News Chapter Four - Exploration Reveal

[ModishNouns]

Currently i drop in the system and after the scan I check the system map if something there looks interesting for me. The way I currently see it I will have to spend more time in dull systems or miss something I would have gone to if I had it on the system map. Also a landable planet with low resources can be interesting if the stellar setup is right to take screenshots from the surface .
If I imagine to go a long distance, for example 100 jumps, do I really want to do the minigame after every jump?

I think the intention is that the initial honk will give you a rough emission signature that, with experience, should give you an idea if it's worth scanning more closely.

 

[JesusRocks1988]

Okay I've just re-read the part about the Discovery Scanner, and done so out loud...

I am no longer unsure of these changes.

I love them.

The important point that swung it for me is that the initial Discovery Scan will tell you if there's anything to find on the planet (Guardian/Thargoid sites, and by extension probably other persistent POIs) but not where they are exactly so you will know from one scan whether it's an interesting planet and whether it's worth flying up to and lobbing a probe at with the DSS to reveal the exact location.

I love this so much.

Forget all my previous misgivings. I've had time to digest it and it is the best thing we could have as explorers. We'll have to change our way of exploring, and that will certainly be a challenge after years of doing it the old way, but it sounds worth it and, wow I am getting excited about it now.

Just need to see it in action.

 

[Valorin]

Yeah, you're right - OK, I see that. I imagine it will be a bit like the transition to the SRV telepresenced turret view. We'll probably need to wait for the livestreams to see just how jarring (or not) this is going to be.

Or the beta!

 

[VR Golgot]

I think the other thing to bear in mind is that once we can fly into/land on more planet types (coming next?) then the actual process of scanning will change again in that we'll have a lot more options that weren't previously possible.

It is intriguing that non-landables can be surface scanned. IE:

Also, about the probes and first mapping: will we be able to map bodies which we can't (yet) land on, or will they be on landables only?

Yes.

Disclaimer: I am not conversing with above interested party, merely signal boosting dev responses

 

[Red Anders]

Only concern I have is what information is available after the first honk.



If after some practise and experience I am able to interpret this electromagnetic emissions map in a glance to decide whether I would want to investigate this system further, it's fine. I am kind of sorry to not see the entire system displayed, I now fear I'll either bypass interesting systems, or spend a lot of time investigating less interesting systems. I would very much like to see this in action to decide upon that.

Often during a traveling stint when I'm just trying to get to a shiny 5 KLY away, I'll check the system map, and be distracted and spend some time in that system checking out close binary landable planets, or close moons around a gas giant, because I can see the lay out of the system. It would be a shame to lose this distraction. Traveling to that place 5 KLY away will then indeed become an uninterrupted traveling stint. Not to mention not seeing odd coloured gas giants, or HMCs anymore.

Could it be a possibility to only reveal visual data? Just have the system map display the objects as you would see them from your ship and their relative positions, without any other details?

After sleeping on it, that's what I think I'd like. This new way of doing what is currently a DSS scan via the new map seems good but just give a basic visual overview of the system on initial honk. For anybody who thinks I'm bothered about credits here, I'd be perfectly happy if the initial honk only gave credits for the main star and you had to use the map scan to get anything for the other bodies. It's not about cash at all, it's about not having to 'DSS' everything to even find the bodies in a system to begin with.

 

[Valorin]

Okay I've just re-read the part about the Discovery Scanner, and done so out loud...

I am no longer unsure of these changes.

I love them.

The important point that swung it for me is that the initial Discovery Scan will tell you if there's anything to find on the planet (Guardian/Thargoid sites, and by extension probably other persistent POIs) but not where they are exactly so you will know from one scan whether it's an interesting planet and whether it's worth flying up to and lobbing a probe at with the DSS to reveal the exact location.

I love this so much.

Forget all my previous misgivings. I've had time to digest it and it is the best thing we could have as explorers. We'll have to change our way of exploring, and that will certainly be a challenge after years of doing it the old way, but it sounds worth it and, wow I am getting excited about it now.

