exploring still sucks.

[Jaiotu]

I love exploration in Elite: Dangerous. Could more be added? Absolutely.

So far we explorers have been given:

1. Planetary Landings
2. "Barnacles", Fungal lifeforms, "Brain Trees"
3. "Guardians" ruin sites.
4. Enhanced graphics and game mechanics with neutron stars and white dwarfs.
5. Abandoned human settlements.
6. The search for Jaques Station which resulted in the current colonization effort of a new corner of the galaxy.
7. Unknown artifacts / Unknown probes.
8. Geysers and fumeroles

I'm probably missing more things than I've actually listed. Bottom line is that there is a LOT of content in the game for those of us who spend our playtime exploring ... and more is sure to come. Galnet recently teased some things going on in the permit-locked COL 70 sector and it always seems that we're right on the verge of figuring out SOMETHING in the Formidine Rift.

One of the problems is that there is so much going on in this game that the majority of players simply don't know about because it hasn't been communicated in-game. Now that we've located the abandoned settlements in the Rift, Conflux and Hawking's Gap we need missions that send people out to these locations so that more and more players are made aware of what is going on in the galaxy. People are flying to and from Colonia all the time without knowing that there are two systems with datapoints (Conflux Gap Expedition abandoned settlements) that are worth 8 to 10 million credits each if you stop and scan them. Additional datapoints worth the same amount are located in the Formidine Rift and Hawking's Gap. I've also picked up dozens of rare engineering materials scattered at these sites.

Exploration will never appeal to everyone but Frontier could probably lure more players into this aspect of the game by providing better sign posts to tell players where they can find interesting things. They're trying to do that through the passengers missions to some degree.

 

[Qohen Leth]

I love exploration in Elite: Dangerous. Could more be added? Absolutely.

So far we explorers have been given:

1. Planetary Landings
2. "Barnacles", Fungal lifeforms, "Brain Trees"
3. "Guardians" ruin sites.
4. Enhanced graphics and game mechanics with neutron stars and white dwarfs.
5. Abandoned human settlements.
6. The search for Jaques Station which resulted in the current colonization effort of a new corner of the galaxy.
7. Unknown artifacts / Unknown probes.
8. Geysers and fumeroles

I'm probably missing more things than I've actually listed. Bottom line is that there is a LOT of content in the game for those of us who spend our playtime exploring ... and more is sure to come. Galnet recently teased some things going on in the permit-locked COL 70 sector and it always seems that we're right on the verge of figuring out SOMETHING in the Formidine Rift.

One of the problems is that there is so much going on in this game that the majority of players simply don't know about because it hasn't been communicated in-game. Now that we've located the abandoned settlements in the Rift, Conflux and Hawking's Gap we need missions that send people out to these locations so that more and more players are made aware of what is going on in the galaxy. People are flying to and from Colonia all the time without knowing that there are two systems with datapoints (Conflux Gap Expedition abandoned settlements) that are worth 8 to 10 million credits each if you stop and scan them. Additional datapoints worth the same amount are located in the Formidine Rift and Hawking's Gap. I've also picked up dozens of rare engineering materials scattered at these sites.

Exploration will never appeal to everyone but Frontier could probably lure more players into this aspect of the game by providing better sign posts to tell players where they can find interesting things. They're trying to do that through the passengers missions to some degree.

1. Remote plains and canyons
2. Barnacles near the bubble, fungi = one or two 3D models duplicated in a location that takes hours to find and a few minutes to visit
3. Near the bubble
4. 2 star types revamped with a boost-like mechanic (so, not new per se)
5. Near the bubble
6. 'Search'?
7. Near the bubble
8. See fungi

I think you're mixing space exploration and enigmas/mysteries, which, far from (or close to) the Bubble as they may be, are not as much about exploration are they are about riddle-solving in most cases.

 

[Ian Skippy]

I started playing about 2yrs ago . mostly done a bit of everything. played mostly everyday! my previous exploration was only 3000lys and got so tedious I returned to the bubble, before engineers were introduced.
decided to do the grind for Palin about a month ago. so of I jumped into the black. what did I find in the countless systems I have explored. nothing of interest, just the same as my previous experience.
while exploring, do I still play everyday! NO. (lesson FDEVS) spice things up! if you want to keep us interested then exploration needs some LOVE!
playtime now about once a week, because it is so (redacted) boring. I cant be bothered, doing jump scans etc. so mundane.

seeing as I have had no sightings of the alien ships, how about sending some after me. 3mths+ since they were added. paid for and as far as I can tell, I got nothing for my cash!

not concerning beta's. tested only, not played beta for more than a hr.

