The Trouble with Associating Jump Range with Exploration Gameplay

[WR3ND]

Jump range is important more for just racing places. Fuel scooping potential and efficiency, and also things like supercruise maneuverability and so on are more important for exploration efficiency. More time exploring, going about your business, whatever that might be, and less time waiting for game mechanics.

If your business is racing off somewhere, then jump range is more important for you. This has nothing really specific to do with exploration and has just as much to do, if not more so, with the other careers in the game, like trading, where jump range is more important to be more effective at it.

Jump range is nice to have, but it isn't really so much of an exploration specific game mechanic, unless your brand of exploration is trying to reach the outermost fringes of the galaxy (when compared to others doing the same), or similar, which is more of a niche type of exploration. Jump range doesn't much affect systems explored per time the way fuel scooping does.

In a sense, jump range is more of a capability to avoid exploration and get on with whatever else you'd rather be doing in the game – I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that specifically, and in fact it can be a nice optional ability to have (even when out exploring, ironically enough); I'm just calling it like I see it. Personally, I'd rather see more to exploration itself than enhanced ways of avoiding or selectively circumventing it through quality-of-life or accessibility type travel mechanics. We'll see what Q4 brings, but I'm somewhat optimistic, and hope Frontier take these things into consideration when further enhancing and developing exploration gameplay.

TL;DR: I'm hoping for more "meat on the bones" for exploration gameplay. Just boosting up the jump range and adding other accessibility or quality-of-life type travel mechanics, while nice to have at times, doesn't really do that other than perhaps in certain niche scenarios.

 

[Bob McBobblehead]

If you're wanting to go to a specific region of the galaxy to explore, then having a good jump range gets you to the starting line quicker. Getting to where you want to explore fast is going to be even more meaningful when the Beyond Q4 and the codex are released.

 

[Mengy]

Jump range is important more for just racing places. Fuel scooping potential and efficiency, and also things like supercruise maneuverability and so on are more important for exploration efficiency. More time exploring, going about your business, whatever that might be, and less time waiting for game mechanics.

If your business is racing off somewhere, then jump range is more important for you. This has nothing really specific to do with exploration and has just as much to do, if not more so, with the other careers in the game, like trading, where jump range is more important to be more effective at it.

Jump range is nice to have, but it isn't really so much of an exploration specific game mechanic, unless your brand of exploration is trying to reach the outermost fringes of the galaxy (when compared to others doing the same), or similar, which is more of a niche type of exploration. Jump range doesn't much affect systems explored per time the way fuel scooping does.

In a sense, jump range is more of a capability to avoid exploration and get on with whatever else you'd rather be doing in the game – I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that specifically, and in fact it can be a nice optional ability to have; I'm just calling it like I see it. Personally, I'd rather see more to exploration itself than enhanced was of avoiding it. We'll see what Q4 brings, but I'm somewhat optimistic, and hope Frontier take these things into consideration when further enhancing and developing exploration gameplay.

That is your opinion, but it isn't everyone's view on the matter. Jump range for explorers is more about the ability to reach systems which most ships can't fly to, and less about traveling fast.

The fastest fuel scoop in the galaxy will never enable a Vulture to reach Star One, but even a DBX with the slowest scoop in the game can get there.

 

[crushdepth]

Jump range is how you get to an area of interest in a sane time frame. Saying it's not important is crazy talk.

Stopping to scan every last rock on the way out there is the sort of thing a train spotter would do.

 

[WR3ND]

That is your opinion, but it isn't everyone's view on the matter. Jump range for explorers is more about the ability to reach systems which most ships can't fly to, and less about traveling fast.

The fastest fuel scoop in the galaxy will never enable a Vulture to reach Star One, but even a DBX with the slowest scoop in the game can get there.

You do need a sufficient jump range to reach various systems in the game in general, of course, but something like 20 to 30 light years is sufficient to reach 99.99+ percent of them, I'd say.

There are always going to be further out stars and systems than players can reach. This doesn't really change so much regardless of your jump range. As for reaching specific locations when compared to others, I did account for this in the OP, and yes, in that regard, jump range is more important for that specific form of exploration, if you call reaching the same location as others exploration. I'm not sure I would, but I'd admit that it very well could be a form of exploration regarding the parts of the unknown and exploring the fringes of the galaxy within that context.

Jump range is how you get to an area of interest in a sane time frame. Saying it's not important is crazy talk.

Stopping to scan every last rock on the way out there is the sort of thing a train spotter would do.

Jump range is more of a travel mechanic and is not specific to exploration gameplay. It's a nice feature to have, but isn't an intrinsic part of exploration specifically.

More to the point of this thread, when I think of enhancing exploration gameplay, boosting jump ranges higher than their current potentials isn't something that I feel particularly enhances exploration specifically.

