What does it take to discover biological signals?

[Dziondziak]

Ive never found one and Im getting mixed info on what happens when you are in a system that has them.
Ive heard that as soon as you drop into a system, it will notify you that there is a lifeform signal in the area.
Ive heard that when you go to the FSS, it will show you on the tuning area over on the left side that there is a signal to tune in for them.
Ive heard that you have to use the fss on a planet and then in the upper right hand corner it will tell you if there is a bio signal.

so are any or all of these correct or what?

 

[Surefoot]

If you mean planet surface bio signals, then they are found when scanning planets with the FSS in upper right corner.
If you mean anomalies, lagrange clouds and such, they show as a separate signal on the FSS ("compact emissions").

 

[Lightspeed]

As soon as you uncover planets with the FSS, your nav panel on the left will list anything interesting, such as biological signals associated with each appropriate planet.

But to locate them precisely on a planet, you have to visit the planets where interesting signals are indicated and use the DDS by firing probes.

 

[varonica]

As soon as you uncover planets with the FSS, your nav panel on the left will list anything interesting, such as biological signals associated with each appropriate planet.

But you have to exit the FSS to get to the nav panel, and that doesn't show bio signals or even geo at that point. The first indication of bio signals on a planet is in the upper right hand corner of the FSS. These still won't show in the nav panel if you exit the FSS, for surface bio and geo signals to show in the nav panel you have to surface probe the planet or moon. Geo signals will show in the detailed view of the system display for that body after the FSS is used, but not bio. Yes it's slightly inconsistent, but they are trying to fit a new system into data display screens that have been in use for years.

 

[Lightspeed]

Varonica has given you the definitive answer. She's an expert.

 

[ledg]

Geo signals will show in the detailed view of the system display for that body after the FSS is used, but not bio.

To be clear, the geo signals will show up in the detailed view of the system (planetary) map after probing with the Detailed Surface scanner. But the bios won't. Is this correct?

 

[space voyager]

No, not planetary map for geo locations. Check the info in SYSTEM map. There you will see if a planet has any geological activity. But it won't tell you about bio activity. For that you need to scan with probes and then you'll see info in the system map.

BTW, any (well, life has its limits) landable planet can have bio locations, even if it has no geolocial location.

 

[Factabulous]

Lots of FUD in here - just go to the in-game codex, click on something you want to see, travel to that system and work it out. It's not rocket science

 

[Apsley]

Does any of this differ for bio in rings?

Cheers,

Aps

 

[ledg]

No, not planetary map for geo locations. Check the info in SYSTEM map. There you will see if a planet has any geological activity. But it won't tell you about bio activity. For that you need to scan with probes and then you'll see info in the system map.

BTW, any (well, life has its limits) landable planet can have bio locations, even if it has no geolocial location.

Semantics. I equate the planetary map and the system map. We have a Galaxy Map and System Map. The System Map has info on the planets after scanning with the Full Spectrum System Scanner (FSS) which includes materials and volcanic activity. You need to do a Detailed Surface Scan (DSS) with probes to get the actual geological signals to show up in the System Map info for a desired planet. Since geological sites take a while to show up using the FSS I will sometimes go to the next planet, not wanting to wait for that result. You can then assume that planets that show volcanic activity will usually have geological sites to explore and warrant further investigation. I gather from varonica that bio sites will not show up using this truncated method. I have not as yet discovered any biological sites other than the ones already in the codex.

Lots of FUD in here - just go to the in-game codex, click on something you want to see, travel to that system and work it out. It's not rocket science

I would like to discover some on my own.

 

[marx]

I have not as yet discovered any biological sites other than the ones already in the codex.

You'll need to do some heavy cherry-picking for that. The various biologicals only spawn under some specific circumstances, which are listed in the Codex. For example, Amphora plants are in systems containing both class A stars and an ELW or a WL giant, and on metal rich planets only. Even then, finds can be quite rare.

