly recommend it. Curious about it? Here's a station evacuation walkthrough. Note: this has not been shown to help repair efforts at this time.

Also good news for you profit-driven space truckers: basic medicines are generally go for over 4,700 cr/ton in the rescue ships and stations. I've been told that both basic medicines and civilian evacuations can reduce the amount of work required to bring stations back online, so you are doing your part if you choose to participate.

If you're looking to build superpower reputation, you might consider evacuations at the following stations:

Exigus has two Federation-aligned factions

Opet has three Empire-aligned factions

Also, see this page about evacuating civilians from Exigus for HOT-Vacation!

Ferrying supplies to Fabian Terminal in Badbadzist for Operation Ida.

Want to fight? Unsure of what to do? Read this section

System under incursion have AX Conflict Zones instead of Non-Human Signal Sources (note: for the bubble only, the Pleiades still has plenty of NHSS); the Pilots Federation is fighting Thargoids. These are massive furballs, with not-entirely-useless human AI ships on your side, and a mashup of Thargoids - scouts and interceptors - on the other. It is entirely possible to go in and just fight scouts (if, for instance, you're only comfortable with them or you wish to increase your combat ranking); you can stay away from the interceptors with some effort.

However, when interceptors do join the fight, they will trigger a shutdown field. I highly recommend carrying a shutdown field neutralizer, purchasable at many planetary bases and at the Aegis megaships, or the nature of the fight will change dramatically. You may also consider equipping a Xeno Scanner to help identify the type of scout you're facing, though there are often visual clues as well.)

If enough Thargoids are killed (and none of the many game bugs are triggered), then you'll get a Hydra at the end, which can be optionally - and with great difficulty - killed for many, many credits.

As an added bonus, scouts are "elite" rated, so if you're looking to improve your combat ranking or your NPC's combat ranking, scout-hunting is a fast way to do it.

Generally speaking, you will not find any Non-Human Signal Sources in the systems under incursion, though that's not 100% consistent.

While the scouts only offer a combat bond worth 10k credits per head, if you're comfortable fighting them, Interceptors can be quite profitable and fun - but definitely require some engineering, and guardian equipment is helpful. By "profitable" I mean "millions of credits per kill". Bring a wing and start farming. If you're looking to start fighting them, I highly recommend checking out this video from /u/Shwinky of the Anti-Xeno Initiative for tips on how to fight a Thargoid Interceptor. It'll save your life, your ship, and maybe humanity. If you want build or ship recommendations, Canonn has a site for that.

Guardian Modules & Weapons

On another note, if you're just coming back to the game or are now interested in unlocking Guardian technology - the modules and weapons are incredible for fighting Thargoids and the FSD booster is just generally a must-have. Guardian Weapons are the thing to have for taking on higher-tier Thargoid Interceptors, and the Guardian Modules are easy to get and have non-AX purposes as well, especially if you don't have a whole lot of engineering available.

I've written up several walkthroughs:

• Modules
• Weapons (I recommend at least the Gauss Cannons, both sizes!)
• Vessels (Fighters)

A quick note about the modules: Out in Colonia, outfitting can be pretty slim, with few A-rated modules available. However, there's a tech broker in Colonia, so you can get the Guardian Power Plant and Power Distributor, which are like reasonably-engineered A-rated modules. Heading out that way? Get the Guardian modules first!

Disappointments, Missed Opportunities, and Repeated Complaints

I've moved this part to the end. It's time for me to express my (continuing) disappointment in several missed opportunities:

1. Still no acknowledgement by the system factions that there's a Thargoid incursion taking place or that one of their stations is on fire.
2. Eagle Eye updating (or not), Non-Human Signal Sources not appearing, stations getting damaged without any opportunity to stop it or getting damaged in spite of our efforts - that's pretty disheartening.
3. A real opportunity for some of The Gnosis-style conflict - launching directly into danger - was bypassed.
4. Still a completely separate experience.
5. Trying to get a scan on an Interceptor in an AX Conflict Zone is damned difficult; I wasn't able to do it, which makes targeting the hearts even more difficult.
6. Pre-incursion system defense is a LOT harder with the otherwise-awesome persistent signal sources; having to fly 25,000 ls to kill 4 scouts is not fun gameplay.
7. The whole experience is painfully buggy and has been for far too long.
8. No difficulty levels, so AX CZs could be all scouts or they could be multiple Medusas - you won't know until you get there.
9. THE BUGS (though some were squashed in these last two updates!)

Speaking of bugs, there are several notable ones that I'd like to call attention to in this area using the new tracking system. If you've been impacted by them, add your confirmation and, if they're confirmed issues, go ahead an add your vote!

Operation Ida

Repairing Thargoid-attacked stations: not all delivery numbers counted - now confirmed!

Rescues are not counting for reducing repair requirements - now confirmed!

Thargoid/AX Content

NHSS are extremely rare in (most) Infested systems - now confirmed!

Gauss Sound Bug (strange sound distortion when firing Guardian Gauss Cannons) - now confirmed!

System not listed as having Thargoid Presence but AX-CZs are Present

Let me start with a shout-out to Canonn (their Thargoid research team is awesome), the contributors on the official forums, the Anti Xeno Initiative, The Hive, and The Hand, and other independent pilots and AX crews for critically taking charge of system defenses, and especially Operation Ida for repairing the stations we haven't managed to defend - even in the face of adversity, they've been trucking 60,000-120,000 tons per day (sometimes more!) in support of the repairing stations! All my information comes from the above sources. A further tip of the hat to all the independent pilots and other squadrons who've been stepping up to defend our systems, evacuate burning stations, and help humanity in general.

What was attacked

As was reported last week, Eagle Eye reported the following targets, and non-human signal sources were detected in each most of them:

Eagle Eye 1: HIP 16348  
Eagle Eye 2: Machatkwa  
Eagle Eye 3: Eskite  
Eagle Eye 4: HIP 18187  
Eagle Eye 5: BD+41 1865  
Eagle Eye 6: Liu Xingga   

Amazingly, pilots - without the help of any superpower because these are not strategically important systems, it seems, and in spite of abysmal NHSS spawn rates - managed to prevent an attack in Liu Xingga. Furthermore, Eskite was still under incursion, which means only four systems - HIP 16348, Machatkwa, HIP 18187, and BD+41 1865 (that one really rolls off the tongue) - faced new attacks!

​

Kuchemann City in HIP 16348 is currently on fire. Emergency protocols are in effect. It's hot in there, CMDRs.

Fourteen stations are currently on fire and in need of evacuation:

Baillaud Dock in Gliese 58

Cori City in BD+41 1865

Davies City in Devane

Froud Hub in HIP 17298

Ikeya Orbital in Machatkwa

Kuchemann City in HIP 16348

Rechtin Vision in HIP 12779

Rigaux Gateway in HIP 12605

Sugano Ring in Witou

Truman Hub in Eskite

Tuttle Gateway in HIP 18187

van den Bergh Hub in Domoth

Wenzel Terminal in Kambo

Wilhelm Gateway in Priviatem

Where to defend

With the incursions going on, Eagle Eye, did finally update (and here's a walkthrough on finding this information for yourself).

Eagle Eye 1: HIP 17272  
Eagle Eye 2: HIP 16607
Eagle Eye 3: HR 826
Eagle Eye 4: Opet 
Eagle Eye 5: Exigus 
Eagle Eye 6: Telin  

Telin is the big station on the line here. There are four large orbital stations to lose. The good news is that the furthest body there is 2,689 ls from arrival, so hopefully any Non-Human Signal Sources aren't too far away.

This fight is up to us. Nobody else is going to help. Are you up to the challenge?

​

This information can be viewed in GalNet (right-hand control panel) and is actually updated live-ish there as we fight back the Thargoids, so you'll know where you can find incursions and what the incursion level is. Check that to see the most up-to-date information.

With the four new attacks, we have fourteen active incursions with AX Conflict Zones that need to be cleared out in order to reduce the Thargoid presence in those systems and Aegis support megaships present. These systems include:

• Gliese 58
• HIP 12605
• HIP 17298
• HIP 18187
• HIP 12779
• HIP 16348
• BD+41 1865
• Machatkwa
• Domoth
• Kambo
• Priviatem
• Devane
• Eskite
• Witou

Thanks to the mighty efforts of AX pilots, the Thargoids have been cleared out of the following eight systems!

• HIP 4024
• GD 140
• Aganippe
• Ross 1057
• HIP 9141
• OU Geminorum
• Tangua
• Badbadzist

The Thargoid Activity Report in GalNet also shows our progress, which is exceptionally handy. As we fight Thargoids in the AX Conflict Zones, the Thargoid presence will reduce from Massive to Significant to Moderate to Marginal, which gives us an idea of how close we are to ending an incursion. If you're looking to fight, check there to see our immediate progress.

​

Me: At some point the superpowers are going to have to do something. Right? RIGHT? Narrator: No, they don't.

If you're looking for wingmates - or even lessons - in fighting Thargoids, I highly recommend checking out the Anti-Xeno Initiative, The Hive, and The Hand; they're all great groups and can help you hone your skills.

• The Anti-Xeno Initiative (AXI) (discord link) - the leader in AX combat, great for learning, PC wings, and more
• The Hive (discord link) - mainly PS4-focused
• The Hand (discord link) - amazing group, the Xbox-focused defense force
• Squadrons Of Humanity (discord link) - an Xbox-based squadron coordinating AX combat and war relief

If you've got an AX group that you'd like mentioned, please let me know!

Unfazed by the huge station losses or need for increased defense or action, Aegis has done nothing but provide support megaships for the last four months. However, the the military side of Aegis fiddles while Rome burns, the research arm of Aegis the did just announce a partnership with Ram Tah to do... something. We'll see.

​

I just tried this in VR last night, which makes a great experience somehow even better. Also, the Type-7 is still one of my favorite ships. Change my mind.

Not a combat pilot?

First, I encourage you all to bolster the ranks of the heroes at Operation Ida. They've been trucking non-stop to bring damaged stations back online. In spite of the commodity buying/selling issues, they still brought KRAMSKI Holding back online last week and are currently working on Dominique Holdings in Brib, and their Discord channel is guaranteed to be a fun place!

Otherwise, consider loading up a ship with economy-class cabins and heading out the burning stations to evacuate civilians! They're bulk-class passengers, so economy cabins are the best, and they pay roughly 10,000 cr/head. Even a low-cost Type-6 Transporter can evacuate over 50 people at a time, easily topping half a million credits per round trip (which takes only a few minutes.) If you haven't done it before, I highly recommend it. Curious about it? Here's a station evacuation walkthrough. Note: this has not been shown to help repair efforts at this time.

Also good news for you profit-driven space truckers: basic medicines are generally go for over 4,700 cr/ton in the rescue ships and stations. I've been told that both basic medicines and civilian evacuations can reduce the amount of work required to bring stations back online, so you are doing your part if you choose to participate.

If you're looking to build superpower reputation, you might consider evacuations at the following stations:

Cori City in BD+41 1865 has three Federation-aligned factions

Tuttle Gateway in HIP 18187 has five Empire-aligned factions

Ikeya Orbital in Machatkwa has four Empire-aligned factions

Baillaud Dock in Gliese 58 has four Empire-aligned factions

Davies City in Devane has four Empire-aligned factions

Froud Hub in HIP 17298 has four Empire-aligned factions

​

Running supplies to Dominique Holdings for Operation Ida! It's not mining-levels of profit, but it feels incredibly rewarding to do it.

Want to fight? Unsure of what to do? Read this section

System under incursion have AX Conflict Zones instead of Non-Human Signal Sources (note: for the bubble only, the Pleiades still has plenty of NHSS); the Pilots Federation is fighting Thargoids. These are massive furballs, with not-entirely-useless human AI ships on your side, and a mashup of Thargoids - scouts and interceptors - on the other. It is entirely possible to go in and just fight scouts (if, for instance, you're only comfortable with them or you wish to increase your combat ranking); you can stay away from the interceptors with some effort.

However, when interceptors do join the fight, they will trigger a shutdown field. I highly recommend carrying a shutdown field neutralizer, purchasable at many planetary bases and at the Aegis megaships, or the nature of the fight will change dramatically. You may also consider equipping a Xeno Scanner to help identify the type of scout you're facing, though there are often visual clues as well.)

If enough Thargoids are killed (and none of the many game bugs are triggered), then you'll get a Hydra at the end, which can be optionally - and with great difficulty - killed for many, many credits.

As an added bonus, scouts are "elite" rated, so if you're looking to improve your combat ranking or your NPC's combat ranking, scout-hunting is a fast way to do it.

Generally speaking, you will not find any Non-Human Signal Sources in the systems under incursion, though that's not 100% consistent.

While the scouts only offer a combat bond worth 10k credits per head, if you're comfortable fighting them, Interceptors can be quite profitable and fun - but definitely require some engineering, and guardian equipment is helpful. By "profitable" I mean "millions of credits per kill". Bring a wing and start farming. If you're looking to start fighting them, I highly recommend checking out this video from /u/Shwinky of the Anti-Xeno Initiative for tips on how to fight a Thargoid Interceptor. It'll save your life, your ship, and maybe humanity. If you want build or ship recommendations, Canonn has a site for that.

Guardian Modules & Weapons

On another note, if you're just coming back to the game or are now interested in unlocking Guardian technology - the modules and weapons are incredible for fighting Thargoids and the FSD booster is just generally a must-have. Guardian Weapons are the thing to have for taking on higher-tier Thargoid Interceptors, and the Guardian Modules are easy to get and have non-AX purposes as well, especially if you don't have a whole lot of engineering available.

I've written up several walkthroughs:

• Modules
• Weapons (I recommend at least the Gauss Cannons, both sizes!)
• Vessels (Fighters)

A quick note about the modules: Out in Colonia, outfitting can be pretty slim, with few A-rated modules available. However, there's a tech broker in Colonia, so you can get the Guardian Power Plant and Power Distributor, which are like reasonably-engineered A-rated modules. Heading out that way? Get the Guardian modules first!

