New Explorers Don't despair

TriumphANT · Apr 25, 2015

There are dozens of undiscovered worlds really close to civilised space, and still a few Earthlikes kicking around. I found two in one system, one Earthlike, one terraforming candidate, around 200Ly from Kumbaya (gotta love that system name!) On the return (about 450Ly trip, so only about 5 screens worth of stuff to turn in) I came across several systems, one so close to Kumbaya that I couldn't sell the data there.

My strategy was to move "up" from Shinrarta and then to move north-west for a bit. When I saw other CMDR names I moved south a couple of jumps (40Ly) and then back to north-west. I ended up about 330Ly from Kumbaya. Moved "down" on economy until I started to see a few discovered system. Then I moved to faster jumps. 3M of exploration data, and a long list of "first discovered by..." Interesting trip. My faves are the huge gas giants.

Zenith · Apr 25, 2015

Surly_Badger said:
But even if you head toward Sagittarius A* you're going to find lots of unexploreds.

This is true. My final system before SagA* was an undiscovered G star system with a couple of interesting terraform candidates. I was surprised because I came in a straight line from Great Annihilator and hit 3 systems previously discovered along the way.

Viriathu · Apr 25, 2015

One thing, if anyone want to add me ingame so we can chat sometimes and talk about exploration feel free... space is lonely, and sharing exploration tips is allways nice, and since im a noob who just started would be even better

RGS · Apr 25, 2015

Yesterday I picked up 4 water worlds, 1 ammonia world, 9 high metal content planets, 2 metal-rich planets and a number of gas giants all in the same system about 600 LY from Sol (only one of the water worlds was a CT though).

Not landed an earth-like yet though. Will keep looking...

Surly_Badger · Apr 25, 2015

Caleuche said:
BTW, the T6 makes an excellent explorer, imo. Mine has a 28.8 jump range. With a 5C fuel scoop I had no heat issues.

I used to explore in my old T6 "Bellirica Bessie" but I finally re-kitted her as a rares hauler and got my Asp ("Longshot") because of the jump range. OK, well, it wasn't just the jump range: some dock-cat had gotten into Bessie and had p--'d in the corner of the cabin. I didn't notice it until it ripened, about 2000ly out, and I made the rest of the trip in a cockpit smelling of cat p--. I'll tell ya, if there's one thing that'll make you want to keep your heat below 60, it's a puddle of cat p-- un your cockpit -- the stuff starts to fume something terrible when the cockpit got hot, and I'd be choking on smoke from the dashboard and the smell of that damn cat.

Viriathu · Apr 27, 2015

Just curious... how many systems on average we need to explore to reach elite?
i know, that everything depends on the value of the system and its planets, but is it possible to give a number? more or less...

CMDR AKIRA MASAKARI · Apr 27, 2015

Viriathu said:
Just curious... how many systems on average we need to explore to reach elite?
i know, that everything depends on the value of the system and its planets, but is it possible to give a number? more or less...

Not possible, it seems ranking progression is counted on money you make selling the data. How much money can vary a lot, becouse they doubled the money requirements on rank progression, but also doubled money outcome from scans, so players that explored from before 1.2 have a mixed value.

The fastest way to reach elite explorer is just blow the horn and jump in another system. Surface scans get a lot of time and pay only 50% more.
Blowing the horn and jump away without looking at system map is unlogic for an explorer mind, but if you want to be elite in exploration just reach a neutron field and jump like if there's no tomorrow, blowing horns and never looking at system map. You could want to scan the neutron star while FSD recharges.

Personally i cannot resist opening the system map, and 90% of times i end up cancelling jump and start to surface scan everything. I'll be pathfinder for an eternity, and enjoy my self imposed slow progression.

Viriathu · Apr 27, 2015

If thats the case then i will probably take a long time also... its almost institive wen i jump to open the system map and start to scan... i have scanned system with more than 50 astronomical bodies... i cant resist, i only traveled to 600 systems but made hundreds and hundreds of scans

Zenith · Apr 27, 2015

CMDR AKIRA MASAKARI said:
Not possible, it seems ranking progression is counted on money you make selling the data. How much money can vary a lot, becouse they doubled the money requirements on rank progression, but also doubled money outcome from scans, so players that explored from before 1.2 have a mixed value.

The fastest way to reach elite explorer is just blow the horn and jump in another system. Surface scans get a lot of time and pay only 50% more.
Blowing the horn and jump away without looking at system map is unlogic for an explorer mind, but if you want to be elite in exploration just reach a neutron field and jump like if there's no tomorrow, blowing horns and never looking at system map. You could want to scan the neutron star while FSD recharges.

Personally i cannot resist opening the system map, and 90% of times i end up cancelling jump and start to surface scan everything. I'll be pathfinder for an eternity, and enjoy my self imposed slow progression.

Well it's APPROXIMATELY 160M Cr of exploration data to get to Elite, give or take.
The point is that terraform candidate worlds also help boost the payment. High Metal Content and Water worlds payout nicely, and even more if terraform candidates. Grinding neutron stars and black holes brings in the money. UniCart want that data and are paying well for it, so we're only obliging them.

And Akira... I'm exactly the same unless I'm on a planned run to a destination.

Viriathu · Apr 27, 2015

I see... so anyone here already got to Elite Explorer?

Dark Skies · Apr 27, 2015

Yep my first 1 hr 10 jumps out my first undiscovered.
must say it's addictive. Nice change if pace from RESing.

Makya · Apr 27, 2015

CMDR AKIRA MASAKARI said:
Personally i cannot resist opening the system map, and 90% of times i end up cancelling jump and start to surface scan everything. I'll be pathfinder for an eternity, and enjoy my self imposed slow progression.

I'm with you. I suppose for some, Elite rank is just another goal to reach as quickly as possible and that's fine. For me, exploring includes pursuing my curiosity. I hope to reach Elite rank at some point but not probably not anytime soon.

Kzak · Apr 27, 2015

A month or so ago I found two Earth-like worlds 550ish LY from Sol. There's bound to be many more undiscovered within a 1000 LY radius.

Mad Doctor X · Apr 27, 2015

Well it took me until system 1172 to find my own ELW, having found one already discovered one months ago. I have found loads of ammonia worlds though. Guess what I found in system 1174?

Thargoids

Only kidding, ELWs are just like London buses...

Arkenbrien · Apr 27, 2015

I was literally about to post about traveling 7k LY and hitting 1000+ systems when I just discovered my first ELW! I didn't even know I found it. I set it to scan while I logged it to complain lol.

cowasaki · Apr 28, 2015

I'm about 7000Ly into the non NPC area and I just sideways to begin with then straight towards Sig A. Anyway first system I scanned had been scanned by someone else then after that not a single one. I've been doing the advanced scan on every system and just cherry picking others and found 20-30 metal planets, an ammonia planet and lots of ice planets but no terra formable or earth like ones. Is there anything you look at in the system map or otherwise that screams might be one here OR no chance......