There are three issues with the current way of how exploration is rewarded:
1. Codex tags are instant, and according to Frontier, the "First footfall by" tags will also be - but "First discovered by" and "First mapped by" aren't
2. Crew members get absolutely no rewards for the help they give to their host (using the FSS or the DSS)
3. Players don't know exactly how much exploration data they are carrying
So, my suggestions would be:
1. Award credit vouchers for what the data from scanning / mapping / etc is worth, which will have to be redeemed at places with an UC office
2. Have all tags be instant, not just some of them
3. Reward crew members for the things they scan / map with credit vouchers, but no tags
This way, multicrew exploration will become viable, players will know how many credits the data they are carrying is worth, and there'd be no possible issues from mixing instant tags with delayed ones.
To elaborate on the issues a bit:
Back when the feature was new, I often opened up my ship for multicrew exploration, and when I asked those who joined what they came for, the answer was almost always that they wanted to make some credits, and there were no seats open for combat. (Which does award them credits.) When I told them that they won't get anything for the help they give me, they would all leave - out of dozens of players, there was only one exception to this.
Having instant Codex tags has already created scenarios when a Commander got their tag on something on the Codex, which other Commanders watched for, and then they went there and sniped the first discovery and first mapping tags from the original discoverer. Having instant "first footfall by" tags will also introduce some similar issues, where the first one to discover / map a planet will not be the one with their name on it, if someone else comes along and sells the data sooner than they do, but they'll still have a first footfall tag.
Knowing exactly how much exploration data a player is carrying isn't very important, but it should make them feel better rewarded for the time they put in while they are out there, as they'll have feedback on what they've done so far - not just when they end exploring and go back to sell their data.
1. Codex tags are instant, and according to Frontier, the "First footfall by" tags will also be - but "First discovered by" and "First mapped by" aren't
2. Crew members get absolutely no rewards for the help they give to their host (using the FSS or the DSS)
3. Players don't know exactly how much exploration data they are carrying
So, my suggestions would be:
1. Award credit vouchers for what the data from scanning / mapping / etc is worth, which will have to be redeemed at places with an UC office
2. Have all tags be instant, not just some of them
3. Reward crew members for the things they scan / map with credit vouchers, but no tags
This way, multicrew exploration will become viable, players will know how many credits the data they are carrying is worth, and there'd be no possible issues from mixing instant tags with delayed ones.
To elaborate on the issues a bit:
Back when the feature was new, I often opened up my ship for multicrew exploration, and when I asked those who joined what they came for, the answer was almost always that they wanted to make some credits, and there were no seats open for combat. (Which does award them credits.) When I told them that they won't get anything for the help they give me, they would all leave - out of dozens of players, there was only one exception to this.
Having instant Codex tags has already created scenarios when a Commander got their tag on something on the Codex, which other Commanders watched for, and then they went there and sniped the first discovery and first mapping tags from the original discoverer. Having instant "first footfall by" tags will also introduce some similar issues, where the first one to discover / map a planet will not be the one with their name on it, if someone else comes along and sells the data sooner than they do, but they'll still have a first footfall tag.
Knowing exactly how much exploration data a player is carrying isn't very important, but it should make them feel better rewarded for the time they put in while they are out there, as they'll have feedback on what they've done so far - not just when they end exploring and go back to sell their data.