Exploring

[Sts]

Well, in my cobra I did the trade grind for many evening to save up for a detailed surface scanner and an advanced discovery scanner. Finally got them "Hurray.. the great exploration will start".

So I set off.....4 empty systems except for a sun. Then a system with 52 contacts where everything is 500kls+ away. Set it heading in the right direction and went and made coffee, then read a book for a while. About 50 minutes of exploring I finished just the major bodies (ignored the asteroid belts). Another 3 empty systems and I docked. I got 35k for my hour-and-half's work.

It's not that I am complaining about the 35k, it's the fact that out of 50 minutes I probably did 5 minutes of pointing the ship into different directions. I know that some people love this sort of thing.... but I will probably sell the scanners and try something else in the game.

Exploring needs to be made more interesting, but I'm damned if I know how.

S.

 

[blacky75]

and you're not the first, neither the last

On my side, the game gets more interesting once the 'grind' period passed. I made a lot of runs to up the credits... the conda is mine and well fitted.... Now I bought a Python and go fight with, and also an ASP for the explorer mode i'll start once the new version goes live... yes exploring just as it is now isn't so appealing, as you said: some like it, other won't ^^

 

[Silent_Star]

Well i'm an explorer myself, and i can say that it is less instant credits than other things in ED.
It's not about getting credits fast, if you need credits than go trade/pirate/bounty hunt etc.
The exploring is about seeing special rare planets, nebulae, stars, black holes and about finding earthlike/waterworlds.
Either exploring suits you, or you will dislike it cause mostly the rewards wont justify the efforts you need to put into it.

 

[777Driver]

Well, in my cobra I did the trade grind for many evening to save up for a detailed surface scanner and an advanced discovery scanner. Finally got them "Hurray.. the great exploration will start".

So I set off.....4 empty systems except for a sun. Then a system with 52 contacts where everything is 500kls+ away. Set it heading in the right direction and went and made coffee, then read a book for a while. About 50 minutes of exploring I finished just the major bodies (ignored the asteroid belts). Another 3 empty systems and I docked. I got 35k for my hour-and-half's work.

It's not that I am complaining about the 35k, it's the fact that out of 50 minutes I probably did 5 minutes of pointing the ship into different directions. I know that some people love this sort of thing.... but I will probably sell the scanners and try something else in the game.

Exploring needs to be made more interesting, but I'm damned if I know how.

S.

Just curios as to why out of 400 billion systems you decided to SC around a massive boring system. There's so much to see out there, go blackhole and Earth/water world hunting, the money's good. But definitely don't do exploring for the cash

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Well i'm an explorer myself, and i can say that it is less instant credits than other things in ED.
It's not about getting credits fast, if you need credits than go trade/pirate/bounty hunt etc.
The exploring is about seeing special rare planets, nebulae, stars, black holes and about finding earthlike/waterworlds.
Either exploring suits you, or you will dislike it cause mostly the rewards wont justify the efforts you need to put into it.

Spot on.. +1 Rep

 

[Doomprayer]

I bought that surface scanner recently and for I don't stay at one system very long but travel around, exploring and selling the data is a great way for covering the expenses of fuel, ammo and most repairs. You won't become very rich, of course.
But with that new feature, adding the first CMDR's name, who explored the system data and sold it, to the system information, you'll be at least be able to become a little bit famous.

 

[bobilon]

from my side can recommend you to earn enought credits to be able to pay several insurances and to buy A4 FSD, before you start exploring. equip cobra with D class equipment except FSD and fuel scoop. sell weapons, cargo, and all non-necessary equipment.
Pick your target and run and scoop fuel until pirates stops occuring (around 500ly from closest inhabited system). i would reccomend to head down below imperial space, there is no "forgotten" station. This is the place were you can start safe exploring.

you will need to know how to scoop without taking heat damage, i would train it with sidewinder first. its no rocket science. i refuel before every jump, it takes few secconds if you have really good scoop. i also refuel at 50% speed, that way im able to react on interdictions when im in pirate zone.

you will also need to know which systems you should pick. Go to map tab on galactic map, disable all filters and you will see systems colored mostly with red, yellow and blue, according to their mains star type. you should be interested in light/deeper blue, yellow and occasinally white and grey.

when you get to desired system, dont bother to scan asteroid belts, white planets and moons.
dont even bother with planets beyond 5000ly, except when they are near another sun and its obvious, that there are some planets in habitable zones, especially when they look like earth/water world. then even 100.000 ls is fair distance.

so i wish you good luck and many findings. and dont go back until 1.1 update, map selling is very dull at these times

 

[ShiroTsume]

Exploring needs to be made more interesting, but I'm damned if I know how.

it's nice to go hunting for black holes & nice planets 4 sure, but i think the main feature of the exploration, besides the mapping of system bodies, is the spawning of new systems for your faction. still didn't found out how it exactly works ( or if my interpretation of the galaxy evolving is just a wishful dream).

