Guidance for first trip outside the bubble.

[wAsh67]

OK, self confessed 3 month in noob here. I have done some exploration on the Farseer/Maia quest so I have become familiar with the DSS. Yesterday I graduated to Tycoon in trade, so for a change of scenery (seeing as everybody bitches about noobs becoming Elite too fast, I thought I'd put the brakes on trade - never touched a void opal btw - did it all in missions in a shieldless Challenger. That was pulse raising....) I decided on an exploration jaunt to rank up from Ranger to the giddy heights of near Elite.

As I'm from a mining community in the South Wales valleys I decided to do the Coal Sack as its close to my heart. (Actually I typed Sag-A into the search box and the navcom just started laughing so I decided to start with something closer to home.) Stripped out my cargo bays and installed fuel scoops, all the scanners and an SRV. I know a Challenger isn't a recommended explorer but I like the thing and the HRPs and MRPs give me a sense of security.

Anyway, I'm not looking for short cuts, but I am wondering how much of my time I'm wasting scanning every damn lump of rock as I head further into the region. I understand from past experience that rocky and icy bodies are pretty much worthless, but without being able to return and cash in my finds to see what earns maximim moolah, I'm wondering if high metal content bodies are worth resolving on the scanner, or if I should just skip them and focus on probe mapping metal rich worlds, gas giants, water worlds, ammonia based worlds etc while hunting for that elusive ELW.

Is there a scale of values for discoveries?

 

[marx]

For sale values, check this thread, and this post in particular.
Long story short: if you want credits, go map ELWs and Terraforming Candidates (mostly WWTCs), maybe AWs as well.

As for "seeing as everybody bitches about noobs becoming Elite too fast": you'll find that after Chapter Four you'll gain Elite in exploration just as fast, if not faster. In both trade and exploration, Elite is now the second most common rank (according to EDSM), after Aimless / Penniless.
Think of it more like an extended tutorial now. If you scan the same amount of high-paying planets as you needed for Elite for the most time, you'll have around 2.75 billion credits.

Oh, and the Challenger is a pretty good multirole ship, so it's not bad at exploration either. Because of its base hull mass, it tends to suffer from lower jump ranges, but otherwise, it's fine.

 

[Leadfoot]

As you depart the bubble, go either up or down around 500 or 600 LY, then set a series of bookmarks in a "go to" sequence, then a "go home" sequence. As you set each one up, edit it with waypoint01 waypoint02, etc. Most people just point to where they want to go and go there, hitting each and every star system that everyone else has it. going up or down a bit will help you hit systems that no one has visited yet.

Since this'll be your first trip out, find a location around 10k or 12k LY out. Use the FSS for each and every system you encounter; this is how you make money exploring. Landing on planets and running around a bit in the SRV will (1) get you a number of materials for later use and (2) gets you more exploration time (helps get you closer to "elite" status).

Pay attention to the FSS scanner as each planet/moon is scanned for "locations". If there are any, go there, just scan one of them (in the SRV) and you can sell that to the Codex as well.

DO NOT PICK UP ANY FOUND CARGO OR ESCAPE PODS FROM CRASH SITES.

Well, you CAN if you wish to do so but (1) it'll cut down on your jump range as you increase your ship's mass and (2) pirates will greet you once you're back in the bubble because now you haz stuffs and they wants yr stuffs. Link for payouts is here: https://i.redd.it/5khvftdue6ry.jpg

FYI, this might be outdated with the new FSS being released last December.

 

[Orvidius]

Yeah that chart is certainly outdated as far as "precise" numbers are concerned (especially since everything pays over a wide range too, so you can't be precise anyway), but it still gives the right general idea of what is more or less valuable.

I think what we tend to see with most explorers, is that they start out with a completionist mindset (scan all the things), and then they gradually get more selective over time. Some will get downright ruthless with skipping things later, focusing only on what interests them. Some people remain completionists forever, and that's fine too. There's no right or wrong answer here.

You'll still make decent money if all you do is scan water worlds, ammonia worlds, and earth-likes, especially if you also map at least the earth-likes too, and those others if you want. However terraformable high metal content planets can also be the "bread and butter" of making credits from exploration. You can't tell if it's a terraforming candidate until you've scanned it, of course, but since HMCs are so numerous, even the less valuable ones add up over time, and they don't take a huge amount of time to scan. So that part is just a judgment call in terms of how much time you want to devote to it. Cherry picking the known high-value worlds will still pay well enough, if you want to skip most scanning most systems.

