- As I jump to various systems I've never been to before; what determines if the system bodies will be scanable/discoverable or not? Some I can scan; some I will already have the details of.
- I jumped to a system with 3 stars in it - from the system map I cannot destination target a star; in my ship UI, only the jump star appears in the left-hand navigation screen; and the other two stars do not seem to be in visual range to manually target - how do I get to the other 2 stars?
n00b questions about system exploration
- Thread starter JayStox
- Start date
1. Use your basic discovery scanner (set with a fire group) when you enter an unknown system. To scan astronomical objects (Planets, Stars, Moons), you need to be facing them, some you have to travel towards in order for the ship to start scanning. You need to do 2 scans, the initial system scan when you enter a system, and the astronomical object scan when you approach a planet. These object scans have different ranges at which the scanning will start (a spinning scanning icon on the bottom left of your ship HUD). Generally, you do not need to scan anything that has a name (e.g Eravate 2 / Leesti A) and only "Unexplored".
You might have to use your basic / intermediate scanner more than once in case you see more planets or believe there is more in a system. Advanced scanner will pick everything up in the local system. Another rule of thumb is that Asteroid belts are generally worth nothing, so don't bother wasting time scanning those.
2. If your basic/intermediate scanner does not pick it up, you will have to supercruise to them. If your basic/intermediate scanner does pick them up, you can select them from your navigation menu under "Unexplored" and the hologram display should look like an orb with barbed wire around it. If you cannot see them and your scanners cannot pick them up, you're out of luck - the best you can do at this point is try to look for the largest bright glowly object and fly towards it while scanning. An advanced scanner will pick these up and you should be able to select them up under "Unexplored."
You might have to use your basic / intermediate scanner more than once in case you see more planets or believe there is more in a system. Advanced scanner will pick everything up in the local system. Another rule of thumb is that Asteroid belts are generally worth nothing, so don't bother wasting time scanning those.
2. If your basic/intermediate scanner does not pick it up, you will have to supercruise to them. If your basic/intermediate scanner does pick them up, you can select them from your navigation menu under "Unexplored" and the hologram display should look like an orb with barbed wire around it. If you cannot see them and your scanners cannot pick them up, you're out of luck - the best you can do at this point is try to look for the largest bright glowly object and fly towards it while scanning. An advanced scanner will pick these up and you should be able to select them up under "Unexplored."
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Check the exploration guide in my sig, should be helpful for an explorer and new guy 
Specifically, though:
When you select a star to jump to, it should say below it if it's unexplored. As to what is "discoverable", anything outside of human colonized space that is not tagged as "Explored By" can still be discovered by someone. Just scan and sell the data, it should tell you if you're the first to find the object(s).
For the next question- are you using a discovery scanner? If so, the objects should appear after you use the discovery scanner if they're close enough. Remember, the cheap discovery scanner only scans for objects that within 500ls of where you're at, the Intermediate Discovery Scanner within 1000ls, and the Advanced Discover Scanner finds all objects in a system.
Specifically, though:
When you select a star to jump to, it should say below it if it's unexplored. As to what is "discoverable", anything outside of human colonized space that is not tagged as "Explored By" can still be discovered by someone. Just scan and sell the data, it should tell you if you're the first to find the object(s).
For the next question- are you using a discovery scanner? If so, the objects should appear after you use the discovery scanner if they're close enough. Remember, the cheap discovery scanner only scans for objects that within 500ls of where you're at, the Intermediate Discovery Scanner within 1000ls, and the Advanced Discover Scanner finds all objects in a system.
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Thanks
My question was, what determines if a body in a system I've never been to before is marked as "Unexplored"?
How do I target them to know the correct direction to supercruise in?
Perhaps I'm not making use of the basic discovery scanner mentioned at the start of your post...
My question was, what determines if a body in a system I've never been to before is marked as "Unexplored"?
How do I target them to know the correct direction to supercruise in?
Perhaps I'm not making use of the basic discovery scanner mentioned at the start of your post...
Check the exploration guide in my sig, should be helpful for an explorer and new guy
Nice!
If it's unexplored, explore it. By this, I mean fly towards it in supercruise, and your ship should start scanning it when you get to a certain distance, and you can either choose to get closer to it or drop the throttle to 0, and it will continue scanning.
If it has a name, there is no use flying towards it other than to see it. It is a known planet, either because you've visited it before, or that it is well populated and widely known.
If there is no "unexplored" marker, you will simply have to look for them. Most people just call it a day if there is no markers. If you select an unexplored marker and it shows up with some asteroid hologram, don't bother flying to it.
To use your discover scanner, put it in a fire group and use one of your firing buttons to use it. You need to hold down the button for it to charge and complete it's scan.
Thanks, am now happily exploring
The Basic Discovery Scanner confused me because it did nothing within its fire group... as it wasn't enabled as a system yet. I guess the game requires you to manage your power levels and manually enable everything you install?
It does seem like a bit of a bug that the system map will show stars that I cannot target for navigating to?
The Basic Discovery Scanner confused me because it did nothing within its fire group... as it wasn't enabled as a system yet. I guess the game requires you to manage your power levels and manually enable everything you install?
It does seem like a bit of a bug that the system map will show stars that I cannot target for navigating to?