Exploration - how would YOU fix it?

[Padaxes]

The probes idea is sound, I've seen it suggested a few times, I've suggested it myself.

I quite like the idea of having launchers for them, utility slot or hardpoint use for explorers. Maybe you have to seed a planet with micro satellites, more required the bigger the planet / speed up scan time.

And being able to manufacture them from planetary or mined materials.

It makes a nice game loop I think.

Once you've honked you can choose to fly in one direction, send a probes to other areas. Or send probes out across the solar system, then choose where to fly to make detailed scans and refine your searches.

Different signal strength from initial probes, different readings and margins or error to add in some luck / skill.

All finished off with a practical use and a reason for planetary visits, scan down the materials you need to create more probes.

 

[Trickylion]

. Find something living rather than abandoned bases or crashed ships.
. Bookmark coordinates on planets
. be able to carry materials and build bases in coop mode
. mats for heat sinks that can be mined whilst on a trip (need to be self sufficient whilst exploring)
. galmap search by explorers name to show your and others first discoveries (rep myself for that)
. more bookmarks
. more narrative like the FR zuara puzzle
. ummm

 

[MBaldelli]

IMO the DSS should detect major POIs and display them (as dots) on the planet in the HUD.

I keep forgetting to check the surface scans of landable planets because I usually look at Captain's log for the surface minerals and gravity. Most of the times I don't land or even look at the surface map for POIs because most things I'm not interested in. Oftentimes, I do run near orbits on those moons just to confirm the beigification is still going on.

Interesting planets should be land-able, especially atmospheric planets (ammonia/air/whatever) even if there is no life at all beyond moss/algae.

Wasn't it Heinlein or McDevitt that mentioned how plain Earthlike worlds can be without the right elements for sparking life on them? I seem to recall Heinlein talked about it on one planet Rico was on during a furlough that was surprisingly simple the life was on the planet. But I think Braben is pushing for more wow than No Man's Sky and forgets that it's not always so extravagant in the cosmos.

Yes to more impressive geology. The current "spurt & squirt" reminds me of p.o.r.n. VOLCANOES, people! With flowing lava, huge smoke plumes, etc.! Earthquakes! Dust-Devils! Dust STORMS!

Let me add my voice to this gripe. My astronomer friend finally got in contact with me. One of my gripes has been the inordinate amounts of L-class stars masquerading as Gas Giants in systems, while I know his voice it in the minority (as I'm not sure he talked with his colleagues as my conversation with him was more casual than professional), based on what he's telling me the amount that I've seen through the last couple of survey missions (more than 30, with many multiples in the same system) seems inordinately high.

What he's also been surprised in is how rare it has been for me to see major geysers from a mid-range orbit of a moon reporting them as major. Any questions on this -- see this article.

Couple this with the fact that Frontier's little soiree and how the devs have said there are still things to be found tells me I don't think they understand that their omniscience doesn't work out well with how much needle in a haystack on the moon it is to actually find these things.

I know, developer's prerogatives. But at the same time, if they're trying to be painstakingly accurate with the Milky Way, why is it still so far off?

A teaser in the system map so that when a CMDR honks a system, a sigil pops up notifying the CMDR "Hmmm, something unusual over HERE on THIS planet". o7

A lot less grind and a lot more information available at the Explorer's FOV would be nice. Digging for it feels like I'm hunting for Nose Goblins.