News Chapter Four - Exploration Reveal

[marx]

The initial 'honk' will just reveal the entry star. As you use the to explore, more stellar bodies will be revealed as you find them, which will then populate the system map.

I was afraid of this. If we can't tell from the initial glance whether there might be interesting planets - water worlds, Earth-like worlds, ammonia worlds - in a system, that'll slow exploration gameplay and progression to a crawl. (Well, you could at least fix the latter by drastically improving the payouts.)

The first screenshot shows uniform white "blips" on the scanner, and some energy distribution stuff. Based on these and/or perhaps other things, will we still have the means to quickly tell if a system might be worth looking at more, or is that getting nerfed? Because from experience, we know that many systems simply aren't. If we'll have to spend much more time on the initial survey, to get a grip on the contents of the system, then that won't be enjoyable after the 20th system, let alone the hundreds and thousands we explorers go through.

 

[Alec Turner]

This is a good point ... I know a lot of people take a quick look at the system map while scooping to see if there's earth likes, water worlds, etc worth scanning. It's basically how many people travel ... jump, honk, scoop, check ... jump, honk, scoop, check. Although it's great that there's all this new gameplay around "honk" and "check" it's also gonna really shake things up if that old method is no longer gonna work (i.e. if you can't efficiently explore as you travel).

When I first read the OP the first phrase that came to my mind (with a wry smile) was ... be careful what you wish for, you might get it! [yesnod]

Question answered I think, interesting.

The initial 'honk' will just reveal the entry star. As you use the to explore, more stellar bodies will be revealed as you find them, which will then populate the system map.

 

[Adam Bourke-Waite]

Will there be new contents of signal sources?

Yes.

Next, will the logistics of conducting multicrew exploration be made simpler?

I'm unsure on the exacts on this one, I have made a note to look into it.

 

[Topher420247]

I love this

Can't wait for this update. Im so tired of being pushed toward shooting bugs that when the gnosis crap happened i turned around and decided it was time for a beagle point trip. This update is only going to make that trip more fun. I can't wait hopefully you guys push this out sooner rather than later. Would hate to get it on the way back lol

 

[Lordxenu]

That does sound a bit worrisome. Couldn't the initial honk at least reveal the amount of bodies in the system (as it currently does)?

To be honest, I'd rather have the 'honk' add all astronomical bodies to the system map, but only as featureless ones, placed like they currently are. Then, after 'discovering them' they'd get their distinctive representations and on further study the known characteristics.

When the new system map was released it used to just show grey balls which feels like a compromise ads locates where objects are but only that they are objects then you know what you're looking for at least this sounds a bit like the shadow of war tower thing which I think will be really good but you do need to know how much stuff you're looking for

 

[Wyaston Hypatia]

Question 3: Are USSs system or commander specific?

 

[Siobhan]

Will scanning the nav beacon reveal the system?

I'd say yes but... an unexplored system won't have a nav beacon, so the presence thereof kinda precludes the need to explore it.

If it's just for finding your trade port, then I suspect all the current methods will still work.

 

[VR jefranklin18]

Sounds very promising and I am looking forward to trying it out. However, a question I have is: how do the probes work with the ELWs and other (currently) non landable planets? Presumably there will be no POIs to discover on those?

 

[[VR] Mad Mike]

Yes.



I'm unsure on the exacts on this one, I have made a note to look into it.

Hi can you just confirm all this new stuff has been tested in VR please

 

[Evoflash]

Exploration just went to HARD MODE.

 

[Nerix]

Sounds really good so far, looking forward to Q4

 

[Enderby]

I was afraid of this. If we can't tell from the initial glance whether there might be interesting planets - water worlds, Earth-like worlds, ammonia worlds - in a system, that'll slow exploration gameplay and progression to a crawl. (Well, you could at least fix the latter by drastically improving the payouts.)

The first screenshot shows uniform white "blips" on the scanner, and some energy distribution stuff. Based on these and/or perhaps other things, will we still have the means to quickly tell if a system might be worth looking at more, or is that getting nerfed? Because from experience, we know that many systems aren't - and if we have to spend much more time on the initial survey, to get a grip on the contents of the system, then that won't be enjoyable after the 20th system, let alone the hundreds and thousands we explorers go through.

Hopefully the 'readings' will let us see fairly quickly if there's bodies in the system of specific interest to us.

 

[klausetc]

That does sound a bit worrisome. Couldn't the initial honk at least reveal the amount of bodies in the system (as it currently does)?

To be honest, I'd rather have the 'honk' add all astronomical bodies to the system map, but only as featureless ones, placed like they currently are. Then, after 'discovering them' they'd get their distinctive representations and on further study the known characteristics.

This suggestion would remove the monotony, especially in the case of long range survey missions.

I'd like to see this process completed on a stream before I could really say one way or the other but it does seem like it would take IMMENSE amounts of time for any kind of exploratory missions.

 

[Elan]

Lots of interesting improvements here, but I've got to say that unless the DSS probes have a REALLY long range then the following statement is nonsense:

Benefits of Exploration Improvements

• Replace flying time with gameplay: We want to reduce the amount of time you have to spend flying to a planet just to discover it. The only time we want you to fly to a planet is because you want to visit it as there’s something there you want to see or do. Ultimately that will make exploring planetary bodies and getting first discoveries in a system quicker and more engaging at the same time.

We currently have to fly to within range of a planet to use the DSS.

We will STILL have to fly to within range of a planet to use the DSS.

 

[ErichZann]

please no ammo for the surface scanner.... just give it infinite ammo or let the probes return to the ship or something...

 

[Enderby]

Exploration just went to HARD MODE.

I think I like it!

I think.

 

[Bob McBobblehead]

We can find USS we are interested in. Can this system tell the difference between a level 6 HNSS with a basilisk and a level 6 NHSS with just lots of scouts?

Can I scan for NHSS level 5 to find one with just a Thargoid probe in it?

How much detail do we get with regards to finding the USS we want?

 

[Alec Turner]

One thing that might be VERY important: If we find something in a system and want to share it, how do we do that now?

Currently, we can just given them the body name and they already have an ADS to find it. Can the new system include some way of sharing a location; such as coordinates or scanner settings for them to find the same body?

God this is a great point, if we tell someone to go to body A 2 A in a given system ('cos there's something there or for a race or meetup), currently they can honk and then work out which body it is from the system map.

How will this work in the new system?

 

[mossfoot]

Wow. This is all sounding very positive. I'm trying to envision this in play and it seems a lot more engaging than the current method. I'm sure some will quibble at details as the come out (ie, how fast do these micro probes go - I'm willing to bet there will be those who say they are too slow, and those who say they're too fast. The usual can't please everyone problem). But on the whole this is all good. And if there is more features to come not currently mentioned, even better!

Question, will the current method of detailed scanning also exist if you are close enough? I'm imagining a scenario (especially multiplayer) where a crewmate might do the new scanning while the commander sets course for the nearest planet (or more distant). In the case of nearby objects it might be faster to simply do it old school, but it would end up as a less used (but still useful) alternative.

 

[NeilF]

...You will use these probes to “map” a planet’s surface and locate resource hotspots in its rings.

And any more information on what these hotspots are and how they work?

Spoiler

ie: Are they rare rich mining locations which are stateful? So they can be mined down by a CMDR or Wing of CMDRs until gone forever, thus making them a worthwhile valuable find? And obviously they are not just instance based, such that if you found one today, you could tell a friend about it, and they can go to it in a weeks time to mine it (assuming someone else hasn't discoverd it and completely depleted it in the meantime)?