What is the current advice on exploration as a money spinner

[Jezzah]

Hey fellow cmdrs.

I've tried every role in the game as a career except explorer for cash.

I have skimmed a few threads and fair enough I have the kit. Adv disc scanner and detailed surface scanner.

Now the bit I'm asking advice for. I seem to recall people saying that the system is a bit broken? Scanning things isn't worth the effort of going past the "unexplored" level...is this true?

Some advice from the explorers that do this for a living would be appreciated.

Thanks a lot

 

[TankMaster]

Don't think it's bugged, you might have read old discussions on the matter.

Beyond that you need to know the kind of planets that bring in the money, earth likes lead the pack followed by high metal content and metal rich... Don't know how much ringed gas Giants go for but other than that if the planet looks to be icy or rocky it's not worth the time spent.

 

[erxcwrestler]

I think it's worth it to do detailed scans; leaving everything in a system unexplored will get you about 1,000 to 1,500 credits, but scanning stuff in detail takes a little more time but you can get significantly more credits. I've gotten quite a few for 50,000 and even had one last night for 92,000 cr. Sometimes after using the discovery scanner I will look at the system map and decide if it's worth it to go around scanning in detail... If it looks like a potential metal rich planet, has rings, candidate for terraforming or earthlike, then I go scan it, especially if I'm far enough out where most of what I'm finding has pristine reserves.

 

[Jezzah]

Righto that's helpful. What I'm curious about though is whether it's worth taking the time to scan the planets individually when I look at the system screen you can see the sorts of planets roughly. But I'm sure I read recently on the forum that you don't get any more extra money for scanning them individually which would be a damn shame if correct.

 

[xDreadnoughtx]

I have now done 2 seperate 80-120 system trips.

The 80 system trip was much more thorough with a lot of targetted detail scanning.

In both cases I took in about 1.3 m after expenses.

In terms of time/reward, i reckon it's about only 15 to 20% as profitable as hauling.

But I enjoy it more than hauling for the time being. Had my fill of that.

 

[Raf von Thorn]

Get Advanced Discovery Scanner and Detailed Surface Scanner. Jump a system, that you dont have info on, run the Dscan. Check system map, go to every planet and moon that has any color. Skip the white ones (ice) and dont scan asteroid rings. If you find a system with more than 20 high metal content planets (i found quite a few systems like that), you can get something like that:

View attachment 5783

Detailed scanning "worthy" planets, like ""high metal content" or "earthlike worlds" definitely gets you more money.

 

[Pekka]

It's no longer bugged. They've fixed it.

Keep in mind that exploration is definitely not the easiest and quickest way to make money in ED! Long trips take time and scanning those bigger systems with multiple interesting planets is even more time-consuming. The advanced discovery scanner is a must, as it saves you lots of time by making it easy to see with one look if the system is worth exploring more carefully.

To me, making credits is not the most important thing. I simply love to visit strange new worlds and see the sights of the galaxy. The feeling of being alone in deep space, hundreds or thousands of light years from the populated regions is something special. If something goes wrong, you're on your own!

But if credits are the most important thing for you, then I don't honestly recommend exploration as a profession in ED. People with big cargo ships make millions trading in the same amount of time that it takes an explorer to thoroughly scan a few systems.

 

[Doctor_Demento]

I plan on doing more exploration soon as well. May not be a profitable in credits as hauling but more satisfying if you enjoy new things. I'd say doing a little of each is a good idea Jezzah. Variety is the spice of life. Freedom is the ability to enjoy what you are doing.

 

[Sunset]

For myself I scan all of them . First because it helps to get your Elite discovering status. And if you dint scan all, some time you're not paying for the full system scan but only for discovery part.

 

[xDreadnoughtx]

Get Advanced Discovery Scanner and Detailed Surface Scanner. Jump a system, that you dont have info on, run the Dscan. Check system map, go to every planet and moon that has any color. Skip the white ones (ice) and dont scan asteroid rings. If you find a system with more than 20 high metal content planets (i found quite a few systems like that), you can get something like that:

View attachment 5783

Detailed scanning "worthy" planets, like ""high metal content" or "earthlike worlds" definitely gets you more money.

Can you 100% confirm asteroids do not need scanning. No benefit at all.

If so, then I see that as a bug.

