Elite in Combat and Trade - What should I do about Exploration?

[Schmack]

Now that I just hit elite in trade, I feel this relief that I don't feel pulled toward that goal any longer. Now I am about to pull anchor and go do something elsewhere. I wonder what I should do to move forward with exploration. I am Ranger level, about 40% of the way. I don't want to haul passengers to and from the same couple of beacons to speed it along. I am thinking of just building a ship for Colonia run. I can afford any ship, I own an Anaconda (stock), Python (engineered with meh 28Y range), DBx (engineered with 50LY jump range), Cutter (engineered but for clean drives, poor jump range).

Should I get an Asp X and engineer it for jump range, get a fuel scoop (can you engineer that for faster scooping?) and load the ship with repair modules and such? I realize some of you make that trip regularly and it's not that big of a deal. I don't want to use the neutron highway, because i want the scan data along the way.

Should I engineer the Anaconda for longer jump range and also add engineered items to it, and set it up for extended off road service?


What would you do? Now that nothing I do outside of exploration is going to add to my exploration rep (passengers aside), I feel no need to do any of that stuff until I get triple elite at which time I will probably just look for good smuggling routes.

Thanks in advance

 

[Vardaugas]

Get any ship you like to sit in, because you'll be in there for weeks, and get out into the black. You don't need a dedicated exploration ship with all the max jump range and most ideal fuel scoop to go exploring. 25ly jump range are enough for most areas and anything farther than 1000ly from sol will yield unexplored systems.

 

[MottiKhan]

If you're heading towards Colonia, there are several neutron star fields out there. These are probably the quickest way to get exploration experience. Not because they're the most valuable, but because they're so common. Grab as many black holes and earthlikes as you can while you're out there. I'd take and Asp-X with a fast planetary scanner. The planetary scanner will also speed up your advanced discovery scanner, so you can get through each system faster.

A bigger fuel scoop will scoop faster and won't add to your weight.

You can sell the data at Colonia to minimize the risk of losing it when you return to the bubble.

 

[GJ51]

Do an Asp X and engineer it for 50LY or so.

Take a few test runs to get a feel for it. You need to get about 3kly out of the bubble now to start getting clean systems that haven't been tagged, but you'll hit a few partially tagged systems before that.

You have to approach it with a bit of a different mindset from other ED activities, but I enjoy the change from time to time.

Currently about 16KLY out

 

[Schmack]

Do an Asp X and engineer it for 50LY or so.

Take a few test runs to get a feel for it. You need to get about 3kly out of the bubble now to start getting clean systems that haven't been tagged, but you'll hit a few partially tagged systems before that.

You have to approach it with a bit of a different mindset from other ED activities, but I enjoy the change from time to time.

Currently about 16KLY out

I'm out of town this week but when I return home, I plan on building a ship and engineering it (part of the fun) with no thought to systems between A and B points that might have "deals". I am ok with the different type of play now, because I won't be missing anything I could be doing to make money any faster that would beat what I am doing.

I think I could do about 2 or 3 hours a day, on most days while I am in town. I figure by February or March I should be returning to the bubble. I'll sell data in Colonia and keep going out that way to make all the stops I think.

I play in VR a lot and I've read that the Asp has great view in VR, plus it handles well. I'm not concerned with having super long jump range but engineering for that is part of the prep I want to do.

 

[Candy Man]

So you want to be an Elite Explorer?
Elite suggests being the best. Don't cut corners and mine neutron stars, go for a trip to Beagle Point or better still a circumnavigation.
If you want to be the best you've got to beat the rest!

 

[Ian Doncaster]

Now that I just hit elite in trade, I feel this relief that I don't feel pulled toward that goal any longer. Now I am about to pull anchor and go do something elsewhere. I wonder what I should do to move forward with exploration. I am Ranger level, about 40% of the way. I don't want to haul passengers to and from the same couple of beacons to speed it along. I am thinking of just building a ship for Colonia run. I can afford any ship, I own an Anaconda (stock), Python (engineered with meh 28Y range), DBx (engineered with 50LY jump range), Cutter (engineered but for clean drives, poor jump range).

Should I get an Asp X and engineer it for jump range, get a fuel scoop (can you engineer that for faster scooping?) and load the ship with repair modules and such? I realize some of you make that trip regularly and it's not that big of a deal. I don't want to use the neutron highway, because i want the scan data along the way.

