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EVE New Citizens Q&A

 
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Mobile Tractor Unit and Salvage Drones interaction.
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GeMantis
Sentrus Corp.
#1 - 2014-01-06 17:10:50 UTC
I am starting to use salvage drones, here is my question. If I deploy my salvage drones and tractor at the same time, will the tractor potentially loot things and cause me to lose out on the salvage? Or can the drones still salvage a wreck even if the tractor has already scanned it? Should I wait until the drones are done before I deploy the tractor or can I let them run at the same time?
Joy-Tear Starseeker
Unity Ventures
#2 - 2014-01-06 17:19:54 UTC
Welcome to EVE!

I use a MTU with salvage drones regularly. The MTU will gather the wrecks, looting them and leave them all in one place for your drones.

My advice, If you can, drop the MTU at the start of the fight, someplace in the middle, as the tractor is slow past 50km or so.

Also, a word of warning. MTU can be scanned down. People can jump into your missions and attack it, making them a suspect. If this happens don't panic. Immediately set your drones to passive and then recall them. Then scoop your MTU and leave. Do not engage the suspect as he is baiting you, and will likely try yo extort you for ISK to save your ship.

Good Luck & Safe Flying

Joy :)
GeMantis
Sentrus Corp.
#3 - 2014-01-06 17:40:44 UTC
Thank you very much. I appreciate the warning about baiting as well.
Jonah Gravenstein
Machiavellian Space Bastards
#4 - 2014-01-06 19:21:02 UTC  |  Edited by: Jonah Gravenstein
Joy-Tear Starseeker wrote:
Immediately set your drones to passive and then recall them. Then scoop your MTU and leave. Do not engage the suspect as he is baiting you, and will likely try to extort you for ISK to save your ship.

Good Luck & Safe Flying

Joy :)
Good advice, drones attacking people who shoot at MTUs is currently classed as a bug by CCP as far as I know, if they fix it they'll probably break it some more before succeeding as it's old code; although it is an entertaining use of the mechanic.

In the beginning there was nothing, which exploded.

New Player FAQ

Feyd's Survival Pack
Ptraci
3 R Corporation
#5 - 2014-01-06 22:51:16 UTC
GeMantis wrote:
I am starting to use salvage drones, here is my question. If I deploy my salvage drones and tractor at the same time, will the tractor potentially loot things and cause me to lose out on the salvage? Or can the drones still salvage a wreck even if the tractor has already scanned it? Should I wait until the drones are done before I deploy the tractor or can I let them run at the same time?


The MTU will only pull wrecks and cans that are legitimately yours (ie they are not yellow, they belong to you or a corp/alliance/fleet member). Likewise your salvage drones will only auto-salvage wrecks that belong to you if you right click on "salvage" after clicking on your drones, without any particular target. If your drones salvage a wreck that is far away from the MTU or being pulled by it, then it will turn into a cargo container. But the MTU has no trouble pulling cargo containers too, so it will just set you back a couple seconds as the MTU re-locks the can and starts pulling again. Once the wreck or can gets within about 2000 meters from the MTU, it will be looted. Remember that MTU's only loot, they do not salvage.
Sabriz Adoudel
Move along there is nothing here
#6 - 2014-01-07 01:12:36 UTC
You will get the best results from MTU and salvage drones if your ship remains within 1000 or so metres of the MTU.

That said, if you are running PVE content and want to loot, here's what I recommend you do (from an ISK efficiency viewpoint): Set up your inventory filters to have one category for modules over 1m ISK, and another for modules over 200k ISK. Carry two MTUs with you. In the first mission pocket, drop an MTU and kill everything, then bookmark your MTU and warp to the next pocket (leaving your MTU behind). Repeat this process in the next pocket, then return to the first pocket, and loot all the 1m+ modules, then again for the 200k+ ones, and scoop your MTU. Now loot the second pocket, and go into the third and start clearing.

Even when the MTU clusters everything for you salvaging is not worth your time, except if you are new enough that level 3 missions are beyond your abilities. Odyssey crashed the salvage market something shocking.

I support the New Order and CODE. alliance. www.minerbumping.com
Ralph King-Griffin
New Eden Tech Support
#7 - 2014-01-07 03:17:33 UTC
after you strip a wreck, the loot is left in a can, which the mtu will pull in for you.

if you have a mtu OR/AND a mobile depo out , keep your drone on passive.

Murderers of Negotiable Motivations

=]|[=
Ougaa Baalstomp
Federal Navy Academy
Gallente Federation
#8 - 2014-01-08 17:07:06 UTC
Jonah Gravenstein wrote:
Joy-Tear Starseeker wrote:
Immediately set your drones to passive and then recall them. Then scoop your MTU and leave. Do not engage the suspect as he is baiting you, and will likely try to extort you for ISK to save your ship.

Good Luck & Safe Flying

Joy :)
Good advice, it's currently classed as a bug by CCP as far as I know, if they fix it they'll probably break it some more before succeeding as it's old code; although it is an entertaining use of the mechanic.


working as intended afaik

...at least hope so, more fun that way and might help with bots.
Jonah Gravenstein
Machiavellian Space Bastards
#9 - 2014-01-08 18:39:23 UTC
Ougaa Baalstomp wrote:

working as intended afaik

...at least hope so, more fun that way and might help with bots.
Don't get me wrong, I think it's an excellent example of unintended game mechanics. I hope they leave it as it is tbh, it's hilarious.

In the beginning there was nothing, which exploded.

New Player FAQ

Feyd's Survival Pack
Sabriz Adoudel
Move along there is nothing here
#10 - 2014-01-08 23:23:49 UTC
Ougaa Baalstomp wrote:
Jonah Gravenstein wrote:
Joy-Tear Starseeker wrote:
Immediately set your drones to passive and then recall them. Then scoop your MTU and leave. Do not engage the suspect as he is baiting you, and will likely try to extort you for ISK to save your ship.

Good Luck & Safe Flying

Joy :)
Good advice, it's currently classed as a bug by CCP as far as I know, if they fix it they'll probably break it some more before succeeding as it's old code; although it is an entertaining use of the mechanic.


working as intended afaik

...at least hope so, more fun that way and might help with bots.



Yeah the number of killmails I am seeing in various channels at the moment that go:

Killmail: Ship at time t
Killmail: Capsule at time t+5 sec
Killmail: Mobile Tractor Unit at time t+60 sec

followed by five minutes later

Bot Euthanist: heh, just got a private convo from that Dominix ten minutes ago... he's mad, check this out... said he's petitioned me for exploiting and griefing for killing him in highsec...

I support the New Order and CODE. alliance. www.minerbumping.com
Mara Rinn
Cosmic Goo Convertor
#11 - 2014-01-09 05:50:37 UTC
They can take our lives, but they'll never take our drone assist!

Day 0 Advice for New Players