Could Frontier please demonstrate how to use the FSS enjoyably?

[[VR] Merkir]

I am a self described wayward wanderer

I think debating the definition of exploration is pointless, different people travel around with a greater or lesser degree of planning & record keeping. It really doesn't matter what others choose to do out there, and if it does then just get back faster to sell your data before they do

I agree it's pointless, but when someone states that other players are lying because they don't meet an erroneous definition of what exploration is, it should be no surprise that they're called out for it.

Edit: I think I'm a "wayward wanderer" too, or perhaps a random wanderer. I won't ask if a wayward wander can also be an explorer, because this thread may melt down.

 

[[Diplomacy] Carnegie]

Want my chaotic/neutral answer?
Agreed, exploration is still way too shallow. But you lost me at the point where you want to go back to an even shallower state, which the ADS was representative for - no matter if optional or not.

Two shallow mechanisms give much more scope for personal choice than one shallow mechanism - and since I don't believe FDev have either inclination or the talent to create a deep mechanism, asking for the FSS Booster enhancement seems like the best way to allow EVERYONE to enjoy exploration.

 

[lenna]

Two shallow mechanisms give much more scope for personal choice than one shallow mechanism - and since I don't believe FDev have either inclination or the talent to create a deep mechanism, asking for the FSS Booster enhancement seems like the best way to allow EVERYONE to enjoy exploration.

I would pick a better and more appropriate name than FSS Booster though, that does not fit will with it's proposed features.

1. System Mapping Computer (SMC)
2. Automated Body Locator (ABL)

I could probably come up with a few other options but it is too late/early in the day.

 

[[Diplomacy] Carnegie]

I agree it's pointless, but when someone states that other players are lying because they don't meet an erroneous definition of what exploration is, it should be no surprise that they're called out for it.

Edit: I think I'm a "wayward wanderer" too, or perhaps a random wanderer. I won't ask if a wayward wander can also be an explorer, because this thread may melt down.

Oprah You Get A

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I would pick a better and more appropriate name than FSS Booster though, that does not fit will with it's proposed features.

1. System Mapping Computer (SMC)
2. Automated Body Locator (ABL)

I could probably come up with a few other options but it is too late/early in the day.

'Navigational Mapping Scanner' - NMS

Edit:
I have no idea what happened with this post

 

[lenna]

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'Navigational Mapping Scanner' - NMS

Navigational Mapping Computer (NMC) - it is not really a scanner in itself and that is part of the controversy behind the ADS being revived as-is.

​

Navigational Mapping Computer - An optional ship-board computer that collates in-system signal information collected by the FSS and identifies their 3D position in space as well as immediate direction of motion.​

 

[[VR] Merkir]

The FSS supporters want suggestions for improvements to the FSS, not requests that the ADS is brought back, so, in a spirit of cooperation I propose the following improvement to the FSS.

An optional 'FSS Booster' module that extends the capabilities of the FSS - the same principle as the FSD Booster - by adding automatic mapping functionality to the initial honk. This would populate the System Map with images of system bodies and show selectable 'Unexplored' items in the Nav Panel.

So the evil ADS doesn't come back and the FSS gets even better!

I would pick a better and more appropriate name than FSS Booster though, that does not fit will with it's proposed features.

1. System Mapping Computer (SMC)
2. Automated Body Locator (ABL)

As already mentioned, many of us have suggested far more comprehensive exploration game designs than the above.

However I support the above two posts as a very small step towards those better solutions.

 

[[Diplomacy] Carnegie]

As already mentioned, many of us have suggested far more comprehensive exploration game designs than the above.

However I support the above two posts as a very small step towards those better solutions.

I've made a number of suggestions for how exploration should have been expanded for 3.3, but since I doubt that FDev are planning on any significant rework to the FSS, it seems sensible to try to nudge them in the direction of more choices in ways that they can implement without investing significant development resources.

 

[Kotuma]

My favourite exploration was done before I had enough scratch to buy the ADS - I remember flying around systems and using parallax to detect bodies moving relative to the star field, then setting out in that direction in hopes of a find. Incredibly slow to get to completion, but a very rewarding play experience.

I actually like the FSS as it brings back some of the visual hunting of my pre-ADS days, while cutting time down from having to visit each body.

 

[-VR- Max Factor]

So summarising the "what is exploring?" sub-sub-thread...








I feel so sad. Here I am returning from Beagle Point, over 65,000 Ly, discovering hundreds of new systems and planets, collecting oodles of exploration data that nobody else has ever collected...

But apparently I'm NOT exploring, and I'm lying if I say I am.

Never said that. Why do you have to be dishonest. Everything I have said is about using the FSS or the ADS. Using those are not exploration. But thanks for sniping and leaving important comments out to make it look like that and bolster your own argument.

And yes, you still need to SC to explore. You always do.

You don't get what I have been trying to get at you. You and faded glory are trying to use the argument that you can explore, get credits and tags by sitting still at the star by using the FSS and saying it as a negative thing. By your definition (not one I agree with). The ADS is the same though, you can do all of those things by sitting there Infront of the sun.

But you want the ADS back which can do the same thing, so is just as bad in that respect. It "explores" the system as much as the FSS, but in a different way.

Can't you see what I am saying.

Personally I don't believe the FSS or ADS ar exploring.

