Should I stay or should I go now?

[Globusdiablo]

Hello all ye explorers. I need some insight on this matter:

Purely from a ranking point of view, is it worth my time to detail scan all or most bodies in a system, or is it faster ranking wise to just honk and go (scanning primary of course )

Thanks for your time.

 

[Kenneth McGrew]

Hello all ye explorers. I need some insight on this matter:

Purely from a ranking point of view, is it worth my time to detail scan all or most bodies in a system, or is it faster ranking wise to just honk and go (scanning primary of course )

Thanks for your time.

this old chestnut...


its better to scan worthwhile bodies like ELWs, HMC's especially ones you can't land on. WW's and neutron stars / black holes

If you want to strangle the goose all your way around space a quick and dirty calc & you would need to strangle the goose to beagle point and back THREE TIMES as well as a trip to SagA and back for good measure, you will be close to elite by then

or in other words, roughly 14k jumps with an average of 12k credits per system based on 30ly average jump

there is also neutron field farming.

if your grinding rank for explorer... call the Samaritans


on a more positive note, not thinking about exploring and just "exploring" often nets you a lot more credits

i also know someone with Elite Explorer rank who's furthest distance from Sol is 5kly

 

[Ian Doncaster]

Purely from a ranking perspective, honk and go is usually much faster. Even scanning the primary - unless it's a WD, NS or BH, or you're taking so long to scoop it doesn't slow you down - is worse from a raw cash perspective. ELWs, Ammonia, and Terraformables within very easy scanning distance may be worth grabbing too - that's very hard to determine exactly, but I suspect in practice it's extremely rarely worth it.

For the rough maths, a full detail scan is worth ~5x as much as a honk, but the honk has a minimum payout of 500 per object (so iceballs get 1.5x and many stars and gas giants don't make the full 5x). Honk-and-go at its fastest gives you a new system every 45 seconds, or thereabouts. A detail scan takes 15-30 seconds plus however long you need to get into scanning range, and only gives you that bonus for one object. So primary stellar remnant, easy to scan, gives you >50k bonus and only costs you ~0.7 honks in terms of time spent on it. Very few systems pay out 50k just for the honk, so no problem. ELW at 500Ls, you're looking at probably most of two minutes to get into scan range and complete the scan, again, that's a 40-50k bonus instead of 2-3 honks, and most of the time you're still ahead - but even then it's getting fairly marginal.

 

[Globusdiablo]

this old chestnut...


its better to scan worthwhile bodies like ELWs, HMC's especially ones you can't land on. WW's and neutron stars / black holes

If you want to strangle the goose all your way around space a quick and dirty calc & you would need to strangle the goose to beagle point and back THREE TIMES as well as a trip to SagA and back for good measure, you will be close to elite by then

or in other words, roughly 14k jumps with an average of 12k credits per system based on 30ly average jump

there is also neutron field farming.

if your grinding rank for explorer... call the Samaritans


on a more positive note, not thinking about exploring and just "exploring" often nets you a lot more credits

i also know someone with Elite Explorer rank who's furthest distance from Sol is 5kly

Purely from a ranking perspective, honk and go is usually much faster. Even scanning the primary - unless it's a WD, NS or BH, or you're taking so long to scoop it doesn't slow you down - is worse from a raw cash perspective. ELWs, Ammonia, and Terraformables within very easy scanning distance may be worth grabbing too - that's very hard to determine exactly, but I suspect in practice it's extremely rarely worth it.

For the rough maths, a full detail scan is worth ~5x as much as a honk, but the honk has a minimum payout of 500 per object (so iceballs get 1.5x and many stars and gas giants don't make the full 5x). Honk-and-go at its fastest gives you a new system every 45 seconds, or thereabouts. A detail scan takes 15-30 seconds plus however long you need to get into scanning range, and only gives you that bonus for one object. So primary stellar remnant, easy to scan, gives you >50k bonus and only costs you ~0.7 honks in terms of time spent on it. Very few systems pay out 50k just for the honk, so no problem. ELW at 500Ls, you're looking at probably most of two minutes to get into scan range and complete the scan, again, that's a 40-50k bonus instead of 2-3 honks, and most of the time you're still ahead - but even then it's getting fairly marginal.

