Do you like the blue POI system?

[IndigoWyrd]

I don't mind the blue circle, when first detected at high cruising altitudes, but then become more specific, growing smaller, and perhaps changing color or design based on what the actual point of interest is.

Any change would be good change.

 

[[HJ]-RedRaven]

I don't mind the blue circles for POI's. Its really the same mechanic as the three triangles around distant ships in supercruise.

Or would you like those turned off as well, so you can (try) to find tiny ships in the otherwise inky black vastness of space?

So long as the actual POI is visible from your ship, the circle is presented on the scanner, and the circle gets smaller as you approach "getting warmer... getting cooler" style, I see no issue with it.

 

[TinyPwny]

I don't mind not knowing what kind of POI it is until I see it, but I completely agree the blue circle stuff is silly (especially the part where they grow bigger and eventually disappear the closer you get to the POI... which is completely counterproductive.) I like the idea of replacing radar with some variation of the SRV's wave scanner when in low orbit and below, so that you can actively search for POIs. It'll produce vague, noisy, scattered signals at first but at least you'll know you're going in the right direction and the closer you get, the better the signal gets until you see the POI in front of you eventually.

Change scanner back to radar when landing gear is down.

Short version, I voted for change too.

 

[babelfisch]

I don't mind the blue circles for POI's. Its really the same mechanic as the three triangles around distant ships in supercruise.

Or would you like those turned off as well, so you can (try) to find tiny ships in the otherwise inky black vastness of space?

So long as the actual POI is visible from your ship, the circle is presented on the scanner, and the circle gets smaller as you approach "getting warmer... getting cooler" style, I see no issue with it.

What you just described is the opposite of how it works in game...

 

[Riverside]

So long as the actual POI is visible from your ship, the circle is presented on the scanner, and the circle gets smaller as you approach "getting warmer... getting cooler" style, I see no issue with it.

TBH if it worked like that it'd be enough.


A wave scanner on the ship would make barnacle hunting rather easier. I'd like that but I can understand why it hasn't been implemented.

 

[Brusilov]

Replacement would be just lovely.

 

[BigBANGtheory [VR]]

I've not really used it if I'm honest but I kind of struggled with the concept that your SRV scanner can find things your ship scanner(s) cannot. Ok if something was burried or is very small then maybe that makes sense. I'm not really sure what a better option would be need more thought on this.

 

[babelfisch]

After reading some posts I no longer support the scavenger hunt mechanic as replacement, it's still better than the current system but I would prefer a complete overhaul:

The pros:
- we would know what we get, no nasty surprises, no chance of adding a mechanic that is worse than the current one
- it's better than the blue circles
- easy to implement because it already exists in the game

The cons:
- no skill involved, just follow the carrot
- no information about the nature of a POI (could be added though)

The fact that there is no skill involved begs for a completly new mechanic. Maybe our ships could use something similar to the SRV wavescanner, please share your thoughts and ideas.

HOWEVER

Have you played Mass Effect 2? It has a scan mechanic which is very similar to what we could get using something like the wave scanner and I absolutely didn't like it. Maybe it sounds good on paper, but scanning planets in ME2 was one of the most boring gameplay elements I've ever seen.

 

[Infidel Deity]

@OP
I agree.
The planetary POI-system should be replaced.

 

[zombieapocalypse]

The fact that there is no skill involved begs for a completly new mechanic. Maybe our ships could use something similar to the SRV, please share your thoughts and ideas.

The SRV scanner would certainly be more immersive and engaging than the blue POIs system currently in place, but it doesn't exactly require much skill.

 

[Nutter]

We already have the equipment, the detailed surface scanner, which should be able to plot the following on the planet map - Seismic activity = Geyser/Fumaroles, Geological Find = Minerals, Distress signals = Lifepods, Metallic Debris Detection = Crashed Ship, Radio Signals = Settlement (ANY kind), Unknown Signal = Alien Site/Broken Nav Beacon/Barnacle and so on...

We have landed on planets so remote there should be nothing there apart from Minerals and Seismic activity.

But lets face it, what we have now is a placeholder, we have a surface scanner, but we don't have the mechanics to use them yet.

 

[babelfisch]

We already have the equipment, the detailed surface scanner, which should be able to plot the following on the planet map - Seismic activity = Geyser/Fumaroles, Geological Find = Minerals, Distress signals = Lifepods, Metallic Debris Detection = Crashed Ship, Radio Signals = Settlement (ANY kind), Unknown Signal = Alien Site/Broken Nav Beacon/Barnacle and so on...

