Spam D-Scan: A short guide to the Overview (kendrone via reddit)
This short guide for using the overview was posted by kendrone on reddit (archived copy). Read it - it might save your ship!
Short version: Overview will give you a couple seconds notice of incoming. Dscan can give you a minimum of ~10 seconds notice, and very frequently more than that. It's your eyes beyond eyes, use them!
Long version: D-scan is the equivalent of listening around the corner. It tells you what ships are within x range at y angle from your camera's POV. Outside a plex this is basically a readout of all possible hostile in there, barring cloaked ships and force recons. Inside a plex and set to 360 degrees, it's your ability to detect what is moving around and could become a threat.
My go-to for plex dscan is starting at 14 AU (or less if idle ships are present such as on a citadel/pos) watching a clear coast. Ensuring you have an overview profile that is just player ships is needed for this. The moment something appears on it ask yourself "Can this ship enter my plex?"
No (eg rookie ship, cruiser for a small plex etc) - Keep scanning and ignore that ship. Repeat.
Yes - Reduce scan range to 0.1 AU. Figure out now if you want to engage that ship type. If note, plan your exit. Scan at that range until either:
OR
Finally then, with the ship on 0.1 AU scan, something else will happen.
By doing this, you have a constant awareness of ships in your surroundings (except recons/cloakies). Even cloaked ships aren't a huge deal most of the time due to acceleration gates and decloak zones.
Note that with large plexes and their lack of acceleration gate, cloakies/recons/fast warping ships are that much deadlier. Use d-scan at as far a range as you can without picking up every tom, dick, and harry jumping the nearby stargate. I tend to go overboard on aligning for larges, better to have to drag my ass back to that no good NPC than suddenly have a stiletto's ugly grubling wrapped around my warp core.
These skills also work for nullsec and WH space, offensively and defensively. As with large plexes, cloakies/fast warpers/recons remain a bit ol' pile of shit on d-scan. Having physical scouts is operationally better, though not always cost/time effective.
Short version: Overview will give you a couple seconds notice of incoming. Dscan can give you a minimum of ~10 seconds notice, and very frequently more than that. It's your eyes beyond eyes, use them!
Long version: D-scan is the equivalent of listening around the corner. It tells you what ships are within x range at y angle from your camera's POV. Outside a plex this is basically a readout of all possible hostile in there, barring cloaked ships and force recons. Inside a plex and set to 360 degrees, it's your ability to detect what is moving around and could become a threat.
My go-to for plex dscan is starting at 14 AU (or less if idle ships are present such as on a citadel/pos) watching a clear coast. Ensuring you have an overview profile that is just player ships is needed for this. The moment something appears on it ask yourself "Can this ship enter my plex?"
No (eg rookie ship, cruiser for a small plex etc) - Keep scanning and ignore that ship. Repeat.
Yes - Reduce scan range to 0.1 AU. Figure out now if you want to engage that ship type. If note, plan your exit. Scan at that range until either:
- The ship pops up on this 0.1 AU scan (aka short scan). It is now very likely at the acceleration gate or just arriving. Depending on the ship type, this gives you an ETA at fastest speed. Align out if you do not want to fight it. If you DO want to fight it, ensure you're in the best position, preheat modules. Follow on below.
OR
- Nothing for 10 seconds check 14 AU scan to confirm ship is still there. If not, return to normal scans. If it is there, keep the 0.1 scan going for another 10 seconds. Repeat.
Finally then, with the ship on 0.1 AU scan, something else will happen.
- It enters the plex and either you warp out before he even lands, or you spam that lock and prepare to orbit/keep at range/manually pilot.
- It leaves 0.1 AU scan and you return to 14 AU scans.
- Local jumps and you assess the possibility of this no longer being a 1v1. Extra credit for checking corporations/alliances. Militia may not fly together, but corpies will almost certainly support each other.
By doing this, you have a constant awareness of ships in your surroundings (except recons/cloakies). Even cloaked ships aren't a huge deal most of the time due to acceleration gates and decloak zones.
Note that with large plexes and their lack of acceleration gate, cloakies/recons/fast warping ships are that much deadlier. Use d-scan at as far a range as you can without picking up every tom, dick, and harry jumping the nearby stargate. I tend to go overboard on aligning for larges, better to have to drag my ass back to that no good NPC than suddenly have a stiletto's ugly grubling wrapped around my warp core.
These skills also work for nullsec and WH space, offensively and defensively. As with large plexes, cloakies/fast warpers/recons remain a bit ol' pile of shit on d-scan. Having physical scouts is operationally better, though not always cost/time effective.
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