Because it's part of the game? Because there is an entire Elite Rank devoted to exploration? Because there is a 400 billion star galaxy out there to fly around in? Because a very large portion of the customers want it, and are actively exploring while trying to make the best of what little mechanics we have?
But don't worry, Frontier has yet to devote any substantial dev time to exploration in over two years. They would seem to agree with you.
It is indeed part of the game, there is an Elite Rank devoted to Exploration, and the galaxy is a very big place. No disagreement there.
I don't agree with your assertion that a large portion of the customers want it to be a development priority. I also don't agree that a large portion of the customer base is outside civilized space for any real length of time. In fact, Frontier has a vested interest in this never being true. More on that later.
I completely disagree with the use of the word exploration to describe what goes on out in the black. It would be more accurate to say mapping, or charting. I don't say this to put anyone down, or downplay that game experience (I enjoy it myself), but, point blank, it isn't Exploration. Let's call a spade a spade.
Now, the question is, what would Frontier need to do to change the current activity, to something that actually represents Exploration? Put stuff on planets out in the middle of nowhere that make no actual sense, but are there just to be there? Utilize the various dangers (that I am totally on board with, and would love to see implemented) that you mentioned in that other thread? Somehow procedurally generate random *seek and find* types of USS-based missions out in the middle of nowhere? Put NPC's in the game that represent Universal Cartographics that are looking for specific things, and paying large premiums for data containing those things? Perhaps NPC's that represent Mining companies paying premiums for data containing various types of reserves?
Put on your Objective Business Hat, and take a look at the gushing fountain that is the current Canonn thread, and compare that to this, the Exploration forum. The only thread dedicated to the major Exploration content that is currently in the game isn't even on the first page, and struggled to stay on it when the target systems were first announced. Additionally, the vast majority of the frequent posters in this forum are curiously absent from that thread. Admittedly, I did not start reading it on page one, but I have kept up with it for the most part since the target systems were announced.
Whether or not anyone likes the fact that looking for the ruins = scanning beige landscapes for hours (or days) with your eyes is irrelevant right now - this is major Exploration content, and the only buzz you hear about it in this forum is...crickets. This is not to say that all Explorers frequent this forum, but this should be a nexus point for anything Exploration-related, yet when it comes to the big mystery, and opportunities to actually find something...there is nothing. From an objective, business point of view, this is very compelling evidence not to invest a lot of development time into this part of the game.
Add to that the frequency in which statements like *can't be bothered,* *not worth the time,* *just ADS, scoop and jump to the next system,* *if we had better tools, then we would* and there is even less reason to invest. The (many) people who can't be bothered to SC more than Xls, still won't. The people for whom scanning individual things in a system isn't worth their time, aren't going to change that viewpoint. The people who think that having better tools = actually using them...won't. Better tools leads to things that are on planets that we can land on, and when you are out in the middle of nowhere, those planets always fall under the *not worth my time* category. The only exception is landing for materials. People can try to convince themselves (and others) that better tools, and commensurate rewards for whatever random thing Frontier dropped there for you to find on the barren rocks would cause them to actually engage in this activity, but they are wrong, and they would discover this within a week. It would, very quickly, become *not worth the time.*
Looping back to the vested interest mentioned earlier: if the majority of the players were scattered out in the middle of nowhere, Frontier would have no way of putting any kind of compelling, community-based content into the game. On top of that, all of the systems in the game that are affected by player actions would grind to a halt, and a lot of development time has already been spent on these systems. Trade, Powerplay, system states, would all become a shell of what they are now. This isn't in the playbook, I can assure you.
Exploration will get some new things, but looking at it objectively, I don't see it as being a high priority.
So, I ask again - why should they?
Riôt
