Is jump range really king for exploration?

[verminstar]

The king of Exploration is Patience.

It's nothing but tedium, mixed with repetition.

I've largely held off on it, waiting for this turd to get polished. Hopefully in 3.x....

I actually agree with the first part...somewhat with the second, but Id be a hypocrite then cos I started playing again last night.

Exploration...what I personally consider exploration is incredibly repetitive by its very nature. Boring is subjective to the individual but an old saying rings true here...just because anyone can start exploring doesnt instantly mean everyone will love it. Its really not fer everyone and many hate it because of the reasons you state. But still, players go out into the black and still stay there fer months at a time...not all of them come back, but that lure to go out in the first place. Its like an itch ye cant scratch ^

 

[WR3ND]

Scoop speed only really matters when buckyballing, or when trying to honk the most systems per hour. That's not exploring though, that's racing.

...

No, that is incorrect. Higher fuel scooping efficiency allows you to do more exploration more efficiently. Sorry for the late edit on my previous post, but I provide some further clarification regarding this. Hope that helps.

 

[IndigoWyrd]

I actually agree with the first part...somewhat with the second, but Id be a hypocrite then cos I started playing again last night.

Exploration...what I personally consider exploration is incredibly repetitive by its very nature. Boring is subjective to the individual but an old saying rings true here...just because anyone can start exploring doesnt instantly mean everyone will love it. Its really not fer everyone and many hate it because of the reasons you state. But still, players go out into the black and still stay there fer months at a time...not all of them come back, but that lure to go out in the first place. Its like an itch ye cant scratch ^

My longest range venture was one of 5,200 light years, with a passenger, and in a Beluga. I took the passenger mission because of the distance - enough to unlock Palin.
I took the Beluga because:

1. I love the ship.
2. 128 ton Fuel Tank

I stripped it down pretty well, to lighten it up, and managed a very respectable 31 ly range (pre-2.3, still weighed in at 1100 tons at the time).
It took me 13 days to make the trip to my destination, honking and scanning every square inch of space the whole way out.
It took me 6 hours to get back, scooping and jumping the whole way back.

I gathered some very nice screen shots, and even made a little post about it - https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showt...-Beluga?highlight=There+Back+Again,+In+Beluga

I won't say I didn't enjoy my venture, though writing about it was more fun than the mechanics of it. Perhaps the worst part was simply having to plot 1k Ly segments, bookmark and fly out 1k to do it again, and again, and again, and... yeah, the route planning is just garbage.

The scanning mechanics also leave a lot to be desired, but I don't hate it, it just needs so much done with it to keep it engaging.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

For me handling in SC is most important. And because of the prefix "for me" I must be right.

*smug face*

 

[EUS]

For my exploring purposes, no it's not king. For fast travel, yes.
When I explore I sometimes choose economical for plotting.
The king for me is fastest fuel scooping, next is tied between cockpit view, and SC agility, which is why I cannot stand using the Anaconda for exploration.
*Edit* Beaten by smug face.

 

[WR3ND]

For me handling in SC is most important. And because of the prefix "for me" I must be right.

*smug face*

In terms of overall general exploration efficiency, I'm sure it does play at least somewhat of a meaningful role as well. Either way, I'm a fan it as well.

Disclaimer: I generally don't pilot the most efficient exploration ships in the game due to personal preferences, such as liking combat survivability and not caring for the Asp nor the Anaconda...

 

[mossfoot]

Personally I think having more tools available is more important than jump range.

Thats why I fly an engineered Keelback. She runs cool and has an okay jump range, but her size makes it easier to land where I want than, say, an anaconda, and I have an SLF for recon/canyon running as well as my SRV.

 

[Red Anders]

For me handling in SC is most important. And because of the prefix "for me" I must be right.

*smug face*

Over time I've settled on a compromise. If my priority was the view I'd take my T9. If it was handling in SC I'd take my DBX or Asp. If it was range, any of my Conda, Asp or DBX would be fine because they all jump between 50 and 55 LY.

As it is, I usually take the Anaconda and it's because the most important thing to me is redundancy. I discovered this after wrecking both the SRVs in my Asp within about 30 minutes of each other when I was somewhere near the Eagle nebula (jumping over canyons, as you do) and having to fly back to the bubble to replace them.

 

[WR3ND]

Over time I've settled on a compromise. If my priority was the view I'd take my T9. If it was handling in SC I'd take my DBX or Asp. If it was range, any of my Conda, Asp or DBX would be fine because they all jump between 50 and 55 LY.

