Exploring - why isn't large LY jumping a thing?

[Crook]

I guess this thread might turn a bit ranty, but a simple question:

Since a lot of explorers, and colonia movers do the jump honk jump thing, and watch netflix or whatever while doing it, why not give explorers a massive jump range? IF we could jump 10,000 LY, what gets lost other than the boredom?

To explore, you still need to jump system to system, and to get credits you still need to scan planetary bodies. The only thing I see people losing is the kudos of being strong enough to be bored enough to jump honk 50,000 light years. Is that the only reason for not doing that? I know those who've put the time / effort into this side of the game will not want it, but the jumping system to system seems to be the most boring aspect of the game.

I realise it breaks a few things - like transfer costs of ships, but I think FD should do a 'guardian tech' reveal where we invent a jump drive - separate from FSD that can do large jumps, maybe a long recharge thing like a day or whatnot? So it couldn't be used for multiple long range passenger missions in a day - saving that mechanic at least. And for a nod to the past, what about calling it a witchspace jump, and make it slightly unreliable as to destination, even a mini game like the interdiction mechanic so the better a flyer you are the closer to your target destination you get?

 

[Riverside]

You answered your own question there, it's a design decision.

 

[Crook]

To have a boredom mechanic? That can't be right....

 

[Funny]

I guess this thread might turn a bit ranty, but a simple question:

Since a lot of explorers, and colonia movers do the jump honk jump thing, and watch netflix or whatever while doing it, why not give explorers a massive jump range? IF we could jump 10,000 LY, what gets lost other than the boredom?

To explore, you still need to jump system to system, and to get credits you still need to scan planetary bodies. The only thing I see people losing is the kudos of being strong enough to be bored enough to jump honk 50,000 light years. Is that the only reason for not doing that? I know those who've put the time / effort into this side of the game will not want it, but the jumping system to system seems to be the most boring aspect of the game.

I realise it breaks a few things - like transfer costs of ships, but I think FD should do a 'guardian tech' reveal where we invent a jump drive - separate from FSD that can do large jumps, maybe a long recharge thing like a day or whatnot? So it couldn't be used for multiple long range passenger missions in a day - saving that mechanic at least. And for a nod to the past, what about calling it a witchspace jump, and make it slightly unreliable as to destination, even a mini game like the interdiction mechanic so the better a flyer you are the closer to your target destination you get?

We basically already have that in the form of neutron highways and fsd boosting. No real need for more tbh.

Edit: I say that, but... Well, you’ll see

 

[zombieapocalypse]

To have a boredom mechanic? That can't be right....

It's also about a sense of scale and a sense of achievement. Otherwise, what's the point of exploration expeditions, if only takes a few minutes to get to any part of the galaxy?

That's not to say that exploration couldn't be made more interesting and engaging, it certainly could. And hopefully some of the changes coming later in the year will address that.

 

[MadDogMurdock]

Coming soon courtesy of the Guardians, whether it further diminishes the scale of the galaxy or not.

 

[verminstar]

There is one very fundamental flaw with yer argument...it happens when explorers intentionally take short range ships into the black. Why would they do that intentionally one might ask?

Well, ye dont understand much about exploration if ye need to ask at all ^

 

[Zieman]

To have a boredom mechanic? That can't be right....

:facepalm:
The Galaxy is ridiculously easy to cross and circumnavigate already.
It all went to the drain right at the game release, when wear and tear mechanic wasn't implemented.
Originally achieving distances bigger than a few hundred light years was envisioned to require support chains and coordination between players.

 

[Cdr Voorheez]

OP good question well presented, however from an experienced explorer perspective:
It would be dumbing down an already dumbed element of the game: 20kly max plottable range, Elite Exploration rank granted by doing a couple of passenger missions to name but a few contentious issues with the revamped Exploration dynamic of late. I got my Ly range up to 70ly post patch, personally that's enough for me. If i want bigger jumps i go neutron boosting as already mentioned.
Boredom is only an issue in exploration of you let yourself get bored. I personally get bored parking my Corvette in CNBs and killing everything in sight, it's incredibly subjective.

 

[Spandexxx]

Kinda ruins the challenge and the sense of journey. Undertaking a trip to SagA, Colonia or Beagle Point is a big thing. You're going to have to plan ahead and be prepared to commit a great deal of time. As such it gives a huge sense of achievement. You're not gonna get that if you can do it in one super-jump. IMO it would strip the game of its sense of scale also.

 

[Crook]

I still think the sense of scale would be retained, jumping into an area that no one has been before. There's still 400 billion systems. It wouldn't speed up the rate of system discovery. The sense of scale as in 'it takes ages to get there' would be gone, but still, not a bad thing to lose if the jumping boredom goes along with it?

In fact, I wonder if there are areas of the galaxy that are unique / interesting in some way, made so by stellar forge but still unfound? Maybe commanders could find them and set up a new base there?

 

[Bomba Luigi]

Distant World 2 would be epic, many hudnered cmdrs on a grand 6 jump 15 minute journey!


Op you simple want a diffrent game, you can ask the same question about anything that takes time to get in any game. If you don't want to spend time doing the things the game wants you to spent time to do its not the game for you, or certain parts of the game are not for you (luckily doing journeys like the one to colonia is something you never have to do and can easy avoid).

