When you jump to a previously undiscovered star, or "honk" an undiscovered system, do you get your Cmdr name on the system, or do you actually have to fire up your surface scanner for that?
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Newcomer / Intro Jumping to a star and first discovery
- Thread starter Zombiesnack
- Start date
I believe you have to scan each part of a system and then log the data with cartography at one of the stations.
When you enter a system you fire off the Discovery Scanner for that big cosmic honk. This tells you what is there, which you can now see on your System Map. You then supercruise to one of these planets and, when you get within range, your scanner will automatically start a closer scan. This will take a few seconds. When that is done you will now be able to see the name of the planet (it will change from Unexplored to something like Myoidee DD-V c20-0 A 3).
When you sell the data, you can get a first discovery for that named planet if you have a Detailed Surface Scanner.
Of course, you can also scan the main star in the system before doing all this, since its right there. And as you do more, you can use the initial view on the System Map to narrow down your targets. There are other nuances, but this is the basic part.
When you sell the data, you can get a first discovery for that named planet if you have a Detailed Surface Scanner.
Of course, you can also scan the main star in the system before doing all this, since its right there. And as you do more, you can use the initial view on the System Map to narrow down your targets. There are other nuances, but this is the basic part.
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As above. Using a disco scanner is not enough to get your name on a system. You also have to surface scan each astronomical body in the system to have your name on each. i.e. if you only scan the star in the system your name will go on the star but on no other bodies in the system.
The lack of a definite answer is the result of confusing vocabulary. There are two types of scanning (and the NAV computers mass detection feature*):
1. Discovery Scan
aka blowing the horn, dropping the seismic charge, honk if you're a Thargoid
performed by: Basic Discovery Scanner, Intermediate Discovery Scanner, Advanced Discovery Scanner
activated by: Assigning a fire group and holding the fire button
shows: the position and outer appearance of all celestial bodies within a certain range (500 LYs, 1500 LYs (?), system-wide)
gives: a map with unexplored bodies, a very small amount of money (I think, it's been a while)
2. Surface Scan
performed by: Basic Discovery Scanner, Intermediate Discovery Scanner, Advanced Discovery Scanner
made more awesome by: Detailed Surface Scanner
activated by: Selecting a celestial body as target and heading straight for it, starts by itself within a certain range depending on the size of the target (roughly < 10,000 Ls for stars, < 1,000 Ls for Gas Giants, < 100 Ls for tiny motes of dust suspended in sunbeams)
shows: body type and some (without a DSS) or a lot (with a DSS) of astronomical data geeks like me get excited about
gives: "Discovered by" tag, money (without a DSS), even more money (with a DSS)
confuses a lot of people by: being called "surface scan" by the devs and a lot of other people, but not requiring a Detailed Surface Scanner.** Stress "detailed" instead of "surface", and it becomes less confusing.
*Even without any type of scanner, you get a "astronomical object discovered if" you are very close to a body - that's why jumping into an unknown system always shows you the main star. I always put that up to the fact that my NAV computer should better know if there's anything in the way.
**Adding to the confusion is that there are a number of bugs associated with it, like being able to surface scan with a deactivated or sold-after-discovery-scan scanner. I don't know if they are still there, but they aren't intentional, as far as I know.
1. Discovery Scan
aka blowing the horn, dropping the seismic charge, honk if you're a Thargoid
performed by: Basic Discovery Scanner, Intermediate Discovery Scanner, Advanced Discovery Scanner
activated by: Assigning a fire group and holding the fire button
shows: the position and outer appearance of all celestial bodies within a certain range (500 LYs, 1500 LYs (?), system-wide)
gives: a map with unexplored bodies, a very small amount of money (I think, it's been a while)
2. Surface Scan
performed by: Basic Discovery Scanner, Intermediate Discovery Scanner, Advanced Discovery Scanner
made more awesome by: Detailed Surface Scanner
activated by: Selecting a celestial body as target and heading straight for it, starts by itself within a certain range depending on the size of the target (roughly < 10,000 Ls for stars, < 1,000 Ls for Gas Giants, < 100 Ls for tiny motes of dust suspended in sunbeams)
shows: body type and some (without a DSS) or a lot (with a DSS) of astronomical data geeks like me get excited about
gives: "Discovered by" tag, money (without a DSS), even more money (with a DSS)
confuses a lot of people by: being called "surface scan" by the devs and a lot of other people, but not requiring a Detailed Surface Scanner.** Stress "detailed" instead of "surface", and it becomes less confusing.
*Even without any type of scanner, you get a "astronomical object discovered if" you are very close to a body - that's why jumping into an unknown system always shows you the main star. I always put that up to the fact that my NAV computer should better know if there's anything in the way.
**Adding to the confusion is that there are a number of bugs associated with it, like being able to surface scan with a deactivated or sold-after-discovery-scan scanner. I don't know if they are still there, but they aren't intentional, as far as I know.
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