My thoughts on how to explore

[Traveller_GG]

I've not seen a post about the actual techniques around exploring. Many and excellent guides on the process but nothing on the day to day stuff...

These are all my own opinions so please feel free to ignore / berate / praise as you wish:

Rapid travelling to somewhere: (aka Scoop, Scan, Skedaddle)

• Jump in to the system and hit half throttle
• Have scanner running until it honks
• Set fuel scooping to a level where it hits between 58 - 62%
• Hit zero throttle
• Pull back slightly as the temp may rise
• Wait until fuelling is complete and pull away
• Set throttle to full
• Watch temp until it hits 40-45% and start jump to next system

Scanning system to explore, as above except for last step:

• Watch temp until it hits 40-45% and Hit zero throttle
• Open system scan, pick out the most interesting planet(s)
• Open nav pane and tie up most interesting with distance
• Fly to most interesting, and scan

Flying around the system:

• Avoid gravity wells:
  • Avoid flying on the plane of the elliptic, always arc up and over. Never get too close to a planet
• Never look at the Nav Pane while moving
• When approaching a planet to scan:
  • Approach at full throttle until countdown hits 10 seconds
  • Hit half throttle
  • When scan starts
  • Hit zero throttle
  • Let scan finish
  • Target next system

Key points to note:
You do not need to fly around a star to scoop. Just get the temp where you want it and stop. Makes life way easier
You should not look at the Nav Pane while moving, as the distances to everything changes and the planet you want may move closer / further away as you move and confuse the view.
Stay away from big things when traversing systems. It's the gravity that slows you down and you can get somewhere much more quickly if you arc around them.
Also - moving away from the plane of the elliptic allows you to overview a system and let you to pick out the planet you want visually, rather than guess distances.

Sometimes the system scan does not work, so if there are no results try again.
Also, the plantery scan may likewise fail and keep scanning even thought it says it has completed. Don't pull away as soon as it says, check the scanning status.



Hope this helps!

 

[dognosh]

I'll add both of these threads to the guide on monday

 

[elrogarddublanc]

I do this very differently:

All Systems:

• Jump in to the system and stay at full throttle
• Aim at star corona, body of star at top of ship canopy
• Scan and honk while scooping, slight pitch up to maintain star body off view just above canopy, aiming at double the distance from the star's "yellow circle" orbit line. Heat never gets about 70%, scooping at 100% flow.
• Wait until fueling is complete and pull away, simultaneously bring up system map (bound to main trigger finger), check for interesting items [2-5 seconds, depending on system size]
• Watch temp until it starts to drop and start jump to next system - increased heat from FSD crosses-over heat depletion as distance to star increases. Never gets above 75%.

• Rinse and repeat

 

[Dommarraa]

Rapid travel ? Pish Posh
Assuming you have a decent explorer, a nose bleedingly explensive fuel scoop, and are running extra cool (if not, piddle around the galaxy as you see fit until you can afford proper stuff, I am playing hardball today)...

• Enter at full speed (unless previously warned)
• Head for the apex of the scoop star, aligning verticaly with your next target while honking
• Scoop as long as you wish (do not wait until full) orbiting the star close to the green line
• Pull out to point at your next destination
• When your screen lurches as you leave the scoop zone, hit the jump button to start charging (This should normally occur about 13-15 seconds after entering the system)
• Hit 0% Throttle
• Hit the System Info hotkey for a quick check for shinneys
• Hit the Galaxy Map hotkey to check the destination star (NS and others of your choice are a warning to not enter at full speed)
• Hit the Galaxy Map again to return to the cockpit
• You may now hit 100% throttle to continue or cancel the jump to play with the shinneys. You will normally still be charging at this point so will lose 0 time checking the maps. If it is a big system, or you poked around on the system info, the jump will be charged, but you will only have lost a few seconds.

Total time per system 15 secs+Charge (fixed)+Hyperspace (out of your control), still have the chance to look for shineys, AND be totally safe. Get faster than that I dare you !
If the next destination is right behind you, dont bother scooping, just flip and go, there will be plenty of stars to refill
In decent kit, you will NEVER take heat damage, even getting it smoking like I like it is difficult
If you pay attention to the galaxy map, you will NEVER bump into anything at entry
It is my assertion, and you are welcome to disagree but I will ignore you, that fast entry is the best way to avoid/reduce damage from close binaries, which is the only remaining danger (apart from the pilot)

 

[Slippery Jim DiGriz]

Full speed all the way.

Pull away BEFORE the tank is full, you'll continue to scoop for a bit - Aim for minimum gap between "Fuel Scoop Completed" & "Fuel Scoop Disengaged"

Only pull back if temp exceeds 70%, and then just a bit - the smoke/steam doesn't matter, no damage incurred until 100%.