 

[Rooster Podunk]

If it is the time vs money that is your primary goal then are you sure exploration is what you want to pursue? It doesn't matter if you are looking for 3.5million credit ELWs or 1k ice worlds because exploration is all about time. Ask yourself, is the routine of three weeks to 6 months of work something that is going to ruin your enjoyment of the game? If so you might want to look at the other ways to get those cash shortcuts you seem to desire.

 

[Apsley]

Whilst I always use the route plotter, make sure to take a look at the galactic map from time to time as you'll find interesting and unusual stars from time to time.

It may not be for you, but I like to amble and meander toward a destination with extra little trips to see something new as I potter along.

 

[marx]

I think what we tend to see with most explorers, is that they start out with a completionist mindset (scan all the things), and then they gradually get more selective over time. Some will get downright ruthless with skipping things later, focusing only on what interests them. Some people remain completionists forever, and that's fine too.

You know, there's actually data on this. There's this site called EDAstro (you might have heard about it already ), with a handy breakdown of discoveries by date. Plot a chart of bodies scanned per system over time, beginning with the Chapter Four launch.

 

[Orvidius]

You know, there's actually data on this. There's this site called EDAstro (you might have heard about it already ), with a handy breakdown of discoveries by date. Plot a chart of bodies scanned per system over time, beginning with the Chapter Four launch.

What? Actually analyze the data? That's heresy.

EDIT: I added a column to the discoveries by dates spreadsheets to show the average bodies per system. Interesting to see it climb at first, then start dropping rapidly.

 

[iain666]

I know a Challenger isn't a recommended explorer but I like the thing and the HRPs and MRPs give me a sense of security.

That is the single most important recommendation for an exploration ship - that you like the thing. You'll be in it for a fair old while after all.

If you want to keep an eye on what you're likely to be earning then (assuming you're on PC) grab EDDiscovery from the link in my sig to keep track of where you've been and what you saw.

 

[wAsh67]

The earnings aren't important. It's more the time spent resolving bodies that are of no consequence.

My question was more along the lines of "what bodies are worth shooting probes at and what ones aren't worth the effort?"

Anyway, on way back from diving right through the Coal Sack. It's dim in there. Must be where God sleeps. Looks like he turned all the stars down so as he can get some decent kip.

Thanks to all for the helpful replies. Next stop Barnards Loop.

o7 all.

 

[Nekozji]

"what bodies are worth shooting probes at and what ones aren't worth the effort?"

Terraformable anything should earn you a nice chunk, even if you aren't the first discoverer. From memory, discover and map an ELW, you're up for over 3 mil, WW and AW about 2 mil, HMC 680k.

This based on a quick flash of numbers in one of Rusty Dog's streams from about 3 months ago... apologies for not being more precise.

Personally I don't map anything that isn't terraformable, ammonia, or WW. That is very much the 'worthwhile' delimiter imho

Based on undiscovered worlds around the bubble, many players don't even FSS rocky or ice bodies. I even got my name on an ammonia world just 600ly from Sol a couple of days ago, because so many people jump, honk, and jump on without actually scanning the system. You don't need to go as far as you think to find undiscovered stars, let alone planets - you just have to not be on a direct line to any particular viewpoint. My advice would be go about 500ly up or down first, then 500ly sideways, and THEN head for your nebula. Will take you well off the beaten track and give you a much better chance of making discoveries en-route

(Written before noticing you were already at the Coal Sack. Advice still applies, really. People will have gone from there to the loop before, so make sure you get away from the highway and onto a side road. Up, down, left or right, pick any direction that isn't forwards, and make sure you're coming from a decent offset.)

 

[Dr. Nagi]

As for "seeing as everybody bitches about noobs becoming Elite too fast": you'll find that after Chapter Four you'll gain Elite in exploration just as fast, if not faster. In both trade and exploration, Elite is now the second most common rank (according to EDSM), after Aimless / Penniless.

The ranking system just became extremely unbalanced imo. People who just bought the game and went along DW2 already reached Exploration Elite by Sag A* (you need ~310 million credits for that, I made 500 Million till there), because of the increased payouts. Same goes with Trade as the new mining mechanics + BGS changes have made rank progression there really fast nowadays. In contrast, Combat stayed as it was (apart from thargoid scout hunting making that a little faster, but not that much).

