After reading this post on general discussion, and watching Obsidian Ant's frustration at trying to 'discover' content out in the galaxy, I've decided to re-post this idea that was first suggested back in 2015.
Bear in mind this was written with the gameplay mechanics of 2015 in mind, and since then FD have added new mods and features, and are planning on fleshing out the core mechanics in the Beyond series. So the idea presented here may be well out of date now, but the emphasis it tried to convey was that "discovery" shouldn't have to rely on outside means, like external websites, for the majority of players (especially casual players) to make headway in uncovering some of the hidden content out there - like what Obsidian Ant's video painfully demonstrates. I think that part of the idea is still relevant, even if the mechanics presented below aren't as pertinent today or with what FD have planned with 'ED: Beyond'.
With that said....
Fleshing out the Mechanics of Exploration (original thread title posted in 2015 on the exploration forum) :
The Preliminary Stage: An invite to Discover
A new scanner is introduced to the market. It takes a high slot and comes in three different 'ranges'. Only one type can be fitted at any one time.
Its a passive scanner that requires no input from the player. As as long as its online it constantly scans out to a certain distance (in Light Years) dependent on what type you have fitted.
Type I Pinger is the cheapest and lightest and has a scan range of 25 LYs.
Type II Pinger is the intermediate scanner, has a range of 50 LYs.
Type III Pinger is the most expensive and the heaviest, has a scan range of 75 LYs.
While out and about 'exploring'... hyperspacing from system to system, there is a random chance that a distant signal of unknown origin will be detected by your 'pinger', and the player alerted via an audible beep and flashing light on the HUD. The chance of this signal detection happening should not be dependent on the distance a player is from colonized space. These signals should appear whether you're 1K outside Frontier borders, or 65K away on the outer Galactic Rim. However, the kind of content they spawn should definitely be dependent on where you are (to give variety and 'character' to the map).
Stage 1: Following the breadcrumbs
The player is alerted that a 'Candidate Signal' has been detected within XX LYs, where XX LYs is dependent on what kind of Pinger you have fitted. The better quality one has a higher chance of picking up a signal further afield.
An additional ball on the ship compass will appear and will orientate to the relative direction of the target system and its colour will change depending on the distance; Orange (within 75 LYs), Yellow (within 50 LYs), White (within 25 LYs).
On the galactic map, an additional route plot line will appear but it will be a different colour to your current route plot. This new line will roughly point along the direction that the candidate signal was detected but will gradually fade and will not pass through specific systems. That is left for the player to plot.
If the player decides to investigate further he simply brings up the map and looks for systems along that heading and within 75 LYs / 50 LYs / 25 LYs of his current location (depending on the range of his scanner).
He plots a route (economical route for best results) along that orientation and begins the search by hyperspacing to each system along the route and checking his compass/map route orientation on arrival at each visited system. The Range light on your compass will change colour as you get closer to your target system, from Orange, Yellow, White, and finally to Green when entering the target system.
Once the target system is located and hyperspaced to, the player is awarded a "System for further Investigation" finders fee payment for concluding this stage (once he sells the data at the Universal Cartographics).
He can now move on to the next stage, or simply continue his journey elsewhere.
If he decides to investigate further, he moves into stage 2...
Stage 2: Probing the depths
This stage requires the player to be carrying Exploration Probes aboard his ship. Probes can be bought from any high-tech system.
To make players decide on loadouts that take into account fitting a cargo bay, how much space to allocate to advanced discovery, and what kind of discoveries the player wants to specialize in, these probes have certain aspects about them:
The following stipulations are important elements to consider as they all facilitate emergent gameplay, loadout thinking, and some specialization.
The 3 types of Probe:
1.. The Prospector Probe
2.. The Gravimetric Probe
3.. The 'Hybrid' Discovery Probe
To deploy the probe you simply 'activate it' and jettison it from your cargo hold. Once jettisoned it will automatically head off away from your ship (like a deployed torpedo disappears into the depths) and after a minute or so will return with data on what its discovered, automatically re-entering the cargo bay.