Look at the Nav pane whenever you need to, stuff moves about, deal with it.

Off the ecliptic, if there are planets between you and your destination then yes, otherwise not really worth the bother.

As far as I've been able to tell, this Zero Throttle stuff is nonsense, I'm currently over 30kly out and still at 100% and always come in on full throttle unless I know in advance there will be a Black Hole, Neutron Star or White Dwarf, even then I sometimes forget but there is plenty of time to drop the speed as you enter the system. Other peoples computers may behave differently so all I can say is that full speed ahead works for me.

Jump when ready, all tasks completed.

Please, whatever works for you is right, whatever works for me is right, even Ziggy does it the right way for him but don't consider that your way is the best and only proper way for all players, it's not.

 

[Murishani]

My workflow:

• Enter system and slow down
• dip into the corona just enough that Im not smoking
• if Im really in a hurry, just point the ship to fly through the corona and come out the other side and hope I didn't aim it into the gravity well
• Pull foghorn to alert the rocks I have arrived
• get excited when I see 38 objects discovered
• while scooping open sys map and see 1 brown dwarf and 37 rocks
• quickly jump back to the cockpit because Im not scooping anything off a brown dwarf and will be exploding soon.
• arc away from the dwarf
• honk the horn again to make sure they heard me and maybe because theres a secret earthlike I missed on the first honk
• still only see 1 dwarf and 37 rocks
• target next system
• engage jump drive
• check jump distance in gal map
• alt tab out to EDDiscovery
• wait for FSD
• wonder whats taking so damned long
• tab back in and throttle up
• tab back out and put the jump distance into EDDiscovery
• knock something off desk
• curse my luck and tab back into game
• pull out of the suns corona which I have entered while not paying attention
• repeat until i find something more important than a rock.

 

[elrogarddublanc]

Last cycle I just did, average hyperspace time, incl FSD charge time, honking, system map check, scooping and maneuvering [measured from FSD select-to-FSD select] was 59s.

Scooping amount was to full tank at average long range jump - 33.7ly in Asp with 7B scoop (750 ls-1 or so), just out of habit to keep tanks topped off

Therefore can do circa 1000ly [30 jumps or so at 33ly a piece] every half hour - possibly a bit less as some systems will have interesting scan items, or sometimes I have to wait interminably as the star occludes the jump destination.

- - - Updated - - -

My workflow:

• Enter system and slow down
• dip into the corona just enough that Im not smoking
• if Im really in a hurry, just point the ship to fly through the corona and come out the other side and hope I didn't aim it into the gravity well
• Pull foghorn to alert the rocks I have arrived
• get excited when I see 38 objects discovered
• while scooping open sys map and see 1 brown dwarf and 37 rocks
• quickly jump back to the cockpit because Im not scooping anything off a brown dwarf and will be exploding soon.
• arc away from the dwarf
• honk the horn again to make sure they heard me and maybe because theres a secret earthlike I missed on the first honk
• still only see 1 dwarf and 37 rocks
• target next system
• engage jump drive
• check jump distance in gal map
• alt tab out to EDDiscovery
• wait for FSD
• wonder whats taking so damned long
• tab back in and throttle up
• tab back out and put the jump distance into EDDiscovery
• knock something off desk
• curse my luck and tab back into game
• pull out of the suns corona which I have entered while not paying attention
• repeat until i find something more important than a rock.

repped

 

[Galten75]

• Enter at full speed (unless previously warned)
• Head for the apex of the scoop star, aligning verticaly with your next target while honking
• Scoop as long as you wish (do not wait until full) orbiting the star close to the green line
• Pull out to point at your next destination
• When your screen lurches as you leave the scoop zone, hit the jump button to start charging (This should normally occur about 13-15 seconds after entering the system)
• Hit 0% Throttle
• Hit the System Info hotkey for a quick check for shinneys
• Hit the Galaxy Map hotkey to check the destination star (NS and others of your choice are a warning to not enter at full speed)
• Hit the Galaxy Map again to return to the cockpit
• You may now hit 100% throttle to continue or cancel the jump to play with the shinneys. You will normally still be charging at this point so will lose 0 time checking the maps. If it is a big system, or you poked around on the system info, the jump will be charged, but you will only have lost a few seconds.

More or less like this. Some small difference but mostly due to tradition and/or classical conditioning (don't know which anymore) and not due to more effective handling.

