Exploring design decisions - really?

[Altissimus]

To be clear I haven't played a for a few weeks, so am going on what I've read on the forums.

But as I understand it, you have to SCAN a system to see if someone has already explored and discovered it before you?

In otherwords, you can't just look at a map and see which systems are unexplored, and which are not?

FDev - Seriously?!?!

 

[Skip Intro]

I think you see it on the System Information via the Galaxy Map, but that isn't available in all cases. I'd like a toggle on the Galaxy Map to show Discovered / Not Discovered status, too.

 

[Toscaner]

MB explained it. the Galaxy map doesn't connect to the server and therefore doesn't have this info.
you need to check the system map. no need to scan it. (you have to visit it)

 

[tanthil]

Now you need to ADS system and check on system map if someone discovered celestial bodies in it, but now it can happen that only part of system was scaned in detail or only sun. There is possibility that for system with has 45 celestial bodies 45 commders scaned in detail one planet

But i think that should be some notification on galctic map that system was visited or not

 

[NeilF]

To be clear I haven't played a for a few weeks, so am going on what I've read on the forums.

But as I understand it, you have to SCAN a system to see if someone has already explored and discovered it before you?

In otherwords, you can't just look at a map and see which systems are unexplored, and which are not?

FDev - Seriously?!?!

The problem with what you're suggesting is it will just create a "Finding Nemo Seagull" issue... If CMDRs can simply see what systems are yet to be discovered on the galaxy map, rather than having to visit them in person, you'll simply get CMDRs going around systems on even more of a, "mine! mine! mine! mine! mine!"

I understand your thought process, but I think that buffer needs to be in there so prevent that questionable ethic!

ps: As already mentioned, also don't forget if a system has 10 objects, they all have "discovered by" values. So someone may have "discovered" the primary star, but not 9 orbiting objects are have no been.

 

[Dash]

You have to "ping" an object with the discovery scanner to find out if it's been explored by somebody or not. So you have to be in the system to do the initial discovery - and the same person isn't attributes to every object, just to whatever he or she has done a surface scan on.

So you can't really display this information on the galaxy map as there may be bodies that have been scanned and some not.

I don't like how static the map data is once you start the game; I feel that what is available should be updatable (more than a system at a time) in bulk (for free?) every now and then.

Perhaps a signifier on the gal map that shows that data is complete or partially complete for a system - providing you've been back to dock and bought a refresh update pack from UC since it was discovered.

 

[Altissimus]

Can you envisage a situation a few months or a couple of years from now when large swathes of systems have been discovered, and you have to manually check each system map to see what is still around? Either that or fly in a random direction for 10000 light years before you start exploring?

What an absolute pain!!!

Also, as a point of interest, in the (highly, highly, highly unlikely) event that we ever explore 399,999,999,999 of the 400 billion systems, it will take JUST AS LONG to explore the last one as the previous 399,999,999,999 because you'll have to check 399,999,999,999 system maps!!!!!!!

A slightly exaggerated example, but one that will hold true too in a few months when large numbers radiating from Sol have been explored.

 

[NeilF]

Can you envisage a situation a few months or a couple of years from now when large swathes of systems have been discovered, and you have to manually check each system map to see what is still around? Either that or fly in a random direction for 10000 light years before you start exploring?

What an absolute pain!!!

Also, as a point of interest, in the (highly, highly, highly unlikely) event that we ever explore 399,999,999,999 of the 400 billion systems, it will take JUST AS LONG to explore the last one as the previous 399,999,999,999 because you'll have to check 399,999,999,999 system maps!!!!!!!

A slightly exaggerated example, but one that will hold true too in a few months when large numbers radiating from Sol have been explored.

But, if the galaxy map could show "undiscovered" systems, you would get people doing nothing more that zooming around them just to tag them, "mine! mine! mine! mine!" - I don't see that as a good move.

 

[Skip Intro]

But, if the galaxy map could show "undiscovered" systems, you would get people doing nothing more that zooming around them just to tag them, "mine! mine! mine! mine!" - I don't see that as a good move.

But isn't that what the people who've been off on "grand tours" have done, in effect?

 

[Nutter]

It would spoil it for me, also hard to work...

Even if you get there and find no tags, commander x may have just docked to sell.

When you can purchase player data (as intended at some point) Then there would be an option to Buy on the galaxy map...which would cover this I think.

Then there is also the intended two other levels of scan to consider (Also comming.... soon?)

So I guess we will have to wait for the rest of the stuff till we can judge really...

