Tracking My Exploration Data?

[sinisalo]

Just completed my first real exploration expedition. Bush-league stuff really. This trip was to the Jellyfish Nebula, and in all was about 11,667 light years round trip, with 800+ scans and about 309 first discoveries. Gotta start somewhere right? As my first trip of this sort, it felt rather epic to me. Having done so though, I struggle to imagine how you folks run out to Colonia, Beagle Point or Sag A without going bonkers (honkers?). But I do have the bug now, and am wondering what is the best way to go about tracking my exploration data. I wish this game had a explorer's log or similar. Until then, what do you recommend for a neophyte explorer to keep track of his stuff?

I've seen posts here showing a breakdown of that commander's discoveries by planet type, star type and so on. Where is this data being pulled from. Which tools do you prefer? Which are the easiest? Which are the most thorough? Do any not require the player to upload his stuff, it is just pulled from the game? Sorry for the noob questions, but I'd like to do things right, from the start.

 

[iain666]

If you're on a PS4 or an XBox then I am really sorry...

If you're on PC then I recommend ED Discovery (I'm one of the devs, so I am biased but several thousand users can't all be wrong). Link in my sig to the download, in app help menu will point you to more info, or there's a wiki on the same github site as the download link.

All your data is local and sourced from the journal files written by the game, uploading it to EDSM, EDDN and EGO is supported (Inara coming soon) but all are entirely optional.

I think we're fairly thorough...

 

[Gandalf06]

Hi
l’m relatively new to the exploration thing as well, I use EDDiscovery which has all the tools I think you’re lookin for.
Hopefully one of the more experienced explorers will be along with their suggestions.
There is of course the always available pen and paper...

Regards
G

Edit Arrgh too slow!!

 

[ITZC0ATL]

Yes, EDDiscovery coupled with EDSM is very nice for explorers. Can't recommend them both enough. I also use Captain's Log at the same time in my other screen and find it very useful!

The above will allow you to see how many jumps you are into a trip, what your estimated exploration data worth is, how many bodies you've scanned and what types, it will show you the composition of planets and bodies, and upload it all to a data base where you can earn badges for completing exploration rites of passage

 

[disorganise]

+1 for EDD and captains log 2, with uploads to EDSM (you just need to register and grab the API key to add to EDD)
I think EDD is by far the most complete, the 2D map is fantastic and the voicepack is sorely missed if I disable it. EDD also has great flexibility for overlays.... They are textual though. Which is why CL2 continues for me for now.... Its overlay is 'pretty' and graphical. CL can also upload screen shots to Imgur where as EDD does not. Both tools happily run side by side so you don't need to choose one... But if it were only one, it'd have to be EDD

 

[Henkka77]

+ gazillion for EDD and EDSM.

Best combo for any explorer, look no further. But as iain mentioned, if youre on console, then you need to change to PC..

 

[sinisalo]

Many thanks to each of you. That's just the info I needed. I am on PC for what it's worth.

If anyone cares to check it out, here is a thread I made on another forum about my first exploration expedition.

 

[Orvidius]

As my first trip of this sort, it felt rather epic to me. Having done so though, I struggle to imagine how you folks run out to Colonia, Beagle Point or Sag A without going bonkers (honkers?).

Honkers... I like it. LOL

This part wasn't phrased as a question, but I still think it'll be useful to have some feedback on it. I had the same concern when I was getting going. When I did my trip for Palin (5kly required, but I took a mission to a 7kly distance), I liked it, but thought I would go nuts doing that sort of long-distance travel more often. But then I got together with some friends to do the Colonia->Sgr-A* trip, and got into more of a rhythm.

I think a big part of the enjoyment of it is just deciding on exactly how much time you want to spend in supercruise scanning things. Some people like to scan everything, but I found that for me to enjoy it most, I needed to be a lot more selective about it. The honk/scoop/jump routine becomes just that-- a routine, and I can just relax and travel, and go scanning if something catches my eye, but otherwise move on. I found the right balance for me, and that balance will be different for each person.

And now that we have the neutron star routing built in to the course plotting, that adds a new dimension as well. We can choose to get around quickly with the neutron fields, or explore more slowly, depending on mood or where you're going.