// G

 

[wiblflibl]

Loving how there's different ways people do more or less the same thing

I'm going through a phase of taking my time and getting back into the chilled out, Zen-like method of exploring ... I've even scanned an entire system a couple of times in the last few days. Admittedly there were no asteroid fields, but I did detail scan the lumps of rock and ice I usually skip

 

[Traveller_GG]

Loving how there's different ways people do more or less the same thing

I'm going through a phase of taking my time and getting back into the chilled out, Zen-like method of exploring ... I've even scanned an entire system a couple of times in the last few days. Admittedly there were no asteroid fields, but I did detail scan the lumps of rock and ice I usually skip

It was one of the reasons why I started the thread

 

[Katejina]

I've not seen a post about the actual techniques around exploring. Many and excellent guides on the process but nothing on the day to day stuff...

These are all my own opinions so please feel free to ignore / berate / praise as you wish:

Rapid travelling to somewhere: (aka Scoop, Scan, Skedaddle)

• Jump in to the system and hit half throttle
• Have scanner running until it honks
• Set fuel scooping to a level where it hits between 58 - 62%
• Hit zero throttle
• Pull back slightly as the temp may rise
• Wait until fuelling is complete and pull away
• Set throttle to full
• Watch temp until it hits 40-45% and start jump to next system

Pretty much how I operate except I don't pay attention to the thermal % because I base my safety off of my scooping limit, lol. I have a max of 176/s and I generally stop at ~100. Honk before I even get the star scanned. Check the System Map with a mouse side-button, decide if there is anything interesting or not and by the time I've decided, the scan is done and I'm on my way. If there is nothing interesting in a system, I can be in and out in as little as 20 seconds.

 

[Eloy]

Very interesting !!
And another approach:

• Jump with zero throttle
• target the new star AND honk simultaneously
• when honked: enter system map - decide whether to stay for detailed exploration or to leave the system
• back to cockpit: the star has been detail scanned - so you know whether it is scoopable by now (except you are only traveling FOGKBAM-systems, then they all are scoopable)

... want to leave for the next system:

• hit the bind for "next system on route"
• full throttle, circling the sun whilst scooping with temp <65% (the faster you go, the faster you refuel ... "standing" in the corona is very slow scooping!) with eyes on the vector for the jump to the next system
• pull away from the sun when fueltanks are nearly full - initiate hyperjump when temp <50% - zero throttle on countdown

... want to detail scan ONE object:

• counting the position of the nearest object in the system I want to encounter - as long as you are near the sun, the distances will match the positions of the planets (skip the solar asteroid belts), TARGET this object
• full throttle, circling the sun whilst scooping with temp <65% (the faster you go, the faster you refuel) with eyes on the vector for the targetted object

... want to detail scan MUTLIPLE objects:

• full throttle, circling the sun whilst scooping with temp <65% (the faster you go, the faster you refuel)
• leaving the ecliptic vertically until I see the system below me. I count the positions of the objects which I want to scan and plan my "roundtrip" - don´t forget to use the radar !

... but I like the idea of implementing the "engage jump drive & set throttle to zero whilst deciding whether to leave or to detail scan"-thing
BUT when do you guys detail_scan the main star? Or do you skip that?

 

[Dommarraa]

We only do the main star if there is something else worth scanning. Normal stars are not worth a great deal, but remember, this technique is for Rapid Travel. Nobody claims it is anything else. Bimbling is another thing

 

[Spazduck]

Very interesting !!
And another approach:

• Jump with zero throttle
• target the new star AND honk simultaneously
• when honked: enter system map - decide whether to stay for detailed exploration or to leave the system
• back to cockpit: the star has been detail scanned - so you know whether it is scoopable by now (except you are only traveling FOGKBAM-systems, then they all are scoopable)

... want to leave for the next system:

• hit the bind for "next system on route"
• full throttle, circling the sun whilst scooping with temp <65% (the faster you go, the faster you refuel ... "standing" in the corona is very slow scooping!) with eyes on the vector for the jump to the next system
• pull away from the sun when fueltanks are nearly full - initiate hyperjump when temp <50% - zero throttle on countdown

... want to detail scan ONE object:

• counting the position of the nearest object in the system I want to encounter - as long as you are near the sun, the distances will match the positions of the planets (skip the solar asteroid belts), TARGET this object
• full throttle, circling the sun whilst scooping with temp <65% (the faster you go, the faster you refuel) with eyes on the vector for the targetted object

... want to detail scan MUTLIPLE objects:

• full throttle, circling the sun whilst scooping with temp <65% (the faster you go, the faster you refuel)
• leaving the ecliptic vertically until I see the system below me. I count the positions of the objects which I want to scan and plan my "roundtrip" - don´t forget to use the radar !

... but I like the idea of implementing the "engage jump drive & set throttle to zero whilst deciding whether to leave or to detail scan"-thing
BUT when do you guys detail_scan the main star? Or do you skip that?

This is exactly how I do it, as well.

