Exploration suggestions...

[CMDR Bungle]

There's been a lot of suggestions for exploration... after a good stab at it here's mine.

- Add the ability to fit a "Nav Beacon Launcher" to your ship (requires a hardpoint)
- Requires ammo, say two max per launcher fitted
- Once fully scanned, a pilot can deploy a permanent nav beacon by flying to the usual point near the main star and firing it
- The nav beacon is deployed permanently
- Pilots can use any nav beacon to communicate back to universal cartographics and upload mapping data/ receive credits
- Pilots entering a system with a nav beacon will download the info for that system automatically and will see it as explored
- If targeted the nav beacon will say "Placed by CMDR <name>"

This would:

- Make it beneficial to use better ships to explore (more hardpoints)
- Let exploring players start to make some permanent exploration (tangible changes)
- Have a unique non-cash reward for exploring, however small (name on beacon)
- Let explorers occasionally cash in at distance without making it super-easy or breaking the game

I would also scarp the 20Ly minimum for selling data. I understand why it's there but really once you get into any meaningful exploration the distances are so vast that it's not going to matter.
Presumably Universal Cartographics are "universal" because they have a data network, which raises some issues with the 20Ly limit...

 

[CMDR Bungle]

Also, the rules for generating NPCs in deep space are somewhat unrealistic. What's the chances 3 systems in a row out in the middle of nowhere would have one Eagle waiting to gank me?

 

[Ossirian]

I'd add a one more thing:

- move discovery scanners and mining lasers to utility mounts

This would allow starting players, now equipped with a loaner mining laser, to try every aspect of the game out early. It would also allow explorers to equip a fuel scoop early without sacrificing their cargo hold allowing them to supplement their income with BB jobs or some mining on the side as they explore systems.