∞ probes?

[DaggerSnake]

Isn't the risk that we've gone from one extreme to the other though?

Currently to find many planetary POIs you have to actually eye-ball them.

With the new mechanic, while sitting at the sun, within a minute or two you'll have a indication that a planet has X geological features and X unknown features etc?

You need then only go to that planet and fire probes, and voila...


Almost risks being too easy don't you think? Tricky balance isn't it!

If the probe efficiency target can be tied to the discovery and quality of the POIs, then we have incentive to not spam. Probe count is irrelevant because it’s decoupled from the results of a system exploration.

 

[march topcat]

I don't find them very acceptable. I would like to see data preserved but materials destroyed on ship destruction. I'd like to see some sort of animation of modules being replaced and replacement time, so you have to organise your activities on the station (get repairs/upgrades underway while you trade and unload/load in the meantime). I'd like it to take a bit of time for the codex to be updated the further out you are in the black. Escape pods appearing instantly at the station can be explained away a bit by the player being in cryostatis in transit so from their POV no time has passed.

Oh, what a wonderful world this would be (singing along)! Have some Rep for this!

 

[[VR] Mad Mike]

Its not really exploring if you rely on salvage from the guy who beat you to it. Its like Amundsen stopping to go through Scotts pockets on his way to the pole.

hmmm but is it really exploring if you dont have to prepare to manage your rations at all whilst exploring?.

i am not saying you are wrong for what you want and hell, i know i am in a minority here... its not going to happen, infinite won, congrats!,..... however for me managing my "stuff" and being forced to either land or hunt out stuff to enable me to carry on going is just as important a part of exploration as seeing new shinies that no one else has seen.

 

[MadDogMurdock]

If the probe efficiency target can be tied to the discovery and quality of the POIs, then we have incentive to not spam. Probe count is irrelevant because it’s decoupled from the results of a system exploration.

Aren't these POIs supposed to be persistent?
Do you really want the quality of the POIs to be determined by the first mapper?

 

[Stigbob]

hmmm but is it really exploring if you dont have to prepare to manage your rations at all whilst exploring?.

i am not saying you are wrong for what you want and hell, i know i am in a minority here... its not going to happen, infinite won, congrats!,..... however for me managing my "stuff" and being forced to either land or hunt out stuff to enable me to carry on going is just as important a part of exploration as seeing new shinies that no one else has seen.

I can see the sense behind both arguments. However taken in context with a required ship rebalance, Horizons compatibility, the timing and how trivial it actually is in a game where lasers just stop its not important enough to be considered seriously.

 

[[VR] Mad Mike]

Aren't these POIs supposed to be persistent?
Do you really want the quality of the POIs to be determined by the first mapper?

i am going out on a limb here as i really need to try it and only half saw the stream..

but i thought if a system was already scanned, that whilst it is true everyone else will get the scan data so will see the planets etc, i thought they still needed to fire off the probes to find POIs?

like i said i am really not sure here so feel free to correct me. (ie i thought it made it like the current existing honk!.

 

[Braandlin]

Ininite probes or a finite number of probes....

hmmmm...

Thinks ...

Why not compromise?

Everyone gets ∞ - 1 probes.

Problem solved

 

[NeilF]

If the probe efficiency target can be tied to the discovery and quality of the POIs, then we have incentive to not spam. Probe count is irrelevant because it’s decoupled from the results of a system exploration.

I suggested an approach to take probe efficients into account in #818 :-


I'd prefer if the whole thing simply felt less like a mini-game and more purposeful/accountable. Let's simply say:-

• When you shoot a probe it discovers a "circle" of sectors on the planet.
• Depending on how many of these have been scanned by you before (via a previous probe) you get an efficiency rating for that probe. ie: If they are all newly scanned sectors then that's 100%. If most have been scanned by you before that witll be a very low %age efficiency. The CR exploration data value of the new sectors scanned is adjusted by that efficiency so when you sell your exploration data they're adjusted accordingly. There's handwavium involved on how clear the data is yadda yadda.
• The sectors you've scanned are stored immediately (for you).
• Any features in the sectors you've scanned are revealed immediately (to you).
• The 90% rule still applies, so one you've scanned something like 90% of the sectors, the rest are revealed.
• Done

So it simply makes more sense to try and be as efficient as possibly with your probes, scanning as many previously unscanned sectors/regions as possible to give you the best CR reward when you sell your exploration data for the sectors you've scanned.

And if you know there's some brain trees around a huge crater on the planet, you need only shoot one or two probes at that area to find the exact location of them. No need to probe 90% of the planet, as features are revealed to you immediately for sectors you've scanned.

