Long Range Exploration - Advice & Tips

[Dwardeen]

Long Range Explo - Tips & Advice on 1st Page

Hello Guys,

I fitted my Cobra Mk III for long range exploration
What should i watch for?
What kind of stars i should not scoop from?
What are the danger outside?

If you have any advice, i'm glad to take it


Thanks


Edit : List of the topic tips :



Navigation :
-Practice fuel scooping without excessive overheating.

-Watch for parallax, fly parallel to an orbital plane and watch for anything that moves relatively to the stars in the distance (if you don’t have an advanced scanner)

-Don't try scooping from white or brown dwarfs, or newly formed stars. Won't work.

-Keep a safe distance of at least 0.13Ls from black holes and neutron stars.

-For fuel scooping you don't have to "scoop" - just aim straight at the middle of the star and approach very slowly until temp reaches 100% (up to 150% is safe for the ship, you won't take damage). Stop and wait, but keep an eye on the scanner for anyone getting into interdiction position - you don't want to be dragged into normal space there, and keep an eye on your temp - I usually pull out if it gets above 120% and then approach again.
-Watch out for massive stars

-When Fuel scooping always watch out for npc, then can interdicted to you, and you’ll lose a bit a your hull (especially if you’re close to a sun)

-As soon as you jump into a system, before you start scooping, slow down to 30km/s, target the main star and wait for the scan to finish before turning away. You can use your D-scanner while the other scan is running.

-Always have your Fuel tank filled up before jumping to the next systems

-If you are still close to some inhabited area fill free to stop by, sell the current data, and repairs Wear & Tear

-Watch out for dragons

Ships and Outfitting:

-Get the advanced & Detailled scanner (1.5M and 250K respectively) for increased income
-Fit only D Grade module (lightest weight)
Exception: A Grade FSD for jump range and eventually A Powe rPlant for better heat management and boost recharge when interdicted

-ALWAYS bring a fuel scoop (A2 for a Cobra is enough)

-You take the lower size of fuel tank in order to have more range (ie : stock is 16 Tons for the Cobra, you can then have a 8 tons fuel tank )
-Or you can get a 16 tons and only fill half of it to increase your range and fill it up if you going to cross stars where you can't refuel

-Cobra can Jump up to 25ly (rough estimate)
-ASP 35ly (currently longest range jump in ED )
-Adder 25 ly (rough estimate)

-Bring an Auto Field maintenance unit

-Weapons are optional (at least until the Thargoids arrive )

-Shields can be optional, but it’s safer to have them

-Basic Scanner Range: 500ls

-Intermediate Scanner range: 1000 ls

Advanced Scanner: Full system mapped

Income optimization:

You can't sell a system data if you're not 20 LY away from the system !

Since 1.02 the following may not be valid !


Rocky or Rocky Ice Planets
- Usually appear darker colored, yield a slightly better reward
- might end up with 2500-5000Cr, depending on numbers

Metal-Rich Planets
- usually appear darker and vary greater in coloring/texturing
- haven't verified this yet, but I think a specific type of Sun might usually offer higher chances of these
- check some known System maps containing Metal-rich Planets to verify that theory
- usually occur in groups, so finding one usually means high chances of others next to it being Metal-Rich as well
- a few of those and you're usually >10000 Cr easily

Water worlds
- usually blue of course and also yield a very healthy reward (unsure exactly how high, I assume >10000 Cr)

Earth-like Planets
- IMHO can often look similar to some Rocky or Water worlds
- it's their semi-major axis anywhere around the magic 1.0 AU that makes the difference and make them interesting to scan (depends on Sun Temperature as well I'd assume)
- those are basically the Jackpot of Discovery as far as I know
- one or two of these make for the >100000 Cr Maps sales

 

[Mephane]

- Practice fuel scooping without excessive overheating.
- Watch for parallax, fly parallel to an orbital plane and watch for anything that moves relatively to the stars in the distance.
- Keep a safe distance of at least 0.13Ls from black holes and neutron stars.
- Bring patience and lots of snacks.

 

[Darkmatter]

Hello Guys,

I fitted my Cobra Mk III (Aka Long Distance Trip) for long range exploration
What should i watch for?
What kind of stars i should not scoop from?
What are the danger outside?