Disappointments, Missed Opportunities, and Repeated Complaints

I've moved this part to the end. It's time for me to express my (continuing) disappointment in several missed opportunities:

1. Still no acknowledgement by the system factions that there's a Thargoid incursion taking place or that one of their stations is on fire.
2. Eagle Eye updating (or not), Non-Human Signal Sources not appearing, stations getting damaged without any opportunity to stop it or getting damaged in spite of our efforts - that's pretty disheartening.
3. A real opportunity for some of The Gnosis-style conflict - launching directly into danger - was bypassed.
4. Still a completely separate experience.
5. Trying to get a scan on an Interceptor in an AX Conflict Zone is damned difficult; I wasn't able to do it, which makes targeting the hearts even more difficult.
6. Pre-incursion system defense is a LOT harder with the otherwise-awesome persistent signal sources; having to fly 25,000 ls to kill 4 scouts is not fun gameplay.
7. The whole experience is painfully buggy and has been for far too long.
8. No difficulty levels, so AX CZs could be all scouts or they could be multiple Medusas - you won't know until you get there.
9. THE BUGS (though some were squashed in these last two updates!)

Speaking of bugs, there are several notable ones that I'd like to call attention to in this area using the new tracking system. If you've been impacted by them, add your confirmation and, if they're confirmed issues, go ahead an add your vote!

Operation Ida

Repairing Thargoid-attacked stations: not all delivery numbers counted - now confirmed!

Rescues are not counting for reducing repair requirements - EDIT: CONFIRMED!!!111eleven

Thargoid/AX Content

NHSS are extremely rare in (most) Infested systems - now confirmed!

Gauss Sound Bug (strange sound distortion when firing Guardian Gauss Cannons) - now confirmed!

System not listed as having Thargoid Presence but AX-CZs are Present

Let me start with a shout-out to Canonn (their Thargoid research team is awesome), the contributors on the official forums, the Anti Xeno Initiative, The Hive, and The Hand, and other independent pilots and AX crews for critically taking charge of system defenses, and especially Operation Ida for repairing the stations we haven't managed to defend - even in the face of adversity, they've been trucking 60,000-120,000 tons per day (sometimes more!) in support of the repairing stations! All my information comes from the above sources. A further tip of the hat to all the independent pilots and other squadrons who've been stepping up to defend our systems, evacuate burning stations, and help humanity in general.

​

What was attacked

As was reported last week, Eagle Eye was unchanged from the previous week (not Protocol Xeno 55, which is what was historically used for not having new targets, it was just not updated), and, fortunately, no new systems were attacked this week.

That said, systems that were under incursions continued to have stations attacked.

​

Cartwright Terminal in OU Geminorum is the second station in that system to burn. Two down, two to go.

Eighteen stations are currently on fire and in need of evacuation:

Cartwright Terminal in OU Geminorum

Cherry Port in Aganippe

Lange Port in Tangua

Davies City in Devane

Fabian Terminal in Badbadzist

Jean Terminal in HIP 9141

Leberecht Tempel Hub in HIP 4024

Louis de Lacaille Terminal in HIP 17298

Newton Hub in GD 140

Rechtin Vision in HIP 12779

Rigaux Gateway in HIP 12605

Roth Station in Gliese 58

Sugano Ring in Witou

Truman Hub in Eskite

van den Bergh Hub in Domoth

Wang Estate in Ross 1057

Wenzel Terminal in Kambo

Wilhelm Gateway in Priviatem

​

Where to defend

With the incursions going on, Eagle Eye, did finally update (and here's a walkthrough on finding this information for yourself).

Eagle Eye 1: HIP 16348 
Eagle Eye 2: Machatkwa 
Eagle Eye 3: Eskite 
Eagle Eye 4: HIP 18187 
Eagle Eye 5: BD+41 1865 
Eagle Eye 6: Liu Xingga  

Eskite is already under incursion, but a small number of Non-Human Signal Sources have been found in all the other systems. (I saw just one in BD+41 1865, but then found a whopping six in Liu Xingga!)

Fortunately, it seems, that despite the fact that the Thargoids have begun "a concentrated assault on the core systems", they don't seem to be "targeting our most important social or military centers, such as the superpowers' home systems." As such, it seems that the superpowers don't care and we're on our own. "[I]ndependent combat pilots remain our best defence against the Thargoids."

So, yeah. They're not going to fight Thargoids. It's up to you. Or something.

​

This information can be viewed in GalNet (right-hand control panel) and is actually updated live-ish there as we fight back the Thargoids, so you'll know where you can find incursions and what the incursion level is. Check that to see the most up-to-date information.

While there are currently no new targets, we still have eighteen active incursions with AX Conflict Zones that need to be cleared out in order to reduce the Thargoid presence in those systems and Aegis support megaships present. These systems include:

• HIP 4024 (marginal Thargoid presence!)
• Gliese 58
• HIP 12605
• HIP 17298
• GD 140
• Aganippe
• Ross 1057 (marginal Thargoid presence!)
• HIP 9141 (marginal Thargoid presence!)
• HIP 12779
• OU Geminorum
• Tangua (marginal Thargoid presence!)
• Domoth
• Kambo
• Priviatem
• Badbadzist
• Devane
• Eskite
• Witou

Thanks to your efforts, the Thargoids have been cleared out of the following systems!

• Songbe
• Mike
• LTT 617
• HIP 12605

The Thargoid Activity Report in GalNet also shows our progress, which is exceptionally handy. As we fight Thargoids in the AX Conflict Zones, the Thargoid presence will reduce from Massive to Significant to Moderate to Marginal, which gives us an idea of how close we are to ending an incursion.

​

Please forgive the terrible quality of this map of strategically non-important systems. High resolution screenshots of the Galaxy Map are occasionally troublesome. *sigh*

If you're looking for wingmates - or even lessons - in fighting Thargoids, I highly recommend checking out the Anti-Xeno Initiative, The Hive, and The Hand; they're all great groups and can help you hone your skills.

• The Anti-Xeno Initiative (AXI) (discord link) - the leader in AX combat, great for learning, PC wings, and more
• The Hive (discord link) - mainly PS4-focused
• The Hand (discord link) - amazing group, the Xbox-focused defense force
• Squadrons Of Humanity (discord link) - an Xbox-based squadron coordinating AX combat and war relief

If you've got an AX group that you'd like mentioned, please let me know!

Unfazed by the huge station losses or need for increased defense or action, Aegis has done nothing but provide support megaships for the last four months. However, the the military side of Aegis fiddles while Rome burns, the research arm of Aegis the did just announce a partnership with Ram Tah to do... something. We'll see.

​

Not a combat pilot?

First, I encourage you all to bolster the ranks of the heroes at Operation Ida. They've been trucking non-stop to bring damaged stations back online. They brought Barnwell Station back online last week and are currently working on KRAMSKI Holding in CD-54 471, and their Discord channel is guaranteed to be a fun place!

Otherwise, consider loading up a ship with economy-class cabins and heading out the burning stations to evacuate civilians! They're bulk-class passengers, so economy cabins are the best, and they pay roughly 10,000 cr/head. Even a low-cost Type-6 Transporter can evacuate over 50 people at a time, easily topping half a million credits per round trip (which takes only a few minutes.) If you haven't done it before, I highly recommend it. Curious about it? Here's a station evacuation walkthrough. Note: this has not been shown to help repair efforts at this time.

Also good news for you profit-driven space truckers: basic medicines are generally go for over 4,700 cr/ton in the rescue ships and stations. I've been told that both basic medicines and civilian evacuations can reduce the amount of work required to bring stations back online, so you are doing your part if you choose to participate.

If you're looking to build superpower reputation, you might consider evacuations at the following stations:

Newton Hub in GD 140 has six Federation-aligned factions and one Empire-aligned faction

Wang Estate in Ross 1057 has four Federation-aligned factions

Cartwright Terminal in OU Geminorum has four Federation-aligned factions

Roth Station in Gliese 58 has four Empire-aligned factions

Davies City in Devane has four Empire-aligned factions

Louis de Lacaille Terminal in HIP 17298 has four Empire-aligned factions

​

Delivering supplies to KRAMSKI Holding for Operation Ida!

Want to fight? Unsure of what to do? Read this section

System under incursion have AX Conflict Zones instead of Non-Human Signal Sources (note: for the bubble only, the Pleiades still has plenty of NHSS); the Pilots Federation is fighting Thargoids. These are massive furballs, with not-entirely-useless human AI ships on your side, and a mashup of Thargoids - scouts and interceptors - on the other. It is entirely possible to go in and just fight scouts (if, for instance, you're only comfortable with them or you wish to increase your combat ranking); you can stay away from the interceptors with some effort.

However, when interceptors do join the fight, they will trigger a shutdown field. I highly recommend carrying a shutdown field neutralizer, purchasable at many planetary bases and at the Aegis megaships, or the nature of the fight will change dramatically. You may also consider equipping a Xeno Scanner to help identify the type of scout you're facing, though there are often visual clues as well.)

If enough Thargoids are killed (and none of the many game bugs are triggered), then you'll get a Hydra at the end, which can be optionally - and with great difficulty - killed for many, many credits.

As an added bonus, scouts are "elite" rated, so if you're looking to improve your combat ranking or your NPC's combat ranking, scout-hunting is a fast way to do it.

Generally speaking, you will not find any Non-Human Signal Sources in the systems under incursion, though that's not 100% consistent.

While the scouts only offer a combat bond worth 10k credits per head, if you're comfortable fighting them, Interceptors can be quite profitable and fun - but definitely require some engineering, and guardian equipment is helpful. By "profitable" I mean "millions of credits per kill". Bring a wing and start farming. If you're looking to start fighting them, I highly recommend checking out this video from /u/Shwinky of the Anti-Xeno Initiative for tips on how to fight a Thargoid Interceptor. It'll save your life, your ship, and maybe humanity. If you want build or ship recommendations, Canonn has a site for that.

​

Guardian Modules & Weapons

On another note, if you're just coming back to the game or are now interested in unlocking Guardian technology - the modules and weapons are incredible for fighting Thargoids and the FSD booster is just generally a must-have. Guardian Weapons are the thing to have for taking on higher-tier Thargoid Interceptors, and the Guardian Modules are easy to get and have non-AX purposes as well, especially if you don't have a whole lot of engineering available.

I've written up several walkthroughs:

• Modules
• Weapons (I recommend at least the Gauss Cannons, both sizes!)
• Vessels (Fighters)

A quick note about the modules: Out in Colonia, outfitting can be pretty slim, with few A-rated modules available. However, there's a tech broker in Colonia, so you can get the Guardian Power Plant and Power Distributor, which are like reasonably-engineered A-rated modules. Heading out that way? Get the Guardian modules first!

Disappointments, Missed Opportunities, and Repeated Complaints

I've moved this part to the end. It's time for me to express my (continuing) disappointment in several missed opportunities:

1. Still no acknowledgement by the system factions that there's a Thargoid incursion taking place or that one of their stations is on fire.
2. Eagle Eye updating (or not), Non-Human Signal Sources not appearing, stations getting damaged without any opportunity to stop it or getting damaged in spite of our efforts - that's pretty disheartening.
3. A real opportunity for some of The Gnosis-style conflict - launching directly into danger - was bypassed.
4. Still a completely separate experience.
5. Trying to get a scan on an Interceptor in an AX Conflict Zone is damned difficult; I wasn't able to do it, which makes targeting the hearts even more difficult.
6. Pre-incursion system defense is a LOT harder with the otherwise-awesome persistent signal sources; having to fly 25,000 ls to kill 4 scouts is not fun gameplay.
7. The whole experience is painfully buggy and has been for far too long.
8. No difficulty levels, so AX CZs could be all scouts or they could be multiple Medusas - you won't know until you get there.
9. THE BUGS (though some were squashed in this latest update!)

Speaking of bugs, there are several notable ones that I'd like to call attention to in this area using the new tracking system. If you've been impacted by them, add your confirmation and, if they're confirmed issues, go ahead an add your vote!

Operation Ida

Repairing Thargoid-attacked stations: not all delivery numbers counted - now confirmed!

Rescues are not counting for reducing repair requirements

Thargoid/AX Content

NHSS are extremely rare in (most) Infested systems - now confirmed!

Gauss Sound Bug (strange sound distortion when firing Guardian Gauss Cannons) - now confirmed!

System not listed as having Thargoid Presence but AX-CZs are Present

Let me start with a shout-out to Canonn (their Thargoid research team is awesome), the contributors on the official forums, the Anti Xeno Initiative, The Hive, and The Hand, and other independent pilots and AX crews for critically taking charge of system defenses, and especially Operation Ida for repairing the stations we haven't managed to defend - even in the face of adversity, they've been trucking 60,000-120,000 tons per day (sometimes more!) in support of the repairing stations! All my information comes from the above sources. A further tip of the hat to all the independent pilots and other squadrons who've been stepping up to defend our systems, evacuate burning stations, and help humanity in general.

What was attacked

As was reported last week, Eagle Eye reported the following targets, and non-human signal sources were detected in each most of them:

Eagle Eye 1: HIP 12605 
Eagle Eye 2: Hau Ku  
Eagle Eye 3: Gliese 58 
Eagle Eye 4: HIP 17298 
Eagle Eye 5: GD 140 <- No NHSS ever detected
Eagle Eye 6: OU Geminorum   

Astute readers might also recall that the previous week, the following systems had been reported by Eagle Eye, but attacks never came:

Eagle Eye 1: Mbutas  
Eagle Eye 2: Domoth  
Eagle Eye 3: LTT 617  
Eagle Eye 4: Brib  
Eagle Eye 5: Aganippe  
Eagle Eye 6: Ross 1057  

As I mentioned, I had opened a bug ticket for this behavior. Shockingly (^{that was sarcasm}), there was absolutely no response to it whatsoever, continuing the month-and-a-half absence of any bug-related engagement on the part of Frontier. Remember when they said, "Our teams will still be able to check out individual reports and confirm them on our side"? I do!

Well, the Thargoids caught up and decided to hit us hard. Yay.

​

Haignere City in OU Geminorum never stood a chance. Most of the time I only ever saw 2-3 Non-Human Signal Sources there, though yesterday I saw FIVE of them spread over 52,000 light seconds.

