What is your exploration routine

CMDR SleepyDelegate

CMDR SleepyDelegate
I was wondering what do you guys do when you are out there exploring? How much do you truly explore the system? What steps do you take? What are you looking for? What keeps you jumping from system to a system?

My routine is quite simple:
  1. I am mostly looking for interesting stuff, so unless I find something unusual, I jump to next system fairly quickly
  2. I mostly look for Bio signs and NSP, unusual bodies, unusual binaries etc...
  3. if none of those is present, I do not usually even open the system map
  4. I do not map terraformable planets now (I used to but not anymore, except for ELW and except for really high value systems - more like 4 or five terraformables)
  5. I do not read description of the bodies, unless Observatory alarms me of something unusual
  6. I do not look around much, unless there is something really interesting seen right after entering the system, or when some planet looks really interesting during FSS
  7. when I find Bio signals, i rarely go and check all the sites, as it is usually all the same
  8. I am looking for nice places to take pictures, but only as a side effect of landing on a body with Bio signals or otherwise interesting body
  9. I usually make around 20 - 30 jumps per hour
For the reasons above, i do not really consider myself a true explorer... More like traveler...

How about you guys? Are you true explorers? What do you do when you explore the systems?

EDIT: Typos and one correction.
 
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Hawk of Battle

Hawk of Battle
Jump in, position for scooping/FSS.
Scan all bodies, open system map, do a quick check down the left side for terraformables/bio signs. If any gas giants with moons are present, switch to orrery view and then zoom to each to check for inner moons or close orbiting bodies or places that might be good vantage points for screenshots of multiple bodies, like several ringed GGs.
If any of that interesting stuff is there, plot course to the nearest one for a quick mapping/screenshots, and use orrery to figure out the quickest route if there are multiple targets.

I find I rarely find bio signs or nsps, but if there are any I'll go and check them out properly. If ELWs I'll get multiple screenshots for my album, and then bookmark for future reference.

For black holes I specifically check the mass to get an idea of the size, which can be a good indicator of any cool special warps that might make a good pic, especially if I'm in or near a nebula. If they're not that sizable, or if they're far from any interesting bodies, I just leave them.
 

CMDR SleepyDelegate

CMDR SleepyDelegate
Zieman said:
Drink!
But you're true enough explorer IMO.
No style is really "right" or "wrong". :)
Click to expand...

Yeah, it is subjective... :) IMHO, true explorer has a plan, spends months on a mission to find something unique, uses orrery to check orbits for possible collisions etc... I consider myself a space tourist/traveller... :) And there is nothing wrong with that... :)
 

CMDR SleepyDelegate

CMDR SleepyDelegate
GroG79 said:
Does your routine imply that you always fss the complete system (point .6)?

That part seems to be missing...
Click to expand...

Not always... Sometimes I do scan every system I jump to, sometimes I just want to get somewhere fast, so I only scan system with some valuable bodies and completely ignore systems with rocky/icy bodies...
 
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CMDR SleepyDelegate

CMDR SleepyDelegate
Hawk of Battle said:
Jump in, position for scooping/FSS.
Scan all bodies, open system map, do a quick check down the left side for terraformables/bio signs. If any gas giants with moons are present, switch to orrery view and then zoom to each to check for inner moons or close orbiting bodies or places that might be good vantage points for screenshots of multiple bodies, like several ringed GGs.
If any of that interesting stuff is there, plot course to the nearest one for a quick mapping/screenshots, and use orrery to figure out the quickest route if there are multiple targets.

I find I rarely find bio signs or nsps, but if there are any I'll go and check them out properly. If ELWs I'll get multiple screenshots for my album, and then bookmark for future reference.

For black holes I specifically check the mass to get an idea of the size, which can be a good indicator of any cool special warps that might make a good pic, especially if I'm in or near a nebula. If they're not that sizable, or if they're far from any interesting bodies, I just leave them.
Click to expand...

Your routine sounds more exlorer-like to me... You even have an album of ELWs and boomark them... :) But from what you described, I think you could use Elite Observatory, you would not have to zoom to orrery to check close orbits and inner moons etc...
 
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goemon

goemon
most of my exploration is done while travelling somewhere. for exampel i visited all real galaxy hypergiants in game, and explored on the way.

so my routine looks currently as that:
1. pick a destination
2. look up notable real galaxy and edsm pois on the way.
3. look up other rare loactions, mainly codex,on the way.
4. throw in DSSA carriers.
5. build a route, go there.
6. honk each system and check FSS.
7. my FSSing is down to what i'm currently interested - for some time a FSSed all rocky ice worlds for exampel.
 

