Exploration Advice Request!

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

Hey all, I've been messing about in ED for a while, but I've recently began to think seriously about exploring this vast galaxy!

Only, I could do with some pointers, on good "destinations" to head for, most likely Sag A, but any other good land(space)marks to see would be nice!
Also, ship setups would be nice, I currently own an Asp and Anaconda, I'll probably take the Annie out, as she doesn't get a great deal of use.
As for loadouts, I will be taking weapons, and medium shields, incase I meet resistance either enroute or on return. Plus shields are nice for the dodgey landings I tend to do. Lol
I know I need an Advanced Discovery scanner, and detailed surface scanner. Plus a decent fuel scoop.
I'll also take a few banks of heat sinks, incase I get wedged between 2+ stars(again), and an AMF and vehicle hanger, and cargo space.
For weapons, I'll just take some gimballed/turrets pulse lasers. Nothing serious. Maybe some PDs/chaff. For the main modules, I'll go with the D rated everything bar FSD. And the smallest A rated power plant that can run my modules.
I have plenty of cash reserves for refit, and rebuys, so no issue there, not that I plan to pancake my Anaconda (also called Pancake) repeatedly!

And finally, scanning objects, is there anything I need to know? Some seem to scan faster than others, and I'm guessing size effects scanning distance.
Also, how do I tell if I'm the first to discover something?

Thanks in advance for your help!

I shall be departing from Galileo Station, Sol, sometime this week. Seems fitting somehow! I have no idea how long my trip will last. Either until I get bored, or crash.

 

[MagicTofu]

Regarding loadout, what you already pack seems sensible enough, though I wouldn't be too confident in how a medium shield would react to very rough landings in an Anaconda.

Just in case you don't already know, you could pack 2 AFM so that they could repair each other, however this would only become useful if you are very careless and take a lot of module damage, so that is most likely not a requirement.

The time it takes to scan an object can always be reduced by getting closer to it, as you mentioned it does depend a lot on the object's mass.

To check if you're the first to discover a body, check the system map, select the body in question and look for the 'first discovered by' tag (check for it in inhabited systems to see what it looks like). If it doesn't show, it either means you're the first to scan it, or the guy that scanned it before you has not sold his exploration data yet.

 

[shab00ka]

Seems like you've got the loadout pretty well taken care of. I would sacrifice a little jump range and outfit a strong shield, just in case.

Only other thing I can say is that I wouldn't explore to the point of boredom. Go after some local nebulae first, see how you like exploration, and get back before the boredom. If you get to Sag A*, scan it, and are bored beyond exploring any more, it's going to make the return trip torture.

Good luck CMDR, glad you caught the bug

 

[OfftheRails]

good "destinations" to head for, most likely Sag A, but any other good land(space)marks to see would be nice!

Pick a direction and go there. You'll find something interesting along the way, guaranteed. Ever seen Barnard's Loop up close? Ever seen a hypergiant?

I know I need an Advanced Discovery scanner, and detailed surface scanner. Plus a decent fuel scoop.

And not much else. The SRVs will be nice, but you'll run out of fuel pretty fast unless you've got a lot of materials. An AFM to fix the canopy is never a bad idea. I like extra fuel tanks; scooping less often means you move faster and you don't have to worry when you're crossing a field of unscoopables. Heatsinks on as many utility mounts as you can manage. Weapons are pointless beyond 1kly; you simply won't bump into anybody you can use them

And finally, scanning objects, is there anything I need to know? Some seem to scan faster than others, and I'm guessing size effects scanning distance.

Anywhere between 15-35 seconds to scan, depending on size and distance. Make sure the DSS is powered and you'll get double the reward. Asteroid clusters are worthless; might as well filter them out on the Nav panel.

Also, how do I tell if I'm the first to discover something?

It won't have anyone else's name on it.

 

[goemon]

Hey all, I've been messing about in ED for a while, but I've recently began to think seriously about exploring this vast galaxy!

