Exploring Planets

[Mohenjo]

So... as I'm cruising around a system, scanning planets, I find myself feeling vaguely frustrated. Some planets have been found to have interesting things on them, such as the ruins found some time ago, or Thargoid bases. However, I've no idea how anyone would find that sort of thing, since they only way I know of to find it is to visually examine every square mile of every planet you encounter... which is a horribly daunting task. In a system with 20-30 planets and moons, it would take me HOURS to look at the surfaces of each one... I mean, something like 3-4 hours for EACH PLANET, or a WEEK of eyeballing planets looking for something that MOST LIKELY isn't even there.

So, I'm thinking perhaps we could get some help.

My ship has a Detailed Surface Scanner, but provides surprisingly little information when scanning. So, I'm suggesting that it could provide a little bit of information on a scan. On the right side of the HUD, top corner is an "INFO" window. What if, upon completing a scan of a planet, we got a "printout" listing the materials found on the planet, with an "Anomalous Reading" listing when there's something there worth looking for? Not WHERE it is, just that it's THERE, so we know to stop and look more closely at the planet.

I think this would be helpful for finding materials (meaning you wouldn't have to go to the surface map, since you can't steer while using it), and it would be helpful finding interesting objects. It would also be a bit more immersive, as we would feel like our scan is actually DOING something.

(As an aside, can we get an option to change the loud BONG! noise we get when doing a system scan?)

 

[lemon cup]

Great idea, not conplex to implement at all.

Simply add ONE extra sentence to the top of the description like you said. Something like this, let’s say you’ve found a planet with a hand-placed feature such as an abandoned camp or alien ruin:

“Rocky Body

Blah blah generic blurb about rocky bodies like you see for every planet you scan.

Pristine Reserves

Anamolous Surface Feature detected.”

 

[Mengy]

Yep, a lot of us have asked for something like this ever since ruins and alien bases showed up. It sure would be nice, would't it? Hopefully the exploration revamp in the Q4 update implements something like this or even better. It's desperately needed.

 

[NW3]

Yep, a lot of us have asked for something like this ever since ruins and alien bases showed up. It sure would be nice, would't it? Hopefully the exploration revamp in the Q4 update implements something like this or even better. It's desperately needed.

I'm currently exploring deep in the black. I very rarely investigate planets up close and only land if I'm running short of materials.

I'd love a feature like this, to encourage a closer look. Right now, the odds are 99.999% that there's nothing of interest down on the surface, so why should I waste my time looking for something that's probably not even there?

 

[acg515]

I've scanned thousands of planets and I'm sure that I've missed something at some point because I flat out don't have years to spend on this game.

 

[Schanbacher]

By docking at the Felice station in the Meene system, you will automatically get a mod added to your ship and valid for 28 days (I think). This will detect Ancient ruins within 1000Ls.
The other is to go on the websites and see what has already been found and where. That should help in selecting an area for exploration.
You probably know this already, but the game does lack the option to load already explored data onto your ships computer. If it did, explorers could target the isolated areas. Not sure why ED has not done this, perhaps in the future.

 

[MickyG1982]

You probably know this already, but the game does lack the option to load already explored data onto your ships computer. If it did, explorers could target the isolated areas. Not sure why ED has not done this, perhaps in the future.

I think it's more to allow all the other explorers that follow the same path as those that have explored get a piece of the pie. No use going out on an exploration trip only to find that your path follows someone else and you can't 'discover' anything.

It's a fact of life, if someone says look at this over her! Explorers are going to flock there and complain about the wasted journey not giving them exploration data to sell.

 

[Shiro Akai]

Scanners redesign/refunction is in order.

It is funny how today's scientist can determine stellar body composition from thousands of LYs just by observing it's light's spectrum. Yet we, 1200 years into the future cannot get more detailed while flying 50 Ls from the target.

OP proposed one nice thing but I would go further. With OPs idea you would get just an info that A4 has an anomaly on the surface. But it's still a needle in a haystack. It would be equally frustrating if not even more if you would know there's something and you cannot find it because you have to scout the entire of surface and no tools to limit canning area (not to mention to pin point).

So... let's move some of Surface Scanner's features into Exploration Scanner.

(new) Discovery Scanner
- detects stellar bodies within working range (horn honk)
- provide raw resource list (just list, no percentages)
- detects anomalies (we have hundreds of reference material already, spotting unusual reading should be easy. If not - handwavium would explain mechanics)
- detect anomalies would sometimes give false-positive reading (decreasing chance with higher tier scanner, say 30% basic - 10% adv.)
- optional engineering

(new) Detailed Surface Scanner
- provides detailed scan data (increases exploration payouts, like current)
- determines raw resource percentages
- creates surface POI for anomaly (it can change position during the approach, the better the scanner, the smaller radius of possible target occurrence)
- increased chance of finding additional anomalies (like crash sites, unusual resource density, etc.)