Nordmarken

Nordmarken
My current big goal is to find a ringed elw with an elw moon. However, since that most likely never will happen, I've set up different part goals as well. As visit each galactic region (done), find an undiscovered elw in each region (done). At the moment I jump around near the core exploring black holes and wd:s in search for good photo ops.Probably will try to confirm all codex entries one day also.

Edit: And for the actual routines...

1. If unexplored, scan everything. If partially explored, usually scan the rest. No matter what the system is.
2. If elw:s, map them.
3. Check if there are any potential photo ops.
4. Sometimes check if there are interesting mountain ranges, valleys or similiar.
5. Depending on where fc is, sometimes scan icy rings for potential tritium sources.
 
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MaultierColt308

M
As I'm actually in the near-core regions (actually on a Codex Completion Round for the Norma Arm), it's actually the following:

1. Pick a target. Mostly random stars, but also nearby nebulae, etc.
2. Jump, scan every system (I do the honk while scooping and positioning for the next jump) with FSS
3. Check the system map for terraformables, trojans etc.
4. Map Terrestrials, Terraformables, planets with Bios/sometimey Geos (when I want to or they're missing in the Codex)
5. Check the surrounding area on the galmap for "exotics" (Giants, Black Holes, mass code G/H systems, etc.)
6. sometimes take a break and land to check out the view, Geos/Bios, etc.
 

CMDR SleepyDelegate

CMDR SleepyDelegate
Nordmarken said:
My current big goal is to find a ringed elw with an elw moon. However, since that most likely never will happen, I've set up different part goals as well. As visit each galactic region (done), find an undiscovered elw in each region (done). At the moment I jump around near the core exploring black holes and wd:s in search for good photo ops.Probably will try to confirm all codex entries one day also.

Edit: And for the actual routines...

1. If unexplored, scan everything. If partially explored, usually scan the rest. No matter what the system is.
2. If elw:s, map them.
3. Check if there are any potential photo ops.
4. Sometimes check if there are interesting mountain ranges, valleys or similiar.
5. Depending on where fc is, sometimes scan icy rings for potential tritium sources.
Click to expand...

Good idea to scan icy rings for Tritium sources... (y)
 

CMDR SleepyDelegate

CMDR SleepyDelegate
Pat Healy said:
-Jump, jump, jump, jump
-Get 1700ly from bubble (my current max)
-Eyeballs bleed from boredom
-Back to bubble
-Moar pewpew
Click to expand...

Yeah, I guess to each their own... When I'm in the bubble doing pewpew, I very soon start to feel the urge to go out and explore... It feels like I'm missing out on something... Like if there is something out there waiting for me to be discovered... Guess you have it the other way around... :)
 

Pat Healy

P
CMDR SleepyDelegate said:
Yeah, I guess to each their own... When I'm in the bubble doing pewpew, I very soon start to feel the urge to go out and explore... It feels like I'm missing out on something... Like if there is something out there waiting for me to be discovered... Guess you have it the other way around... :)
Click to expand...

I want to like it so much.… but my hatred for jumping and scooping crippled my exploration career before it began. Still, I’ve seen a lot of cool stuff within 1700ly.
 

Deleted member 38366

D
My Routine :

  • make a plan (Exploration Objectives and Target Area)
  • prepare and move the Carrier into Position
  • start working the Objective in the Target Area, if running bored or if looking broadly uninteresting concerning my Objectives... relocate Carrier
  • locate Tritium and common Mining locations and occasionally drop in there to replace consumed Tritium with Mining proceeds
  • permanently be on watch for Distress Signals (Discord) and perform SAR Missions when situation permits
  • collect and document Earth-like Worlds for marx' list
  • keep a Logbook (Text/Image) to track and document progress on a Discord Channel (FCOC), a part of that goes into an INARA Logbook entry ~1x per month just for kicks
  • I typically don't map anything anymore, unless it's an ELW or Biologicals - or if I'm simply in the mood to do so (i.e. Terraformable Water Worlds or Ammonia Worlds)
  • occasionally check Metallic/Icy Rings for Multi-Hotspots (i.e. Platinum/Tritium)
  • I always fully scan every single System ever since the FSS was implemented
  • I always feed all data into EDSM
  • I sometimes survey Neutrons specifically to assist improving the usable Database for the Spansh Neutron Plotter
  • in the unlikely event that I find something shiny that isn't already clearly tagged, I make detours accordingly
  • I occasionally do SAR Flights over Planet Surfaces to see if a POI and some Salvage pops up
 

CMDR SleepyDelegate

CMDR SleepyDelegate
Pat Healy said:
I want to like it so much.… but my hatred for jumping and scooping crippled my exploration career before it began. Still, I’ve seen a lot of cool stuff within 1700ly.
Click to expand...