Only, I could do with some pointers, on good "destinations" to head for, most likely Sag A, but any other good land(space)marks to see would be nice!
Also, ship setups would be nice, I currently own an Asp and Anaconda, I'll probably take the Annie out, as she doesn't get a great deal of use.
As for loadouts, I will be taking weapons, and medium shields, incase I meet resistance either enroute or on return. Plus shields are nice for the dodgey landings I tend to do. Lol
I know I need an Advanced Discovery scanner, and detailed surface scanner. Plus a decent fuel scoop.
I'll also take a few banks of heat sinks, incase I get wedged between 2+ stars(again), and an AMF and vehicle hanger, and cargo space.
For weapons, I'll just take some gimballed/turrets pulse lasers. Nothing serious. Maybe some PDs/chaff. For the main modules, I'll go with the D rated everything bar FSD. And the smallest A rated power plant that can run my modules.
I have plenty of cash reserves for refit, and rebuys, so no issue there, not that I plan to pancake my Anaconda (also called Pancake) repeatedly!

And finally, scanning objects, is there anything I need to know? Some seem to scan faster than others, and I'm guessing size effects scanning distance.
Also, how do I tell if I'm the first to discover something?

Thanks in advance for your help!

I shall be departing from Galileo Station, Sol, sometime this week. Seems fitting somehow! I have no idea how long my trip will last. Either until I get bored, or crash.

hey

first of all: i'd suggest doing a short exploration tour, to get some experience with exploring, before setting out to sag a*.

you will find out, whether you like it at all, and, more important, you can reoutfit your ship for your style/way of exploring afterwards.

there are two "destinations" i can highly recommend and less common then "barnards loop": go to the eskimo nebula. from all the nebulas closer to the bubble, this is the most impressing one from the inside. or go to the veill nebula, from all nebulas closer to the bubble, this is the most beautifull one from the outside. both tours can be made in a few hours ingame.

___

check out the sticky in the exploration subforum for guides/lists/tools...: https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=139049 - most questions will be answered.

a great thread on outfitting for exploration is this one: https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=219633

___

scan distance and speed depend on distance and body mass - as closer you are, and as bigger the mass, the faster you'll scan it. a good guesstimate is to go to half of the distance you can start scanning, because getting to close will slow you down... in case you want to scan another body, and in case you don't want to slow down.

___

i have flown an explonda myself, amazing ship, but a little bit more complicated for exploring then an AspE, because supercruise-turnrate and canopy view for landing. but that floating feeling and the better jumprange is worth it!

 

[crushdepth]

Leave the guns at home, you won't need them. To reduce risk of getting mugged on your return stop at one of the stations outside the bubble (eg. Quince) and refit your guns there before entering inhabited space. Also, come back in solo.

Smallest shield (class 3?) is a good idea, but one heat sink launcher is enough.


Practice your planetary landings before you go - I totalled my anaconda on my first trip being careless!



Good luck!

 

[Torquemada]

This might be a little against conventional wisdom, but I'd recommend the Asp over the Anaconda, unless you want to go to places like Beagle Point where jump range is very important. The reason I say this is that, while the Anaconda's increased jump range is nice, it moves like an absolute brick in SC, which after a while sets off my space madness something awful. Your mileage may vary, of course, but it's something to bear in mind, since you'll be spending a long time in SC.

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

Thanks for all your advice!

I have a single thread I can easily refer too now should I need it!

My main choice for the Annie over the asp, is partly, because I love my Annie.
But mainly due to my Asps terrible heat management while refueling. My Anaconda isn't great, but it's much nicer than having to duck in and out of the same star.

I've been practicing landing quite a bit in my fleet of ships, I'm OK at it, I rarely breach shields now. Lol

I've also visited the Pleiades nebula, and that looked nice from the inside. So I may stop by some other nebulas on the way out or back.

I'll probably not bother with weapons then, I can always submit and high wake if needed anyway.

 

[goemon]

Thanks for all your advice!

I have a single thread I can easily refer too now should I need it!

My main choice for the Annie over the asp, is partly, because I love my Annie.
But mainly due to my Asps terrible heat management while refueling. My Anaconda isn't great, but it's much nicer than having to duck in and out of the same star.

I've been practicing landing quite a bit in my fleet of ships, I'm OK at it, I rarely breach shields now. Lol

I've also visited the Pleiades nebula, and that looked nice from the inside. So I may stop by some other nebulas on the way out or back.