 

[Glenn Ross]

There's madness in my method

The way I do it depends on whether I am travelling or exploring. Travelling is getting from where I have been exploring to where I can sell the data, and then back. This has not been the same route so far due to differences in equipment each time I go back, so it is useful both ways.

In preceeding system, set 25% power during hyperdrive countdown to exit at 25%.
As soon as you exit, aim as near to next vector as polssible whilst getting close to the green line around the star to maximise scooping.
Sound the horn to warn local star that I am about to overtake.
As soon as I have minimal tank capacity left, increase throttle to 100% and align on next system completely if not previously possible.
When heat drops to safety [around 35%] hit hyperspace control, set 25% during countdown.

Exploring I do differently to eliminate accidental crashing on hyperspace exit.

Set throttle to zero during countdown.
Exit and drop to 30KPS, point at centre of star and honk for it to get out of my way.
Scan it and look for nearest object.
Scan nearest object from current position if able, otherwise set course.
Travel to nearest unknown object as directly as possible, 100% throttle until either scan starts or 7s left, reduce to 25%.
Target next nearest object as soon as scan finished and data confirmed, align and increase throttle to 100% if out of scan range.
Repeat for ALL objects in system, always going for nearest unknown object.
As soon as all objects scanned, look for unknown system in galactic map. lock target, and align vectors, set 0% throttle during hyperdrive countdown.

I know it's not the fastest methond, but I have gotten into quite a rhytmn with it, and the later, longer journeys in a system give me time to do things like prepare something to eat.

 

[Glyphon]

I don't care about speed, I'm in it for the sights. Fuel scooping though I ignore heat and go straight ahead until I'm scooping at 627/s (my limit) then stop then use this time to peruse the lay of the land. I've managed to time my FSD so I jump at about 96% heat coming out of fuel scooping.

 

[gooddoc]

I can't understand why players want to spend as little time as possible in systems. By doing this they'll miss things like 2 ELW orbiting a Neutron Star.

I always plot my route in 1000LYs segments.
I jump into a system with throttle @ 0% - even then iv still been exited from FSD by a Black Hole.
I line up to rim edge of sun & start scooping - if scoopable.
During scooping i 'honk the horn' - twice if i suspect false info.
I then turn away from the star @ 100% throttle until Fuel scoop disengages.
Then 0% throttle i turn & scan the star.
Once scanned i target nearest object - not asteroid belts
Setting throttle @25% i slowly move towards the target during which i view the system map & decide if there are any interesting objects to scan.

If not i set to next system & repeat.

I always scan every sun no matter how far from the main star, only things now that i leave are asteroid belts & ice planets

 

[Kolato]

My way of exploration ;

- Jump to system
- If Brown dwarf, honk and jump to next system
- If star is a possible earth-like carrier
- Engage frameshift, throttle zero.
- Check system map
- If interesting object found (earthlike/ammonia/rare formation(Sometimes water worlds too) abort jump and scan object
- If nothing interesting found, throttle up and jump
- Repeat until fuel tank is needed refueling.
- If star is Class O, Wolf-rayet, White dwarf, neutron, carbon and other valuable stars, scan, check system map.
- If interesting/Photo good object found, scan/take photo and jump to next system
- If not, jump to next system.


Basically me
I'm addicted to travelling large distances effectively (1500LY/hour ftw!) and earth-likes.

 

[dannywhac]

Very interesting !!
And another approach:

• Jump with zero throttle
• target the new star AND honk simultaneously
• when honked: enter system map - decide whether to stay for detailed exploration or to leave the system
• back to cockpit: the star has been detail scanned - so you know whether it is scoopable by now (except you are only traveling FOGKBAM-systems, then they all are scoopable)

Pretty much how I do it.

Very interesting !!

... want to detail scan MUTLIPLE objects:

• full throttle, circling the sun whilst scooping with temp <65% (the faster you go, the faster you refuel)
• leaving the ecliptic vertically until I see the system below me. I count the positions of the objects which I want to scan and plan my "roundtrip" - don´t forget to use the radar !

Just to add to the above - if there's only two bodies you decide are worth scanning, before you throttle off from the star using the distance technique in the left panel, select and target your first body you want to go to. Then highlight the second body but don't select it. Go off and scan the first targeted body, go to the left panel and the second one you highlighted will still be highlighted - target it and go.

Saves the hassle of having to work out which is the second body you want to target (as the distances will be diff as you're no longer adjacent to the star and the orders mucked up).

 

[Blairvoyach]

I go in zero throttle, detail scan the star, scoop and honk then proceed to detail scan everything except asteroid belts. I don't use the advanced discovery scanner so it can be a long, drawn out satisfying process finding everything via parallax. I figured that I'd waited 30 years to play an explorer like I imagined back then and I'm going to enjoy every minute.