If you're wanting to do the trip specifically to get exploration data and ranking, an Asp X engineered for jump range is probably the worst one to do it with, as you'll get to Colonia with maybe 20-40 million in data depending on how much you stop to scan, and still be nowhere near Elite. (If you were going on a galactic circumnavigation to get Elite, then sure, take a super-range ship, because you'll still get Elite on your return even with fewer systems visited)

Unless you're really incompetent with planetary landings - and if you are, a decent shield and 4 pips to it will do more for you than an AFMU - you're unlikely to actually need any repair modules. Additionally, there are stations every few thousand LY between Sol and Colonia, so you can stop there, repair, sell the exploration data you've got so far, maybe even have a break and shoot stuff in a RES for a bit if you packed weapons. (Stopping at all 9 will not be that much different in distance to the direct route, but will take you to some interesting places)

ADS, DSS (long range is generally more efficient than fast scan if you engineer it), big fuel scoop, SRVs (for having fun driving around to break up the journey) ... any ship with at least 4 internals and a 25 LY range [1] will do. Take it slow, scan lots of planets, and you'll probably reach Colonia ... well, not at Elite, unless you take a very scenic route, but a good fraction of the way there, and maybe you can finish the rest off just scanning the inhabited systems in the Colonia region itself.

Once you reach Colonia, if you don't fancy taking it so slow on the way back, your DBX can be transferred out pretty cheaply for either a return journey or a further trip all the way to Beagle Point.

[1] You can do the journey itself with less and will get more data in the process, but some of the outposts on the way can be a little tricky to route to with only 20.

 

[CMDR Zadian Lichtfrost]

… I wonder what I should do to move forward with exploration. I am Ranger level, about 40% of the way. I don't want to haul passengers to and from the same couple of beacons to speed it along. I am thinking of just building a ship for Colonia run. …

Since you want to increase your exploration rank the jump range of your ship doesn't matter. You want to scan as many systems as possible.
The route to Colonia is simple and doesn't require a ship with a long jump-range.

Just use the ship you like. Put a big fuel scoop into it and the two scanners and go on a nice sightseeing trip to colonia. You might want to go off the beaten path by moving up or down the galactic plane - that way the chances of finding undiscovered systems is bigger.

 

[Dommarraa]

I would recommend the Asp regardless of you choosing Pax to Colonia or proper exploration. Conda is not at all fun to fly in SC, and the last thing you want is to not enjoy this last ranking.

Consider "Road to Riches" if you already know you will hate exploration. Its the up there with the quickest ways to rank, however is grindy (but not as grindy as NS farming)

 

[GreyAreaUK]

My advice/thoughts:

Don't get hung up on jump range - you're out to find new stuff, not get as far away as possible. Once you're beyond about 1,000Ly from the bubble you should be in fairly untouched areas.

Consider taking a more circuitous route to Colonia to find more new stuff.

As others have said, pick the ship you're going to happy in for weeks. Because you're going to be in it for weeks. And weeks. I'm actually out exploring in a Python on my PS4, because I love the Python.

Fit the largest fuel scoop you can. Do not skimp on this.

Fit at least token shields if you intend to do any landings. It's surprising how quickly minor hull dings add up.

Pack a hull-repair limpet controller if needs be (and a small cargo rack for the limpets), although it may not be strictly necessary. Synth limpets as required. They're heavy.

I'm on the fence about AFMUs - now that FDev have reduced the likelihood of you emerging between two stars and getting heat damage that you can't avoid (and if you're not neutron-jumping) I'm tending towards 'not required'. If you can fit either an AFMU or hull repair limpets, I'd go with the limpets.

Engineering your DSS for either fast scan or long-range scan is worth doing, providing the additional mass isn't too much of a factor.

Fit the largest fuel scoop you can. I know I've already said this but it bears repeating

Black Holes are nice but not worth much, sadly. Neutron stars are worth more. Earth-likes, Water Worlds, Ammonia Worlds and anything terraformable are the richer targets to scan.


Finally - have fun. Seriously. Exploration can be very therapeutic, in a sort of extended 'gone fishing' kind of way. Oh, and take lots of pictures of {ship} in front of things - it's traditional.

Have I mentioned the fuel scoop...?

 

[BarFly]

Hello,

Finally - have fun. Seriously. Exploration can be very therapeutic, in a sort of extended 'gone fishing' kind of way. Oh, and take lots of pictures of {ship} in front of things - it's traditional.

