Exploring

BanzaiZAP · Feb 3, 2015

The rewards of exploring are not financial, but a long trip can still pay in the millions. Most explorers do it for the "fun."

For those wanting the best of both worlds, the Scanner is one of the few items you can have multiple of! So when you get in system, fire off the Intermediate Scanner and see how many things you can find on your own. When you think you've got 'em all, fire off the Advanced Space Horn and see what you missed.

DuQuesne · Feb 3, 2015

I found my first (and second) Earth like worlds last night. Discovered at the same time that exploring is at least as enjoyable as I hoped it would be, even in its current state.

Now I just need to time my return to civilisation nicely to coincide with 1.1. Would be awesome to find out I'm the first to visit some of the systems I'm current working my way through.

Quoth · Feb 3, 2015

I spent about 10 hours earning about 500,000, I saw some great stuff on the way and satisfied my need to see what exactly was in Coalsack. Fully charted some systems, but like others have said, sometimes it's just not worth it. The powers that pay arent interested in ice and barren rock. Tag the unexplored sun and move on to the next system.

Commander Azriel · Feb 3, 2015

Sts said:
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.

35k is good, lol. Wait until you see the same dwarf star and 9 icy planet for the 100th time...sigh...

Windscreen Smudge · Feb 3, 2015

You set your sights on the small game, instead of looking halfway across the galaxy at a triple black-hole system and saying "I'm going there, and anything I find in between is icing on the cake."
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Yes exploration is bare bones right now, but no, it was never going to be interesting as long as that was how you were approaching it. Develop a new perspective on what is possible during exploration, and don't settle for less than everything that is possible.

Jakester13 · Feb 3, 2015

Much like the OP, I have kitted out my Cobra via some trading and suchlike. Now have a Detailed Surface Scanner, Basic Discovery Scanner (Yes, I really want to upgrade this!), and a mix of A and B class components.

I set a nearly 100Ly route to an interesting star, and just enjoy the journey. I've hit a few water worlds and on my return a nice wedge of creds. This is only minor stuff though, as I'm basically skimming the edge of Imperial space - exiting when I'm drifting in the deep makes me uneasy!

I'm learning when to ignore bodies, and when to bother, and enjoyed finding the binary stars way out in the yonder.

Maybe once I can afford an intermediate scanner, some (soon-to-be-more-effective) Auto repairers, and the incoming improvements to cartographic services, I'll do a eaaaallllyyyy long trip. Yeah, Cobra, I know, but I still love the pew pew, too.

Mountain Dewed · Feb 3, 2015

Has anyone set that beast off inside an orbital yet? I keep meaning to but keep forgetting. Would like to see glass go flying...

Acier · Feb 4, 2015

Exploring is something you do because it calls to you, not to be fabulously wealthy right now. Maybe in the future - the distant future - it will pay greater. Imagine getting a .01 % cut of all credits earned by a system you found that is subsequently settled and becomes a major hub etc etc. I do it for the zen of it, the ability to see the Billions and Billions of stars (thanks Carl Sagan) and to simply... go where no one has gone before.

To seek, to strive and not to yield.
Acier-

EMarkM · Feb 4, 2015

Jakester13 said:
...exiting when I'm drifting in the deep makes me uneasy!

I actually really enjoy doing this.

I'm nearly 3,000 Ly from Sol right now. When I'm coming up to the end of a gaming session, I love picking a "safe" spot (i.e. not too close to a star; there's not much else you can do!), exiting Supercruise, making sure engines are killed and then mooring up for the night.

I'm a boater in real life, and am able to rôleplay all of this very comfortably

Agony_Aunt · Feb 4, 2015

EMarkM said:
I actually really enjoy doing this.

I'm nearly 3,000 Ly from Sol right now. When I'm coming up to the end of a gaming session, I love picking a "safe" spot (i.e. not too close to a star; there's not much else you can do!), exiting Supercruise, making sure engines are killed and then mooring up for the night.

I'm a boater in real life, and am able to rôleplay all of this very comfortably

Hehe, im the same... erm, but not a boater.

EMarkM · Feb 4, 2015

TheEponymousBob said:
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.)

People using this method (I have an ADS and have not really tried the parallax technique yet), do you leave orbit lines switched on in your HUD?

Acier · Feb 4, 2015

I also find myself looking to the stars in each new system I enter for old friends, Constellations I have been seeing for many hops. I too used to be a boater, spending many months at a time at sea in the Pacific and each night I would do the same thing - it is a comforting feeling to see those landmarks even while discovering something new.

LeetNoob · Feb 4, 2015

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

Not if there's more than one star. Short answer is it's completely worth it, especially as because when you're finished exploring, you get your money back when you sell it anyway. It's just borrowed.

Chevy66 · Feb 4, 2015

If you want to find Black holes ADS is essential, you'll never see them otherwise

tdquasar · Feb 4, 2015

I love exploring in ED. This is my favorite activity in the game. I started with trade grinding and now I have enough to keep exploring for a very long time (I also switch to bounty hunting from time to time in my Python or Anaconda for variety).

Savoycabbage · Feb 4, 2015

I have recently returned from my first "long distance" trip exploring. I followed the method that's been described a couple of times, only scanning the relatively high worth objects and leaving the icy/rocky planets and anything too far away. I only went as far as the pleiades nebula yet still managed to bag 1.3Mil in cash.

My advice would be to pick a destination and slowly make your way there, enjoy the ride and watch as the distant nebulae get closer and closer

Mafuta · Feb 19, 2015

Hi. I wanted to try with a Sidewinder but did not get very far before a white sun fried me :-( How can I avoid that? I don't mean by running away from white suns, but does deploying a heat sink help? Any advice on surviving them in a sidewinder appreciated.

blitzspear · Feb 19, 2015

As the thread is 'exploring'.............. I was interested.
On a night do you
(a) park up your ship in deep space (running silent)?
(b) just head into space and hit the burner and keep going and save and exit ?
What's the best way to keep your ship safe?

Sim Maker · Feb 19, 2015

Mafuta said:
Hi. I wanted to try with a Sidewinder but did not get very far before a white sun fried me :-( How can I avoid that? I don't mean by running away from white suns, but does deploying a heat sink help? Any advice on surviving them in a sidewinder appreciated.

Hello Mafuta

...
Try this.......when you are about to jump, you will hear the count down.....4, 3, 2, 1........Engage........when she says 4....and until she says Engage......this is the time to set your throttle to zero......for me that means lots of presses on the S key.............you will then Jump as normal, but when you arrive at destination star, you will be "Stopped".....giving you time to point in another direction............(You are not really stopped though, still traveling at 30km a second, but it is practically, stopped)...............

Zieman · Feb 19, 2015

blitzspear said:
As the thread is 'exploring'.............. I was interested.
On a night do you
(a) park up your ship in deep space (running silent)?
(b) just head into space and hit the burner and keep going and save and exit ?
What's the best way to keep your ship safe?

I just stop the ship out of supercruise and log out. So far so good.