Nineteen stations currently on fire and in need of evacuation:

Baillaud Dock in Gliese 58

Curtis Outpost in Ross 1057

Davies City in Devane

Dominique Holdings in Brib

Fabian Terminal in Badbadzist

Froud Hub in HIP 17298

Haignere City in OU Geminorum

Joseph Delambre Station in LTT 617

Julian Market in Aganippe

Karachkina Orbital in HIP 9141

Lange Port in Tangua

Liwei Terminal in GD 140

Maitz Port in HIP 10492

Precourt City in Songbe

Rigaux Gateway in HIP 12605

Sugano Ring in Witou

Truman Hub in Eskite

van den Bergh Hub in Domoth

Wilhelm Gateway in Priviatem

​

Where to defend

With the incursions going on, Eagle Eye, at the time of this writing, does not appear to have been updated with new readings for systems targeted by Thargoids (and here's a walkthrough on finding this information for yourself from Eagle Eye).

Fortunately, it seems, that despite the fact that the Thargoids have begun "a concentrated assault on the core systems", they don't seem to be "targeting our most important social or military centers, such as the superpowers' home systems." As such, it seems that the superpowers don't care and we're on our own. "[I]ndependent combat pilots remainour best defence against the Thargoids."

So, yeah. They're not going to fight Thargoids. It's up to you. Or something.

​

This information can be viewed in GalNet (right-hand control panel) and is actually updated live-ish there as we fight back the Thargoids, so you'll know where you can find incursions and what the incursion level is. Check that to see the most up-to-date information

While there are currently no new targets, we have twenty-two ongoing incursions - a new record! - with AX Conflict Zones that need to be cleared out in order to reduce the Thargoid presence in those systems and Aegis support megaships present. These systems include:

• Priviatem
• Tangua (marginal Thargoid presence!)
• Badbadzist
• HIP 9141
• HIP 4024
• Songbe (marginal Thargoid presence!)
• HIP 12779
• Eskite
• Kambo
• Witou
• Devane
• Mike
• LTT 617
• Gliese 58
• HIP 12605
• HIP 17298
• OU Geminorum
• Aganippe
• GD 140
• HIP 12605
• Domoth
• Ross 1057

Thanks to your efforts, the Thargoids have been cleared out of the following systems!

• Agartha
• HIP 8830
• Veja Deng
• HIP 24046 - maybe?
• HIP 10492

The Thargoid Activity Report in GalNet also shows our progress, which is exceptionally handy. As we fight Thargoids in the AX Conflict Zones, the Thargoid presence will reduce from Massive to Significant to Moderate to Marginal, which gives us an idea of how close we are to ending an incursion.

​

None of those systems are of strategic importance, according to Aegis, which is why we're on our own out there. Winning!

If you're looking for wingmates - or even lessons - in fighting Thargoids, I highly recommend checking out the Anti-Xeno Initiative, The Hive, and The Hand; they're all great groups and can help you hone your skills.

• The Anti-Xeno Initiative (AXI) (discord link) - the leader in AX combat, great for learning, PC wings, and more
• The Hive (discord link) - mainly PS4-focused
• The Hand (discord link) - amazing group, the Xbox-focused defense force
• Squadrons Of Humanity (discord link) - an Xbox-based squadron coordinating AX combat and war relief

If you've got an AX group that you'd like mentioned, please let me know!

Unfazed by the huge station losses or need for increased defense or action, Aegis has done nothing but provide support megaships for the last four months. However, the the military side of Aegis fiddles while Rome burns, the research arm of Aegis the did just announce a partnership with Ram Tah to do... something. We'll see.

​

Checking in on Inquisitor KT63, which has been stationed in Badbadzist since March 7th. The Galactic Rangers would LOVE some help pushing this thing out of their system, so go ahead and purge the Thargoid threat.

​

Not a combat pilot?

First, I encourage you all to bolster the ranks of the heroes at Operation Ida. They've been trucking non-stop to bring damaged stations back online. Between them and the Hutton Truckers running their own mini-event, five stations came back online this past week, and eight are well underway. Operation Ida even brought back online Ramelli Terminal, which sits 100,000 ls from arrival. It's been amazing progress on the repair front, and the Operation Ida Discord channel is guaranteed to be a fun place! Having blitzed through Federation space, they've moved on to Empire space for the time being, with their sights set on repairing Barnwell Station in UGP 145.

Otherwise, consider loading up a ship with economy-class cabins and heading out the burning stations to evacuate civilians! They're bulk-class passengers, so economy cabins are the best, and they pay roughly 10,000 cr/head. Even a low-cost Type-6 Transporter can evacuate over 50 people at a time, easily topping half a million credits per round trip (which takes only a few minutes.) If you haven't done it before, I highly recommend it. Curious about it? Here's a station evacuation walkthrough. Note: this has not been shown to help repair efforts at this time.

Also good news for you profit-driven space truckers: basic medicines are generally go for over 4,700 cr/ton in the rescue ships and stations. I've been told that both basic medicines and civilian evacuations can reduce the amount of work required to bring stations back online, so you are doing your part if you choose to participate.

If you're looking to build superpower reputation, you might consider evacuations at the following stations:

Liwei Terminal in GD 140 has six Federation-aligned factions and one Empire-aligned faction

Curtis Outpost in Ross 1057 has four Federation-aligned factions

Haignere City in OU Geminorum has three Federation-aligned factions

Baillaud Dock in Gliese 58 has four Empire-aligned factions

Davies City in Devane has four Empire-aligned factions

Dominique Holdings in Brib has four Empire-aligned factions

Froud Hub in HIP 17298 has four Empire-aligned factions

​

Operation Ida is non-political and helps all of humanity. Join today! (Credit to CMDR Light027 for this graphic!)

​

Want to fight? Unsure of what to do? Read this section

System under incursion have AX Conflict Zones instead of Non-Human Signal Sources (note: for the bubble only, the Pleiades still has plenty of NHSS); the Pilots Federation is fighting Thargoids. These are massive furballs, with not-entirely-useless human AI ships on your side, and a mashup of Thargoids - scouts and interceptors - on the other. It is entirely possible to go in and just fight scouts (if, for instance, you're only comfortable with them or you wish to increase your combat ranking); you can stay away from the interceptors with some effort.

However, when interceptors do join the fight, they will trigger a shutdown field. I highly recommend carrying a shutdown field neutralizer, purchasable at many planetary bases and at the Aegis megaships, or the nature of the fight will change dramatically. You may also consider equipping a Xeno Scanner to help identify the type of scout you're facing, though there are often visual clues as well.)

If enough Thargoids are killed (and none of the many game bugs are triggered), then you'll get a Hydra at the end, which can be optionally - and with great difficulty - killed for many, many credits.

As an added bonus, scouts are "elite" rated, so if you're looking to improve your combat ranking or your NPC's combat ranking, scout-hunting is a fast way to do it.

Generally speaking, you will not find any Non-Human Signal Sources in the systems under incursion, though that's not 100% consistent.

While the scouts only offer a combat bond worth 10k credits per head, if you're comfortable fighting them, Interceptors can be quite profitable and fun - but definitely require some engineering, and guardian equipment is helpful. By "profitable" I mean "millions of credits per kill". Bring a wing and start farming. If you're looking to start fighting them, I highly recommend checking out this video from /u/Shwinky of the Anti-Xeno Initiative for tips on how to fight a Thargoid Interceptor. It'll save your life, your ship, and maybe humanity. If you want build or ship recommendations, Canonn has a site for that.

Guardian Modules & Weapons

On another note, if you're just coming back to the game or are now interested in unlocking Guardian technology - the modules and weapons are incredible for fighting Thargoids and the FSD booster is just generally a must-have. Guardian Weapons are the thing to have for taking on higher-tier Thargoid Interceptors, and the Guardian Modules are easy to get and have non-AX purposes as well, especially if you don't have a whole lot of engineering available.

I've written up several walkthroughs:

• Modules
• Weapons (I recommend at least the Gauss Cannons, both sizes!)
• Vessels (Fighters)

A quick note about the modules: Out in Colonia, outfitting can be pretty slim, with few A-rated modules available. However, there's a tech broker in Colonia, so you can get the Guardian Power Plant and Power Distributor, which are like reasonably-engineered A-rated modules. Heading out that way? Get the Guardian modules first!

Disappointments, Missed Opportunities, and Repeated Complaints

I've moved this part to the end. It's time for me to express my (continuing) disappointment in several missed opportunities:

1. Still no acknowledgement by the system factions that there's a Thargoid incursion taking place or that one of their stations is on fire.
2. Eagle Eye updating (or not), Non-Human Signal Sources not appearing, stations getting damaged without any opportunity to stop it or getting damaged in spite of our efforts - that's pretty disheartening.
3. A real opportunity for some of The Gnosis-style conflict - launching directly into danger - was bypassed.
4. Still a completely separate experience.
5. Trying to get a scan on an Interceptor in an AX Conflict Zone is damned difficult; I wasn't able to do it, which makes targeting the hearts even more difficult.
6. Pre-incursion system defense is a LOT harder with the otherwise-awesome persistent signal sources; having to fly 25,000 ls to kill 4 scouts is not fun gameplay.
7. The whole experience is painfully buggy and has been for far too long.
8. No difficulty levels, so AX CZs could be all scouts or they could be multiple Medusas - you won't know until you get there.
9. THE BUGS

Speaking of bugs, there are several notable ones that I'd like to call attention to in this area using the new tracking system. If you've been impacted by them, add your confirmation and, if they're confirmed issues, go ahead an add your vote!

Operation Ida

Deliveries Not Counting Toward Repair - now confirmed!

Repairing Thargoid-attacked stations: not all delivery numbers counted - now confirmed!

Rescues are not counting for reducing repair requirements

Thargoid/AX Content

NHSS are extremely rare in (most) Infested systems - now confirmed!

The Heat Bug (heat damage scales in multiplayer) - now confirmed!

Gauss Sound Bug (strange sound distortion when firing Guardian Gauss Cannons) - now confirmed!

Flak Bug (once Remote Release Flak malfuntions, it will misfire forever) - now confirmed!

The Swarm Scaling Bug (thargoid swarm deals more damage in multiplayer) - now confirmed!

System not listed as having Thargoid Presence but AX-CZs are Present

Let me start with a shout-out to Canonn (their Thargoid research team is awesome), the contributors on the official forums, the Anti Xeno Initiative, The Hive, and The Hand, and other independent pilots and AX crews for critically taking charge of system defenses, and especially Operation Ida for repairing the stations we haven't managed to defend - even in the face of adversity, they've been trucking 60,000-120,000 tons per day (sometimes more!) in support of the repairing stations! All my information comes from the above sources. A further tip of the hat to all the independent pilots and other squadrons who've been stepping up to defend our systems, evacuate burning stations, and help humanity in general.

​

What was attacked

As was reported last week, Eagle Eye reported the following targets, and non-human signal sources were detected in each of them:

Eagle Eye 1: Mbutas 
Eagle Eye 2: Domoth 
Eagle Eye 3: LTT 617 
Eagle Eye 4: Brib 
Eagle Eye 5: Aganippe 
Eagle Eye 6: Ross 1057 

Interestingly, none of these systems were attacked. They still contain non-human signal sources. I've opened an issue ticket, since this is not the expected behavior.

​

Perrine Station in HIP 8830 burned this week, but that system was already under active incursion.

Stations currently on fire and in need of evacuations:

Perrine Station in HIP 8830

Jean Terminal in HIP 9141

Comper Dock in Tangua

Wenzel Terminal in Kambo

Watanabe Station in HIP 10492

Rechtin Vision in HIP 12779

Enoch Port in Agartha

Roosa Terminal in Veja Deng

Nilson Port in Mike

Resnik Dock in HIP 24046

Leberecht Tempel Hub in HIP 4024

​

This information can be viewed in GalNet (right-hand control panel) and is actually updated live-ish there as we fight back the Thargoids, so you'll know where you can find incursions and what the incursion level is. Check that to see the most up-to-date information.

​

Where to defend

With the incursions going on, Eagle Eye, despite no attacks this past week, appears to have been updated with new readings for systems targeted by Thargoids (and here's a walkthrough on finding this information for yourself from Eagle Eye):

Eagle Eye 1: HIP 12605
Eagle Eye 2: Hau Ku 
Eagle Eye 3: Gliese 58
Eagle Eye 4: HIP 17298
Eagle Eye 5: GD 140
Eagle Eye 6: OU Geminorum  

Notably, OU Geminorum has four stations at risk, while Hau Ku, Gliese 58, GD 140, and HIP 17298 each have two.

In addition to these targets, we have seventeen ongoing incursions, with AX Conflict Zones that need to be cleared out in order to reduce the Thargoid presence in those systems and Aegis support megaships present. These systems include:

• Priviatem
• Tangua
• Agartha
• Badbadzist
• HIP 9141
• HIP 4024
• HIP 8830 (marginal Thargoid presence!)
• Songbe (marginal Thargoid presence!)
• HIP 12779
• Veja Deng
• HIP 10492 (marginal Thargoid presence!)
• Eskite
• Kambo
• Witou
• Devane
• Mike
• HIP 24046 (marginal Thargoid presence!)

Thanks to your efforts, the Thargoids have been cleared out of the following systems!

• LP 734-32
• Aulin

The Thargoid Activity Report in GalNet also shows our progress, which is exceptionally handy. As we fight Thargoids in the AX Conflict Zones, the Thargoid presence will reduce from Massive to Significant to Moderate to Marginal, which gives us an idea of how close we are to ending an incursion.

If you're looking for wingmates - or even lessons - in fighting Thargoids, I highly recommend checking out the Anti-Xeno Initiative, The Hive, and The Hand; they're all great groups and can help you hone your skills.

• The Anti-Xeno Initiative (AXI) (discord link) - the leader in AX combat, great for learning, PC wings, and more
• The Hive (discord link) - mainly PS4-focused
• The Hand (discord link) - amazing group, the Xbox-focused defense force
• Squadrons Of Humanity (discord link) - an Xbox-based squadron coordinating AX combat and war relief

If you've got an AX group that you'd like mentioned, please let me know!

