Exploration - Nice one! :-)

I wanted to say how much improved I think Exploration is. I appreciate it will never be everybody's cup of tea (it's not meant to feel like combat, chaps!) but I think it provides a proper, "immersive" addition to the experience that is Elite. I was in Colonia, building relationships with the new Engineers, now I'm heading back (the pretty way) to the home systems, building up my Codex of discoveries and enjoying the gentle "discovery vibe" of it all. It's not something that I'll want to do to the exclusion of everything else, but it's another strong element that really broadens the game out and lifts the experience - as well as being the basis for, I suspect, many things to come. Nice one F.D. :)
 
Yes, it is really enjoyable now and I'm actually finding things much easier (located my first organics last night and I believe I may have been the first person to locate a proto lagrange cloud!). Not perfect and still think it needs some refinement like being able to ignore some types of signal bust still a million times better than the old god honk. Well done FD!
 
I agree with you OP. I was so frustrated with other aspects of the game (graphics issues on PS4), that I was ready to put ED back on the shelf..... But then I went out exploring, and I'm hooked! FWIW my one and only "Elite" rank is in exploration, and I got that by scanning undiscovered worlds, no RtR, so I'm very familiar with exploring the "old way", and I much prefer the new system! Yes it can be slower and require more work, but I actually feel like an explorer now, not just the space tourist with a GPS phone (aka - infinite honk) that I used to be.

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Definitely!
A great step forward. I'm finding the whole process much more satisfying now.

Started fresh with my 1° commander and headed out as soon as I had done a bit of engineering to the T6's drive.
 
Lol I do feel sorry for the developers when I read threads like this. Delighted that so many love the new exploration dynamic, but equally so many people seem to hate it, that they really can't do right by everyone, however hard they try. 3.3 has ruined exploration for me, I have had a few goes now and I just don't like the whole interface, I can't pick up and game any more, and between four kids and two businesses life's complicated enough without this weird approach... yet others love it so much, so it is clearly the right move. The developers' saving grace is that there are so many other facets to the game that we always have somewhere else to go (I love the changes to mining, and to missions, and am still in love with trading, and combat looks great). But now when I want to explore something I'll saddle up my horse in RDRII. Anyway, not an embittered post (overall I like the direction the game is going), just thought I'd observe the contrast - I am genuinely sad about exploration this week, others are over the moon, developers have to try to serve both crowds. Tough gig!!

o7
 
Lol I do feel sorry for the developers when I read threads like this. Delighted that so many love the new exploration dynamic, but equally so many people seem to hate it, that they really can't do right by everyone, however hard they try. 3.3 has ruined exploration for me, I have had a few goes now and I just don't like the whole interface, I can't pick up and game any more, and between four kids and two businesses life's complicated enough without this weird approach... yet others love it so much, so it is clearly the right move. The developers' saving grace is that there are so many other facets to the game that we always have somewhere else to go (I love the changes to mining, and to missions, and am still in love with trading, and combat looks great). But now when I want to explore something I'll saddle up my horse in RDRII. Anyway, not an embittered post (overall I like the direction the game is going), just thought I'd observe the contrast - I am genuinely sad about exploration this week, others are over the moon, developers have to try to serve both crowds. Tough gig!!

o7

I've picked up and learned the new FSS system, but your complaint confuses me. Doesn't the old way still work? We can honk and fly to to each planet if we want for a closer look. What is it about 3.3 that forces you to use it?
 
The honk only reveals the orbital plane an enables the scanning of bodies. Only honking brings no credits or progress.
But now you can make a detailed surface scan without flying to the body, so you can make money much faster.
I like the approach that you don't explore as a byproduct, instead you have to do it actively and get more out of it in less time.
And you can go even deeper if you find some valuable planets to map with probes and get much more credits for that.

It's a total win IMO.
 
I've picked up and learned the new FSS system, but your complaint confuses me. Doesn't the old way still work? We can honk and fly to to each planet if we want for a closer look. What is it about 3.3 that forces you to use it?

No, it looks, feels and functions quite differently, for me, and I don't like it at all, but sorry mine was a generic observation on the life of a developer as this was a thread about developers. So I'd rather not derail someone else's positive thread with a retread of the issues some have with exploration - there are plenty of those already!

o7
 
And I love that the developers have delivered such a host of changes, clearly aimed at improving the game and addressing some of the feedback. So I am joining the developer yay party, and do love lots about the update.

o7
 
I really like the New system.
No more eye balling for 48s as you float over a planet or use hacks to see if it lags when you drop out of Super to see if there is anything there.

Its a much better system and the fact its tied into the codex is brilliant !

Well done Fdevys. Cant wait to try the mining am hoping it will beat the 150-200mil an hour i was getting before, fingers crossed.
 
The payouts in exploration post-update are crazy! I could become a billionaire flying a humble Sidewinder if I wanted to :eek:
 
I’ve been off on my first, actual Exploration trip since update day. Destination unset, just heading for the rim for a once-around, before crossing edge to edge through Sag A*.

No idea how long it will take and I’ve been enjoying it - something I couldn’t do before the update.
 
Yeah the new system is a major step forward at improving Exploration, really great foundation for the future expansions and scenarios FDEV plans to add.
 
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