Is Exploration now optional and it’s own game?

[who?]

Call me stupid, but even after the beta, I'm still kinda confused over when a system has been scanned or when I need to scan it myself.

Previously, you could always tell since when you arrived in the system, the Discovery Scanner would passively detect the main star and it would show up as "Unexplored". Now, I'm not quite sure. If we DO want to make sure we can un-visited systems, do we need to open up the FSS in every system we pass through and honk, just in case it's un-visited?

 

[Simon Templar]

I'm confused, too. I docked last night and apparently had 550k credits' worth of scan data and hadn't deliberately scanned anything. I like that my ships now have an extra slot, but I will just pretend that exploration isn't a thing and stick to trading and combat, now. I find this new system so impenetrable that I'm just going to pretend it isn't there. So this attempt at immersion has actually left the game less immersive for me and left me with slightly less to do. It's fine, and I get that the majority seem to prefer the new world, but for me the lighting and the exploration stuff (and losing the 'faction rep' entry from the bottom of the main, right hand screen) have all made me like the game a good chunk less than I did on Tuesday. Which has made me sad.

Sorry about the ranty ramble, ignore me. But I do have one (probably stupid) question - do I still need a detailed surface scanner on my ships? My Advanced Discovery Scanners have disappeared (which surprised me, have read into it today but had missed that ahead of time), leaving me 20m cr to the good, but the DSS is still in each ship. Does it serve any purpose, now, would anyone be kind enough to tell me, please?

(Am sure that's a daft question, but this is my first online game, I play Solo, I largely tuned out the pre-update discussion, am sight-reading most of it but I don't see how the DSS fits in now if the ship comes pre-kitted out for exploration.

Thank you in advance.

o7

 

[Aashenfox]

Yes, this is my understanding. ADS is fitted to every ship now without taking a slot and used automatically to identify the star on drop in, if unexplored (to you). No need to honk to gather the simplest system data anymore. Someone correct me if that's wrong.

 

[Simon Templar]

Yes, this is my understanding. ADS is fitted to every ship now without taking a slot and used automatically to identify the star on drop in, if unexplored (to you). No need to honk to gather the simplest system data anymore. Someone correct me if that's wrong.

Yes that is my understanding, too - but then wouldn't the Planetary Surface Scanner be bundled in with it? Wondering if I lose anything by selling mine and freeing up a(nother) slot!

 

[Ashnak]

We still have two scanners, but their operation has somewhat changed:

The FSS: this is a new module that somewhat replaces the ADS, and it's fitted as default in every ship. Massless and doesn't use any power (I think...). It will scan everything that is sufficiently close (like the star on entry, asteroid belts or any close by planets/moons) in passive mode, that's probably where Simon's 550k are coming from.
In active mode, it's a much more powerful (yay!) and complicated (that's what some people complain about) instrument than before. You first have to honk the system to find all possible signal sources (USS to Gas Giants), then can examine them in detail from your current position (unless they're hidden behind each other). That detailed examination will give you everything the DSS has given you before, and all the information on the USS besides (i.e. you can now find your precious HGEs right from the system entry point - you now just have to manage to reach them before they expire...).

The DSS: is no used to actually map a planet(oid)s surface by shooting it with probes. This will give you additional informatin above the FSS scan from afar (and additional money once you cash it in). It should (haven't seen that yet personally) resolve all persistent surface POIs, so you now can find those Geysers from orbit and can select them as target to land (haven't seen that yet myself, those planets I've scanned so far didn't have vulcanism).

 

[Ashnak]

Yes that is my understanding, too - but then wouldn't the Planetary Surface Scanner be bundled in with it? Wondering if I lose anything by selling mine and freeing up a(nother) slot!

Depends on your point of view. Selling your surface scanner won't lose you anything compared to the old system (the FSS now does that job), but it will lose you some of the new functionality.

 

[Riverside]

Call me stupid, but even after the beta, I'm still kinda confused over when a system has been scanned or when I need to scan it myself.

Previously, you could always tell since when you arrived in the system, the Discovery Scanner would passively detect the main star and it would show up as "Unexplored". Now, I'm not quite sure. If we DO want to make sure we can un-visited systems, do we need to open up the FSS in every system we pass through and honk, just in case it's un-visited?