Depending on what probe you deploy, the data it returns will pop up on your HUD and also on your navigational side panel as lockable targets (except the unknowns):
A launched probe has an X% chance of being lost forever after its faded from view. A failed probe will give a message stating probe telemetry lost, and you will have to launch a fresh probe. This adds an initial element of loss into the mix as well as the need to replenish your supplies from time to time.
In the above example the player deployed a Gravimetric Probe and it found 5 signatures in the system, three of which it could not decipher - indicating that there is content out there that requires the deployment of a Discovery Probe or a Prospector Probe. This adds another element of risk vs reward as the player can decided to launch his second probe type in a hope that one (or more) of the 'unknowns' is detectable by his probe type.
Once the probe scan is complete the player is awarded a "Candidate Signals ready for further Investigation" finders fee payment for concluding this stage (once he sells the data at the Universal Cartographics).
He can now move on to the next stage, or simply continue his journey elsewhere.
If he decides to investigate further, he moves into stage 3...
Stage 3: An art to Discovery
From the list of candidate signals displayed on his navigational side panel, the player locks onto his chosen target and fires up the FSD. 'Unknowns' remain unlockable.
Here is where an element of skill comes into play. A navigational tunnel, akin to the interdiction tunnel, pops up as the ship enters supercruise and the player is then tasked with navigating his ship through the tunnel to its destination.
The more prestigious the target signal is, the longer it takes to navigate the tunnel. To discover something as important as an unsanctioned pirate outpost, or structure of unknown origin (be it an alien station or ancient human tech), the player must have to put up a good fight to reach his prize. I liken this 'fight' to being like a sport fisherman fighting to land his catch. It should get the adrenalin pumping, and the longer it takes to fight your way to the source signal, the more you know something worthwhile is there waiting for you - something that truly rewards the player with a significant find if he wins out.
At the other scale, a tunnel that is relatively short and simple to navigate should yield content that is appropriate for that kind of simplicity.
Once successful, the player automatically exits supercruise and glides in toward the target signal.
If the player fails, then the same effect as a failed interdiction would occur.. i.e. your ship is thrown out of supercruise and takes minor damage, and to add to the risk vs reward, there is a 50 % chance that the candidate signal will vanish from your nav panel - causing the player to decide whether he wants to try again via the launch of a new probe, and repeat the discovery process. There is also a chance that the high gravimetric forces and wormhole collapse will be detected by nearby hostiles, be them human outlaws, or AI raiders.
The point being, the biggest rewards should come with the biggest risks. Something completely missing from exploration for almost a year now.
I think something along these lines will help flesh out exploration and bring in badly needed 'discovery' mechanics to the game. So instead of a repetitive and simplistic grind and the frustrations of blindly jumping from system to system and hoping one has a listening post (for sake of argument) or relying on external sites for 'clues' (like Obsidian Ant demonstrates in the video), players now have a chance via in-game modules and equipment they specialize in, to detect from afar tangible breadcrumbs and incorporate three distinct stages of discovery to follow those crumbs. Each stage of the journey to discovery being rewarded separately and at different scales, and the latter two stages introducing some risk vs reward, with the final stage introducing interactive skill-based gameplay and having a higher risk, but with the possibility of greater rewards.
The player is free to opt out at any stage and isn't forced to follow through with them all.
Original 2015 thread : Link
Bear in mind this was written with the gameplay mechanics of 2015 in mind, and since then FD have added new mods and features, and are planning on fleshing out the core mechanics in the Beyond series. So the idea presented here may be well out of date now, but the emphasis it tried to convey was that "discovery" shouldn't have to rely on outside means, like external websites, for the majority of players (especially casual players) to make headway in uncovering some of the hidden content out there - like what Obsidian Ant's video painfully demonstrates. I think that part of the idea is still relevant, even if the mechanics presented below aren't as pertinent today or with what FD have planned with 'ED: Beyond'.
With that said....
Fleshing out the Mechanics of Exploration (original thread title posted in 2015 on the exploration forum) :
- New discovery techniques could come in three distinct stages. The first is a simple mechanic that does not involve any risk vs reward element. Its just a simple addition to the current hyperspace-buzz-hyperspace-buzz gameplay we have now.
- The second stage is a little more involved, encourages the player to make choices, and involves the possibility of some monetary loss in the form of Exploration Probe loss. Risk vs Reward is introduced.
