Hey all, does anyone have an estimate of what the value of all the cartographic data from one system is, on average? I tend to doubt most people, if any, have bothered to calculate the average credit value of a system is from all the systems scanned on one trip, but if anyone has even a rough guess I'd like to hear it.
average value of a system
- Thread starter CMDR_Thylek_Shran
- Start date
the problem is that there really is no "average" that could be reasonably calculated as each system is worth different amounts based on how much data you gather, the number of bodies there are, what type of bodies they are, whether you're the first to find it, so on and so forth.
the closest you'd be able to get would be a basic "X total value/n systems scanned" but that doesn't really do you any justice other than give you a 3-year old's crayon drawing estimate rather than a highschool level pie chart estimate.
edit: as for a "galactic average," that would require every single system to be scanned in full to calculate and even then that wouldn't be useful for anything, not even as a metric for estimating the cartographic value of other galaxies as we're not exactly sure about the systems there either. (at least as far as I know)
the closest you'd be able to get would be a basic "X total value/n systems scanned" but that doesn't really do you any justice other than give you a 3-year old's crayon drawing estimate rather than a highschool level pie chart estimate.
edit: as for a "galactic average," that would require every single system to be scanned in full to calculate and even then that wouldn't be useful for anything, not even as a metric for estimating the cartographic value of other galaxies as we're not exactly sure about the systems there either. (at least as far as I know)
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I meant average as in the mathematical definition of average, even though come to think of it, that number probably isn't that useful. The average I'm looking for would be the value of each system added up and divided by the number of systems in the sample. Say someone scans 1,000 systems and they have values anywhere from 1000 credits to 150k. Add up all those values and divide by 1,000 and you have an average.
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You have a very good point. I didn't think this through very well
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You have a very good point. I didn't think this through very well
I was replying to the post before yours. The second part, where I said I didn't think this through very well, was a reply to you
I tried but it automerged because I accidentally double postedthat's where quotes come in handy
Well according to my stats page I've visited 13,055 unique systems and earned 220,828,205 which works out to 16,913 per system. Some of those are known home bubble systems which earned nothing and some were before I got proper scanners so I'd put the average when exploring to be a bit under 20k. If you go neutron farming then it'll be a bit higher.
EDIT: Oops, just noticed he wanted "full value" - impossible to say, you'd first need to work out an average system and then it's easy as each body of a given type and size gives a similar amount, just scan a representative sample and make some look-up tables but it's a lot of work for zero utility so why bother.
EDIT: Oops, just noticed he wanted "full value" - impossible to say, you'd first need to work out an average system and then it's easy as each body of a given type and size gives a similar amount, just scan a representative sample and make some look-up tables but it's a lot of work for zero utility so why bother.
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I agree with other the Commanders in that the simple average per system doesn't mean much. However, it does pose an interesting question.
I've been in the game for about a month and according to my stats screen I've visited 3554 unique systems. This puts my average per system at about 18267 CR per system for exploration data.
Offhand, I think my real average will be a bit higher than that because since that system count includes bubble systems and systems I've merely traveled through without doing any real exploration. Plus I am currently about 5k ly out with probably a couple more systems visited but not yet turned in.
I've been in the game for about a month and according to my stats screen I've visited 3554 unique systems. This puts my average per system at about 18267 CR per system for exploration data.
Offhand, I think my real average will be a bit higher than that because since that system count includes bubble systems and systems I've merely traveled through without doing any real exploration. Plus I am currently about 5k ly out with probably a couple more systems visited but not yet turned in.
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=156931
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=142301
My 2 longer exploration trips. Mostly just honking and scanning any Water worlds, earth likes and ammonia + neutrons and black holes.
On the first one I was just on a Sag A* trip and return via nebula.
On the 2nd trip I did a fair bit of neutron and black hole hunting as well as a fair bit more scanning.
Profit per system: 15,397 Cr
Profit per system: 61,395 Cr
Overall for a basic honk I'd say as others you'd be looking at around 14-16k depending on the amount of objects you honk. For full scanning it will vary so much I doubt you'd be able to get a decent figure.
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=142301
My 2 longer exploration trips. Mostly just honking and scanning any Water worlds, earth likes and ammonia + neutrons and black holes.
On the first one I was just on a Sag A* trip and return via nebula.
On the 2nd trip I did a fair bit of neutron and black hole hunting as well as a fair bit more scanning.
Profit per system: 15,397 Cr
Profit per system: 61,395 Cr
Overall for a basic honk I'd say as others you'd be looking at around 14-16k depending on the amount of objects you honk. For full scanning it will vary so much I doubt you'd be able to get a decent figure.
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In addition to all the things others have said, it also depends on where you are (because the frequency of types of systems vary: lots more black holes near the core, lots more whire dwarfs high above or below the galactic plane, and so on. On top of that, you have to consider how you choose the systems to explore. Most CMDRs probably use the automatic route finding in the galaxy map. That totally ignores your filters (which is why I don't use it) so you tend to go through the average collection of systems. Which includes an awful lots of M4 VAs with no planets, or brown dwarfs with a string of icy planets, and so on. I plot my routes manually, one jump at a time (since FD have neglected to give us tools to plot more than one jump ahead). That means that I hardly ever visit those brown dwarfs, etc., and in consequence my average per system will be higher than someone who uses the route plotter, even with identical in-system exploration processes, and covering the same route.
As others have implied, as asked, the question can only sensibly be answered with something like 'it depends'.
As others have implied, as asked, the question can only sensibly be answered with something like 'it depends'.
I've been running at about a 16k per system average, too. For what it's worth, my standard procedure is to honk the system, scan the primary (while refueling), and check the system map. I'll always scan black holes, neutron stars, water worlds, ammonia worlds, and earth-like worlds, and I'll typically never scan any of the others. If you take the time to scan everything (or triage your "scan this, not that" line to include things like high-metal-content worlds), you'll make more per system at the cost of taking more time per system. On the other hand, there are explorers that run stretches where they don't do anything but honk the system and jump. Those explorers make less per system, but they reach more systems per hour of travel.