Just need to see it in action.

The initial scan also reveals the resources found on the planets and rings! You don't need to fly there and make a close up scan!

 

[Siobhan]

Have FD mentioned when the beta might be happening? I've not seen any dates, but the threads have been growing so fast it could have been lost in the noise.

 

[Han_Zen]

The changes looks very nice. This will be a huge improvement to exploration.

I hope the material requirement for probes does not turn into a time sink.

I also hope that there is enough dept in the energy distribution map for experienced users to make informed decisions on how proceed or skip a system.

 

[rootsrat]

Initial thoughts after reading the reveal: good stuff, but not without concern.

• I like the enhanced mechanics, exploring a system will now be an actual activity. My only worry is that it may get old quickly. Hopefully after we've mastered the skill of energy patterns recognition, we'll be able to tell from the initial scan if the system is worth exploring further

• Everything seems to be tuned for a cartography type of exploration and my other worry is lack of things to find while exploring. It will be all good and cool to use the new mechanics to map out the system, but there needs to be something to be found. Discoveries to me made. The OP does not mention anything of the sorts, apart from the new stuff in USS' - but does it mean we will come across them in deep space now as well and the "new stuff" will be something interesting and cool for explorers to discover OUT THERE?

• The new USS system sounds great! This is a living proof that Frontier DOES listen to the playerbase and takes their suggestions on board, as something along the lines of what's being introduced was requested many times on the forums. Awesomesauce!

• New tag - great move. More than one way to leave your footprint on the galaxy

• Involvement of crew members in the process - also great. It's small thing, but it will allow for more cooperative type of gameplay. Great stuff.

• The biggest worry of mine at this stage - there are no new things to discover when exploring. To boldly go while scanning like a madman is one thing, but I hope exploration will lead us to some interesting new discoveries. Otherwise the new mechanics WILL get old quickly. I remember that we were shown "an anomaly" at Lavecon (space storm). I hope there will be a whole separate thread telling us what we can find out there.

Looking forward to seeing more, Frontier. You have a good start, I like what I'm seeing! What was presented in this thread sound really cool - but at this stage for me it's not enough to call Chapter 4 a patch I'm looking forward to and you did not really encourage me to go and explore (I'm more of an discoverer than a cartographer).

 

[Parmo]

Until we get Spacelegs with a set of geological hammers we're NOT 'proper' explorers.

 

[who?]

So basically I will no longer be able to jump into a system, fly in supercruise to a cool looking planet, then fly to one of its moons and land on it without these new mini-games getting in the way of that?

I mean, what happens if I just look with my eyes and see a planet and fly to it? Will I "know" it's there?

[???]

I believe the scanners still have a passive mode that detects bodies (they suddenly show up as 'UNEXPLORED' items) within a certain range. Currently, that's how you see the arrival star in each system even before you honk.

 

[Frang]

As an elite explorer I've obviously spent a lot of time exploring...but I'm in two minds about this.

The change in ADS function is what's bothering me. I can see why making the ADS less miraculous in its instant reveal of all system bodies is logical and adds realism, and the manual system search adds another layer of game play.

But on a long exploration trip, when 90% of systems contain b***er all, this is going to become a major pain quite quickly.

The rest of it sounds great. If you left the system reveal as it is, but required a second level of searching to look for POIs or signal sources I'd feel better about it.

If you were to ask me how I'd improve exploration, I'd say - add more anomalies and other stuff to find. For instance, it would be soooo easy to add an ELW with night time lights, hence a pre-spacefaring civilisation. All kinds of objects could be floating around, comets you could land on for instance, mysterious space junk, rogue planets. Improve the bookmarking system... just colour coding would be a total no brainer, I can't see why this hasn't been done long ago. Maybe add a galactic map filter to show visited/first discovered systems. Allow explorers to name stuff they discover - within reason...perhaps with restrictions, like only elite explorers, or name their 1000th discovery etc. I'd also like to see another level of ownership to discoveries, establishing bases or colonies would be great, or just planting a flag.

