Found an interesting issue with the Explore the Galaxy followup mission for beginners.

[Harrowdown]

My distraction du jour has been the Pilot's Federation District.

The Explore the Galaxy mission is becomes available to new players in the Pilot's Federation District as soon as they have managed to receive a single rank in Combat, Trade or Exploration. Combat and Trade can be taken care of through missions or however else anyone sees fit. Getting access to the mission with a rank in Exploration though comes with an interesting problem.

Colhoe Station in Matet has a Universal Cartography, but since the entire district doesn't span 20 ly and you can't leave the PFD without losing access, it's unusable. I've visited all stations and it isn't possible to pick up VP passengers to increase Exploration rank anywhere either, despite picking them up being an option in some station (I haven't seen passenger cabins being sold anywhere either). The only way to increase Exploration is to drive around in the SRV on a planetary surface, but that means people who have not purchased Horizons aren't eligible to access the mission that way. Gaining access to Explore the Galaxy as an actual explorer is probably unintentionally and definitely ironically locked behind a pay gate.

None of this is breaking the game in any way as nobody is actually being stopped from doing what they want, but I thought it was an interesting inconsistency. One of the few unique missions you can only do once can't be completed every way you are intended to, at least not for everyone.

UPDATE: I've learned that you keep the permit so long as you don't actually dock outside of the PFD. So it's possible to obtain the quest with only exploration, it's just harder (but not hard) than trading or combat. Having fun trying to make this work though.

 

[BradHann]

You don't get explorer rank-up until you sell the data. You could go all the way to Beagle Point and back without upping your rank a single percentage point. And correct me if I'm wrong, but you don't lose the noobspace permit until you actually get a rank up?

 

[Bottom Hat]

That is quite comedic in any case! Well spotted OP!

 

[Harrowdown]

You don't get explorer rank-up until you sell the data.

My point is that you can't.

You could go all the way to Beagle Point and back without upping your rank a single percentage point. And correct me if I'm wrong, but you don't lose the noobspace permit until you actually get a rank up?

Nope. Only when you leave the Pilot's Federation District.

 

[Retropolitan]

I guess you could go outside the zone, scan all the systems you liked, and then return to the zone to sell the data (so you don't get locked out first.) Which leaves the question "Why?"

 

[Harrowdown]

I guess you could go outside the zone, scan all the systems you liked, and then return to the zone to sell the data (so you don't get locked out first.)

10. Best I can tell you get locked out as soon as you set foot outside the PFD.

Which leaves the question "Why?"

20. Goto 10.

 

[Factabulous]

10. Best I can tell you get locked out as soon as you set foot outside the PFD.

Nope - only if you land

/thread

 

[umbabrahattasil]

I guess you could go outside the zone, scan all the systems you liked, and then return to the zone to sell the data (so you don't get locked out first.) Which leaves the question "Why?"

I believe you lose the permit to go back in, when you leave the zone.

 

[Para Handy]

No you don't lose the permit if you wander outside the zone. Only docking outside makes you have the permit withdrawn.

I have several times wandered out to do some FSSing (you can't buy a DSS in the noob-zone) - sold the carto data on return.

So @Harrowdown - your premise is incorrect, you do not need Horizons to advance in exploration without losing the permit.

My mucking-about-in-the-noob-zone commander is Surveyor rank.

 

[Harrowdown]

No you don't lose the permit if you wander outside the zone. Only docking outside makes you have the permit withdrawn.

I have several times wandered out to do some FSSing (you can't buy a DSS in the noob-zone) - sold the carto data on return.

So @Harrowdown - your premise is incorrect, you do not need Horizons to advance in exploration without losing the permit.

My mucking-about-in-the-noob-zone commander is Surveyor rank.

I see. That's very, very interesting. My best guess is that up until now I hadn't checked if the permit was still there up until I had docked? I feel though I checked as soon as I dropped out of witch space.

The premise may be incorrect, but the practicality of it kind of isn't. It may be for a vet, but they're not exactly who this area is used for. I don't think you'll find a new player that won't wanderer out of the district to try and dock outside of it, instead of exploring only to return to Colhoe.

None of this is very obvious, but then again you could say that about almost anything in this game.

 

[Harrowdown]

/thread

Nah.

 

[Nickolai]

Nah.

Yes.

