Give exploration data same status as materials

[zipline]

When a ship is destroyed all materials are retained but exploration data is lost, but this does not make sense. In this modern age of space exploration surely it is possible to backup exploration data onto external storage that can be saved alongside the materials? Happy for this to be a specific task that a cmdr must execute periodically.

 

[Lestat]

When a ship is destroyed all materials are retained but exploration data is lost, but this does not make sense. In this modern age of space exploration surely it is possible to backup exploration data onto external storage that can be saved alongside the materials? Happy for this to be a specific task that a cmdr must execute periodically.

So are you going to ask for the same benefit for players who are traders and has cargo? Or Bounty hunters with Bounties earned?

Here what you need to do as an Explorer. DON'T FLY STUPID. Take your time. If you feel your ship is badly damaged. Fly to the nearest station and get some repairs. Check and see if Fuel rats can repair your Hull.

If you feel you have too much Exploration data and worry about losing it. Return to a station and sell it.

 

[metatheurgist]

It's not about backups in the space age. End of day Elite is a game and there has to be a risk of loss for success to mean anything. Every other activity has a risk of loss. Trade, Cargo. Combat, bounties or Bonds. The only part of the game where you risk nothing is CQC, which is why the rewards there deservedly suck.

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

DISCLAIMER: NOT MY OPINION.
Just an idea.

I've wondered if it would be a good idea to drop a black box on death, which has a timer for recovery.
All you need to do is fly back to where you died and scoop it up, and download the data back to your ship.

It contains the data you'd normally lose on death, bounty vouchers, bonds, and exploration data.

Sounds easy?
Well, depending on your manner of death, things can go belly up quite quickly.

Died against a pirate? Well now they've stolen it. You have a transponder key to follow, but you're gonna have to fight for it, before the pirate decrypts your data for itself.
Bring a hatch breaker limpet!

Died in a CZ? same as above. The enemy have taken it as intelligence and are taking it for decryption. Get it back before they dock!

Died due to the environment?
Well now you need to go find it. It's floating out there somewhere, I hope you remembered what system you was in!
It'll appear as a USS in the FSS, or if you was within the gravity well of a planet, it'll appear as a surface signal if you probe it.
You don't have long to recover it though.



Adds a level of gameplay to death. But maintains the risk.

 

[Misty_Dark]

DISCLAIMER: NOT MY OPINION.
Just an idea.

I've wondered if it would be a good idea to drop a black box on death, which has a timer for recovery.
All you need to do is fly back to where you died and scoop it up, and download the data back to your ship.

It contains the data you'd normally lose on death, bounty vouchers, bonds, and exploration data.

Sounds easy?
Well, depending on your manner of death, things can go belly up quite quickly.

Died against a pirate? Well now they've stolen it. You have a transponder key to follow, but you're gonna have to fight for it, before the pirate decrypts your data for itself.
Bring a hatch breaker limpet!

Died in a CZ? same as above. The enemy have taken it as intelligence and are taking it for decryption. Get it back before they dock!

Died due to the environment?
Well now you need to go find it. It's floating out there somewhere, I hope you remembered what system you was in!
It'll appear as a USS in the FSS, or if you was within the gravity well of a planet, it'll appear as a surface signal if you probe it.
You don't have long to recover it though.



Adds a level of gameplay to death. But maintains the risk.

I like this sort of ideas, gives some us more options to recover from bad stuff.

 

[AdmiralXanos]

DISCLAIMER: NOT MY OPINION.
Just an idea.

I've wondered if it would be a good idea to drop a black box on death, which has a timer for recovery.
All you need to do is fly back to where you died and scoop it up, and download the data back to your ship.

It contains the data you'd normally lose on death, bounty vouchers, bonds, and exploration data.

Sounds easy?
Well, depending on your manner of death, things can go belly up quite quickly.

Died against a pirate? Well now they've stolen it. You have a transponder key to follow, but you're gonna have to fight for it, before the pirate decrypts your data for itself.
Bring a hatch breaker limpet!

Died in a CZ? same as above. The enemy have taken it as intelligence and are taking it for decryption. Get it back before they dock!

Died due to the environment?
Well now you need to go find it. It's floating out there somewhere, I hope you remembered what system you was in!
It'll appear as a USS in the FSS, or if you was within the gravity well of a planet, it'll appear as a surface signal if you probe it.
You don't have long to recover it though.



Adds a level of gameplay to death. But maintains the risk.

this has some neat gameplay potential, also I like that exploration data can be recovered but prevents deep space suicides to cash in instantly.

 

[Virandar]

As a Black Box kind of thing you drop at death that could be viable. If you have to go back and retrieve it, as your own, personal mission. I think that would be great.
Though if they did similar thing for the engineering mats and data, I would probably just free the space on my hard drive there and then. They are way too much pain to accumulate as it is, whereas when it comes to exploration data, there's not that much of a difference between one exploration trip and another. One HMC World is pretty much the same as any other HMC World. Which may be why the exploration data works the way it does: you're not loosing anything particularly valuable.