We have landed on planets so remote there should be nothing there apart from Minerals and Seismic activity.

But lets face it, what we have now is a placeholder, we have a surface scanner, but we don't have the mechanics to use them yet.

http://i.imgur.com/MVB7jjf.gif

I'll borrow the pic for OP if you don't mind, lets refresh FDEVs memories...

 

[Nutter]

I'll borrow the pic for OP if you don't mind, lets refresh FDEVs memories...

Be my Guest, took me ages to find

Original link and Credit - http://ryvax.tumblr.com/post/113086746675/old-ui-concept-for-the-exploration-surveyor-in

 

[Falcon_D]

We already have the equipment, the detailed surface scanner, which should be able to plot the following on the planet map - Seismic activity = Geyser/Fumaroles, Geological Find = Minerals, Distress signals = Lifepods, Metallic Debris Detection = Crashed Ship, Radio Signals = Settlement (ANY kind), Unknown Signal = Alien Site/Broken Nav Beacon/Barnacle and so on...

We have landed on planets so remote there should be nothing there apart from Minerals and Seismic activity.

But lets face it, what we have now is a placeholder, we have a surface scanner, but we don't have the mechanics to use them yet.

http://i.imgur.com/MVB7jjf.gif

Hello,
I think this is a really cool idea.
The one thing I would like to change is that the DSS gives you specific POI points on the planet's surface map but you need to fly/drive closer to them to find out what they actually are. Something like the current USS mechanic (although I'm not very fond of that one.) This would apply to all POIs except settlements/outposts which I believe can currently be detected even if you don't have a DSS and just do a normal scan of the planet while carrying a Discovery scanner.

Have fun, fly safe. o7

 

[Zed]

I'd prefer something more like the wave scanner.

 

[babelfisch]

Hello,
I think this is a really cool idea.
The one thing I would like to change is that the DSS gives you specific POI points on the planet's surface map but you need to fly/drive closer to them to find out what they actually are. Something like the current USS mechanic (although I'm not very fond of that one.) This would apply to all POIs except settlements/outposts which I believe can currently be detected even if you don't have a DSS and just do a normal scan of the planet while carrying a Discovery scanner.

Have fun, fly safe. o7

Yes, it would be nice to give the DSS a purpose other than adding x amount of credits. However it would also make the DSS mandatory for many players, breaking lots of builds espacially on smaller vessels. IIRC the Eagle and Sidewinder are the only ships with two size 1 internals, installing a DSS would be a waste of space for every other (non exploration) ship. Maybe it's time to rethink scanners? Some ideas:

- allow them to be installed on utility mounts
- introduce combined scanners, they are more costly and/or require a bigger slot
- let us split compartements for some modules

 

[Bran Tse Mallory]

Voted yes. Why? I find it rather stupid to think that I can scan the entire heliosphere of a star finding all orbital bodies (Really? In a space game the spell checker can't handle heliosphere... lol, just lol!). I can scan a world/moon in more detail despite only being able to see half of the globe during the scan yet non of these reveal any useful information about the lump of rock I am looking at...

Even when flying in orbital cruise I have no way of finding or detecting anything of interest while flying as high as a commercial jet liner today. Don't know about you but last time I was in a plane at 35,000FT I saw plenty of stuff on the ground that looked interesting, instead I have to be approx 7k FT in order to get a blue blob that is not even centrally located over the source. Also no mention is made ,that i can find, of which scanner picks these up.

I once started a thread about the strange science of Elite, this is one of those bits of science that makes no sense at all.

 

[CMDR Reaper]

I like to fly low - it is fun

So I just wish that you could see them all the way down to the surface.

 

[Bran Tse Mallory]

I like to fly low - it is fun

So I just wish that you could see them all the way down to the surface.

That would make to much sense though, next you'll be wanting the circle to grow smaller as you descend and your scanners pick up a stronger signal allowing you to home in on the POI without the need to drive the moon buggy around with it's amazing scanner system that is 100% incompatible with your ships systems!

 

[babelfisch]

That would make to much sense though, next you'll be wanting the circle to grow smaller as you descend and your scanners pick up a stronger signal allowing you to home in on the POI without the need to drive the moon buggy around with it's amazing scanner system that is 100% incompatible with your ships systems!

Stop it, that's just crazy.