Exploration Data Black Box

[wetwire]

So many explorers play in private or solo mode for fear of losing many days worth of game play in one accident, or being destroyed by another ship.

As more of an intensive for explorers to play in Open I propose the following.

I suggest adding a Black Box that CMDR's can interact with. A limited data storage device integrated into the sensors that allows CMDR's to upload data they have collected. This box is secure and will show on the rebuy screen should something happen. The data limit of the Black Box should be determined by the size/grade of the sensors and something that an engineer can modify.

Once the Black box is full any data collected after is not insured and subject to being lost should the CMDR lose his ship.

Optional suggestion, Have any data not secured in the black box be noted as "unsecured" meaning a pirate can use a recon limpet to steal some of that data like a hatch breaker limpet does for cargo. Which gives more incentive to not destroy the target.

In addition missions to deliver data or similar could use the Black Box system, decided by the CMDR. So when NPC's enemies spawn during the courier mission they will scan the CMDR, if the data they want is in the black box they will try to destroy the ship to recover it, otherwise if its "unsecured" they will use the recon limpet to steal it. This gives the CMDR a choice, risk losing the data to avoid combat, or risk the ship to secure the data. Likewise some data delivery missions may required more space then a CMDR's current black box limit. Giving more reasons to invest in larger sensors.

 

[Lestat]

So many explorers play in private or solo mode for fear of losing many days worth of game play in one accident, or being destroyed by another ship.

Have you lost a ship while exploring and how did it happen?

As more of an intensive for explorers to play in Open I propose the following.

You can play in the open while exploration. It best to stay away from the most direct route. You can also ask for assistance on the exploration come back into the bubble. Or go into Solo mode.

I suggest adding a Black Box that CMDR's can interact with. A limited data storage device integrated into the sensors that allows CMDR's to upload data they have collected. This box is secure and will show on the rebuy screen should something happen. The data limit of the Black Box should be determined by the size/grade of the sensors and something that an engineer can modify.

Once the Black box is full any data collected after is not insured and subject to being lost should the CMDR lose his ship.

So in a sense give them an I win button to getting back to the bubble. I have to say NO. Exploration already too easy.

Optional suggestion, Have any data not secured in the black box be noted as "unsecured" meaning a pirate can use a recon limpet to steal some of that data like a hatch breaker limpet does for cargo. Which gives more incentive to not destroy the target.

Sounds like a cool idea. But let not be accessed by Players to player. Because it could be used as a means of trading credits.

In addition missions to deliver data or similar could use the Black Box system, decided by the CMDR. So when NPC's enemies spawn during the courier mission they will scan the CMDR, if the data they want is in the black box they will try to destroy the ship to recover it, otherwise if its "unsecured" they will use the recon limpet to steal it. This gives the CMDR a choice, risk losing the data to avoid combat, or risk the ship to secure the data. Likewise some data delivery missions may required more space then a CMDR's current black box limit. Giving more reasons to invest in larger sensors.

It still No on the black box. I am also not sure how people would like to be blown up by NPC.

 

[wetwire]

Most of the idea comes from those explorers who spend weeks out in the black and upon return to the bubble they have one option. fly in solo or private. in open they risk being gunned down by players. The suggestion was an idea to let explorers store the most valuable data without having to switch modes.
If we play in the bubble doing trade or mining and get killed by a player or npc what do we lose when you compared it to a week worth of exploration data?
Sometimes its about the credits, but reality its more about losing all that time invested in the game. Explorers loose days, Traders / miners etc lose maybe a few hours.

 

[Lestat]

Most of the idea comes from those explorers who spend weeks out in the black and upon return to the bubble they have one option. fly in solo or private. in open they risk being gunned down by players. The suggestion was an idea to let explorers store the most valuable data without having to switch modes.

See that a minor issue. Log off to the main menu and log onto Solo or private. I rather have frontier work on game breaking updates than something minor like this.

If we play in the bubble doing trade or mining and get killed by a player or npc what do we lose when you compared it to a week worth of exploration data?

See you need to know your limit. If you feel you been out to long and have too many credits. Then you need to make that choice. keep going or go home. Just like other types of gameplay. This game is not about hand holding it about players making some common sense decisions.

Sometimes its about the credits, but reality its more about losing all that time invested in the game. Explorers loose days, Traders / miners etc lose maybe a few hours.

You know On my first Exploration mission. I started right after Horizon started so I had the SRV and such. On a badly built Anaconda with 17 LY jump range. I have flown in the deep until 3.2 came out. That a long time. The only thing I had to worry about was my own stupidity.

 

[Para Handy]

Exploration Data Black Box .......

Not the first time this has come up and it won't be the last time either...

 

[BinakAlgo]

The problem is that the main beneficiaries of this system are going to be the PvPers that gun down weak, unprepared exploration ships. They do it for the fun of an easy quick and causing discomfort and distress to other players, now with a Black Box, they will also get easy almost-free money.

 

[VR CMDR Novindus]

Hmmm. How about a black box that's encrypted, so is thereby useless to other players?
If your ship is destroyed, the black box survives the wreckage in an encrypted state for a limited time (say a week), and only you can recover it during that time.

It will emit a signal that you can pick up from the FSS, and you have to fly back to reclaim it.
Other players can't immediately make use of it (so wouldn't be able to even pick it up), so explorers won't be easily targeted for their data.

After a week (or whatever period is decided), the encryption will expire, and so the black box will become available to other players who might stumble upon it while exploring and scanning systems themselves.

The reasoning here being that while an explorer's rights to their findings are important, the benefit of the galactic community from knowledge pertaining to the surrounding galaxy is also important, so the encryption deliberately lasts for a limited period allowing the explorer to reclaim it, but then becomes open source so that data is not lost.