Planetary nebulae starting to run dry?

[WR3ND]

I happened across two planetary nebulae (the small stellar system sized procedurally generated nebulae) heading roughly toward Colonia from the far side of the galaxy. One was about 5K Ly out from Colonia and the other was maybe 15K Ly out – not in-line with Beagle Point, but toward the outer rim a ways, though still relatively far from the rim. They were pretty much in the middle of nowhere, so when happening upon them, I was a little disappointed that they had already been discovered.

I'm guessing people are keen to find these things and likely just turn off (deselect) all the stars on the galaxy map and cruise around on it looking for the glowing blobs of space haze that stand out. Seems kind of cheap to me as a game mechanic and this wasn't an option, if I remember correctly, for the first planetary nebula I found on my roundabout trip to Sgr A back in 3301 (2015).

Is the well starting to run dry for being the first to discover these sort of nebulae?

Spoiler

But hey, at least I got a nice pic out of the deal, and not all the worlds in them had been tagged with first-mapped-bys, so I played the pokeball chucking game and tagged one world in each and left the remainder for others to do the same, since I wasn't the first to discover them.

 

[Orvidius]

Undiscovered PNs are getting scarce, but I'm pretty sure they're still out there. Some number of months ago I was trying to just get a list of the ones in the Colonia region and happened to find one, quite unexpectedly. And it was on the line between Colonia and Sag-A* too. I think the reason it had been overlooked was because it was up at the edge of the upper neutron field, and of course Colonia is close to the lower one, and it was only about 3k away from there, so the altitude difference probably explained it.

The ones that are easy to spot by scanning around the galmap are heavily tagged, but there are also some that are too small to spot that way. The color barely extends outside of the star's colored circle. There could be many of those that aren't discovered yet.

 

[varonica]

I must admit I have yet to find an untagged one, still there's hope, I don't believe they've all been found, just the easy ones!

 

[Flagg1900]

I would agree in that they are not all found. Within the past few months I was able to locate and tag two new and undiscovered planetary nebulae. I had yet to discover one and ultimately decided to set off from the center to find one to add to my collection of discoveries. They were a bif off the beaten path but I was able to find them a few days apart after about a week of starting my search. These are amazing systems and I can definitely attest that there are still some out there to be had!

 

[WR3ND]

Thanks for the feedback, ladies and gents. o7

This is a bit reassuring, then. Admittedly, I had a rather small sample size, even though since I my previous post I had happened upon another that was likewise already discovered, maybe 4K out from Colonia.

Well done, and thanks for steeling my resolve.

Currently cashing in my booty at Jaques Station in Open, because you only live once, and DW2 profits for me dictate having some compelling risks involved. To be fair though, I might have an unfair advantage with my choice of exploration ships...

Spoiler

Truth be told, it's such a stripped down husk of its former glory in order to make a 35 Ly jump range (without Guardian modules) that an Asp could conceivably fare better in conflict, though it might make it more of a target.

Cheers.

 

[Maolagin]

Truth be told, it's such a stripped down husk of its former glory in order to make a 35 Ly jump range that an Asp could conceivably fare better in conflict, though it might make it more of a target.

You could build a pretty beefy DBX and still make 35 LY, possibly even exceeding the total hit points on that Vulture. But we all know you mostly fly that thing because you're stubborn and like being different...

 

[WR3ND]

You could build a pretty beefy DBX and still make 35 LY, possibly even exceeding the total hit points on that Vulture. But we all know you mostly fly that thing because you're stubborn and like being different...

We both know you're full of it for that.

Admittedly, for DW2 I agree that it was not ideal; it was a vanity effort in that regard. For general exploration use though, the Vulture is much more capable at both exploration and combat at the same time than a DbX. I also have a DbX, by the way, but it's a much more niche role.

The DbX is for people who want to get places quickly and don't mind spending more of their time fuel scooping instead of exploring. The irony of it being designated an exploration ship is not lost on me, save for its more niche roles where it actually has an advantage.

Cheers.

 

[NorthernDevo]

We both know you're full of it for that.

Admittedly, for DW2 I agree that it was not ideal; it was a vanity effort in that regard. For general exploration use though, the Vulture is much more capable at both exploration and combat at the same time than a DbX. I also have a DbX, by the way, but it's a much more niche role.

The DbX is for people who want to get places quickly and don't mind spending more of their time fuel scooping instead of exploring. The irony of it being designated an exploration ship is not lost on me, save for its more niche roles where it actually has an advantage.