 

[Jhyrryl]

Definitely do detail scans of quality planets. Jump into a system, run the discovery scanner, then open the system map to see what there is to see. That's where a lot of the skill comes from. Some of the visuals on the system map can fool you, but as you learn what's valuable and what's not, you can maximize your earning fairly well.

I recently found a neutron star with 6 metal-rich planets, two of which are terraform candidates, and one of those has a moon that is also a terraformer. And there's an awesome looking nebula nearby. Can't wait to see how well that system sells for. It's too bad that proximity to the pretty jewels in the sky won't contribute to the system's value, but oh well.

 

[Raf von Thorn]

Can you 100% confirm asteroids do not need scanning. No benefit at all.

If so, then I see that as a bug.

Yes, unless it has been changed, the asteroids have no value. It was tested, but i cant find the source, sorry. Another thing is, if there is such a thing as a "full scan" and if the asteroids are included in full... I only scan selected astronomical bodies (as i wrote above), but if i find a "gold mine" like the mentioned Hyades Sector system, i scan them all (except the asteroids)- the 128k profit was WITHOUT scanning the asteroid field (pristine metallic, by the way).

 

[Jezzah]

Thanks for the advice folks.

What I have noticed is that even with the detailed scanner the asteroids round the sun don't report back as to their reserve level. ie major, pristine etc etc.

 

[xDreadnoughtx]

Thanks for the advice folks.

What I have noticed is that even with the detailed scanner the asteroids round the sun don't report back as to their reserve level. ie major, pristine etc etc.

No, they don't.

@Raf - I have had a number of payouts of that sort of level and both my passes have swept through that general area, huge as it is.

Would be very interesting to retest this but for that you'd really need two explorers to meet at a system with metallic asteroids and do the test.

If you can remember the source I'd love to have a look.

On.my second outing I scanned asteroids.

I'm certainly getting bigger payouts from met asteroid systems in particular, but I just don't know if I'd get those anyway.

 

[Googol]

Fit a mining laser and small refinery and do some prospecting when you find pristine reserves. It breaks the routine a bit and if you get back to civilisation with a hold full of platinum and palladium that will pay for a few rounds of drinks in the bar

 

[Sunset]

Hey fellow cmdrs.

I've tried every role in the game as a career except explorer for cash.

I have skimmed a few threads and fair enough I have the kit. Adv disc scanner and detailed surface scanner.

Now the bit I'm asking advice for. I seem to recall people saying that the system is a bit broken? Scanning things isn't worth the effort of going past the "unexplored" level...is this true?

Some advice from the explorers that do this for a living would be appreciated.

Thanks a lot

In fact your question involves many facets of ED if you do only planet scan and don't explore the USS in your way when you see it you can miss a lot of valuable things they can give you some appreciate cash and reputation plus rank upgrade. On my way to explore a system whit 4 unknown planets I explore 3 USS and kill 4 guy for an amount of 79k Cr, and it gives me rep and advance me to my Elite rank. Also find rare items on those USS. So ED it not only one thing to consider but a all in one.

 

[Panzerbeard]

I can't comment on whether it's more efficient or profitable than hauling/mining, but for me it's certainly more fun. Being able to earn money for the thing I enjoy most in games anyway (flying around the place looking at the pretty planets, heading off in a random direction for no reason other than to see what's there, and generally milling around aimlessly) is fantastic.

 

[Sunset]

I can't comment on whether it's more efficient or profitable than hauling/mining, but for me it's certainly more fun. Being able to earn money for the thing I enjoy most in games anyway (flying around the place looking at the pretty planets, heading off in a random direction for no reason other than to see what's there, and generally milling around aimlessly) is fantastic.

This is what this game is do what you want if you enjoy it and don't want to be an Elite do it. For my self it more to be a nightmare for some of you.

CMDR Sunset Moon IF you see me wanted try me!

 

[Yanaran]

The most efficient way to explore in terms of cr/hour is to only target class G stars and up, look for earth-likes and gas-giants, and ignore everything else. Open galaxy map and look for your next jump, repeat.

Hopefully FD will take a look at exploration and increase the value of surface scans, or soon the galaxy map will be filled with nothing but "unexplored"'s.

 

[mattensky]

Does anyone know how to do a Level 2 or Level 3 detailed scan? I've been using the detailed scanner but can't work out how to do them . . .