Pulse beacon hardpoint.

[Redleg]

I know as a fellow explorer there has been a lot of interest in finding a way of preserving exploration data while out in the black. I had an idea this morning. How about a pulse beacon concept. It would involve installing a hardpoint module with very limited amp akin to the current heat sink. It could come in small medium and large. 1 ammo for small 2 for med and 3 for large. They would be heavy and somewhat power intensive as a tradeoff. Once used they would fire a hypespace beam back to the commanders last port of call only. The amount of data that can be transmitted needs to be limited also. As for access to the data. Due to the method of transmission lets say the beam would require 1 hour for every 1000 light years. Anyone like the idea?

 

[Sapient6]

With the game in its current state I'm not at all in favor of methods of preserving data, especially methods that don't introduce their own risk (such as data becoming vulnerable to theft). My tune will probably change a bit if currently space outside the bubble is populated with hostiles.

If FD were to give exploration some real love I'd much rather see features that make exploration more involving or features that give us better visibility on the data we have not lost.

 

[Hoderi]

Hmm well as an explorer I'd like to have a way of preserving my exploration data. Maybe not a pulse beacon but in a different way.
Something like a survival pod for your data. You would have to go to the spot you've "died" and get the pod in your hold manually or thru limpet droids. That spot would should be marked on the galaxy map, same as you stored ships.
The survival pod would have would come in variety of sizes. The size would determine the time the pod remains active.

This solution wouldn't make it as easy to retrieve data as with pinging it back home, you'd have a limited time frame to get it back (depending on the size of the pod), you'd have a way to resume exploration from the last spot you were in with your data intact (if you manage to beat the clock).

 

[newman1702]

Hmm well as an explorer I'd like to have a way of preserving my exploration data. Maybe not a pulse beacon but in a different way.
Something like a survival pod for your data. You would have to go to the spot you've "died" and get the pod in your hold manually or thru limpet droids. That spot would should be marked on the galaxy map, same as you stored ships.
The survival pod would have would come in variety of sizes. The size would determine the time the pod remains active.

I proposed exactly that not long ago, here: https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=169853

The idea was, ability to preserve data while still having to work for it. The problem with being able to send your data is the fact that it would make players send data then self destruct to get home instantly. A rebuy cost can be a small price to pay for a 50,000 ly trip Anyway, if you had to return to pick up the data recorder it would make self destruct as an instant travel method non-viable, you'd still have to travel all the way back, so may as well just not self destruct and go home via a slightly different route so you get more exploration money.

I dislike the idea of sending your data for this reason, and if you couldn't send it all while the module being heavy and power hungry, it wouldn't be great either; explorers mount power efficient and low weight modules to maximize jump range. We don't need a mechanic that makes explorer ships heavy and requiring bigger, heavier power plants, to be honest. In addition, taking an hour to send something is an annoying mechanic, let's keep annoying timers out of this, it's not an iOS / Android game

 

[Mike W]

If you choose long trip, deep space exploration as your path here, we put ourselves in the position in this game where we can, and do lose days, weeks and even months of work, with absolutely no "safety net",,, whatever the reason,,,,, that could be a unique position in this game, and any other game come to that, I've played games where with an "Ultimate" character you could "lose it all",, months or more of work,,,but there were always "safety nets" ,,,there had to be,, otherwise you could lose a years work or more,,,,don't use them and you would pay the price,,, but there were there, and your choice for you to use or not,,,,
We should not suffer such a massive loss, so out of proportion with any other career path in the game,,,,or as i say, most other games,,, even just a simple auto save where you only lost that days data or so
A great solution would be say 3 levels of data retrieval modules, that need a slot in your ship, that are launched on destruction of your ship,,,,,and a huge non negotiable given here is,,,,,that only you have access to, and can see it out there in the system where you lost your ship,, and being able to buy a particular size module best to suit your needs, trip, pocket

1 pay say 100,000,,,gives you a day real time to retrieve it
2 1,000,000,,,gives you a week
3 5,000,000,,,give you infinate time to retrieve,,,needed for Cmdrs where the distance involved, plus RL means they would maybe never be able to "race" to retrieve their lost data

