Newcomer / Intro Saving the game in Exploration.

[Jumpin' Jack Flash]

Hi

I've briefly searched the Forum for a specific answer to this subject, but couldn't find a detailed answer to my question. So apologies beforehand if I've missed one.
Having only tried a relatively small amount of Exploration, I've always saved the game at a nearby station before closing the game down.
So, I'm now considering using this feature of the game more extensively.

The question is...where in a system do you 'veteran' explorers prefer to save the game other than a nearby station. In or near an Asteroid belt, free space or somewhere else?
Are there any specific risks involved saving your game in certain areas, for example...have you saved a game and closed that session only to find that when you've next booted up the game, your ship has been destroyed or in a dangerous position, or suffered unknown/seen damage?
I presume that saving a game this way (other than a station) means your ship is still potentially visible to players & NPC's in Open Play, and even NPC's in Solo?
Where in a system do you prefer to save a game after a long Exploration game session, by preferred choice.
.
Any information is of course appreciated!
.
Jack

 

[Zenith]

I usually approach a planet so I'm at a "high orbit" then drop out of supercruise. Once I'm sure I've stopped and zero throttle, I simply save and close the game.
I usually take the opportunity to make a couple of beauty shots before "bedding down for the night".

 

[Dommarraa]

If it is a Neutron Star system, I move well away from it so I can be sure to jump safely the next. Otherwise, just wherever I end up.

I used to have a "bedding down" routine, but it ended up being a "lets fiddle around for another 45 minutes when I should be sleeping"

The only places I would consider dangerous are NS, and Asteroids belts. People have reported logging back in INSIDE an asteroid with the expected consequences.

Your ship vanishes from the universe as soon as you "Save and Exit"

 

[InMemoriamSirocco]

I usually approach a planet so I'm at a "high orbit" then drop out of supercruise. Once I'm sure I've stopped and zero throttle, I simply save and close the game.
I usually take the opportunity to make a couple of beauty shots before "bedding down for the night".

Same as him.

 

[Hellhawk666]

Theoretically you can save anywhere, but I supercruise out somewhere away from any objects, drop to real-space, and then close down. It's probably unnecessary, but I do it just in case one day I start up and respawn in a really bad place. I'm sure if this actually happened FD would reinstate my game promptly, as they'd have the proof of what happened.

 

[willowfan]

I usually park just outside the heat range of the star in normal space.

 

[Ian Phillips]

The last thing I do at the end of a playing sesion is to jump to a new star, scan it and aim for the nearest planet until the ship starts to cool down.

Then, when I start up again I am already refueled and pointing at the next object to be scanned. Sometimes I'll get close to a planet so that when I start up, my view out of the canopy is filled by the planet. Pretty

PS. Don't exit the game whilst in an asteroid field. I have heard stories of explorers who came back to find their ship destroyed......

 

[TheThingIs]

haha we all start developing quirks when out in the black!

Essentially you can save the game anywhere and you will respawn back roughly where you left off. The best plan is to just do it somewhere safe, out in the middle of nowhere, away from anything that could cause you damage.

You are gone from the universe when not playing so no worries about getting attacked by anything.

 

[nicomak]

I just get away from the star if i'm close to it, or asteroids, that's it done, i dont even cut supercruise or slow down. I'll be back where i left in normal mode, i'll have to engage supercruise again but since the star wont be close, or i have no risk of appearing within an asteroid(though to be fair this never happened to me), this is all fine.

 

[Cmdr Zach]

I usually approach a planet so I'm at a "high orbit" then drop out of supercruise. Once I'm sure I've stopped and zero throttle, I simply save and close the game.
I usually take the opportunity to make a couple of beauty shots before "bedding down for the night".

This.

I keep scanning/exploring until I find a picturesque spot to camp down for the night. Drop out of super cruise, take some screenshots and log out.

 

[Surly_Badger]

The question is...where in a system do you 'veteran' explorers prefer to save the game other than a nearby station.

Because of the danger of my getting stupid and popping the frame-shift drive too close to a sun, when I am done for the day I usually fly out to an interesting astronomical object, take a screenie or two, and park there for the night. Get a few vanity shots of myself orbiting that newly discovered earth-like world.

The main thing is: park someplace where you can easily get out from normal space into supercruise. I once parked in a completely black system ('lit' by a black hole) on the wrong side of an asteroid belt. Figuring out which way was the safe way to leave, turned out to be tricky and I took some damage on the way out.

Edit: another thing I usually do as part of my "park for the night" routine is I fire up my field repair 'bot and get everything as shipshape as I can for the next day. It's good to resist the temptation to fire up the repair 'bot while you're in supercruise. It's really good.

 

[Jumpin' Jack Flash]

Hi

Thanks for all the replies and information folks, you've all been very helpful!
.
Jack