Getting bored now

[Neillm]

One thing I did notice with this is that, even though the message I received said they didn't know where the USS would be, my system map showed the mission icon next to a planet. I went these, nice and close as mentioned above, and got the mission specific USS detected message. I got my ass handed to me by a Asp on steroids while mid-scooping though. He spawned and about 6 seconds later, I had no shields, a cracked canopy and disabled thrusters. One reboot later, as he circled me like a cat playing with a mouse, I got the thrusters back up and running only for him to do the same again. I wouldn't have minded but I'm in the same ship, but didn't stand a flamin' chance. I barely saw him before I was incapacitated. I did manage to escape (with 20% hull) on the second attempt though, only for him to interdict me and try again. Annoying thing was, I had to do it again because he interrupted the scoop. So, 100k in repairs for a 75k mission. /sigh

[Cometborne]

I got jumped several times while doing normal USS with encoded/degraded emissions and threat 0. With an A-rated Cobra MkIII, the following approach worked quite nicely:

- throttle 0 when entering the USS.
- wait for FSD cooldown
- do not target *ANY* objects in the USS yet as that triggers the NPC to spawn
- 4 PIP to SYS, 2 to WEP
- open scoop, 50% throttle, results in speed 38
- now select the first object and watch the scanner
- if the NPC spawns, close scoop, boost, hit FSD, boost, wait for coutdown, then start cursing
- I have not experienced NPC spawns after the first object was scooped or scanned

Usually escaped without even shield hits.

[JohnLuke]

I got jumped several times while doing normal USS with encoded/degraded emissions and threat 0. With an A-rated Cobra MkIII, the following approach worked quite nicely:

- throttle 0 when entering the USS.
- wait for FSD cooldown
- do not target *ANY* objects in the USS yet as that triggers the NPC to spawn
- 4 PIP to SYS, 2 to WEP
- open scoop, 50% throttle, results in speed 38
- now select the first object and watch the scanner
- if the NPC spawns, close scoop, boost, hit FSD, boost, wait for coutdown, then start cursing
- I have not experienced NPC spawns after the first object was scooped or scanned

Usually escaped without even shield hits.

Great tips, Cometborne!

After reading your tips, I got an idea. (it was good to see my gray matter doing something productive for a change)

I ran two black box missions with collector limpets on board. When I dropped into the site where the boxes were, I didn't select anything. I crept up to a reasonably close range, and set two collector limpets free to gather whatever was around. They came back with the black boxes and other useless crap, but more importantly.... no NPC's showed up!! I think that by not selecting anything the NPC's were not triggered to attack, as you said.

Both black box missions were completed with no enemy engagement whatsoever.