Exploration: Dangerous ...very, Very Dangerous.

[thehairymob]

I'm 1200ly out in my cobra and I have amax 15.4ly range on the FSD that I have. As long as you have the Advanced Discovery Scanner and the Detailed Surface Scanner You can head out and find some great looking planets as well as interesting systems. Of course not every night is great. Earlier in the week I spent two night looking at ice plantes and the odd gas giant. Then on Thusrday I found three water worlds and two gas giants with water base life. Last night was not too bad I found one Amonia base world with life.

 

[vjek]

It's a bit sad, really, to see it every time. If you're <=400LY from Sol, this is what happens:

You appear in the system.
At the same moment, a frothing reaver-pirate appears at exactly the same moment.
He immediately moves to interdict you.
25.5 seconds after you arrive in the system, you're interdicted.
The psychopathic reaver immediately opens fire, often with tediously insane laughter.
Every. Time.

And of course, they have no fuel scoops. Ever.
AI's never cheat? They how did they ALL get there without fuel scoops? Hmm? How do they recharge their shield banks? How do they replenish their ammunition? How do they repair their hulls? Oh right, THEY CHEAT.

 

[mattensky]

Yeah the money's not too bad. I scanned around 50 systems yesterday along the fringes (never more than 200 ly out). I made about 700k from the data in a few hours plus another 150k in pirates. The discovered by tags seem to work for me and bonuses are sweet.

I know it doesn't compare to trading for income but it's so much more satisfying IMHO . . .

 

[robbyp]

Best policy it to go to the edge of inhabited space, make sure your 100% then rapidly jump out to 500 lyrs. Then you will be safe. As other people said..

And on the way back, target the nearest star system and dock asap.

And don't bother scanning systems within 500lyrs. Already been done probably, and just best to get out of dodge.

 

[EUS]

In my limited experience with the Asp and size 3 shields (for more cargo space) all I can say is you're lucky to still be alive.
NPC's seem knock them out by sneezing in my direction.

 

[Odan Brota]

What's a good jump range of i want to explore the outer rim? I'm trying to make my ASP exploration ready, but still want it to have teeth.

 

[ZacMacCrac]

Towards the outer rim of the galaxy systems get sparse so thats the area where you would really need all the jump range you can get. I would suggest going in another direction instead.

 

[JohnMalcolm]

1150LY out in my Asp at the moment. I haven't seen an NPC for a long time. My Asp is fitted out for armed exploration though. When nearer inhabited space I'd normally submit to NPC interdiction, then quickly size them up, and either flee or KWS then kill them. I've found the difficulty of both making and avoiding interdictions has changed recently. Practice avoiding interdictions. No chance of nasty hull damage to you that way.

 

[Bazil]

I'm preparing to do some exploring on the edge of populated space ~300Ly out. In an Adder, but 3 gimballed beams to defend myself. The Adder is very fuel efficient and with a good fuel scoop refills in only a few seconds so hoping I can stay safe by being quick.
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The only concern I have is what to do when I log off if I'm not back at a station. Is it OK to just fly into empty space, drop out of SC, travel well away from your entry point and log off?

 

[INSULINt]

for all those that suggest travelling x ly out: do you never plan on selling your data?

 

[JohnMalcolm]

for all those that suggest travelling x ly out: do you never plan on selling your data?

Yeah. I'm heading back as soon as I've finished scanning this one system fully. That's what I've been telling myself for hours.... but exploring is very moreish

I've finally found some systems with unclaimed black holes and neutron stars so I do want to get back home soonish and get the discovery credit.

 

[Thalkran]

Yeah. I'm heading back as soon as I've finished scanning this one system fully. That's what I've been telling myself for hours.... but exploring is very moreish

I've finally found some systems with unclaimed black holes and neutron stars so I do want to get back home soonish and get the discovery credit.

Until you notice stuff on your way back. "Just one more scan I swear!"

 

[DB Cooper]

Interdictions are certainly up in the system I call home. But their logic fails me some times.........I am in a A rated War Viper.....and got pulled out of super cruise by a Hauler..........er..............bzzzz bzzzz - rat a tat tat.......pooof.....thanks for the cash Amigo, s'ya.............

Ha Ha Ha---got a good laugh out of that one!
+1

 

[Susimetsa]

And don't bother scanning systems within 500lyrs. Already been done probably, and just best to get out of dodge.

There are many, many systems within 500ly that have not been scanned. I was returning from a long trip and died one jump away from my destination because it turned out to be an unexplored system and I made the mistake of trying to scan the planets (encountering more enemies than I've ever seen). But, yes, they are littered amongst those that already have, so if you want virgin ground, heading further away is advisable.

 

[Vreynn]

A couple of things I do on the way home is not bother with refueling if the plot line is solid all the way to the destination system, and loop around keeping NPCs off the rear hemisphere of the ship until the jump is charged. It's amusing watching an NPC impotently trying to interdict while the ship is locked into a hyperspace jump. I hope there's a backpulse along the interdiction tether that vaporizes them during the jump.

 

[Shizuka]

10k ly away from sol and not a single interdiction from npcs when going out from civilization. Im on an ASP with no weapons just shield to eade those interdictions.

 

[Renegade Roach]

I'm a trailblazer but have dropped exploring.
Every system has an NPC waiting by the primary star even though none of the systems I am visiting are populated (or even explored). Its a bit pathetic really. Deep space should be fundamentally empty.

Deep space is empty. If you are encountering npc ships you are not truly in deep space.

For those who wish to do short/mid range exploration the answer is simple; fit a shield and possibly even weapons. You don't need the extra jump range that a totally stripped back ship gives unless you are planning on attempting to reach systems right on the fringes of our galaxy.

 

[Don_Von_Hulio]

Anything worth visiting under 500Ly has probably been cherry picked already. Every 100ly passed that towards the core increases your chances exponentially because the density of the stars get higher.

 

[Ralph Vargr]

All of this for a nametag and a handfull of credits, if for the sake of "going where no one has gone before" i'd say this is a masochistic job lol.

Pretty much sums it up.

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To those saying submit and run, try doing that in an Adder (my exploration ride). You get mass locked by a stray alpha particle.

No kidding.

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Do you also take your time and surface scan the bigger anarchy systems? That is where I met the nasty ones last night. You just need to stay long enough in a given system. As long as you just fire your ADS and then move along to the next system you should be relative safe.

Anyway, I'm under the impression the era of pacifist explorers seem to come slowly to an end.

Correct on both points.

Doing a proper survey virtually guarantees an NPC spawn.

 

[Ralph Vargr]

Yesterday I found it less amusingly when an AI was pulling me out of the hyperspace initialization sequence. The (heat-)damage was bigger than after an unsuccessful interdiction dance. Up to that point I was under the strong believe that hyperspace jump initializations can't be interrupted anymore. Obviously I was wrong.

That's scary. Thanks for letting me know. I refuel with my finger on the "J" key, nowadays.

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Anything worth visiting under 500Ly has probably been cherry picked already. Every 100ly passed that towards the core increases your chances exponentially because the density of the stars get higher.

That's a sad thing for new players. There should be outposts further from the edge of inhabited space, just to give new players a chance.