You hit the nail, oh yes it can be something really relaxing.
My last voyage was also done in a Python with about 26Ly jump range. It went to Colonia for the mining CG, then i thought: Out here i can also visit SagA and at SagA i thought about stretching the route out to the East and went home in a big bow. Somewhere out there i found a System with 4 Ammonia worlds, which is noticed her as a POI (Explorerpart of the forum) and i'm told, that is a record for Ammonia worlds in one System.

Coming back home i was Elite of course (I had been Pioneer).
Whatever your plans are - keep in mind, the farther you go out, the longer you need to get back into the bubble. Sometimes people are far far away and recognise they are no explorers

Have I mentioned the fuel scoop...?

As far as i know - no
[smile]
May i suggest: Fit the largest fuel scoop you can. Do not skimp on this.*
And also do yourself the favour and pimp the DSS.
I prefer the Long Range type, because you scan from far outside the gravity of the planets. Makes it easier to fly to and off the planets.

*Sorry couldn't resist :x

 

[Shiro Akai]

Doing traditional way - all the above.
Doing it the fast way:
(whispers in the ear)

Spoiler

Google: Road.to.Riches

 

[A D]

Matter of taste. My flavour is the AspX - D rate except for the FSD, include a AFM and the biggest A rated fuel scoop you can fit = great jump range and re-fuel as you fly past the star. However, the reason I really like the ship for exploring is the bubble canopy. A real joy being able to look down at the surface when skimming planets.

Big caveat though. What do you do with a D rated AspX once you get to Colonia?

 

[Kaybe]

Currently, the champ of long range exploration is the Diamondback Explorer due it's recent internals and weight reduction buffs. You won't be able to equip hull repair limpets or a cargo bay, but you also don't really need them either. Plus it runs very cool which is great since heat is the number one killer when exploring. Mine is currently sitting at something like a 53LY jump range. Also, since the change to how stars are plotted, you'll easily scoop from every star you come across since the next jump is on the other side of it.

As others have mentioned, there are two massive neutron star fields (aka stellar graveyards) near Colonia, and those are good money makers.

 

[Gun Star]

Doing traditional way - all the above.
Doing it the fast way:
(whispers in the ear)

Spoiler

Google: Road.to.Riches

I was going to mention that. I got to Ranger the traditional way. Where I'm at now through only doing 100 items of the other way.

 

[mbar]

Do exploration missions like site seeing adventurers or data collection. Both of which are in the passenger mission section. Honk as you go. Kill two birds by turning in scan data and completing the mission. The money made from all of that counts toward your exploration rank.

 

[danteuk]

I created a new account worked up to get an ASP Ex - engineered to about 48ly jump range then went to Sag A via Colonia and back via the conflux. I'm on Pioneer now - by the time I get back to the bubble I'm hoping to reach elite.

On my primary account I did Colonia and back in an unengineered ASP Ex before buff to exploration prices - so that account is still only Pioneer - but I'm elite in Trade now on that one.

 

[IndigoWyrd]

They say real explorers do it in the Asp.

I say they've never been in a Dolphin.

https://coriolis.edcd.io/outfit/dol...XAYAmLHNzmwAAAA=.EweloBhAOEoUwIYHMA28QgIwV0A=

Small, smooth, sleek, doesn't sound like flatulence, has everything an Explorer might need, and you can take someone with you to Explore in lavish luxury - or sub in a cargo rack and collect all those lost data caches. It's really tough to beat a good Dolphin explorer.

 

[Watcher]

As others have said you can explore in pretty much any ship, still I think it pays to have enough module space to bring along things you need or might need.

I conducted my earliest trips out in a Cobra MkIII but the step up to the AspX was definitely worth it for the extra jump range and module capacity - you don't really need to do the engineering either, you can of course, it'll help, but if you just want to get going then no need.

I'm currently out in an Anaconda. The even greater number of module and utility slots is handy but it is also less manoeuvrable - I'm finding that a reasonable compromise, you might not.

 

[CMDR Zadian Lichtfrost]

They say real explorers do it in the Asp.

I say they've never been in a Dolphin.
…

Amateurs.
Real explorers use Federal Dropships or Corvettes - with military armor and heavy weight mods

(Dolphin is a nice ship, too bad it doesn't like planetary flight. Orca is nice too, and the Beluga. Ships for those who like luxury and don't care about the stuff peasants care about)