Let's go back to o the cook example. The ADS and FSS at like his telecope, a tool to find stuff. But he hasn't really explored those places until he visits them. Just seeing them in his telescope is not enough. And he would never seen as a famous explorer by coming back and saying he found lots of land areas, but has no idea what on them or mapping their shoreline. He has to travel to do both. Sitting in the see looking through his telescope is not exploring on its own. When combined with other activities is when you can call it exploring, just like the ADS and FSS.

 

[space voyager]

Perhaps we could get an Automated Gravity Analyzer (AGA), a module that automatically determines the mass, position and movement of all bodies in the system.

To analyze all the data it needs 5 minutes from arrival, but you don't need to press anything.

There, no minigames.

 

[[Diplomacy] Carnegie]

Perhaps we could get an Automated Gravity Analyzer (AGA), a module that automatically determines the mass, position and movement of all bodies in the system.

To analyze all the data it needs 5 minutes from arrival, but you don't need to press anything.

There, no minigames.

Sounds great. Just reduce the time to 5 seconds and we're good.

 

[space voyager]

Sounds great. Just reduce the time to 5 seconds and we're good.

The minutes part was kinda the essence of the joke, I'm sure you noticed.

But I am sorry you want this kind of exploration where nothing is done. Personally I want to see the current system built upon and expanded.

That said, if ADS is ever to come back, doing nothing is FAR better than holding a button for several seconds.

 

[Riverside]

The minutes part was kinda the essence of the joke, I'm sure you noticed.

But I am sorry you want this kind of exploration where nothing is done. Personally I want to see the current system built upon and expanded.

That said, if ADS is ever to come back, doing nothing is FAR better than holding a button for several seconds.

As far as payment for fast travel is concerned (honk scoop & jump) the new process pays out at least as much as before, plus tags all the stars and any nearby bodies. With the ADS reinstated all of this would continue because it's done by the FSS.

What the ADS would do is show what the bodies look like (completed system map but incomplete/[unexplored] scan info) and allow the bodies to be targeted on the HUD, sysmap & nav panel. The cost would be to have to fit the module in a slot, just as before with it's associated (small) mass & power requirements slightly reducing jump range.

There would be no advantage in finding stuff not offset by the loss of a module & small range reduction, but there would be a significant QoL benefit to eliminating 'uninteresting' systems (depends what the player is looking for). Scanning a body using the FSS would be no different, as can be seen when using it in an already tagged system.

We are being paid for it anyway, may as well show us what we are being paid for

 

[Shinji Ikari]

The minutes part was kinda the essence of the joke, I'm sure you noticed.

But I am sorry you want this kind of exploration where nothing is done. Personally I want to see the current system built upon and expanded.

That said, if ADS is ever to come back, doing nothing is FAR better than holding a button for several seconds.

Holding a button for a few seconds (5-6, that's not several) is FAR better than turning the radio dial while zooming in and out in a minigame disconnected to flying the ship.

The moral: Just because X activity takes more time to perform doesn't mean it is more engaging, fun or intellectually challenging.

 

[-VR- Max Factor]

Holding a button for a few seconds (5-6, that's not several) is FAR better than turning the radio dial while zooming in and out in a minigame disconnected to flying the ship.

No it's not. So what do you do after the honk? I am pretty sure you go into the system map which in your words is disconnected to flying the ship and playing the select the planet mini-game.

I honk and then enter the FSS and play the scanning mini-game.

Oh look no difference apart from the type of mini-game. According to you both systems are disconnected to flying the ship.

 

[[Diplomacy] Carnegie]

The minutes part was kinda the essence of the joke, I'm sure you noticed.

But I am sorry you want this kind of exploration where nothing is done. Personally I want to see the current system built upon and expanded.

That said, if ADS is ever to come back, doing nothing is FAR better than holding a button for several seconds.

I want the current system built upon and expanded too - which is why I've suggested the optional Navigational Mapping Computer extension to the FSS.

Extending the capabilities of the FSS with optional components which people can choose to fit allows each player to configure their exploration experience and gameplay to something they find engaging and enjoyable. I can't see how anybody could be against this.

 

[Hanerib]

It's captcha. I hope they change it in case they are intending to relaunch.

 

[[Diplomacy] Carnegie]

No it's not. So what do you do after the honk? I am pretty sure you go into the system map which in your words is disconnected to flying the ship and playing the select the planet mini-game.

I honk and then enter the FSS and play the scanning mini-game.

Oh look no difference apart from the type of mini-game. According to you both systems are disconnected to flying the ship.

Still trying to claim that looking at a map is a minigame?
I have another minigame you might like - it's called "Clutching at Straws".

 

[-VR- Max Factor]

Still trying to claim that looking at a map is a minigame?
I have another minigame you might like - it's called "Clutching at Straws".

Now you're getting desperate. If the FSS is a mini-game, so is the system map and galaxy map. But as it happens under the definition of mini-game, neither of them can be called that. As they are not seperate mini-games within a game. They are both integral parts of the game as a whole so therefore cannot be called mini-games.

 

[Shinji Ikari]

No it's not. So what do you do after the honk? I am pretty sure you go into the system map which in your words is disconnected to flying the ship and playing the select the planet mini-game.

I honk and then enter the FSS and play the scanning mini-game.

Oh look no difference apart from the type of mini-game. According to you both systems are disconnected to flying the ship.

Oh, so merely taking a glance at a screen is playing a mini-game? Wow, I think I play mini-games every morning on the fridge as well.

Truth be told, the sys map is disconnected from flying the ship athough you can set course to somewhere while doing it and you'll spend much less time in it compared to the FSS thus spending more time actually flying and exploring*.

*According to your definition of exploration.