PLEASE FD do a little QOL adjustment on scan times

[disorganise]

I agree with the views that the scan times and/or range should be adjusted to shave some time. Whilst we're at it, since we already know the star type of the system we're jumping to before we actually jump, can we please either insta scan the main or at least scan it without needing to directly point at it? (non sequence maybe excepted).

I've only engineered in beta but that seems like a reasonable approach, though wouldn't that make it 2.x only? An engineered ADS and DSS combined would be nice......and/or a docking computer (long trips, you lose the skills)

 

[varonica]

My scanning now is limited to worlds/moons of interest, I don't bother with gas giants, non landable planets except for earth likes, and a good 90 percent of the ones I do scan I only go to DSS range. If they don't show active geology I don't bother, if they show active geology but no major geographical features such as canyons or high mountains I don't bother, it's just such a huge time sink that I can't be bothered wasting my time doing them all, so if you wander into one of my discovered systems help yourselves to the gas giant first discovery etc.

It was argued during beta that having the detailed surface map only available after DSS rather the ADS (as it was for beta's 1 to 6, I can't imagine why they would change something so late in the beta process) would encourage explorers to visit every body in the system. Now that's been demonstrated to be not the case can we please have it back! I know have to fly to each moon/planet to just within the range of the DSS to see if it has any geographical features worth further examination, whereas during the beta I could pick my targets and make plans after the ADS.

 

[EUS]

Spent time last night scanning some bodies.
Distance from moons; 8.5ls-5ls, time to scan, 35-30 seconds each.
My passenger might be becoming a little impatient, I told him to shush, he's given me 2 weeks to complete the trip.

 

[Iron Orchid]

Scanning is just behind mining in the tedium stakes.

 

[Leper Messiah]

My scanning now is limited to worlds/moons of interest, I don't bother with gas giants, non landable planets except for earth likes, and a good 90 percent of the ones I do scan I only go to DSS range. If they don't show active geology I don't bother, if they show active geology but no major geographical features such as canyons or high mountains I don't bother, it's just such a huge time sink that I can't be bothered wasting my time doing them all, so if you wander into one of my discovered systems help yourselves to the gas giant first discovery etc.

It was argued during beta that having the detailed surface map only available after DSS rather the ADS (as it was for beta's 1 to 6, I can't imagine why they would change something so late in the beta process) would encourage explorers to visit every body in the system. Now that's been demonstrated to be not the case can we please have it back! I know have to fly to each moon/planet to just within the range of the DSS to see if it has any geographical features worth further examination, whereas during the beta I could pick my targets and make plans after the ADS.

I try to pick and choose but quite often can't control my need to scan everything. I wish FD would add a "complete system scan" bonus to encourage the complete scan of systems (along with the faster scan times of course!)

Spent time last night scanning some bodies.
Distance from moons; 8.5ls-5ls, time to scan, 35-30 seconds each.
My passenger might be becoming a little impatient, I told him to shush, he's given me 2 weeks to complete the trip.

Yeah moons are an absolute mare with regards scan time

Scanning is just behind mining in the tedium stakes.

Is mining REALLY that bad? I've never done it but considering getting a mining build Python soon(ish)

 

[newman1702]

Agreed on reducing scan times. I'd also look at reducing the range penalties (the increased time it takes to scan something when further away from it) to prevent us from having a meaningless choice between (a) wasting time on long scans by being at the edge of range, or (b) wasting time flying into the gravity well to close in for a shorter scan time, but then having to waste a lot of time flying out of said gravity well. Or simply increase the range of the DSS (or let us do so via engineers) to make this less annoying.

Nothing balance wise would be affected by changing this. Also, FDev, explorers also wanted some engineer upgrades beyond range. What's that you said? You can mod the fuel scoop now? Awesome! Let me go check where I need to go and what I need to do to increase it's range or maximum scooping rates.. so let's see, possible modifications, shielded. Boosts integrity at the cost of a larger power draw. Oooooh.
So, even though most explorers carry refillable AFMU's so they can fix the fuel scoop if necessary, you offer us useless higher integrity at the cost of a higher power draw, meaning having to pack a larger power plant or overclocking the current one on some builds, thus sacrificing either range or heat efficiency in order to boost a useless stat.

