Do you think we will ever get a really long range exploration ship?

lonewarrior

lonewarrior
After deciding to start my extremely overdue exploration mission I reached the edge of the galaxy a couple of days ago and began claiming a whole load of systems for myself when I noticed something

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After being stuck in a region for a few hours I got to a point where there was no way on, yet there were more stars hundreds of light years away
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An example, the max jump on an Anaconda can be around 41ly, but after looking around I found a gap of around 100ly and then a cluster of stars, with no possible route to them from any angle ( I estimate around 50+ stars in the cluster) I got as close as I could but there is a huge gap from all sides except from outside the galaxy
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Even more interesting is that beyond that there are some lonely stars hundreds of Ly outside the galaxy all on their own, I even spotted 1 neutron star 200ly away with no stars anywhere near it
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So will we ever get a ship that can get there? I hope so, but will a ship with like 100ly jump range be overpowered?
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Not if it's done right, I really want a long range ship like this and I hope it's something FD have thought about
 

tetra

tetra
Really would be nice to have an FSD/ship combo capable of reaching every system in the galaxy, as like you said, currently there is no way to access quite a huge number of them both above and below the galactic plane and it's outer edges. Only trouble being balancing between granting access to those systems and making the FSD/ship the way over classed option for doing any kind of exploration trip, theoretically more than halving the time it takes to cross the galaxy.

Only viable option may be to allow a new module type that creates some kind of "bridge" between one system and another for that player only, allowing them the ability to perform a set number of large jumps before the modules supply is depleted, maybe even maintaining that player created bridge for either a set number of time or permanently until the module is replenished back at a station, to prevent players from becoming marooned in a deep space system.
 

puca

P
tetra said:
Really would be nice to have an FSD/ship combo capable of reaching every system in the galaxy, as like you said, currently there is no way to access quite a huge number of them both above and below the galactic plane and it's outer edges. Only trouble being balancing between granting access to those systems and making the FSD/ship the way over classed option for doing any kind of exploration trip, theoretically more than halving the time it takes to cross the galaxy.

Only viable option may be to allow a new module type that creates some kind of "bridge" between one system and another for that player only, allowing them the ability to perform a set number of large jumps before the modules supply is depleted, maybe even maintaining that player created bridge for either a set number of time or permanently until the module is replenished back at a station, to prevent players from becoming marooned in a deep space system.
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FD mentioned they want to do procedural modification of weapon hardpoints, a similar system existed in gamma. It would be nice if they added procedural ship layout modification, e.g. if you could buy long range asp versions that had a downgraded powerplant/distributor, but higher maximum FSD class, and so on. That would be a good way to add ship variety without having to create more 3D assets (which are often what the practical limit is for game companies).
 

Star-Hunter

S
I was thinking about a new Carrier Vessel Type Capital Ship (maybe alliance as it has none yet), A capital ship that is not combat oriented, but which allows you to dock on it, and then jumps to a distant star cluster, either for exporation or colonisation. Might come when the Alliance Colonisation initiative kicks off.

as capital ships have a huge jump range. Colony supply runs should be based on large government supervised ships, not some independent pilots jumping around systems for weeks. Also, roaming systems in capital ships for exploration is not practical when you can bring with you a squad of eager independent explorers to sweep the cluster.

The mechanic is already implemented with Jaques Station. all it needs is a Good Time Table For the jumps and the ship.
BTW, the ship could function like an outpost, with a bunch of landing pads outside situated on the Ventral and Dorsal sides of the hull. Primarily small + a few medium ones.
 

Nomadski

Nomadski
Maybe Frontier don't want us to get there yet?

Maybe what is there you don't really want to see, in an Explorer ship anyways?

;)
 

CloneWarrior85

CloneWarrior85
Some systems are meant to be unreachable, and that is what makes things interesting, what's in there? how is it? is there cake in the end of that system?

FD already stated that some systems will always be unreachable, and i doubt they will back on this one.
 

Tinman

Tinman
I rather have them implement the "dark systems" they've talked about before. Rouge planets or other objects between star systems in more or less complete darkness. Systems that could only be found and jumped to by using special scanners. These could then potentially be used as "bridges" in cases described in the OP. They could also be discovered even inside populated space to expand on the exploration role. Maybe these can be very hard to find but still have the possibility to contain really rare resources close to populated world.
 

Boudisa

Boudisa
ya, Cygnus x-3, maybe there are alien weapon and ships hidden there, who knows.
Or how to give us ships to jump to Magellanic Clouds, maybe as a DLC, Milky Way is so boring.
 
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Greyhawk

Greyhawk
I guess procedural generation can throw all sorts of odd things in the mix. I found a ringed planet with two identical planets orbiting it - they were literally almost touching each other ( I guess maybe 20km between them). No way that would happen in reality.
 

Allitnil

Allitnil
With a 100 LY range you could get to Sag A* in 5 hours. So yes, it would be horribly overpowered and render exploration pretty meaningless. The whole concept would become just a sight-seeing trip for anyone with a few hours to spare.
 

nightwraith

N
Allitnil said:
With a 100 LY range you could get to Sag A* in 5 hours. So yes, it would be horribly overpowered and render exploration pretty meaningless. The whole concept would become just a sight-seeing trip for anyone with a few hours to spare.
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That's exactly what it is today, only it takes 4 times as long. Time sink does not equal difficult.
 

Greyhawk

Greyhawk
Allitnil said:
With a 100 LY range you could get to Sag A* in 5 hours. So yes, it would be horribly overpowered and render exploration pretty meaningless. The whole concept would become just a sight-seeing trip for anyone with a few hours to spare.
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Not necessarily. A long jump may require an equally long FSD cooldown. IMO the FSD cooldown in the game right now should depend on the distance travelled.
 

D8ncer

D8ncer
My idea would be to couple two drives together. So you could have a 5A drive fitted and also a 4A for example in another slot.
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Depending on drives would give you an extra 25% in distance. But would use a percentage more fuel and longer cool down.
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If you had an Anaconda you could add 3 FSD's and couple of extra fuel tanks. Maybe get 50 or 75 ly jumps.
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Would also look at the price of the second drive being 3x a normal one. If you could fit a third it would be x6 the cost of the drive selected.
 
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Eagle Eye

Eagle Eye
Garix said:
Then what's the point in having them?
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None. It's procedurally generated, and if the data says they are that far away and the game's tech does not allow them to be reached, then they are unreachable.

It's like when you can't get into every building in GTA IV (haven't played V) and then complaining why there's a door texture there.
 
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shadragon

shadragon
lonewarrior said:
Do you think we will ever get a really long range exploration ship?
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We have one, it's called an Asp.

A 100 LY range will result in a few players cherry picking all of the black holes, neutron stars and other places of interest in short order leaving nothing for anyone else in the future. It is not needed nor balanced.

If a player doesn't have the intestinal fortitude to do the trip in 35 LY jumps, then they shouldn't be exploring in the first place.

It would be the equivalent of Lewis & Clarke on a bullet train.
 

Greyhawk

Greyhawk
A 100ly range may mean all the systems could be disco'd in a human lifetime leaving room for a magellanic cloud update around 2115. I say "yay!"
 
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