 

[wAsh67]

Terraformable anything should earn you a nice chunk, even if you aren't the first discoverer. From memory, discover and map an ELW, you're up for over 3 mil, WW and AW about 2 mil, HMC 680k.

This based on a quick flash of numbers in one of Rusty Dog's streams from about 3 months ago... apologies for not being more precise.

Personally I don't map anything that isn't terraformable, ammonia, or WW. That is very much the 'worthwhile' delimiter imho

Based on undiscovered worlds around the bubble, many players don't even FSS rocky or ice bodies. I even got my name on an ammonia world just 600ly from Sol a couple of days ago, because so many people jump, honk, and jump on without actually scanning the system. You don't need to go as far as you think to find undiscovered stars, let alone planets - you just have to not be on a direct line to any particular viewpoint. My advice would be go about 500ly up or down first, then 500ly sideways, and THEN head for your nebula. Will take you well off the beaten track and give you a much better chance of making discoveries en-route

(Written before noticing you were already at the Coal Sack. Advice still applies, really. People will have gone from there to the loop before, so make sure you get away from the highway and onto a side road. Up, down, left or right, pick any direction that isn't forwards, and make sure you're coming from a decent offset.)

I did actually get a message up congratulating me for being the first to discover a system called Tsimaskara (3 bodies) on the way to the Coal Sack, worth 72,221cr + 10k bonus.

Quick question - how can you tell if a HMC is terraformable?

 

[Nekozji]

Quick question - how can you tell if a HMC is terraformable?

If you're on PC, I'd recommend Captain's Log 2. On a second monitor if you have one, as an overlay if you don't - either way it will give you a faster way to identify whether bodies are terraformable than Elite's in-game data display.

But failing that, you can go back to system map, click the detailed report, and hover over each in turn. "This body is a candidate for terraforming" will be underneath the text description of the body.

 

[wAsh67]

Awesome. Thanks v much for the response.

On PS4, btw.

o7

 

[ECLIP5E]

If you're on PC, I'd recommend Captain's Log 2. On a second monitor if you have one, as an overlay if you don't - either way it will give you a faster way to identify whether bodies are terraformable than Elite's in-game data display.

But failing that, you can go back to system map, click the detailed report, and hover over each in turn. "This body is a candidate for terraforming" will be underneath the text description of the body.

Someone please correct me if I am wrong but you may also save a few seconds by only hovering over non-landable bodies as TC seem to almost always be unable to land on (if you have Horizons expansion)

 

[iain666]

Someone please correct me if I am wrong but you may also save a few seconds by only hovering over non-landable bodies as TC seem to almost always be unable to land on (if you have Horizons expansion)

There are landable, atmosphere-less terraforming candidates out there. I've landed on a few.

If the gravity and temperature are right then the terraforming process is apparently able to supply an atmosphere.

 

[sinisalo]

A couple of months ago I wanted to get my explorer rank over the Elite line. So that means money. I needed to make 110 million in data to do it. I used the chart in this post by SenseiMatty

Exploration payouts - mapped planets

I've looked around, but can't see a note anywhere of what sort of extra payout you get from fully mapping a planet with probes, compared to getting its data from the FSS. I'm asking because fully mapping a system has a significantly higher time investment. If I'm just after the payouts as...

forums.frontier.co.uk

Not sure how accurate it remains, but it gives a good idea of what to look for if you're in it for the money (and rank). Using this as my guide, I did it in three nights. Terraformable HMCs were the key, as getting first discovery and first map is 2+million per planet, and are far easier to find than AWs, WWs or ELWs.

Of course that includes the proficiency bonus, but you should be getting that on every planet I would think (engineer your DSS for probe radius to make it easy)

 

[Nekozji]

There are landable, atmosphere-less terraforming candidates out there.

Can confirm this.

Though to be fair, the number of TC planets with atmospheres is much, much higher than the vacuum options. If you really wanted maximum speed, then ignoring landables might be a fair way to go - you might miss 1 an hour, maybe, compared to the dozens of atmospheric TC HMCs and WWs you'd find in that time.

 

[wAsh67]

Thanks again for all the replies. Got the explorabug so have left Coal Sack, traded in data that took me from 95% trailblazer to 17 % Ranger. Now I'm on my way to Pelican And North American nebulae. Lots of HMC terraformables found, some ELWs too, but no first descoveries as yet. 142 jumps left to get me in the pelican region, then a dive through it to the bottom and back as low as I can get to ka-ching up some more.