Why do people ‘explore’?
- Thread starter Total_dogus
- Start date
They didn't reset the exploration data and from what I can tell, no discoveries went away. They just added another tag which is first mapped. The first discovered are all still there.
I think this probably echoes my view. I certainly would never criticise how anyone plays the game - different strokes for different folks. I just don’t see it as exploration, or what I understand exploration to be. It feels to me like flying around aimlessly looking at repeated orbs with the odd mild variation. Hence why I wanted to know if there was anything genuinely unique or interesting (fully appreciate that’s subjective) if one was to do it. In fact, the responses from those trying to advocate exploration are actually more illuminating to me and leave me more convinced it’s not something I’m interested in doing. To reiterate - not intended as a criticism in any respect, it just seems what they enjoy is not something I would enjoy. Which is fine, we’d be a rather boring species if we were all mild variations of repeated organic masses (see what I did there?)
No clue.
The only thing you can shoot, is planets, with probes, and the planet doesn't even explode.
Pointless.
Because they all suffer from Type II Daves Syndrome:
They know that they have to go somewhere far away otherwise they unleash chaos on the unwary in the bubble...
They know that they have to go somewhere far away otherwise they unleash chaos on the unwary in the bubble...
Sometimes I go off exploring for a change of pace to the Game. It is usually more peaceful (unless you get fuel scooping wrong!!), and quite often the scenery is beautiful. There are places where no other Player has been (and having your Gamer Tag attached to an ELW is a nice buzz). There are also potential puzzles. I will be heading out into the Black again soon, as there appear to be a large group of stars (that are not visible from the Bubble) that look like (if I can find the right place) they may be a clue to a puzzle.
When I bought the game exploration was the main reason (by a long distance). A huge replica of the milky way, some attempt at a realistic depiction of space and celestial bodies - count me in. I always dreamed of a great space exploration game, where I could go out into the deep and see what's out there.
To be honest, on paper exploration potential is what makes this game stand out from the others. The rest is pretty much more of the same, sell/buy, upgrade ships, pewpewpew-pewpewpew, nothing to see here.
Unfortunately, aside from looking at pretty things, there is barely anything to do, and very few things to see. The last update brought a couple of new things to do, but those things are awful, so it ended up being a downgrade to something that was already barebones. Going out into the void is still the most atmospheric experience in the game, but unfortunately a very bland one. Nothing ever happens, the intended gameplay is beyond boring, and there is like a dozen different things to discover in the entire galaxy, and even the procedural generation is very lackluster.
And it's a damn shame. No current or past game ever had so much potential for exploration as this one. But in the end, aside from looking at some pretty things, there is just nothing there. Atmospheric planets would at least expand that pool of pretty things to look at.
To be honest, on paper exploration potential is what makes this game stand out from the others. The rest is pretty much more of the same, sell/buy, upgrade ships, pewpewpew-pewpewpew, nothing to see here.
Unfortunately, aside from looking at pretty things, there is barely anything to do, and very few things to see. The last update brought a couple of new things to do, but those things are awful, so it ended up being a downgrade to something that was already barebones. Going out into the void is still the most atmospheric experience in the game, but unfortunately a very bland one. Nothing ever happens, the intended gameplay is beyond boring, and there is like a dozen different things to discover in the entire galaxy, and even the procedural generation is very lackluster.
And it's a damn shame. No current or past game ever had so much potential for exploration as this one. But in the end, aside from looking at some pretty things, there is just nothing there. Atmospheric planets would at least expand that pool of pretty things to look at.
How was it for you?
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Spinach pancakes!
Yep, you understand exploration in Elite exactly. Most Elite explorers are doing just that: searching for the variations in the procedurally generated Milky Way. Some are searching for interesting surface POI's, some hunt Earth like worlds, some look for interesting orbital patterns, many hunt green gas giants, and so on.
Personally I love searching for unique beautiful places which no one has ever seen before. I don't care how it pays, I don't care if I'm doing it slowly, I just love the hunting aspect of it. I'll climb a huge mountain in the SRV just for the fun of it, sure I could just fly up there but that isn't the point.
I do get bored of Elite exploring from time to time and I wish the Stellar Forge provided more variation for us to explore. That is one thing which No Man's Sky does better than Elite, it uses procedural generation to provide a LOT more variety. Yes it's less realistic but it's still a better pure exploration game. NMS isn't a sim though and it sucks at ship piloting. I'd love a cross between Elite and NMS, or a new galaxy in Elite where they really opened up the procedural parameters to create some truely crazy things to see and explore.