- Stage three is the most involved stage and is a skill-based mechanic that rewards the player for success, with an element of danger and loss for failure. Risk vs Reward is the prime focus here.
The Preliminary Stage: An invite to Discover
A new scanner is introduced to the market. It takes a high slot and comes in three different 'ranges'. Only one type can be fitted at any one time.
Its a passive scanner that requires no input from the player. As as long as its online it constantly scans out to a certain distance (in Light Years) dependent on what type you have fitted.
Type I Pinger is the cheapest and lightest and has a scan range of 25 LYs.
Type II Pinger is the intermediate scanner, has a range of 50 LYs.
Type III Pinger is the most expensive and the heaviest, has a scan range of 75 LYs.
While out and about 'exploring'... hyperspacing from system to system, there is a random chance that a distant signal of unknown origin will be detected by your 'pinger', and the player alerted via an audible beep and flashing light on the HUD. The chance of this signal detection happening should not be dependent on the distance a player is from colonized space. These signals should appear whether you're 1K outside Frontier borders, or 65K away on the outer Galactic Rim. However, the kind of content they spawn should definitely be dependent on where you are (to give variety and 'character' to the map).
Stage 1: Following the breadcrumbs
The player is alerted that a 'Candidate Signal' has been detected within XX LYs, where XX LYs is dependent on what kind of Pinger you have fitted. The better quality one has a higher chance of picking up a signal further afield.
An additional ball on the ship compass will appear and will orientate to the relative direction of the target system and its colour will change depending on the distance; Orange (within 75 LYs), Yellow (within 50 LYs), White (within 25 LYs).
On the galactic map, an additional route plot line will appear but it will be a different colour to your current route plot. This new line will roughly point along the direction that the candidate signal was detected but will gradually fade and will not pass through specific systems. That is left for the player to plot.
If the player decides to investigate further he simply brings up the map and looks for systems along that heading and within 75 LYs / 50 LYs / 25 LYs of his current location (depending on the range of his scanner).
He plots a route (economical route for best results) along that orientation and begins the search by hyperspacing to each system along the route and checking his compass/map route orientation on arrival at each visited system. The Range light on your compass will change colour as you get closer to your target system, from Orange, Yellow, White, and finally to Green when entering the target system.
Once the target system is located and hyperspaced to, the player is awarded a "System for further Investigation" finders fee payment for concluding this stage (once he sells the data at the Universal Cartographics).
He can now move on to the next stage, or simply continue his journey elsewhere.
If he decides to investigate further, he moves into stage 2...
Stage 2: Probing the depths
This stage requires the player to be carrying Exploration Probes aboard his ship. Probes can be bought from any high-tech system.
To make players decide on loadouts that take into account fitting a cargo bay, how much space to allocate to advanced discovery, and what kind of discoveries the player wants to specialize in, these probes have certain aspects about them:
The following stipulations are important elements to consider as they all facilitate emergent gameplay, loadout thinking, and some specialization.
- Probes come in 3 types.
- They each cost a different amount to purchase depending on the content they're designed to detect.
- Only two types of the three can be carried by any one ship (this encourages specialization, or teamwork if exploring as a wing).
- The required cargo space encourages players to think about their loadouts, and also encourages teamwork in the form of probe resupply ships (like the fuel rats, but instead players dedicated to delivering probes to deep space explorers). It also encourages resupply depots & outposts to be built further afield via CGs.
The 3 types of Probe:
1.. The Prospector Probe
- This is designed to locate pockets of extremely rare elements, be them part of an already detected ring system, or a previously unknown asteroid belt or cluster out in the depths. They also detect comets and rogue asteroids - both of which can be mined for ultra rare minerals.
- These are the cheapest probes available.
- Cheap to buy
- Cargo Space needed per Probe : 1
2.. The Gravimetric Probe
- This is designed to locate gravitational fields. Ideal for locating 'dark' objects that the advanced scanner missed or couldn't detect. These dark objects could be anything from a small previously undetected moon, an usually large asteroid (and thus the possibility of locating a hidden outpost built within one), or even a very distant Plutonian world and Oort Cloud, out on the fringes of a solar system.