However, if you're fine with bark mounds, finding those is easy: just fly to any nebula. You'll see lots of bark mounds near them.

 

[+vlas+]

I have still not discovered a biological or non-planetary signal since the update. Thousands of geologicals though.

 

[Rooster Podunk]

Try B stars with MR planets.

 

[space voyager]

Semantics. I equate the planetary map and the system map. We have a Galaxy Map and System Map. The System Map has info on the planets after scanning with the Full Spectrum System Scanner (FSS) which includes materials and volcanic activity. You need to do a Detailed Surface Scan (DSS) with probes to get the actual geological signals to show up in the System Map info for a desired planet. Since geological sites take a while to show up using the FSS I will sometimes go to the next planet, not wanting to wait for that result. You can then assume that planets that show volcanic activity will usually have geological sites to explore and warrant further investigation. I gather from varonica that bio sites will not show up using this truncated method. I have not as yet discovered any biological sites other than the ones already in the codex.



I would like to discover some on my own.

Well, we do have a planetary map, too - I wouldn't point it out if there wasn't one. You can see the planetary map for landables if you zoom in to the landable from the system map.

 

[IndigoWyrd]

This is actually your very first indication of the presence of Geological or Biological sites on a planet:

The "ring of triangles 'Scanning'" notification when you zoom in on a planet using the Full Spectrum Sensor. This will last a short time, before resolving:

At this point we know this planet has 17 Geological Points of Interest, we can see the type of volcanism is Carbon Dioxide Geysers.

The system map, quite incomplete at this time, shows the same information for this planet:

About a minute later, my System Map looks like this:

I set a course for this planet:

As I know I need to scan some methane-based POI's for my codex.

A few moments later, I am in range:

I warm up my DSS, and start probing:

A perfect PGA Hole-in-One:

Now I can see:

I now have points on my navigation panel.

Nothing new on my System Map.

And:

Nothing special about the planet Surface Map.

So I fly a bit closer, until I see:

I select a site to visit:

Decide it's a little hard to see in Analysis Mode, so switch to Combat Mode just to make it easer to see...

And drop in:

Decided since it was dark here to turn on the night vision.

Bring up the Composition Scanner and switch back to Analysis Mode.

And log a new entry in my Codex.

Geological Point of Interest Discovered.

Biological work in the same manner.

I also happen to know that it is worth checking the other sites as well, as many Geological Points of Interest share multiple common characteristics. Here I found Methane Ice Geysers, on a planet boasting Methane Magma. I could also find Methane Ice Fumaroles as well at another site.

 

[Tassier]

This is actually your very first indication of the presence of Geological or Biological sites on a planet:

The "ring of triangles 'Scanning'" notification when you zoom in on a planet using the Full Spectrum Sensor. This will last a short time, before resolving:

At this point we know this planet has 17 Geological Points of Interest, we can see the type of volcanism is Carbon Dioxide Geysers.

Can't believe I haven't noticed this, I've been on an exploration jaunt since making a billion on void opals but have just been randomly DSS'ing planets when I feel lucky.

 

[+vlas+]

For the past several weeks, I have been hitting all the B stars I can find. Still no joy.

 

[Spaceman Si]

I found some of those sea-urchins on a planet completely by chance once. They were on a planet in a B class star system. I've never found any since, though. (They make a really quite unpleasant noise, which somehow carries in a vacuum for miles)

 

[varonica]

For the past several weeks, I have been hitting all the B stars I can find. Still no joy.

The same here, and then you hit a mother lode. Found some in The Abyss the other say, the first to go in the Codex as well and I wasn't expecting them at all. Then again I cruised across to a small nebula in the Hieronymus Delta and found exactly what i expected to find, Bark Cone, almost immediately. It would certainly get boring if you found biology in every system you entered, it's rare except under the correct conditions, and that's how it should be.

 

[Kenneth McGrew]

What does it take to discover biological signals?





Patience of a saint while watching the "scanning" triangles go around