Colonia/Sag.A Travellers. How do you do it?

[courtn00b]

I'm half way to Colonia with 30ly ship. I know space is huge and massive but this is just an awful grindy monotonous task to me. And I've played a fair share of grindy games.

If it wasn't for the next planet not being dead straight ahead I could get a macro to almost do this task.

I know there is neutron jumps and engineer drives, however I'm not at engineer level yet and the neutron stars would probably cost me more time if I screw up just one.

I've been binge watching Star Trek so far but I really don't know if I'll be playing once I reach Colonia, the length of the journey home fills me with dread.

It would be nice if there was ANY kind of interactions happening on the way.

Also why do the FSD jumps go from system to system, landing at the main star. Is it to do with the gravitational pull of the star?

Honestly I'd really love some wormholes in this game, even if they were one way.



So, what's going through your minds after countless jumps?

 

[TomP]

I sympathise with you.

Why anybody would go to that godforsaken place is beyond me.

Apart from Ziggy. And perhaps a few others. But basically they are all insane.

 

[vrseven]

Tell me about it..during and 1 minute after I did the 5k for Palin I refused to ever leave the bubble again.....but I got 11 mil explore data and my cmdrs name on earthlikes and stuff, so now idk lol btw I took my Fed Corv that had a jump range of 18lyrs.

 

[Aewarin Jameson]

So, what's going through your minds after countless jumps?

Usually my fist .. space madness .. can affect anyone.

 

[Jaiotu]

It's only 22 thousand light years to Colonia. I've been there and back again about 4 times since Jaques made his misjump (the first time was actually on the way back from Beagle Point, so I'm not sure if that counts). It really doesn't take that long to get out there in a ship with a 30+ light year jump range. Personally, I'm prepping now for my next trip and I'll be flying a T9 with a max jump range of less then 20 light years fully laden. I won't be making ANY stops to perform surface scans so even with the limited jump range I expect to make the journey in record time.

How do I do it?

Sometimes it's only the voices in my head that tell me to keep going. [yesnod]

 

[BeanpotBeanie]

It's about the journey not so much the destination IMO. Made the trip to the core twice and Colonia three times. Each time I'm searching for POIs (ELWs, Ammonia Worlds, etc.) or other different bodies while jumping. Check out the exploration forums to see some screen shots people have shared and share some of your own.

 

[rrobes]

If you are not enjoying this, turn around and return to the bubble. I went to Sag A* round trip in 47ly range Anaconda, over 1k in jumps. That is a minor trip to experienced explorers. The reward? Cartographic data 14 mill and my CMNDR name on planets.

The biggest challenge was trying not to get caught up by a sun's gravitational pull as you jump and not navigate into a dead zone. I looked for terrestrial worlds and landed on some planets for POI's but there were few found. Other than that, it's basically a personal challenge.

My trip back was a job, not a game.

I already re-rolled for my FSD engineer mod and improved to 52ly range but I am staying in the bubble for now.

IF FD allowed some surprises on these trips, then it would be a different story.

Some have done the Sag trip in Sideys, go figure.

 

[Gunnet]

I would guess that it depends how immersion works for you. If you feel like you're on a long journey through the unknown it's great fun. If you feel like you're performing a repetitive task in a videogame it's tedium.

Also why do the FSD jumps go from system to system, landing at the main star. Is it to do with the gravitational pull of the star?

You nailed it. The FSD in small ships (everything players can fly) needs to lock onto a star's mass for navigation.

 

[NW3]

I went to Colonia and back in a Type 7, with an ~18 lyr jump range. While monotonous at times, I paced myself. I traveled below the galactic plane, so that most of the systems I scanned had never been visited before. I detail-scanned a lot of the system bodies and often every object in the system. I felt it was worthwhile and I kept telling myself that I'd make Elite Explorer by the end of the trip (which I did). It took me 3 weeks out to Jaques and just under 6 weeks to return to the bubble. By spending significant time in each system, I broke up the grind of jump, scan, scoop, repeat.

