Guide / Tutorial Nutter’s explorers guide to the Galaxy

Krunchie · Feb 11, 2015

I wish there was a galaxy map viewer out of the game, so I can search for interesting constellations while I'm away from my PC.

Also, I would love the system map to be more interesting, all those star and planet type descriptions are the same (any two black holes have the same description,although their stats are different). Wouldn't it be great if that text would change slightly? For example, what does it mean when a planet has 90% water atmosphere, 1200 degrees surface temperature and 13k atmospheric pressure? Or a 99% oxygen atmosphere? Scientifically speaking.

It would make exploring much more fun.

Ferris · Feb 11, 2015

SvennoJ said:
Well that's just dandy.
I upgraded to 1.1, and suddenly found myself in Sheffield hub, instead of Nikolayev dock. For some reason my home port was renamed, I don't want to live in Sheffield, yuck.
Everything else seems to be the same, so I went to access universal cartographics, 1 minute of loading later the game crashes, producing 3 crash reports. That's going well.
.
Second attempt it loads a page. I want to look at what I scanned, so type in Hip 62462 in the galaxy map, wasn't the first to scan it, fine, but why doesn't it show the planets? Just empty spheres.
.
I select sell page. 30 sec wait, window pops up, starts typing out, extremely slow: Congratulations, you are the first to discover ... etc. after 20 seconds of watching text slowly appear, the game crashes again. Hmm is it safe to sell data at all atm?
.
Third attempt, crash to desktop within 5 seconds of accessing universal cartographics. Never mind, I'll play something else.

I am having similar problems.. UC screen causes CTD, so not only you. Ticket raised.
I flew 2.7k ly back to the edge of inhabited space because I wanted to check out the new route planner and UC interface. But after trying to sell data last night and this morning I get the same CTD.
I would rather not have to change station either until the collision problems are fixed.... don't want to loose all that data.

SvennoJ · Feb 11, 2015

Nutter said:
I would ticket that, could be you are in a rare situation - also try fling to a different system to sell.

--------------------------
Has anyone been to the Blinking nebula? (BD+50 2869) Only I was apparently the first to discover it, but my galaxy map in 1.1 is not letting me view the system, I can see I discovered places nearby first.... anyway I'm too far away to go and look for at least a week, could you see if I'm logged against it?

Many thanks

I ticketed it, put it in the bug discussion thread and there's a separate thread about it now, more people are having the same problem.
For example https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=112795
Some people manage to sell pages of data, maybe it has something to do with old system scans. My trip started on Januari 12th.
.
I swung by the Blinking Nebula on the way back, can't see system data for it either. I'm sure I scanned it, says system view unavailable.
The route planner improvement is great. Planning a route to the with head nebula from my home base is 5 times faster than it took me to go 80ly before.
And still crashing when I try to access universal cartographics.

- - - - - Additional Content Posted / Auto Merge - - - - -

Ferris said:
I am having similar problems.. UC screen causes CTD, so not only you. Ticket raised.
I flew 2.7k ly back to the edge of inhabited space because I wanted to check out the new route planner and UC interface. But after trying to sell data last night and this morning I get the same CTD.
I would rather not have to change station either until the collision problems are fixed.... don't want to loose all that data.

Indeed, I was hesitant about moving before the patch with all that data. Now I'm definitely not going anywhere near the launch button.

neXib · Feb 11, 2015

I am loving the new route planner and filter though, I am finding myself thinking of 1000ly diversions now

I'll stay out a while though so hopefully everything works when I get back to civilization.

interfector · Feb 11, 2015

is exploration data bound to ship or account? in other words, if i come from exploration trip and decide not to sell data, but store my hauler and take viper, and i die in that viper, will i loose all exploration data?

Varrag · Feb 11, 2015

^^ good question, luckily I've never had to test it myself

I'd expect that it's working in same way as unclaimed bounties, though.

Ferris · Feb 11, 2015

I'm pretty sure it is bound to your account not the ship, so I doubt changing ship will help.

Nutter · Feb 11, 2015

interfector said:
is exploration data bound to ship or account? in other words, if i come from exploration trip and decide not to sell data, but store my hauler and take viper, and i die in that viper, will i loose all exploration data?

In test a swapped ships and still had the data, so you must carry some sort of usb stick

Ghostraider · Feb 11, 2015

Calling all explorers,

After the past two months of exploring A.G.(after gamma) I have found a few features that are seriously lacking on the exploration side of the game. So I started a "suggestion" thread and would like your help in voicing your opinion on the matter. The thread is https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=112965 and it is about adding way-points and saved data to the navigational system. Personally I feel that just adding 90% to the max route planning only adds to the inability of a CMDR to properly navigate and explore space. I am hoping that the squeaky wheel gets the grease, but I am also interested in the opinions of other explorers, because most of my exploration in the galaxy has been solo. If you think my ideas are rubbish let me know if you have a better idea let them know, either way the only way we make exploring better in this game is to let someone know.

That's my two yen because I don't have any cents.

Violins77 · Feb 11, 2015

That's an awesome guide. I think I'll save money to buy the advanced discovery scanner, as the other scanners seem pretty useless to me.