 

[Lestat]

If you are asking for a pass for Explorers to retrieve their black box you are giving an easy mode to Exploration which is already too easy. Unless you are not paying attention or drunk or under the influence or viewing other sites while flying. Which means it your fault for dying. What about Traders and Combat players?

 

[Virandar]

If you are asking for a pass for Explorers to retrieve their black box you are giving an easy mode to Exploration which is already too easy. Unless you are not paying attention or drunk or under the influence or viewing other sites while flying. Which means it your fault for dying. What about Traders and Combat players?

What sort of pass? No pass, a name of the system where they got blown into smithereens and option to recover their losses or some of them. With the caveat it shows as USS to everyone who happens to be in that system over the next 24 hours or so.
They want their data back, they can fly there and retrieve it. They don't want to, they can cancel it as every other message / mission in the comms tab. As for the traders and combat players, I don't see why they shouldn't get the same. Say, you decided to lug a transport of 20k/T of Nevermindium from system A to a system B 1000Ly away. And you were unlucky / inebriated / distracted enough to hug a nice and warm star somewhere near the end of your route. Or a pirate got you. And you got blown into pieces. You should be able to go there from your last port of call and try to retrieve the cargo. You may not be able to retrieve all of it or it might have attracted some unwanted attention from various scavvers if you had your accident in some shady system, but you should be free to go back to the location and look for it. Pretty much the same as you can find illegal salvage (various cargo canisters) now, with the difference that this one wouldn't be illegal salvage to you.
As for the bounties, again, I see no problem with the black box solution. Again, you may find out someone is trying to retrieve it as well to claim it falsely. Or maybe you got lucky and nobody noticed your data bank floating in space.

If anything, this sort of solution would add more life to the galaxy, other entities would become more interesting than just some NPCs to blow up. There's also more possibilities for interaction between the players as well, both: a.) friendly "Hey dude, found this explo data on my way to the core, I can hand it over to you if you catch up with me" and b.) Shady. "Hey dude, just recovered some of your bounties. Here's the deal: you share half of their value with me and I will give it back to you". To which you could respond by opening fire and trying to retrieve them this way.

 

[Para Handy]

Give exploration data same status as materials .

I don't like this idea because it means someone could make an extremely long journey and then decide to suicide back tens of thousands of light-years and go "kerching" in Cartographics.

no thanks

 

[Strangepork]

When a ship is destroyed all materials are retained but exploration data is lost, but this does not make sense. In this modern age of space exploration surely it is possible to backup exploration data onto external storage that can be saved alongside the materials? Happy for this to be a specific task that a cmdr must execute periodically.

You want risk free exploration?

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

If you are asking for a pass for Explorers to retrieve their black box you are giving an easy mode to Exploration which is already too easy. Unless you are not paying attention or drunk or under the influence or viewing other sites while flying. Which means it your fault for dying. What about Traders and Combat players?

Yeah, like I said, it's not my opinion, just an idea.

Exploration, apart from neutron jumps, is almost entirely without risk.
If they was to implement my suggestion, I'd recommend exploration gets some real nasty dangers to compensate, reasons to bring good shields, and keep your wits about you.
The black box idea covers bounty vouchers and combat bonds too.
But I think most CMDRs like that exploration is quite 'chill' so I wouldn't support making it more risky.

I did have an exploit-free idea for cargo insurance too, but hell if I'm typing that out again. Lol

 

[rghawk]

So I see, no risk no price so it is ok to make billions on passenger runs and materials and you want to force a bount hunting role playing gamer to do those kind of missions to support their hunting. Completly wrong. Plus the bounty / standing system is flawed cause you received you mail for standing increase base on the kills you make. So, when you die, just clarifies me this: do you lose your standing as well? if you do, how can you receive standing the first place? if you dont lose the standing, how did you get standings if you didnt hand in the bounties? So here is the first contradiction in your design. Plus why are you going to force bounty hunters role players that doesnt make 1/10 (even less) comparing to other areas to run passenger mission, materials, mining and so on to support their hunting? Completly wrong and unbalanced. This is an important topic because as it is, the programmer tried to force something and I can see many people agreed on that but how big is the Dangerous Elite Community due to many unbalance escenarios? You have to keep in mind there are man kind of roleplaying in games and even if some people dont roleplay at all, some people have fun doing certain things than other dont do. First, standing should no increase without handing the bounties so you should NOT receive any email at all. 2nd, since the bounty arent automatically hand in, they should be more so it is worth the risk of roleplaying as bounty hunter and you dont feel like an idiot making just 400k doing the only a thing you like to do while other make millions in few hours of playing other areas of the game. Best regards