Suggestion: Modify 20ly limit of exploration data selling distance

Today, I have to travel at least 20 ly away before I can sell exploration data. The technical reason or in-game reason for this is not obvious, but it the seems likely that the reason is to make it more difficult to grind valuable local discoveries over and over again, particularly for players with 'small ships' that can't jump that far in one go.

In locations such as the Bubble, or Colonia, where I can find a point of sale easily, this is not a serious problem. But in locations where there is no other station, or where the stations are very close, 'nearby' exploration becomes very difficult. These types of systems are starting to appear all over the place -- the Colonia highway is probably something most players will come in contact with. These systems are likely to become comparatively 'underexplored' within the 20ly radius.

If I'm exploring systems nearby Mammon, say, I need to get some 800ly away to sell them. (Hilary Depot, 1200ly to next station; Kashyapa, 2500ly).

For in-game reasons, it seems reasonable that the local station wants as much exploration data for nearby systems as possible -- think expansion. Having to rely on explorers going 800ly or more away to register their disoveries ... seems odd. (A number of similar places -- Pencil Nebula, Crescent Nebula, -- seem to have a reasonably close station a little more than 20 ly away, which makes exploration simpler).

Suggestion: Modify 20ly-limit to be enforced only for later discoveries. First discovery can be sold anywhere, but second user trying to sell same information within 20ly is denied.
(This feel arbitrary, unless there's an in-game reason for the 20ly limit.)

Alternative: If there are unexplored systems within 20ly of a station, make <20ly exploration into local missions, and if possible restrict missions to 10 identified systems or so. Once all systems within 20 ly have been explored, these missions go away. (This feels somewhat better, if 'real' exploration economy can't be done for technical reasons.)
 
In-game reason: The system you are in is already familiar with the systems around them. They trade with each other. And the other reason is later in the game 20LYs doesn't seem like much. My T9 gets over 20 LYs. My ASPx gets 55 LYs. And I have only just started engineering.
 
Hehe, yea. Explorers who "discovered" the crossing down the road never really got famous. Those who went to far away places did much better.

On why it's 20 LYs, that's a bit of a historical thing. When the 20 LYs limit was introduced, very few ships were able to get over that range. Which made that range quite a reasonable choice at that time.

It also still has meaning now for newer players. Just look at stock ships, non-engineered and without using tech broker equipment. Most still are below that range. Adjusting the requirement to meet ranges of fully upgraded and engineered present day ships would require beginner explorers to do too many jumps to sell their data to still be enjoyable. So i guess the 20 LYs are the best compromise we can have.
 
In-game reason: The system you are in is already familiar with the systems around them. They trade with each other. And the other reason is later in the game 20LYs doesn't seem like much. My T9 gets over 20 LYs. My ASPx gets 55 LYs. And I have only just started engineering.

In-Game:

Yes? Please go on -- you need to explain more.

Your explanation might work if I'm selling exploration to the local system. But am I? No, I'm selling the data to Universal Cartographics. So why does Universal Cartographics agree to buy the data once I'm more than 20ly away, but not closer? I mean, they have no ties with local politics, so there need to be some other reason for refusing to buy exploration data based on distance.

Your explanation seems to require that local station acts as some kind of go-between in the sale, and that all*stations (regardless of politics and allegiance!) within 20 ly from the relevant system conspire to keep the information from Universal Cartographics. I mean, with your explanation, nearby systems already have the information, but haven't passed it on to UC for wider use. And this, remarkably enough, goes on everywhere. So tell me .... why 20ly? What in-game explanation for that exact limit?

(If the limit is historical only, then all it does now is discriminate against players with low-end ships and equipment. And not very successfuly at that. So ... why keep it? Why not replace it with something that makes a bit of sense?)

Out-of-game:

OK, my guess that it might be a anti-grinding measure doesn't hold up well. So ... is the real explanation out-of-game? I mean, in-game doesn't make any sense either, as it stands now.


Anyway ... my suggestion is directed towards getting rid of this artificial 20ly limitation/
 
Last edited:
You
In-Game:

Yes? Please go on -- you need to explain more.

Your explanation might work if I'm selling exploration to the local system. But am I? No, I'm selling the data to Universal Cartographics. So why does Universal Cartographics agree to buy the data once I'm more than 20ly away, but not closer? I mean, they have no ties with local politics, so there need to be some other reason for refusing to but exploration data.

Your explanation seems to require that local station acts as some kind of go-between in the sale, and that all*stations (regardless of politics and allegiance!) with 20 ly from the relevant system conspire to keep the information from Universal Cartographics. I mean, with your explanation, nearby systems already have the information, but haven't passed it on to UC for wider use. And this, remarkably enough, goes on everywhere. So tell me .... why 20ly? What in-game explanation for that exact limit?

Out-of-game:

OK, my guess that it might be a anti-grinding measure doesn't hold up well. So ... is the real explanation out-of-game? I mean, in-game doesn't make any sense either, as it stands now.


Anyway ... my suggestion was to get rid of this artificial 20ly limitation, and it would find it more useful discuss that.
You are selling the data to the local branch/division/office of Universal Cartographics. Whom (assumption) has an agreement with the local port and system that is hosting them. Might be a stretch but there is some(little bit of) logic to it. This is also why different systems will pay different amounts for the same data. Scan a system and Maia will offer a different price then Sirius and a different price then Rhea.

Remember if Universal Cartographics was truly Universal then none of our scans in the bubble would be worth anything cause lots and lots of those systems have been scanned.

I think the 20 LY limit is also a bit of a carrot (go forth and explore), sure 20 LYs might seem like all stick but when you get that far, there's usually more then just Universal Cartographics that you can do when you get there.
 
So tell me .... why 20ly? What in-game explanation for that exact limit?
Early days of Universal Cartographics:

-Sir, there's a pilot who wants to sell us maps of our planet, with exact coordinates of our office to put on Google Maps. Claims his scanner is best in the Galaxy. Unparalleled resolution, he says.
-Another one? That's probably 500th today. That's what happens when we announce that we're buying all exploration data, even that of systems scanned a million times already. Enough of that. We should tell him we don't buy local exploration data. Tell him to go somewhere else and... maybe something unfortunate will happen to him on the way... What ship does he have?
-Sindewinder, Sir.
-What's the range of that thing? 10LY? 20?
-I think 18LY at best, Sir.
-Great. Tell him that we're sorry, but it's our corporate policy to not buy exploration data from systems closer than 20LY.
-Excellent, Sir.
 
Early days of Universal Cartographics:

-Sir, there's a pilot who wants to sell us maps of our planet, with exact coordinates of our office to put on Google Maps. Claims his scanner is best in the Galaxy. Unparalleled resolution, he says.
-Another one? That's probably 500th today. That's what happens when we announce that we're buying all exploration data, even that of systems scanned a million times already. Enough of that. We should tell him we don't buy local exploration data. Tell him to go somewhere else and... maybe something unfortunate will happen to him on the way... What ship does he have?
-Sindewinder, Sir.
-What's the range of that thing? 10LY? 20?
-I think 18LY at best, Sir.
-Great. Tell him that we're sorry, but it's our corporate policy to not buy exploration data from systems closer than 20LY.
-Excellent, Sir.
-While we're at it, spread some rumors about the "big haul" of cargo he just bought here. The local pirate factions will take care of the nuisance for us.
-Very good, sir, we will make sure every questionable-looking vessel in the tri-system area knows exactly what he's hauling and where he's going.
 
Back
Top Bottom