How important do you consider cargo space for exploration

Sayyadina

S
I'm no stranger to Exploration, been out all over, got my Elite ranking, took all manner of pretty pictures ( https://imgur.com/a/Men9M ) . The thing is most of that was in an Asp, that fitted 2 AFMUs for redundancy, did not have much room for the nicer things. Now that I've mostly finished outfitting my exploration Python (the Explora-thon :D) I have some room left over. How important does the exploration community find cargo space? For those that do, what's the minimum you prefer, and what sort of things do you prioritize collecting outside of the bubble?

Thanks for any input you may have!
 
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Jastebro

Jastebro
Up to 4 tons of cargo is nice, if you plan for an extended trip & fit repair/fuel limpet controllers for either emergency repairs, or deep space rescue of stranded commanders.
Otherwise, the drones have nowhere to go once synthesized.

If you hang around reasonably near civilization, finding escape pods to rescue will also be a thing.

Bottom line, cargo racks have no weight on their own, so you might as well fit them, if your thrusters mass allowance can handle it.
 
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Ebel

Ebel
Sayyadina said:
I'm no stranger to Exploration, been out all over, got my Elite ranking, took all manner of pretty pictures ( https://imgur.com/a/Men9M ) . The thing is most of that was in an Asp, that fitted 2 AFMUs for redundancy, did not have much room for the nicer things. Now that I've mostly finished outfitting my exploration Python (the Explora-thon :D) I have some room left over. How important does the exploration community find cargo space? For those that do, what's the minimum you prefer, and what sort of things do you prioritize collecting outside of the bubble?

Thanks for any input you may have!
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Well, I only carry a 2e rack if I happen to be in the mood to carry a repair limpet controller. Other than that, no. I don't collect anything along the way as that just attracts trouble on my unarmed 'Conda and really isn't worth all that much. Wish we could synth directly to the controller and forget about the cargo rack.
 

Ripster

Ripster
Cargo


Smargo....

Buckle up and go with a stripped down ship of your choice and when you are out there, face palm and giggle at all the mod cons you have forgotten :)
 

Skip Rockbounder

Skip Rockbounder
Bigger the better!

Well I guess there's always one! (that'll be Me this time)

I have always loved the Exploration part of Elite and finding stuff on planets and having nowhere to put it is... frustrating, so my clipper has a 128 ton slot for rescues and Gold... we like gold, and palladium and platinum and...

Currently I have a couple of dozen coffins and a few dozen canisters, I'm not worried about making the biggest jump ever, on the way out (and empty) I slid my cargo slidebar up to limit my jumps to 27ly that way my scooping was quicker (it's surprising how much less fuel you use by knocking the jump range back just 20/25% less) and I had less time to burn up, it also prepares me for having limited jump as the cargo bay fills up over the course of a year out.

So I guess it's up to you, do you wanna go as far as possible or just hang 30/40K out?
 

Sayyadina

S
Thanks for the input! I'm thinking of maybe going with 16 tons just to see what I might find, who knows, maybe I will get lucky and find something shiny.

Skip Rockbounder said:
Well I guess there's always one! (that'll be Me this time)

I have always loved the Exploration part of Elite and finding stuff on planets and having nowhere to put it is... frustrating, so my clipper has a 128 ton slot for rescues and Gold... we like gold, and palladium and platinum and...

Currently I have a couple of dozen coffins and a few dozen canisters, I'm not worried about making the biggest jump ever, on the way out (and empty) I slid my cargo slidebar up to limit my jumps to 27ly that way my scooping was quicker (it's surprising how much less fuel you use by knocking the jump range back just 20/25% less) and I had less time to burn up, it also prepares me for having limited jump as the cargo bay fills up over the course of a year out.

So I guess it's up to you, do you wanna go as far as possible or just hang 30/40K out?
Click to expand...

I am thinking of either going straight through to the far side, or taking a REALLY long sort of meandery circumnavigation. I love the distant lonesome places of the fringe, but I also adore the sky chock-full of stars that you find coreward. SO MANY THINGS TO SEE!
 

Satsuma

Satsuma
I've flown about 500 kly in my Asp, and have always had some sort of cargo bay or other. Currently I'm running a standard explorer's loadout (class 6 fuel scoop, class 3 shield, ADS/DSS, 2G buggy hangar) with a single class 3 AFMU and a class 5 cargo bay. I've never needed a double AFMU setup, though I'll caveat that with the fact that my longest trip was only about 150 kly, so the people doing galactic circumnavigations could be running into situations that I haven't seen yet.