The trip to Colonia is relatively short for a galactic expedition. I've been to Beagle Point with the Distant Worlds Expedition. We left in January and I didn't return to the bubble until May. Some folks are still out there exploring. It's possible you're not cut out to be an explorer; there's no shame in that.

I also listened to good music. Others listen to pod-casts or books on tape, just like you would do on a long drive in a car. Instead of a grind, it became a pleasant way to pass the time.

Try to break up the repetition and find some way to make it enjoyable. Fly out to that second sun in a system, that's 600,000 ls from the main star, just for the experience. Take pleasure in the fact that you'll probably get a first-found bonus and your commander name will forever be associated with that sun.

Still, although I really enjoy exploring, it does get old. That's why I'm staying in the bubble and not headed out to Colonia again with the CCC. I need a break from exploring, but I expect that I'll hear the deep black calling me back, in the not too distant future.

 

[veryinky]

The problem with a 30k ly trip is that you're spending most of your time looking at loading screens, about 1500 of them. It gets really monotonous. One of the worst parts of EliteDangerous is the whole witchspace jump mechanic, namely where it requires the player to load every single star system the route. Faster computer with fast memory and lower graphics settings will reduce the loading time but it's still very repetitive and mindless. I've suggested that it be made more interactive, with it loading all of the stars (not star systems) in the planned route and having the player navigate their ship in a "witchspace" tunnel and avoid the star waypoints, where the tunnel shifts in direction to the next star, as they go to their destination star. Would be much faster and much more interesting.

Either way, the way I deal with long trips is to play something else that can be played and paused every 45-50 seconds, like a turn based game. There's also Librevox, a website for public domain audiobooks and I've been listening to old sci-fi books and the complete works of Arthur Doyle (Sherlock Holmes) while I wait. Right now I'm listening to The Count of Monte Cristo which will take a good 60 hours to finish.

 

[vrseven]

One of the worst parts of EliteDangerous is the whole witchspace jump mechanic, namely where it requires the player to load every single star system the route.

I disagree, Dolphin and SpaceWhale watching while in hyperspace were the only things keeping my sanity for the long trip...I think.

 

[subhouse07]

I would guess that it depends how immersion works for you. If you feel like you're on a long journey through the unknown it's great fun. If you feel like you're performing a repetitive task in a videogame it's tedium.



You nailed it. The FSD in small ships (everything players can fly) needs to lock onto a star's mass for navigation.

Couldn't have said it better. Every since I started exploration in this game, for me it has felt like Im on a long journey and I keep getting farther and farther away from home. "Space madness" has only ever gotten to me on my second trip to Jaques during which I promised not to open system map no matter what, didn't scan anything, just jumped, honked, and scooped for 22kly.

 

[chagnampra]

I have been to both Sag A* and Jaques before with both a 30+ and 40+ jump range respectively. Both times I took my time on the journey out, checking out systems for earth-likes, etc, as I went. Sure, it was a grind, but I had to objectively view the journey as the point of the exercise, even more than the destination. Still, after reaching my destination, I ploughed my way home both times without stopping much at all, motivated by a desire to get back to the bubble above all else, before I succumbed to space madness!

This passed week I went out to Jaques again and decided I'd travel in my Cutter, hauling 256T of meta-alloys, with a jump range of only 21ly (fully laden, 24ly empty). I wanted to get there ASAP, so I just aimed to do a few sessions of repetitive jumping, barely stopping along the way. It took me just over 3 days, since I was off work and down with man-flu! The only way I was able to put up with the repetition was my desire to settle down at Colonia for the foreseeable future and explore further out once I got there. I couldn't have done the whole journey back again soon after, though.

So, maybe the grind is bearable due to the point of the journey - either because of a desire to discover stuff and get your name on things along the way; or to reach your goal (like the top of a mountain) as a challenge; or both.

Either way, binge-watching Star Trek (or anything) along the way is recommended (I had to laugh when I read your OP as I did the exact same thing this last trip to Jaques! ).

Fly safe, CMDR.

 

[Leo Sagan]

Netflix.