Go look at the Horizon featurelist, you didnt pay for aliens. You paid for nonatmo landings, engineers, multicrew and passengers.

 

[Lord Tareq]

They could and definitely should enhance stuff. I'd love to see some more StarTrek-like exploration aspects like strange alien lifeforms feeding from a gas giant or perhaps a space kraken that has a tiny chance of pulling you out of hyperspace when outside the bubble. Things that happen basically, rather than this extremely static galaxy. Such events just need to be very rare.
Yes its less realistic, but we are playing a scifi game with beam weapons and Thargoids, not a NASA simulator.

 

[Cmdr Cheese Wedge]

I enjoy exploration as I now know what to look for, there's some weird interesting stuff out there.
(Resource: Exploration subforum and two years of honking)

 

[Mr T]

exploring still sucks...

Have you tried neutron jumping? Apart from making the trips quicker and the galaxy appear smaller, it breaks the monotony when trying to supercharge your FSD.

 

[Jaiotu]

1. Remote plains and canyons
2. Barnacles near the bubble, fungi = one or two 3D models duplicated in a location that takes hours to find and a few minutes to visit
3. Near the bubble
4. 2 star types revamped with a boost-like mechanic (so, not new per se)
5. Near the bubble
6. 'Search'?
7. Near the bubble
8. See fungi

I think you're mixing space exploration and enigmas/mysteries, which, far from (or close to) the Bubble as they may be, are not as much about exploration are they are about riddle-solving in most cases.

I've never considered "exploring" to be about distance. You can fly all the way to Beagle Point end never do any real exploration. Likewise you can visit "unexplored" systems right in the bubble and still do lots of exploration. There are still planets and stars inside the bubble that haven't got a "first discovery" tag on them. I don't think that simply because something is "near the bubble" that it doesn't count as exploration. I also would contend that enigmas and mysteries are very much an exploration game mechanic (at least until they are found, at which point they become a sight-seeing/riddle-solving thing).

The Search for Jaques station was very much a thing. CMDR Cly simply short-circuited it by being overly clever

 

[Wotthe Dickens]

Hi OP,
Imo, it appears to be horses for courses!
I too found it pretty monotonous on my trip to sag*, but I was determined and I found the psychological effects actually quite interesting! Space madness created a new level of friendship with my pet (a toy on my desk) in that we had some very interesting discussions (albeit quite one sided).
I did find some interesting(?!) stellar forge artefacts but of course would've liked more.
Some people though find enough interest currently and that's fine!
I, like you could only do an hour or two a week and it took me several months to reach sag a*, it was nice to finally reach it!
What finally killed it for me was totally my own fault - beta 2.2(?) dropped, and I fancied trying out the scarab so I launched the client, found a handy nearby asteroid ring and drive my asp directly into a convenient large asteroid.
Unfortunately, I had failed to spot the absence of "beta" text in the bottom left of my screen and lo, I found myself back in the bubble in my live save minus all the exploration data!
I guess I could've contacted support, but it was my fault and I wasn't that bothered really, but I've only launched ed a handful of times since
No regrets, no bad wishes, and forum lurking is kinda easier for my available time
Have fun in the black cmdrs!

 

[Crank Larson]

If you don't enjoy an activity, don't do it...

There have been huge improvements for explorers over the last couple of years, but if you don't like the fact that a planet is essentially a big ball of something floating through space, and the vast majority will have not a lot on them except for interesting scenery, then exploration really isn't for you.

EDIT: More accurately, I think, the vast majority of planets probably don't have interesting scenery. But one of the joys of exploring is finding those planets that are interesting.

 

[lysan]

Let's be honest, exploration in ED is as barebone as it can be. Travel and "find" planets is not exploration.

Scanning planets, moons and stars are a very basic feature.
You can't find anything to expand you ship with, crafting or researching are only connected to combat, nothing else to find or do.