As it is, I usually take the Anaconda and it's because the most important thing to me is redundancy. I discovered this after wrecking both the SRVs in my Asp within about 30 minutes of each other when I was somewhere near the Eagle nebula (jumping over canyons, as you do) and having to fly back to the bubble to replace them.

Discussing specific game mechanics and efficiencies aside, It mostly does just come down to what you prefer. I mean, I don't even use SRVs the vast majority of the time and only have them on a couple of my ships for a might as well or just in case sort of thing.

Still, I think it is important to be familiar with the game mechanics, and to some extent limitations. Having exploration efficiency based on profits per time, in terms of game mechanics, isn't necessarily what I think of as an ideal model. I suppose it works well enough though, even if my priorities don't always align well with it. I don't cherry pic Earth like worlds nor go neutron star field farming and the like, for example.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

In terms of overall general exploration efficiency, I'm sure it does play at least somewhat of a meaningful role as well. Either way, I'm a fan it as well.

After flying the conda which you have to take by the scruff of it's neck and drag it kicking and screaming around the sun, it became a chore every jump

Don't really care about efficiency or such things while exploring, just minimizing grievances.

Over time I've settled on a compromise. If my priority was the view I'd take my T9. If it was handling in SC I'd take my DBX or Asp. If it was range, any of my Conda, Asp or DBX would be fine because they all jump between 50 and 55 LY.

As it is, I usually take the Anaconda and it's because the most important thing to me is redundancy. I discovered this after wrecking both the SRVs in my Asp within about 30 minutes of each other when I was somewhere near the Eagle nebula (jumping over canyons, as you do) and having to fly back to the bubble to replace them.

Horses for courses

I do take the conda out some time when I want some SLF canyon funsies.

 

[WR3ND]

After flying the conda which you have to take by the scruff of it's neck and drag it kicking and screaming around the sun, it became a chore every jump

Don't really care about efficiency or such things while exploring, just minimizing grievances.

...

A good part of the way out during the Repair Jaques Station CG I had to turn back to get the A rated thrusters for my then new Python. Couldn't stand the supercruise maneuverability with anything less, jump range be damned, even though that was more of a race of sorts than an exploration trip. Still had enough time to make it out there in time at least.

 

[CmdrKull]

Extended jump range is important to me for 2 reasons: 1) noted earlier, it lets us reach places that we couldn't get to with less than 30ly ranges. 2) I need it as an offset to the large amount of time spent in the hyperspace tunnel on trips with hundreds of jumps. If I save 1 jump for every 5 compared to my old max range, that's a lot fewer hyperspace tunnels on a very long trip.

I'd be willing to give those LY back and forgo the distant stars if I could trade them for a 5 second tunnel.

 

[WR3ND]

Extended jump range is important to me for 2 reasons: 1) noted earlier, it lets us reach places that we couldn't get to with less than 30ly ranges. 2) I need it as an offset to the large amount of time spent in the hyperspace tunnel on trips with hundreds of jumps. If I save 1 jump for every 5 compared to my old max range, that's a lot fewer hyperspace tunnels on a very long trip.

I'd be willing to give those LY back and forgo the distant stars if I could trade them for a 5 second tunnel.

Fair points, but it might also help to think of it this way: Every jump is an opportunity to see a new and potentially interesting system. Regarding exploration, I find this to be somewhat compelling, even if it doesn't necessarily help me get to where I'm going much faster.

 

[yodajedifishmaster]

fuel scoop is better when quick. spending more time scooping when there are 2 or 3 planets you can scan while sitting there scooping is fine - but when the system turns out to be a single star, and nothing else to scan, the more time you have to spend scooping the more time you just wasted and added to your trip. i just redid my asp FSD, and increased ranger to 40ly. im about to set out on another trip. im not planning a long one, i just want to earn some cash to finish off my ferdy build. but then again i have 15 more ly on range now and thats a lot fewer jumps needed to get to sag A and back - 1300 or so to get there? im all excited. the 'There and Back Again tour part 2' might happen. depending how i feel while out there.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Actually, a good zero-G cup holder is more important than anything else. Having coffee float around in the cabin is distracting. Hmm ... I always smoke while drinking coffee ... I wonder what that looks like in zero-G. Unhealthy probably. What was I saying?

Oh yeah. Good zero-G cup holders so you can travel in comfort.

 

[verminstar]

My longest range venture was one of 5,200 light years, with a passenger, and in a Beluga. I took the passenger mission because of the distance - enough to unlock Palin.
I took the Beluga because:

1. I love the ship.
2. 128 ton Fuel Tank

I stripped it down pretty well, to lighten it up, and managed a very respectable 31 ly range (pre-2.3, still weighed in at 1100 tons at the time).
It took me 13 days to make the trip to my destination, honking and scanning every square inch of space the whole way out.
It took me 6 hours to get back, scooping and jumping the whole way back.

