Apocrypha 1.1 Update

As many of my readers will know - I like to explore - especially around low-sec now, so the scanning changes in the new patch intrigued me, so I knew I had to try it asap.

I didn't want to comment until I had had the chance to properly play in the past 2-3 days post patch. Overall though - I like it - yes occasionally the arrows disappear, and its hard to grab a probe to move it - but remembering sites once found, and allowing bookmarking of sites straight from scanner (ie without warping in first), its just plain brilliant. It means I can scan out a site, and then send in a more specialised team to retrieve the loot or do the combat site (and even swap to a salvager if needed)... Being able to tell which "hits" are from which site is also another positive improvement...

Unlike some I don't think the changes are bad - they just need refinement. Being able to see the arrows and squares a little better would surely help a little.

I had some fun yesterday sitting cloaked and scanning while a 6 strong low-sec roaming gang were trying to probe me out in my nice hidden covert-ops frigate. Guys... it ain't gonna happen. After 15 minutes they left local, and stopped searching for little me :)

In an hour, probed 1 combat site, 2 wormholes, 8 ladar!, 1 gravimetric, 1 radar and 1 magnemetric site - looting the radar and mag site. The rest I decided to leave to another day...
Before retiring I took my drones on a trip to a nearby repair station - as most were truely in a battered state. With the cost of T2 drones, taking a cargohold or two full for repairs is a weekly event for me - as my drones do tend to get battered a bit by the enemy...

Reasonable week - now got 500mln on market, a nice, although disparate mineral stash (some hauling of minerals is required in next couple of weeks)... But basically now my high-sec operations should not need touching for 2-3 weeks at least allowing me to concentrate on low-sec endeavors, and isk-earning for a short while.

Short term planning now is to:

1. Start T2 invention skills and get to reasonable levels
2. Get a full T2 equipped HAC - should be able to do this in about 2 months & also get some basic battleship/large weapons skills.
   
3. Finish moon-surveying and deploy a POS to moon-mine. (ready now, but funds a bit lacking). All moons locally with anything useful have already been taken so this will entriely depend on what is found.
   
4. Purchase and get full set of Caldari frigate/cruiser/destroyer blueprint originals researched. The POS may help with this but will not be essential.
   
5. Get full set of T2 drone skills

I also *have* to book Iceland flights and accommodation for fanfest... it keeps slipping my mind, but needs doing. Will try and do it this afternoon.ev

Deep space scanner probe strength reduction

Okay, according to the Patchnotes for tommorow - Apocrypha 1.0.2 has :

• Deep Space Scanner Probe I and its variations have had their strength reduced.

Okay, this isn't good. If thats the case, it'll slow up my scans of systems?

Anyone else peeved by this - I think the strength personally is just right - 90% of the time you can get a stable warp in (with good skills) with deep space scanner probes - but 10% I need to resort to more specialized probes (core probes).

Be interested to see what this brings but I thought I'd bring it to attention of the bloggers.