Quantity or Quality?

[gizmo6023]

I am headed out into the unknown again, the goal is to tag as many undiscovered systems as possible and make a pile of credits at the same time.
My question is which makes more credit per hour, detailed surface scans or max discovery scans per hour?
I made 62 jumps in one hour yesterday, if I stopped to scan more than one or two planets per system I figure 10 systems would be about max per hour.
I haven't seen another Commanders tag on a system in 3 days so I am hoping there are a lot of first discoveries in this run.
I only check system map every 10 jumps or so as it takes so long to load

 

[CMDR Starschulz]

Scanning things like earth likes and metallic planets will net you more than just using the discovery scans.

 

[Ziljan]

It depends on the system. You can make 500K per hour doing just D-Scanning. So, if you are making less than 8K per minute from Deep Surface Scanning of 1st discovereds, then you are better off D-Scanning. Earthlikes usually take about 1 to 3 minutes to fly to and scan and are worth about 85k CR, so they are always worth the travel time. Besides, who wouldn't travel 30,000Ls just to put their name on an Eart-like? No one, I imagine! Metal planets are only worth 12-18K CR, so they are worth scanning if they are less than 1 AU (500Ls) away, the edge of that range is break-even CR/Hr with D-Scanning.

 

[gooddoc]

I am headed out into the unknown again, the goal is to tag as many undiscovered systems as possible and make a pile of credits at the same time.
My question is which makes more credit per hour, detailed surface scans or max discovery scans per hour?
I made 62 jumps in one hour yesterday, if I stopped to scan more than one or two planets per system I figure 10 systems would be about max per hour.
I haven't seen another Commanders tag on a system in 3 days so I am hoping there are a lot of first discoveries in this run.
I only check system map every 10 jumps or so as it takes so long to load

You can't do both...if your goal is to tag many systems then just jump & honk. If you want to make credits out of it too then you'll have to spend more time looking at each system & detail scanning the higher value objects.

As there is so little profit/hour to be made from Exploration compared with other professions then i doubt that many players have looked into the best way to make money from Exploring...though i may be proven wrong.

 

[Whiterose]

Scan ELW's, waters and ammonia. Scan others if close.

 

[CMDR DoubleSkulls]

I am headed out into the unknown again, the goal is to tag as many undiscovered systems as possible and make a pile of credits at the same time.
My question is which makes more credit per hour, detailed surface scans or max discovery scans per hour?
I made 62 jumps in one hour yesterday, if I stopped to scan more than one or two planets per system I figure 10 systems would be about max per hour.
I haven't seen another Commanders tag on a system in 3 days so I am hoping there are a lot of first discoveries in this run.
I only check system map every 10 jumps or so as it takes so long to load

Tagging primary stars is really about vanity, as stars are generally only worth about 2400 CR each, so you only get about 2k more than a honk.

If you really want to maximise your return for time spent then farming the neutron fields is the best bet. Otherwise the as Whiterose and other said target the highest value bodies as per Dognosh's holographic guide. Terraformable worlds are quite valuable - generally about 30k more than a similar non-terraformable world - so it can be a useful exercise to try and target likely HMC planets.

Cherry picking like that I'll typically do about 20 systems per hour as a high number are just ice worlds or all the HMCs are too small to make it likely any are terraformable.

 

[Slippery Jim DiGriz]

if your goal is to tag many systems then just jump & honk.

To get your name on a star, planet or moon you need to scan it, just "jump & honk" will not put your name on anything.

You'll probably make most money by just steaming through and not bothering with detailed scans but that is so boring and you'll miss what interest there is to be had from exploring, if your goal is to earn credits then take up trading.

Personally I check the system map on every system while I am scanning the primary - The scoop, move a bit from the star and then turn to scan, look at the map and move on to the next system if there's nothing else worth scanning in the system takes me about 100 seconds so I can manage over 30 systems an hour if I seldom scan anything but the primary, in reality it's nearer 20 as I'll often find something to look at.

 

[tiger61378]

And I'm on the other end of the spectrum. If it dosn't have a "first discovered" tag, it will when I'm done even if it is just an overgrown snowball. But its all down to how you want to do things...I'm gathering as much data as possible, not for money, but because of curiosity and scientific exploration (hey, SOMEONE has to get the data on all those ice worlds...and besides, someone has to know where to get the hookups for all the margarita bars out there!).

 

[jimglot]

Personally there is no way I can honk and not hit the system map. More than few times I've had to kick off the jump drive because I spotted something worthwhile.

 

[Colombe]

Personally there is no way I can honk and not hit the system map. (...)

Even if there's only one object?

I don't open System map when there are 1, 2 or 3 objects - I then directly look at navigation page to know where the other suns are, to determine if I go and scan them or not.

I tend to scan the metallic planets and giants except if they are around a very distant sun. And if I find earth-like planet, I'll scan the whole system, icy included...

 

[gizmo6023]

To get your name on a star, planet or moon you need to scan it, just "jump & honk" will not put your name on anything.

.

Thanks for the tip, I thought the discovery credit was the Honk and bonus credits were detailed scans

 

[CMDR DoubleSkulls]

This all comes down to the very personal question about why we explore.

• Money - if you started brand new, got yourself an ADS, DSS and scoop you may be able to make more money than other careers for a limited time. Otherwise this is a nice side effect, rather than a primary goal.
• Status - e.g. getting to Explorer Elite. Maybe as part of getting triple elite, or just wanting it in its own right. If this is your goal to get this asap then neutron field farming is the best bet.
• Fame - spreading your tag across as many astronomical bodies as you can/want. Primary stars, and high value/unusual bodies are the most prestigious to tag or an entry in the Universal Cartographics record breakers.
• Discovery - the feeling of seeing something unusual or rare, for example getting to Sag A, seeing a nebula close up, or an entry in the Universal Cartographics record breakers.
• Completionist - I'm not sure how this relates to the other categories, but the desire to complete something - typically tagging an entire system, but for some its cataloguing a whole sector or similar.