 

[Vorxian]

That is your opinion, but it isn't everyone's view on the matter. Jump range for explorers is more about the ability to reach systems which most ships can't fly to, and less about traveling fast.

The fastest fuel scoop in the galaxy will never enable a Vulture to reach Star One, but even a DBX with the slowest scoop in the game can get there.

I can't agree more.

Exploring is about reaching places, and traversing areas of space. The example can be demo'd by trying to go somewhere in a stock sidewinder. You'll find you need to get to a system, and it's out of reach by your FSD. How annoying it would be go go off 50K LY and find you get to a dead end, because you have a weak FSD.

FSD range not only speeds up passing through space, but it opens doors when reaching that all important scoopable, or leaping across a 40LY void that only a modded FSD would support.

Appreciate the OPs sentiment, so not going to knock it.. but there are some critical factors involved in getting places that a pimped FSD is the way to go.

 

[Mengy]

It's not just about exploring the fringe though, making your way across sparse regions of space like in between the spiral arms becomes much nicer with the range to cross them. Stating that range is only useful in 0.01% of the galaxy is incorrect.

 

[Funny]

I think the op might be referring ro the partially reverted changes to the type 7. Basically, my view on jump ramge is this: if the jump range is beyond a certain point, it becomes less important to exploration. Hence, why I’d outfit a (rather heavy) slf hangar on my conda if I ever took it out exploring, its maneuvrability in sc is why I haven’t done so yet. Simply having the one of the best jump ranges in the game is irrelevant if you truly want to go exploring (on planets and such).

 

[Lightspeed]

I got trapped in my AspX within 5000 lyrs of the Bubble once, because I neutron boosted into a void. I ..... just ..... needed ..... an ..... extra ..... bit ..... of ...... range.

I think a higher FSD jump range lessens the chances of doing that accidentally, but when you have that bit extra, there is the temptation to go just a little bit further ...... and ..................

 

[MadDogMurdock]

It's not just about exploring the fringe though, making your way across sparse regions of space like in between the spiral arms becomes much nicer with the range to cross them. Stating that range is only useful in 0.01% of the galaxy is incorrect.

Crossing between the arms used to be a thing - pathfinding used to be a topic of discussion, e.g. getting across the Formidine Gap.
I remember struggling to find a way out of one of those sparse regions between arms - it was a genuine hazard for explorers.

I do feel like the doubled FSD ranges have really relegated that to being pretty effortless (nicer isn't really the word I'd use), and now it pretty much is only about the extreme outer fringes.

 

[IndigoWyrd]

Wholly agreed, to the point of +Rep.

Now I do get the desire to break out the well-known and traveled bubble, and even to reach beyond the better explored "outer bubble" to the very fringe of the galaxy itself.

And to that end, I've proposed, more than once, a single-use, strap-on range-extension module - Give me something I can use to hurl myself out 1000 or 5000 or 10,000 Ly - one way, once, and I'll find my way home full of data.

I remember something very similar from Star Trek - a sort of detachable long-range booster that was left behind... but can't remember if it was an episode or one of the movies this was used in.. but something along these lines would be great for those wishing to set out to the farthest stars.

Alternatively, a "Frame Shift Super Charging" facility would work - pull up, send a request via your Comm panel, just like you would request docking at a station, maneuver your ship into position and the facility emits a beam that pushes your FSD beyond safe limits - akin to a Neutron star boost, just with a more dramatic range increase, allowing for one really long range jump at the cost of considerable Frame Shift Module degradation - perhaps a 60-70% degradation to the module.

I would also put in, as a restriction on access to this, that a Permit be granted by Professor Palin, ensuring you complete your 5k Ly trip the same way everyone else has had to do so prior to being able to make use of this.

But as I began, Jump Range alone does not an Explorer make. Exploration is far more about What You Do, not How Fast Can You Get There.

 

[Dommarraa]

Jump range is more of a travel mechanic and is not specific to exploration gameplay. It's a nice feature to have, but isn't an intrinsic part of exploration specifically.

Yes its a travel mechanic MOST of the time, its not a majority of explorer ship owners who use it to hug the rim, but for explorers that "travel mechanic" is a larger part of their time.
A Combat monkey with a bigger jump range might change the time till his next game play from 15 mins to 10 mins (5 mins difference), an Explorer might change that from 15 Hours to 10 Hours. 5 Hours of "non-game time" is worthy of special consideration.

As an explorer, I want new dedicated ships to allow me to take more small modules and utilities, handle in SC better, and allow more rapid exploration of planet surfaces. The current Asp/DBX/Conda type jump ranges would be just fine for me.