You have to dock outside the zone to lose the permit. Simply flying to another system won't trigger it.

I know this, because I "donated" 1 void opal to a friend of mine when he was first starting out, and he went back to the Pilot's District to sell it. We met outside the zone.

 

[Harrowdown]

Yes.

You have to dock outside the zone to lose the permit. Simply flying to another system won't trigger it.

I know this, because I "donated" 1 void opal to a friend of mine when he was first starting out, and he went back to the Pilot's District to sell it. We met outside the zone.

The premise may be incorrect, but the practicality of it kind of isn't. It may be for a vet, but they're not exactly who this area is used for. I don't think you'll find a new player that won't wanderer out of the district to try and dock outside of it, instead of exploring only to return to Colhoe.

 

[Para Handy]

I see. That's very, very interesting. My best guess is that up until now I hadn't checked if the permit was still there up until I had docked? I feel though I checked as soon as I dropped out of witch space.

The premise may be incorrect, but the practicality of it kind of isn't. It may be for a vet, but they're not exactly who this area is used for. I don't think you'll find a new player that won't wanderer out of the district to try and dock outside of it, instead of exploring only to return to Colhoe.

None of this is very obvious, but then again you could say that about almost anything in this game.

I think you are being rather nit-picky with this whole thing. You made an assumption that was totally incorrect and now you are wiggling about it.

To be perfectly frank, I really, truly doubt that any new player would, before doing any other activity, say - "oh goody I have a pilot's licence and an e-rated sidewinder, I shall go wander around star systems to get promoted in exploration". When a player starts they are quite explicitly told about the permit and that docking outside after a promotion means losing it - don't excuse people not paying attention by blaming the game.

The 100,000Cr bribe / inducement to leave the noob-zone is just that - it isn't special and it isn't really worth much.

P.S. You could at least get the name of Coelho Station correct.

 

[Klarg]

The 100,000Cr bribe / inducement to leave the noob-zone is just that - it isn't special and it isn't really worth much.

P.S. You could at least get the name of Coelho Station correct.

When I was last in the starter area, you could take that mission but not go and do it yet. Go to another station and get offered another mission for a different system, but not go and do it yet. Go to another station etc etc. I got a million credits for leaving the starter zone. Pretty sweet bribe

 

[Harrowdown]

I find people who call others nitpicky usually don't care much for the wider picture beyond their own experience. But it's all fine, I'm happy it works out this way.

 

[Florenus]

My distraction du jour has been the Pilot's Federation District.

The Explore the Galaxy mission is becomes available to new players in the Pilot's Federation District as soon as they have managed to receive a single rank in Combat, Trade or Exploration. Combat and Trade can be taken care of through missions or however else anyone sees fit. Getting access to the mission with a rank in Exploration though comes with an interesting problem.

Colhoe Station in Matet has a Universal Cartography, but since the entire district doesn't span 20 ly and you can't leave the PFD without losing access, it's unusable. I've visited all stations and it isn't possible to pick up VP passengers to increase Exploration rank anywhere either, despite picking them up being an option in some station (I haven't seen passenger cabins being sold anywhere either). The only way to increase Exploration is to drive around in the SRV on a planetary surface, but that means people who have not purchased Horizons aren't eligible to access the mission that way. Gaining access to Explore the Galaxy as an actual explorer is probably unintentionally and definitely ironically locked behind a pay gate.

None of this is breaking the game in any way as nobody is actually being stopped from doing what they want, but I thought it was an interesting inconsistency. One of the few unique missions you can only do once can't be completed every way you are intended to, at least not for everyone.

I've never been to this District and that's the first time I hear about it, but I think you're looking at this mission wrong.
It's not about being able to get it with multiple approaches - it's just a way for the game to tell you at some point "This is noobs safe zone. You're done here, so get the hell out"

 

[Drelthar]

People think you lose access to the starter area after leaving it - nope.

You lose access the first time you dock, AFTER gaining a rank in any profession.

So, you can fly anywhere you want, without ever losing access, so long as you never gain any rank in anything.

 

[Harrowdown]

Yup, I was finally able to confirm this minutes ago. I'm not surprised I missed this in the first few times I restarted.

 

[Straha Yeagar]

Unlike any other profession, one could feasibly gather and drop enough data leave the Starter Zone as Elite in exploration.