Selling exploration data

[Tazin]

Hello guys! i'm a rather new player, started a couple of weeks ago, i'm still without Horizons. Also, this is my first forum post.

I just got back to Cubeo from my first "long range" mission, i took 2 passenger contracts going the same direction, some 4.000ly away and then back again. I blew up 4 million credits just as i was approaching the end station by getting scanned and the passenger bailed on me, even though i was doing my best impression of cool/silent running oh well!

Anyways, I've found that selling exploration data gives me considerable gains in reputation with the minor and major factions (i think? not sure about how that works yet) and i am sitting on 6 million credits of exploration data, and considering where to sell it to the best advantage. Here's the facts:

-Currently Cordial with Federation, Friendly with Empire, Neutral with Alliance. I have not chosen any "side" yet and don't think i will, since becoming "enemies" with the other factions doesn't really suit me.
-I have no "special" system permissions
-I'm thinking of buying horizons for the engineers . . . those seem like nice boosts!
-I've not done any "grinds" so far regarding reputation or influence or whatever it's called.

Thanks for reading and keep up the good work!

CMDR Tazin

 

[BaldEagle]

Hi Commander, welcome to Exploration.
Selling data does increase your rep with the faction where you sell it and with the local allegiance (Fed, etc). So, it really depends on what you want to do. It is good to get to 'Allied' as you get better missions and also the NPC security ships show as green which can be useful!
I am sure others will know of even more benefits.
The rep with say the Feds will decay if you go off on a long voyage, so when you get back it will have dropped by quite a bit. The local rep stays though.
I find it nice when I get back after a long trip and go to one of my 'home' ports that it welcomes me as an Ally
Have fun ... see you in the black

 

[Tazin]

Thanks BaldEagle! I did not know reputation decays . . . That kinda sucks! It's obvious i don't know enough on the subject . . . Where can i read more on rep and minor/major factions worth working with?

 

[BaldEagle]

Thanks BaldEagle! I did not know reputation decays . . . That kinda sucks! It's obvious i don't know enough on the subject . . . Where can i read more on rep and minor/major factions worth working with?

I'm not really the one to answer this.
You should see what the wiki has to offer: http://elite-dangerous.wikia.com/wiki/Elite_Dangerous_Wiki
and also be aware of the codex http://edcodex.info/
which links you to lots of useful tools ... lots to read

ps - you MUST get Horizons for the real ED life!

 

[marx]

Not sure if there's a comprehensive guide to reps and minor/major factions, but I'd also recommend using your exploration data to rank up with specific minor factions to get some system permits. The permit list should give you a good idea. If you'll get Horizons (and let me second that you should), then you'll want the Sirius permit first, and the Alioth permit later.

Oh, and you can use exploration data to level up your standing with some engineers, but I wouldn't recommend that. The data is better used to get rep with factions instead, as once you have unlocked an engineer, you can go to max rank with them quickly now.

 

[goemon]

Thanks BaldEagle! I did not know reputation decays . . . That kinda sucks! It's obvious i don't know enough on the subject . . . Where can i read more on rep and minor/major factions worth working with?

- only positive superpower (Empire, Alliance, Federation) reputation decays, and only from Allied to Friendly (75%), where the decay stops.

- negative superpower and minor faction reputation decays from hostile to unfriendly, where it stops, too.

- as for minor factions to work with, some are givig out permits: https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php/122593-Updated-Permit-List ... nice to get those permits by exploration data.

- once you own horizons, you can also use exploration data for engineers: https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showt...-Engineers-A-Guide-for-the-Returning-Explorer

- another option is to scour the groups forum for some exploration friendly groups; most groups with a minor faction ingame always have a good usage for the influence gain by exploration data.

 

[Tazin]

- another option is to scour the groups forum for some exploration friendly groups; most groups with a minor faction ingame always have a good usage for the influence gain by exploration data.

Are you telling me that there are player-run minor factions? there's a LOT i don't know . . .

