Frontier, can we PLEASE have a new Exploration ship now?

[Sylveria]

Maybe it'll be different after the Q4 update, but right now I don't feel anything other than DDS is actually geared towards Exploration - I don't think that Fuel Scoops fall into that category and definitely not the FSD+1 size that explorers demand.

If FDev come up with a combined ADS/DSS and give some ships (not the 'Conda) a slot dedicated to it I think that would address a lot of the complaints.
Of course there'll still be people who want it all - long range, lots of slots, great visibility and good SC handling - but 'One explorer to rule them all' blows what little balance we have out of the water completely.

I think resolving the scanner issue would tremendously improve things. The problem is, Explorers have to sacrifice available slots for different types of scanners, whereas some activities that simply don't need them do not. Why should Explorers be the only ones to sacrifice? I mean, for all intents and purposes- even haulers don't have to, unless they choose it. Explorers simply cannot make a "choice" in the matter, you either have scanning equipment- or don't, which then means you cannot "explore" without it.

That's a pretty stupid design choice, IMO.

 

[NW3]

I'd like a Type-9 Explorer. Good cockpit visibility? Check. Lots of optional compartments (2 more than an AspX)? Check. Just cut the cargo capacity until there's room for a size 7 FSD (replace the size 7 cargo bay with a second size 6 bay). Trim some weight until it's not "Heavy". Done.

Another possibility would be to get rid of the size 7 cargo slot entirely and drop in a size 8 FSD for a long-range monster of a ship.

 

[NCFCpaul]

A ship that does 80ly with 5 slots.

I'd like maybe two class 1 weapon slots (for mining lasers if required), with a super light preposterously thin hull for the long jump range, at least one big slot for a massive scoop and and with an oversized FSD even if the distributor and power plant isn't up to much. I like to have some shields, just in case of a heavy landing or something!

With a goldfish bowl cockpit. You could use such a ship for fighting but you'd probably need to be incredibly gud!

That would be my idea of an explorer.

 

[Kaybe]

First off, the minimum *viable* number of internal slots is 6, not 5. There's a reason why the DBX got buffed to have a 6th slot. You need: fuel scoop, shields, AFMUs, srv, and the two scanners. Sure, you could do without shields ... but then planetary landings and docking back at a station becomes a high risk move for no reason. You could do without AFMUs, but then get caught in a bad spot where your ship cooks and your internals are down to 10% health and virtually inoperable far from home. The rest are pretty much mandatory.

So the better question to ask would be whether I'd rake a 6 slot ultra high jump range vs a 9 slotter with *half* the range, then obviously I'd take the 6 slotter. Cause c'mon ... half the range?

The point of this thread is that we have very little choice right now. We either take bare bones ships like the Asp and DBX, or we take high capacity but so uncomfortable like the Anaconda. There is no middle ground. There are no other options. Combat ships have loads of choices where people can choose between fast or slow, sluggish or agile, shield tank or hull tank, big guns vs smaller ones ... there are a *dozen* dedicated combat ships in the game, and a whole slew of multipurpose ships that are still better at combat than exploration.

As others have mentioned, the only explorers in the game are all multipurpose ships. And because of that, there is a balancing act involved that makes it so ships are not as good at exploration as they could potentially be. For example, could you imagine if they stripped the Asp of most of it's weaponry in exchange for an extra optional internal? You'd *finally* be able to fit a limpet controller (and a cargo rack with it) without sacrificing all the other standard exploration tools. Hell, imagine an explorer with 9 slots ... then you'd be able to fit both a fuel limpet controller and a repair limpet controller. Right now, the only deep space explorer that can fit more than the bare essentials is the Anaconda and that is NOT a fun ship to fly in supercruise.

Explorers just want to be given the same treatment and love as combat pilots. Some people like fight, others like to travel.

 

[Sylveria]

Explorers just want to be given the same treatment and love as combat pilots. Some people like fight, others like to travel.

Bean-go.

 

[[Diplomacy] Carnegie]

First off, the minimum *viable* number of internal slots is 6, not 5. There's a reason why the DBX got buffed to have a 6th slot. You need: fuel scoop, shields, AFMUs, srv, and the two scanners. Sure, you could do without shields ... but then planetary landings and docking back at a station becomes a high risk move for no reason. You could do without AFMUs, but then get caught in a bad spot where your ship cooks and your internals are down to 10% health and virtually inoperable far from home. The rest are pretty much mandatory.

