A rewarding 48 days exploration trip

[Flector]

Today I returned from a long exploration trip to Sagittarius which included many detours.
I visited beautiful locations, discovered life at many places and generally just enjoyed the voyage.
On top of that there were also some more tangible rewards:
A nice sum of money (although like most explorers I'm not in it for the money).
But the biggest reward is that I attained the illustrious Elite rank.

Trip statistics:
48 Days
4214 Systems
167 Million Credits
1096 Neutron stars
177 Black holes
25 Earth like worlds

A scorching planet


Gas giant or black hole?


Elite!

 

[Tripwire1969]

That's a long journey. I was thinking about getting away for a while. Nice pics.

How did you keep track of the stats? I was not aware they were recorded anywhere. Also, how do you get the different scan levels?

 

[Flector]

How did you keep track of the stats? Also, how do you get the different scan levels?

I kept count of the neutron stars, black holes and earth like planets myself.

The scan levels were recently added to the in-game stats, but I'm not sure how they are determined.

 

[Arthur Z.]

That's a long journey. I was thinking about getting away for a while. Nice pics.

How did you keep track of the stats? I was not aware they were recorded anywhere. Also, how do you get the different scan levels?

Level 1 scan - just a ping from a discovery scanner
Level 2 scan - targeted scan of an unknown astronomical object
Level 3 scan - detailed scan (with a detailed surface scanner) of an astronomical object

 

[Gold Member]

You explorers are making me want to take a trip of my own to see some of the sites.

 

[Kaeldian]

Thank you for the inspiration. I'm only my first day into my own pilgrimage to galactic center and already getting bored. I saw your payout and went "Yah, just keep going man, you can do this"

 

[S~P]

Glad you made it back safe, I'm heading to the core myself, I'm about 8000lys out atm. I'm also hoping to hit Elite when I get back.

 

[theEmohawk]

Out of interest, what were your exploring profits when you ticked over to Elite status? Just wondering if the patches recently have shifted the goal post. I'm on my way back from Sagittarius A* and one of my aims is to rank up to Elite when I get back.

Edit: and congratulations on the Elite rank Commander. o7

 

[The Natoorat]

Well done, congrats!
Last night I came back from my very first serious exploration trip (in cobra), I was aiming at SADR (2k ly) but I turned back after around 1.3k ly and super quickly (no surface scanning) returned to civilisation. Now I have a Type 6 in sexy "JCB yellow", fully spect for exploration. My goal is Barnard's Loop, and from there... Who knows?


Anyway, congrats again Commander!

 

[puca]

Congratulations on your well-earned rank and credit reward, CMDR! Good to see you made it back safely.

 

[Sim Maker]

"A nice sum of money (although like most explorers I'm not in it for the money).
.
Trip statistics:
1096 Neutron stars"
.
So many people speak of their own valour and worthiness............and then do stuff like this in the same post....... Not sure why Explorers like to put themselves above others with their "for the love of it" pomposity. When it is clear from the Stats, that you must have gone nearly insane night after night after night of Neutron farming......
.
No objection to you doing it..........but don't tell us you did it for the love of it...........

 

[puca]

Not sure why Explorers like to put themselves above others with their "for the love of it" pomposity. When it is clear from the Stats, that you must have gone nearly insane night after night after night of Neutron farming......
.
No objection to you doing it..........but don't tell us you did it for the love of it...........

Did it occur to you he enjoyed it? Farming neutron fields for money and not for love is a silly idea because both trading and even RES bounty hunting earns more per unit time.

 

[Ydiss]

Level 1 scan - just a ping from a discovery scanner
Level 2 scan - targeted scan of an unknown astronomical object
Level 3 scan - detailed scan (with a detailed surface scanner) of an astronomical object

I use the detailed surface scanner and have 0 for level 3 scans. level 2 scans represent detailed scans. I have no idea what level 3 scans are.

 

[CmdrDaymian]

Nice work. As soon as I can afford the 1.5m credits D-scanner and a proper surface scanner I'm going on a trip to nowhere. I love exploring. I think it's my favourite part of the game, though I haven't actually done anything except explore since I got it so I can't be sure.

 

[theEmohawk]

When it is clear from the Stats, that you must have gone nearly insane night after night after night of Neutron farming......
.
No objection to you doing it..........but don't tell us you did it for the love of it...........

Fair point that. I'm currently in a neutron field myself, and had planned to farm it efficiently, but after 41 NS in a row I decided that it was exactly the sort of grind I'd avoided in populated space. I am keeping to the neutron field for the next several thousand light years, but just plotting 500ly at a time, if it hits a NS that's great, but now my interest is in finding EL around a NS.
I'll make no secret that I've spent the last 5 weeks out in the black to try to get to Elite, and I'm not complaining about the increase in value of my data. I'll enjoy spending the credits.

 

[Allitnil]

The displayed level 2 & 3 scans are clearly bugged atm. The most plausible explanation I've seen so far is that they are both displaying detailed surface scans with 'level 2' showing those sold since the 1.1 patch came out (10th Feb) and 'level 3' showing those sold before 1.1.

 

[Pilot Mark]

If you're 1000ly up, then neutron stars are difficult to avoid. There are indeed other stars though, and plenty of Earth-likes up there too.

 

[Tripwire1969]

Fair point that. I'm currently in a neutron field myself, and had planned to farm it efficiently, but after 41 NS in a row I decided that it was exactly the sort of grind I'd avoided in populated space. I am keeping to the neutron field for the next several thousand light years, but just plotting 500ly at a time, if it hits a NS that's great, but now my interest is in finding EL around a NS.
I'll make no secret that I've spent the last 5 weeks out in the black to try to get to Elite, and I'm not complaining about the increase in value of my data. I'll enjoy spending the credits.

How do you plot a route to find neutron stars? Is there a way to find them? Can you scoop fuel from a neutron star? Also, I am guessing they bring in more credits than other bodies?

 

[Flector]

Out of interest, what were your exploring profits when you ticked over to Elite status?

It was around 125 million. Note that I already had around 25 million before payout was doubled.

Not sure why Explorers like to put themselves above others with their "for the love of it" pomposity. When it is clear from the Stats, that you must have gone nearly insane night after night after night of Neutron farming......

When I started my trip no one was even talking about "farming" neutron fields. In fact I often was doing 100LY detours just to get to the next neutron star. Just because I liked doing it.

Maybe once you gain some more knowledge of the game you will understand why exploring realy is for the love of it.

 

[wiblflibl]

Today I returned from a long exploration trip to Sagittarius which included many detours.
I visited beautiful locations, discovered life at many places and generally just enjoyed the voyage.
On top of that there were also some more tangible rewards:
A nice sum of money (although like most explorers I'm not in it for the money).
But the biggest reward is that I attained the illustrious Elite rank.

...

Elite!

Congratulations commander!

What next? More exploring?