That's what I've been doing. I habitually honk on entry to every system & I am seeing the 'orbital plane established, x bodies found' message every time. I guess it need to re-establish that for any USS & other signals that may have changed. I suppose I'll eventually get out of the habit

 

[Simon Templar]

We still have two scanners, but their operation has somewhat changed:

The FSS: this is a new module that somewhat replaces the ADS, and it's fitted as default in every ship. Massless and doesn't use any power (I think...). It will scan everything that is sufficiently close (like the star on entry, asteroid belts or any close by planets/moons) in passive mode, that's probably where Simon's 550k are coming from.
In active mode, it's a much more powerful (yay!) and complicated (that's what some people complain about) instrument than before. You first have to honk the system to find all possible signal sources (USS to Gas Giants), then can examine them in detail from your current position (unless they're hidden behind each other). That detailed examination will give you everything the DSS has given you before, and all the information on the USS besides (i.e. you can now find your precious HGEs right from the system entry point - you now just have to manage to reach them before they expire...).

The DSS: is no used to actually map a planet(oid)s surface by shooting it with probes. This will give you additional informatin above the FSS scan from afar (and additional money once you cash it in). It should (haven't seen that yet personally) resolve all persistent surface POIs, so you now can find those Geysers from orbit and can select them as target to land (haven't seen that yet myself, those planets I've scanned so far didn't have vulcanism).

Thank you so much for that, Commander, that clears it up entirely - I have clearly missed it, but haven't been able to find that distinction anywhere else. I'll keep the DSS in each ship.

Thank you again - pleased that you split it across two posts, as it enabled me to rep you twice!

o7

 

[Ian Skippy]

Guess my point was, previously, everyone was a bit of an explorer (at least honking) as everything in the game demanded it.
Now, as long as your running in the bubble, doing anything with any scanner is quite optional. Unless your exploring of course.

The FSS is glorious for finding (mission) USS though!

 

[Chris Simon]

The FSS is glorious for finding (mission) USS though!

Or any other USS you currently need, in fact.

 

[DukeIronHand]

Or any other USS you currently need, in fact.

Yea I definitely got to learn the new system inside and out but I can still play the game while I do.
And, as a fan of USS surfing, I am happy to see the “old system” of random encounters with them is still intact.

 

[Ian Skippy]

Call me stupid, but even after the beta, I'm still kinda confused over when a system has been scanned or when I need to scan it myself.

Previously, you could always tell since when you arrived in the system, the Discovery Scanner would passively detect the main star and it would show up as "Unexplored". Now, I'm not quite sure. If we DO want to make sure we can un-visited systems, do we need to open up the FSS in every system we pass through and honk, just in case it's un-visited?

1) Enter the system.
2) Do you see planets on the radar? Someone has been here before!
3) No planets on the radar? Honk! Do you get the 'x bodies discovered' notice? You are the first so FSS them! Don't get it? There is nothing here, and people may or may not have been here.

 

[Ian Skippy]

Or any other USS you currently need, in fact.

Hence the brackets.

 

[Brrokk]

It just stuck me today: I can now just wander about in my trusty Cobra, looking for anything interesting, and find stuff. This realisation came when I found that there were some biological objects on an insignificant planet in my home system! OMW to map it next.

 

[Riverside]

It just stuck me today: I can now just wander about in my trusty Cobra, looking for anything interesting, and find stuff. This realisation came when I found that there were some biological objects on an insignificant planet in my home system! OMW to map it next.

I found a crashed T-9 yesterday on a planet I mapped, it was a target-able POI. Stuff like this used to be a real challenge to find, too hard really. Arguably it's now too easy & removed some of the mystery of what might be out there, but it should make gathering mats & other stuff routine with the effort required (mapping the body) much more appropriate to the level of reward these fixed POIs offer in mats or credits etc.

 

[Deleted member 115407]

So... explorers are now upset that exploration and discovery is more accessible to all? If I'm reading it right?

 

[ibmalone]

So... explorers are now upset that exploration and discovery is more accessible to all? If I'm reading it right?

Elsewhere I've got the sense that most people like it overall and a few people hate change. Not perfect yet, particularly finding quirky things (as opposed to defined 'interesting' things like POI and Earthlikes) is a bit less likely, but seems to have made exploration a bit more interesting.