This needs to be done,,Simple

you couldnt even imagine imposing, in any context, the same fate on traders or pew pew drivers,, losing days, weeks or more of earnings, kills, rank if the ship was destroyed,, total data loss of weeks or months work is just too out of proportion with the other career paths

 

[Raiko]

If you choose long trip, deep space exploration as your path here, we put ourselves in the position in this game where we can, and do lose days, weeks and even months of work, with absolutely no "safety net",

<<SNIP>>

you couldnt even imagine imposing, in any context, the same fate on traders or pew pew drivers,, losing days, weeks or more of earnings, kills, rank if the ship was destroyed

<<SNIP>>

I snipped out the parts of your post that I don't personally feel the same way about, I am not doing that to be rude, as I completely understand that many players would be happier with a safety net, but I really, really love the 'semi-ironman' nature of exploration in ED and I really think that this part of the game would be diminished considerably if such a safety net were provided.

By the time they undertake deep-space exploration CMDRs will normally have at least enough credits to afford a good FSD, plus ADS & DSS scanners and the insurance rebuy costs of their ship, so it's not as if a destroyed ship is 'game over', you'll be in a position where you can head out into the deep again and outside of the bubble credits and ranking are meaningless, it's all about the journey and the destination for me.

I understand that the loss of first discovery tags is a more tangible setback for some explorers, but they're a reward for making it back in one piece and I feel that a safety net would diminish that as well.

I'd rather have FD extend the limpet system to allow explorers to repair each other out in the deep (including patching up hull by 1 or 2 percent per limpet), as the mid-space rescues performed by the Fuel Rats are one of the best emergent gameplay features to happen in the game so far and I'd love to see more content like that added. This would let the explorer community help out fellow explorers with badly damaged ships out in the black, but wouldn't go as far as stopping the destruction of your ship being a major setback.

Just my thoughts, to show that not everyone wants a safety net.

 

[Lupin]

I assume problem has been talked about before, but you dead or alive you would get back to populated space WAY before your data.
Any pod would require a jump drive and transmitting data would require network.

Given we already have black box missions. Maybe ED could add to data we get on death to include you last known location and you go get it.
This would mean game would have to track last death for every player, possible?

 

[Ziljan]

While the desire for a safety net is understandable, the odds of losing your ship are extremely low. As it is we barely need heat sinks or AFMUs. Also, I am not sure how I feel about having your data ALWAYS be retrievable. No other profession gets that kind of guarantee, and I can't see FD granting that to explorers. Now, if the risks of exploration were dramatically increased, then a data retrieval system would make sense given that vast distances involved.


Perhaps a more balanced and workable system than data retrieval would be Scientific Outposts parked at A handful of locations in deep space. This way people wouldn't be forced to hoard data for weeks and months. The major risk here is that it would be prime spot for greifers to haunt. But hey, what's ED without a little risk? Besides if you managed to dock out there, you'd respawn in deep space should things go south.

 

[Kancro Vantas]

If you choose long trip, deep space exploration as your path here, we put ourselves in the position in this game where we can, and do lose days, weeks and even months of work, with absolutely no "safety net",,, whatever the reason,,,,,

Same exact post that you did here, here and in this thread now in the last three days.

Same reaction from me: I just don't see enough explorers crying that they lost days of data because of an accident or because they got killed. This is, in reality, a no issue at the moment.

Scared to be killed when coming back? That's just as high as getting killed just by visiting next system from the bubble. How someone can tell that you are coming from a long exploration, are carrying lots of data, and that just because of it, ket's kill you just for no reason?

And that's for humans. NPC will not care so solo won't help your case either. But when was the last time an NPC killed you??

Nope, sorry guys. If anything exploration is too safe and comfortable now. I don't mind. Maybe when Thargoids or real threats come out there, MAYBE THEN I will reconsider the whole mechanics.

BUt loving challenges as I do, chances are I will still like the adrenaline rush, Thargoids included.

SO, I am more leaning to what CMDR Raiko position is and for the same reasons:

I snipped out the parts of your post that I don't personally feel the same way about, I am not doing that to be rude, as I completely understand that many players would be happier with a safety net, but I really, really love the 'semi-ironman' nature of exploration in ED and I really think that this part of the game would be diminished considerably if such a safety net were provided.

