Newcomer / Intro Expanding "explored space" how is that actually working.

p.opus

p.opus
Ok, so I've heard that E:D models the milky way galaxy with it's approximately 100 billion stars.

Obviously some programmer or even programming team did not individually map each star. simple math states that even if you plotted one star per second continuously, it would take 3100 plus years to plot each one, so I think it's fair to say that Elite Dangerous hasn't been in development for 3 millennia so, exactly how does this work.

It appears that we have about 25K star systems in game right now, and there are actually folks at the edge of space exploring new systems. Does someone just go out into the fringe with a fuel scoop and scanners and scan the sky for a bright spot and hope you find a star within your jump range?

I mean for the rest of us, we have our maps, but out on the edge of known space, you're at the proverbial end of the road.

I guess you just go down one path and once you reach a place that has nothing you backtrack and go down another path.

Are you able to name your stars? We obviously are not using existing NASA designations because last time I checked there is no such star system as Lave, Leesti, or Vulcan (outside of fiction of course).

Any explorers want to tell me what it's like going "into the black". It seems rather thrilling and a bit intimidating to be out that far...

Thanks in advance.
 

CMDR Nightjar

C
A LOT of the 400 billion are generated. Many in inhabited space are hand crafted (and named) by FD. The Galaxy map holds all of these (generated and crafted), and allows you to plot routes which your ship can traverse, based on jump-range/mass etc. Players cannot name systems, but they can get their name attributed to a 'first discovery'. Generated names are taken from a standard naming convention - I don't recall how this is done, but I don't think it's NASA-based :)
Explorers 'just' go off into the dark - usually with a bit of planning, but that's up to them. Plenty of threads/docs on how to be an explorer.
 

willowfan

willowfan
The "plan" generally being "I'll head thataway" <waves hand in a generally thataway direction>

At least that's how I do it ;)
 

Dommarraa

Dommarraa
I normally head off with a destination in mind, and wander generally in the right direction.
First time out a few Nebulae, they are pretty
Next time Sag A*, every explorer has to do it
Next a few more Nebulae
Last time out, I had heard of a place with hundreds of Black Holes and Neutron Stars. Nothing specific, but a few posts pointed me in the general direction. Headed off 15,000ly and found it.
Only stayed a few days (BHs are really dull after you have scanned a few hundred), then made the 15,000ly trip back. Made 37mil Credits. Not a brilliant return, I was a little disappointed, but decent.

As long as you pay attention, and turn back before your ship gets too badly damaged, it isnt actually very dangerous. There is a LOT of Honk, Scoop, Jump so it isnt everyones cup of Bovril.
 

p.opus

p.opus
Great answers, all of you, but I guess my question is, once someone finds a truly new system in game, does it update the galaxy map so that now it's on everyone's galaxy map since we are all in the same big sandbox? Or do systems appear on the map only after they have become "inhabited".

From what I understand once you get to the fringe, you have to use your scanner to target a nearby system and that creates a jump course. I imagine since Sag A has already been plotted, we can simply follow that path? Or do we have to rediscover.....

Thanks again for the responses.
 

Dommarraa

Dommarraa
It isnt clear exactly what info becomes public knowledge, but it seems to be only very popular systems. So user data does not become available. If you want to see if/who discovered it, you have to go there.

You can go to ANY system in the galaxy regardless of its discovery, they are all already visible on the Galaxy Map. Only your jump range limits you.
 

Evyl Minkey

E
All systems, or at least the fact they exist, are already in the galaxy map. When you jump in they look empty apart from the main star. The scanners then tell you what else is there. This is the same for everyone so if I "discover" a system no one has been to before I will be able to see everything there but you wont. That way you can discover I and sell the data later.
 

willowfan

willowfan
Just found my first Earth-like <does happy dance> :)

The system also had a candidate for terraforming too.

Now just wondering how long it will take me to get back to Tsu from my current location to hand in my discoveries for the CG.
 

Evyl Minkey

E
willowfan said:
Just found my first Earth-like <does happy dance> :)

The system also had a candidate for terraforming too.

Now just wondering how long it will take me to get back to Tsu from my current location to hand in my discoveries for the CG.
Click to expand...

Can you wait a few weeks? It sounds like the system I discovered yesterday and I'm not going back yet. I'd hate to get home and find you got first discovered before me ;)
 

p.opus

p.opus
Dommarraa said:
I normally head off with a destination in mind, and wander generally in the right direction.
First time out a few Nebulae, they are pretty
Next time Sag A*, every explorer has to do it
Next a few more Nebulae
Last time out, I had heard of a place with hundreds of Black Holes and Neutron Stars. Nothing specific, but a few posts pointed me in the general direction. Headed off 15,000ly and found it.
Only stayed a few days (BHs are really dull after you have scanned a few hundred), then made the 15,000ly trip back. Made 37mil Credits. Not a brilliant return, I was a little disappointed, but decent.

As long as you pay attention, and turn back before your ship gets too badly damaged, it isnt actually very dangerous. There is a LOT of Honk, Scoop, Jump so it isnt everyones cup of Bovril.
Click to expand...