 

[goemon]

Are you telling me that there are player-run minor factions?

well - there are minor factions which are ingame, as a player group made the request and chose the name. they don't work differently from npc-minor factions, but those player groups invest quite a bit of time to expand them into other systems, bring them in favourable states, etc.

for example, one of the oldest exploration based player groups in ED, "The First Great Expedition" has the Institute of Galactic Exploration and Research (IGER) as a minor faction - already present in 15 systems and growing. the player group Canonn has a minor faction ingame called Canonn. i just found the Imperial Cartographic Cooperative some days ago ... unfortunately they don't have a thread on these forums to get into contact.

on the other hand, quite some exploration focussed players around Kancro Vantas, one of the long time members of this subforum and keeper of the sagittarius a* visitor list (and just a great fellow explorer!) picked up a NPC minor faction, Social Eleu Progressive Party (SEPP) as an "Explorer's Nation", and even made it into the "dangerous games" with it.

just bringing it up here, as many explorers underestimate the power of exploration data in terms of the background simulation. a drop at the right station at the right time can trigger a potential control change in a system, push a faction in boom all by itself, make it expand etc.

so, once you run out of things to gain for yourself with it (like permits, or reputation at your usual bases), and if you like to share common goals with others (explorers or not), have a look at the group forum. obviously you can as well not care about it, and it is a bit off-topic in the exploration subforum. but i actually enjoy it, when returning from a trip, to fly around the bubble and help several groups with the data i have collected over several weeks.

 

[Ian Doncaster]

Another option is to look for a faction in the Investment state, as these will offer more money than normal for your exploration data. Investment occurs when a faction tries to expand but there's nowhere suitable close enough - it's quite rare, but does happen.

Factions in systems which are a long way from any other system are the best bet for Investment, so look around and beyond the edge of the bubble.

(Note that if a faction is in multiple systems, it will show as in Investment in all of them, but you only get the bonus payout in one of them - dock at any of the faction's stations and check the local galnet articles to find out which one is actually making the investment and giving the bigger payouts)

 

[marx]

Another option is to look for a faction in the Investment state, as these will offer more money than normal for your exploration data. Investment occurs when a faction tries to expand but there's nowhere suitable close enough - it's quite rare, but does happen.

Oh? I never knew that. Any idea how much more they might pay?
Also, I think the asteroid bases should be good candidates for these then. Nowhere to expand, after all.

 

[Ian Doncaster]

Oh? I never knew that. Any idea how much more they might pay?
Also, I think the asteroid bases should be good candidates for these then. Nowhere to expand, after all.

Yes, many of the asteroid bases would be perfect, just flipping between Expansion and Investment states every 5 days or so.

Not sure how much more - probably about 20-25% but it's been a long time since I had the opportunity to sell at one.

 

[goemon]

Yes, many of the asteroid bases would be perfect, just flipping between Expansion and Investment states every 5 days or so.

Not sure how much more - probably about 20-25% but it's been a long time since I had the opportunity to sell at one.

I'll test that directly, as i happen to be at a station with the controlling faction being in investment. i have a system selling for 1,3 mio here, and will see what i would sell it for at another station, ones i'm back at the bubble.

 

[Sapporo]

I used it to unlock system permit for engineers and other goodies

 

[goemon]

Another option is to look for a faction in the Investment state, as these will offer more money than normal for your exploration data.

Oh? I never knew that. Any idea how much more they might pay?

Not sure how much more - probably about 20-25% but it's been a long time since I had the opportunity to sell at one.

@Ian - you should make that a suggestion, but currently exploration data does not sell for more in an investment state. i do know, that exploration data has an influence effect bonus during investment (and expansion?) - maybe you mixed that up? i tink it would be great, if expansion and investment would provide an exploration data bonus - as most states don#t provide much for an explorer!

here are the screenshots:

Spoiler

... as you can see, the system sells for the same in investment and in no state.

those asteroid bases are amazing, though, and explo data is a good way to get allied, and access to very nice shortrane exploration missions, at least in hind mine.

 

[Sapporo]

1,133,333 cr

This has to be the best system for a nice number of credits.

 

[Ian Doncaster]

@Ian - you should make that a suggestion, but currently exploration data does not sell for more in an investment state.

Ah, okay. I was hopping between the Colonia highway stations selling data at each one I passed. Must have just got lucky and scanned better systems on the hop to the one in Investment.

Sorry for the confusion.