I misplaced my binary star!

Aquitaine

A
Hi folks,

ED newb here. I tried searching the many, many guides out there for an answer to this, and while I got answers to 100 other questions I had, this one is still stumping me. I haven't played before this week but have figured out most of the noob ropes so far.

Trying to explore a neighboring system from where I started just to get the hang of it. Went one jump away to LTT 18486, which had 'no system info' and seemed ripe for basic exploration. Got the star and planets and resource areas, figured out the scanner, hooray!

One problem: the system map lists a binary star, and shows the other one as 'unexplored.' It also shows an asteroid belt that does show as explored, but I can't see it on my navigation list. I've been searching for the better part of an hour to find this other star, but without any luck.

Questions:

1) It's a ' star. How do I not know where it is?

2) Does the system map show where I am? It doesn't seem to, but this would be super helpful.

3) More generally speaking, should I take the first bus out of my random starting system and get to the established areas with trade routes, or is everything I need more or less here?

4) I was a backer and so have an Eagle lying around. If I sell it (assuming I can sell it), and then wipe the save, do I get a free Eagle with every game start?

Thank you!
-Aq
 

ElleShaped

ElleShaped
It's likely a 'remote companion', which are often between 15k and 300k ls from the star that you enter at.

Target the main star, and then look for its orbital line. Follow that line until you see a brightish star directly on the path - that's the companion. Fly toward it at max SC. Once you're up to a hundred times c or so, angle about 60 degrees down from your star. If it has parallax movement against the background - and be aware it may be -very slow- if it is several hundred ls away - then that is the companion.

If you fly directly at it, you will see that eventually your speed will peak and start slowing again. When that happens, you're a little more than halfway there, and you know you have the right target.

If it IS several hundred thousand LS away, you might get up to 600 or even 900 times c before you hit the turnaround, so be patient.

Your other questions:

2. No, just what's in the system. It's also not to scale.

3. No good answer here, do what is fun and you'll learn how to make money at it.

4. Yes, if you wipe your save your restart will have another free Eagle.
 
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adoredtv

adoredtv
1) To find the 2nd star in a binary system, target the primary star in FSD drive (so you get orbit lines). Follow the orbit line around until you see the 2nd star on the plane - it's normally obvious that the star is closer or in the same system as it'll be brighter or a different colour to most background stars.

2) No

3) Everything you need to get going should be relatively nearby.

4) Yes.
 

krysohmyz

K
Ad 1) Galaxy map can also helps.
Move the camera to line the two stars in the system up and find a distant system that is on that line. Target it and you will have an approximate idea where the second star is. :)
 
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ElleShaped

ElleShaped
krysohmyz said:
Ad 1) Galaxy map can also helps.
Move the camera to line the two stars in the system up and find a distant system that is on that line. Target it and you will have an approximate idea where the second star is. :)
Click to expand...

... brilliant! Have you actually done thins? I always just assumed that the galaxy map wasn't to scale and was just representative but if this works, then mind = blown.
 

cygnusa

cygnusa
My understanding of it is that some systems are simply huge. Vast distances between multiple stars in a given system. The starter discovery scanner has a range of something like 100Ls if I recall correctly. Others can correct me if I'm wrong... but it is relatively short range. If a companion star is 120000Ls away, it won't show up. The only way to truly scan an entire system is to get the advanced system scanner.. it scans whole entirety of systems in one go. But it comes with a price tag over a mil credits or something. Add a surface scanner and you get extra detail for planetary bodies, such as type/composition. That may matter more in the future when they are supposedly going to enable planetary landings.

A method to find other stars systems is to fly away from the primary star that you warped in on. Fly away and get up to something like 20c speed (20x speed of ligtht) or thereabouts. Fly around the system in a deliberate fashion covering 'ground', eyeballing the star background looking for stars that shift. Actual distant stars won't shift. Closer objects within the same system will. You can look up the concept of 'parallax' .. by flying so fast, you are able to see the distant motion occur. You still need to fly up within range to scan it with your discovery scanner however to have it show up in the navigation pane.

1> The distances can be crazy huge.. at such far distances, most everything will appear as a point. Its tricky.

2> Yeah it doesn't quite tell you where you are. You can estimate by looking at the navigation pane. The closer objects are near the top, further as they go down the list. Identify the closest body from the list, go to the system map, and you can sort of guess where you are relative to the other bodies. This is rediculously rough however. Nothing is to scale, planets and everything move in orbits constantly. Unfort the game has no eagle eye view with you are here marked.

3> Its entirely up to you. My personal starting method is to explore, run missions and haul cargo all the while looking for a sweet trade route. Step 2 is to upgrade to something that can haul cargo. While exploring try to find 2-3 systems/stations that complement each other for an effective trade route. Usually lots of paper notes ;P Once you find a sweet spot you can just focus on making cash. I love the cobra ship... so I try to make a bee-line right for a stock cobra. I then just haul cargo and do missions until I can deck the ship out a bit. A cobra with all C ranked gear with 32ton cargo hold does a rather decent job. From there one can buff the ship to even better gear (and steep prices), or one can work towards a larger/different class ship.

4> I believe if you are in the Eagle and purchase a new ship, you can use the Eagle's value to offset the new ship. The game doesn't (yet?) allow you to outright sell a ship. Ships/modules resold in such a manner lose a bit of value.. something like 10% if I remember right. But you do get some cash back to invest into the new ship. Can't complain about that at all. Any modules on the ship are sold, you can't move them to your new ship.


I knock down NPC cobras, asps, and anacondas with my cobra.. I question upgrading to an asp, as the asps I tend to fight seem to be sitting ducks due to their speed. But eventually I'll get one to try out. The larger cargo hold has many benefits... plus if decked out properly can pack a serious punch due to higher class modules. If you like a mostly combat oriented craft, then try a viper. Much smaller cargo hold then a cobra, but it is darn fast and agile.

Most important thing.. just have fun. It shouldn't become a job.. which sometimes repetitive cargo running can feel like.
 

krysohmyz

K
The last sentence is actually the most important thing. Don't ever slip to something like: "Okay, I am going to stick here and mine gold for a week to buy a Clipper"

That will kill you. Sometimes quite literaly... >.<
 

bonsek

bonsek
This is the easiest way to find the second star:
  • First make sure you are right next to the first star.
  • Open the galaxy map and select the system you are in (triangle turns orange from blue). This selects the center of the system, and usually the stars are on the opposite ends of the center.
  • Now rotate your ship to align the little blue dot in the center.
  • Fly in that direction and you will see the next star as you pass the center.
  • You can judge the distance by seeing how far is the system center from your current star and double that amount.


3 star systems are little bit more trickier.
 
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