So the better question to ask would be whether I'd rake a 6 slot ultra high jump range vs a 9 slotter with *half* the range, then obviously I'd take the 6 slotter. Cause c'mon ... half the range?

The point of this thread is that we have very little choice right now. We either take bare bones ships like the Asp and DBX, or we take high capacity but so uncomfortable like the Anaconda. There is no middle ground. There are no other options. Combat ships have loads of choices where people can choose between fast or slow, sluggish or agile, shield tank or hull tank, big guns vs smaller ones ... there are a *dozen* dedicated combat ships in the game, and a whole slew of multipurpose ships that are still better at combat than exploration.

As others have mentioned, the only explorers in the game are all multipurpose ships. And because of that, there is a balancing act involved that makes it so ships are not as good at exploration as they could potentially be. For example, could you imagine if they stripped the Asp of most of it's weaponry in exchange for an extra optional internal? You'd *finally* be able to fit a limpet controller (and a cargo rack with it) without sacrificing all the other standard exploration tools. Hell, imagine an explorer with 9 slots ... then you'd be able to fit both a fuel limpet controller and a repair limpet controller. Right now, the only deep space explorer that can fit more than the bare essentials is the Anaconda and that is NOT a fun ship to fly in supercruise.

Explorers just want to be given the same treatment and love as combat pilots. Some people like fight, others like to travel.

I've traveled nearly 1 million LYs and never fitted an AFMU.
Exploration is completely viable without them - just fit Heat Sink launchers and you won't get cooked. Not that I fit those either and I STILL don't get cooked - lightly toasted at most.

I think claiming that combat pilots get special treatment is slightly misleading - there's a lot of them, but they all have drawbacks and optimizing them takes sacrifices.

Finally, you claim there's a lack of choice involved in exploration ships - but unless you're obsessed with jump range there are plenty of ships that are perfectly viable for exploration, including the NEW Krait II.
If FDev create a new 6-slot explorer with a jump range exceeding the 'Conda then the choice of exploration ships actually goes DOWN because the AspX and the DBX become redundant.

 

[Old Duck]

First off, the minimum *viable* number of internal slots is 6, not 5.

Well there was this guy who circumvented (I mean 'circumnavigated', LOL) the galaxy in a Sidewinder, IIRC.

 

[Kaybe]

The problem is the other ships don't have the exploration ranges needed to compete with the DBX, AspX, and Anaconda. Sure, there's always going to be a few that will fly to the other side of the galaxy in a Federal Corvette, but they do so for bragging rights, not because it's efficient. But for the vast majority of people that wish to fly tens of thousands of light years away, they want to know they can get there quicker than not. Hell, even if you want to meticulously map a single sector of the galaxy star by star, it still takes time to actually get there and back. Range is everything for an explorer, and hence why most explorers still fly the AspX and Anaconda.

It's the fact that there's only three ships in the game with those kinds of jump ranges that has people upset. No one is asking for new ships with even greater jump range than those. We just want more of those ranges so people are offered a sizeable variety of viable options.

 

[[Diplomacy] Carnegie]

We just want more of those ranges so people are offered a sizeable variety of viable options.

Whilst I agree with this...

No one is asking for new ships with even greater jump range than those.

... this is just flat-out wrong

 

[Dbrn47]

The problem is the other ships don't have the exploration ranges needed to compete with the DBX, AspX, and Anaconda. Sure, there's always going to be a few that will fly to the other side of the galaxy in a Federal Corvette, but they do so for bragging rights, not because it's efficient. But for the vast majority of people that wish to fly tens of thousands of light years away, they want to know they can get there quicker than not. Hell, even if you want to meticulously map a single sector of the galaxy star by star, it still takes time to actually get there and back. Range is everything for an explorer, and hence why most explorers still fly the AspX and Anaconda.

It's the fact that there's only three ships in the game with those kinds of jump ranges that has people upset. No one is asking for new ships with even greater jump range than those. We just want more of those ranges so people are offered a sizeable variety of viable options.

Maybe they should start selling actual ship skins (not colors) instead of developing new ships then, because really that's where most of them are anyway. There's only so much they can do with the 'character' of ships before it's down to how it looks and not how it performs. You'd be able to look all super unique like and still have the performance of your viable Asp. On the other hand, Chieftain Explorer, Krait Explorer, Python Explorer, [zZzZz][zZzZz][zZzZz] What was I talking about?

