[5.10 HF3] (Not actually a bug) Defenders of Sol lockbox / missing mines issue

[timegrinder]

Hello,

I've seen issues brought up on and off since its release for mines being missing from the Defenders of Sol Step 2 lockboxes - I understand in some cases it was full ship inventories and such, (and that it can be solved just by buying more) but I've encountered what might be another cause for the issue (ie, vanilla, ship not full etc)

I encountered the issue of not getting any mines because I habitually get into my space suit to open lockboxes and collect the items, since there's no personal cargo for mines, they just vanished (they didn't wind up in my nearby ship or left floating etc).

You get feedback from the squadmate when you pick up the contents of a container regardless of whether you get the mines which is a bit misleading, so I originally thought something was bugging out.

How are the mines provided from the lockboxes? Are they bound in a merged pickup with other items, or triggered by picking up the containers during the mission or somesuch?

It might be an edge case and only apply to this single mission, but I imagine a number of people use their space suits for opening boxes too (I understand they're armored boxes, and it's probably obvious to most people that you can't pick up mines with your space suit so you should stay in your ship) but this could be one of the issues people have long term.

I don't recall seeing deployables as pickups at any other point, so I understand if they don't have an actual item in space that can be recovered (outside of ones you've placed yourself), so could maybe a note be added to the mission briefing to specifically do it in your ship or something? Only suggesting that as I've noticed some other notes / warnings added to briefings over time.

Even though it's not really a bug, here's a save game at the lockbox step just in case anyone wants to see it in action. Just fly over, get out into your suit, and open / collect the lockboxes without getting back into the ship.

[greystar]

You get feedback from the squadmate when you pick up the contents of a container regardless of whether you get the mines which is a bit misleading, so I originally thought something was bugging out.

Like you and probably many others I pick lockboxes in the space suit and, of course, the same happens to me.

I've just read a post on this where some poor newbie to the X universe has apparently restarted their game several times just to try to complete this mission!

What an awful experience it must be for a newbie to invest so much time into the game without realising that the mission script does not check such things.

It would seem to me there is a step 1b missing in the middle: equip ship with mines (and what type of them to have)

This should be a step that can't be passed without mines, it makes no sense otherwise, the feedback from the other ship shouldn't happen without the mines.

Simply, it *is* a bug, it's still here in v5.10 and it's rubbish to have to look up on the internet or in the forums what is wrong with a(nother) mission script.