 

[Stigbob]

I suggested an approach to take probe efficients into account in #818 :-


I'd prefer if the whole thing simply felt less like a mini-game and more purposeful/accountable. Let's simply say:-

• When you shoot a probe it discovers a "circle" of sectors on the planet.
• Depending on how many of these have been scanned by you before (via a previous probe) you get an efficiency rating for that probe. ie: If they are all newly scanned sectors then that's 100%. If most have been scanned by you before that witll be a very low %age efficiency. The CR exploration data value of the new sectors scanned is adjusted by that efficiency so when you sell your exploration data they're adjusted accordingly. There's handwavium involved on how clear the data is yadda yadda.
• The sectors you've scanned are stored immediately (for you).
• Any features in the sectors you've scanned are revealed immediately (to you).
• The 90% rule still applies, so one you've scanned something like 90% of the sectors, the rest are revealed.
• Done

So it simply makes more sense to try and be as efficient as possibly with your probes, scanning as many previously unscanned sectors/regions as possible to give you the best CR reward when you sell your exploration data for the sectors you've scanned.

And if you know there's some brain trees around a huge crater on the planet, you need only shoot one or two probes at that area to find the exact location of them. No need to probe 90% of the planet, as features are revealed to you immediately for sectors you've scanned.

Beta in three days IIRC.

 

[EdzUp]

you can guarantee someone will try to use em as a weapon lol

 

[NeilF]

Beta in three days IIRC.

Christmas in sixty two days IIRC... Point?

ps: Beta is next Tuesday. Typically FD's day of choice

 

[MadDogMurdock]

i am going out on a limb here as i really need to try it and only half saw the stream..

but i thought if a system was already scanned, that whilst it is true everyone else will get the scan data so will see the planets etc, i thought they still needed to fire off the probes to find POIs?

like i said i am really not sure here so feel free to correct me. (ie i thought it made it like the current existing honk!.

I think they do need to fire off the probes, but they'll 'discover' the same POIs as everyone who did it before.
Afaik, the POIs you can discover are the same types that are persistent now.

 

[The Replicated Man]

I want to be first to Probe Uranus !!!

Insert George Takai's "Oh My!" here

 

[NeilF]

I think they do need to fire off the probes, but they'll 'discover' the same POIs as everyone who did it before.
Afaik, the POIs in questions are the ones that are persistent now.

I suppose there's the question if the FSS will reveal everything that is available at a planet should it then be probed?

 

[Stigbob]

Christmas in sixty two days IIRC... Point?

You are theorycrafting changes to a mechanic you've not tried that's already set aside from minor tweaks after it's too late for those sort of alterations.

Pointless.

 

[NeilF]

You are theorycrafting changes to a mechanic you've not tried that's already set aside from minor tweaks after it's too late for those sort of alterations.

Pointless.

Ahhh! So you have appointed yourself the Discussion Sheriff! Thanks for clearing that up for us!

So there you go folks! It appears we have to leave all discussion about thoughts and potential issues outside the town by order of the Sheriff until next Tuesday. See you back here then!

 

[Factabulous]

Ahhh! So you have appointed yourself the Discussion Sheriff! Thanks for clearing that up for us!

So there you go folks! It appears we have to leave all discussion about thoughts and potential issues outside the town by order of the Sheriff until next Tuesday. See you back here then!

Phew!

Edit: And this from the man who mainly comes on the forums to post NO DISCUSSIONS IN THIS THREAD! - Alanis would be proud

 

[[VR] Mad Mike]

You are theorycrafting changes to a mechanic you've not tried that's already set aside from minor tweaks after it's too late for those sort of alterations.

Pointless.

i really wish i could find the original post where it was revealed as 200.... i am not calling you out specifically but i am pretty confident some of the people (again maybe not you) who are saying to hang fire untill after testing would have been moaning that the number was not enough

 

[thistle]

Ahhh! So you have appointed yourself the Discussion Sheriff! Thanks for clearing that up for us!

So there you go folks! It appears we have to leave all discussion about thoughts and potential issues outside the town by order of the Sheriff until next Tuesday. See you back here then!

Not sure Stigbob has that sort of power, or is suggesting imposing it. But rewriting the mechanic before we've seen and used it ourselves, in a way that clearly isn't going to happen with only days to the beta? He's probably right.

Edit: And this from the man who mainly comes on the forums to post NO DISCUSSIONS IN THIS THREAD! - Alanis would be proud

Ha.

 

[NeilF]

Phew!

Edit: And this from the man who mainly comes on the forums to post NO DISCUSSIONS IN THIS THREAD! - Alanis would be proud

You're referring to basically a single post in the thread I maintain for Livestream Announcements to keep people informed about them?

You'll have to clear up if your comment is suppose to be humourous or a troll, because I can't work it out And the fact you've gone to such lengths if it's the latter (to visit said post and cut and paste it) concerns me... So please tell me it's some humour that I'm not picking up on!