Mech Ops

See also: Cosmic Exploration FATEs and Red Alert

Mech Ops

Mech Ops are FATE-like, large-scale directives issued in Cosmic Exploration zones that make use of special mechs to complete objectives at designated intervals. A mech op will spawn every 20 real-life minutes, and the available mech op in a zone will alternate. There are two mech ops in each zone. If a Red Alert spawns during the cooldown period, the mech op spawn schedule will be put on hold until the Red Alert concludes.

Players may participate as either pilots or ground support. These FATE-like events do not involve crafting, gathering, or combat. Rather, players are tasked to interact with various objects using special actions that are made available for each mech op. Each mech op has a 10 minute time limit.

Piloting a mech

When a mech op directive is issued, players may use their exotablets to submit a pilot application, which must first be purchased with 1000 zone-specific credits from Alerot. Once the entry period has expired, five players will be selected at random from the applicants and assigned to a mech. Players who are not chosen will regain their pilot application. Furthermore, each time a player is not chosen, their chances of being chosen next time will improve.

• Note that players who are selected as pilots but withdraw from the mission or fail to board the mech in time will lose their pilot application.

During mech ops, pilots interact with various large objects within the mech op location using mech AoE actions specific for each operation, which collects resources from them. Each resource raises the pilot's contribution score by 10-100, depending on the mech op. Unlike with ground support, pilots have an unlimited cap for the resources they collect and thus do not need to turn in their items at a field scanner.

The large objects on the map are shared for all players, so mech ops pilots will need to compete for them. However, there is an ample supply of objects to achieve maximum rank for the operation.

Ground Support

The "Directive: Clear Toxic Lunar Spongoi" mech op. Ground support players destroy the small purple plants and mech pilots destroy the large red plants. Ground support must also periodically submit their items to the field scanner (green circle) to prevent overcapping their resources.

By traveling to the directive's location and selecting "Join Event" from the duty list, players may participate in a mech op as ground support, assisting the pilots. Ground support players can quickly travel to the mech op location by talking to Alerot, so they do not need to walk over.

Ground support players interact with various small objects or marked locations within the mech op location using AoE actions specific for each operation. Interacting with an object will return a resource item whose quantity can be tracked in the duty HUD. Each destroyed object raises the player's contribution score by 5-10, depending on the mech op. Players can load their collected resources into a field scanner (by walking over a glowing green circle on the map) to empty their stock and increase their contribution by another 5-10 points per item submitted. Depositing items into a field scanner will charge it; when it becomes fully charged, it will spawn new targets for the mech pilots.

The small objects on the map are specific per player, so it is not possible to compete for the same objects.

In terms of the mech op's progress, only destroying objects will increment the progress bar. Depositing items has no effect on the progress bar.

Mech Ops Rewards

By completing mech ops, players will obtain contribution points (during a ranking period), cosmic exploration-specific currency and experience points. In Sinus Ardorum, ground support players will typically obtain 300-400 contribution, although this may be higher depending on how fast the mech op is completed and their ability to destroy multiple objects at once. Pilots receive substantially higher contribution, around 5000 points. However, in Phaenna, both pilots and ground support appear to receive similar contribution on average.

Ground supporters, but not pilots, will receive a bonus effect that increases all Cosmocredits earned by a flat +20 and Lunar/Phaenna Credits by a flat +10/ for the next 20 stellar missions. This is viewable when accepting a mission in the exotablet interface.

Pilots will instead receive a zone-specific Big Bang Ticket to participate in a special type of Cosmic Fortune with an increased chance for rare rewards. Rarely, in place of the ticket, they will obtain a zone-specific mount directly, which is otherwise normally obtained from Cosmic Fortune rolls in that zone.

• Sinus Ardorum:   Vacuum Suit Identification Key
• Phaenna:   Warp Loader Identification Key

A higher contribution in the mission will result in increased rewards, but players generally have ample time to obtain the maximum (gold) rank.

Contribution Tiers

At the end of the mission, the player's contribution will be evaluated. Different contribution tiers are available depending on whether the player participated as a ground supporter or pilot.

Ground Tier	Ground Contribution Points
Modest	5-240
Generous	245 or higher
Pilot Tier	Pilot Contribution Points
Respectable	50-300
Generous	350-600
Sizeable	650 or higher

Tips

• Pilots receive significantly more contribution and rewards than ground supporters, so it is worthwhile to always apply as a pilot when doing mech ops.
• Players who would like their maximize their chances of being selected as a pilot can speak with Drivingway and travel to an instance with a lower number of players. Additionally, their chances will increase simply by continuing to apply for applications.
• For pilots, it is generally more efficient to stay within a certain area and wait for large objects to spawn instead of wander around.
• For both pilots and ground supports, attempt to hit multiple objects at once with AoE actions for higher efficiency.
• For ground supporters, if the operation ends before the player turns in all of their items at a field scanner, they will miss some contribution, so they should do their final turn-in when the 90% completion message appears on the screen.
• For ground supporters, each mech op has a fixed number of objects destroyed needed for Gold Star ranking. They can leave the area early if they finish these goals early and still receive full rewards.
• If there are too few players, the mech op may not be completed within the time limit, resulting in failure.
• Failing Mech ops as Ground Supporter with Generous contribution will still grant the Credit bonus, it will not grant progress towards the related Stellar Successes however.
• Mech ops do not reward research data for Cosmic Tools.

List of Mech Ops

Sinus Ardorum

Name	Location	Ground Supporters			Pilots
Rewards	Contribution per object/submission	Objects needed for Gold	Rewards	Contribution per object
Directive: Destroy Corrupted Crystals	Sinus Ardorum (X:14.4, Y:11.2)	Bronze:  10  10 Silver:  20  20 Gold:  40  40	10	13	Bronze:  120   Silver:  200  Gold:  250 Very Common:   Big Bang Ticket (Sinus Ardorum) Rare:   Vacuum Suit Identification Key	50
Directive: Clear Toxic Lunar Spongoi	Sinus Ardorum (X:28.9, Y:30.8)	Bronze:  10  10 Silver:  20  20 Gold:  40  40	5	26	Bronze:  120   Silver:  200  Gold:  250 Very Common:   Big Bang Ticket (Sinus Ardorum) Rare:   Vacuum Suit Identification Key	50

Phaenna

Name	Location	Ground Supporters			Pilots
Rewards	Contribution per object/submission	Objects needed for Gold	Rewards	Contribution per object
Directive: Mine Phainite	Phaenna (X:10.4, Y:16.6)	Bronze:  30  10 Silver:  60  20 Gold:  100  40	10	13	Bronze:  1,200   Silver:  1,500  Gold:  1,800 Very Common:   Big Bang Ticket (Phaenna) Rare:   Warp Loader Identification Key	5 (Energy) 100 (Phainite)
Directive: Shatter Glass Clusters	Phaenna (X:33.6, Y:11.8)	Bronze:  30  10 Silver:  60  20 Gold:  100  40	10	13	Bronze:  1,200   Silver:  1,500  Gold:  1,800 Very Common:   Big Bang Ticket (Phaenna) Rare:   Warp Loader Identification Key	10