Personally I think explored systems should be explored. You can access their maps and everything. However, give players a better ability to warp around the galaxy as to not have to go 5000 LY just to find unexplored systems. Or just let us hop on a mega ship headed for Colonia or something.
Good systems for exploration credits
- Thread starter RedwoodLynx
- Start date
Personally I think explored systems should be explored. You can access their maps and everything. However, give players a better ability to warp around the galaxy as to not have to go 5000 LY just to find unexplored systems. Or just let us hop on a mega ship headed for Colonia or something.
I agree since all these systems have been scanned over and over again! Why doesn't Galmap reflect this? Technology must really have taken a step back in the future.
Yes I agree that explored systems should be indicated as explored on the map. It is strange that it is not. To be honest there are still a ton of unexplored systems within 5000ly of the bubble. I know, I've just sold millions of credits worth of data which was mostly first discoveries only 1kly out. They are out there for the taking. Get yourself a good exploration ship like the Asp Explorer or Conda (DBX now as well). If you get lucky with, hehe, with Felicity you'll have a fully exploration outfitted ship capable of doing +50ly (+60ly) jumps. That will get you anywhere you want to go quickly. But remember exploration is not so much about jump range than how many systems you actually visit. A guy in a T9 going out to Beagle Point is going to make many more discoveries than one who is speeding along in an Asp Explorer. I'm sure you know the game I'm just blabbing away don't mind me.
I'm a 1000 LY away from the core. I'm aware. Most systems within 3K LY of the bubble have been discovered. At least main sequence stars.
Seems everyone is working way to hard at this. Just take a nice passenger mission 5kly or something. That should pay several million. It gives something like 4 weeks to get it done. Do the mission, scan tons of stuff, not just ELW and when you get back you'll have absolutely loads. Really easy cash.
The issue is not the payouts for commanders like me. The issue is it's a get rich quick scheme for new players and FD will nerf it, which will nerf my payouts unless a scaling system is implemented.
I can't rep you again so have a virtual +1.
Fact is, a true earthlike world is a massively important discovery. That it used to pay a measly 60k beforehand is simply pathetic.
IF Frontier did were to adjust the payouts, I'd say they should make previously discovered earthlikes (and terraforming candidates) worth a bit less than the 2.3 values, but increase the first discovery bonus to compensate.
That way, true exploration will still pay just as well as it does now, while the "cheat sheet" method will be mitigated.
Still, y'all have to understand: there are tens of thousands of minor factions in the galaxy. Even without being the first to discover it, I'm sure those factions would pay dearly for data on potential colonization sites. The current payouts seem plenty "immersive" to me.
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Do you disagree?
Yes, but I don't currently have the capacity to articulate why fully. Not to mention there's threads debating the idea already. There's this odd idea floating around that there's some form of acceptable ship progression and there really isn't. Some people stay in Sidewinders. Exploration gameplay doesn't really improve much past the Asp anyhow... heck with the DBX buff people might even stop there. To me, but obviously not to you, there's nothing there, I'm not worried about what ships people play in.
Can you at least agree with me that for a newish player, exploration is RELATIVELY imbalanced compared to early game missions, trading, and bounty hunting.
I think that previously discovered systems should be just that: Discovered. It would add to the realism and gameplay as our knowledge of the galaxy would increase and develop under time.
Now it is merely a mixture of single player and multiplayer universe where same star systems are discovered and undiscovered at the same time.
Of course realism would make exploration an evolving profession as well. Once those ELW's and terraformables were found we could do detailed surveys on carefully selected planets so that there would be things to do for newcomers too.
BTW, heading 'south' I found first undiscovered system only 500 ly's away.
See you in 125 000 ly's
Now it is merely a mixture of single player and multiplayer universe where same star systems are discovered and undiscovered at the same time.
Of course realism would make exploration an evolving profession as well. Once those ELW's and terraformables were found we could do detailed surveys on carefully selected planets so that there would be things to do for newcomers too.
BTW, heading 'south' I found first undiscovered system only 500 ly's away.
See you in 125 000 ly's
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That's subjective. Many players want to have more room for AFMUs, SRVs, a fighter to fly through canyons, cargo room for any stray things you might find out in the dark, fuel limpets if you want to be able to rescue other ships - the bigger your ship, the more things you can take with you when exploring. Plus the capability to defend yourself when you return to civilization (especially now that we have lightweight mods that reduce tonnage to practically nothing...).
Even if ELW payouts are now, in the eyes of the community, better, there is another, more dire issue. Besides the fact terraforrmable water worlds pay more than ELW's. Its the other stellar objects. Stars, terraforrmable rocky, and gas giants pay too much as well.
These terraformables get more than an ELW, which should be a better place for life. Gas giants can get you tens of thousands each in some cases.
These terraformables get more than an ELW, which should be a better place for life. Gas giants can get you tens of thousands each in some cases.
It might be that with a terraformable world, you can 'build' it to your liking, while a natural Earth-like probably has indegenous lifeforms and pre-existing ecosystems to worry about.
