Just got reminded why the fake "Universal" Cartographics still stinks to heaven...

[Deleted member 38366]

Deleted

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[metatheurgist]

- the sold data contains every single Object ever scanned by a Player
- the sold data contains all Detailed Surface scans ever done by a Player

This is the problem. Explorers don't scan belts or most of the planets unless they're within a certain LS. This is because exploration is unprofitable and frankly very dull. You're getting all the scan data, most explorers are just lazy. This is why I think there should be a cash bonus for a complete system scan or a credit for "Explored" as opposed to "I came and honked my horn". Or they could put missions on the BB for complete system scans of certain systems, that'd at least give explorers more to do.

 

[Calvert]

The OP has a point. I can buy map data for a system, and it will be missing loads. So I buy a scanner and go there and find every body has already got a commander as first to find. So UC didn't sell the data it had for the price. This is the core issue that I think has upset the OP. I'm not sure it's the most game breaking issue we have right now but I do think the OP is right.

 

[Chris M Fortune]

From the previous posts it would appear that scan data being sold is only from first reported scan and subsequent more thorough scans are not being amalgamated 8nto the data. Can't see any reason for this, data sold should be as complete as possible.

 

[jpaulwilson1982]

Yeah the current system isn't very efficient, and sometimes the data you buy seems to be misleading. May as well fly there myself and obtain the data that way.

 

[Senex VII]

This will continue until either (a) FD intervenes in one of the ways above, or (b) FD promotes community exploration goals that are profit-based rather than number-of -reports based. At the moment, with reports-only community exploration goals, a contributor need only fire off a basic discovery scanner next to the star for it to count toward the goal - and that's clearly inadequate for having useful system data worthy of its selling price.

 

[Cmdr Kurnek]

Thinking I'll give "Mining as intended" a shot - I was naturally looking for a Pristine Metallic High Intensity RES.

Thus, tavelled nearly 100LY to give the outmost Extraction Systems a go.
Having never been in many of these Systems, I naturally have to rely on the Universal Cartographic Map Data for purchase. I'm a Miner now. Not an Explorer.
Since every single Object inside civilization carries a "1st Discovered by" Tag - shouldn't be no problem, right ?

Wrong!

Of all those Systems - even inhabited ones - all I can get is partial, incomplete....trash.
Yes, I said it. Trash.

Incomplete Map data not even worth a single Credit.

- IF it contains an A Belt or B Belt Cluster - you can be sure those will NOT show in the NAV Panel (not surprising, since UC still doesn't pay a dime for turning in scans of these valuable Resources)
- IF it contains a Planet with a Ring Belt - you can be sure the Data will NOT include the Ring type (Icy/Rocky/Metal-Rich/Metallic).
- IF any data is available in the 1st place, despite UC clearly and obviously to anyone owning it all

----------------------------

So... Frontier....

I've requested it 1000 times... without success.

Hence - I now request it the 1001st time :
When selling Cartographics Data, make darn and 100.0% sure
- the sold data contains every single Object ever scanned by a Player
- the sold data contains all Detailed Surface scans ever done by a Player

And please.... Allow us access to Universal Cartographics. Universal Access!.
If I want to purchase all available Map Data from a System 220LY away.... please please please let me. There is not a single sensible reason why I shouldn't be able to.
At least and bare minimum from the inhabited ones and those uninhabited inside our civilization. Stuff any Trader or Miner can use.

Alternatively : rename Universal Cartographics into "Local Area Cartographics" entirely, so no further confusion exists.
We'll then simply don't have a central stellar Map Database and every System collects their own star catalogue for some wicked reason and no central Exploration authority shall exist anymore. Old 15th to 21th century stuff that got abandoned for some reason.

I completely agree. To be honest I have no idea why high metal content belts and rings don't earn explorers an absolute mint, surely these are the things that would get paid the most for?

As for universal cartographics, I'm pretty sure the original idea was that emp/fed/alliance were mean to have access to different exploration data, and when an explorer came back they had to choose who to sell it to. it was even mentioned that they could sell the same data to multiple factions if they didn't mind ing those factions off.

But of course, this kind of depth hasn't made it into the game yet, so all we have is senseless restrictions that without context look like bugs. I'd love to give FD the benefit of the doubt and say one day these things will be added, but given their current priorities, I'm not all that hopeful anymore. I don't know about you but after the bugs and stealth nerfs (20 canister limit) of PP, FD needs to re-earn my trust.

 

[n13L5]

Planned but still lacking basic functionality sounds plausible and typical for the state of the game and the dev team's disappointing priorities.

 

[Ralph Vargr]

I'm just stuck with flying there, and DSS'ing it myself.

There ought to be rewards for belts, even just 100 Cr.

And, yes, you should be able to buy the latest scanned data.

The IISS thinks that UC are losers...

 

[drhay53]

Explorers are not lazy, they just understand the fact that taking the time to scan everything in a system is about as profitable as trading normal commodities in a Hauler.