Why do I fit a cargo bay? Partially because it lets me tune my jump range - plotting "fastest" routes with my cargo slider up shortens my calculated maximum jump, which reduces my fuel usage significantly. I've only had to do this rarely, but it's enabled me to use route plotting through some badlands that I otherwise would have had to do a lot of manual plotting with. Mainly, though, it's just because you never know what you'll find. At the end of DWE, when Olivia V. christened the Explorer's Legacies, I had cargo space free so I could take one. I've ferried limpets for other explorers, I've carried escape pods, materials for the Enigma Expedition, etc. Some of these things are "merely" for RP purposes, but they all increase my enjoyment of the game.
 
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Sapyx

Sapyx
Sorry, but I don't have room on my exploration Asp for an SRV. I certainly don't have room for free cargo space.
 

Major Klutz

Major Klutz
Not important at all. Lowest possible priority. No reason to carry anything out and never worth the fuel to carry anything back.
 

lokvette

lokvette
I left on my currant junt before the repair limpits came out, but I sill have a 64 cargo hold, not sure why think I might just have left it in there when I refitted.

Howerver it did come in handy when I found 6 escape pods about 3K Ly out from the bubble on my way back in, I off loaded them when I docked at (and for the life of me I cant remember where Im docked, its about 2k out from the bubble). I always have cargo space just in case. I know they arent woth much but its more a "its all right lads Ill get you home" sort of thing. :D
 
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mls

mls
Satsuma said:
I've flown about 500 kly in my Asp, and have always had some sort of cargo bay or other. Currently I'm running a standard explorer's loadout (class 6 fuel scoop, class 3 shield, ADS/DSS, 2G buggy hangar) with a single class 3 AFMU and a class 5 cargo bay. I've never needed a double AFMU setup, though I'll caveat that with the fact that my longest trip was only about 150 kly, so the people doing galactic circumnavigations could be running into situations that I haven't seen yet.

Why do I fit a cargo bay? Partially because it lets me tune my jump range - plotting "fastest" routes with my cargo slider up shortens my calculated maximum jump, which reduces my fuel usage significantly. I've only had to do this rarely, but it's enabled me to use route plotting through some badlands that I otherwise would have had to do a lot of manual plotting with. Mainly, though, it's just because you never know what you'll find. At the end of DWE, when Olivia V. christened the Explorer's Legacies, I had cargo space free so I could take one. I've ferried limpets for other explorers, I've carried escape pods, materials for the Enigma Expedition, etc. Some of these things are "merely" for RP purposes, but they all increase my enjoyment of the game.
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i have a 64t cargo slot in my conda for the same reasons. Of course it's also required for limpet controllers, but i like plotting with a virtual 64t of cargo. This reduces my maximum jumprange on the plotter from 65ly to around 55ly, but it increases the jump count on a full tank from 8 to around 15 so i spend a lot less time refueling and can cover considerably more ly/h if i have to.
 

Jethro49

Jethro49
On my last 40 kly trip from Colonia to the Bubble throught the Auswy Guardian sites, I had 32 tons of cargo space available. I brought back to civilization a dozen of escape pods, which was quite interesting in terms of ethics - but relatively nothing in terms of pure gameplay...
 

Ism

I
Sapyx said:
Sorry, but I don't have room on my exploration Asp for an SRV. I certainly don't have room for free cargo space.
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You lost me there Bro. I have both plus minimal shield generator and have something like a 56ly jump range with full tank.

As to the OP's question; I did pick some cargo once on the way back from an exp. trip but the loss of jump range wasn't worth any payout.
 

marx

marx
How important? Barely. Unless you plan to use limpets, of course. Hauling back stuff isn't worth it, as the payout is too small for the increased risk.

However, as for hauling stuff out... If I have empty internal slots, I do take a rack out, and carry some Thargoid stuff around. It only ever came in handy just once though, and even then, barely. (Delivered some meta-alloys to Jaques station just when it was found.) So basically, it's almost certainly useless, unless you wish to use limpets.
 

Bob McBobblehead

Bob McBobblehead
Cargo racks are can be useful for exploration.

1. You can adjust the route plotter jump range using empty cargo rack.
2. You need one for limpets if you want hull repairs.

Personally I just like to one class 4 corrosive resistant cargo rack.
 
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