With above typical system visit could turn into small adventure. You enter the system, honk it and get: 1 star, 7 rocky bodies, 2 ice bodies, 1 gas giant. Nothing interesting. Then DS reports: 2 anomalies detected on 2 different moons, orbiting different planets. Hmm... let's investigate. Target nearest and approach. When in range fire up DSS and collect more detailed scans. Ok, high iron density, some nickel and arsenic - worth land and get some but we seek that anomaly. You do one full orbit and then you get general POI. Found it, descend and glide.

Since my DSS is Grade 2 only it gives more less accurate location, mere 100 km dia. When I'm 5 km from the target my POI changes position - 35 KM SW from my position; going there. It changes location once more but it's final. I land at coords, deploy rover and go looking. After few minutes of driving I know it was false positive alert. Oh well, at least I got some arsenic. Off to the 2nd anomaly.

Upon arrival, the same operation. DSS, descend and searching for final POI. There it is, some crashed ship, seen before landing. I sat down next to it, deployed SRV and went scouting. Scanned the ship and got mission "Deliver Star Crusader's fate information to Station X in Y system". Also found a cache with some credits and cargo stuff. Not much but could sell it when I get there.

Say, wouldn't it be interesting if we had something like this?

 

[John Xenir]

Scanners redesign/refunction is in order.

It is funny how today's scientist can determine stellar body composition from thousands of LYs just by observing it's light's spectrum. Yet we, 1200 years into the future cannot get more detailed while flying 50 Ls from the target.

(...)

What's funnier is that we can scan planet's composition from 50Ls away, yet getting 300m-away asteroid's composition requires limpet smashing onto its surface.

Other than that, agreed with you and OP!

 

[A D]

So... as I'm cruising around a system, scanning planets, I find myself feeling vaguely frustrated. Some planets have been found to have interesting things on them, such as the ruins found some time ago, or Thargoid bases. However, I've no idea how anyone would find that sort of thing, since they only way I know of to find it is to visually examine every square mile of every planet you encounter... which is a horribly daunting task. In a system with 20-30 planets and moons, it would take me HOURS to look at the surfaces of each one... I mean, something like 3-4 hours for EACH PLANET, or a WEEK of eyeballing planets looking for something that MOST LIKELY isn't even there.

So, I'm thinking perhaps we could get some help.

My ship has a Detailed Surface Scanner, but provides surprisingly little information when scanning. So, I'm suggesting that it could provide a little bit of information on a scan. On the right side of the HUD, top corner is an "INFO" window. What if, upon completing a scan of a planet, we got a "printout" listing the materials found on the planet, with an "Anomalous Reading" listing when there's something there worth looking for? Not WHERE it is, just that it's THERE, so we know to stop and look more closely at the planet.

I think this would be helpful for finding materials (meaning you wouldn't have to go to the surface map, since you can't steer while using it), and it would be helpful finding interesting objects. It would also be a bit more immersive, as we would feel like our scan is actually DOING something.

(As an aside, can we get an option to change the loud BONG! noise we get when doing a system scan?)

See what Father Christmas brings - Quote from Season 3 Beyond Roadmap for 2018 relating to the 4th quarter:

"Exploration - More activities and tools focused on how we find stuff in the galaxy. This affects missions, commodities, other resources. New phenomenons, new anomalies for us to find in the galaxy."

 

[Lestat]

My idea might be different but cool. Activity scanner and might bring new life to areas already explored areas like nebulas and such.

If player a explores it show on that date first scan 2014 to 2017 then someone rescans it in 2018. Then check to see if something changes. It might bring in new info.

We can take the house next door to mine. It looks like a dump a junkyard for 20 years. (old cars, junk outside and such it was just bad) The guy passed away on Christmas 2016. Someone after his death Bought the house to fix it up. Today I would not mind living in it. It looks like an old fashion Hunting Cabin. The place is from 1950 1960. What I mean here is time changes things.

 

[Cold Earth]

Scanners redesign/refunction is in order.

It is funny how today's scientist can determine stellar body composition from thousands of LYs just by observing it's light's spectrum. Yet we, 1200 years into the future cannot get more detailed while flying 50 Ls from the target.

...

This is a great idea and would make the game so much more interesting when exploring. Here’s hoping we get an extensive update that includes these sort of suggestions in Q4.

 

[Mohenjo]

So, just an update to explain what's going on.

You see, I'm not playing the game. I actually haven't played for some time. The reason is this:

I checked the map and found an unexplored system that was labelled as Thargoid controlled. I flew there, scanned the star and did a system scan to find there were over 50 planets. As a Thargoid controlled system, I figured there should be some Thargoid bases or something somewhere in the system, and I set course for the first planet. Arriving there, I did my "detailed" scan and then entered an orbital path where I circled around the planet.

Now... there's NO WAY to know if there's anything ON this planet. If there IS, I have to hope to spot it, more or less by accident, from ORBIT. I spent three hours flying around and around, completely uncertain if I had crossed over a given area before, saw nothing and STILL had no idea if there was anything there. There was simply no way for me to know.

