Elite Noob Explorer

[Mav359]

Hey Guys

So i have two accounts, my Bubble account is live now for 18months (15W2D19H34Min)

Up until 4 weeks ago i was at 29% Pioneer with 53m on the Exploration board but with the exception of a 9 day run to SAG A and back i hadn't really done much exploring, now i love the idea of exploring but had always felt that i'd be shipping off to the black and would miss anything new that comes with the updates so before 2.4 dropped i created a new Colonia Account built a fleet, unlocked the engineers, did my engineering and shipped the fleet to Colonia.

However before i launch the xAnaconda i have built into the black i couldn't leave the Bubble Account just sitting at 29% so i did a 3 week trip staying south of Colonia stopping there to drop of data only to return to Shinrata and drop of the return data bringing me up to Elite as i intended, found a few ELW a truck load of water world and MCW and was happy with what i was doing.

I just had a look at the Earth Like Worlds thread and realized that i'm not really exploring not properly anyway, the data you guys are collecting, pictures and the such is far more detailed then i had even thought about. I was going to add my ELW to it but frankly it would only be there locations

so i was hoping for suggestions, your thinking and methodology and the things i should be thinking about and looking for? I'd really appreciate any suggestions so i can contribute to this part of the forum properly

this is my conda build, Now i'm happy with it, the fighter is there for me to simply have a play in around rings and planet surfaces
https://eddp.co/u/hTMCR9V4

Cheers

 

[Shinji Ikari]

Hey Guys

So i have two accounts, my Bubble account is live now for 18months (15W2D19H34Min)

Up until 4 weeks ago i was at 29% Pioneer with 53m on the Exploration board but with the exception of a 9 day run to SAG A and back i hadn't really done much exploring, now i love the idea of exploring but had always felt that i'd be shipping off to the black and would miss anything new that comes with the updates so before 2.4 dropped i created a new Colonia Account built a fleet, unlocked the engineers, did my engineering and shipped the fleet to Colonia.

However before i launch the xAnaconda i have built into the black i couldn't leave the Bubble Account just sitting at 29% so i did a 3 week trip staying south of Colonia stopping there to drop of data only to return to Shinrata and drop of the return data bringing me up to Elite as i intended, found a few ELW a truck load of water world and MCW and was happy with what i was doing.

I just had a look at the Earth Like Worlds thread and realized that i'm not really exploring not properly anyway, the data you guys are collecting, pictures and the such is far more detailed then i had even thought about. I was going to add my ELW to it but frankly it would only be there locations

so i was hoping for suggestions, your thinking and methodology and the things i should be thinking about and looking for? I'd really appreciate any suggestions so i can contribute to this part of the forum properly

this is my conda build, Now i'm happy with it, the fighter is there for me to simply have a play in around rings and planet surfaces
https://eddp.co/u/hTMCR9V4

Cheers

Maybe post a useful route to some interesting places? Contribute to the build theory in exploration ships. Don’t know, maybe check out some other threads to get some good ideas.

 

[Major Klutz]

I have a few suggestions on your build, with the caveat that these suggestions won't make a lot of difference so it's up to you.

IMO, too many heat sinks. Doubtful you would need that many. Since you can synthesize heat sink refills now, you can stock up on the synth mats and save a little weight.
A 5A power plant is better than a 6D. A rated plants run cooler. Taking more power than you need is just extra weight and extra heat
No need to leave the AFM powered on all the time. Minimizing power use lets the ship running cooler which can save you from needing those heat sinks.
https://eddp.co/u/aD1jyLdp
There are of course some additional engineering mods you could do to reduce weight and improve jump range. This is my build for example https://eddp.co/u/GiY2mTX9 / https://eddp.co/u/j6zKrtSa

As for exploring, there's no proper way to do it.

My technique, when I'm not in a hurry, is to jump into a system at zero throttle, point toward the main star and start scanning it while completing the ADS honk.
Then take a look at the system map. After a while you can identify ELWs, AWs, WW by looking. Don't forget to check for ELWs as moons around gas giants.