I'll probably not bother with weapons then, I can always submit and high wake if needed anyway.

fit a class 6 fuelscoop and a 2A or 3A powerplant on your Asp, and you shouldn't have any heat-problems scooping. same goes for an Annie with a 2A/3A/4A powerplant and a class 7 fuelscoop. and turn off all moduls not needed while exploring, for exampel power distributor, shieldgenerator, cargo hatch... all of this reduces heating.

 

[Mysturji]

Your outfitting logic is sound. "First discovered by" has been answered.
Nebulas and star clusters are cool to explore. There are also several Neutron fields not far (relatively speaking) from the core, where you can find lots of Neutron stars and quite a few black holes (search the forum for for "Neutron field". There's a thread explaining where they are).

When exploring, unless I'm joining an expedition (like now - Distant Worlds), I generally pick either a destination or a direction, and just keep going until I get there or find something interesting, then switch to economical routes and wander around looking at the shiny and scanning stuff, occasionally landing.

The size of an object determines how close you need to be to scan it. The closer you are, the faster the scan will complete.
Heat sinks are like umbrellas: You may not need it, but when you do, you'll be glad you have it. I carry 2 when exploring.
Since you're taking the 'Conda, bring some spare SRVs. Sometimes they tend to explode for no apparent reason.

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... But mainly due to my Asps terrible heat management while refueling...

I have no heat issues in my Asp while scooping.
http://coriolis.io/outfit/asp/03A4D...JJA===.IwBhCYVMdsGZQBYliA==?bn=Long-range Asp

 

[Kzasch]

Those with heat issues use D-rated power plants most likely, I've never had any issue either.

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

Ahhhh, I still have a D rated Power Plant on my asp from smuggling.

I'll still take my Anaconda out this time, I've hardly flown her since I brought her on Pancake day. Lol (hence the name)
Mostly just on trade runs.
If I get space madness too quickly from the brick like handling, I'll return home for my asp.

Neutron stars sound cool. I'm not sure if I've seen one yet, I haven't explored hardly at all, and most of my Exploration rank comes from just honking and jumping while smuggling or travelling.
Sometimes I'll scan an unexplored (by me) system if I'm in it, waiting for a mission contact to spawn or something.
Still not seen a black hole yet.
I may have to head off to the nearest neutron star field!

My plan was to leave Sol today, but in my haste to equip my Anaconda on my lunch, I forgot you can't installed a vehicle bay from 1.5! Lol
(Was using my laptop, and wanted to avoid the 5- 15 minute compute shaders!)
And my girlfriend has managed to get all the same days off as me forever now. So I can only play before work on Wednesday and Friday now :-(
So my voyage is postponed until Wednesday morning! Bah!

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

Well, good news is I had a few hours spare time at work, sorted out my Anaconda, and departed from Galileo, Sol earlier today!
My current destination, is the Witch Head Nebula, roughly 900ly away.

I'm assuming you cant plot a course beyond 1000ly because I couldn't plot a course directly to Barnard's Loop Nebula.

I only had about an hour to play, so I didn't bother stopping to scan anything yet, and I'm about 600ly from Sol.

Once I've check out Witch Head, I'm going directly to Orions Nebula to check out the very dense line of stars I spotted!

Then from there, I'll head to Barnard's Loop.
After that, I'll probably either return home, or find a new destination, and keep going!

Once I'm on my main , much faster pc and connection, I'll switch to open, and hopefully spot some other CMDRs out there!

 

[Captain Willard]

I read where you advised carrying light shields on an Annie for landing, especially on hi G worlds. I am going to add a hangar and srv next time I take my Asp out for a spin. My question is, does my Asp need to carry shields for landing? any other advice? Thx in advance. Now I can go figure out how to refuel the srv, what materials and how to carry them.

 

[Scal]

I read where you advised carrying light shields on an Annie for landing, especially on hi G worlds. I am going to add a hangar and srv next time I take my Asp out for a spin. My question is, does my Asp need to carry shields for landing? any other advice? Thx in advance. Now I can go figure out how to refuel the srv, what materials and how to carry them.

If you are planning on landing, and you need to ask if you need shields, bring shields. It is possible to land without them, but bloody hard and takes ages and lots of practice. Much easier and quicker with a light shield.