 

[WR3ND]

Crossing between the arms used to be a thing - pathfinding used to be a topic of discussion, e.g. getting across the Formidine Gap.
I remember struggling to find a way out of one of those sparse regions between arms - it was a genuine hazard for explorers.

I do feel like the doubled FSD ranges have really relegated that to being pretty effortless (nicer isn't really the word I'd use), and now it pretty much is only about the extreme outer fringes.

Along these lines, finding the shortest jump range requirements to reach the Crab Nebula was a very enjoyable part of exploration gameplay for me. This is something that becomes more of a moot form of exploration in relevant exploration gameplay with ever increasing jump ranges, and yes, it is something now limited more to just the fringes of the galaxy and one-upping other explorers in min/maxed meta ship builds.

 

[insanephoton]

The old myth of needing supreme jump range for exploration is just that. Apart from those record hunters searching for ever more inaccessible stars you don't really need extreme jump range. How much of the galaxy has been explored? It's been a while since anyone at FD mentioned any figures on that, but I seem to recall that the figure was less than 1 %. Whatever the exact figure is, one thing is still true, the vast bulk of systems haven't been explored. It would not surprise me to find that there were still unexplored systems within 1000 ly of Sol.

I used to be an explorer but pretty much burned out by the time of the great 'biegeification'. Maybe I'll give it another go after the Q4 updates but as things currently stand there isn't much to find unless you follow the breadcrumb trails to plot relevant items.

 

[Muetdhiver]

I tend To explore in sparse regions, and in those regions 45+ lyr plus good endurance is everything.

Then again, for anywhere else 25 lyr will do the trick.

Keep in mind that 25lyr means more than twice the travel time wrt 50lyr due to all the zigs and zags.

 

[WR3ND]

The old myth of needing supreme jump range for exploration is just that. Apart from those record hunters searching for ever more inaccessible stars you don't really need extreme jump range. How much of the galaxy has been explored? It's been a while since anyone at FD mentioned any figures on that, but I seem to recall that the figure was less than 1 %. Whatever the exact figure is, one thing is still true, the vast bulk of systems haven't been explored. It would not surprise me to find that there were still unexplored systems within 1000 ly of Sol.

I used to be an explorer but pretty much burned out by the time of the great 'biegeification'. Maybe I'll give it another go after the Q4 updates but as things currently stand there isn't much to find unless you follow the breadcrumb trails to plot relevant items.

Yes, regarding exploration, I'd rather see more "meat on the bone" in general, as it were.

Jump range is a critical travel mechanic, but doesn't particularly enhance exploration gameplay specifically, in my opinion.

 

[insanephoton]

You can get to Colonia with 15 ly jump range. From there the star density is such that most places in the central core are easy to reach. Apart from bragging rights, what is the point of getting to a distant star system if it's just the same as countless more easily accessible systems.

 

[Zenith]

I disagree. Every exploration ship I've taken has been about maximising jump range first, then adding the tools of the trade and sacrificing some of that jump range to get the final ship that I'm happy with.


I've taken a 40ly Clipper to the Zurara and while I had to jink around a bit to get a flight path, I got there and back in the end.
During Enigma Expedition I fell behind 2 waypoints off the schedule because of other commitments. I was able to utilise the 45ly jump range of my ship + neutron boosting to catch up in a single session.
I've taken an 18ly Sidewinder to Colonia before, so I know it's not a necessity to have large jump range.

Higher jump range gives you the leisure to get to your destination at your pace. If you want to slow down, go economical. If you want to put your foot down, then stretch your legs and get neutron boosting.

 

[MadDogMurdock]

Yes, regarding exploration, I'd rather see more "meat on the bone" in general, as it were.

Jump range is a critical travel mechanic, but doesn't particularly enhance exploration gameplay specifically, in my opinion.

In my opinion, excessive jump range has pretty much entirely downgraded exploration to the level of tourism.
I haven't bothered going out far beyond the bubble recently simply because it doesn't feel like getting anywhere is any kind of achievement.

The balance at around 35-40LY max was about right for the spacing of stars between the arms.

Yup, I get that some people think repetitive jumping is boring, that it's basically just loading screens, and to a certain degree they have a point.
But that whole Lewis & Clark feeling of trying to get anywhere and wondering if you'll be able to get back has been almost entirely lost (fringe distance records being the last exception).
That combined with the lack of any actual exploration gameplay is a bit sad for a game boasting a scale model of the whole Milky Way.

But hey, at least the planets are getting some colour back - it's not all going backwards

 

[Bran Tse Mallory]

+Rep to you Mr. OP!

My average jump for the last year has been no more then 2LY. The ship can do 32.something but that is just to get me near to an interesting area then it's Eco jumping all the way.

Never miss and ELW or some other interesting 'thing'.

Some might call this a grind - but it's just how I play Elite.