Sag A: 28K LY. That's only about 3000 jumps. Walk in the park.......
 

Rubblemaker

R
I'd had my eye on the huge cluster of stars shot through the Orion Nebula since I first looked at the galaxy map in detail. Got there via the Pleaides after a few weeks of bounty hunting to afford exploring upgrades for my cobra and it was truly unremarkable. Found not a single undiscovered system there, or on my way out (guess this is a popular destination) but on the way back however, have found loads, one with 3 water worlds in (but no earth likes yet sadly).

So are we saying that once you get back and sell your data, if you then punch in your discovered systems on the galaxy map (I've been noting their names down) and look at the system map for each one you won't see your name unless you actually go there and then bring up the map? That will be a bit of a bummer. I was hoping to add screenshots of each system map with my name on it to this expeditions photo album. This makes me do an unhappy face. Like this. :(
 

Evyl Minkey

E
Rubblemaker - Once you sell the data, if you look at that system from anywhere it will show you as first discovered by. You don't have to travel into the system again (if that is what you mean).
 

willowfan

willowfan
No, you can look at any system in the galaxy map and it will show the "first discovered by" tags. You don't have to be in the system itself.

@Evyl Minkey - Race Ya! ;)
 

withnail7

withnail7
Rubblemaker said:
I was hoping to add screenshots of each system map with my name on it to this expeditions photo album.
Click to expand...

When you sell the scanned data to Universal Cartographics, having the "Discovered by" tags appearing is great.
If you have FRAPS or similar loaded up when you start selling, you can hit your savescreen button of choice, & you then have a memento of the sale & bonuses to add to your photo album too.
 

HarlequiNQB

HarlequiNQB
withnail7 said:
When you sell the scanned data to Universal Cartographics, having the "Discovered by" tags appearing is great.
If you have FRAPS or similar loaded up when you start selling, you can hit your savescreen button of choice, & you then have a memento of the sale & bonuses to add to your photo album too.
Click to expand...

Or if no FRAPS you can just hit F10, which is the built in screencap function.
 

Fen Harel

Fen Harel
p.opus said:
Any explorers want to tell me what it's like going "into the black". It seems rather thrilling and a bit intimidating to be out that far...

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

Currently I'm about 11,000 ly out in the Perseus Arm, and the plan is to stay out here for the rest of the month. I'm debating whether to keep following the curve of the arm spinward, or turn out and head to the Rim. I've been at the Rim once before - of course, where the Rim is depends on your jump drive.

Way out there on the Rim, its weird to see nothing on your navigation panel but the star in front of you. There simply weren't any other systems within 20 ly to show up. It is darker out there. And at least where I was, the Galaxy was dimmed by the dust clouds in the arms. My ASP has a jump range of 33 ly, so others have gone out even farther. But even where I was, its spooky out there. I does seem colder and more alone.

When I first started to explore I was really nervous about getting out of range of the stations. If I screwed up the fuel scoop I was doomed! That didn't happen - though I have had a couple of close calls. As you get more used to it, for me anyway, the danger is more complacency. When I scoop I point my ship down and short of hover under it, but if there is a secondary system really close, I will veer over. One of these days I am going to cut that corner too tightly and get pulled out of supercruise.

I like exploring. I've said this before, but exploration is not difficult. It can be tedious, and it can be exhilarating. But it is always unforgiving.

I don't know about other people, but, while there is always the chance of running into a patch of bad luck, I find the biggest danger is myself. If I get sloppy - just once - I'm going to be in very big trouble.
 

Sapient6

S
Fen Harel said:
Currently I'm about 11,000 ly out in the Perseus Arm, and the plan is to stay out here for the rest of the month. I'm debating whether to keep following the curve of the arm spinward, or turn out and head to the Rim. I've been at the Rim once before - of course, where the Rim is depends on your jump drive.

Way out there on the Rim, its weird to see nothing on your navigation panel but the star in front of you. There simply weren't any other systems within 20 ly to show up. It is darker out there. And at least where I was, the Galaxy was dimmed by the dust clouds in the arms. My ASP has a jump range of 33 ly, so others have gone out even farther. But even where I was, its spooky out there. I does seem colder and more alone.

When I first started to explore I was really nervous about getting out of range of the stations. If I screwed up the fuel scoop I was doomed! That didn't happen - though I have had a couple of close calls. As you get more used to it, for me anyway, the danger is more complacency. When I scoop I point my ship down and short of hover under it, but if there is a secondary system really close, I will veer over. One of these days I am going to cut that corner too tightly and get pulled out of supercruise.

I like exploring. I've said this before, but exploration is not difficult. It can be tedious, and it can be exhilarating. But it is always unforgiving.

I don't know about other people, but, while there is always the chance of running into a patch of bad luck, I find the biggest danger is myself. If I get sloppy - just once - I'm going to be in very big trouble.
Click to expand...

I like this post a bunch, and I agree with the sentiments.

At the moment I'm headed towards the core. I'm taking my time, and in a ship without an impressive jump range. Just logged off for the night and I'm a hair short of 10,000 LY out, so not even half way yet. I expect it to take me a couple more months round trip at least.
 
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