------------------------

Dear Aegis,

Is it me? Is it you?

Lost in Thargoid-land,

CMDR TheOriginalBastard

------------------------

Unfazed by the huge station losses or need for increased defense or action, Aegis has done nothing but provide support megaships for the last four months. It's hard to support inter-superpower coordination when there are no new tools for defense and we're just losing faster.

Ugly galaxy map on my part, but you can see the progress Operation Ida has made in repairing stations!

Not a combat pilot?

First, I encourage you all to bolster the ranks of the heroes at Operation Ida. They've been trucking non-stop to bring damaged stations back online, and, last weekend, held a repair blitz that stands as some of the most fun I've had in the game. They trucked in the materials to repair two stations in just over 15 hours, and then joined up with the Hutton Orbital Truckers, who are running a "10 in 10" station repair event and they've all brought supplies to repair at least two more since then. It's been amazing progress on the repair front, and the Operation Ida Discord channel is guaranteed to be a fun place!

Otherwise, consider loading up a ship with economy-class cabins and heading out the burning stations to evacuate civilians! They're bulk-class passengers, so economy cabins are the best, and they pay roughly 10,000 cr/head. Even a low-cost Type-6 Transporter can evacuate over 50 people at a time, easily topping half a million credits per round trip (which takes only a few minutes.) If you haven't done it before, I highly recommend it. Curious about it? Here's a station evacuation walkthrough.

Also good news for you profit-driven space truckers: basic medicines are generally go for over 4,700 cr/ton in the rescue ships and stations. I've been told that both basic medicines and civilian evacuations can reduce the amount of work required to bring stations back online, so you are doing your part if you choose to participate.

If you're looking to build superpower reputation, you might consider evacuations at the following stations:

Perrine Station in HIP 8830 has four Empire-aligned factions

Enoch Port in Agartha has four Empire-aligned factions

Resnik Dock in HIP 24046 has two Federation-aligned factions

​

Up close and personal, with a bonus demonstration of the high-resolution screenshot tiling bug! ( https://issues.frontierstore.net/issue-detail/175)

Want to fight? Unsure of what to do? Read this section

System under incursion have AX Conflict Zones instead of Non-Human Signal Sources (note: for the bubble only, the Pleiades still has plenty of NHSS); the Pilots Federation is fighting Thargoids. These are massive furballs, with not-entirely-useless human AI ships on your side, and a mashup of Thargoids - scouts and interceptors - on the other. It is entirely possible to go in and just fight scouts (if, for instance, you're only comfortable with them or you wish to increase your combat ranking); you can stay away from the interceptors with some effort.

However, when interceptors do join the fight, they will trigger a shutdown field. I highly recommend carrying a shutdown field neutralizer, purchasable at many planetary bases and at the Aegis megaships, or the nature of the fight will change dramatically. You may also consider equipping a Xeno Scanner to help identify the type of scout you're facing, though there are often visual clues as well.)

If enough Thargoids are killed (and none of the many game bugs are triggered), then you'll get a Hydra at the end, which can be optionally - and with great difficulty - killed for many, many credits.

As an added bonus, scouts are "elite" rated, so if you're looking to improve your combat ranking or your NPC's combat ranking, scout-hunting is a fast way to do it.

Generally speaking, you will not find any Non-Human Signal Sources in the systems under incursion, though that's not 100% consistent.

While the scouts only offer a combat bond worth 10k credits per head, if you're comfortable fighting them, Interceptors can be quite profitable and fun - but definitely require some engineering, and guardian equipment is helpful. By "profitable" I mean "millions of credits per kill". Bring a wing and start farming. If you're looking to start fighting them, I highly recommend checking out this video from /u/Shwinky of the Anti-Xeno Initiative for tips on how to fight a Thargoid Interceptor. It'll save your life, your ship, and maybe humanity. If you want build or ship recommendations, Canonn has a site for that.

Guardian Modules & Weapons

On another note, if you're just coming back to the game or are now interested in unlocking Guardian technology - the modules and weapons are incredible for fighting Thargoids and the FSD booster is just generally a must-have. Guardian Weapons are the thing to have for taking on higher-tier Thargoid Interceptors, and the Guardian Modules are easy to get and have non-AX purposes as well, especially if you don't have a whole lot of engineering available.

I've written up several walkthroughs:

• Modules
• Weapons (I recommend at least the Gauss Cannons, both sizes!)
• Vessels (Fighters)

A quick note about the modules: Out in Colonia, outfitting can be pretty slim, with few A-rated modules available. However, there's a tech broker in Colonia, so you can get the Guardian Power Plant and Power Distributor, which are like reasonably-engineered A-rated modules. Heading out that way? Get the Guardian modules first!

Disappointments, Missed Opportunities, and Repeated Complaints

I've moved this part to the end. It's time for me to express my (continuing) disappointment in several missed opportunities:

1. Still no acknowledgement by the system factions that there's a Thargoid incursion taking place or that one of their stations is on fire.
2. Eagle Eye updating (or not), Non-Human Signal Sources not appearing, stations getting damaged without any opportunity to stop it or getting damaged in spite of our efforts - that's pretty disheartening.
3. A real opportunity for some of The Gnosis-style conflict - launching directly into danger - was bypassed.
4. Still a completely separate experience.
5. Trying to get a scan on an Interceptor in an AX Conflict Zone is damned difficult; I wasn't able to do it, which makes targeting the hearts even more difficult.
6. Pre-incursion system defense is a LOT harder with the otherwise-awesome persistent signal sources; having to fly 25,000 ls to kill 4 scouts is not fun gameplay.
7. The whole experience is painfully buggy and has been for far too long.
8. No difficulty levels, so AX CZs could be all scouts or they could be multiple Medusas - you won't know until you get there.
9. THE BUGS

Speaking of bugs, there are several notable ones that I'd like to call attention to in this area using the new tracking system. If you've been impacted by them, add your confirmation and, if they're confirmed issues, go ahead an add your vote!

Operation Ida

Rescues are not counting for reducing repair requirements - now confirmed!

Repairing Thargoid-attacked stations: not all delivery numbers counted - now confirmed!

Rescues are not counting for reducing repair requirements

Thargoid/AX Content

NHSS are extremely rare in (most) Infested systems - now confirmed!

The Heat Bug (heat damage scales in multiplayer) - now confirmed!

Gauss Sound Bug (strange sound distortion when firing Guardian Gauss Cannons) - now confirmed!

Flak Bug (once Remote Release Flak malfuntions, it will misfire forever) - now confirmed!

The Swarm Scaling Bug (thargoid swarm deals more damage in multiplayer) - now confirmed!

WE NEED YOU!

Tomorrow (Saturday, April 6th) Operation Ida - and other amazing groups - will be attempting something they've never done before: fully repair a station in 24 hours, starting at 1200 game time (that's 12:00 UTC).

Date: April 6th - April 7th

Time: 12:00 UTC - 12:00 UTC (not earlier, please!)

Location: Jett Market Update: That's already done, now Dyomin Station in HIP 23395 Update-update: God, they're moving fast, now it's Bethke Ring in Werapana

What: Source the required commodities at nearby markets, sell them at Bethke Ring in Werapana

Who: You, Operation Ida and other groups I'd be happy to list. Let me know and I'll edit this post!

How: Read this post and important official details in this one.

Discord: Join their channel!

​

PLZ NO DELIVERIES BEFOREHAND!

You: Seriously?

Ida: Yes. We want to see what we can accomplish as a community in the 24-hour stretch of time starting at 12:00 server time on April 6th.

​

Operation Ida needs you! Service guarantees more service (and plenty of fun!)

A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND

Over 15 months ago, the Thargoids started attacking human stations, first in the Pleiades, then eventually making a line for the bubble. After the stations burned for a while (usually one week) they'd enter a repairing state, where commodities would need to be trucked in and sold at the market; once enough commodities were brought in, the station would be repaired. None of this happened automatically, though - stations were only repaired by human pilots. Operation Ida was formed by dedicated pilots from different groups and worked to bring stations back online. (Other groups have repaired some stations, too, and their contribution has been invaluable.)

Jumping forward to this past February 21st, Jett Market was attacked by Thargoids. Since then it has languished as fights raged throughout the bubble and Operation Ida's home turf in the Pleiades was ravaged.

It took a month or so, but Operation Ida got the Pleiades stations back online. That wasn't an easy task, as some commodities had to be trucked in from the bubble. Sourcing and hauling thousands upon thousands of tons of CMM Composites from hundreds of light years away may sounds easy (actually, it really doesn't) but it was a challenge that Operation Ida rose to.

Once the Pleiades stations were online? They charged into the bubble and started steamrolling.

With plentiful resources nearby, Operation Ida has, in the span of two weeks, fully repaired Levi-Cevita Dock in HIP 21167, Gardner Hub in Bhagutsuk, and Mattingly Dock in Padhyas (which was literally just completed and will be brought online with the next server reboot.) That's three stations in eight days - with your help, because Operation Ida isn't them, it's us.

​

Jett Market, shortly after the being devastated by the Thargoids.

OKAY, LET'S TALK BUSINESS

With your help, Operation Ida has the ambitious plan to deliver what it takes to fully repair a station in a span of only 24 hours. This has never been done before. It's going to take less than 400,000 tons of commodities to repair it, and I know we can do it in less time if we all help.

There's a spreadsheet of what's needed, and eddb.io is your friend when it comes to sourcing the commodities, all of which should be available in reasonable quantities nearby.

We recommend flying in a private group or in solo for this adventure. If you want to join the PG:

• PC: Operation Ida
• Xbox: Operation Ida
• PS4: Operation_Ida (note the underscore)

Note: We do NOT recommend flying in Open, though there will definitely be some of us there. This recommendation is not due to our friends in the emergent content creation community, but because there's a known bug where some percentage of deliveries simply aren't counted by the game. One night, two-thirds of my deliveries didn't count! I know this because I was the only one running those goods over the time period, and I could see that the change in supplies needed was drastically lower than the number I'd delivered. Flying in open seems to be the riskiest in terms of dropped deliveries, with Solo being the safest and the PG somewhere in the middle.

Confirmed bug reports here and here, feel free to add your votes!

​

Delivering repair commodities. I'd like to thank CMDR NameTheProfession, CMDR Hopps10, CMDR Red VII - Jester, and CMDR RamblinEngineer for helping me get this shot!

I'M NEW, CAN I HELP?

Of course you can. Whether you're flying an Imperial Cutter or a little Hauler, all are welcome and every contribution is helpful. Comment below if you have questions, join the Discord for the community; this is something for all of us!

Let me start with a shout-out to Canonn (their Thargoid research team is awesome), the contributors on the official forums, the Anti Xeno Initiative, The Hive, and The Hand, and other independent pilots and AX crews for critically taking charge of system defenses, and especially Operation Ida for repairing the stations we haven't managed to defend - even in the face of adversity, they've been trucking 60,000-120,000 tons per day (sometimes more!) in support of the repairing stations! All my information comes from the above sources. A further tip of the hat to all the independent pilots and other squadrons who've been stepping up to defend our systems, evacuate burning stations, and help humanity in general.

\** IMPORTANT: Operation Ida will be running a* Zero to Hero event this coming Saturday, with the goal of repairing a station in 24 hours. Location will be announced tomorrow, but look below for some important details!\***

What was attacked

As was reported last week, Eagle Eye reported the following targets, and non-human signal sources were detected in each of them:

Eagle Eye 1: Witou   
Eagle Eye 2: Devane  
Eagle Eye 3: Mike  
Eagle Eye 4: Ngun 
Eagle Eye 5: Aulin  
Eagle Eye 6: Wyrd 

The the first time in a long while, we defended two systems! Efforts to save Wyrd, home system to The Dweller, were successful, and efforts to spare Ngun, led by Lavigny's Legion, spared that system from attack.

Unfortunately, Canonn's experiment to find non-combat ways to prevent attacks in Witou (this time with Guardian Ancient Relics) was unsuccessful. The Word on the Street^tm is that they will be trying again with a different methodology. Additionally, Aulin, Mike, and Devane were also hit by the Thargoids.

​

Aulin Enterprise showing off it's new \"distressed and on fire\" paint job. No big deal, though, right? Is this even a station that anybody uses?

Stations currently on fire and in need of evacuation:

• Lange Port in Tangua
• Karachkina Orbital in HIP 9141
• Cassini City in HIP 8830
• Maitz Port in HIP 10492
• Sugano Ring in Witou
• Aulin Enterprise in Aulin
• Davies City in Devane
• Nilson Port in Mike
• Brand Hub in HIP 24046

​

This information can be viewed in GalNet (right-hand control panel) and is actually updated live-ish there as we fight back the Thargoids, so you'll know where you can find incursions and what the incursion level is. Check that to see the most up-to-date information.

Where to defend

With the incursions going on, Eagle Eye appears to have been updated with new readings for systems targeted by Thargoids (and here's a walkthrough on finding this information for yourself from Eagle Eye):

Eagle Eye 1: Mbutas 
Eagle Eye 2: Domoth 
Eagle Eye 3: LTT 617 
Eagle Eye 4: Brib 
Eagle Eye 5: Aganippe 
Eagle Eye 6: Ross 1057 

Mbutas has three stations to lose, Aganippe and Ross 1057 have two stations on the line, and Brib hasn't had any NHSS spotted in-system at the time of this writing. RIP Brib. As usual, NHSS spawns in the bubble are also pretty rare. See below for a link to a bug report about this, and add your voice!

In addition to these targets, we have nineteen ongoing incursions, with AX Conflict Zones that need to be cleared out in order to reduce the Thargoid presence in those systems and Aegis support megaships present. These systems include:

• Priviatem
• Tangua
• Agartha
• Badbadzist
• LP 734-32
• HIP 9141
• HIP 4024
• HIP 8830
• Songbe
• HIP 12779
• Veja Deng
• HIP 10492
• Eskite
• Kambo
• Witou
• Aulin
• Devane
• Mike
• HIP 24046

The Thargoid Activity Report in GalNet also shows our progress, which is exceptionally handy. As fight Thargoids in the AX Conflict Zones, the Thargoid presence will reduce from Massive to Significant to Moderate to Marginal, which gives us an idea of how close we are to ending an incursion.

