how do i find anomaly detectors now?

[Rise Risotto]

i have been days trying to find anomaly detectors and its imposible to find just one, even tried with a mod and still didnt find anything i dont know if there is another way to get it cause asteroids dront drop it anymore for me

[Jaggid Edje]

@AzureFang, I'm still pretty sure you are wrong. The difference between what the game considers "rare" asteroids and "common" asteroids is not a visual one. They look the same (or more accurately, can look the same, seeing as there is a wide variety of asteroid appearances).

The asteroid fields are mixed as well, which is why you get 'everything' when you are asteroid mining. But some fields seem to have a bias toward non-fuel results, which you can only figure out when you spend some time mining in them.

The asteroid field generation table also still has both rare and common asteroids generated as part of the asteroid field. AND the table has a separate probability for tritium (fuel) for rare asteroids vs. common asteroids. This would not exist if common and rare were referring to the same asteroids.
One of the variables that can be adjusted is the frequency of rare asteroids in the asteroid fields and there are separate variables for the distribution spacing, fade range, scale, noise range (and more) of 'common' asteroids vs. 'rare' asteroids.

You basically cannot look at the file for asteroid field generation and walk away thinking there are not two distinct types of 'normal' asteroids, named "Common" and "rare".

These two variables in particular are the source of why some fields are better than others for getting anomaly detectors, I believe:

  <Property name="AsteroidSomeRaresOdds" value="0.52" />
  <Property name="AsteroidLotsOfRaresOdds" value="0.9" />

[Azure Fang]

Yes, but beyond the cosmetic distinction, the rarity of asteroids was done away with a few updates ago when they updated field generation again. What constitutes a "rare" asteroid now is just the pool of art assets, and there's some overlap between "common" and "rare" textures now, to the point that you can have systems where the common and rare asteroids look exactly the same.

I just did a search of the XML (now that I know how to use NMSPE I can't fathom how I existed before it). Unlike terrestrial objects, asteroids don't have a distinct table to call in REWARDTABLE.EXML, and all of the asteroid drop property names are defined exactly once: in GCSOLARGENERATIONGLOBAL.GLOBAL.EXML. That means that all drop calls are pulled from the same location and the "rare" in the property name is referencing the rarity of the object, not the asteroid.

[Jaggid Edje]

Even if you're right about that, it doesn't change the existence of the distinction and, specifically, does nothing to address the variables that increase the rare option, two of which I referenced at the end of my post above. But there's a few more (by star color, for example) in the file.

i.e. my point that some asteroid fields are better than others still stands as far as I can tell based on the contents of the xml file.

[Azure Fang]

Originally posted by Jaggid Edje:

Even if you're right about that, it doesn't change the existence of the distinction and, specifically, does nothing to address the variables that increase the rare option, two of which I referenced at the end of my post above. But there's a few more (by star color, for example) in the file.

i.e. my point that some asteroid fields are better than others still stands as far as I can tell based on the contents of the xml file.

But they aren't. The rarity of the asteroid has no bearing on the drops. It's purely cosmetic. You have the same chance to get detectors from a "rare" asteroid that you do with a "common" if they all pull from the exact same drop weights.

[Prescient Stones]

https://youtu.be/edjGq1S8QYE

[Jaggid Edje]

Placebo or not, it looks cool as f. That alone would make me want to seek it out for mining.

[Azure Fang]

Originally posted by Prescient Stones:

https://youtu.be/edjGq1S8QYE

Just placebo. There is no multiplier property in the XML for storms. They're just a new environmental effect added around the same time they added all of the new particle effects, updated the portal graphics, added fog, etc.

[Prescient Stones]

Originally posted by Prescient Stones:

You you see or hear the space storm in and around the asteroid field, mine there. No need to spend hours, Get as close and stay close and you'll have a few in minutes.

I demonstrated, and achieved exactly what I expected.

Not about Anomaly Detectors.. stray NPC trolls.....

[Azure Fang]

Originally posted by Prescient Stones:

Originally posted by Prescient Stones:

You you see or hear the space storm in and around the asteroid field, mine there. No need to spend hours, Get as close and stay close and you'll have a few in minutes.

I demonstrated, and achieved exactly what I expected.