 

[DAYLEET]

The problem with what you're suggesting is it will just create a "Finding Nemo Seagull" issue... If CMDRs can simply see what systems are yet to be discovered on the galaxy map, rather than having to visit them in person, you'll simply get CMDRs going around systems on even more of a, "mine! mine! mine! mine! mine!"

I don't think that's a problem, i think it's a perk. One of the bigger perk of the "first discovered by" is pushing explorer out and more out. It's not like half of the galaxy will ever be explored anyways it would take thousands of years.

"at the current rate, it will take 150,895 years to map the entire Milky Way." from Frontier News Letter.

 

[Emanon]

You just have to visit it and detail scan the objects if something is not yet discovered or in civilized space. I prefer it that way because exploration is about going somewhere and it would be too easy just going to star systems that don't already have a discovery tag.

 

[NeilF]

But isn't that what the people who've been off on "grand tours" have done, in effect?

In effect I guess...

So I assume you don't agree with my suggestion that if the galaxy map showed "undiscovered" systems this would exagerate CMDRs who simply wanted to zoom about planting flags?

 

[NeilF]

I don't think that's a problem, i think it's a perk. One of the bigger perk of the "first discovered by" is pushing explorer out and more out. It's not like half of the galaxy will ever be explored anyways it would take thousands of years.

"at the current rate, it will take 150,895 years to map the entire Milky Way." from Frontier News Letter.

Maybe add a module then then shows the "Discovered" status of a bubble of stars around you? At least it adds a tiny touch more depth.

 

[Toscaner]

In effect I guess...

So I assume you don't agree with my suggestion that if the galaxy map showed "undiscovered" systems this would exagerate CMDRs who simply wanted to zoom about planting flags?

it would, but i'm not sure if that's a problem or why.

i can understand Nutter, when saying it would spoil it for him - that's maybe my concern too, although i never thought about it before.

 

[Harbinger]

In my opinion, it's just fine the way it is (well it will be when they fix the partial credit bug). There is no reason that people should have advance knowledge of the first discovery status on the galaxy map unless they have already bought cartographic data for that system, which no self respecting explorer would ever do.

Finding virgin space is simple, head a couple of hundred light years in some random direction outside of the populated bubble and you'll be in it. At most you'll find sporadic first discoveries at that distance unless you're heading towards a nebula where many have likely passed before you. Sure this distance will expand in time as people plant their flags but you really don't have to go that far right now. Just don't waste your time looking in the populated bubble if you want to find systems that aren't already claimed.

 

[sensai25]

Try to visit far away systems >>> 5000Ly you won't have any trouble with first discovered objects.

Every one is too focused on human/near-human bubble.

 

[Skip Intro]

In effect I guess...
So I assume you don't agree with my suggestion that if the galaxy map showed "undiscovered" systems this would exagerate CMDRs who simply wanted to zoom about planting flags?

Most, if not all of the close stars are 'taken' so I think that anyone who wants to go 500ly+ to plant a flag is signed up to be an explorer already, the pew-pew and the cr/ton/hr crowds are fixated on their own gigs.

Maybe add a module then then shows the "Discovered" status of a bubble of stars around you? At least it adds a tiny touch more depth.

Probably a very good compromise, though if FD put a toggle on the Galaxy map, you don't have to use it.

 

[iain666]

Try to visit far away systems >>> 5000Ly you won't have any trouble with first discovered objects.

Every one is too focused on human/near-human bubble.

You don't even need to go that far. I'm just over 2kly out and in the last 50 systems I've been in (heading from Veil West (East? the one that's not a pretty blue/pink two-tone stripe) to Elephant's Trunk) have had a couple of main stars with first discovered by tags and that's been it. OK, someone else might be heading home with all that data right now but hey ho.

That also highlight's why looking for systems that aren't claimed yet is futile - even if you could see on the galaxy map you could spend days getting to one you've found then days getting back only to discover that someone else sold the data while you were half way home. Given the time to get somewhere far away and get home safe - even if you're just pinging and flying on - there's a huge window for other people who searched the same area of the galaxy map hours, days or maybe even minutes before you to sell the data first.

Fixating on getting the tags is going to drive you mad, take them as they come but don't worry about it too much is my take.

 

[Sergio Smegolia]

Fixating on getting the tags is going to drive you mad, take them as they come but don't worry about it too much is my take.

This. Exploration should be about exploring. Just locating a system on the map and plotting a course for it is something else entirely I feel.