The realization that this would be the case for EVERY planet in the system, ALL 50+ OF THEM, completely demoralized me, and I haven't played since.


I don't want to suggest that this is crucial for the game's survival, but I can't imagine I'm the only one who is discouraged by this sort of situation. This is something that really should be addressed, and I think my original suggestion is sufficient.

Let us know whether or not there's anything there worth stopping for. I would readily spend those three hours or more looking over the planet if I knew there was something there to find.

Throw me a bone here, Frontier!

 

[Schmack]

See what Father Christmas brings - Quote from Season 3 Beyond Roadmap for 2018 relating to the 4th quarter:

"Exploration - More activities and tools focused on how we find stuff in the galaxy. This affects missions, commodities, other resources. New phenomenons, new anomalies for us to find in the galaxy."

More blue rings but maybe with something down there except chrondrite?

Pessimist, I know, but I could just see the situation unfold: Point of Interest on Planet.. WOW so off you go... you find it, a blue circle! Out in nowhere land! This is it! The fabled Raxxla! Something cool like that for sure. You land.. it's a canister of biowaste.

 

[Taen]

By docking at the Felice station in the Meene system, you will automatically get a mod added to your ship and valid for 28 days (I think).

Wait.. you have to dock there? Are you sure? I've googled this and so far haven't found a single reference to having to do so.

 

[Capt. Hook]

Funnily enough was thinking exactly same as OP last night. Great minds and all that.

Currently parked over an ELW 10k from the bubble. Very pretty system. Would be cherry On the cake if could scan the moon's and planets here looking for alien artifacts and whatnot.

Funnily enough came across a crashed public datasource on an unexplored planet the otherday. Scanned it in SRV and said a signal was open but nothing else happened? am I missing something?

 

[tony123]

So... as I'm cruising around a system, scanning planets, I find myself feeling vaguely frustrated. Some planets have been found to have interesting things on them, such as the ruins found some time ago, or Thargoid bases. However, I've no idea how anyone would find that sort of thing, since they only way I know of to find it is to visually examine every square mile of every planet you encounter... which is a horribly daunting task. In a system with 20-30 planets and moons, it would take me HOURS to look at the surfaces of each one... I mean, something like 3-4 hours for EACH PLANET, or a WEEK of eyeballing planets looking for something that MOST LIKELY isn't even there.

So, I'm thinking perhaps we could get some help.

My ship has a Detailed Surface Scanner, but provides surprisingly little information when scanning. So, I'm suggesting that it could provide a little bit of information on a scan. On the right side of the HUD, top corner is an "INFO" window. What if, upon completing a scan of a planet, we got a "printout" listing the materials found on the planet, with an "Anomalous Reading" listing when there's something there worth looking for? Not WHERE it is, just that it's THERE, so we know to stop and look more closely at the planet.

I think this would be helpful for finding materials (meaning you wouldn't have to go to the surface map, since you can't steer while using it), and it would be helpful finding interesting objects. It would also be a bit more immersive, as we would feel like our scan is actually DOING something.

(As an aside, can we get an option to change the loud BONG! noise we get when doing a system scan?)

Hi, I am the same as you, and it is frustrating, the detailed surface scanner is only for identifying planet materials and gives a bonus to exploration bonus payout. I have done planet surface missions finding gear, items etc, and I have a few times found crashed ships. On a bigger scale finding something new like an undiscovered base, ruins etc, I expect is like finding a needle in a haystack. There may be only a few of these in game to which have all already been found, people have already done research on finding these when the first signals were found and decoded (in my opinion this was fixed by the developers to get the information released so the game could progress, I doubt the average player could ever have worked out the signal and decoded it. For the average player To use technology outside the game to decode, yea right. Just my opinion). There could also be other sites that haven't been discovered yet and just waiting for normal players to explore to find. I did have a look at the first alien ship crash site, from a distance flying over the area I would have never found it, yet even with the coordinates for the area it was still hard to spot from a low orbit. I have just recently explored one of the alien bases that was posted on the internet, flying at low orbit I did notice a strange circular glow coming from the site, I can now use what I know to look for other sites on my exploration as I have a good idea on what to look for. As a good start point would be to look in systems with alien activity.

 

[dognosh]

I got all excited when I read the title of this thread as "Exploding planets"

 

[Mengy]

I don't want to suggest that this is crucial for the game's survival, but I can't imagine I'm the only one who is discouraged by this sort of situation. This is something that really should be addressed, and I think my original suggestion is sufficient.

You are not alone, many of us have been asking for this to be addressed for a very long time now. Our hope is that the Q4 update will give us new tools and mechanics to search planets with. The popular concept is surface heatmaps generated by the DSS to indicate search zones on planet surfaces, greatly narrowing down the area we need to search to find stuff.


It just one reason why the exploration reveal on June 18th is so immensely anticipated: to see how Frontier plans to address this issue, if at all.