I've been playing Elite for a little more than a year, and I never really went outside the bubble. Why? 2 reasons, and it's just that. My reasons:
1. "Exploring" is kind of a strong word I thought. Same planets over and over again. I got bored fast. Even when I came acorss my first ELW, i got a jump of excitement. But that was one moment in a couple hours going to the coal sack nebula (i think that was the name?) My roommate would watch me play and ask me what the hell Iwas doing, cuz it looked boring. And I agreed. I'd rather be shooting up a combat zone with my wingmates.
2. When I got back... i made like 4-6 million credits. I felt so cheated for all the hours I spent out there. in the same amount of time I could've made 3 times that in combat or trading. I felt like I wasted so much time. I got a rank in exploration which was nice. But overall I felt cheated for being bored.
With 2.3 updated and with the addition of passengers, it's got me back into exploration. Why? Because now I don't feel cheated and that I will get adequately compensated for the hours and hours I'm gonna spend just flying around, 95% of the time seeing the same thing over and over again with a slightly different configuration. And that other 5% the excitement for finding ELW's or cool looking planets.
Exploration is like that dedicated chore you just can't get out of. Once you are out, you gotta come back. I love combat, but when I go out, I can't just "switch ships" and do some combat. You have to fly all the way back. That's the part that hinders my experience from exploring. I'd explore way more if we had the ability to "teleport" our pilot between 2 ships. I would love to go to the other side of the galaxy. But I don't want to be stuck out there when I get bored of exploring and want to shoot some pirates. The 2.3 update just gave me incentive for going back out. At least as far as Colonia.
1. "Exploring" is kind of a strong word I thought. Same planets over and over again. I got bored fast. Even when I came acorss my first ELW, i got a jump of excitement. But that was one moment in a couple hours going to the coal sack nebula (i think that was the name?) My roommate would watch me play and ask me what the hell Iwas doing, cuz it looked boring. And I agreed. I'd rather be shooting up a combat zone with my wingmates.
2. When I got back... i made like 4-6 million credits. I felt so cheated for all the hours I spent out there. in the same amount of time I could've made 3 times that in combat or trading. I felt like I wasted so much time. I got a rank in exploration which was nice. But overall I felt cheated for being bored.
With 2.3 updated and with the addition of passengers, it's got me back into exploration. Why? Because now I don't feel cheated and that I will get adequately compensated for the hours and hours I'm gonna spend just flying around, 95% of the time seeing the same thing over and over again with a slightly different configuration. And that other 5% the excitement for finding ELW's or cool looking planets.
Exploration is like that dedicated chore you just can't get out of. Once you are out, you gotta come back. I love combat, but when I go out, I can't just "switch ships" and do some combat. You have to fly all the way back. That's the part that hinders my experience from exploring. I'd explore way more if we had the ability to "teleport" our pilot between 2 ships. I would love to go to the other side of the galaxy. But I don't want to be stuck out there when I get bored of exploring and want to shoot some pirates. The 2.3 update just gave me incentive for going back out. At least as far as Colonia.
Here's a list in old money of some of the big payers I've visited. The second one should be worth over Cr3m
| System | Payout | Note |
| NYUENAA MC-D D12-2069 | 513,868 | 6 x TF HMC, 2 x WW, 1 x TF WW |
| eol prou ar-t d4-1660 | 418,918 | 8 x TF HMC |
| Ooscs freau pe-x d2-580 | 381,869 | |
| Phua Aub MK-E D12-687 | 362,871 | |
| PHUA AUB DH-L D8-5867 | 335,788 | |
| Phua Aub DH-L D8 5867 | 335,788 | |
| phipoe kn-s e4-3449 | 322,857 | |
| EOL PROU UE-N C8-229 | 313,486 | |
| clookuia fr-l c24-58 | 273,210 | |
| DUNEE EH-U E3-714 | 272,939 | ELW / NS / BH / WD |
| HYPO AUF ZS-U D2-697 | 261,998 | |
| Phua Aub CL-O D6-1647 | 251,614 |
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The concept of players getting large financial rewards for merely scanning systems which are already discovered by other commanders is somewhat dumb. If FDev wanted to increase exploration rewards, the sensible thing to do would have been to leave the amounts received for the basic scan as they were and increased the first discovery bonuses significantly. That way if you scan an earth-like that 10,000 commanders have scanned before you 150 LY from Sol you get a small payout but if you're the first to discover a possible new home for humanity 7,500LY out in the black you get the big bucks.
Someone mentioned Sothis on the last page. Sorry to be the realist here but nobody is 'discovering' anything in Sothis, one of the most visited systems with human habitation. I had to go to Coventry a couple of months ago - I've never visited there before but I didn't come home raving about how I'd discovered a lost city just because it was the first time I'd seen it.
That's not a view based in 'late game entitlement' it's one based in an understanding of the concepts of 'exploration' and 'discovery'.
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