Fellow explorers, what are your 'rules' for mapping?

[Tetra Trash]

If a system is discovered I take a quick peek at the system map to see if anything looks interesting but usually just move on. If undiscovered I usually FSS all metal-rich bodies, HMCWs, WWs, ELWs, AWs, and gas giants and map terraformables, WWs, ELWs, AWs, and anything with biologicals or that I decide to land on. Sometimes other stuff if there is specific codex stuff I'm looking for (i.e. icy and rocky bodies in systems meeting the conditions for crystal shard sites). Gas Giants I FSS because I just like looking at them and because of the forlorn fool's hope that someday I will find a green one. I usually don't bother to FSS all their moons.

 

[Zieman]

My rule is usually that if I scan anything, I scan everything. If there are ELW, Water worlds, or Ammonia-based life I’ll scan it, and I’ll usually set down on airless worlds with rings so those systems get a scan as well.

"scan"?

 

[SpocksOddSocks]

Nope, wasn't me, sorry - I've never been that far out over in the unfashionable eastern spiral arms of the galaxy.

I always make sure to run full FSS on every neutron star I visit, even when "speedrunning" using neutron boosts to go someplace else, because I've not yet found a neutron star ELW of my own.

Turns out it was "Styx8265". Obviously, only the s, y and x stuck in my mind.

 

[CmdrKull]

"scan"?

Full works, if anything interesting shows up in FSS that I want to check out, I’ll go to every planet in the system and hit it up with the DSS + probes.

 

[UTU2TM]

I map the pay planets. If the system has more than 70 bodies, THAT is when I'll map everything.

4-30-2021 edit: and just like that, I stumble into a system that has 79 bodies. Got some work to do, lol.

 

[Ian Skippy]

As explorers, it is our duty to catalog the galaxy for Mankind. But we all need cash! I know most of us drop into a system, honk, FSS the interesting bits, DSS if it's really gonna PAY! But what are you 'rules' to a system? Do you scan the whole system if it has less than X amount of bodies? Do you scan it if something looks interesting, etc.


Me personally, I'll always scan a system if it has less than 10 bodies. Why not! Or if I see a planet orbiting a ringed gas giant REALLY close, I'll go in and scan the whole system to claim it

Some Real Explorers argue it is our Duty to scan all planets. Other Real Explorers argue it is our duty to leave at least one body for the next explorer. I am not a Real Explorer though, so I just scan whatever interests me. Credits are the least of my concerns, so that is irrelevant to me.

 

[K Olley]

I am an out in the black miner, I DSS anything that looks interesting and any rings, I do not DSS moons orbiting ringed planets unless they are ringed, causes too much clutter in navigation panel if I find a moon with anything on it.

 

[Gut]

I jump in.....Honk......Blue Blob Game it all.....Only map anything out the ordinary ( Water , Earths , Water Giants....Etc ) then leave for the next one

 

[Feldspar]

I'll normally FSS everything, it doesn't take long. Normally I'll DSS ELW, WW and AW, unless they are far away or I just can't be bothered. If someone else has scanned the system I'll often do a DSS just to sign the visitor's book.

 

[ThudPucker]

For the most part, if I can get my name on a system I will, if I can leave something for the next guy I will, if I can confuse the next guy so much the better.

 

[GunnerBill]

Basically ELW, WW or AW's and maybe HMC's etc if they look interesting.

Everything else - yawn!

But if by doing the above I' in the high 60's % of the system I might just do the whole lot for completeness' sake.

 

[MaultierColt308]

I usually FSS the whole system, except when I'm in a hurry or I'm heading down the Neutron Highway.
For mapping it is:

• WW, AW, ELW, WG, HRGG (always)
• Planets/moons i'm going to land on, especially when these have Geos/Bios.
• TFHMC (most of them*)
• Rarities - especially planets/moons in rare constellations, Trojans, GGGs + a moon of them (or another planet in their system, but just one other body. Other explorers should also get the chance to write their name into that systems )...

When I happen to hit a fully-scanned system, I tend to jump directly out, after a quick honk and sys map check. When I see something "interesting", I run the FSS, scan and map at least one unmapped body to leave my business card there (if possible) . Especially when there are unmapped TFCs, ELWs, etc....

 

[GloatingSwine]

FSS the whole system, map ELW, Ammonia, Water, and Terraforming Candidates.

 

[scopelx]

Honestly depends entirely on what kind of mood I'm in. If I'm feeling fastidious, I'll FSS the system and map ELW, WW, AW, anything terraformable, and anything with a bio signal. As far as secondary stars go, I'll always map an ELW. If it's anything else I'll generally go 10k ls out per body I'd be mapping. Further than that I usually move on. But occasionally if I'm on the hunt for something in particular I'll blatantly ignore TWWs that are close to the drop in point. I try to avoid holding myself to any set rule, if it starts to feel like "work" then I'll ease off mapping hardly anything