Cheers.

That's interesting; I'd never considered a Vulture as an explorer. I might be missing something being new here, but I use a DBX for exploration and absolutely adore it. 61ly jump; reasonably rugged, excellent heat management. Plenty of space for a nice exploration package (though I forgot the bloody AFMU this time...and telling everyone it was a 'calculated decision' hehe )

No O and little D (hence the name lol) but there's not much to shoot at out here anyway.

Mostly though she just flies right for me - she 'fits the hand', to use local helicopter terms. Quick, confident and easy on the controls; I just love the chunky little beast.
Cheers!

 

[Red Anders]

I've only ever tagged one of them and it was a) over a year ago and b) about 10,000 LY the far side of Sag A*. I must have gone through maybe 20 that were tagged already on the way to it so I wouldn't be shocked if they're near saturation point now.

 

[WR3ND]

That's interesting; I'd never considered a Vulture as an explorer. I might be missing something being new here, but I use a DBX for exploration and absolutely adore it. 61ly jump; reasonably rugged, excellent heat management. Plenty of space for a nice exploration package (though I forgot the bloody AFMU this time...and telling everyone it was a 'calculated decision' hehe )

No O and little D (hence the name lol) but there's not much to shoot at out here anyway.

Mostly though she just flies right for me - she 'fits the hand', to use local helicopter terms. Quick, confident and easy on the controls; I just love the chunky little beast.
Cheers!

Basically, what you lose in jump range you gain in survivability, maneuverability, and fuel scooping efficiencies with the Vulture. Heat buildup isn't really an issue either unless you're pushing the loadout. Speaking of "fits the hand," you might want to give it a go sometime. You will not be sorry in that regard. Only ship in the game that can really beat it there is an Eagle.

It's down to a matter of preference either way though, so naturally, suit yourself.

 

[NorthernDevo]

Basically, what you lose in jump range you gain in suitability, maneuverability, and fuel scooping efficiencies with the Vulture. Speaking of "fits the hand," you might want to give it a go sometime. You will not be sorry in that regard. Only ship in the game that can really beat it there is an Eagle.

It's down to a matter of preference either way though, so naturally, suit yourself.

Thanks.
After watching The Pilot's review, I did get the Vulture and engineered it up for combat - I was quite pleased. Not quite my thing but I can certainly put more time into it.
Once I get back to the bubble I'll shake the mothballs out and see what I can do with it.

 

[WR3ND]

Thanks.
After watching The Pilot's review, I did get the Vulture and engineered it up for combat - I was quite pleased. Not quite my thing but I can certainly put more time into it.
Once I get back to the bubble I'll shake the mothballs out and see what I can do with it.

Sorry for the late edit to my post. I've had a bit to drink in celebration of my return. You might want to re-read it.

Happy trails, Commander. o7

 

[Maolagin]

That's interesting; I'd never considered a Vulture as an explorer. I might be missing something being new here, but I use a DBX for exploration and absolutely adore it. 61ly jump; reasonably rugged, excellent heat management. Plenty of space for a nice exploration package (though I forgot the bloody AFMU this time...and telling everyone it was a 'calculated decision' hehe )

The thing you're missing is very commonly overlooked, so no need to feel bad. That thing is: most exploration is not extreme galactic fringes exploration, and so extreme jump ranges are not essential for most exploration. Beagle Point can be reached in a 19 LY sidewinder.

Jump range does of course affect travel times, but it's liberating to realize that the ultimate limit is set by your patience, not jump range. Because then you can approach it as one aspect of your ship's capabilities among many, instead of the one vital number to maximize.

 

[NorthernDevo]

The thing you're missing is very commonly overlooked, so no need to feel bad. That thing is: most exploration is not extreme galactic fringes exploration, and so extreme jump ranges are not essential for most exploration. Beagle Point can be reached in a 19 LY sidewinder.

Jump range does of course affect travel times, but it's liberating to realize that the ultimate limit is set by your patience, not jump range. Because then you can approach it as one aspect of your ship's capabilities among many, instead of the one vital number to maximize.

I get that in principle; it's basic math. A low jump range allows a player to visit systems a longer jump range would have them skip over. I am certain I've boosted past many good finds; possibly even the unknown alien civilization I dream about lol. However, on the personal level it is MUCH more satisfying to boost into the dark parts of the sky; to find the places no-one has been. I totally agree that it comes down to patience. That said, since every undiscovered system is essentially a crapshoot, overall exploration is accomplished by some Commanders thrusting deep into the heart of the Milky Way while others fill in the gaps. Smile - I prefer the former category.
Not that I've really hit a place no-one else has been; merely systems that haven't been visited yet. But I like being able to get there with not much more grey in my hair than there already is.
Cheers!

