I can tell you that the odds of a freighter being S-class have not changed, in years.

This isn't based on my own anecdotal experience, but rather based on the actual values in the game files. The last time those were changed was in the Outlaws update in April of 2022. And even then, the change wasn't a change in the probabilities, but just the addition of one more system economy level.

Where you land has no effect on the probabilities. Only one thing has any affect on your odds, that being the economy level of the system (1 star being the lowest at 0, Outlaw systems being the highest at 5%).

It depends on what the system economy is. If it a three start economy then each battle has a 2% chance of spawn a S class. If it is a pirate system then it's a 5%. Anything else don't bother.

Each battle is a separate dice roll, it could take 1 or a 100 tries. Ya, that kind of sucks. Not really worth the bother.

I recall that the freighter I wanted did not spawn every time. Many times that fleet ported in and it was just a short freighter, that added to the grind.

I think I did 87 attempts, taking of from the planet, triggering the fleet spawn that way, around 4 hours. (in 2022)

Isn't there a chance to get that freighter by finding it as an "S" and to just outright buy it? I mean it'd be super expensive, but that might be easier than grinding for a battle.

It can take a really long time to get an S-class ship even in 3-star systems. I’ve given up plenty of times and just taken an A. I figure I can always upgrade it. Though it is really exciting to just get an S…

Originally posted by bobhome2:

It can take a really long time to get an S-class ship even in 3-star systems. I’ve given up plenty of times and just taken an A. I figure I can always upgrade it. Though it is really exciting to just get an S…

You can not upgrade the class. But A-Class should be ok, maybe B-Class, as long as you can get 30 technology slots (3 full rows). 30 slots will fit all the usable modules. The loss of 1 supercharge slot only costs 150LY range.... (thanks for making me look that up. A-Class is ok)

As above think it is as it has been. It never takes me more than 10 or so tries before the S shows. See below I added a couple screens from the current Expo. Was running a second time on a "Sliver" {existing save} ... so could send over money {that was not needed lol} etc

https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3369438920

This is the the address to that system ... just took a basic screen from the surface of the near Paradise planet there.

https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3369438863

What it looks like upon seizure. I never messed a lot with Dreads ... but sure was nice to realize {as I did not already know it} Dread are always free. Another mentioned it once, but I was not sure.

https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3369439646

What is looks like with the reward frigates grabbed at the Anomaly for the hell of it {worthless to do}. As JE confirmed already ... the game will not let us have 2 Normandy Frigates lol {saw this later in time from this screen}.

Anyhow even when I go for a regular Freighter ... it takes no more than 10 ish hops .... though it does take longer as you have to kill the pirates every time ... dreads melt fast.

I was not even going to share this ... not much for wasting peoples tiem with trivial crap ... but this system above is also a auto respawn system. As is the region around it.

There are several Outlaw Stations with instant respawn right around this area. I show the one above as it is a non-outlaw system where your S-Class Dread will come 34+20. You are obviously looking in an Outlaw system that is why the A is so small.

One final note ... I assume this instant respawn is not Expo locked or anything ... but I have nor tried it since returning to the main save {a file made for Cursed still being bother by the start of the Artemis Quest lol} ... you will notice the S Class interceptor found During Cursed on Ruscand or whatever.

Also the system above would vary ... It could have a regular Freighter encounter with no Dread. I would make the Dread show again by going to a nearby Outlaw system then back. Even though it is an instant spawn system I did not want to deal with variation ... so was able to lock it to the Dread showing and bounced it like we would any.

But yeah that region is all instant respawn {something I never saw myself before ... not in a region}. I did set up base computers around the area {nothing anyone would see or find useful atm} to maybe go back and share more screens {couple Paradise Planets in the local group}. For those that love the full size Venerator {spelling?} with the huge fin/arch ... there is one of those close by in a 3 Star economy {I will not waste you time with less lol} ... so S Calss potential. Will share the address if asked.

All of the wedge shaped Capital Freighters are Venator-type.
The large one (6 pod insets on each side) is a Resurgent class.
I forget the other two class names.

Originally posted by dreamrider:

All of the wedge shaped Capital Freighters are Venator-type.
The large one (6 pod insets on each side) is a Resurgent class.
I forget the other two class names.

Cool ... I often forget the exact language player borrowed from another IP to describe them lol. Either way the biggest possible one, but not the Sentinel one lol. {only 2 supersized ones I know of aside from Dread of course}.