One question, do we get diminished values for exploring systems already explored by other players? So far pretty much all system I went were already "discovered by" someone. If, let's say, I'm the 5000th player to explore a system and sell data, will it be worth nothing? I hope not because it would really put a strain on getting into exploration...

EDIT : Actually, since I have the detailed surface scanner, my exploration might not be worth nothing after all. If the Wiki is to be believed, just scanning a star with the DSS is worth 1200$ and basic planets 2400$, so definitely not as bad as I thought, even with the 500ls range, I guess I can make money by exploring until I can afford the advanced scanner.

ZacMacCrac · Feb 11, 2015

Ghostraider said:
That's my two yen because I don't have any cents.

I am writing this from a star system that has your name on its "First Discovered by", so I am definitely going to take a look. ;-)

Walter2 · Feb 11, 2015

AnnuverScotinExile said:
. . . is anyone else annoyed at the 'slow down' warning? It seems to me to be close to useless, since if you are not already on minimum throttle, you will definitely not stop in time. But I regularly get it when the throttle is already minimised, so there is nothing I can do to slow down.

It's ambiguous: it's either a report on what's going on with your ship, or an injunction - which everyone ignores.

Conash · Feb 11, 2015

View attachment 14485

i spoke to the owner of that picture and he confirms he has more of those first discoveries that dont really go along with reality.
on the list that FD put up few days ago he has more than 20K systems with first discovery and he doesnt agree with it beeing reality

mossfoot · Feb 11, 2015

I'm curious about using my Lakon Type 6 as an explorer. Anyone here doing that? What's the max jump range you can manage (the wiki says just under 28ly, but then it also says the ASP's max is 28.5 while Nutter's report puts it at a max of 38...

Erimus Kamzel · Feb 11, 2015

Hyperspaced into a Binary system? - Escaping the Inferno (dealing with binary pairs)

This has saved me on a coulpe of occasions. Its not 100% perfect as that depends on how close you exit hyperspace to one of the stars.

Things to remember during a binary/triple star hyperspace encounter...

Don't Panic!
Immediately throttle back and drop out of supercruise.
Turn off all unessential power draining modules - especially the fuel scoop.
Depending on your position, you may get an escape vector icon appear when firing up the FSD.
Briefly fire up the FSD and make a mental note of where the vector icon is. Deactivate your FSD.
Orientate your ship to the escape vector.
Turn off your Thruster & FSD modules - this helps bleed off a few more % heat.
Fire off a heat sink (if you have one).
Turn back on Thrusters and FSD only.
Fire up the FSD.

Once clear, online your remaining modules.

I've found this helps cut down on the hull damage taken, and on rare occasions I've escaped with no damage at all (like in the video). But it all depends on your proximity to one of the stars - its inevitable you'll take damage if you're unlucky enough to exit hyperspace in very close proximity.

[video=youtube;DdnypseV-Gs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdnypseV-Gs[/video]

Julio Montega · Feb 11, 2015

I have been to the Aquila constellation, there is no booze there

Back to the local pub then.

Obsidian Ant · Feb 11, 2015

Violins77 said:
That's an awesome guide. I think I'll save money to buy the advanced discovery scanner, as the other scanners seem pretty useless to me.

One question, do we get diminished values for exploring systems already explored by other players? So far pretty much all system I went were already "discovered by" someone. If, let's say, I'm the 5000th player to explore a system and sell data, will it be worth nothing? I hope not because it would really put a strain on getting into exploration...

EDIT : Actually, since I have the detailed surface scanner, my exploration might not be worth nothing after all. If the Wiki is to be believed, just scanning a star with the DSS is worth 1200$ and basic planets 2400$, so definitely not as bad as I thought, even with the 500ls range, I guess I can make money by exploring until I can afford the advanced scanner.

The latest patch gives a 50% bonus to the first person to discover a system object.

fbnkevin · Feb 11, 2015

Do they retro the "first discovered" date back to a particular day? When was the earliest someone could be tagged with a first discovery? Sorry if that's been asked before.

virosh · Feb 11, 2015

fbnkevin said:
Do they retro the "first discovered" date back to a particular day? When was the earliest someone could be tagged with a first discovery? Sorry if that's been asked before.

It is from the Gamma i think or some later Beta.

I don't know about you guys but this "discovered by" tag is killing me. I usually scan whole systems on my way but now i jump on a system, honk it and when it says "discovered by" it just kills me and i just go away without bothering to scan it.
Some of them will make good money and yeah i will need some cash when i got back but it just does not feel the same anymore...

Obsidian Ant · Feb 11, 2015

virosh said:
It is from the Gamma i think or some later Beta.

I don't know about you guys but this "discovered by" tag is killing me. I usually scan whole systems on my way but now i jump on a system, honk it and when it says "discovered by" it just kills me and i just go away without bothering to scan it.
Some of them will make good money and yeah i will need some cash when i got back but it just does not feel the same anymore...

Makes space feel smaller doesn't it.

It's less of an issue the further out you travel though.