 

[LordFerret]

The DbX is for people who want to get places quickly and don't mind spending more of their time fuel scooping instead of exploring.

I have to disagree with that. When traveling, because I skim-scoop in the process, I only need pause every 6 to 8 jumps (42ly avg jump) to top off. More importantly, exploring, when I jump into a system, the first thing I do is honk and then FSS... and all the while I'm doing that, I'm scooping. My tanks are usually topped off by the time I'm done with FSS, and then I'm ready to head off to DSS anything worthy.

 

[LordFerret]

A low jump range allows a player to visit systems a longer jump range would have them skip over.

I'll give you my example and remedy for that; I set a target goal and make a fast trip out to it... big jumps. Once there, I switch the plotter to short hops and select a local goal in my target area, sometimes many different ones, and in the process all those short hops here and there has me visiting a wide variety of systems. Also, allowing all star types in the plotter (instead of just OBAFGKM) means not skipping stuff of potential interest.**

**Edit:
A note on that; You do need to be mindful of your surroundings doing that though, to make sure you don't run out of fuel or end up not able to reach fuel. You keep an eye on your tank, your goal, and the star type of your next hop before you make it.

 

[Shinji Ikari]

Perhaps there are RL ones close to the galaxy edges which haven't been discovered, after all, one doesn't expect to find them there and some are impossible to reach until FSD technology improves.

 

[NorthernDevo]

I'll give you my example and remedy for that; I set a target goal and make a fast trip out to it... big jumps. Once there, I switch the plotter to short hops and select a local goal in my target area, sometimes many different ones, and in the process all those short hops here and there has me visiting a wide variety of systems. Also, allowing all star types in the plotter (instead of just OBAFGKM) means not skipping stuff of potential interest.**

**Edit:
A note on that; You do need to be mindful of your surroundings doing that though, to make sure you don't run out of fuel or end up not able to reach fuel. You keep an eye on your tank, your goal, and the star type of your next hop before you make it.

Yes; that's my general plan: I pick a rather arbitrary spot in the galaxy; fly there scanning as I go then hop around in 'economy' scanning nearby systems. I was merely pointing out that in my long run (for me lol) out to the Rim, I've passed thousands of star systems I could have scanned, but jumped over.

 

[NorthernDevo]

I have to disagree with that. When traveling, because I skim-scoop in the process, I only need pause every 6 to 8 jumps (42ly avg jump) to top off. More importantly, exploring, when I jump into a system, the first thing I do is honk and then FSS... and all the while I'm doing that, I'm scooping. My tanks are usually topped off by the time I'm done with FSS, and then I'm ready to head off to DSS anything worthy.

This is what I do. Arrive, HONK!!! Then if Verity doesn't purr "system scanned" thrilling me right down to my little masculine guy toes (that's a voice so hot it could melt steel...English accent yet, which adds a good ten points of hotness) I hit FSS and look around while the scoop does its thing. The DbX is good for heat; I never need to worry about overheating with a reasonable vector. If the FSS doesn't show an AW, a WW or an ELW I'll close FSS and hit the throttle; knowing full well that some of the rice I'm dismissing could hold the secrets to the next Ancient Civilization. Shrug.

 

[WR3ND]

Yes, I suppose the FSS has made parking the DbX to fuel scoop more tolerable. Not sure I'd consider that exploration really anyway though, but that's neither here nor there.

Unfortunately, refill time per max range jump at max rate with the DbX is the second worst of all the ships in the game and isn't something so easily tolerated by me. The only worse ship is the DbS, which humorously ties into this thread in that it was the ship I was using when I found my first planetary nebula.

Spoiler

Taking it roundabout to Sgr A and back before the likes of the Engineers, Guardian boosters, jumponium, and neutron star boosts, I had my fill (double entendre intended) of fuel scooping, My return trek was when I worked on my plans for my Vulture exploration ship.

I'm generally at full throttle, but drop down to use the FSS when I've reached between 10c to 30c heading away from a star, depending on the size of the system after the honk. This also gives me the chance to better spot some things with parallax, which can be fun.

These days I tend to explore the galaxy more than the stellar systems in it, compared to what I used to, finding routes places and that sort of thing which most ships likely just jump over.

Cheers.