Originally posted by Zoran:

You can not upgrade the class. But A-Class should be ok, maybe B-Class, as long as you can get 30 technology slots (3 full rows). 30 slots will fit all the usable modules. The loss of 1 supercharge slot only costs 150LY range.... (thanks for making me look that up. A-Class is ok)

Do keep in mind that if you are hunting for the freighter in an Outlaw system the chance for it to be an A-class or a B-Class is exactly the same as the chance for it to be an S-class (5%).

That makes 3-star economies a far better place to freighter hunt if you are willing to settle for A-class or even B-class.

It's also worth pointing out that you lose more than just 1 supercharge slot if you take an A-class, you also lose ~20% for the inherent hyperdrive bonus and ~20% for the Fleet Coordination bonus. The latter of which effects all of your installed procedural upgrades related to frigate fleets (so speed, fuel usage and mining/trade/combat/exploration bonuses).

Thank you for all of the replies.
I have only been using 3-tier systems (forgot last night to mention it, apologies), searching the different type of freighter battles. Found the one freighter I wanted, and then it was a off-and-on, all day long re-do of battles (a little over 5 hours total, after all was said and done) and still no S class, just the two A classes that I came across. So I guess I'll just have to keep at it until I can get the S class I want, and hope it isn't too much longer. And thank you again, everyone.

Step 1 find freighter design you like (multiple ship hunter groups all around)
Step 2 start freighter rescue battle in system which spawns design you like
Step 3 check if its S if not load and repeat

Easier if you just want Pirate Dreadnaught as those are all the same and you can recolor it yourself :)

When I was hunting Venator Class freighter it took me rough 30 atempts to get S class not sure If I was lucky or not
I swaped it for pirate dreadnaught when they released them :)

That's the formula I've been following for years, but guess I was getting very lucky as I usually have gotten the ship I wanted within a dozen tries. It just sucks now, to suddenly find out it normally takes several dozen tries to get the one ship you want after that.

Well, it took at least 60 tries (conservative guess) over two days, but I got the S class I wanted. Unless I come across a Venator S class with 8 sets of ball pods staggered with blocks between them, or a Sentinel S class with 8 sets also, I'm set for a good long while. Thank you everyone for your help and info, it is appreciated.

Originally posted by Redshirt68:

I have been playing a few years, and never really farmed or hunted for much. But I found a freighter style I haven't seen before really. It's a Revolver class with orb pods, long-body (8 sets of pods on each side). Black and orange highlighting, really looks cool. I've been trying to get it in a S class, but the closest I've come is a A class with 19/12 for inventory once and the second time it was only 18/9. I've looked through posts and been told before it takes up to ten times or so to grind a battle for an S class, but I've been at this for about 5 hours off and on with no luck.
So, for anyone that has recently tried the odds in their own grinding for an S class, have the chances/odds changed? Has anyone paid attention to what bay and/or row they enter a freighter when they get an S class?
I never really paid attention to this before, but had the thought and am really curious to know; If the odds haven't changed, is there a better chance of landing in (for instance) bay 1 (left side bay as you enter the freighter) over 3 (rights side), or in the second row of spots over the first row (right under the entry doors) of spots in the bays? I ask because I usually try to enter in the center bay (but end up in the left bay about 50% of the time) and have been pulling C and usually B class freighters. But the few times when I have found an S class, I think I've entered the center or right side bays, after thinking and trying to remember about it.
If anyone has any info or their own results I would like to know, but in the meantime, I'm going to test it out when I get some time to play again and see what I get testing bays & rows. When I have some results, I'll be back.

Originally posted by Redshirt68:

Thank you for all of the replies.
I have only been using 3-tier systems (forgot last night to mention it, apologies), searching the different type of freighter battles. Found the one freighter I wanted, and then it was a off-and-on, all day long re-do of battles (a little over 5 hours total, after all was said and done) and still no S class, just the two A classes that I came across. So I guess I'll just have to keep at it until I can get the S class I want, and hope it isn't too much longer. And thank you again, everyone.

Just download a save editor, make it S class, and up the stats a bit. Don't waste an entire weekend/week grinding your life away for something with no real value in stat advantage. You can get this done in like 2 minutes. How valuable is your time?

It once took me 1 hour of re-rolling to get an S, on the other hand, the next time it took me 22 hours of grinding over a few days. One day I logged in and my S class freighter was randomly a C class freighter. After that, I literally bought the game on PC next sale and downloaded a save editor.