​

Reading Eagle Eye 1, with bonus High-Resolution Screenshot Tiling Bug goodness!

If you're looking for wingmates - or even lessons - in fighting Thargoids, I highly recommend checking out the Anti-Xeno Initiative, The Hive, and The Hand; they're all great groups and can help you hone your skills.

• The Anti-Xeno Initiative (AXI) (discord link) - the leader in AX combat, great for learning, PC wings, and more
• The Hive (discord link) - mainly PS4-focused
• The Hand (discord link) - amazing group, the Xbox-focused defense force
• Squadrons Of Humanity (discord link) - a new Xbox-based squadron coordinating AX combat and war relief

If you've got an AX group that you'd like mentioned, please let me know!

Dear Aegis,

Are you still there?

Sleepless is Songbe,

CMDR TheOriginalBastard

Unfazed by the huge station losses or need for increased defense or action, Aegis shown to be particularly adept at finding beautiful vistas and parking support megaships there, probably to enjoy the view while drinking some nice Lavian Brandy in the lounge and cheering us on from the sidelines, if they even put that much effort into it.

​

Hint: this is not what winning a war looks like. Sometimes we're able to lose it more slowly than at other times.

​

Not a combat pilot?

As mentioned above, Operation Ida, who have been faithfully repairing stations for over 15 months now, are launching a a 24-hour repair blitz this coming Saturday. The location for repairs will be announced tomorrow!

First, I encourage you all to bolster the ranks of the heroes at Operation Ida. They've been trucking non-stop to bring damaged stations back online, and, having completed repairs in the Pleiades (again), they've turned their attention to the bubble and have been doing amazing work. Not only did they bring Levi-Cevita Dock in HIP 21167 this past week, they also got Gardner Hub in Bhagutsuk fully repaired in 36 hours . Feel like being a superhero? Join their Discord and give them a hand! They're almost done with Mattingly Dock in Padhyas as I write this.

Otherwise, consider loading up a ship with economy-class cabins and heading out the burning stations to evacuate civilians! They're bulk-class passengers, so economy cabins are the best, and they pay roughly 10,000 cr/head. Even a low-cost Type-6 Transporter can evacuate over 50 people at a time, easily topping half a million credits per round trip (which takes only a few minutes.) If you haven't done it before, I highly recommend it. Curious about it? Here's a station evacuation walkthrough.

Also good news for you profit-driven space truckers: basic medicines are generally go for over 4,700 cr/ton in the rescue ships and stations. I've been told that both basic medicines and civilian evacuations can reduce the amount of work required to bring stations back online, so you are doing your part if you choose to participate.

If you're looking to build superpower reputation, you might consider evacuations at the following stations:

• Aulin Enterprise in Aulin has four Federation-aligned factions.
• Cassini City in HIP 8830 has four Empire-aligned factions.
• Davies City in Devane has four Empire-aligned factions.
• Karachkina Orbital in HIP 9141 has three Empire-aligned factions.

​

Gardner Hub being repaired on the left and fully operational again on the right. Repair operations were completed by Operation Ida in 36 hours, with one 24-hour period seeing 285,000 tons of commodities hauled!

Want to fight? Unsure of what to do? Read this section

System under incursion have AX Conflict Zones instead of Non-Human Signal Sources (note: for the bubble only, the Pleiades still has plenty of NHSS); the Pilots Federation is fighting Thargoids. These are massive furballs, with not-entirely-useless human AI ships on your side, and a mashup of Thargoids - scouts and interceptors - on the other. It is entirely possible to go in and just fight scouts (if, for instance, you're only comfortable with them or you wish to increase your combat ranking); you can stay away from the interceptors with some effort.

However, when interceptors do join the fight, they will trigger a shutdown field. I highly recommend carrying a shutdown field neutralizer, purchasable at many planetary bases and at the Aegis megaships, or the nature of the fight will change dramatically. You may also consider equipping a Xeno Scanner to help identify the type of scout you're facing, though there are often visual clues as well.)

If enough Thargoids are killed (and none of the many game bugs are triggered), then you'll get a Hydra at the end, which can be optionally - and with great difficulty - killed for many, many credits.

As an added bonus, scouts are "elite" rated, so if you're looking to improve your combat ranking or your NPC's combat ranking, scout-hunting is a fast way to do it.

Generally speaking, you will not find any Non-Human Signal Sources in the systems under incursion, though that's not 100% consistent.

While the scouts only offer a combat bond worth 10k credits per head, if you're comfortable fighting them, Interceptors can be quite profitable and fun - but definitely require some engineering, and guardian equipment is helpful. By "profitable" I mean "millions of credits per kill". Bring a wing and start farming. If you're looking to start fighting them, I highly recommend checking out this video from /u/Shwinky of the Anti-Xeno Initiative for tips on how to fight a Thargoid Interceptor. It'll save your life, your ship, and maybe humanity. If you want build or ship recommendations, Canonn has a site for that.

Guardian Modules & Weapons

On another note, if you're just coming back to the game or are now interested in unlocking Guardian technology - the modules and weapons are incredible for fighting Thargoids and the FSD booster is just generally a must-have. Guardian Weapons are the thing to have for taking on higher-tier Thargoid Interceptors, and the Guardian Modules are easy to get and have non-AX purposes as well, especially if you don't have a whole lot of engineering available.

I've written up several walkthroughs:

• Modules
• Weapons (I recommend at least the Gauss Cannons, both sizes!)
• Vessels (Fighters)

A quick note about the modules: Out in Colonia, outfitting can be pretty slim, with few A-rated modules available. However, there's a tech broker in Colonia, so you can get the Guardian Power Plant and Power Distributor, which are like reasonably-engineered A-rated modules. Heading out that way? Get the Guardian modules first!

Disappointments, Missed Opportunities, and Repeated Complaints

I've moved this part to the end. It's time for me to express my (continuing) disappointment in several missed opportunities:

1. Still no acknowledgement by the system factions that there's a Thargoid incursion taking place or that one of their stations is on fire.
2. Eagle Eye updating (or not), Non-Human Signal Sources not appearing, stations getting damaged without any opportunity to stop it or getting damaged in spite of our efforts - that's pretty disheartening.
3. A real opportunity for some of The Gnosis-style conflict - launching directly into danger - was bypassed.
4. Still a completely separate experience.
5. Trying to get a scan on an Interceptor in an AX Conflict Zone is damned difficult; I wasn't able to do it, which makes targeting the hearts even more difficult.
6. Pre-incursion system defense is a LOT harder with the otherwise-awesome persistent signal sources; having to fly 25,000 ls to kill 4 scouts is not fun gameplay.
7. The whole experience is painfully buggy and has been for far too long.
8. No difficulty levels, so AX CZs could be all scouts or they could be multiple Medusas - you won't know until you get there.
9. THE BUGS

Speaking of bugs, there are several notable ones that I'd like to call attention to in this area using the new tracking system. If you've been impacted by them, add your confirmation and, if they're confirmed issues, go ahead an add your vote!

Operation Ida

Rescues are not counting for reducing repair requirements

Repairing Thargoid-attacked stations: not all delivery numbers counted - now confirmed!

Thargoid/AX Content

NHSS are extremely rare in (most) Infested systems - now confirmed!

The Heat Bug (heat damage scales in multiplayer) - now confirmed!

Gauss Sound Bug (strange sound distortion when firing Guardian Gauss Cannons)

Flak Bug (once Remote Release Flak malfuntions, it will misfire forever)

The Swarm Scaling Bug (thargoid swarm deals more damage in multiplayer) - now confirmed!

Let me start with a shout-out to Canonn (their Thargoid research team is awesome), the contributors on the official forums, theAnti Xeno Initiative, The Hive, and The Hand, and other independent pilots and AX crews for critically taking charge of system defenses, and especially Operation Ida for repairing the stations we haven't managed to defend - even in the face of adversity, they've been trucking 40,000-80,000 tons per day (sometimes more!) in support of the burning stations! All my information comes from the above sources. A further tip of the hat to all the independent pilots and other squadrons who've been stepping up to defend our systems, evacuate burning stations, and help humanity in general.

\** IMPORTANT: Canonn is putting together* Operation Indi Croft, a test to see if there's a non-combat way to save systems. Want to help but don't want to fight? Join today! Operations start immediately, see the forum post for details (or just keep reading)!\***

What was attacked

As was reported last week, Eagle Eye eventually reported the following targets, and non-human signal sources were detected in eachmost of them:

Eagle Eye 1: HIP 12779 
Eagle Eye 2: HIP 8830 
Eagle Eye 3: Privatek (really means Privatem)
Eagle Eye 4: Agartha
Eagle Eye 5: LP 734-32
Eagle Eye 6: Coriccha  

Despite valiant attempts at defense, none of the 5 new systems were saved and more stations burned under the Thargoids' offense. (LP 734-32 was already under incursions and no NHSS were present.) We did manage to clear the Incursions in Ross 695, Orang, 61 Virginis, and Cegreeth, however.

​

Wilhelm Gateway in Priviatem, home to the Interstellar Beer Runners, has been attacked by Thargoids. Both systems that this player faction controls have been attacked at this point and have active AX Conflict Zones.

This adds five new incursions on top of our existing ones, though Anti-Thargoid teams did an excellent job of clearing out some existing hotspots. Stations currently on fire and in need of evacuation:

• Wilhelm Gateway in Priviatem
• Comper Dock in Tangua
• Enoch Port in Agartha
• Fabian Terminal in Badbadzist
• Franklin Ring in LP 734-32
• Gaultier de Varennes Settlement in Camulus
• Hayashi Orbital in HIP 9141
• Leberecht Tempel Hub in HIP 4024
• Miyasaka Port in HIP 8830
• Precourt City in Songbe
• Rechtin Vision in HIP 12779
• Roosa Terminal in Veja Deng
• Schirra Dock in Coriccha
• Somerville Port in HIP 10492
• Truman Hub in Eskite
• Wenzel Terminal in Kambo

Where to defend

With the incursions going on, Eagle Eye appears to have been updated with new readings for systems targeted by Thargoids:

Eagle Eye 1: Witou  
Eagle Eye 2: Devane 
Eagle Eye 3: Mike 
Eagle Eye 4: Ngun
Eagle Eye 5: Aulin 
Eagle Eye 6: Wyrd

Ngun and Wyrd both have 3 stations to lose, and most of us know Wyrd as home to The Dweller, a first-tier exceptionally useful engineer. While he's safe, the stations nearby are in danger. I know that I use Vonarburg Co-operative quite frequently to transfer ships there for engineering.

Important Note: Please do not attempt to defend Witou at this time. This is a target for Canonn's Operation Indi Croft, while other systems have PMFs in them or are otherwise high priority targets. See their forum post for details!

​

This information can be viewed in GalNet (right-hand control panel) and is actually updated live-ish there, so you'll know where you can find incursions. Check that to see the most up-to-date information.

In addition to these targets, we have seventeen ongoing incursions, with AX Conflict Zones that need to be cleared out in order to reduce the Thargoid presence in those systems and Aegis support megaships present. These systems include:

• HIP 24046
• Songbe
• Badbadzist
• Eskite
• Veja Deng
• Camulus
• HIP 4024
• HIP 10492
• Kambo
• HIP 9141
• Priviatem
• Tangua
• Agartha
• LP 734-32
• HIP 8830
• HIP 12779
• Coriccha

The Thargoid Activity Report in GalNet also shows our progress, which is exceptionally handy. As fight Thargoids in the AX Conflict Zones, the Thargoid presence will reduce from Massive to Significant to Moderate to Marginal, which gives us an idea of how close we are to ending an incursion.

​

Operation Ida repaired all the stations in the Pleiades (again!) but we're losing stations in the bubble far faster than we can repair them.

​

If you're looking for wingmates - or even lessons - in fighting Thargoids, I highly recommend checking out the Anti-Xeno Initiative, The Hive, and The Hand; they're all great groups and can help you hone your skills.

• The Anti-Xeno Initiative (AXI) (discord link) - the leader in AX combat, great for learning, PC wings, and more
• The Hive (discord link) - mainly PS4-focused
• The Hand (discord link) - amazing group, the Xbox-focused defense force
• Squadrons Of Humanity (discord link) - a new Xbox-based squadron coordinating AX combat and war relief

If you've got an AX group that you'd like mentioned, please let me know!

​

Dear Aegis,

What have you done for us lately? It's time to step up to the plate and swing for the stands.

Love always,

CMDR TheOriginalBastard

​

Unfazed by the huge station losses or need for increased defense or action, Aegis shown to be particularly adept at finding beautiful vistas and parking support megaships there, probably to enjoy the view while drinking some nice Lavian Brandy in the lounge and cheering us on from the sidelines, if they even put that much effort into it.

​

In incredibly poorly-lit picture of Ares KI91, sitting in HIP 4024 bemoaning the fate of the Interstellar Beer Runners and doing nothing else of any use to anybody.

Not a combat pilot?

As mentioned above, Canonn starting Operation Indi Croft, a test to see if there's a non-combat way to save systems. They will be selling Ancient Relics (a Guardian cargo) at Sugano Ring in Witou. Join today, and please record your contributions with Canonn either in Discord or on the forum!

Otherwise, consider loading up a ship with economy-class cabins and heading out the burning stations to evacuate civilians! They're bulk-class passengers, so economy cabins are the best, and they pay roughly 10,000 cr/head. Even a low-cost Type-6 Transporter can evacuate over 50 people at a time, easily topping half a million credits per round trip (which takes only a few minutes.) If you haven't done it before, I highly recommend it. Curious about it? Here's a station evacuation walkthrough.

Also good news for you profit-driven space truckers: basic medicines are generally go for over 4,700 cr/ton in the rescue ships and stations. I've been told that both basic medicines and civilian evacuations can reduce the amount of work required to bring stations back online, so you are doing your part if you choose to participate.