Apart from those, I mainly look for anything interesting or unusual.
Many explorers have different things they are looking for such as helium rich gas giants, gas giants with life, strange orbits such as exceptionally close moons or planets orbiting very close to their star.
I'm personally looking for high gravity landables and planets with fast rotational periods.

If it's a boring system with nothing but gas giants and ice balls, I fuel scoop and jump to the next system.
If I see something interesting, I go scan it. If it's landable I take a closer look for any interesting surface features.
If there's something particularly interesting, I'll usually go ahead and scan everything in the system or at least all the planets if not all of the moons.
Record breakers or something really unique will probably get screenshots and post in the forum. Maybe even a video.

I bookmark any ELWs I find and I take screenshots of any particularly pleasing views. https://hutchins1.imgur.com/

If I'm in a hurry, I jump in at zero throttle (always) and immediately throttle up to fuel scoop on my way around the star to make the next jump. After the ADS honk is complete I check the system map quickly while the FSD is charging for the next jump. If I see something in the system map interesting enough to slow down for, I'll cancel the FSD charge and go scan it. If not, let the FSD charge complete and align for the jump.

 

[iain666]

Things to look for? It's mostly the things that tickle our individual fancies - be that ELW, pretty coloured gas giants, deep canyons on icy moons or geyser and fumarole fields.

 

[Mav359]

cheers guys

Im also thinking in terms of reporting and recording, you seem to all be recording lots of data, ive been reading other post just to get a sense of the detail you were collecting.

Also the EDSM is it worth signing up to that, do you guys use it?

 

[Col Frost]

cheers guys

Im also thinking in terms of reporting and recording, you seem to all be recording lots of data, ive been reading other post just to get a sense of the detail you were collecting.

Also the EDSM is it worth signing up to that, do you guys use it?

I would recommend either EDDiscovery or Captains log for recording data.
You can also see which areas of the galaxy are not yet as explored as others (I use the 3D map in EDDiscovery)

 

[Satsuma]

Building on what Major Klutz said, there are a few other things that I'd personally do with your build: The repair limpet controller can be shaved down to a 1D - since you can synthesize limpets from iron and nickle, capacity doesn't really matter. Likewise, using one limpet at a time isn't a big deal, but you save almost 8 tons of mass. I've added a second AFMU (any size will do), which gives you the capability to have one AFMU repair the other. Lastly, I filled the empty slots with cargo racks. You'll almost certainly never use them, but you never know...

As far as exploration goes, I think most people who stick with it just follow their hearts. Jackie Silver wants to suss out the Stellar Forge and focuses on gathering lots of statistical data on the stars in various sectors. Qohen Leth loves dramatic looking systems and seeks them out. Erimus is putting together an expedition and goes searching for good routes and waypoints. My own interests waver, but I'm currently interested in looking for signs of Thargoids in deep space. Exploration more than anything else in this game is a sandbox, not a linear progression. There are far easier ways of making money in the game, and once you hit Elite you've exhausted the "what's my exploration score?" aspect of the game. Slow down, then, and focus on what interests you. Do that, and your journeys and write ups and screen shots will naturally become more compelling. Your interest in your subjects will show through, and draw other people to what you do.

 

[marx]

However before i launch the xAnaconda i have built into the black i couldn't leave the Bubble Account just sitting at 29% so i did a 3 week trip staying south of Colonia stopping there to drop of data only to return to Shinrata and drop of the return data bringing me up to Elite as i intended, found a few ELW a truck load of water world and MCW and was happy with what i was doing.

I just had a look at the Earth Like Worlds thread and realized that i'm not really exploring not properly anyway, the data you guys are collecting, pictures and the such is far more detailed then i had even thought about. I was going to add my ELW to it but frankly it would only be there locations

so i was hoping for suggestions, your thinking and methodology and the things i should be thinking about and looking for?

An excellent question. If you're simply uploading your data to EDSM - and preferably EGO as well, you can use EDDiscovery to automatically upload to both - then you're already helping quite a lot. Beyond that, there are multiple surveys, data gathering efforts going on, and the common thing between all of them is that they are looking at specific targets. A given area, given kinds of systems, and so on. People will be grateful if you help out any of them, with however small contributions - you don't have to spend weeks doing one specific thing.

