An Open Letter to Explorers

[certhas]

I only fullscan systems with either an ELW or at least 2 WW's in it - or if im in the mood to do so

I deliberately don't scan everything in a system, to give other explorers a chance to also get their names recorded in a system.

What? i "should" deliberately left aside some astronomical bodies in a System with an ELW for other cmdr's to tag? No never ever, go find your own ELW Systems, there are enough out there, muaharrharrharr

 

[Witzo]

I also politely leave planets unscanned so that whenever someone comes across a star scanned by me, there will be something for him too.

 

[Whiterose]

I also politely leave planets unscanned so that whenever someone comes across a star scanned by me, there will be something for him too.

I do the same, but its not through any philanthropic gesture, its because I cant be bothered.

 

[CMDR Poet Starwind]

You said: "podunkery obscura", which means you're all right in my book

That one took me a while, I even had to do some research on the etymology so I didn't just use the colloquial. Keep it authentic-like. Maybe it'll make the general lexicon, but not worrying about it.

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Is there any chance that "Synuefai" translates into "podunk systems"?

 

[Jackie Silver]

That one took me a while, I even had to do some research on the etymology so I didn't just use the colloquial. Keep it authentic-like. Maybe it'll make the general lexicon, but not worrying about it.

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Is there any chance that "Synuefai" translates into "podunk systems"?

I believe it translates to 55,11,118,13 converted to decimal from the Forge-se. My decimal-to-English dictionary renders that cautiously as "Macclesfield."

 

[Archvillain]

When I find a system where everything has been scanned by the same explorer, it's like finding a dead system. There are no more interactions possible with that system that will leave a trace, and there is no strata in the tags.
It is the least interesting kind of system.

When I find a system where everything has been scanned by several different explorers, that's more interesting - there is a story there. The strata of their expeditions allows you to get hints of roughly what period of the game's existence each explorer came by, the personal style of each explorer, and you can predict from what you see in that system which explorers you're likely to see again soon in another system. etc.

When I find a system where a few valuables have been scanned and a some valuables left untouched, that's a nice invitation to become part of the story and history of that system.

When I find a system where only junk remains, then, well, I'll probably just move on, but at least I have the option to be part of it if the system is interesting for some reason (location, etc)

When I find a system where nothing has been scanned, that's a blazing invitation to say "I discovered this place!" but also to begin a story for others, by leaving places for them to make discoveries and mark their journey.
(But I totally get to name the ELW after myself!)

 

[Archvillain]

Interesting. Its like finding a bag of money in a alley and leaving it so that you can know that someone else was in the alley because the money is gone.

Heh no, it's the opposite of that - the bag of money is still there, but now in addition to that there is also a note in the alley with the note-writer leaving their name. (Or a slightly richer tapestry of graffiti on the alley walls, depending on how to you look at it )

 

[Caointean]

When I find a system where everything has been scanned by the same explorer, it's like finding a dead system. There are no more interactions possible with that system that will leave a trace, and there is no strata in the tags.
It is the least interesting kind of system.

I don't see it like that. I'm always happy to bring back some data of already scanned systems, because it feels like being some kind of surveyor. You bring back cross validation data to update the UC database, adding more decimals to the values, rectifying some wrong estimations, detect atmosphere changes, monitor the effects of indigenous life on a pristine ELW... but sadly the game does not account for that (would require too much actual game data to be saved probably, i'm not an expert though), and you don't see it, because all the values returned from the scanner are fixed on your screen, but I'm sure there's no way that honk followed by a 30 seconds scan could give you that much info on the scanned body, whatever that is !

I believe there are two kind of explorers in ED. "Prospectors" who will only look for promising bodies (to sell it for companies, prepare for colonisation, etc...), and "Mappers" who will scan everything. I'm a mapper myself, because even though it's good to know where the juicy stuff is, where you can settle down and grow food, you'll need more than that for the logistics of such campaigns. Knowing your ELW has a dead rocky moon where you can establish a small base to monitor the planet and verify if there are no rampaging T-Rex on the loose that would feast on your colons, or other sentient race that you could disturb, is especially useful !