By the time they undertake deep-space exploration CMDRs will normally have at least enough credits to afford a good FSD, plus ADS & DSS scanners and the insurance rebuy costs of their ship, so it's not as if a destroyed ship is 'game over', you'll be in a position where you can head out into the deep again and outside of the bubble credits and ranking are meaningless, it's all about the journey and the destination for me.

I understand that the loss of first discovery tags is a more tangible setback for some explorers, but they're a reward for making it back in one piece and I feel that a safety net would diminish that as well.

I'd rather have FD extend the limpet system to allow explorers to repair each other out in the deep (including patching up hull by 1 or 2 percent per limpet), as the mid-space rescues performed by the Fuel Rats are one of the best emergent gameplay features to happen in the game so far and I'd love to see more content like that added. This would let the explorer community help out fellow explorers with badly damaged ships out in the black, but wouldn't go as far as stopping the destruction of your ship being a major setback.

Just my thoughts, to show that not everyone wants a safety net.

 

[Mike W]

Kancro@,,,
Yup,, with the loss of data thing,, im just smarting a bit lol,, because i lost mine,, through no fault of my own,, but a game glitch,, i was credited,, so ok there,, but the data,,and being 28,000ly away,,, gone ,, it stung a bit lol

 

[Raiko]

Kancro@,,,
Yup,, with the loss of data thing,, im just smarting a bit lol,, because i lost mine,, through no fault of my own,, but a game glitch,, i was credited,, so ok there,, but the data,,and being 28,000ly away,,, gone ,, it stung a bit lol

Sorry to hear about that Mike, that sucks. I still feel the same way about in-game safety nets, but I do wish that FD could sort out a way to restore both exploration data and position after a glitch, as you aren't the first or last explorer to suffer such a loss.

 

[Mike W]

Sorry to hear about that Mike, that sucks. I still feel the same way about in-game safety nets, but I do wish that FD could sort out a way to restore both exploration data and position after a glitch, as you aren't the first or last explorer to suffer such a loss.

Thanks for that ;-) and safe travels to you always my friend

 

[Sapient6]

Sorry to hear about that Mike, that sucks. I still feel the same way about in-game safety nets, but I do wish that FD could sort out a way to restore both exploration data and position after a glitch, as you aren't the first or last explorer to suffer such a loss.

Agreed, while I don't want to see a data safety net added for pilots to protect themselves from ever encountering any loss, I do think that FDev Support should have the ability to restore lost exploration data in the case of data loss due to game defects.

 

[Sire]

I know as a fellow explorer there has been a lot of interest in finding a way of preserving exploration data while out in the black. I had an idea this morning. How about a pulse beacon concept. It would involve installing a hardpoint module with very limited amp akin to the current heat sink. It could come in small medium and large. 1 ammo for small 2 for med and 3 for large. They would be heavy and somewhat power intensive as a tradeoff. Once used they would fire a hypespace beam back to the commanders last port of call only. The amount of data that can be transmitted needs to be limited also. As for access to the data. Due to the method of transmission lets say the beam would require 1 hour for every 1000 light years. Anyone like the idea?

Ehi! And what about a "Save data" binded key. Simple and effective!

Actually, as far as I'm concerned none but a few agree with a "save data" device of any kind.

 

[Winterwalker]

This is how I feel ...

I understand that the loss of first discovery tags is a more tangible setback for some explorers, but they're a reward for making it back in one piece and I feel that a safety net would diminish that as well.

Can't support the idea because long range exploration is not "all" about finding new things,

It also has a much to do, with long term survival, and cutting the apron strings (of populated space)

 

[Kancro Vantas]

Kancro@,,,
Yup,, with the loss of data thing,, im just smarting a bit lol,, because i lost mine,, through no fault of my own,, but a game glitch,, i was credited,, so ok there,, but the data,,and being 28,000ly away,,, gone ,, it stung a bit lol

Ah-ha! Alrighty then!

Your problem was with a God, more specifically, with one of the Fates, for which there is no gameplay in place to avoid from happening.

Yes, we should cry to almighty Zeus and prevent these things to happen again.

Let's just agree that the solution to THAT problem, doesn't lie here on Earth with men but up there in the Heavens with the Gods of FDEV.