It's certainly not for everyone, but for the people who love exploration it can be the best thing Elite has to offer and not many other games do anything like it.
I think mostly the first discovered tags and the pretty pictures to be honest.
There is always the tiny faint hope you might find something new or, if not that, find an interesting combination of stuff. Unlikely though.
Also a certain amount of 'because I could'. I flew out to Beagle Point with Distant Worlds 2, that took a certain amount of commitment but didn't really achieve much in game - I still think it was a worthwhile thing to do though and good to do as part of a large expedition. Also got lots of pictures and discovery tags....
Personally, I explore for the same reasons I run and lift weights IRL, I like to set a goal for myself and then see if I can meet it.
My last big trip was to beagle point and back. I set the restriction on myself that for at least the trip out to BP, I would fully scan EVERY system I jumped into. It took me a good chunk of the summer but i made it out. then the return trip was very fast. I made ~ 3 billion off the data using the LYR bonus. I have also been to the top of the galactic disk, and out to Colonia many times (I would move there, but i like to fight goids).
For me it is about covering a vast distance, as well as seeing all the neat systems along the way. Granted, most of them are not that cool, but when you are the first one to find a system with a neutron star and ELW, it feels really cool. Like I am helping humanity chart future homes, and ensuring the longevity.
Well, that's one approach.
I'm hoping that the planetary upgrade will happen with the new era. Better ice planets, better rock scatter system and hopefully just better planets in general.
I explore because it's there mostly and it's pretty relaxing getting there, where ever there is. Also I like finding things others may not have found, being the first to go rock climbing up a mountain in the SRV or finding that one starset that rivals everything before. I hit a patch of ringed ammonia giants with ammonia based life last night and I always scan their rings and moons for that chance of bio's or NSP's of some kind. When you find something that only a handful of others have seen too and it goes in the Codex, as an explorer that means a lot IMO. Last night the planet I ended up calling home for a few days has geos with a lot of premium pew pew ingredients, some jumponium stuff as well. Best part was I settled in a deep valley that is icy and smooth where you can open the SRV up for km's at a time. Fun stuff but that is why I am carrying two with me this trip 
My first long trip was out around the Formidine Rift. Mostly because of the Drew Wager novels about Lady Kahina. I did sightseeing around places from the books and discovered about 500mil worth of fresh systems plus so much more. Found and mapped my first ELW and parked on it's moon and took screens similar to what the Apollo 11 crew took, it was very surreal being so far away from the bubble and Sol. I like to think there is the exact same scene out there in our real galaxy.
I just disembarked yesterday for my first trip to SagA via the Orion-Cygnus arm. At some point cross The Festival Grounds and end up around Kashyapa pr Colonia and say hi to that crew and turn in some data. It's fun to prepare like any other trip in RL except you are travelling across the galaxy and not a country. I spent time in the bubble working on combat and PP stuff but the itch would not go away. I brought all my fleet to home base, worked on some engineering and tied up loose ends while prepping my alt to take over backing my faction while I am gone because I'm not sure when if Biff will be back. (Its sounds really lovely in Carcosa this time of year). I'm almost to Medusa's Rock for a quick stopover and gear check then I'm off into the black again.
So I guess in the end you either want to or don't, it's really up to the individual.
Hereis a handy tool if you're not in a hurry too.
Fly dangerous CMDRs o7
My first long trip was out around the Formidine Rift. Mostly because of the Drew Wager novels about Lady Kahina. I did sightseeing around places from the books and discovered about 500mil worth of fresh systems plus so much more. Found and mapped my first ELW and parked on it's moon and took screens similar to what the Apollo 11 crew took, it was very surreal being so far away from the bubble and Sol. I like to think there is the exact same scene out there in our real galaxy.
I just disembarked yesterday for my first trip to SagA via the Orion-Cygnus arm. At some point cross The Festival Grounds and end up around Kashyapa pr Colonia and say hi to that crew and turn in some data. It's fun to prepare like any other trip in RL except you are travelling across the galaxy and not a country. I spent time in the bubble working on combat and PP stuff but the itch would not go away. I brought all my fleet to home base, worked on some engineering and tied up loose ends while prepping my alt to take over backing my faction while I am gone because I'm not sure when if Biff will be back. (Its sounds really lovely in Carcosa this time of year
). I'm almost to Medusa's Rock for a quick stopover and gear check then I'm off into the black again.So I guess in the end you either want to or don't, it's really up to the individual.
Hereis a handy tool if you're not in a hurry too.
Fly dangerous CMDRs o7
Nicely done, Commander. First reference to Jerry Pournelle I have seen in the forums.