I gathered some very nice screen shots, and even made a little post about it - https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showt...-Beluga?highlight=There+Back+Again,+In+Beluga

I won't say I didn't enjoy my venture, though writing about it was more fun than the mechanics of it. Perhaps the worst part was simply having to plot 1k Ly segments, bookmark and fly out 1k to do it again, and again, and again, and... yeah, the route planning is just garbage.

The scanning mechanics also leave a lot to be desired, but I don't hate it, it just needs so much done with it to keep it engaging.

I absolutely agree, exploration doesnt just need it, much of this games appeal doing the rounds on other games forums at the time this went live, was the ability to do something other than constantly killin each other and milking the salt on the forums, actually see the milky way. It deserves some lovin...but thats just my own opinion.

Exploration, or rather just the ability to was my primary reason fer buying into this game...I have several m8s here who I know from previous games and what impressed me most was the beauty. Took them a year to entice me over so I only really dropped in as horizons was getting into full swing, so I lack the experience earlier players had...although by ignoring the rngeers, the bittersweet irony is Im playing as an explorer how previous players played...with no enhanced range whereas I dd have jumponium which they didnt have.

The point? Ye there is one, bear with me...exploration gained a very special place in the hearts of some old space nuts who went to beagle point and back in a sidewinder...before the rngeers even existed. Stories like that inspired me and still do...in a way that makes it easier to justify ignoring that aspect of the game entirely.

Put simply, I dont miss what I never had, and nor did those who went before me...did they only start loving exploration when rngeer slot machines were introduced?

Range is hugely important, yes certainly and I agree that in some cases, its pretty much vital to get to hard to reach stars...that goes without saying. But therein lay, fer me some seriously good gameplay...in that I got dead ended crossing the great arms and took me a week and a half to navigate out of. That was in the asp scout which had a 27ly range but better SC handling than its big bro.

The king is patience. Doesnt matter how much range one has...if ye dont have the patience then any more than 50 jumps is gonna be a waking nightmare if its not even enough to get halfway there.

Sure, ye could make good time getting there with range, but that means yer missing out on more of the places a shorter range ship sees. Exploration aint a sprint to the finish line ^

 

[yolomcbobbinz]

You run out of strange or interesting things less than an hour into the game, as for profitable, there are none. Profits from exploration suck, literally anything else is more profitable.

I have to disagree, 400,000,000,000 stars I don't think you can run out of things to see.

interesting or weird things don't have to anything specific. They can be the glow a star gives through a planets rings or anything else.


Now this is an opinion: when I'm not doing combat I make my money through mining or exploration it gives me a break and let's me relax and make credits

 

[kofeyh]

lol, so many trying to explain poor jump range is good because it forces you to enjoy the game more (essentially).

I'm happy with 60LY, which translates to 240+LY with my lord Neutron's favour cast upon me. I wil see many stars and interesting places as I travel. But unlike traveling with awful range, I can spend more time where things are interesting, and less time where they aren't. Because my entire life isn't spent jumping.

Lastly, I want to *go* places. Out to the western Rim, as an example. With short range I will have to eventually stop well short because the gaps will become too great. Yes of course you can go many places with ~30ly. Sag A*. Great anihilator. But if you want to really explore and push deep into the great unknown?

Short range is a noose. There's just nothing good about it. Forcing me to spend time looking at lots of beige planets isn't really improving my experience. Giving me the freedom to actually go places? Now you are talking.

Fly safe.

 

[mossfoot]

lol, so many trying to explain poor jump range is good because it forces you to enjoy the game more (essentially).

Naw the farther the better but there is a limit. You do have to ask yourself WHY you need to go 60LY at a jump unless your goal is covering distance. For example, I'm only 1600LY out from Sol, in what I've designated Sector MF-1, an almost unexplored patch of space, and am currently using the navigation filters to travel to every single star in a 100LY radius of it (gonna take a while, believe me). For that I certainly don't need a massive jump range. I've got a 30LY range on my KB and that ain't bad, plus I got a fighter to explore in too.

 

[NW3]

Jump range is king for me, but I want a good scoop as well. Generally, when I go exploring, I want to go to a specific spot and explore that area, for example, a nebula. I don't need the explorer rank-up, nor the credits. I'm Elite and my wallet is fat; I want to travel quickly. I don't care if I leave some stuff unexplored. That just leaves some stuff for others to claim.