Something else that I found helpful was to alternate between exploring, and coming back to the bubble for other things, such as optimizing the ship a little further. Each time I've come back, I've engineered a little more, done some combat, or some community goals, or checked off some bucket-list items like visiting Voyager 1 or Hutton Orbital. When the itch rises up again, I'm off into the black.

 

[khaos526]

+ gazillion for EDD and EDSM.

Best combo for any explorer, look no further. But as iain mentioned, if youre on console, then you need to change to PC..

Totally agree. I always use both when I'm doing long range or even short range exploration. Both are so invaluable...

 

[Major Klutz]

ED Discovery logs everything. System jumps, Planet scans, Refueling, expenses and income.

If you are interested in sharing your travel and discoveries with others, I would recommend also using EDSM.
ED Discovery will send your log data to EDSM to collect data on star systems and planets to share with the community.
It also has user profiles to show your information and you can control what information to share and what to keep private.
Feel free to browse my profile here to see what kind of information EDSM gathers for you. https://www.edsm.net/en/user/travel-map/id/8805/cmdr/Klutz
Inara is another web site that you can use to share your pilot profile. https://inara.cz/cmdr/25432

... Do any not require the player to upload his stuff, it is just pulled from the game? ....

If you play on PC, ED Discovery runs while you're playing and pulls data directly from the game journal files. Once configured with your account details, it uploads the data to EDSM automatically.
No need to find files and upload manually, EXCEPT, if you want to send your data from before you started using ED Discovery. To get your past data into EDSM, you may need to drag and drop your older game journal files into the EDSM upload page.
Unless you play on a console, in which case, there's no way to collect the data.

 

[sinisalo]

Something else that I found helpful was to alternate between exploring, and coming back to the bubble for other things, such as optimizing the ship a little further. Each time I've come back, I've engineered a little more, done some combat, or some community goals, or checked off some bucket-list items like visiting Voyager 1 or Hutton Orbital. When the itch rises up again, I'm off into the black.

Thanks, this is good advice and actually how I approach things as well. The only way I can avoid burnout is to keep switching it up. Scan wakes, an SRV run, some bounty hunting, some engineer runs, sightseeing and transport, like you said, keep alternating what I'm doing.

Still, there is no way, short of a second account I guess, to mix it up when you're 20k light years from anywhere. Exploration in this game, true exploration deep in the Void, requires dedication and resolve. I've been lurking here for months, and have admiration for those of you who take this facet of the game seriously, and approach it with professional determination. It takes a certain kind of commander to really get out there. My trip is like a Sunday stroll down to the pub compared to many here.

As a noob on the forum, my posts await moderator approval, and there is one hiding further up just in case it might have been missed.

 

[ITZC0ATL]

Thanks, this is good advice and actually how I approach things as well. The only way I can avoid burnout is to keep switching it up. Scan wakes, an SRV run, some bounty hunting, some engineer runs, sightseeing and transport, like you said, keep alternating what I'm doing.

Still, there is no way, short of a second account I guess, to mix it up when you're 20k light years from anywhere. Exploration in this game, true exploration deep in the Void, requires dedication and resolve. I've been lurking here for months, and have admiration for those of you who take this facet of the game seriously, and approach it with professional determination. It takes a certain kind of commander to really get out there. My trip is like a Sunday stroll down to the pub compared to many here.

As a noob on the forum, my posts await moderator approval, and there is one hiding further up just in case it might have been missed.

Honestly, I think that's how most explorers start out. You go for a small trip and you feel it takes forever, then the black calls to you and you go out a bit longer, then eventually something clicks inside and you can jsut head out indefinitely without feeling pressured to return to the bubble or stick to a strict schedule.

But I definitely agree that it can be hard to switch it up when you're 20KLy out. For that, I just play something other than Elite for a while. It seems to work well for me

(Currently over 250,000Ly into a circumnvagation, 62,000Ly from Sol)

 

[Major Klutz]

...
Still, there is no way, short of a second account I guess, to mix it up when you're 20k light years from anywhere. Exploration in this game, true exploration deep in the Void, requires dedication and resolve. ...