Since you mentioned the ELW list, you can use EDJP to quickly parse your logs and get the relevant information from them, more than just the locations. You'll still need to make the screenshots manually yourself, but if you do contribute what you already have to the list, I'd be thankful for that. Who knows, it might even turn out that you found something that's more valuable than you first thought.

Beyond that, if you'd like, I could give you some specific examples of what would be good to look at. If you'd rather not do it solo, then there are Commanders already doing specific surveys, you could always ask if you could join them - I don't think anyone will turn a helping hand away. Joining an expedition is also another good idea, although it does require some more commitment.

 

[Col Frost]

An excellent question. If you're simply uploading your data to EDSM - and preferably EGO as well, you can use EDDiscovery to automatically upload to both - then you're already helping quite a lot. Beyond that, there are multiple surveys, data gathering efforts going on, and the common thing between all of them is that they are looking at specific targets. A given area, given kinds of systems, and so on. People will be grateful if you help out any of them, with however small contributions - you don't have to spend weeks doing one specific thing.

Since you mentioned the ELW list, you can use EDJP to quickly parse your logs and get the relevant information from them, more than just the locations. You'll still need to make the screenshots manually yourself, but if you do contribute what you already have to the list, I'd be thankful for that. Who knows, it might even turn out that you found something that's more valuable than you first thought.

Beyond that, if you'd like, I could give you some specific examples of what would be good to look at. If you'd rather not do it solo, then there are Commanders already doing specific surveys, you could always ask if you could join them - I don't think anyone will turn a helping hand away. Joining an expedition is also another good idea, although it does require some more commitment.

Actually EDJP also uploads screenshots to imgur and provides a link If you take a screenshot just after you scan. All you have to do is make a note of the star types and luminosity in the system (e.g. A9VB. M2 VAB), if you do this as you go along ( and paste the data into an excel document) you actually have it all ready to submit to Marx's list once you hand in the data

 

[Jackie Silver]

Jackie Silver wants to suss out the Stellar Forge and focuses on gathering lots of statistical data on the stars in various sectors.

Guilty as charged! and @OP if you'd like to help at all there's a few of us gathering data on the density of the galactic disk - details of exactly what we're looking at are on the last few posts of my RV Sonnenkreis thread.

It's usually a very slow process, with long periods of nothing much happening and then someone putting things together and we get a little breakthrough. We definitely have a lot better understanding now than we used to!

 

[osser]

captains log is a great tool, I've used it however I've had to use a workaround to make it work for me. (I have issues on logging in and it not syncing up at 1st) EDD is really good as it syncs with EDSM & EGO but I find it a bit overwhelming.
as a build spend time engineering FSD boost and light weight mods. don't worry about heat sinks. FD has dumbed done jump in's- I have only one in my build and I even light weighted it.
gather jumponium materials if you plan on really going deep. get the best fuel scoop your ship can equip. this is very important. A rate it.
as others have said theres no "rules" to exploring. open the galaxy map and find something interesting and plot a course. Scan as you like. despite what your hear exploration pays very well.
For example in my 3 day database in captains log for Dec 2017 I have 47 million credits. and that's not including 1st discovery bonus, I plan on stay out for 3 years this time.

exploring is a personal choice. its wide open.

Cheers

CMDR Tootiny

 

[Cpt Shadow Wolfe]

I also use Capts Log and ED Discovery. My Conda on my second account is on its way to Beagle. It only jumps 60 Lys, but it has all I need and maybe some stuff I don't need. I put a mining laser on it and 2 heat sinks, a fighter bay and srv bay, 2 3A AFMUs, a small repair controller, a 4D shield gen, 1 size D shield booster and a docking computer. Why the docking computer? Because I didn't need another cargo rack and I had an extra slot, and it weighs nothing, so why not? Most of the stuff is powered down until needed, but with the small power supply I have, I could run everything with a bit of power to spare, cept maybe the AFMUs. The ship aint' fast in normal space cause the PP and PD and Thrusters have all been downsized. The sensors and life support are D size, I could drop the fighter bay for and extra 2 Lys jump range, but sometimes its fun to scoot around in the fighter over the surface looking for geysers and stuff, the view is slightly better then the Conda.