 

[Ian Doncaster]

This is the problem. Explorers don't scan belts or most of the planets unless they're within a certain LS.

Sure, but surveyors do, and there's quite a lot of them in the game despite it not being optimal Cr/hour. Pretty much every system out to 250LY from Sol now has every object - including ice balls orbiting a distant secondary star - surface scanned at least once; on my last trip out I wasn't finding that many unexplored low value iceballs even at 350-550LY from Sol, far further out than any miner looking for a fresh belt or ring would need to go.

 

[Gryphorim]

Add a Core sample limpet for belt/ring data, core samples being worth enough to justify the drop out of supercruise, and add an atmosphere scoop that works like fuel scooping but on suitable planets, collecting atmo samples for similar gains. Useful if atmo scooping for fuel or planetary landings come in.

 

[Schmack]

I try to surface scan any system with unknowns, but like the OP said the objects that don't pay anything often won't get any attention, and you can see what they are right in your display. How, I don't know since you haven't' scanned it yet. If objects just didn't show until you scanned them. just a ?, then people would likely scan belts and moons and such.

- - - Updated - - -

Add a Core sample limpet for belt/ring data, core samples being worth enough to justify the drop out of supercruise, and add an atmosphere scoop that works like fuel scooping but on suitable planets, collecting atmo samples for similar gains. Useful if atmo scooping for fuel or planetary landings come in.

Even with modern technology you don't need to scoop atmosphere to know what's in it.

 

[pepg]

Must say that FlaconFly has several good points, and it's obvious that there are several glaring holes in the current system. Be nice to be able to buy complete data for a system ….

 

[NVNM]

What's their reason to give belts no payout whatsoever in the first place? That should be fixed. Maybe add equipment that increases the range at which objects can be scanned to make it easier for people to survey far-out objects in the same system.

 

[Han Brannigan]

Or they could put missions on the BB for complete system scans of certain systems, that'd at least give explorers more to do.

True that + finding potentially rich deposits should give you money. Ideally you should be able to sell that data not to UC but to interested Powers ( and get money based on a formula of Possible Deposits - distance to Power Base - distance to systems entry point ) but only if you are the first explorer to do so.
I really like your idea of exploring missions simple, easy to code ( should be at least ) logical. Should have bigger missions where you are asked to explore a bunch of systems for too. The latter should also be avaliable as 'Power Missions' esp. for sirius cooperation.

 

[excalibus]

belts should definitely give a load of credits, especially if they scan as high quality such as pristine metallic, I tend to scan everything except in a system for roid fields, even them I used to scan but since they do not pay anything I no longer scan them...

Often I will travel the 100K - 200K or 300K distances to scan a remote body etc... on occasion I have had to go further than that but its not often and on occasion I have been either too tired or just want to get some more systems scanned on my way to a specific point to stop for the night so won't chase a very far star... anything under 100 - 150K LS almost is guaranteed to get scanned by me...

 

[Whiterose]

Hello, is that Universal Farty Gwaphics?
Yes, how may we help
I would like to buy the data for BLUA THUA cd-a c30-13
Its not as simple as that, go there and tell us waht is missing?
Sorry? are you saying that even though the system has been scanned you cant sell me the data?
Yes, unfortunately our database got hit by the "couldnt be bothered virus".
Okay, in that case can you give me a list of all the systems data I have handed in?
Erm no.
Why not?
Unfortunately our database got hit by the "couldnt be bothered virus"
So, what do you actually do fartygwaphics
Erm....unofrtunately I have been hit by the "couldnt be bothered virus"....have a nice day.

 

[Rafe Zetter]

I completely agree. To be honest I have no idea why high metal content belts and rings don't earn explorers an absolute mint, surely these are the things that would get paid the most for?

@ Michael Brooks or DB or whomever seems to be running the show... Can't really have that "emergent gameplay(TM) goldrush" you spoke of in the devblogs (and elsewhere) if the very stuff and information you said would cause a "gold rush" is not showed in system information, because you've decided that that sort of scan information is worth NOTHING so players DON'T SCAN IT; or they did scan and you've not integrated that information with what was existing.

I honestly can't tell which of these two is actually the more serious problem... That you think the location of potentially very profitable / rare ores is worth nothing (when the reality is in days gone by people paid for such information with their very lives), or that you've not taken steps to make sure missing information on a system gets added to the available database as it comes in.....

<snip>

But of course, this kind of depth hasn't made it into the game yet, so all we have is senseless restrictions that without context look like bugs. I'd love to give FD the benefit of the doubt and say one day these things will be added, but given their current priorities, I'm not all that hopeful anymore. I don't know about you but after the bugs and stealth nerfs (20 canister limit) of PP, FD needs to re-earn my trust.

+1 to that.

 

[Luniticisi]

what if the data that you purchased for said system wasn't sold/turned in in the system you purchased it in? ... is it possible that you can only get the full info that an explorer scanned at the system they sold it at ...