Newcomer / Intro Sir Henry Lootgraab's Guide For Noobs: How Not To Rage Quit Elite: Dangerous

Mysturji

Mysturji
Dear sir Henry,
I feel that I must take exception to one of the sections in that otherwise useful and comprehensive "Noob Guide" and point out the fallaciousness of your argument therein:

DO NOT MIX EXPLORATION WITH TRADING (high importance)

In order to completely scan an entire star system and get the maximum payout for your data you need the 1.6 million CR Advanced Discovery Scanner and a Detailed Surface Scanner. Doing exploration with cheaper scanner and without the Detailed Surface Scanner is somewhat half-     , incomplete and pointless. Forget exploring, curb your curiosity and focus on trading. You can't equip a single ship to be good at both tasks in the beginning. You want to max out the cargo space and defenses. Also, exploration means wandering around star systems and you don't want to do that while carrying cargo as it attracts pirates.
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I have no issue with the title of this section, but the body of your argument here is flawed and ill-thought-out.
As a Premium Beta Kickstarter backer, I began my galactic journey before there even was a Basic Discovery Scanner, let alone a Detailed Surface scanner. The introduction of the BDS opened a whole new aspect of the Elite Galaxy that I had been eagerly anticipating and I headed out into "The Black" as soon as the opportunity arose.
You seem to be labouring under the misapprehension that exploring is something that can only be done with a gold-plated dedicated, purpose-built exploration vessel equipped with the best and most expensive A-Rated modules that money can buy. This is not the case.
For those among your readership who feel inclined towards exploration as a career I would make the following observations and suggestion:
A basic Sidewinder comes equipped with (among other modules):
2 Small fixed pulse lasers: 6600 Cr each (x2 = 13200 Cr)
2E cargo rack: 3250 Cr

Selling these will gain the owner a total of 16450 Cr

A 2D Fuel Scoop costs just 4450 Cr

The basic Sidewinder also comes equipped with a Basic Discovery Scanner. The price is immaterial, for its value to a new Commander is immeasurable.

To any new Commander who feels the Call of the Black, I say: If you want to explore the Galaxy, you can start right now. Yes, your exploration will be incomplete, but it will certainly not be pointless, and it will most absolutely be not "half-bottomed", but fully-bottomed! Exploration is not the fastest way to earn credits (not by a long shot!), but it is one of the safest (at least until your return), and - in my humble opinion - also satisfying, and the most beautiful.
Sell your weapons and your cargo rack. Buy a fuel scoop. Pick a direction, and straight on till morning! Then keep going. Wander around. Honk. Scan. Scoop. (DO NOT forget to scoop!) Learn to fly your ship. Fly around stars and planets. Land on moons. Fly through rings, dodging asteroids. Learn to fly! Watch your fuel! Learn to use the Galaxy map and the System map. Go where no-one has gone before. Did your honk not discover anything? Cruise for a while. What's that moving point of light? Head towards it and honk, then scan.
After a few days or weeks (the choice is yours, Commander: Blaze your own trail), choose your return port carefully: On the edge of "civilised" space, with a station not too far from the main star. Sell your data - You may be surprised at how much it's worth. Buy upgrades: A better FSD, better Power Plant, better thrusters, stronger shields, even an Advanced Discovery Scanner... Eventually, a Cobra Mk III, a Diamondback, an Asp.

The year is 3302.
The place is the Milky Way galaxy.
You are the pilot and commander of your very own starship.
The rest is up to you.

Yours,
Commander Mysturji Mihendricks (Expert, Entrepreneur, Elite - BA, KSC, GPF, OMG, Pope)
 
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Kellan Fell

Kellan Fell
Excellent guide. One small thing though, putting Shinrata in your loop. That system is only open to kickstarter backers or people who've achieved at least 1 Elite status...
 

AdamDZ

AdamDZ
Thank you Commander Mysturji Mihendricks! This is just the way I felt when going through numerous interdictions. Focusing on running trades allowed me to stay alive for longer. I also felt that exploration was far more satisfying with the Advanced Discovery Scanner. Your point is well taken though and I will change that paragraph to reflect that.

There are many ways of approaching this game. Mine is not the best, it's just what worked for me.

Kellan Fell, I didn't know that. I'll also add that to the guide. Thanks.
 

Limoncello Lizard

Limoncello Lizard
Mysturji said:
A basic Sidewinder comes equipped with (among other modules):
2 Small fixed pulse lasers: 6600 Cr each (x2 = 13200 Cr)
2E cargo rack: 3250 Cr

Selling these will gain the owner a total of 16450 Cr
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A starter Sidewinder comes with loaned lasers and other equipment.

Selling these will gain the owner a total of 0 Cr
 

[VR] Zakk

[VR] Zakk
That's a really cool guide! I did learn a few things from it. And most importantly for my peace of mind, it showed me that I was not alone in my initial struggles with the game. :)
 

aRJay

aRJay
Mysturji said:
Ah. Didn't know that.
Still, only 4450Cr for a fuel scoop (less for a cheaper one:D)
Do a few missions and buy a fuel scoop. :)
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Then go into Galaxy Map, view, Map view, Filter by Star Type then click the checkboxes until only these Star Types are left
KGBFOAM
Those are the scoopable star types.
 

Gator Country

Gator Country
AdamDZ said:
And regarding the Cobra MkIII. I ignored it at first, thinking that I'd have better chances at surviving in a Viper. That was a mistake. I wasted a lot of time there. Until someone said "get a Cobra MkIII" and I took the time to study and to understand the ships specs. I probably spent most of my time in the game in a Cobra MkIII. It's great for beginner trading and a very capable explorer. Plus, it's the best ship to run away from interdictions. Put couple of mine launchers on it and you should not have too many difficulties surviving interdictions. Only Asp Explorer feels like a significant improvement over Cobra MkIII. Even the Diamondback Exp was kind of underwhelming.
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Yeah, I definitely love this ship - it will always have a place in my fleet. :D Got my first mine kill with it tonight - got interdicted, submitted, targeted him, showed him my butt and boosted away. One salvo of mines from the small hardpoints and he was history. I only lost one ring of shields, and have a 12.5K bounty voucher to cash in when I get a chance.

I've been doing rare goods runs with it tonight. On my last run I got something like 700K credits picking stuff up around Witchhaul and then humping it back to Zaonce. I've got the ship outfitted to haul 36 tons of cargo (I could go to 40 but I want to keep my fuel scoop) with a maximum jump range of just over 16 ly. A few more nights like this and I'll be well on my way toward fully A-rating it.
 

Limoncello Lizard

Limoncello Lizard
Small ships are fun. I'm mucking around in my Courier tonight. Just cruising around USS scavenging whatever I can find and smuggling it to the nearest blackmarket. Not making many credits, but having a lot of fun.
 
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