The way arx work with respect to exploration could use another look. A player can spend months and months out in the black collecting millions upon millions in exploration data. The activity of collecting data typically earns very few arx compared to activities in the bubble per hour played. The Exploration Arx come primarily from selling the data. This is the crux of the issue. Flying around (especially for newer players in non-engineered smaller ships) with millions upon millions in exploration data for weeks on end so it can be turned in a chunk at a time for arx each week after returning to the bubble is insanely risky. The player has the choice to dump the data all at once and only get a weeks ration of arx (or two if you dump it just before and after the weekly server tick) for weeks and weeks of exploration effort, or only selling the data a chunk at a time over many weeks to get more arx for their effort/time. Being killed with a ton of non-handed in exploration data is in effect a very expensive rebuy cost due to the lost data. Losing the data on the way back to the bubble is always a risk, but losing the data weeks after getting back to the bubble potentially due to a bug (like power priorities, AI glitches, or the famous multi canons are PAs that could instantly melt ships just to name a few) would rather put a person off the game. (in the case of a bug support would likely restore them if asked, but most newer players may not get that far before rage quitting. not to mention making more work for support if a bug is wide spread) The current system encourages players to sell their data over time. Due to the risk of dying with tons of data left unsold players are likely to only log in once a week to sell the data, and then log right back out. To play the game safe enough to preserve the data means huge swaths/aspects of the game are effectively off limits. (no racing an i-eagle down a canyon at 800 m/s, no sidey or eagle demo derbys, no mission running, no trading goods, no playing in open or lax PGs, restricted ship build/type, no xeno combat /traveling to maia etc (hyperdiction risk, bugged thargoid agro/ collisions) etc.
Only getting 400 arx for months and months of exploration data or effort is really sub optimal. (the arx you get while exploring are peanuts compared to what you get selling the data) The current Arx system encourages/rewards short range, quick exploration trips far more so than long haul, long term exploration.
Alternatives/Possible Suggestion:
1) Earn the arx solely while out exploring rather than earning the lion's share of arx via data hand in. (by far the best option presented in the post)
2) Have a overflow/rollover system for when too much data is handed in with diminishing returns. So say 1 million in exploration data = 100 arx for simple math. If an explorer has 1000 million in exploration data to hand in. 100*1000 arx =100000 potential arx if the data is sold week by week. So in the first week (or say 2 weeks or something like that) they get the full exchange rate of 1 million in exploration date =100 arx. In each rollover week they get a reduced exchange rate compared to the last. Say it reduced by 50% each week. Week 2: 1 million= 50 arx, Week 3: 1 million =25 arx etc. Additionally, in the rollover weeks the max arx earnable via data would decrease by say 50% to a min of 50 arx per week. The max arx from exploration is to encourage the player to keep playing the game as normal as it will still contribute to the earned arx for that week.( rather than being maxed out for months on end, and losing the arx they would have gotten from playing the game normally back in the bubble.) Players who want to risk losing the data over months can still earn more arx overall. This option helps un-disincentive long exploration trips somewhat. The numbers in live could be anything these numbers are only intended as an easy example of the concepts.
Some number of players will potentially alter how they play due to arx, and the idea of getting something for 'free'. (even if arx/week is only a few cents, and not worth bothering with on a rational level) These suggestions are intended to mitigate or limit the negative impact the introduction of Arx could have on exploration, and long range exploration especially.
Only getting 400 arx for months and months of exploration data or effort is really sub optimal. (the arx you get while exploring are peanuts compared to what you get selling the data) The current Arx system encourages/rewards short range, quick exploration trips far more so than long haul, long term exploration.
Alternatives/Possible Suggestion:
1) Earn the arx solely while out exploring rather than earning the lion's share of arx via data hand in. (by far the best option presented in the post)
2) Have a overflow/rollover system for when too much data is handed in with diminishing returns. So say 1 million in exploration data = 100 arx for simple math. If an explorer has 1000 million in exploration data to hand in. 100*1000 arx =100000 potential arx if the data is sold week by week. So in the first week (or say 2 weeks or something like that) they get the full exchange rate of 1 million in exploration date =100 arx. In each rollover week they get a reduced exchange rate compared to the last. Say it reduced by 50% each week. Week 2: 1 million= 50 arx, Week 3: 1 million =25 arx etc. Additionally, in the rollover weeks the max arx earnable via data would decrease by say 50% to a min of 50 arx per week. The max arx from exploration is to encourage the player to keep playing the game as normal as it will still contribute to the earned arx for that week.( rather than being maxed out for months on end, and losing the arx they would have gotten from playing the game normally back in the bubble.) Players who want to risk losing the data over months can still earn more arx overall. This option helps un-disincentive long exploration trips somewhat. The numbers in live could be anything these numbers are only intended as an easy example of the concepts.
Some number of players will potentially alter how they play due to arx, and the idea of getting something for 'free'. (even if arx/week is only a few cents, and not worth bothering with on a rational level) These suggestions are intended to mitigate or limit the negative impact the introduction of Arx could have on exploration, and long range exploration especially.
