Hello Commanders!
For what it's worth, I personally wouldn't mind removing the infinite honk, just as I'd like to see the removal of the basic stellar scan that forces you to fly close to get any data. I would like to see processes that were a little more involved (and cool looking/feeling) with regards to Commanders actually having to do something, whilst minimising uncessessary super cruise travel time. But this is just me musing. Like the karma system, exploration (and extraction) is something that we'll hopefully be getting into in some more depth in the forums.
I didn't read all responses, but am I the only one concerned about what is being *mused* here? Minimizing unnecessary super cruise travel? A big part of Exploration is the going and seeing, so that statement alone is concerning to me. You could almost read this as sitting at the star, and interacting with *things* that tell you all about the system, at which point you could investigate further, or move on. I realize there are a lot of people who might really like that, but I just wouldn't be able to get on board with any changes that lead to what is essentially just sitting and playing a mini-game.
In regards to Exploration, there is also an elephant in the room that doesn't really seem to get the attention that it should - exactly how do you make Exploration more fun/rewarding (defined as appealing to a broader base while keeping the current Explorers engaged), or more interactive? I'll speak about those separately.
Sure, you can add new interfaces that are more interactive, or add probes (the ME2 model is terrible, and should not be used at all), but any interactive things added leads to increased time spent, and there really isn't any way around that...unless you don't have to leave the anchor star any more. I am all for some kind of new scanning/searching system, especially if it rewards a higher level of skilled usage (without pooping on those less-skilled or less inclined), but only if it allows us to scan an entire system in roughly the same amount of time it takes right now, and still requires that we actually travel within the system. Others feel differently, and that's perfectly valid. Also, any kind of probe mechanic would have to have the ability to be replenished via Synthesis, or manufactured, via a module similar to the Fighter Bays. A probe mechanic, without some magical unlimited supply, also puts some ships in danger of no longer being viable for Exploration. Specifically, I'm thinking about the DBX, but there are others as well. Merging the scanners into one module, or allowing one of them to be mounted on a Utility slot (like it says in the Shipyard interface currently...) would be sufficient to alleviate this concern for the most part. I could go on, but I want to talk about the bigger half of the elephant.
Fun and/or rewarding - how do you do this, realistically? In this game, rewards are comprised of credits, Rank/Reputation, materials, and data. There isn't really anything else, and to be perfectly honest, nothing else would make sense for Exploration. So, how do you make it more rewarding in this context? Boosting payouts hasn't suddenly changed people's minds, nor did tying an important Engineer to at least a small expedition distance. This relates back to the improved mechanics - if those are improved, then that implies that there will be more things to find other than crashed ships/probes, and empty smuggler bases. So, what are you thinking you could place on these barren planets and moons that is going to make these new mechanics worthwhile? So, if the interactive, fun, new mechanics are only going to show us how little (of real interest) is on a given planet, that would seem rather like shooting yourselves in the foot. In all honesty, there shouldn't be many interesting things to find, but that doesn't change what I just said. You would be much better off giving us a good indication of the best place to land for gathering materials, than anything else. How long do you think it's going to take for someone to start making threads about how there isn't anything to be found on the planets, and how infrequently they are finding geysers and other similar features, and that the new scanners have provided *proof* that there isn't anything out there worth finding. Don't misunderstand, I like seeing the various physical features of the different planets, but those aren't rewarding or fun for the bulk of the playerbase, and there isn't any way to change that. Maybe, in this case, you don't care about the bulk of the playerbase (and I would salute you for that), but at the same time, it really doesn't make a lot of sense to invest a lot of dev resources for something that a relatively small group of people are going to utilize on any kind of a regular basis.
Exploration needs better tools, certainly, but what Exploration really needs is environmental hazards, and more types of planets to land on. I am aware that those are not likely on the near horizon, but that doesn't change what I said at all. That is what really opens the door for Exploration possibilities, and I look forward to it.
Riôt
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