engineers for exploration
- Thread starter osser
- Start date
there is this old list: https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showt...ngineer-Modifications-for-Exploration-Vessels
.... which is missing lightweight life support, lightweight sensors, lightweight heatsinks, lightweight plasma slug railguns, and fast or longrange DSS on it.
.... which is missing lightweight life support, lightweight sensors, lightweight heatsinks, lightweight plasma slug railguns, and fast or longrange DSS on it.
The long range Detailed Surface Scanner blueprint is a great recent addition for explorers: http://inara.cz/galaxy-blueprint/165/
See also HazardousMatt's Engineering Guide to Exploration: https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php/340621-Engineering-Guide-to-Exploration
![[VR] optimal_909](https://forums-cdn.zaonce.net/data/avatars/m/109/109067.jpg?1553781733){kind=avatar}
I think the fast scanning is far more useful.
Personally I prefer the long range scanner. With a G5 upgrade it can scan things in 3 times as far away. Often there's many bodies you can scan straight away upon entering a system, without having to travel. For HMC terraform candidates/Water worlds/ELWs you can be a good 200+LS away, saving on travelling time.
[EDIT] Plus LR keeps you further away from the gravity well of the planet, so you can keep your SC speed high and not waste time climbing out of the well.
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I actually don't find it really speed anything up. I'm actually disappointed it the G5 fast scanner...
I think it depends on what kind of ship you are flying and your habits in scanning. I'm flying an Anaconda which is difficult to turn in SC and I tend to scan everything. Being able to scan from a distance while avoiding very slow turn rate while at the minimum SC speed is more useful than scanning fast. That would not necessarily be true for a different ship or different conditions.
Depending on the ship, the lightweight sensors is very useful. I managed to drop the 64T sensors on my Annie, to 19T with a G4 modification. It could go further down with a G5 but I didn't have the mats.
I used enhanced low power shields G4 to shave off some mass and similarly for the clean drive thrusters. Not much but every little helps.
The lightweight life support is also useful but I didn't have it available. Even without it my ship reached 63.5 Ly range with a 53.8 optimal range FSD mod and I'm very happy with it.
Here's my current exploration ship build. Look at the engineered items to get an idea of what is useful...
https://eddp.co/u/qwyUecty
https://eddp.co/u/qwyUecty
I like this. I was going to go with a G3 fast scanner for my asp ex. But now i might have to switch that up to the G5 long range. avoiding well's sounds better to me.