- These are the medium priced probes..
- Medium cost
- Cargo Space needed per Probe : 2
3.. The 'Hybrid' Discovery Probe
- As its name suggests, this is prototype tech that incorporates elements from the previous two probe types and is designed to detect high value content, ranging from unknown debris fields full of rare loot, to unsanctioned or totally unknown orbital structures (such as pirate outposts, or orbital structures of unknown origin).
- These are the high priced probes..
- Expensive
- Cargo Space needed per Probe : 3
- These probes can also be issued free to a player via specific exploration based missions. Missions that certain factions send a player out to investigate a designated region of space.
To deploy the probe you simply 'activate it' and jettison it from your cargo hold. Once jettisoned it will automatically head off away from your ship (like a deployed torpedo disappears into the depths) and after a minute or so will return with data on what its discovered, automatically re-entering the cargo bay.
Depending on what probe you deploy, the data it returns will pop up on your HUD and also on your navigational side panel as lockable targets (except the unknowns):
A launched probe has an X% chance of being lost forever after its faded from view. A failed probe will give a message stating probe telemetry lost, and you will have to launch a fresh probe. This adds an initial element of loss into the mix as well as the need to replenish your supplies from time to time.
In the above example the player deployed a Gravimetric Probe and it found 5 signatures in the system, three of which it could not decipher - indicating that there is content out there that requires the deployment of a Discovery Probe or a Prospector Probe. This adds another element of risk vs reward as the player can decided to launch his second probe type in a hope that one (or more) of the 'unknowns' is detectable by his probe type.
Once the probe scan is complete the player is awarded a "Candidate Signals ready for further Investigation" finders fee payment for concluding this stage (once he sells the data at the Universal Cartographics).
He can now move on to the next stage, or simply continue his journey elsewhere.
If he decides to investigate further, he moves into stage 3...
Stage 3: An art to Discovery
From the list of candidate signals displayed on his navigational side panel, the player locks onto his chosen target and fires up the FSD. 'Unknowns' remain unlockable.
Here is where an element of skill comes into play. A navigational tunnel, akin to the interdiction tunnel, pops up as the ship enters supercruise and the player is then tasked with navigating his ship through the tunnel to its destination.
The more prestigious the target signal is, the longer it takes to navigate the tunnel. To discover something as important as an unsanctioned pirate outpost, or structure of unknown origin (be it an alien station or ancient human tech), the player must have to put up a good fight to reach his prize. I liken this 'fight' to being like a sport fisherman fighting to land his catch. It should get the adrenalin pumping, and the longer it takes to fight your way to the source signal, the more you know something worthwhile is there waiting for you - something that truly rewards the player with a significant find if he wins out.
At the other scale, a tunnel that is relatively short and simple to navigate should yield content that is appropriate for that kind of simplicity.
Once successful, the player automatically exits supercruise and glides in toward the target signal.
If the player fails, then the same effect as a failed interdiction would occur.. i.e. your ship is thrown out of supercruise and takes minor damage, and to add to the risk vs reward, there is a 50 % chance that the candidate signal will vanish from your nav panel - causing the player to decide whether he wants to try again via the launch of a new probe, and repeat the discovery process. There is also a chance that the high gravimetric forces and wormhole collapse will be detected by nearby hostiles, be them human outlaws, or AI raiders.
The point being, the biggest rewards should come with the biggest risks. Something completely missing from exploration for almost a year now.
I think something along these lines will help flesh out exploration and bring in badly needed 'discovery' mechanics to the game. So instead of a repetitive and simplistic grind and the frustrations of blindly jumping from system to system and hoping one has a listening post (for sake of argument) or relying on external sites for 'clues' (like Obsidian Ant demonstrates in the video), players now have a chance via in-game modules and equipment they specialize in, to detect from afar tangible breadcrumbs and incorporate three distinct stages of discovery to follow those crumbs. Each stage of the journey to discovery being rewarded separately and at different scales, and the latter two stages introducing some risk vs reward, with the final stage introducing interactive skill-based gameplay and having a higher risk, but with the possibility of greater rewards.
The player is free to opt out at any stage and isn't forced to follow through with them all.
Original 2015 thread : Link
Last edited: