For the sake of their sanity Fdev please. Throw Explorers a bone with this update.

As I have said before......at the very least we should replace the existing suite of discovery and surface scanners with scanners rated E to A, with the rating impacting on maximum scan range, minimum scan range (for secondary scans), time required to scan, & the range at which USS's and PoI's get revealed on your display. Scanner rating should also impact how much surface detail is revealed at a given range......and the size of the search area within which PoI's are revealed.

Scanner rating should also effect how much detail about USS's is revealed with an Active Scan (# of ships, tonnage of ships, life signs, # and rarity of materials, that kind of thing).

If they offered us this much, I'd jump out into the black in a heartbeat.

Your first idea seems much more viable. As far as I know, the actual contents of a USS, even when scanned and resolved, are not generated until you drop down.

There would be a fair amount of bloat in SC as each USS gets categorized (ex, Distress Signal Threat 3) and its contents are calculated/generated (ex 1 damaged Orca and 4 waves of x, y, and z ships). I'm not sure if FDev would be willing to cross the loading screen/system they've created.
 
It seems that the main content for explorers is this forum. I'm currently making a 465,000 LS run to scan an ammonia world I have found. I fill the time on here, listening to my engines.
 
A bone?

Try a 5 course meal, featuring steak and chips to die for and desserts from heaven itself.

Odds on bet 2.3 will feature more combat rebalancing. We're well overdue for some exploration rebalancing.
 
Exploration is the one feature in most need of care. Every time I fly near a planet and drop out of supercruise to enjoy the scenery, I can't help but think about the lost opportunity.

If you're just above a planet, there is literally nothing to do but sight-see. Nothing to interact with. No scans that can be run. No tests that can be performed. No special internal components to extend dishes or antennae to do anything. No surface mapping by flying around the planet or something semi-involved. No satellite repair missions. No research to do.

There are so many things the game could be offering. That it doesn't only deepens the sadness.
 
Exploration is the one feature in most need of care. Every time I fly near a planet and drop out of supercruise to enjoy the scenery, I can't help but think about the lost opportunity.

If you're just above a planet, there is literally nothing to do but sight-see. Nothing to interact with. No scans that can be run. No tests that can be performed. No special internal components to extend dishes or antennae to do anything. No surface mapping by flying around the planet or something semi-involved. No satellite repair missions. No research to do.

There are so many things the game could be offering. That it doesn't only deepens the sadness.

Well said, and completely accurate too. And yes, it is very sad. [sad]
 
You know, I'm not sure how I'm going to be able to accept a crew member as a gunner in my weaponless Asp.

Well they are not going to have much to do, they can always take the idle role instead and give you a pip - not sure what you can do with it in SC.

Now what happens to them when you are out in the SRV is anyone's guess.

Simon
 
Well they are not going to have much to do, they can always take the idle role instead and give you a pip - not sure what you can do with it in SC.

Now what happens to them when you are out in the SRV is anyone's guess.

Simon

That's why a science module would be so cool. Your crewmate can be getting preliminary data on your primary scans whilst the pilot decides which planets to scan in further detail.
 
We'll get swimsuits cat ears and emojis before any explorer content.
SUGOOOOOOIIII

200_s.gif
 
We'll get swimsuits cat ears and emojis before any explorer content.

Should start a thread about that, I bet it would get more attention than this one from FD. I mean what has rudimentary space exploration mechanics in game set in the expanse of space got compared to cat ears and swimsuits?
 
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Jex =TE=

Banned
If I were a full time exploration player I would be absolutely losing my mind right now. An entire year goes by and you guys get diddle and squat. It doesn't matter what the focus of the update it. In this case multi crew. Each update should bring a little something for everyone. A new ship is great for everyone. You can fly it yourself or just murder anyone else doing so. You can't really go wrong adding a new ship. They were hyping up unshown features on the stream so it either means they are going to blow our minds with Comets or something. Or whatever they had up their sleeve simply wasn't impressive enough to show on stream. I hope I am horribly wrong but it seems more likely to be the latter. Exploration is already a major disappointment it doesn't need any more neglect. I took a trip out to Sag A while back and was so underwhelmed by it all I killed myself right there on the spot. Cursing all the time I wasted. For me the exploration aspect wore itself thin so fast that despite my best attitude going into this jump fest I came away with pure distaste for it all (albeit with some sick screenshots). I genuinely don't understand how you explorers tolerate such a boring galaxy. In between Jumps all I would think about is "Gee a Comet or two would really liven this experience up." Maybe even make it tolerable. Nope just same looking star to same looking star rinse and repeat until you hit a nebula then putz around in the SRV until you decide to get moving again.

One long range trip was enough to drive me mad. I know you super explorers are a special breed of crazy. But it must be wearing thin by now even for you lunatics.

Exploration hasn't changed since the game launched. It's odd the DB wants to recreate the galaxy like he's on some insane mission from god and yet puts nothing in it. Surely if anything the game should be about exploring the massive universe that's been made for us. It's incredibly odd that it's been neglected all this time in favour of rubbish like CQC, power play and RNGineers and soon to be MC.

If there is one thing this game could do to inspire people is a good exploration mechanic. Not having even a hint at one would indicate that FD aren't interested in making anything along those lines or we would have seen something by now. Eye-candy is basically what DB wants to put in where as I think most "explorers" actually want to discover stuff and work things out for themselves.

Geysers are nice to look at and I'm sure lava is as well but without something else it's a case of, been there, seen that. Stuff gets boring to look at and even more so if you're out just looking at stuff for no meaning whatsoever other than to just see it.

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Originally Posted by Deathwatch View Post (Source)
The thing is you guys ask for stuff for exploration but don't suggest anything, even if they added comets etc it would get stale etc.

Really? Go read the numerous threads detailing exactly what tools Exploration needs.

Not to mention...We aren't devs . It's not our job to make the game fun and exciting. That's fdevs job.

This. How many hundreds of posts have been written detailing what stuff they could put in but we don't need to write anything down because the DEVS ALREADY DID!

Jeeez doesn't anyone around here know what the DDF is or their whole massive thread on what they would do with exploration? We don't need to write anything at all because FDEV already wrote a huge thread on it but even though they did, the community still came up with a ton of ideas.

FDev have all the ideas in the world, quite literally they just chose to ignore all of them and go for a honk instead - pathetic and on a galactic scale too, quite literally.
 

Jex =TE=

Banned
Since the last bone (planetary landings), explorers have been given the royal shaft at every turn.
Even landing on planets outside the bubble is dull. There's just no content, when there could be so much.
I'm currently hopping between neutron stars but, once I've done enough of that, I don't know where to go next or what to do.
I might just go back to Colonia to cash in all my ELWs. Woooo!!!

Come on FD, give us something to look forward to. Engage us in specifying what explorers want and need to keep playing.
Work with us and we'll work with you.

Shut up you just got beige planets!!!!!

are not FDev mighty in what they give you?

:D:p

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Without a second monitor and Netflix I would have stopped playing this game after a week.

Frontier should sell a Netflix subscription as DLC to go with this game.

Quite frankly, it's a Must if your playing Elite Dangerous.

omg....


rofl.gif
rofl.gif
 
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Agree with all your points. FD are missing a trick here - if exploration was fleshed out in a major way it could be used as a way to really differentiate ED from other games (eg Star Citizen).

Exploration hasn't changed since the game launched. It's odd the DB wants to recreate the galaxy like he's on some insane mission from god and yet puts nothing in it. Surely if anything the game should be about exploring the massive universe that's been made for us. It's incredibly odd that it's been neglected all this time in favour of rubbish like CQC, power play and RNGineers and soon to be MC.

If there is one thing this game could do to inspire people is a good exploration mechanic. Not having even a hint at one would indicate that FD aren't interested in making anything along those lines or we would have seen something by now. Eye-candy is basically what DB wants to put in where as I think most "explorers" actually want to discover stuff and work things out for themselves.

Geysers are nice to look at and I'm sure lava is as well but without something else it's a case of, been there, seen that. Stuff gets boring to look at and even more so if you're out just looking at stuff for no meaning whatsoever other than to just see it.

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This. How many hundreds of posts have been written detailing what stuff they could put in but we don't need to write anything down because the DEVS ALREADY DID!

Jeeez doesn't anyone around here know what the DDF is or their whole massive thread on what they would do with exploration? We don't need to write anything at all because FDEV already wrote a huge thread on it but even though they did, the community still came up with a ton of ideas.

FDev have all the ideas in the world, quite literally they just chose to ignore all of them and go for a honk instead - pathetic and on a galactic scale too, quite literally.
 
I'm starting to think about engine limitations too. So many simple improvements are put off, the multiplayer aspect of the game seems to be in the way every time. Maybe multiplayer came at too high a cost.

I think it did. USS, lag, non persistent locations. I think the MAP aspect really held the game back. Maybe to such a degree that making a co.pelling experience outside of instanced and nonsensical combat zones may prove impossible.
 
There are other areas of the game that are far more starved of attention than exploration:

* Not including any announced 2.3 features

Exploration
  • Universal Cartographics market
  • Explorer ships (Diamondback S, Diamond Back E, Asp S, Asp E)
  • Exploration rank
  • Discovery scanners
  • Detailed surface scanner
  • System first-discovery naming
  • System scientific data (star, planet & nebula types)
  • Wing-shared exploration data
  • Purchasable exploration-data (galaxy map)
  • Powerplay exploration bonus (Li Yong-Rui)
  • Material discovery
  • Data discovery (signal sources and base scans)
  • All space-based alien items and mysteries
  • *SRV (included as usage directly affects exploration rank)
  • Planet surface Points of Interest
  • Planet surface geology and volcanism
  • Mysterious non-sentient planet life
  • Crashed alien ships
  • Alien ruins
  • Formidine rift mystery
  • 'The missing' mystery
  • 'Raxxla' mystery

Combat
  • Arena (CQC) and all associated features
  • Combat ships (Imp. Fighter, Fed Condor, Eagle II, Viper III, Imp. Eagle, Vulture, FAS, FGS, FDL, Fed Corvette)
  • All weapon-types
  • Combat rank
  • Arena Rank (the red Pilots Federation one that people want removed)
  • Conflict zones
  • Combat bonds
  • Wing-split combat bonds
  • Combat missions
  • Background sim impact (through combat bonds)
  • Security checkpoints (combat to lower system security)
  • Military-strike zones
  • Powerplay combat bonuses (Denton Patreus)
  • Ship launched fighters
  • NPC fighter crew
  • All experimental weapons effects
  • Ammo synthesis

Trade
  • Commodities Market
  • Economy model
  • Freighter ships (Hauler, T6, Keelback, T7, T9)
  • Trade data (trade routes on galaxy map & commodities market)
  • Trade missions
  • Trade rank
  • Wing trade dividends
  • Background sim impact (boom/bust etc)
  • Seeking x items points in supercruise
  • Powerplay trade bonus (Edmund Mahon & Aisling Duval)

Bounty Hunting
  • Wanted system
  • Bounty claim vouchers
  • RES sites
  • Wing-split bounties
  • Kill-warrant scanner
  • System top 5 bounty board & bounty hunters report
  • Bounty hunting missions
  • Background sim impact (through bounty vouchers)
  • Powerplay bounty bonuses (Arissa Lavigny-Duval, Zachery Hudson & Pranav Antal)

Mining
  • Mineable asteroids & ice-roids (as of 2.1)
  • Mining area reserve levels
  • Mining lasers
  • Refineries
  • Prospector limpets
  • Mining missions
  • Mineable-only commodities
  • Powerplay mining bonus (Zemina Torval)
  • Material mining

Smuggling
  • Black market
  • Smuggling Missions (short, long-range & shadow)
  • Cargo scan fails mission (NPCs & players)
  • Illicit cargo
  • Illegal salvage
  • Fines for illicit cargo
  • Unsanctioned Outposts
  • Background sim impact (through missions - lockdown, system security etc)

Superpower Navy
  • Federal navy ranks
  • Imperial navy ranks
  • Rank missions
  • Unlockable faction ships (4x Empire, 4x Federation)
  • Unlockable permit systems/planet landings
  • Capital ships (1x Empire, 1x Federation)

Passenger Transport
  • Passenger ships (Orca, Beluga)
  • Passenger Lounge
  • Passenger Cabins (4 quality levels)
  • Dedicated Missions
  • VIP Passengers (with demands and reactions)
  • Tourism Beacons (With Info)

Piracy
  • Hatch-breaker limpets
  • Heist missions
  • *Background sim impact (through NPC traders robbed? - not sure about this one)
  • Pirate-faction liveries
  • Powerplay piracy bonuses (Archon Delaine)

As you can see, it already has more dedicated features than any other part of the game (excluding Powerplay which is a whole game in its self).
 
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Combat:

weapons
engineer weapon upgrades
synthesis weapon upgrades
shields
engineer shields upgrades
synthesis shields upgrades
shield cell banks
various armour upgrades
FSD upgrades for them combat ships

stopped, but can think of more if you like.

And these are iffy and straw-clutchy at best:
System scientific data (star, planet & nebula types)
Wing-shared exploration data
Purchasable exploration-data (galaxy map)
Material discovery
Data discovery (signal sources and base scans)
Planet-Surface Points of Interest
All space-based alien items and mysteries
Mysterious non-sentient planet life
Crashed alien ships
Alien ruins
Formidine rift mystery
'The missing' mystery
'Raxxla' mystery

As you can see, if you sanitize the lists, combat clearly doesn't need anything for the next 16 years.
 
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Combat:

weapons
engineer weapon upgrades
synthesis weapon upgrades
shields
engineer shields upgrades
synthesis shields upgrades
shield cell banks
various armour upgrades
FSD upgrades for them combat ships

stopped, but can think of more if you like.

I'm not biasing towards combat, I agree it also has been given a lot of attention.

And these are iffy at best:
System scientific data (star, planet & nebula types)
Wing-shared exploration data
Purchasable exploration-data (galaxy map)
Material discovery
Data discovery (signal sources and base scans)
Planet-Surface Points of Interest
All space-based alien items and mysteries
Mysterious non-sentient planet life
Crashed alien ships
Alien ruins
Formidine rift mystery
'The missing' mystery
'Raxxla' mystery

Why are they iffy? They are all features of exploration...
 
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