Yeah, two months ago,, when I started my recent exploration/traveller trip, I was jumping through explored systems until I was aprox. 3000ly away or so and it felt really boring and at that point I started worrying, that others have already explored the Galaxy to the point, that there is nothing left... But that was silly thought... :) It was just a coincidence and the unexplored system began afterwards...

Then I got to the edge of the Galaxy and started circumnavigating the border regions of the Galaxy and that was also boring, as again, the borders of the Galaxy are explored to the point, where you jump into explored system 90% of the time...

So I went a bit closer to the core and I'm back in the bonanza of unexplored systems...
 

CMDR SleepyDelegate

CMDR SleepyDelegate
FalconFly said:
My Routine :

  • make a plan (Exploration Objectives and Target Area)
  • prepare and move the Carrier into Position
  • start working the Objective in the Target Area, if running bored or if looking broadly uninteresting concerning my Objectives... relocate Carrier
  • locate Tritium and common Mining locations and occasionally drop in there to replace consumed Tritium with Mining proceeds
  • permanently be on watch for Distress Signals (Discord) and perform SAR Missions when situation permits
  • collect and document Earth-like Worlds for marx' list
  • keep a Logbook (Text/Image) to track and document progress on a Discord Channel (FCOC), a part of that goes into an INARA Logbook entry ~1x per month just for kicks
  • I typically don't map anything anymore, unless it's an ELW or Biologicals - or if I'm simply in the mood to do so (i.e. Terraformable Water Worlds or Ammonia Worlds)
  • occasionally check Metallic/Icy Rings for Multi-Hotspots (i.e. Platinum/Tritium)
  • I always fully scan every single System ever since the FSS was implemented
  • I always feed all data into EDSM
  • I sometimes survey Neutrons specifically to assist improving the usable Database for the Spansh Neutron Plotter
  • in the unlikely event that I find something shiny that isn't already clearly tagged, I make detours accordingly
  • I occasionally do SAR Flights over Planet Surfaces to see if a POI and some Salvage pops up
Click to expand...

That is probably the most systematic way of exploring so far... A true explorer...

Some questions:
  1. SAR missions - that makes sense in the bubble I guess, or do you get to perform SAR missions even in deep space?
  2. what do you mean by "Survey neutrons" - are there any specific steps you do when entering Neutron star systems?
  3. what do you mean by SAR flights over surface? Is there a chance of finding something on the planet surface, aside from what you see in FSS? Do POIs pop up only when you fly over planet surface?
  4. what do you do when you find Tritium hotspot? Do you report it somewhere?
(y)
 

Deleted member 38366

D
CMDR SleepyDelegate said:
That is probably the most systematic way of exploring so far... A true explorer...

Some questions:
  1. SAR missions - that makes sense in the bubble I guess, or do you get to perform SAR missions even in deep space?
  2. what do you mean by "Survey neutrons" - are there any specific steps you do when entering Neutron star systems?
  3. what do you mean by SAR flights over surface? Is there a chance of finding something on the planet surface, aside from what you see in FSS? Do POIs pop up only when you fly over planet surface?
  4. what do you do when you find Tritium hotspot? Do you report it somewhere?
(y)
Click to expand...

  • those aren't Missions i.e. from a Mission Board. Those are actual Distress Calls relayed (Discord or Fuel Rats) by other Players - to which I can respond with my Carrier. To this date, my Rescue count sits at 4 (1x Carrier that ran out of Fuel, 2x stranded Explorers rescued from being stranded in ultra remote Systems and 1x a Group of stranded Miners)
  • Surveying Neutrons merely means adding more yet-unreported Neutron Systems to EDSM/EDDB - which will then feed the Spansh Neutron Plotter and can be used by others. It's a bit of a public service to the Exploration Community one could say.
  • to make SAR Flights, merely fly >1.5km Altitude (but below 25km) with Scanner set to max. Range and check for POIs appearing. Although much slower, the SRV can also pick them up. Since they spawn based on pure RNG with a distance factor to them (distance to nearest inhabited Systems), they just become increasingly rare to spawn far out in Deep Space. Quite often, a few Occupied Escape Pods are amongst the Salvage.
  • normal Tritium Hotspots I merely denote locally for own Carrier resupply, since they're not rare. Good or very good Double Hotspots however I do document and report to the IMU (Intergalactic Mining Union) which operate a public Database. The Tritium location markers on ED Astrometrics for example feeds of that and can display them after being reported and confirmed by the IMU.
1612093647826.png

(my most recent SAR Mission occurred on 26th to 27th Jan: stranded Explorer (left side) in the Egress System after being rescued from the Systua Auscs AA-A g10 System; my Carrier did a 15000LY dash and it took a bit over 24h from initial response to reach that fellow Explorer)

1612093906789.png

(one of the Tritium Overlaps I reported to the IMU in the Coests Sector - now visible on ED Astrometrics for public use)
 
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