Tip: How to Unlock Spinning Spherical Lockboxes

[shadowunk]

I know it's not much, and I'm not sure if other players have figured it out, but I'm going to leave this here, I hope this is useful for the new players.

When you encounter Spherical Lockboxes they usually spin very fast and have more than 6 locks to shoot. Slow it down by nudging the lockbox with nose of the ship to reduce the spinning speed, then get out in your spacesuit.

There is an easy way to unlock them, the trick is that the locks will always be on the edge of a circle, so try to position yourself in such a way that you'll aim on the edge of the circle axis the locks are going to be visible at one point, and shoot there continuously.
https://x4-foundations-wiki.fandom.com/ ... ockbox.png

[Casishur]

If you continue to miss the locks and damage the lockbox in the process. With the repair laser you can repair the lockbox again

[alt3rn1ty]

Argon Ion Blasters are not only great for getting rid of shields, but also because they do very little damage they are great for lockboxes too.

The Nemesis/Kuraokami has 5 front weapons, I always have an Ion Blaster in the middle slot, and set weapon load sets to have one set with just this weapon active.

[GCU Grey Area]

It's been several years since I last opened a lockbox personally. These days I delegate the task. Getting my 5* relief pilot to open it for me is MUCH quicker & has a far greater success rate than I've ever been able to manage.

[shadowunk]

If you continue to miss the locks and damage the lockbox in the process. With the repair laser you can repair the lockbox again

I wanted to mention this as well, but I thought that players would eventually get to this info as well, while searching on this subject.
Now it seems relevant that this should be included in one place. Thank you

Argon Ion Blasters are not only great for getting rid of shields, but also because they do very little damage they are great for lockboxes too.

The Nemesis/Kuraokami has 5 front weapons, I always have an Ion Blaster in the middle slot, and set weapon load sets to have one set with just this weapon active.

This is valuable info for new players. Thanks.

It's been several years since I last opened a lockbox personally. These days I delegate the task. Getting my 5* relief pilot to open it for me is MUCH quicker & has a far greater success rate than I've ever been able to manage.

My pilots are really dumb, and in the early game since v.6, seminars for piloting more than 2 stars are hard to come by, also when it comes to Employees it's hard to find ways to train their other skills in a reasonable time.
But I have worked out a way to integrate Frekjan's Employee Training Mod with iforgotmysocks Extended Conversations Menu to avoid conflicts with other useful Mods that modify default conversation, and also added (Boarding,Engineering,Morale) Seminars to Traders. Still trying to figure on a Check value that would prompt the Option to Train when Comm is initiated to assigned Crew Members in owned ships. Also since v6 Employee Training Mod conversation option is overwritten by the intended v6 update with Give Seminars.
I don't know if I should post this version of Frekjan's Employee Training Mod, maybe i'll try to make the option appear in the intended v.6 Give Seminar option, but this another post entirely
Thanks for the engagement.

[sirprosik]

I have yet to be able to recover a lockbox with the repair laser. Maybe it only works on non-mission related boxes?
The ion cannon is my goto for lockboxes as well.

[RainerPrem]

My favorite tool for opening lockboxes is the F5 key. Hit a lock? Push F5. Hit the Box, restore the game.

[thegreybetween]

My favorite tool for opening lockboxes is the F5 key. Hit a lock? Push F5. Hit the Box, restore the game.

Same here. But the load times make me really appreciate the days I'm shooting accurately. Never thought of using Ion weapons; might have to try that next time.

One addition to the OP: If you go the spacesuit route to hit the locks, I typically save the final lock. Get back in your ship before you shoot the last one (which should hopefully be easy to hit with ship weapons). That way, you're in a great position to immediately hit the loot magnet, and you can also make a hasty retreat if the box happens to contain mines.

[alt3rn1ty]

~ Never thought of using Ion weapons; might have to try that next time ~

Also on the Arg Ion Blaster give it the Exceptional mod Expediter, but try not to roll much damage increase. You just want to increase its speed as much as possible for better accuracy firing at the glowing red locks.

Expediter gives you :

Weapon Projectile Speed
Bonus: 10,00% to 15,00%

+ 3 extra modifiers .. random from the following ..

Weapon Damage 40,00% Chance
Bonus: 6,20% to 30,00%

Weapon Reload 20,00% Chance
Bonus: -31,80% to -1,00%

Weapon Life Time 30,00% Chance
Bonus: 10,00% to 30,00%

Weapon Rotation Speed 10,00% Chance
Bonus: 10,00% to 30,00%

Ideally if you can roll no damage, makes it a much better weapon for lock picking
But close to 6.20% is still okay, because the weapon does very little damage to start with.
Boosting Weapon lifetime is also good for getting better range on other targets to wittle down shields earlier before they get close.

[Gazz]

My personal runabout ship doesn't really have a "good" laser for lockboxes but I found that the spacesuit laser works pretty well.
It's so low damage that regular (non-rigged) boxes take almost no damage and for what damage they take... you're right next to the box with the repair laser.