 

[Caointean]

The Completionist™ in me was killed very soon and brutally by this very game.
I'm now roleplaying an explorer who has to feed a family...

You sir have chosen the wrong career for several reasons : long exploration trips will have you away from home for too long, and any disaster happening to your family will have you crying, helpless, in front of the GalNet feed, with nothing you can do about it, and you'd gain more as a moderate trader than as an elite explorer.

Little joke here : Find the intruder between a bounty-hunter, a trader, an explorer and a large pepperoni pizza ?
The explorer. The other three can feed a family of four.

 

[Kitty]

I believe there are two kind of explorers in ED. "Prospectors" who will only look for promising bodies (to sell it for companies, prepare for colonisation, etc...), and "Mappers" who will scan everything.

That is a great way of describing most of us. I would consider myself a "Mapper" too.

 

[SMcA]

I believe there are two kind of explorers in ED. "Prospectors" who will only look for promising bodies (to sell it for companies, prepare for colonisation, etc...), and "Mappers" who will scan everything.

Three types: The one that goes a thousand Ly, non stop, because s/he sees something shiny. [yesnod]

 

[disorganise]

I started scanning all. Then "progressed" to main star and anything close or interesting, to just obvious WW/ELW/AW to a random body every so often.
I have over 300 tags already including an ELW so the urge to tag everything has disappeared (for me). I now fall into the school of wanting to see more shared systems and get disappointed when I come across something totally tagged by one commander (or worse, totally tagged by one cmdr except for one body [not main star] since that means someone tagged a random and the follow up guy just didn't get it and cleaned up)

I'm not elite, have barely enough cash to cover my asp 3 times and like I said before, have a bit over 300 tags. But I'm out here for the fun, the sights and the adventure rather than rank, cash or 'fame'.

 

[Phosphora]

I scanned a snowball once. Didn't enjoy it, so haven't done it again.

Cheers, Phos.

 

[frostypaw]

Much love for the suggestion of ensuring distant moons are all scanned - I groan when I see how far away some of the binaries are and just pray there's nothing interesting there, can feel for the completionists.

 

[askavir]

Three types: The one that goes a thousand Ly, non stop, because s/he sees something shiny. [yesnod]

I plead guilty!

Sometimes, well over a thousand ly because "what the hell is that?".

Stellar nurseries usually become visible from very, very far. They are my favorite areas, full of OBA giants, some red giants, and many with companion black holes.

So when I spot something strange and bright on the skybox, I just charge though in that direction. And I never get disappointed.

 

[Turjan]

I believe there are two kind of explorers in ED. "Prospectors" who will only look for promising bodies (to sell it for companies, prepare for colonisation, etc...), and "Mappers" who will scan everything.

Three types: The one that goes a thousand Ly, non stop, because s/he sees something shiny. [yesnod]

I believe there's also a fourth type: "The Freelance Club".

The defining characteristic for such explorers is what they do when encounter a system with one (or better yet two or more) name-tagged bodies. The true Freelancer will always tag only the next untagged body (doesn't matter what it is, be it cannonball, snowball, pebble...) and then move on. It's a gesture that says "Hi, fellow freelance club members, I was here too"

When finding untagged systems, such explorers may choose to tag the most lucrative one, the nearest one, that shiny one over there, everything, or nothing at all. Because they're freelance and therefore answerable only to their own whims on a system by system basis [praise]

 

[Jon474]

It's a gesture that says "Hi, fellow freelance club members, I was here too"

When finding untagged systems, such explorers may choose to tag the most lucrative one, the nearest one, that shiny one over there, everything, or nothing at all. Because they're freelance and therefore answerable only to their own whims on a system by system basis [praise]

Yep, this pretty much describes my current Exploration mindset.

Exploring what I like, when I like...
Jon
T-6E

 

[SMcA]

I believe there's also a fourth type: "The Freelance Club".

And I thought it was a secret.

 

[Jon474]

And I thought it was a secret.

The First Rule: Nobody talks about Freelance Club.

Cold Tallinn
T-6E

 

[ToveriJuri]

With 5000+ previously Undiscovered systems after the first 1000 the only thing I'm scanning are valuable/rare stars, black holes and earth-likes.