Just what nobody always wanted. Thanks.

 

[varonica]

Is mining REALLY that bad? I've never done it but considering getting a mining build Python soon(ish)

I suspect it's like this, for most people mining is something you do occasionally, I've never done it long enough for it to become really boring, the very fact that it involves a lot of flying back and forward to stations means you can do a run of mining then change to something else, whereas 20-30k+ly outside the bubble there isn't anything to swap to for a few hours to have a change! Mining is boring for long periods, but it's not something you have to do for long periods because there's nothing else around to do.

 

[Leper Messiah]

Agreed on reducing scan times. I'd also look at reducing the range penalties (the increased time it takes to scan something when further away from it) to prevent us from having a meaningless choice between (a) wasting time on long scans by being at the edge of range, or (b) wasting time flying into the gravity well to close in for a shorter scan time, but then having to waste a lot of time flying out of said gravity well. Or simply increase the range of the DSS (or let us do so via engineers) to make this less annoying.

Nothing balance wise would be affected by changing this. Also, FDev, explorers also wanted some engineer upgrades beyond range. What's that you said? You can mod the fuel scoop now? Awesome! Let me go check where I need to go and what I need to do to increase it's range or maximum scooping rates.. so let's see, possible modifications, shielded. Boosts integrity at the cost of a larger power draw. Oooooh.
So, even though most explorers carry refillable AFMU's so they can fix the fuel scoop if necessary, you offer us useless higher integrity at the cost of a higher power draw, meaning having to pack a larger power plant or overclocking the current one on some builds, thus sacrificing either range or heat efficiency in order to boost a useless stat.

Just what nobody always wanted. Thanks.

Yeah I could halve the scan time on moons by getting within 5 ls or so and hit the gravity well joy!

I suspect it's like this, for most people mining is something you do occasionally, I've never done it long enough for it to become really boring, the very fact that it involves a lot of flying back and forward to stations means you can do a run of mining then change to something else, whereas 20-30k+ly outside the bubble there isn't anything to swap to for a few hours to have a change! Mining is boring for long periods, but it's not something you have to do for long periods because there's nothing else around to do.

gotcha!

 

[EUS]

I try to pick and choose but quite often can't control my need to scan everything. I wish FD would add a "complete system scan" bonus to encourage the complete scan of systems (along with the faster scan times of course!)



Yeah moons are an absolute mare with regards scan time



Is mining REALLY that bad? I've never done it but considering getting a mining build Python soon(ish)

Some like it, I cannot stand it.
Tried it once before limpets, once after limpets.
It's terrible. From an implementation POV, absolute minimum amount of thought/effort went into it.

 

[M_Biscotti]

Players will want to kill me

@Frontier devs, I think you now have the DSS scan other reason-to-exist (other than make money) Speed up scan [praise]

 

[NeilF]

Yes, scans do seem to take a loooooong time... It would be nice to see them reduced.


OR! If you could at least fly past the object you're scanning rather than having to fly directly towards it! eg: If the arc was huge instead of tiny!

AND/OR! If you could have exploration drones to send off to go into orbit around planets to, (a) scan them, (b) allow you to see a video feed from them of a close up of the planet.

 

[Kenneth McGrew]

scan times suck!

the scan also pauses while in the gal map / system map so you have to stare at it and will it to complete, its like herding cats... time consuming

 

[NeilF]

the scan also pauses while in the gal map / system map so you have to stare at it and will it to complete, its like herding cats... time consuming

You sure about that? That's just rubbing salt in the wound isn't it!

 

[EUS]

scan times suck!

the scan also pauses while in the gal map / system map so you have to stare at it and will it to complete, its like herding cats... time consuming

This is not true, I'm always in system map while scanning, the scan completes.

*EDIT* Provided you don't target a different body.

You have to unfocus refocus on the body to see the updated status, ie move view around.

 

[Kenneth McGrew]

You sure about that? That's just rubbing salt in the wound isn't it!