 

[Maro-Val]

All great explorers did other things during the boring parts of their expeditions. So a second monitor or a tablet is your friend.

As for myself for some reason i hate jumping around systems in the bubble i think it eats up my playtime, but i like doing it when i m out exploring. It relaxes me for some reason. It helps that when i spot an interesting system every couple of thousand LY, i go and have a look to a planet or some great view, or scan rare planets for profit.

 

[camper]

I've been binge watching Star Trek so far but I really don't know if I'll be playing once I reach Colonia, the length of the journey home fills me with dread.

Sell your ship at Colonia, buy a sidewinder and die. Choose "free sidewinder" on rebuy screen. You'll respawn in the bubble.

Commander transfer should still work

It would be nice if there was ANY kind of interactions happening on the way.

You may land on the planets, choose some indirect route (e.g go to the top/bottom of galactic plane and see what's there). and yes, Netflix may help

 

[wenkman]

Op I feel you.

Arrived at Colonia yesterday in my 22ly jump conda! Man I was relieved.

System is a bust though. Not much traffic, met one cmdr. (That didn't hail back)

So basically it's a long cleansing travel to an abandoned place, lika a monastery. There is peace here (relative, was doing a missions and some clowns jumped me, but enjoying enough)

Hurry, cause in 4 week the tourists arrive and it will be crowded here.

- - - Updated - - -

Oh nearly forgot: system density is high, so I bought a viper 3 and fitted it with d graded equipment.

but all the inhabited systems are ca. 6-12ly from each other, so jumping in the "Colonia bubble" is short, very short all systems pristine and the great unknown starts directly at the doorstep.

 

[gooddoc]

Iv been to Sag A*, Beagle Point (now planning a 2nd trip there), done 9 trips to Jaques & 8 returns of which only 2 returns were by Suicidewinder.

You have to have the right mind set to undertake something like these long trips. You need to set yourself goals & know what you're doing has a purpose, if not it quickly becomes tedious, a chore & isn't worth continuing.

One reason why I'm struggling with the concept of the Colonia Expansion Initiative CG. To me there is no value or purpose to the end result as far as it effects me. As a result I'm not even going to start it.

 

[Arnoldo]

Been to BP and Sag A a couple of times and enjoyed a trip to the cardinal points on the 0 lines. With 732kly under my belt, I can appreciate that you may get a wee bit bored of deep space travel..

BUT, the key is to stop doing something if you don't enjoy it - its a game!!!!

I concur with others ^^^^ - what helps me is to set myself a goal as this gives an endpoint or target - at the moment I'm in the bubble trying to get my combat elite, taking a slow approach to it but at least I can see an end to my efforts (and could expedite the journey if I wanted) after which I'll give myself another goal (get further out than I've been before, earn X credits at trading or from CGs etc.).

Fly safe Cmdr...

 

[Alex Brentnall]

I'm half way to Colonia with 30ly ship. I know space is huge and massive but this is just an awful grindy monotonous task to me. And I've played a fair share of grindy games.

If it wasn't for the next planet not being dead straight ahead I could get a macro to almost do this task.

I know there is neutron jumps and engineer drives, however I'm not at engineer level yet and the neutron stars would probably cost me more time if I screw up just one.

I've been binge watching Star Trek so far but I really don't know if I'll be playing once I reach Colonia, the length of the journey home fills me with dread.

It would be nice if there was ANY kind of interactions happening on the way.

Also why do the FSD jumps go from system to system, landing at the main star. Is it to do with the gravitational pull of the star?

Honestly I'd really love some wormholes in this game, even if they were one way.



So, what's going through your minds after countless jumps?

Set yourself some targets, ideally 1 every 2000ly or so. Find a planetary nebula and do a planet landing or fly through some asteroid belts or something. Break it up by literally breaking it up
Definitely go to the outposts on the way and land. Try to meet up with other explorers on the same route etc.

Personally I also try to set myself goals to find earth like worlds or ringed ammonia worlds etc. Lots of reading forums on the side and watching video's etc as you've mentioned. Oculus rift also makes it more fun.