 

[Limoncello Lizard]

A large specialist exploration ship would be nice.

Hopefully, FD will also be adding exploration specific module slots to the two existing exploration ships in the game.

 

[baudelier]

8 or 9 optional slots?
You don't need more than 5 for exploration.

You need a minimum of eight slots for exploration.

Advanced Discovery Scanner
Detailed System Scanner
Fuel Scoop
Shield Generator
SRV Bay
AFMU
Repair Limpet Controller
Cargo Bay (for limpets)

9 slots if you want to add a
Second AFMU
Fuel Limpet Controller
Fighter Bay

Or 11 slots for the lot.

 

[Freelancer Knux]

Yeah 80+ Jump range 9 internals and 5 large hard points. Best explorer right there

 

[Stealthie]

Geez, we've had 2 new exploration ships in the last 6 months.

Both the T10 and the Krait are eminently suitable for exploration.

 

[El_Hefe]

Literally every ship in the game can explore,people in sidewinders and T9's have proved this.

Not every ship in the game can comfortably fight in a Haz res,not every ship can carry 720t of cargo.

Its like the pirate ship people keep asking for,nearly any ship can be converted to be a pirate,smaller ships can still pirate smaller ship,but people want a dedicated one. When theres plenty of ships in the game that can satisfy the needs of a pirate/explorer.

Just seems like complaing to me because want the ship THEY think ilwould be good for exploration.

Until more mechanics are introduced i dont see the need for a dedicated explorer,whatever that may be.

 

[[Diplomacy] Carnegie]

You need a minimum of eight slots for exploration.

Advanced Discovery Scanner
Detailed System Scanner
Fuel Scoop
Shield Generator
SRV Bay
AFMU
Repair Limpet Controller
Cargo Bay (for limpets)

9 slots if you want to add a
Second AFMU
Fuel Limpet Controller
Fighter Bay

Or 11 slots for the lot.

How have I managed to cover 1 million LY with just ADS, DDS, SRV, Fuel Scoop and Shield?

Exploration doesn't mean flying into stars and crashing out of SC.

 

[Robin Shirley]

Would you prefer a ship that jumps 80LY but only has 5 optional slots, or one that jumps 40LY with 9?

I would take 80LY with 5 slots, simply because with the Python we already have a ship with 9 slots wich can jump 40LY.

However, 5 slots is less than the DBX has, so it's kind of terrible. But when it's cheap enough maybe nice for short trips, but nothing i would take for longer expeditions. If at all...

 

[Dbrn47]

You need a minimum of eight slots for exploration.

Advanced Discovery Scanner
Detailed System Scanner
Fuel Scoop
Shield Generator
SRV Bay
AFMU
Repair Limpet Controller
Cargo Bay (for limpets)

9 slots if you want to add a
Second AFMU
Fuel Limpet Controller
Fighter Bay

Or 11 slots for the lot.

Idk, you don't even need to leave to bubble to 'explore' soooo... Until they add special things to find 60k LY away from the bubble that you can't find near it, you really don't need all that stuff.

 

[[Diplomacy] Carnegie]

I would take 80LY with 5 slots, simply because with the Python we already have a ship with 9 slots wich can jump 40LY.

However, 5 slots is less than the DBX has, so it's kind of terrible. But when it's cheap enough maybe nice for short trips, but nothing i would take for longer expeditions. If at all...

It's interesting- everyone (so far) has gone for jump range over slots.

I'd still put money on there being an outcry if FDev released an 80/5 explorer ship, because it "doesn't have enough slots"

 

[Drelthar]

My idea of an exploration ship would have sweet jump range, tiny shield/hull strength, and enough slots/hardpoints for:

Heat sink launcher
Wake scanner
Cargo scanner
Xeno scanner

All four mining "weapons"

Small shield generator
Refinery
Collector limpets
Recon limpets
Hatch limpets
Repair limpets
Refuel limpets
SRV bay
Fighter bay (for an exploration/mining shuttle)
Fuel scoop
Auto field maintenance unit
Corrosion resistant cargo bay
Passenger bay

Most of the above slots could be size 1, and I couldn't care less.

I'm not asking much right?

As you can tell, I'd go for slots over range.
But range couldn't be horrible.
Below 40 would suck.