Any others people can think of?

I think to some extent the differences between explorers are really just about where they sit on those various parameters and how they value them (and recognising that can change over time too).

 

[Kancro Vantas]

This all comes down to the very personal question about why we explore.

• Money - if you started brand new, got yourself an ADS, DSS and scoop you may be able to make more money than other careers for a limited time. Otherwise this is a nice side effect, rather than a primary goal.
• Status - e.g. getting to Explorer Elite. Maybe as part of getting triple elite, or just wanting it in its own right. If this is your goal to get this asap then neutron field farming is the best bet.
• Fame - spreading your tag across as many astronomical bodies as you can/want. Primary stars, and high value/unusual bodies are the most prestigious to tag or an entry in the Universal Cartographics record breakers.
• Discovery - the feeling of seeing something unusual or rare, for example getting to Sag A, seeing a nebula close up, or an entry in the Universal Cartographics record breakers.
• Completionist - I'm not sure how this relates to the other categories, but the desire to complete something - typically tagging an entire system, but for some its cataloguing a whole sector or similar.

Any others people can think of?

I think to some extent the differences between explorers are really just about where they sit on those various parameters and how they value them (and recognising that can change over time too).

-Being #Fedup with #Powerplay
-Hating civilization...or #people.

-Others:
#Masochism, #lowesteem, #poorbutindependent, #socialpariah, #forthedamnglory #justbecause #Icantpaybillsinastation #Imagypsy #bucketlist #pushlimitsofpatience #bymistake #toofartoquitnow #tomineinpeace #buckyballbroughtmehere #Thargoidbait #Seekingaliens

 

[Slippery Jim DiGriz]

Any others people can think of?

Combat was doing my joystick wrist in, exploring is far more restful and allows my wrist to rest.

 

[jimglot]

Even if there's only one object?

I don't open System map when there are 1, 2 or 3 objects - I then directly look at navigation page to know where the other suns are, to determine if I go and scan them or not.

I tend to scan the metallic planets and giants except if they are around a very distant sun. And if I find earth-like planet, I'll scan the whole system, icy included...

I had one system that had 1 last night, funny thing is I would normal skip that like you said, turns out it was a black hole. In fact my first. Heck I didn't even know what it was at first. I was not the first there but still cool to find.
System map pulls up quickly for me, so I pop it open on my way to jump. Habit.

 

[Katejina]

Generally quality. A single ELW alone will make a system worth scanning. I will travel any distance for ELWs and WWs though. A handful of WWs scattered about a handful of stars might take some time to scan so it really depends on how you feel.

But really, few people are going to explore solely because of how profitable it is. I know I don't. I just want to find pretty things.

 

[Col Frost]

I tend to scan the beautiful things too, it's really just personal preference.
If you want money you should head out and find some Neutron Star/ White Dwarf fields.
If you head high enough in the Y axis they are pretty much everywhere I've found

 

[Askiates]

This all comes down to the very personal question about why we explore.

• Money - if you started brand new, got yourself an ADS, DSS and scoop you may be able to make more money than other careers for a limited time. Otherwise this is a nice side effect, rather than a primary goal.
• Status - e.g. getting to Explorer Elite. Maybe as part of getting triple elite, or just wanting it in its own right. If this is your goal to get this asap then neutron field farming is the best bet.
• Fame - spreading your tag across as many astronomical bodies as you can/want. Primary stars, and high value/unusual bodies are the most prestigious to tag or an entry in the Universal Cartographics record breakers.
• Discovery - the feeling of seeing something unusual or rare, for example getting to Sag A, seeing a nebula close up, or an entry in the Universal Cartographics record breakers.
• Completionist - I'm not sure how this relates to the other categories, but the desire to complete something - typically tagging an entire system, but for some its cataloguing a whole sector or similar.

Any others people can think of?

I think to some extent the differences between explorers are really just about where they sit on those various parameters and how they value them (and recognising that can change over time too).

Have to say this is probably the best overall summary of what an explorer is. I'd probably just add a 6th stage which I would call the "Wanderer". All of the above apply to some extent to the wanderer, but none of them are a major influence. They have no set destination in mind, they will obtain detailed scans of as much or as little as they are in the mood for, whether the system has been discovered or not, and doesnt mind how long they are out there for.

The wanderer stage is where I am at, set out two weeks ago heading in the general direction of Sag A, but due to my meandering, I am actually further away from Sag A than when I started

When I eventually return to inhabitable space (whether thats after I make it to Sag A or decide to come home before I get anywhere near), then I will probably class my next explorer run under the "Completionist" stage , as its my intention to do a star run from A to Z, just to visit 26 as yet undecided systems in alphabetical order.

 

[gizmo6023]

Thanks to all that have responded.
Lots of good information and some thought provoking responses as well.
Not quite sure where I fit in Commander Doubleskulls list but that is one heck of a list.
I might fit better in Askiates Wander classification.
I am headed out in the general direction of Sag A but don't know if that is my destination yet.
Last trip was a visit to all seven sisters, the Eskimo neb, Running Man, Orion, The horse head and several other interesting
spots in that region, all places I have photographed over the last several years.
I am likely to end up just about any place that looks interesting along my unplanned route.

 

[Slippery Jim DiGriz]

I am likely to end up just about any place that looks interesting along my unplanned route.

Good plan, it'll probably end up that way anyway.