Scanning bodies without DDS

ATF-Ghoul · Dec 1, 2015

Hi all,

So today I'm doing a bit of scanning on my way to my trade route, and I was wondering if there is enough of a benefit to going round scanning all the bodies without a surface scanner. Would it be more efficient time-wise to just honk the advanced discovery scanner and jump? Bear in mind that I only do exploring (as of now) as I go along my trade routes, so explorer rank isn't my main priority.

Cheers,
-Ghoul

Para Handy · Dec 1, 2015

You do get more money for doing the level-2 scan - not sure of the difference and whether it is worthwhile.

who? · Dec 1, 2015

As said above, it just earns you more money for each scan. (The Wikia page says 30% more, don't know if that's true).

You already have a surface scanner built in to all the discovery scanners, the DSS is just.. well.. more detailed, so more moolah.

ATF-Ghoul · Dec 1, 2015

who? said:
As said above, it just earns you more money for each scan. (The Wikia page says 30% more, don't know if that's true).

You already have a surface scanner built in to all the discovery scanners, the DSS is just.. well.. more detailed, so more moolah.

Yes I'm aware that it gives more, but my question is, is there much point in going round and scanning the planets without it as opposed to just discovery scanning the system and moving on? I'm a trader so speed is my main concern, exploration is just a bit on the side.

tafkabb · Dec 1, 2015

Yeah, money is the only real difference. You still get first discovery recognition (and bonus) for a scan without a DDS

who? · Dec 1, 2015

ATF-Ghoul said:
Yes I'm aware that it gives more, but my question is, is there much point in going round and scanning the planets without it as opposed to just discovery scanning the system and moving on? I'm a trader so speed is my main concern, exploration is just a bit on the side.

If you're not detailed scanning, then obviously you don't need the DDS.

Even a lot of explorers do exactly that, just flying from system to system, doing the "honk" (with the Advanced Discovery scanner so will detect all bodies in the system) and moving on. You can still make up to tens of thousands per system just like that, so it's easy money as you're moving about trading.

Obviously if you're doing back and forth, repetitive routes, you're not going to end up with much.

insanephoton · Dec 1, 2015

ATF-Ghoul said:
Yes I'm aware that it gives more, but my question is, is there much point in going round and scanning the planets without it as opposed to just discovery scanning the system and moving on? I'm a trader so speed is my main concern, exploration is just a bit on the side.

Depends on what you find. Asteroid belts are entirely worthless and you earn absolutely nothing for scanning them. You can just about scan the main star during FSD cooldown. Other than that it's a marginal case, if you see a black hole, neutron star, earth like world, water world or ammonia world close by it would be worth it, otherwise probably not. No one goes into exploration for the money

Para Handy · Dec 1, 2015

Personally I don't think honk and jump is exploring and I wish F D would sort this out, you should at least scan something - even if it is just the main star - to be given the first explored tag for a system. Honk and jump is just lazy and with the infinite range of an ADS is an exploit to my mind.

sewerratuk · Dec 1, 2015

MalcYorks said:
Personally I don't think honk and jump is exploring and I wish F D would sort this out, you should at least scan something - even if it is just the main star - to be given the first explored tag for a system. Honk and jump is just lazy and with the infinite range of an ADS is an exploit to my mind.

I like to honk and jump so the system map is filled in properly. Not really bothered about the money as its peanuts anyway, so if ED decide to change anything I hope its just the money because there is no way I'm doing a detailed scan of all bodies just to fill the system map...

Para Handy · Dec 1, 2015

sewerratuk said:
I like to honk and jump so the system map is filled in properly. Not really bothered about the money as its peanuts anyway, so if ED decide to change anything I hope its just the money because there is no way I'm doing a detailed scan of all bodies just to fill the system map...

There is no reason why you shouldn't get the system map filled in and even get the money for all the bodies discovered when one uses the ADS - my point is that there are people who just honk and jump so as to get the first discovered tag credited to them. I think that isn't exploring is all, I would rather see the "first discovered by" tag be replaced by a "first explored by" tag crediting the first person that took the time to actually scan the body, once that data has been cashed in. That way people can have their commander name affixed to the first discovered by tag but that gets replaced by a first explored by tag once that body actually gets scanned (level 2 or 3), maybe that will encourage real exploration, not just scything through space honking and jumping.

Zee Axiom · Dec 1, 2015

Most of you didn't really bother to answer the OP's question, so I'll take a whack at it.

You want to know if there's any real "benefit" to taking the time to target-scan bodies along your trade routes instead of just honking your ADS.
It's kind of a loaded question so there are a few answers. Depends on what you're looking for.

If you want more credits, then no. The time it would take you to go through the System Map, identify targets that look worthy, then fly to each one to scan them down, wouldn't be worth much in credits compared to what you are presumably making while trading. It would be "time-wasted" when weighed against your profit/hour while trading. Especially if you aren't bothering with a DSS. Even dedicated explorers that leave the bubble don't really do it for the credits. It's the slowest credit-earning profession in the game.

If you want more info, then maybe. If you're actually taking a DSS with you, it can be worth it to target-scan gas giants with rings to identify what type of material is in the rings to come back to later for mining. These can typically be good finds as no one else will know about these rings and their contents unless they've actually flown through the system themselves as well. But other than Ringed Gas Giants, even this purpose isn't a very good one. Yet.... Horizons may change that.

And other than credits and info there aren't really any other reasons to target-scan shadow systems in the bubble.

So. IMO, no, there's no real benefit to doing more than honking the horn if your main focus at the moment is running a trade route.

Hope that helps.

grae3107 · Dec 1, 2015

I am sure the honk n scan does not get the first discovered by. You have to scan the bodies themselves to get first discovered.

I have been in systems that have clearly been honked and all the bodies up to about 50,000 ls have been discovered but those that have been over a 150,000 ls have been untagged. I went to them, did the scan and got first discovered.

Limoncello Lizard · Dec 1, 2015

grae3107 said:
I am sure the honk n scan does not get the first discovered by. You have to scan the bodies themselves to get first discovered.

I have been in systems that have clearly been honked and all the bodies up to about 50,000 ls have been discovered but those that have been over a 150,000 ls have been untagged. I went to them, did the scan and got first discovered.

You are right. There are plenty of systems with only small icy planets where previous explorers have honked and DSS'd the star, but all the planets are unclaimed. And plenty more systems that have been cherry-picked, with only the well paying planets discovered.