100% sure, sometimes i go into the system map to select the next planet of value to scan while the DSS is still warming up like an old spectrum tape player, looking via the left panel of unexplored often just shows the closest unexplored rock and not that HMC you really want to scan

while in the system map the DSS makes no progress, you have to abort and wait until the final few seconds of the scan before entering the system map for it to complete the scan

i'm on xbox though, can't confirm if this is the same on PC

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This is not true, I'm always in system map while scanning, the scan completes.
You have to unfocus refocus on the body to see the updated status.

i unfocus / refocus all the time, it never completes the scan, when i get back to the ship its still making exactly the same pitched sound which i left it at, i've even made a cup of tea waiting for a scan to complete in the system map, and at all times i have never de-selected the planet

only upon returning to the ship HUD did the scan resume.

 

[Ben_BigBen]

Too much sense in this thread - I thought explorers were meant to be the insane ones!
- Faster scans
- Omnidirectional scan (where exactly is this "scanner" mounted ? - certainly not on the pointy end )
- Longer range - not much but a bit longer
- A list that appears like a teletype ( like the "first found" in stellar cartography) on the HUD to show you atmosphere, composition, metal content, etc. as it finds them throughout the duration of the scan


The one fly in the ointment would be that anyone getting Elite wouldn't have "proper" Elite they'd have "easy" Elite (I'm 50% Pioneer so hoping to get there one day)

 

[EUS]

100% sure, sometimes i go into the system map to select the next planet of value to scan while the DSS is still warming up like an old spectrum tape player, looking via the left panel of unexplored often just shows the closest unexplored rock and not that HMC you really want to scan

while in the system map the DSS makes no progress, you have to abort and wait until the final few seconds of the scan before entering the system map for it to complete the scan

i'm on xbox though, can't confirm if this is the same on PC

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i unfocus / refocus all the time, it never completes the scan, when i get back to the ship its still making exactly the same pitched sound which i left it at, i've even made a cup of tea waiting for a scan to complete in the system map.

only upon returning to the ship HUD did the scan resume.

I don't know why this happens to you, the only time I lose the scan in progress is when I accidentally target another planet while in system/global map.

 

[Iron Orchid]

A couple of things that *might* improve scanning :-

1. The better the % of materials the better the payouts (Polonium = $$$$$ ) Incentive to scan all those landables.
2. Some form of feedback when the scan takes place rather than that whirly whirly thing - ideally in the left hand info screen:-
Starting Scanning...
Determining Object Type...
Object Type:- High Metal Content Planet
etc....

Hopefully you get the idea. It's the sitting around waiting to do stuff ( a bit like the dead time while jumping..)

IO

 

[NeilF]

A couple of things that *might* improve scanning :-

1. The better the % of materials the better the payouts (Polonium = $$$$$ ) Incentive to scan all those landables.
2. Some form of feedback when the scan takes place rather than that whirly whirly thing - ideally in the left hand info screen:-
Starting Scanning...
Determining Object Type...
Object Type:- High Metal Content Planet
etc....

Hopefully you get the idea. It's the sitting around waiting to do stuff ( a bit like the dead time while jumping..)

IO

On the subject of giving exploration scanning worth?

Procedurally generated rare resource hot spots, for materials on surfaces and elements in rings. So when you scan you can discover a hot spot (on the surface or in a ring). These will give a very high amount of the specified material/element. As it's mined, the dice of what you fine are heavily skewed in its favour, and each time tou find some of it, the resource spots counter is reduced until it reaches zero, when it is then gone forever.

So once these have all gone in the bubble, the only place to find them will be outside the bubble. And then further out still...

ie: You may scan a planet and find a rich resource hot spot of palladium. You make a note of it, and return a few weeks later with your friends to "exploit it" and mine it down to nothing.

Or need some Tin? Well go to that hot spot of it you discovered a few weeks back on a moon.

Post about it (including procedural distribution maps too) - https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=258294&page=8&p=4007154&viewfull=1#post4007154

 

[Amoebic]

i personally would enjoy it if you could swap between target planets faster than using the navigation menu on xbox.