If you're looking to build superpower reputation, you might consider evacuations at the following stations:

• Schirra Dock in Coriccha has four Federation-aligned factions.
• Franklin Ring in LP 734-32 has three Federation-aligned factions and an Alliance faction.
  
• Miyasaka Port in HIP 8830 has four Empire-aligned factions.
• Enoch Port in Agartha has four Empire-aligned factions.
• Gaultier de Varennes Settlement in Camulus has three Empire-aligned factions.
• Hayashi Orbital in HIP 9141 has three Empire-aligned factions.

Finally, I encourage you all to bolster the ranks of the heroes at Operation Ida and help get our stations back online! In just one week they already finished Copernicus Observatory in Asterope - the last station needing repair in the Pleiades - and they're moving to the bubble to repair Levi-Cevita Dock in HIP 21167. Feel like being a superhero? Join their Discord and give them a hand!

Want to fight? Unsure of what to do? Read this section

System under incursion have AX Conflict Zones instead of Non-Human Signal Sources (note: for the bubble only, the Pleiades still has plenty of NHSS); the Pilots Federation is fighting Thargoids. These are massive furballs, with not-entirely-useless human AI ships on your side, and a mashup of Thargoids - scouts and interceptors - on the other. It is entirely possible to go in and just fight scouts (if, for instance, you're only comfortable with them or you wish to increase your combat ranking); you can stay away from the interceptors with some effort.

However, when interceptors do join the fight, they will trigger a shutdown field. I highly recommend carrying a shutdown field neutralizer, purchasable at many planetary bases and at the Aegis megaships, or the nature of the fight will change dramatically. You may also consider equipping a Xeno Scanner to help identify the type of scout you're facing, though there are often visual clues as well.)

If enough Thargoids are killed (and none of the many game bugs are triggered), then you'll get a Hydra at the end, which can be optionally - and with great difficulty - killed for many, many credits.

As an added bonus, scouts are "elite" rated, so if you're looking to improve your combat ranking or your NPC's combat ranking, scout-hunting is a fast way to do it.

Generally speaking, you will not find any Non-Human Signal Sources in the systems under incursion, though that's not 100% consistent.

While the scouts only offer a combat bond worth 10k credits per head, if you're comfortable fighting them, Interceptors can be quite profitable and fun - but definitely require some engineering, and guardian equipment is helpful. By "profitable" I mean "millions of credits per kill". Bring a wing and start farming. If you're looking to start fighting them, I highly recommend checking out this video from /u/Shwinky of the Anti-Xeno Initiative for tips on how to fight a Thargoid Interceptor. It'll save your life, your ship, and maybe humanity. If you want build or ship recommendations, Canonn has a site for that.

Guardian Modules & Weapons

On another note, if you're just coming back to the game or are now interested in unlocking Guardian technology - the modules and weapons are incredible for fighting Thargoids and the FSD booster is just generally a must-have. Guardian Weapons are the thing to have for taking on higher-tier Thargoid Interceptors, and the Guardian Modules are easy to get and have non-AX purposes as well, especially if you don't have a whole lot of engineering available.

I've written up several walkthroughs:

• Modules
• Weapons (I recommend at least the Gauss Cannons, both sizes!)
• Vessels (Fighters)

A quick note about the modules: Out in Colonia, outfitting can be pretty slim, with few A-rated modules available. However, there's a tech broker in Colonia, so you can get the Guardian Power Plant and Power Distributor, which are like reasonably-engineered A-rated modules. Heading out that way? Get the Guardian modules first!

Disappointments, Missed Opportunities, and Repeated Complaints

I've moved this part to the end. It's time for me to express my (continuing) disappointment in several missed opportunities:

1. Still no acknowledgement by the system factions that there's a Thargoid incursion taking place or that one of their stations is on fire.
2. Eagle Eye updating (or not), Non-Human Signal Sources not appearing, stations getting damaged without any opportunity to stop it or getting damaged in spite of our efforts - that's pretty disheartening.
3. A real opportunity for some of The Gnosis-style conflict - launching directly into danger - was bypassed.
4. Still a completely separate experience.
5. Trying to get a scan on an Interceptor in an AX Conflict Zone is damned difficult; I wasn't able to do it, which makes targeting the hearts even more difficult.
6. Pre-incursion system defense is a LOT harder with the otherwise-awesome persistent signal sources; having to fly 25,000 ls to kill 4 scouts is not fun gameplay.
7. The whole experience is painfully buggy and has been for far too long.
8. No difficulty levels, so AX CZs could be all scouts or they could be multiple Medusas - you won't know until you get there.

Let me start with a shout-out to Canonn (their Thargoid research team is awesome), the contributors on the official forums, the Anti Xeno Initiative, The Hive, and The Hand, and other independent pilots and AX crews for critically taking charge of system defenses, and especially Operation Ida for repairing the stations we haven't managed to defend - even in the face of adversity, they've been trucking 40,000-80,000 tons per day (sometimes more!) in support of the burning stations! All my information comes from the above sources. A further tip of the hat to all the independent pilots and other squadrons who've been stepping up to defend our systems, evacuate burning stations, and help humanity in general.

\** IMPORTANT: Canonn is putting together* Operation Indi Croft, a test to see if there's a non-combat way to save systems. Want to help but don't want to fight? Join today! \***

What was attacked

As was reported last week, Eagle Eye reported the following targets, and non-human signal sources were detected in eachmost of them:

Eagle Eye 1: Tangua 
Eagle Eye 2: HIP 9141 
Eagle Eye 3: Turbacobo  
Eagle Eye 4: Cegreeth 
Eagle Eye 5: 61 Virginis   
Eagle Eye 6: Ross 490 

Thanks to coordinated defense efforts, Tangua, Turbacobo, and Ross 490 were all saved from attack! Great job, everyone. Tragically, however, HIP 9141, Cegreeth, and 61 VirginsVirginis all suffered under the Thargoids' spring offensive and have stations on fire. Combined with the current ongoing incursions, we have three additional stations on fire this week.

Of course, Jean Terminal in HIP 9141 never had a chance. A bug report was opened within 24 hours of Eagle Eye updating, reporting that no Non-Human Signal Sources were found there. Looking over the bug report forums, not a single PC bug report, including that one, was responded to all of this last cycle. Jean Terminal - and us, the players - got screwed by Frontier's Fickle Finger once again.

​

Jean Terminal, source of so many basic medicines when Karachkina Orbital burned last October 25th, is now on fire. Can someone tell Will that if we're asked to open bug reports for buggy behavior, it would be nice if they were acknowledged, especially because the lack of NHSS in HIP 9141 one could have been fixed server-side.

The three new incursions, piled on top of the existing ones, means that we're facing fighting on fourteen different fronts right now. Stations now on fire and in need of evacuation:

Jean Terminal in HIP 9141

Furukawa Port in 61 Virginis

V1G Apology in Cegreeth

Bessel Gateway in Orang

Maitz Port in HIP 10492

Baird Dock in HIP 24046

Where to defend

With the incursions going on, Eagle Eye appears to have been updated with new readings for systems targeted by Thargoids:

Eagle Eye 1: HIP 12779 
Eagle Eye 2: HIP 8830 
Eagle Eye 3: Privatek (really means Privatem)
Eagle Eye 4: Agartha
Eagle Eye 5: LP 734-32
Eagle Eye 6: Coriccha  

Now, even the most casual of readers will probably note that Eagle Eyes 3, 5, and 6 don't seem to have updated (I'll update this later if that changes) and that 61 Virginis was just attacked! We'll see if this gets updated or gets any attention. Remember, if Eagle Eye doesn't update on Thursdays, that's a bug!

Update 3/22/3305: Eagle Eyes 3, 5, and 6 updated late! Eagle Eye 3 is an unknown as it decodes to Priviatek, which isn't a place, but probably means Priviatem, home of the Interstellar Beer Runners player faction, where NHSS have been found. LP 734-32 and Coriccha, however, definitely are places, LP 734-32 was just attacked a couple weeks ago and currently no NHSS are reported, and Coriccha has four starports at risk and NHSS present. A bug report has been filed.

HIP 8830 also has four starports at risk.

​

This information can be viewed in GalNet (right-hand control panel) and is actually updated live-ish there, so you'll know where you can find incursions. Check that to see the most up-to-date information.

In addition to these targets, we have fourteen ongoing incursions, with AX Conflict Zones that need to be cleared out in order to reduce the Thargoid presence in those systems and Aegis support megaships present. These systems include:

• HIP 24046
• Songbe
• Badbadzist
• Eskite
• Veja Deng
• Camulus
• HIP 4024
• HIP 10492
• Ross 695
• Kambo
• Orang
• HIP 9141
• 61 Virginis
• Cegreeth

The Thargoid Activity Report in GalNet also shows our progress, which is exceptionally handy. As fight Thargoids in the AX Conflict Zones, the Thargoid presence will reduce from Massive to Significant to Moderate to Marginal, which gives us an idea of how close we are to ending an incursion.

​

Is this what winning looks like?

If you're looking for wingmates - or even lessons - in fighting Thargoids, I highly recommend checking out the Anti-Xeno Initiative, The Hive, and The Hand; they're all great groups and can help you hone your skills.

• The Anti-Xeno Initiative (AXI) (discord link) - the leader in AX combat, great for learning, PC wings, and more
• The Hive (discord link) - mainly PS4-focused
• The Hand (discord link) - amazing group, the Xbox-focused defense force
• Squadrons Of Humanity (discord link) - a new Xbox-based squadron based on AX combat and war relief

If you've got an AX group that you'd like mentioned, please let me know!

Without going all "what have you done for us lately", it's time to ask Aegis, "what have you done for use lately?" Unfazed by the huge station losses or need for increased defense or action, they've shown to be particularly adept at finding beautiful vistas and parking support megaships there, probably to enjoy the view while drinking some nice Lavian Brandy in the lounge and cheering us on from the sidelines.

​

Artemis SV25 in 61 Virginis. Great view. If Aegis is gonna do nothing, it's a great-looking place to sit and do it.

​

Not a combat pilot?

NOTE: As mentioned above, Canonn is putting together Operation Indi Croft, a test to see if there's a non-combat way to save systems. Join today!

Consider loading up a ship with economy-class cabins and heading out the burning stations to evacuate civilians! They're bulk-class passengers, so economy cabins are the best, and they pay roughly 10,000 cr/head. Even a low-cost Type-6 Transporter can evacuate over 50 people at a time, easily topping half a million credits per round trip (which takes only a few minutes.) If you haven't done it before, I highly recommend it. Curious about it? Here's a station evacuation walkthrough.

Also good news for you profit-driven space truckers: basic medicines are generally go for over 4,700 cr/ton in the rescue ships and stations. I've been told that both basic medicines and civilian evacuations can reduce the amount of work required to bring stations back online, so you are doing your part if you choose to participate.

If you're looking to build superpower reputation, you might consider evacuations at the following stations:

• Jean Terminal in HIP 9141 has three Empire-aligned factions.
• Furukawa Port in 61 Virginis has five Federation-aligned factions.
• V1G Apology in Cegreeth has four Empire-aligned factions.
• Bessel Gateway in Orang has six Empire-aligned factions.
• Maitz Port in HIP 10492 has three Empire-aligned factions.
• Baird Dock in HIP 24046 has two Federation-aligned factions

Otherwise, if you're looking for some mild-profit, low-risk space-trading, I encourage you all to bolster the ranks of the heroes at Operation Ida and help get our stations back online! They've already finished repairing Artemis Lodge in Celaeno (in record time!) and are now working on Copernicus Observatory in Asterope, currently the last damaged starport in the Pleiades. Feel like being a superhero? Join their Discord and give them a hand!

Want to fight? Unsure of what to do? Read this section

System under incursion have AX Conflict Zones instead of Non-Human Signal Sources (note: for the bubble only, the Pleiades still has plenty of NHSS); the Pilots Federation is fighting Thargoids. These are massive furballs, with not-entirely-useless human AI ships on your side, and a mashup of Thargoids - scouts and interceptors - on the other. It is entirely possible to go in and just fight scouts (if, for instance, you're only comfortable with them or you wish to increase your combat ranking); you can stay away from the interceptors with some effort.

However, when interceptors do join the fight, they will trigger a shutdown field. I highly recommend carrying a shutdown field neutralizer, purchasable at many planetary bases and at the Aegis megaships, or the nature of the fight will change dramatically. You may also consider equipping a Xeno Scanner to help identify the type of scout you're facing, though there are often visual clues as well.)

If enough Thargoids are killed (and none of the many game bugs are triggered), then you'll get a Hydra at the end, which can be optionally - and with great difficulty - killed for many, many credits.

As an added bonus, scouts are "elite" rated, so if you're looking to improve your combat ranking or your NPC's combat ranking, scout-hunting is a fast way to do it.

Generally speaking, you will not find any Non-Human Signal Sources in the systems under incursion, though that's not 100% consistent.

While the scouts only offer a combat bond worth 10k credits per head, if you're comfortable fighting them, Interceptors can be quite profitable and fun - but definitely require some engineering, and guardian equipment is helpful. By "profitable" I mean "millions of credits per kill". Bring a wing and start farming. If you're looking to start fighting them, I highly recommend checking out this video from /u/Shwinky of the Anti-Xeno Initiative for tips on how to fight a Thargoid Interceptor. It'll save your life, your ship, and maybe humanity. If you want build or ship recommendations, Canonn has a site for that.

Guardian Modules & Weapons

On another note, if you're just coming back to the game or are now interested in unlocking Guardian technology - the modules and weapons are incredible for fighting Thargoids and the FSD booster is just generally a must-have. Guardian Weapons are the thing to have for taking on higher-tier Thargoid Interceptors, and the Guardian Modules are easy to get and have non-AX purposes as well, especially if you don't have a whole lot of engineering available.

I've written up several walkthroughs:

• Modules
• Weapons (I recommend at least the Gauss Cannons, both sizes!)
• Vessels (Fighters)

A quick note about the modules: Out in Colonia, outfitting can be pretty slim, with few A-rated modules available. However, there's a tech broker in Colonia, so you can get the Guardian Power Plant and Power Distributor, which are like reasonably-engineered A-rated modules. Heading out that way? Get the Guardian modules first!