 

[nrage]

When in the "all-new scanning interface and view" of the Discovery Scanner are you interdictable?

If so.. can I suggest you tweak things so that ...

1. You're not interdictable in the usual fashion because your ship effectively 'goes dark' ("silent cruise" mode) to analyse signals. As a result..
2. Your life support kicks in, and places an absolute limit (based on quality of life support) on how long you can spend scanning around - perhaps scans are way faster than this already?
3. If someone does want to interdict you, they have to find you with the same Discovery Scanner mechanism, and if they do..
4. You get interdicted (without the existing mini-game, as the scanner effectively replaces this) and as you're 'dark' you have to power back on to escape (so, short FSD timer as you basically 'submit')

Or something similar, effectively making this new discovery scanner feature more versatile and of interest to even more players.

In fact, the 'dark' (silent cruise) mode could be something that is usable in other scenarios, it could be the same keybind as silent running, and do effectively the same thing but in supercruise. Traders could use this, and assailants would have to use the Discovery Scanner to find them.

A ship's signature in the scanner should be based on its heat, meaning that certain builds are better, and heat sinks could be used to make yourself harder to find.

Assailants could have a new 'depth charge' type 'attack' which can be launched (from the Discovery Scanner interface) to briefly amplify any signals based on range from charge.

 

[Lunchmoney]

Makes me want to boot up the game and go exploring again

As this is Q4 I'm guessing it won't happen until near the end of the year.

 

[who?]

(Sorry to repeat this question, but I think this is important)

Are there system co-ordinates we can use, to share planet locations with other people? Otherwise it will be impossible to tell people where we found things.

 

[Red Anders]

Yeah, that's the forum for you. FD can't win, ever (though tbh most of the time they shouldn't). Even when they get it right, there will be salt. If they get it very right, there'll be almost as much salt as if they get it very wrong.

tl;dr No good deed goes unpunished.

Yes isn't it amazing that in a game with over two million accounts sold there's a range of opinions about things?

 

[CMDR Ashpoker]

Absolutely agree with CMDR Frang above. If i spend 20min searching the system and find only ice planets (or anything else) that are worthless i'm gonna be (insert favorite invective).

 

[Alfred J Kwak]

What might be a great feature for exploration and mining when in one of the future squadrons you can sell or share the data with your squadron mates.
they already talked about crew and wing sharing.

This would give a huge boost to mining and mapping expeditions as you collect a huge amount of data on planets /systems and resources . or even routes to long distance hard to reach places .


Adding the squadron tag or claim to the a newly discovered systems or mining resources giving them some exclusive rights. This would all tie in nicely with the delayed Carriers the posibilitys are endless.

 

[Gimi]

Question:

Will your ship computer store the information you get from just a "honk"?

By that I mean, if you are in a hurry, jump, "honk" and then jump again. Can you go back to the system in question and analyse electromagnetic emissions from the system to see if you have missed something interesting and might want to go back for a better look.

If this is not the case, I think that this should be reconsidered.

Edit: I understand that this would be irrelevant for USS's etc, but it should be possible for planetary bodies and maybe asteroid fields and rings up to a point equal to what we get from a "honk" currently, and maybe an indication that there is something there.

 

[Stinja]

A ship's signature in the scanner should be based on its heat, meaning that certain builds are better, and heat sinks could be used to make yourself harder to find.

Well just the change to finding planets, and potentially very hot planets, without a minigame does make me think ship detection should be changed as well.

The system scan now returns an aggregated display of how energetic the electromagnetic emissions are in the system. Signals are sorted on a low to high scale by their apparent energy.

Ships are much smaller, less emissions (given the proposal changes won't detect populated planets emitting all sorts of junk signals), and less heat. A "pirate" should not see any squares, just potential emissions, and be forced to filter the electromagnetic emissions to see what ships are about. if any.