If you have any advice, i'm glad to take it


Thanks

If you have an advanced discovery scanner, honk once and then look at the system map. If the system contains water worlds and/or several gas giants, they might be worth scanning down completely. If it looks like mostly icy planets, it is generally not worth the effort.

Don't try scooping from white or brown dwarfs, or newly formed stars. Won't work.

You might meet the odd NPC ship out there, some might attack you. Either kill them or run away.

That's about it. Good luck out there in the void!

 

[Deleted member 38366]

-- Deleted --

 

[bobilon]

if you can, buy Detailed surface scanner (DDS) and more advanced discovery scanners. That way you will get much more credits from your scans.

Dont bother with white/pink planets and moons. scan suns, anomalies (neutrons, black holes), brown/red/black/blue/yellow planets, gas giants, planets with rings. asteroid fields.

BTW you dont have to make long range trips, 100-200 ly should be enough for first several months.

Watch for unmapped inhabitated systems, you will have to go 20LY to sell these data though.
Watch for stars with "nongeneric" (Betelgeuse) or not so generic (HD 1234 for example) names, IMHO these systems may have better content.

 

[blueski]

For fuel scooping i think the memory game is GM-AFK (Games Master Away From Keyboard), these are all the types of stars you can scoop from.

 

[worldoflard]

For fuel scooping you don't have to "scoop" - just aim straight at the middle of the star and approach very slowly until temp reaches 100% (up to 150% is safe for the ship, you won't take damage). Stop and wait, but keep an eye on the scanner for anyone getting into interdiction position - you don't want to be dragged into normal space there, and keep an eye on your temp - I usually pull out if it gets above 120% and then approach again.

 

[Dwardeen]

Thanks,

In case i got interdicted i have 2 Size 1 gimballed Pulse laser and a point defense turret. I also managed to buy the Advanced & Detailled scanners.
I also took a 8 tons fuel tank (vs the 16 tons stock)
Is it for worth it for extra ly or should I stick with the 16-tons stock tank?

 

[Strykor]

I was just about to ask very same Q.

Thanks OP and all responses, this will save me a lot of time flying around aimless now

/tip hat

 

[zxen]

Thanks,

In case i got interdicted i have 2 Size 1 gimballed Pulse laser and a point defense turret. I also managed to buy the Advanced & Detailled scanners.
I also took a 8 tons fuel tank (vs the 16 tons stock)
Is it for worth it for extra ly or should I stick with the 16-tons stock tank?

In the Cobra, you should do fine with an 8ton tank. However, for deeper space exploring, your going to want to upgrade that Cobra to an ASP with an A5 FSD as soon as you can (but that's about a 12mil investment). In the ASP I would stick with a 16ton tank.

 

[Dwardeen]

In the Cobra, you should do fine with an 8ton tank. However, for deeper space exploring, your going to want to upgrade that Cobra to an ASP with an A5 FSD as soon as you can (but that's about a 12mil investment). In the ASP I would stick with a 16ton tank.

i read from a dev that the Asp can jump to 35ly vs 25ly for my current Cobra, are those 10ly really beneficial?

My goal is to go as far as possible until one of my two 4E auto field maintenance unit runs out of ammo

 

[Berty Dastard]

Don't try to scoop from t tauri suns - they look normal but are young and un-scoopable
Dont' go to too close to the edge of the galaxy as you will get connection problems probably, and be unable to hyper jump
Not too sure the Asp can jump that far when it's full of upgrades and explorer stuff. Mine is fully upped and does about 27 Ly. You only need more than 15 Ly (arguable) if you want to travel extreme distances quickly or get to the furthest edges where the stars are sparse

 

[zxen]

i read from a dev that the Asp can jump to 35ly vs 25ly for my current Cobra, are those 10ly really beneficial?

My goal is to go as far as possible until one of my two 4E auto field maintenance unit runs out of ammo

Most definitely yes. At least if you intend to go to the places that are not densely packed or close together.
. Jump distance between stars on the galaxy outskirts are significant.


The opposite is true for the galaxy centre, but there is a big almost empty gap between Sol and there.
---

Oh another tip: Be careful where you jump. If you're planning on going waaay out and away from any stations that can repair you, you'll want to avoid places with multiple stars.
If you're unfortunate enough to spend a day scanning interesting places and then jump to place right between 2 or more stars, you'll be lucky to escape with your hull and if you do end up as a toasty corpse, all your scans are lost.