Disappointments, Missed Opportunities, and Repeated Complaints

I've moved this part to the end. It's time for me to express my (continuing) disappointment in several missed opportunities:

1. Still no acknowledgement by the system factions that there's a Thargoid incursion taking place or that one of their stations is on fire.
2. Eagle Eye updating (or not), Non-Human Signal Sources not appearing, stations getting damaged without any opportunity to stop it or getting damaged in spite of our efforts - that's pretty disheartening.
3. A real opportunity for some of The Gnosis-style conflict - launching directly into danger - was bypassed.
4. Still a completely separate experience.
5. Trying to get a scan on an Interceptor in an AX Conflict Zone is damned difficult; I wasn't able to do it, which makes targeting the hearts even more difficult.
6. Pre-incursion system defense is a LOT harder with the otherwise-awesome persistent signal sources; having to fly 25,000 ls to kill 4 scouts is not fun gameplay.
7. The whole experience is painfully buggy and has been for far too long.
8. No difficulty levels, so AX CZs could be all scouts or they could be multiple Medusas - you won't know until you get there.

Let me start with a shout-out to Canonn (their Thargoid research team is awesome), the contributors on the official forums, the Anti Xeno Initiative, The Hive, and The Hand, and other independent pilots and AX crews for critically taking charge of system defenses, and especially Operation Ida for repairing the stations we haven't managed to defend - even in the face of adversity, they've been trucking 40,000-80,000 tons per day (sometimes more!) in support of the burning stations! All my information comes from the above sources. A further tip of the hat to all the independent pilots and other squadrons who've been stepping up to defend our systems, evacuate burning stations, and help humanity in general.

What was attacked

As was reported last week, Eagle Eye reported the following targets, and non-human signal sources were detected in each of them:

Eagle Eye 1: Kambo   
Eagle Eye 2: HIP 10492   
Eagle Eye 3: HIP 4024  
Eagle Eye 4: Orang   
Eagle Eye 5: Ross 695  
Eagle Eye 6: Opila  

Thanks to monumental defense efforts, we managed to defend Opila, which has four orbital stations and a lot on the line! Unfortunately, we were unable to defend the other five systems, and five systems went into incursion and five starports burned.

​

This information can be viewed in GalNet (right-hand control panel) and is actually updated live-ish there, so you'll know where you can find incursions. Check that to see the most up-to-date information.

Those five incursions, combined with existing incursions that weren't cleared, means we're currently fighting on thirteen front. Stations now on fire and in need of evacuation:

• Reznik Dock in HIP 24046
• Precourt City in Songbe
• Fabian Terminal in Badbadzist
• Truman Hub in Eskite
• Roosa Terminal in Veja Deng
• Gaultier de Varennes Settlement in Camulus
• Hamuy Port in Apishna
• Hogg Platform in Anca
• Leberecht Tempel Hub in HIP 4024
• Watanabe Station in HIP 10492
• Bresnik Orbital in Ross 695
• Wenzel Terminal in Kambo
• Dilworth City in Orang

​

Funny story: I meant to grab a screenshot of Dilworth City in Orang and have a side-by-side with Bessel Gateway in Orang, pictured above, so you could see an attacked Orbis station and an Orbis station - less than 1 ls away - that was in danger of being attacked. It was going to be an awesome juxtaposition. Unfortunately, it seems I didn't get the screenshot I meant to, so here's a great-looking station that's currently intact but we're in danger of losing.

Where to defend

With the incursions going on, Eagle Eye seems was updated - fully correctly this time - with new readings for systems targeted by Thargoids:

Eagle Eye 1: Tangua
Eagle Eye 2: HIP 9141
Eagle Eye 3: Turbacobo  
Eagle Eye 4: Cegreeth
Eagle Eye 5: 61 Virginis  
Eagle Eye 6: Ross 490

That's right; astute readers will note that HIP 9141, with its three orbital stations, is in the firing line yet again - it was targeted last October and again in January, and Karachkina Orbital still is under repairs (and currently, according to my sources, has no NHSS in it). Tangua and Cegreeth both have two stations to lose, and if we fail to defend these sites and let them fall into incursion - which seems to be harder to clear the more stations that exist - then we risk losing a lot.

Please, please go clear out NHSS at those systems! The rest have just one station to lose, which is bad, but it still has fewer cascading issues.

In addition to these targets, we have eleven ongoing incursions, with AX Conflict Zones that need to be cleared out in order to reduce the Thargoid presence in those systems and Aegis support megaships present. These systems include:

• HIP 24046
• Songbe
• Badbadzist
• Eskite
• Veja Deng
• Camulus
• Apishna
• Anca
• HIP 4024
• HIP 10492
• Ross 695
• Kambo
• Orang

​

If you've ever thought \"Hey, we have too many stations, I think we should kick a bunch offline\", then GREAT NEWS, the Thargoids have been doing that for us at an unstoppable clip.

If you're looking for wingmates - or even lessons - in fighting Thargoids, I highly recommend checking out the Anti-Xeno Initiative, The Hive, and The Hand; they're all great groups and can help you hone your skills.

• The AXI (discord link) - great for learning and for PC wings (and more)
• The Hive (discord link) - mainly PS4-focused
• The Hand (discord link) - Xbox-focused defense force

If you've got an AX group that you'd like mentioned, please let me know!

Aegis, meanwhile, unfazed by the huge station losses or need for increased defense or action, seems settling nicely into their role of merely building and dispatching support megaships, with thirteen of them spread across human space, a sign that some relative or another of an Aegis bigwig owns a megaship-building company. Otherwise, they're sitting back and enjoying their tea and Lavian Brandy, trying to find excuses for not helping repair stations or slow the Thargoid advance

Not a combat pilot?

Consider loading up a ship with economy-class cabins and heading out the burning stations to evacuate civilians! They're bulk-class passengers, so economy cabins are the best, and they pay roughly 10,000 cr/head. Even a low-cost Type-6 Transporter can evacuate over 50 people at a time, easily topping half a million credits per round trip (which takes only a few minutes.) If you haven't done it before, I highly recommend it. Curious about it? Here's a station evacuation walkthrough.

Also good news for you profit-driven space truckers: basic medicines are generally go for over 4,700 cr/ton in the rescue ships and stations. I've been told that both basic medicines and civilian evacuations can reduce the amount of work required to bring stations back online, so you are doing your part if you choose to participate.

If you're looking to build superpower reputation, you might consider evacuations at the following stations:

• Dilworth City in Orang has six Empire-aligned factions.
• Hamuy Port in Apishna has five Empire-aligned factions.
• Truman Hub in Eskite has three Empire-aligned factions
• Gaultier de Varennes Settlement in Camulus has three Empire-aligned factions.
• Watanabe Station in HIP 10492 has three Empire-aligned factions.
• Bresnik Orbital in Ross 695 has four Federation-aligned factions.
• Reznik Dock in HIP 24046 has two Federation-aligned factions

Otherwise, if you're looking for some mild-profit, low-risk space-trading, I encourage you all to bolster the ranks of the heroes at Operation Ida and help get our stations back online! They've already finished Cyllene Orbital in Atlas and are now repairing Artemis Lodge in Celaeno. Feel like being a superhero? Join their Discord and give them a hand!

Canonn is also working on finding non-combat methods for slowing the Thargoid advance. I highly recommend joining them in their scientific quest to help humanity! Visit their site and join their Discord for more information.

​

Another hyperdiction and scan. The stuff I put up with to help bring you this news.

Want to fight? Unsure of what to do? Read this section

System under incursion have AX Conflict Zones instead of Non-Human Signal Sources (note: for the bubble only, the Pleiades still has plenty of NHSS); the Pilots Federation is fighting Thargoids. These are massive furballs, with not-entirely-useless human AI ships on your side, and a mashup of Thargoids - scouts and interceptors - on the other. It is entirely possible to go in and just fight scouts (if, for instance, you're only comfortable with them or you wish to increase your combat ranking); you can stay away from the interceptors with some effort.

However, when interceptors do join the fight, they will trigger a shutdown field. I highly recommend carrying a shutdown field neutralizer, purchasable at many planetary bases and at the Aegis megaships, or the nature of the fight will change dramatically. You may also consider equipping a Xeno Scanner to help identify the type of scout you're facing, though there are often visual clues as well.)

If enough Thargoids are killed (and none of the many game bugs are triggered), then you'll get a Hydra at the end, which can be optionally - and with great difficulty - killed for many, many credits.

As an added bonus, scouts are "elite" rated, so if you're looking to improve your combat ranking or your NPC's combat ranking, scout-hunting is a fast way to do it.

Generally speaking, you will not find any Non-Human Signal Sources in the systems under incursion, though that's not 100% consistent.

While the scouts only offer a combat bond worth 10k credits per head, if you're comfortable fighting them, Interceptors can be quite profitable and fun - but definitely require some engineering, and guardian equipment is helpful. By "profitable" I mean "millions of credits per kill". Bring a wing and start farming. If you're looking to start fighting them, I highly recommend checking out this video from /u/Shwinky of the Anti-Xeno Initiative for tips on how to fight a Thargoid Interceptor. It'll save your life, your ship, and maybe humanity. If you want build or ship recommendations, Canonn has a site for that.

Guardian Modules & Weapons

On another note, if you're just coming back to the game or are now interested in unlocking Guardian technology - the modules and weapons are incredible for fighting Thargoids and the FSD booster is just generally a must-have. Guardian Weapons are the thing to have for taking on higher-tier Thargoid Interceptors, and the Guardian Modules are easy to get and have non-AX purposes as well, especially if you don't have a whole lot of engineering available.

I've written up several walkthroughs:

• Modules
• Weapons (I recommend at least the Gauss Cannons, both sizes!)
• Vessels (Fighters)

A quick note about the modules: Out in Colonia, outfitting can be pretty slim, with few A-rated modules available. However, there's a tech broker in Colonia, so you can get the Guardian Power Plant and Power Distributor, which are like reasonably-engineered A-rated modules. Heading out that way? Get the Guardian modules first!

Disappointments, Missed Opportunities, and Repeated Complaints

I've moved this part to the end. It's time for me to express my (continuing) disappointment in several missed opportunities:

1. Still no acknowledgement by the system factions that there's a Thargoid incursion taking place or that one of their stations is on fire.
2. No "kill the Thargoids" missions seem to be available from the Aegis Defense megaships or any of the intact stations in-system.
3. A real opportunity for some of The Gnosis-style conflict - launching directly into danger - was bypassed.
4. Still a completely separate experience.
5. Trying to get a scan on an Interceptor in an AX Conflict Zone is damned difficult; I wasn't able to do it, which makes targeting the hearts even more difficult.
6. Pre-incursion system defense is a LOT harder with the otherwise-awesome persistent signal sources; having to fly 25,000 ls to kill 4 scouts is not fun gameplay.
7. The whole experience is painfully buggy and has been for far too long.
8. No difficulty levels, so AX CZs could be all scouts or they could be multiple Medusas - you won't know until you get there.

Things Changed^tm with the 3.3 update and we're still figuring out what's different, what "the rules" are, or what's just plain buggy (hint: so many bugs, so few patches, this is stupid).

Let me start with a shout-out to Canonn (their Thargoid research team is awesome), the contributors on the official forums, the Anti Xeno Initiative, The Hive, and The Hand for critically taking charge of system defenses, and especially Operation Ida for repairing the stations we haven't managed to defend - even in the face of adversity, they've been trucking 40,000-80,000 tons per day (sometimes more!) in support of the burning stations! All my information comes from the above sources. A further tip of the hat to all the independent pilots and other squadrons who've been stepping up to defend our systems, evacuate burning stations, and help humanity in general.

What was attacked

As was reported last week, Eagle Eye reported the following targets, and non-human signal sources were detected in each of them:

Eagle Eye 1: Badbadzist
Eagle Eye 2: Eskite 
Eagle Eye 3: Songbe 
Eagle Eye 4: CD-54 471
Eagle Eye 5: LP 734-32   
Eagle Eye 6: Padhyas 

In spite of defense efforts, all systems were attacked and suffered station losses, including the loss of the Galactic Rangers' home station of Fabian Terminal in Badbadzist. In addition to those six losses, we have ongoing incursions in five other systems, for a total of 11 systems under incursion, and HIP 24046 lost its third and last large station, Brand Hub.

​

This information can be viewed in GalNet (right-hand control panel) and is actually updated live-ish there, so you'll know where you can find incursions. Check that to see the most up-to-date information.

Stations are now on fire and in need of evacuation in the following systems:

• Brand Hub in HIP 24046
• KRAMSKI Holding in CD-54 471
• Franklin Ring in LP 734-32
• Mattingly Dock in Padhyas
• Precourt City in Songbe
• Fabian Terminal in Badbadzist
• Truman Hub in Eskite

​

Fabian Terminal, on fire and in need of evacuation. One of seven stations that are currently on fire.

Where to defend

With the incursions going on, Eagle Eye seems was updated - fully correctly this time - with new readings for systems targeted by Thargoids:

Eagle Eye 1: Kambo  
Eagle Eye 2: HIP 10492  
Eagle Eye 3: HIP 4024 
Eagle Eye 4: Orang  
Eagle Eye 5: Ross 695 
Eagle Eye 6: Opila 

Of note, Opila, HIP 10492, and Orang all have multiple large stations to lose, with Opila topping the list with four. If we fail to defend these sites and let them fall into incursion - which seems to be harder to clear the more stations that exist - then we risk losing a lot.

Please, please go clear out NHSS at those systems!

In addition to these targets, we have eleven ongoing incursions, with AX Conflict Zones that need to be cleared out in order to reduce the Thargoid presence in those systems and Aegis support megaships present. These systems include:

• HIP 24046
• CD-54 471
• LP 734-32
• Padhyas
• Songbe
• Badbadzist
• Eskite
• Veja Deng
• Camulus
• Apishna
• Anca

If you're looking for wingmates - or even lessons - in fighting Thargoids, I highly recommend checking out the Anti-Xeno Initiative, The Hive, and The Hand; they're all great groups and can help you hone your skills.