Travel time isn't an issue in elite, how that time is spend is a better candidate for a problem.

 

[Crook]

Distant World 2 would be epic, many hudnered cmdrs on a grand 6 jump 15 minute journey!


Op you simple want a diffrent game, you can ask the same question about anything that takes time to get in any game. If you don't want to spend time doing the things the game wants you to spent time to do its not the game for you, or certain parts of the game are not for you (luckily doing journeys like the one to colonia is something you never have to do and can easy avoid).

Travel time isn't an issue in elite, how that time is spend is a better candidate for a problem.

I agree it breaks some future things - the distant worlds is still an achievement. I don't think it's much of a different game, but in any game surely the boring aspects should be cut. I think the opportunities outweigh the drawbacks as an idea.

 

[Jukelo]

We already have that. Anything above 30ly jump range is quite huge.

 

[Bomba Luigi]

I agree it breaks some future things - the distant worlds is still an achievement. I don't think it's much of a different game, but in any game surely the boring aspects should be cut. I think the opportunities outweigh the drawbacks as an idea.

If you think the travel is boring then I get that but as I said the time spend isn't the issue. That it takes time is good don't cut it because its boring, make it more interessting.

 

[Jastebro]

The distance & time required to get there is the whole point.
I really like the feeling of remoteness on the far side of the galaxy.
It's a bit like hiking in the wilderness. If you can stop for lunch at the local McD, it severely diminishes the experience.

 

[JohnRoberts]

I think the whole thing would be better is there was some lore related reason why FSDs cant got more than a 50Ly hard limit, and then have a couple more ideals like Neutron Stars that can get you further, but only a limited network of location.

Short range travel (with FSD) should be convenient for short ranges, but not useful for long ranges. Longer rangers should require another approach, that requires its own planning. We're kind in the right place now, but FSD ranges have crept up, and some other alternatives to Neutron Stars would add more options and interest.

Spoiler

But I'm concerned that Guardian Tech is just going to come along an buff FSD ranges in the most boring way possible.

 

[Winterwalker]

Your FSD has a max limit on the amount of fuel it can burn in a single jump - most likely before exploding considering the amounts of energy involved. You can extend range by having a lightweight ship, by adding FSD synthesis (right panel) or scooping particles from the jet cones of white dwarf and neutron stars. If you navigate by setting a route that uses neutron/dwarf stars as a filter, you can significantly reduce the number of jumps for getting A to B.

 

[the source 0179]

I guess this thread might turn a bit ranty, but a simple question:

Since a lot of explorers, and colonia movers do the jump honk jump thing, and watch netflix or whatever while doing it, why not give explorers a massive jump range? IF we could jump 10,000 LY, what gets lost other than the boredom?

To explore, you still need to jump system to system, and to get credits you still need to scan planetary bodies. The only thing I see people losing is the kudos of being strong enough to be bored enough to jump honk 50,000 light years. Is that the only reason for not doing that? I know those who've put the time / effort into this side of the game will not want it, but the jumping system to system seems to be the most boring aspect of the game.

I realise it breaks a few things - like transfer costs of ships, but I think FD should do a 'guardian tech' reveal where we invent a jump drive - separate from FSD that can do large jumps, maybe a long recharge thing like a day or whatnot? So it couldn't be used for multiple long range passenger missions in a day - saving that mechanic at least. And for a nod to the past, what about calling it a witchspace jump, and make it slightly unreliable as to destination, even a mini game like the interdiction mechanic so the better a flyer you are the closer to your target destination you get?

A while back I posted a thread about ways to make pilot tranfers a thing. I wont go totally into it as you can probably still find the thread. But in short. You'd buy a ticket to get transfered to a station eg in colonia. Via passenger ships. This would cost credits and time and you had to either have a ship at the station or it had to have a ship yard to buy a ship there. But alas people got very salty. For many reasons. I thought it would be a good idea for people that didn't have time to travel that far and it would fit into in game lore and mechanics for example there is already ship transfers. Theres the basic mechanic. And theres passenger and cruise ships. Theres the lore. But I'll say again people got salty. I think mainly the people that have alot of time to pump into the game. But i see where your coming from. Good luck.

 

[Snarfbuckle]

I can see mechanics for extreme jumps but with heavy drawbacks and risks.

- Wear and tear should be multiplied when making jumps over the regular jump range of the drive and will cause damage to the drive.

- Hull stress: Ship integrity is affected by excessive jump ranges.

- Fuel cost is already exponential so the longer you go in one jump, the more fuel you use.

- Minimum range: If you want to go FAR, you MUST go far, and take that fuel usage and wear and tear into consideration

- Mis-Jumps: Jumps above regular jump range have a risk of mis-jump, dumping the CMDR into a location along the planned jump or way off course

- Loss off accuracy: Want to land at a SAFE distance from a star? Well, too bad, at excessive jumps the nav computer will not be that accurate to have
you slowing down in time. You could also land at the edge of a system with hardly any fuel and a few million LS to the star.

- Thargoid space: Due to the excessive jump you spend far longer in witch space allowing for Thargoids to intercept you more.

- Charge up heat: Charging the drive takes far longer due to the excessive range and so does the heat...bring heat sinks (Buildup based on jump range)