Thanks guys. Very informative.

Ok, so for ranking I'll just honk and detail scan whatever catches my fancy on the way.

Fly safe.

 

[verminstar]

Of course, ye can just cherry pick the best stuff and leave the rest...there are many who do and quite rightly so if thats what they wanna do...plenty to go around that's fer sure.

Thing is, don't just scan and go...always check as in actually explore. An example of how honk and go can backfire could best be described with 2 systems I found on my last trip. Someone obviously just passing through an EAFOTS system which is a part of the formidine rift, were so busy looking for something, they scanned the main star and either ignored or didn't see the ELW at all...or the half dozen moons with all the mats fer jumponium and twice that number HMC.

Ok yeah, hardly ground breaking super valuable find apart from the ELW, but I found another example last night which just beggars belief. Main sequence star scanned and the rest ignored. The "rest" included an ELW, 3 water worlds, 3 gas giants with water based life, 4 terraformables, 3 metal rich and a virtual plethora of assorted smaller gas giants and HMC. No least a very rare herbig young star less than 70m years old.

600k fer a single system, scanned entirely in 20 minutes and whoever was honking and scanning the scoop star only just missed out on a virtual jackpot ^^

The best bit though is the ELW has a landable moon with polonium within 0.4ls, so it's gonna make fer some truly memorable screenshots later on

Apologies fer the wall of text story, but I wanted to give an example which relates to the point I wanna make. Exploration is not a sprint to the finish line, it's an endurance marathon that requires the patience of a saint with no clear finish line. There is no destination, just the journey itself and what I found last night was the best single system I have ever found, and within 200ly of jacques.

Took 8 weeks to get to jacques...via a huge scenic route that had me crossing the formidine rift and two galactic arms, losing both SRV (I carry 2) in the process. And I'm still only 4% pioneer and relatively penniless in an unmodded aspx.

And I'm seriously lovin it...but take the sprint option if ye want...just don't forget to look at what ye honked cos ye just never know ^^

 

[Scoopy Doopy]

Of course, ye can just cherry pick the best stuff and leave the rest...there are many who do and quite rightly so if thats what they wanna do...plenty to go around that's fer sure.

Thing is, don't just scan and go...always check as in actually explore. An example of how honk and go can backfire could best be described with 2 systems I found on my last trip. Someone obviously just passing through an EAFOTS system which is a part of the formidine rift, were so busy looking for something, they scanned the main star and either ignored or didn't see the ELW at all...or the half dozen moons with all the mats fer jumponium and twice that number HMC.

Ok yeah, hardly ground breaking super valuable find apart from the ELW, but I found another example last night which just beggars belief. Main sequence star scanned and the rest ignored. The "rest" included an ELW, 3 water worlds, 3 gas giants with water based life, 4 terraformables, 3 metal rich and a virtual plethora of assorted smaller gas giants and HMC. No least a very rare herbig young star less than 70m years old.

600k fer a single system, scanned entirely in 20 minutes and whoever was honking and scanning the scoop star only just missed out on a virtual jackpot ^^

The best bit though is the ELW has a landable moon with polonium within 0.4ls, so it's gonna make fer some truly memorable screenshots later on

Apologies fer the wall of text story, but I wanted to give an example which relates to the point I wanna make. Exploration is not a sprint to the finish line, it's an endurance marathon that requires the patience of a saint with no clear finish line. There is no destination, just the journey itself and what I found last night was the best single system I have ever found, and within 200ly of jacques.

Took 8 weeks to get to jacques...via a huge scenic route that had me crossing the formidine rift and two galactic arms, losing both SRV (I carry 2) in the process. And I'm still only 4% pioneer and relatively penniless in an unmodded aspx.

And I'm seriously lovin it...but take the sprint option if ye want...just don't forget to look at what ye honked cos ye just never know ^^

When you have travelled over 230,000ly, the last 30,000 can and in my my case certainly has, become a sprint to the finish

 

[Globusdiablo]

...Exploration is not a sprint to the finish line, it's an endurance marathon that requires the patience of a saint with no clear finish line. There is no destination, just the journey itself and what I found last night was the best single system I have ever found, and within 200ly of jacques...