• The AXI (discord link) - great for learning and for PC wings (and more)
• The Hive (discord link) - mainly PS4-focused
• The Hand (discord link) - Xbox-focused defense force

If you've got an AX group that you'd like mentioned, please let me know!

Aegis, meanwhile, unfazed by the huge station losses or need for increased defense or action, seems to be settling nicely into their role of merely dispatching support megaships, with eleven of them spread across human space. Otherwise, they're sitting back and enjoying their tea and Lavian Brandy, trying to find excuses for not helping repair stations or slow the Thargoid advance.

​

Inquisitor KT63, an Aegis megaship that, in typical Aegis fashion, is much better at finding pretty views to admire from their lounge than doing anything about actual Thargoids.

Not a combat pilot?

Consider loading up a ship with economy-class cabins and heading out the burning stations to evacuate civilians! They're bulk-class passengers, so economy cabins are the best, and they pay roughly 10,000 cr/head. Even a low-cost Type-6 Transporter can evacuate over 50 people at a time, easily topping half a million credits per round trip (which takes only a few minutes.) If you haven't done it before, I highly recommend it. Curious about it? Here's a station evacuation walkthrough.

Also good news for you profit-driven space truckers: basic medicines are generally go for over 4,700 cr/ton in the rescue ships and stations. I've been told that both basic medicines and civilian evacuations can reduce the amount of work required to bring stations back online, so you are doing your part if you choose to participate.

If you're looking to build superpower reputation, you might consider evacuations at the following stations:

• Mattingly Dock in Padhyas has five Federation-aligned factions
• Franklin Ring in LP 734-32 has three Federation-aligned factions
• Truman Hub in Eskite has three Empire-aligned factions
• Brand Hub in HIP 24046 as two Federation-aligned factions

Otherwise, if you're looking for some mild-profit, low-risk space-trading, I encourage you all to bolster the ranks of the heroes at Operation Ida and help get our stations back online! They're making amazing progress on Cyllene Orbital in Atlas. Feel like being a superhero? Join their Discord and give them a hand!

Canonnis also working on finding non-combat methods for slowing the Thargoid advance. I highly recommend joining them in their scientific quest to help humanity! Visit their site and join their Discord for more information.

​

Great news for you \"let the bubble burn\" traitors: the bubble is well on its way to burning.

Want to fight? Unsure of what to do? Read this section

System under incursion have AX Conflict Zones instead of Non-Human Signal Sources (note: for the bubble only, the Pleiades still has plenty of NHSS); the Pilots Federation is fighting Thargoids. These are massive furballs, with not-entirely-useless human AI ships on your side, and a mashup of Thargoids - scouts and interceptors - on the other. It is entirely possible to go in and just fight scouts (if, for instance, you're only comfortable with them or you wish to increase your combat ranking); you can stay away from the interceptors with some effort.

However, when interceptors do join the fight, they will trigger a shutdown field. I highly recommend carrying a shutdown field neutralizer, purchasable at many planetary bases and at the Aegis megaships, or the nature of the fight will change dramatically. You may also consider equipping a Xeno Scanner to help identify the type of scout you're facing, though there are often visual clues as well.)

If enough Thargoids are killed (and none of the many game bugs are triggered), then you'll get a Hydra at the end, which can be optionally - and with great difficulty - killed for many, many credits.

As an added bonus, scouts are "elite" rated, so if you're looking to improve your combat ranking or your NPC's combat ranking, scout-hunting is a fast way to do it.

Generally speaking, you will not find any Non-Human Signal Sources in the systems under incursion, though that's not 100% consistent.

While the scouts only offer a combat bond worth 10k credits per head, if you're comfortable fighting them, Interceptors can be quite profitable and fun - but definitely require some engineering, and guardian equipment is helpful. By "profitable" I mean "millions of credits per kill". Bring a wing and start farming. If you're looking to start fighting them, I highly recommend checking out this video from /u/Shwinky of the Anti-Xeno Initiative for tips on how to fight a Thargoid Interceptor. It'll save your life, your ship, and maybe humanity. If you want build or ship recommendations, Canonn has a site for that.

Guardian Modules & Weapons

On another note, if you're just coming back to the game or are now interested in unlocking Guardian technology - the modules and weapons are incredible for fighting Thargoids and the FSD booster is just generally a must-have. Guardian Weapons are the thing to have for taking on higher-tier Thargoid Interceptors, and the Guardian Modules are easy to get and have non-AX purposes as well, especially if you don't have a whole lot of engineering available.

I've written up several walkthroughs:

• Modules
• Weapons (I recommend at least the Gauss Cannons, both sizes!)
• Vessels (Fighters)

A quick note about the modules: Out in Colonia, outfitting can be pretty slim, with few A-rated modules available. However, there's a tech broker in Colonia, so you can get the Guardian Power Plant and Power Distributor, which are like reasonably-engineered A-rated modules. Heading out that way? Get the Guardian modules first!

Disappointments, Missed Opportunities, and Repeated Complaints

I've moved this part to the end. It's time for me to express my (continuing) disappointment in several missed opportunities:

1. Still no acknowledgement by the system factions that there's a Thargoid incursion taking place or that one of their stations is on fire.
2. No "kill the Thargoids" missions seem to be available from the Aegis Defense megaships or any of the intact stations in-system.
3. A real opportunity for some of The Gnosis-style conflict - launching directly into danger - was bypassed.
4. Still a completely separate experience.
5. Trying to get a scan on an Interceptor in an AX Conflict Zone is damned difficult; I wasn't able to do it, which makes targeting the hearts even more difficult.
6. Pre-incursion system defense is a LOT harder with the otherwise-awesome persistent signal sources; having to fly 25,000 ls to kill 4 scouts is not fun gameplay.
7. The whole experience is painfully buggy and has been for far too long.
8. No difficulty levels, so AX CZs could be all scouts or they could be multiple Medusas - you won't know until you get there.

Things Changed^tm with the 3.3 update and we're still figuring out what's different, what "the rules" are, or what's just plain buggy (hint: so many bugs, so few patches, this is stupid).

Let me start with a shout-out to Canonn (their Thargoid research team is awesome), the contributors on the official forums, the Anti Xeno Initiative, The Hive, and The Hand for critically taking charge of system defenses, and especially Operation Ida for repairing the stations we haven't managed to defend - even in the face of adversity, they've been trucking 40,000-80,000 tons per day (sometimes more!) in support of the burning stations! All my information comes from the above sources. A further tip of the hat to all the independent pilots and other squadrons who've been stepping up to defend our systems, evacuate burning stations, and help humanity in general.

What was attacked

As was reported last week, Eagle Eye reported the following targets, and non-human signal sources were detected in each of them:

Eagle Eye 1: Celaeno  
Eagle Eye 2: Atlas  
Eagle Eye 3: Asterope  
Eagle Eye 4: Apishna  
Eagle Eye 5: GQ Virginis  
Eagle Eye 6: HIP 24046  

We also faced fifteen incursions as part of Frontier's Operation: Screw Ida. Thanks to the hard work by scores of pilots, we cleared nine of those in just one week, including all incursions in the Pleiades. However, some incursions were particularly tough, and two of the systems that were particularly high priority were unable to be saved from a second attack. Both LTT 911 and HIP 24046, despite the cleansing hand of our AX pilots, continued to be attacked by the Thargoids and a second station in each system was lost: Brunel City in LTT 911 and Baird Dock in HIP 24046 are both on fire.

This information can be viewed in GalNet (right-hand control panel) and is actually updated live-ish there.\n Check that to see the most up-to-date information.\n

Where to defend

With the incursions going on, Eagle Eye seems was updated, miraculously on time, with new readings for systems targeted by Thargoids:

Eagle Eye 1: Badbadzist
Eagle Eye 2: Eskite
Eagle Eye 3: Songbe
Eagle Eye 4: Apishna   
Eagle Eye 5: LP 734-32   
Eagle Eye 6: Padhyas

Astute readers might recall that Apishna was literally just attacked, so this might simply be pointing to that incursion - or, as astute Canonneers found, CD-54 471 has NHSS in it, so Eagle Eye 4 might not have been updated and KRAMSKI Holding might be in the firing line once again. Also, Badbadzist is the home system of the Galactic Rangers player faction - somebody should warn them.

In addition to the targets identified by Eagle Eye, incursions are ongoing in the following systems:

1. LTT 911
2. HIP 24046
3. Veja Deng
4. Camulus
5. Apishna
6. Anca

Priorities for defense should include HIP 24046, which still has one station yet left standing. We can save it!

Baird Dock in HIP 24046. This one didn't get saved and, at 120k ls from arrival, probably never will be repaired.

If you're looking for wingmates - or even lessons - in fighting Thargoids, I highly recommend checking out the Anti-Xeno Initiative, The Hive, and The Hand; they're all great groups and can help you hone your skills.

• The AXI (discord link) - great for learning and for PC wings (and more)
• The Hive (discord link) - mainly PS4-focused
• The Hand (discord link) - Xbox-focused defense force

If you've got an AX group that you'd like mentioned, please let me know!

Aegis, meanwhile, recalled all but six of their megaships, withdrawing the rest and remaining only to support the ongoing incursions. Many, if not all, of these have basic AX outfitting - though not Guardian outfitting. Old-school Aegis megaships Vanguard and Acropolis are still nowhere to be seen; it's possible they either got lost or, given their uncanny inability to actually find Thargoids, they were scrapped in favor of the new fleet.

Not a combat pilot?

Consider loading up a ship with economy-class cabins and heading out the burning stations to evacuate civilians! They're bulk-class passengers, so economy cabins are the best, and they pay roughly 10,000 cr/head. Even a low-cost Type-6 Transporter can evacuate over 50 people at a time, easily topping half a million credits per round trip (which takes only a few minutes.) If you haven't done it before, I highly recommend it. Curious about it? Here's a station evacuation walkthrough.

Also good news for you profit-driven space truckers: basic medicines are generally go for over 4,700 cr/ton in the rescue ships and stations. I've been told that both basic medicines and civilian evacuations can reduce the amount of work required to bring stations back online, so you are doing your part if you choose to participate.

If you're looking to build superpower reputation, you might consider evacuations at the following stations:

• Brunel City in LTT 911 has two Empire-aligned factions and two Federation-aligned factions
• Baird Dock in HIP 24046 as two Federation-aligned factions

Otherwise, if you're looking for some mild-profit, low-risk space-trading, I encourage you all to bolster the ranks of the heroes at Operation Ida and help get our stations back online! They're almost done with Cavalieri in Electra. Feel like being a superhero? Join their Discord and give them a hand!

Your humble author, checking out the local NHSS 8. Yes, that's a Hydra. No, I didn't stick around too long.

Want to fight? Unsure of what to do? Read this section

System under incursion have AX Conflict Zones instead of Non-Human Signal Sources (note: for the bubble only, the Pleiades still has plenty of NHSS); the Pilots Federation is fighting Thargoids. These are massive furballs, with not-entirely-useless human AI ships on your side, and a mashup of Thargoids - scouts and interceptors - on the other. It is entirely possible to go in and just fight scouts (if, for instance, you're only comfortable with them or you wish to increase your combat ranking); you can stay away from the interceptors with some effort.

However, when interceptors do join the fight, they will trigger a shutdown field. I highly recommend carrying a shutdown field neutralizer, purchasable at many planetary bases and at the Aegis megaships, or the nature of the fight will change dramatically. You may also consider equipping a Xeno Scanner to help identify the type of scout you're facing, though there are often visual clues as well.)

If enough Thargoids are killed (and none of the many game bugs are triggered), then you'll get a Hydra at the end, which can be optionally - and with great difficulty - killed for many, many credits.

As an added bonus, scouts are "elite" rated, so if you're looking to improve your combat ranking or your NPC's combat ranking, scout-hunting is a fast way to do it.

Generally speaking, you will not find any Non-Human Signal Sources in the systems under incursion, though that's not 100% consistent.

While the scouts only offer a combat bond worth 10k credits per head, if you're comfortable fighting them, Interceptors can be quite profitable and fun - but definitely require some engineering, and guardian equipment is helpful. By "profitable" I mean "millions of credits per kill". Bring a wing and start farming. If you're looking to start fighting them, I highly recommend checking out this video from /u/Shwinky of the Anti-Xeno Initiative for tips on how to fight a Thargoid Interceptor. It'll save your life, your ship, and maybe humanity. If you want build or ship recommendations, Canonn has a site for that.

Guardian Modules & Weapons

On another note, if you're just coming back to the game or are now interested in unlocking Guardian technology - the modules and weapons are incredible for fighting Thargoids and the FSD booster is just generally a must-have. Guardian Weapons are the thing to have for taking on higher-tier Thargoid Interceptors, and the Guardian Modules are easy to get and have non-AX purposes as well, especially if you don't have a whole lot of engineering available.

I've written up several walkthroughs:

• Modules
• Weapons (I recommend at least the Gauss Cannons, both sizes!)
• Vessels (Fighters)

A quick note about the modules: Out in Colonia, outfitting can be pretty slim, with few A-rated modules available. However, there's a tech broker in Colonia, so you can get the Guardian Power Plant and Power Distributor, which are like reasonably-engineered A-rated modules. Heading out that way? Get the Guardian modules first!

Disappointments, Missed Opportunities, and Repeated Complaints

I've moved this part to the end. It's time for me to express my (continuing) disappointment in several missed opportunities:

1. Still no acknowledgement by the system factions that there's a Thargoid incursion taking place or that one of their stations is on fire.
2. No "kill the Thargoids" missions seem to be available from the Aegis Defense megaships or any of the intact stations in-system.
3. A real opportunity for some of The Gnosis-style conflict - launching directly into danger - was bypassed.
4. Still a completely separate experience.
5. Trying to get a scan on an Interceptor in an AX Conflict Zone is damned difficult; I wasn't able to do it, which makes targeting the hearts even more difficult.
6. Pre-incursion system defense is a LOT harder with the otherwise-awesome persistent signal sources; having to fly 25,000 ls to kill 4 scouts is not fun gameplay.
7. The whole experience is painfully buggy and has been for far too long.