No science officer NPC crewman/woman on your ship to investigate more in details or special scanner that could find ore of valuable minerals. There are no mechanics where you can mine or extract ore on planets other than drive around and shot rocks.

FDEV should be looking at Hellion and learn how to make a deep and interresting gameplay.

[video=youtube;N9wqgpx1Rrg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9wqgpx1Rrg[/video]

 

[avow555]

Indeed it does.

How many times had Frontier reworked aspects of the games combat but still exploration is the same now as it was when the game went live.

Yeh good point.

 

[Agony_Aunt]

Hmm... i still play almost every day and exploration is something i still do regularly.

Sure, it could do with more to it, almost all areas of the game could. I try not to stamp my feet over it though and willing to wait for FD to get round to adding more exploration goodness. We did get Horizons this season and it was the first part of the whole season, so a pretty big nod to the explorers there. Now we need to wait and see what comes in the next season.

 

[fademist]

Indeed it does.

How many times had Frontier reworked aspects of the games combat but still exploration is the same now as it was when the game went live.

dont forget explorers and traders dont whine that much

 

[Spookyy]

If you don't enjoy an activity, don't do it...

Yup, most ED owners do just that.

 

[lysan]

Indeed it does.

How many times had Frontier reworked aspects of the games combat but still exploration is the same now as it was when the game went live.

schyyys FDEV are busy fiddling with this.

[video=youtube;egP8TvqOEtw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egP8TvqOEtw[/video]

 

[Soon(TM)]

Horizons counts as exploration content. Initial live build didn't have landable planets.

Yeah, landing on dust bowls is as exciting as it gets for explorers!

Wow, amazing stuff!

- - - Updated - - -

Let's be honest, exploration in ED is as barebone as it can be. Travel and "find" planets is not exploration.

Scanning planets, moons and stars are a very basic feature.
You can't find anything to expand you ship with, crafting or researching are only connected to combat, nothing else to find or do.

No science officer NPC crewman/woman on your ship to investigate more in details or special scanner that could find ore of valuable minerals. There are no mechanics where you can mine or extract ore on planets other than drive around and shot rocks.

FDEV should be looking at Hellion and learn how to make a deep and interresting gameplay.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9wqgpx1Rrg

I'm sorry but i have Hellion and it's far from exciting to play.

First impressions are good, open space, space ship, star Citizen style gameplay with airlocks and a ship you can walk around in.

But that's it, other than mining asteroids and boarding other stations to nicks stuff of shoot people (which is rare due to the crazy travel times) there's not a great deal to do.

Hellion is in pre alpha so has a long way to go.

ED is not pre alpha but also still has a long way to go.

Both games are still pretty barebones and rinse repeat at this point.

 

[Siranui]

if you want to keep us interested then exploration needs some LOVE!
playtime now about once a week, because it is so (redacted) boring. I cant be bothered, doing jump scans etc. so mundane.

It is not mandatory for the designers to make a game in which you love every aspect. For example, I don't enjoy assassinations or PvP. Big deal though, because there are other parts of the game I love.

If you do not love the part of the game you are playing, play a different part of it.

The only person making you not enjoy the game right now is yourself.

 

[smokeingcat1369]

I think people forget that Elite dangerous is a combat space simulation at its core. It was designed and created to be just that all this other stuff is just extra fluff that people like to do so FD try to accommodate with extra mechanics it's not perfect. But all in all you have to remember this game is a combat space simulator nothing more. Once you realize this the game really looks good and has lots of extra content. This is only my opinion take it as you will. Stay safe Commanders

 

[Jaiotu]

I think people forget that Elite dangerous is a combat space simulation at its core. It was designed and created to be just that all this other stuff is just extra fluff that people like to do so FD try to accommodate with extra mechanics it's not perfect. But all in all you have to remember this game is a combat space simulator nothing more. Once you realize this the game really looks good and has lots of extra content. This is only my opinion take it as you will. Stay safe Commanders

What? Nope. Not a combat space sim "at it's core". If anything it is a space trading game at its core.

 

[Wolf Starslayer]

What? Nope. Not a combat space sim "at it's core". If anything it is a space trading game at its core.

The original maybe, this one however is very much EvE 2.0 and moving further that way every update.