Exactly this. Which makes me contemplate. After reaching the rank of Elite in exploration, will I still go exploring? I like to think so. Time will tell.

 

[JacoTheBad]

Exactly this. Which makes me contemplate. After reaching the rank of Elite in exploration, will I still go exploring? I like to think so. Time will tell.

I imagine the game is going to be filling out a lot in this area little by little. I for one am going to wait on any more month long (or longer) excursions until it does, but I would hope after you hit Elite in exploration, the game will continue to insentivise you to loose yourself out in the black more & more

 

[verminstar]

When you have travelled over 230,000ly, the last 30,000 can and in my my case certainly has, become a sprint to the finish

Not saying I don't have the ability to sprint if I had to or wanted to. Gotta have some advantages when ye give up all yer guns and even basic defenses in the name of range...might not have that luxury fer much longer but we shall see. But one can sprint when one needs to

 

[gooddoc]

It's all about balance & personal choice at the time.

My gametime isn't restricted & I reached Elite status in Exploration in June last year. So it really depends now on what I want to achieve from the game at any given time.

My usual Exploration method involves me scanning everything in a system except for Asteroid belts & Ice/rock worlds (unless I'm hunting for jumponium mats). I'll even go that 550k LS to DSS a Star or single planet.
This will earn me on average 1 million credits per 1000LYs of systems - which is OK I guess but Iv enough credits now & don't Explore to make money.

Iv done the bubble-Jaques-bubble-Jaques.... journey a few times now, in fact Im just on my way back with my Python. Now this trip depends on how quickly I want to get to Jaques or back to the bubble.

During delivery CG's Iv buckballed it there & back a few times - taking 12 hours (unladen) & 18 hours (laden). Though I don't usually want to just 'Honk & Go' as IMO that's not Exploring.
Iv even done the whole 22K LYs in one jump - with a Suicidewinder. Again that's just a needs must action.

You will miss things by 'Honk & Go' or if you're not looking at the System Map. Last year I discovered 2 ELW's orbiting a Neutron Star that had been previously found by a NS farmer.

There's no right or wrong. You decide how you want to Explore & do it your way.

 

[osser]

Nov 22 will be my milestone of being out for a full year. I've scanned quite a lot. My goal is to stay out for 18 months.
passed 11k systems last week
I always scan the main star.
I always filter my map to look for good stuff (Black Hole's - Neutrons - Carbon stars - WD stars - Herbig stars - Type O stars -)
I have a really nice bucket list I'm working on ( I actually saw it on these forums but I've greatly expanded and changed it) {it was @ 124 but I made it 239 and counting.. it seems to grow weekly as I come up with new ideas}

ELW wise I'm up to 62 (1st discovered )

Like gooddoc says there's no right or wrong.

Exploration is very much up to the individual.

GO.
Fly safe and GO

CMDR Tootiny

 

[Qohen Leth]

Hello all ye explorers. I need some insight on this matter:

Purely from a ranking point of view, is it worth my time to detail scan all or most bodies in a system, or is it faster ranking wise to just honk and go (scanning primary of course )

Thanks for your time.

Better enjoy the game.

 

[Globusdiablo]

Nov 22 will be my milestone of being out for a full year. I've scanned quite a lot. My goal is to stay out for 18 months.
passed 11k systems last week
I always scan the main star.
I always filter my map to look for good stuff (Black Hole's - Neutrons - Carbon stars - WD stars - Herbig stars - Type O stars -)
I have a really nice bucket list I'm working on ( I actually saw it on these forums but I've greatly expanded and changed it) {it was @ 124 but I made it 239 and counting.. it seems to grow weekly as I come up with new ideas}

ELW wise I'm up to 62 (1st discovered )

Like gooddoc says there's no right or wrong.

Exploration is very much up to the individual.

GO.
Fly safe and GO

CMDR Tootiny

Amen Commander. LOVE your UGLY avatar by the way.