 

[Gibbonici]

i read from a dev that the Asp can jump to 35ly vs 25ly for my current Cobra, are those 10ly really beneficial?

There's no such thing as too much jump range

That said, 25LY is plenty for most areas and with the new route planner it's a lot easier to avoid dead ends than it used to be. That extra ten LYs between your Cobra and a jump-maxed Asp will cost something in the region of 10m credits or more, so that's probably the biggest consideration here.

 

[Andromalius]

Priority for exploration:

-The FSD (doh)
-The power plant. A better power plant doesn't heat up as much, enabling you to scoop faster and boost more if intercepted.
-Fuel scoop: an A2 is enough for never having to refuel ever. Bigger ones are more comfort.
-Advanced scanner and detailed planetary one.

If you want to have weapons and fight, a good power distributor will also be needed.

 

[Dwardeen]

There's no such thing as too much jump range

That said, 25LY is plenty for most areas and with the new route planner it's a lot easier to avoid dead ends than it used to be. That extra ten LYs between your Cobra and a jump-maxed Asp will cost something in the region of 10m credits or more, so that's probably the biggest consideration here.

Well i'll see how I manage it with 25ly. As i Have no planned route and no "end goal" I should do fine

Priority for exploration:

-The FSD (doh)
-The power plant. A better power plant doesn't heat up as much, enabling you to scoop faster and boost more if intercepted.
-Fuel scoop: an A2 is enough for never having to refuel ever. Bigger ones are more comfort.
-Advanced scanner and detailed planetary one.

If you want to have weapons and fight, a good power distributor will also be needed.

Thanks for the tips for the power plant,
But I may have to grind more credit to get the 1.6M needed for it

 

[Nutter]

i read from a dev that the Asp can jump to 35ly vs 25ly for my current Cobra, are those 10ly really beneficial?

My goal is to go as far as possible until one of my two 4E auto field maintenance unit runs out of ammo

Here is my 'home made' ASP Explorer. - Note it also had the advanced scanner fitted but hidden in this screenshot

I've just got back from a 6,000ly sight seeing trip, there were a few systems only reachable with a 32ly jump, also note I reduced the size of the fuel tank so even with a full tank I still get a 34ly jump, 35 Half empty.

View attachment 4832

My biggest tip for you is NOT to run low on fuel and make sure you have a enough fuel to get to a scoopable star.

I also made 2.2 million credits on my trip and I hardly surface scanned anything apart from stars.

A full scan of a average system (Say 10 Bodies) should net you a minimum of 50K

Hope that helps, any questions i'll be around

Nutter

 

[Mysturji]

1. Sell your basic scanner - you have an intermediate one.
2. Buy a bigger fuel scoop (size{numbers} matters more than grade{letters})
3. Practice fuel scooping. The star types you can scoop from are FMBKAG (Fill my bloody kettle and go). Fly towards the edge of the star at < 0.1C, keeping outside of the yellow proximity line. When your heat approaches 100%, slow to 30km/s (0 throttle) and KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON YOUR HEAT! You start taking damage around 140% in a Cobra. You'll soon learn how fast your scoop can scoop.
4. As soon as you jump into a system, before you start scooping, slow down to 30km/s, target the main star and wait for the scan to finish before turning away. You can use your D-scanner while the other scan is running.
5. Fly around using your D-Scanner every so often, and keep an eye out for anything that moves, then fly towards it and keep d-scanning until it shows as "unexplored". Target it and keep flying towards it until it gets scanned like the main star you scanned first. Scan everything.
6. When you can afford it, buy a detailed surface scanner.
7. Don't die.
8. Jump to another system.
9. Repeat.
10. Fly back to civilisation, sell your data, upgrade your ship and carry on.

 

[Dwardeen]

Thanks,

@Nutter, didn't you have any trouble without any auto maitnenance field unit?

 

[dazman020177]

If you go near the Hyades sectors make sure you have a big fuel tank. I've been jumping through and have nearly run out of fuel on a couple of occasions, lots of purple unscoopable stars out there. I found that you'll generally be ok if you keep to yellow/orange looking stars on the galaxy map, most of the time you'll find a gas stop.