 

[Lupin]

I enjoying exploring as part of Elite and have seen some wonderful things, still looking for my first black hole.
The sense of wonder is still there and not so much about CR (Though being first commander to find something or explore a system will be added soon).

I switch from doing this or do exploring as part of long trip trading. And I have lost track of the number free cargo I have

P.S. Under statistics at the bottom under exploration we have level 2 & 3 detailed scans. Anyone found out how these work?

 

[Varrag]

If you're into exploration for credits, don't waste your time with ice/rock planets and everything else that's farther than 2000-3000 LSs - unless it's something really valuable (Earth-like and water worlds, black holes, neutron stars, white dwarves). Anyway, keep in mind that exploration is generally very time consuming and payout is comparably minimal. It's a perfect hobby for us weirdos who like astronomy and sight-seeing, though. You won't get rich with it

P.S. Under statistics at the bottom under exploration we have level 2 & 3 detailed scans. Anyone found out how these work?

It's not working yet. Probably part of some future planned expansion.

 

[Axeman3d]

I've gone flying off to the galactic rim to get away from the idiots in the core and to see if I can get my name on a few systems. As mentioned you soon learn when and when not to pursue distant planets. If a planet is much more than 500-800ls from its star its likely to be an Icy world and not worth much effort. High metal content planets, water workds and habitable or terraform candidate planets are worth quite a bit, but most of what you find out from a star is just the usual ice or rock. I set off yesterday and am 750ly out from Sol and the stars are thinning out quite a bit and I'm heading for an interesting looking nebula. I'd love it if there were a chance of finding a ruined civilaisation or some form of life, something which we're all hoping ED will have once they've go round to fixing the basics. We don't explore for the cash, we do it for the beauty and the kudos mainly.

 

[Agony_Aunt]

I try and give myself a theme to my travels. Last time it was a hunt for as many water/earth worlds as possible and to visit a couple of nebula. This time around i'm calling it the "Big tour". Im specifically looking for big things. Big systems, big stars, big gas giants. Whatever, as long as its big.

Next time i might do the opposite... or maybe something else.

 

[grae3107]

I hope when 1.1 is released we will be able to see how many systems someone has discovered first. Maybe a Galnet similar to the top bounties where we could see the top 10 explorers. Would add a bit of competition to become the most famous.

 

[Sts]

So if most of the interesting stuff is near the sun - It's not worth getting the advanced scanner?

 

[bobilon]

not exactly. gas giants could be also great source of your income and its much faster ROI when you immediately know what to scan and what not. you dont have to chase for distant second star to find out what planets are around them. btw my most valuable system had 2 stars 150.000 ls away from each other and with multiple candidates and water worlds.

 

[jgm]

So if most of the interesting stuff is near the sun - It's not worth getting the advanced scanner?

Near is relative. It is also common to have multiple suns, which you may not find if you don't have the advanced scanner.

If you can afford it then take it; there's no real downside to it except cost.

 

[Sts]

How do you tell if a distant object is worth scanning. I can tell suns, gas giants and asteroid fields when I lock on. Everything else I have found has the same icon.

 

[ShiroTsume]

It's not worth getting the advanced scanner?

nope, not really worth it's money. skip it and buy the system wide scanner

 

[bobilon]

How do you tell if a distant object is worth scanning. I can tell suns, gas giants and asteroid fields when I lock on. Everything else I have found has the same icon.

you need to look for planet pattern on system map. if its not white, its probably metal high content planet or even better.
jackie silver describes HERE where you can find terraforming candidates and habitable planets.

later you will already know what to look at.

 

[BrewerGeorge]

IMO, you have to come to terms with NOT scanning stuff to be successful at exploration. The OCD gremlin will want you to scan everything, but it's not an enjoyable or profitable use of time to scan all those rocky moons and ice planets.

Do you know that on the Info tab of the galaxy map you can see the star class? I generally only jump to F, G, and K class stars - that's white, yellow, and orange - because those are the ones most likely to have water worlds, terraformable worlds, or the Holy Grail Earthlike worlds. I scan those planets, along with any metal-containing ones on the way and move on. I never go out to the gas giants, and I never go past about 1000 ls because the chances of life being out there are low. I avoid all the other classes of stars unless they are on the way to an FGK.

 

[TheEponymousBob]

If you want momey, ADS is helpful. If you want to enjoy exploring, ditch it. Go find stuff yourself. Learn to predict where good scanning targets hide. Use your eyes to scan the heavens in search for that one dot moving against the starfield.

At least, that's what works for me. (I did go for the intermediate, though, as it doesn't take too much away from the fun.)