The FSS is the curates egg.
For an explorer, out in the great yonder, the FSS is Good - in part.
My Exploring "work-cycle" is based around the following sequence:
1. Charge FSD to next system in route
[2. Write down the name of the system and star class of next body in my exploration log during FSD charging and maybe fill in some extra detail of system just left while in witchspace.]
3. Arrive in new system - line up for next jump and surf the corona to scoop, retaining full throttle and pressing Honk.
4. When lined up safely surfing/scooping and Honk is complete, mentally note number of bodies, stay full throttle: open system map, check whether visited, check number of stars and star classes.
5. Close system map - Check left panel for Signal Sources.
[6. Write down number of stars and number of other system bodies, and write down the other star classes, tick if not tagged.]
7. Once scooped and just clear of corona, Open FSS
8. Check FSS for bodies of interest:
IF none, close FSS; GOTO #1 (charge FSD for next jump).
ELSE, explore bodies of interest, up to full system scan to resolve any GEO (and BIO) signals, [writing down details in journal] prior to closing FSS and visiting each signal body for DSS and landing on.. then composition scanning GEO and BIO [and writing down the details in the journal...], (and filling up on any worthwhile mats); GOTO #1
The technique I use to resolve GEO and BIO is to zoom into the body, and check if the scan resolves to NONE within 2 sec. If not, take a mental note of the body, move onto the next body and at some point later while still in the FSS, go back to that noted body to see what secrets lie awaiting... there's no need to wait for 30 sec on each body - your FSS can conduct concurrent activity to cut the waiting time and boredom factor.
The way I see it is that, for an explorer the whole jump; scoop; honk/ jump; scoop; honk/ jump; scoop; honk/ would get pretty tiresome if there was no other activity to break that cycle up.
The other point to note is that BIO signals are pretty rare such that you actually never know if you are going to find any or not, so when the FSS reveals that BIOLOGICAL is present, that moment of success is the reward for all the effort invested.
Sometimes, I'm on an express leg, and don't scan the FSS unless there are WW, ELW or AW present. Staying in the FSS is the best way to slow progress when simply "travelling".
Sometimes, I'm on a go-slow and using economical jumps and only travelling between O,B,A,F,W,Non-sequence,Proto, and fully explore most systems in the FSS... ie. "exploring".
For what it is supposed to do, I reckon it's a fairly decent stab at something workable and still holds interest.
(For sure, I'd change a few minor things, mechanically, but overall, it's still fairly decent at its intended function)
Yours Aye
Mark H
For an explorer, out in the great yonder, the FSS is Good - in part.
My Exploring "work-cycle" is based around the following sequence:
1. Charge FSD to next system in route
[2. Write down the name of the system and star class of next body in my exploration log during FSD charging and maybe fill in some extra detail of system just left while in witchspace.]
3. Arrive in new system - line up for next jump and surf the corona to scoop, retaining full throttle and pressing Honk.
4. When lined up safely surfing/scooping and Honk is complete, mentally note number of bodies, stay full throttle: open system map, check whether visited, check number of stars and star classes.
5. Close system map - Check left panel for Signal Sources.
[6. Write down number of stars and number of other system bodies, and write down the other star classes, tick if not tagged.]
7. Once scooped and just clear of corona, Open FSS
8. Check FSS for bodies of interest:
IF none, close FSS; GOTO #1 (charge FSD for next jump).
ELSE, explore bodies of interest, up to full system scan to resolve any GEO (and BIO) signals, [writing down details in journal] prior to closing FSS and visiting each signal body for DSS and landing on.. then composition scanning GEO and BIO [and writing down the details in the journal...], (and filling up on any worthwhile mats); GOTO #1
The technique I use to resolve GEO and BIO is to zoom into the body, and check if the scan resolves to NONE within 2 sec. If not, take a mental note of the body, move onto the next body and at some point later while still in the FSS, go back to that noted body to see what secrets lie awaiting... there's no need to wait for 30 sec on each body - your FSS can conduct concurrent activity to cut the waiting time and boredom factor.
The way I see it is that, for an explorer the whole jump; scoop; honk/ jump; scoop; honk/ jump; scoop; honk/ would get pretty tiresome if there was no other activity to break that cycle up.
The other point to note is that BIO signals are pretty rare such that you actually never know if you are going to find any or not, so when the FSS reveals that BIOLOGICAL is present, that moment of success is the reward for all the effort invested.
Sometimes, I'm on an express leg, and don't scan the FSS unless there are WW, ELW or AW present. Staying in the FSS is the best way to slow progress when simply "travelling".
Sometimes, I'm on a go-slow and using economical jumps and only travelling between O,B,A,F,W,Non-sequence,Proto, and fully explore most systems in the FSS... ie. "exploring".
For what it is supposed to do, I reckon it's a fairly decent stab at something workable and still holds interest.
(For sure, I'd change a few minor things, mechanically, but overall, it's still fairly decent at its intended function)
Yours Aye
Mark H