Q for those who have been to the sparse regions ?!?!

[dognosh]

When you travel to the outer arms and the nether regions where systems are rare and far apart, I know you have range issues with your jump drive, but do you have fuel issues ? have you come across a route that you can jump but won't because non of those systems have a scoopable star ?
I ask because as an experiment I fitted an exploration Asp with 152t of fuel tanks
This Asp now has a single jump range of 25 to 36 LY(full to near empty) and can do 30 or more full range jumps.

TBH I don't see the need for fuel tanks, just range, unless you guys can educate me ?
I am contemplating going on my 4th expedition and have yet to decide where.

ty

 

[dognosh]

ok Ziggy, in your experience if I am to go to a sparse region, how much fuel should my tanks hold to be able to go to most regions ?
(Assuming I have a range of 35 LY with 32t of fuel) another 32t enough ?

I know it is like asking how long is a piece of string, lets say I am asking how much fuel space you would take ? if you take 64t then you have 12-13 jumps(at max range each) before needing fuel, is that a good range ? or more ?

 

[Allitnil]

I've not found it to be any sort of an issue out on the rims. There's the occasional non-sccopable star but they are the exception, at least where I've been (as far north & south as you can get). Indeed, far from it being a case of needing extra fuel, it's more one of getting your fuel down to a low enough level that you can make that jump beyond your normal range!

 

[dognosh]

I've not found it to be any sort of an issue out on the rims. There's the occasional non-sccopable star but they are the exception, at least where I've been (as far north & south as you can get). Indeed, far from it being a case of needing extra fuel, it's more one of getting your fuel down to a low enough level that you can make that jump beyond your normal range!

Which is what I guessed but wasn't sure as i haven't been to those regions yet.
Basically extra fuel tanks are not a necessity for explorers, correct ?

 

[Reido]

Which is what I guessed but wasn't sure as i haven't been to those regions yet.
Basically extra fuel tanks are not a necessity for explorers, correct ?

Extra fuel is really only necessary to give you the endurance to get through a range of un-scoopable stars or for extending the number of jumps until you need to refuel.

If the tanks don't have any mass when they're empty and you have the space, then take one or more along to give you more options when your way out in the big black.

You don't need to run with a full fuel load all the time, only when you NEED the extra endurance.

Options.


Andrew

 

[Allitnil]

Not for general usage, no. But you can use them to construct custom sized tanks. eg with an Asp you've either got a 32T tank which gives 6 jumps, a 16T for 3 jumps or 8T for just 1. You don't really need 6 whilst 3 is a bit on the low side, so you could opt for a 16T main tank with a 4T extra one to give 4 jumps which is enough for almost all circumstances as long as you don't mind the occasional re-plotting of your route. And on the upside it means that the route plotter will give you slightly longer jumps. Or if you're doing something like the Buckyball run you could go with a 8T main tank and 2T extra one for a 2 jump range (not recommended for normal use!!)

nb: it's the Buckyball guys who came up with this idea, not me!

 

[Zenith]

30 or so full range jumps is around 1000ly.
You could pick a star 1000ly away that's scoopable and just make sure the trail line is solid (no dashed lines).

 

[Dommarraa]

Which is what I guessed but wasn't sure as i haven't been to those regions yet.
Basically extra fuel tanks are not a necessity for explorers, correct ?

Not for an Asp no. They can turn one of the small tank ships into an explorer, but an Asp will only run out due to CMDR error, not lack of scoopable stars.

 

[Alex Brentnall]

As someone at the Crab nebula now who is continuing to the very edge of space at "Slyaips SB-H C25-0"

I can say this shouldn't be a problem. Since its so sparse you rarely do a full range jump until you are literally right at the edge. Despite being in a 38LY Anaconda my most common jump was 30/31LY which for your Asp may be more troubling. I haven't however had a single point where I've hit more than 1 unscoopable.

An Asp even with stock fuel tank should be fine, stick one extra on there = good, 2 extra = great. Any more and your just sacrificing jump range for the furthest out planets.
Also with a smaller jump range you'll sacrifice direct routes for roundabout ones like jumping with a sidewinder in the bubble...

 

[Krunchie]

From my experience, every time I came upon a long (like several hundred ly long) streak of unscoopable stars, I only had to move 20-30 ly above or bellow to escape it.

Worked every single time.

 

[Whiterose]

Last time I was on the rim I was manually plotting to ensure I had a scoopable, and at the same time looking ahead of my target to ensure I had a path. I dont tend to rely on a large tank as I panic at 50% anyway. Manual plotting is slow, but worth it, ensuring you check the "up" "down" axis as well.

 

[mw_aurora]

I ask because as an experiment I fitted an exploration Asp with 152t of fuel tanks

Sorry, nothing to add to your question but reading this prompted a thought - how big an explosion would you get if all the tanks are full? You have so got to run into an asteroid and film the result

 

[dognosh]

Thanks all, so the consensus is as I thought. We need more range not more tanks, with one minor exception which Allitnil mentioned : We are not stuck with 8,16 or 32 tanks anymore, we can have 10, 18,20 etc. !!!

Sorry, nothing to add to your question but reading this prompted a thought - how big an explosion would you get if all the tanks are full? You have so got to run into an asteroid and film the result

haha, I was thinking that it was just a silly experiment that made me chuckle.