Cartography Suggestions, and Other Nit-picks Regarding Exploration

[DannySwish]

Hello Elite Dangerous players (and hopefully devs),

I've recently started playing Elite, and have come to like a great deal of it over the 80-or-so hours I've enjoyed so far. However, no game is ever perfect, and this rings especially true over certain exploration aspects:

Cartography. Currently, it is possible for an "Unexplored" system to contain one or more stations! I find this to be somewhat immersion breaking; it halts the suspension of disbelief when I'm supposed to be under the impression that I'm the one discovering new systems as I go, to then find that this is obviously not the case. I can understand why you might want to enable other players to receive some form of exploration-factor/compensation out of these already-discovered systems, but it really isn't like there's any short supply of stars (I heard the number is around 400 billion?) In the end, this falsification reduces the draw to and value of exploration.

Ultimately, what I want to be able to believe is that when I'm out there and an object is labeled as "Undiscovered," that that object is TRULY unvisited/unscanned by anyone, NPC or otherwise. To continue to allow players the benefit of gaining credits from exploring locally (as is currently implemented), bodies which have already been discovered and named should still be able to be scanned by anybody (albeit only once per player to avoid abuse), and that data should be able to be sold as normal cartographic data (for a lower price). This is real science. Real science relies on repeated experimentation and verification, so this would, in combination with reserving "Unknown" systems and objects for truly undiscovered objects, fill a logical plot-hole currently present within the game. The game doesn't have to pretend that nobody found Star System A before you. It can continue to offer a reward with honesty and believability.

Additionally, exploration should be made worth something beyond credits. What good is that data I'm selling off if nobody actually gets to enjoy it? There's even already a game mechanic in place which would be perfectly suited for this: Purchasing cartographic data for a specific star system in the Galaxy Map. I don't currently understand why certain systems have the option to have cartographic data purchased (aside from it not coming from real player-gathered data), but I would love to see this apply to any system where another player has gathered this information and sold it to a station. An additional twist could be that, depending on who the player sells their exploration data to, purchasing this data could even sometimes be limited to members of specific factions/alliances.

These small and hopefully relatively easy changes would greatly bolster and fortify the exploration aspect of the game, and create a truer sense of community through actual, meaningful discovery by means of these improved methods of finding and sharing them.

Thanks for reading, and please let me know what you think!

 

[DannySwish]

I guess I can't edit previous posts? Anyway, I've taken another look and realized that what's labeled "Unexplored" can just be interpreted as "Unexplored by YOU," as systems previously discovered do credit the original explorer.

My suggestion becomes reduced to the following:

Cartographic data sold to stations by real players should be made buyable or otherwise available to all players. What good is exploration if nobody else gets to benefit from it in some way? I really do think this could add a great angle to the exploration model via the previously mentioned discretion in selling data only to certain factions' member, while also having other more scientifically-oriented or progressive factions (Alliance factions?) choosing to publish the exploration data freely to anybody who wants it (both paid and free).

Leave your thoughts.

 

[Lestat]

You know any system in the bubble you can buy system data. Open the Galaxy map click the system that you have no info on and buy it. I think you have to do it at a Station. Note some station might not have that current data. Just because it was never sold to them, War or just out of date.

 

[DannySwish]

You know any system in the bubble you can buy system data. Open the Galaxy map click the system that you have no info on and buy it. I think you have to do it at a Station. Note some station might not have that current data. Just because it was never sold to them, War or just out of date.

I'm talking about the potential to purchase data for systems outside the bubble, for systems that have actually been visited by other players. Maybe a cartographic subscription service? Get the latest cartographic maps for a weekly fee of 20,000 credits?

 

[Lestat]

Here a question for you. If I went to one system that not discovered by anyone but me. Then sell it in system. Let say I sold it to HR 6397 that has no Faction and no one else discovers it. Why should you be able to buy it from any Major faction or system that has no faction that has no knowledge of what exploration data HR 6397 has collected? That Exploration data should not be open for everyone.

 

[DannySwish]

That independent station you sold it to would resell it or otherwise have it publicly published, perhaps through a central cartographic publishing body.

 

[Lestat]

That independent station you sold it to would resell it or otherwise have it publicly published, perhaps through a central cartographic publishing body.

I can see that with system that are useless to that station and will not make money with. But what if it a system ELW planet or a system with Metallic pristine Asteroid belt The station might want to keep that info hidden from other Factions so they can build up their station first or at least Mine it before other Faction find out about that system.

I think your just looking for a easy way out.

 

[DannySwish]

I can see that with system that are useless to that station and will not make money with. But what if it a system ELW planet or a system with Metallic pristine Asteroid belt The station might want to keep that info hidden from other Factions so they can build up their station first or at least Mine it before other Faction find out about that system.

I think your just looking for a easy way out.

And I think you're reading too deeply into this. It's not impossible for groups with different alliances to meet in the middle to coordinate something beneficial to everyone. Not everything is about selfishness. Let me ask you, who do you think created the Galaxy Map? The devs, obviously, but in-universe? Every ship from every maker under every faction has that same Galaxy Map interface. Someone made something useful to everyone. The same thing can happen with sharing cartography data.

 

[Lestat]

And I think you're reading too deeply into this. It's not impossible for groups with different alliances to meet in the middle to coordinate something beneficial to everyone.

Also the opposite is true. That is what you can't understand. We have to face the fact. Federation, Alliance and Empire do NOT see eye to eye with each other and the info your talking about could be use to overthrow a Faction into a different faction if it in the wrong hands.

Not everything is about selfishness. Let me ask you, who do you think created the Galaxy Map? The devs, obviously, but in-universe? Every ship from every maker under every faction has that same Galaxy Map interface. Someone made something useful to everyone. The same thing can happen with sharing cartography data.

Don't confused Frontier/Devs with the game. Yes they would know all about the game. But the difference is this a game.

Your idea will be immersion breaking for me.

 

[DannySwish]

Federation, Alliance and Empire do NOT see eye to eye with each other and the info your talking about could be use to overthrow a Faction into a different faction if it in the wrong hands.

How might this information affect any faction at all? How would a star system 25,000 lightyears away from civilization be used to overthrow a faction?

 

[Lestat]

How might this information affect any faction at all? How would a star system 25,000 lightyears away from civilization be used to overthrow a faction?

By the time you go 1 or 2k light years away unless it a high traffic area like Sag A and the most direct direct route to the bubble. You might see 1 or 2 of the system explored. What I learn was offset my course 500 ly to 1,000 ly So I don't see other players systems.

Note the last time they check 2015 we only explored 0.000005% of the Whole galaxy. Add 2 years let say. 0.000008%. So why be so worried about hitting other player explored system?

 

[DannySwish]

Note the last time they check 2015 we only explored 0.000005% of the Whole galaxy. Add 2 years let say. 0.000008%. So why be so worried about hitting other player explored system?

My whole point is that I'd love to know who has been to the system I'm in. I want explorers to get more credit, in the sense that their painstakingly-collected sensor data be made available to everyone some way or another.

 

[Lestat]

My whole point is that I'd love to know who has been to the system I'm in. I want explorers to get more credit, in the sense that their painstakingly-collected sensor data be made available to everyone some way or another.

Thing is they already got the credit they needed. They are the first ones to that system and they also had a finders fee added to it when it turn in.