Not about Anomaly Detectors.. stray NPC trolls.....

Luck is what it is. The detectors have a 0.5% chance to drop, and while I get exactly that and end up with only 2 after ~100 asteroids, a friend in the same system ends up with 10 in the same amount of time with no storms.

Asteroid drops are controlled by a single XML file, and there is no property that factors storms into drop rate. Only planetary storms have effects.

I did, however, find the storm data and it did prove me wrong on one aspect. The electric storms DO require an asteroid field to spawn:

  <Property name="BackgroundSpaceEncounters">
    <Property value="GcBackgroundSpaceEncounterInfo.xml">
      <Property name="Id" value="STORM_FIELD" />
      <Property name="SpawnConditions" value="GcBackgroundSpaceEncounterSpawnConditions.xml">
        <Property name="NeedsEmptySystem" value="False" />
        <Property name="NeedsAbandonedSystem" value="False" />
        <Property name="NeedsPirateSystem" value="False" />
        <Property name="NeedsAsteroidField" value="True" />
      </Property>
      <Property name="SelectionWeighting" value="10" />
      <Property name="SpawnChance" value="0.03" />
      <Property name="SpawnDistance" value="5000" />
      <Property name="MinDuration" value="25" />
      <Property name="DespawnDistance" value="40000" />
      <Property name="Encounter" value="GcPulseEncounterSpawnObject.xml">
        <Property name="Object" value="TkModelResource.xml">
          <Property name="Filename" value="MODELS/EFFECTS/SPACE/NEBULA/NEBULA.SCENE.MBIN" />
          <Property name="ResHandle" value="GcResource.xml">
            <Property name="ResourceID" value="0" />
          </Property>
        </Property>
        <Property name="SpawnScale" value="1" />
        <Property name="Pitch" value="0" />
        <Property name="Yaw" value="0" />
        <Property name="Roll" value="0" />
      </Property>
    </Property>

[Johny_Drifter]

Can someone explain to me the importance of these things? I have a stack of 100 of them I have collected. I used one once and found a giant jellyfish Anomaly but I have also found those same Anomalies without using an anomaly Detector. I kind of considered them pointless

[Azure Fang]

Originally posted by Johny_Drifter:

Can someone explain to me the importance of these things? I have a stack of 100 of them I have collected. I used one once and found a giant jellyfish Anomaly but I have also found those same Anomalies without using an anomaly Detector. I kind of considered them pointless

Atlas words, quicksilver, and living frigates, mostly.

[Dhanen]

Thanks a lot everybody. I'll give a try!

[Rexxer]

I run into enough anomalies just flying around. I don't really need a separate detector for them. Is there a particular anomaly people are looking for? They all seem equally vaguely interesting for less than a minute, at best.

[Azure Fang]

Originally posted by Rexxer:

I run into enough anomalies just flying around. I don't really need a separate detector for them. Is there a particular anomaly people are looking for? They all seem equally vaguely interesting for less than a minute, at best.

Living Frigates can only be encountered using detectors (after your one freebie from the Dream Aerial). Plus, once you've completed the Atlas Path, they're an easy way to gain Atlas words.

You pop a detector, then pulse. When an anomaly comes up, you check the icon and if it doesn't match what you're looking for you just keep pulsing for 20 seconds. After 20 seconds, a new anomaly will replace the old one. Repeat until you get the anomaly type you want, then pop a new detector. This can also be used to get "free" full-run derelict freighters without spending 5mil on a scanner.

[Dhanen]

Originally posted by Azure Fang:

Living Frigates can only be encountered using detectors (after your one freebie from the Dream Aerial). Plus, once you've completed the Atlas Path, they're an easy way to gain Atlas words.

You pop a detector, then pulse. When an anomaly comes up, you check the icon and if it doesn't match what you're looking for you just keep pulsing for 20 seconds. After 20 seconds, a new anomaly will replace the old one. Repeat until you get the anomaly type you want, then pop a new detector. This can also be used to get "free" full-run derelict freighters without spending 5mil on a scanner.

That's a pretty good tip! So, you only need one if you pulse fast until frigate pops up? What about the aerial, do you need it in your inventory after first encounter? Thanks a lot.