That's why I got a second account after I left on my first deep space trip. I alternate them so when one is in deep space, the other is in the bubble.

My main is nearing Beagle point now as part of the Beagle Point Expedition. My alt is in the bubble doing bubble things and engineering a ship or two for the DW2 expedition at the end of the year.
During expedition downtime between meetups, I can swap accounts and be back in the bubble in a couple of minutes.
When my main returns, my alt will be ready to take a trip out with the Distant Worlds 2 expedition and my main will stay in the bubble.

 

[Seizewell Warrior]

I find the black fascinating, currently just over 40 kylies from Beagle Point heading up the eastern galactic rim. Despite the presence of several neutrons none of the normal star systems I entered and detail scanned have been claimed by any other CMDR. Not to say someone isn't already on their way back in with the data but it gives a warm feeling that you're quite possibly the first player in that location.

Keeping sane - difficult but as I noted in a couple of other threads exploration does take on its own emergent theme. Despite the scoffing of some ( ) exploration does have its perils. Out on the Rim the starfield is quite sparse and on a couple of occasions I found myself in a white dwarf system. After one near disastrous attempt to nose cone boost (WD's make neutrons seem easy) had to resort to navigating myself out using jumponium. I've spawned in a system at least once between two binary stars, very much a near death experience. I've had to seek out planetoids in the search for more materials to make jump juice and fill the AFMD. And all with the very real threat that one "dead is dead" mistake will set back several weeks of gameplay, down the Big Snake all the way back to Deciat.

 

[sinisalo]

I find the black fascinating, currently just over 40 kylies from Beagle Point heading up the eastern galactic rim.

See, this is what I mean. Dedication to furthering man's understanding of that which surrounds us

exploration does have its perils.

I had guessed so, and if you read the link I provided earlier, you see I had safety in mind with the ship build. As it turned out nothing dangerous happened really. As long as I remember to throttle off during the jump, it all goes well. I could have gotten a couple more light years of JR, but better safe than sorry I suppose.

Of course that doesn't take in to account all the things that could have happened but didn't.

 

[Sixxor]

Another +1 for ED Discovery here.
Been using it for ages and aside from a couple of annoying releases where they had the text to speech thing enabled by default (NO!) it's always been great.

Pair it with EDSM as others have said and that's all the stat tracking you could ever want (probably).

It's worth noting as well that ED Discovery is highly customisable, but this isn't immediately obvious. The default panel layout is great, but you can customise each panel to display data you want to see. I've got it showing stuff like the estimated vaules for scannable bodies in a system, prospectable resources on scanned planets amongst other things.
I was using it for years with the default view before I realised I could customise it!

 

[RolloTreadway]

I use (and am very fond of, and give odd bits of money to) EDSM. I also use ED Market Connector to automatically upload data.

I've never yet tried ED Discovery, but I probably should, right?

 

[Major Klutz]

I use (and am very fond of, and give odd bits of money to) EDSM. I also use ED Market Connector to automatically upload data.

I've never yet tried ED Discovery, but I probably should, right?

I use both. But I use ED Market Connector to sync my data to EDSM, EDDN and Inara. I use ED Discovery to log data locally and for the voice pack feature.

ED Discovery has (in the past) been very bad at keeping your data on EDSM up to date. It was not uncommon to get halfway across the galaxy and notice that EDSM has you in the wrong ship because ED Discovery didn't sync your ship swap before you left. EDMC has (in my experience) always done a better job at populating EDSM features and keeping your info up to date.

That said, EDMC only sends data live while it's running. It can't send old data if you forgot to start it before playing.
ED Discovery collects from the journal files and syncs your data when you start it, even if it was not running while you were playing.
ED Discovery has voice control and voice announcement features and keeps track of your data locally so you can quickly look up something from your past logs.
and ED Discovery has probably solved it's past issues with data syncing since it implemented the new API.

ED Discovery doesn't yet sync with Inara and EDMC doesn't yet sync with EGO.

So I still run both.

 

[disorganise]

Aaaah.... *That's* where those pilot licence thingys come from... Inara. Learned something = great day
Cheers o7