How to create exploration.

[VandelayIndustries]

IMO even as a pvper, the implementation of the DSAT was terrible.  And since you can get asteroids in the safe zone, and they respawn on saturday, as shown there really isnt any need to "defend" them.  Especially if i can just scan and claim T3-T5 tiles in the safe zone and automine.  What this game needs is a legit long range radar scanner.  People often say "oh well space is big"  yes space IN REAL LIFE IS BIG.  But im not playing IRL, im playing a game, and an MMO.  The reason for that is to promote player interactions.  If we had a radar that could "ping" even just 10 su, on a timer, you could actually create real exploration. 

 

Think about this, if your radar has a 1-3min timer to use, and a cooldown, to balance, then once its done it gives you POI of anything that was scanned within 10su (asteroids, npc wrecks, other player ships, anything new added later) but doesnt tell you what it is, and only a general waypoint area to go, now you can go explore find out what it is, onec you get closer than 2su and its in radar range.  This is great for even finding asteroids, you could be 120 su from some outer planet like jago, and found a exotic asteroid.  No one knows you are there.  Unless they already found it, or someone gets within 10su and pings it.  So someone could show up within 10min, or 10hours, or never.  This would lead people to actively go explore more, because even people trying to avoid people, could have real chances to be on an asteroid for hours with no one knowing.  This is good for pvpers because more people would take the risk to explore. and 10 su is a decent balance of not too far, but enough for people to reliably find SOMETHING in an hours gametime.  Right now the current implementation of the wrecks is atrocias (albeit with the best intentions).  But people want to log in and have a chance to actually find content.  People literally spent 3+ hours roamiing aimlessly looking for the wrecks, and find nothing.  How is that engaging? How can I promote that to my friends to come play DU with me?   Conversely, if I say tell my buddies who dont play DU "Yea man, we spent an hour and half and went and explored, and found 1 wreck, and 3 asteroids, which we bookmarked and mined one, and plan to sell the coords to a friend for some % of their take"   During that hour + we actually accomplished something. Not only that but we are out in space, ACTIVELY flying around, scanning, having fun, and could be a possible target, or could be looking for targets ourselves, needing to keep watch of our own scanners and radar. 

 

To me that sounds infinitely better, and like a real game, and something I can look forward to logging in, and accomplishing something with some risk, but also some good rewards, and some fun exploration because you dont know what you will find, or how good the asteroid you find will be.  Maybe its a shiitty basic? Maybe its an exotic with over 100kl of T5.  The fun is in the mystery and the reliable act of knowing that if i spend an hour or so, I will at least find SOMETHING.  Please Please consider these gameplay mechanics and loops NQ.  We as players want to promote the game to our friends but how can I promote "ya i flew around for 4 hours and found nothing but empty space". 

Edited February 11, 2022 by VandelayIndustries

[VandelayIndustries]

 - The scanner that you use can have a base range of 1000km (5su)

- The timer to complete the scan with no skills is 10minutes (think similar to how Territory Scanner works.

 

 

 

With these skills, you would have a base of 5 su with no skills, but train these up and it would increase to 10 su range total.   You could then also have your base timer of 10min be reduced to 5 minutes with a couple set of skills.  Make these trains decently long for a good specialization.   You could have handling skills also, but I kind of like just having operational skills.  But the actual distance and time obviously can be adjusted based on balance, but i do think 5minutes and 10 su is a reasonable starting point, where a single person can explore, but also not so over powered for larger groups.    I like the idea of the scanner only showing general pings too, its up to you to "fly to that area" to see what that radar ping could be.  

 

That could tho also lead to another skill where there is some percent chance it tells you if it is a wreck, ship thats not cored, or asteroid, etc. but thats kinda either way.  if you wanna maximize scanning with a group, they would need to be 20su apart, so the reality is, its not so overpowered for even larger groups, because anyone knows in the pvp meta, if a fight breaks out, 20su can be too far sometimes to save someone, and maybe not everyone has max skills.  So there is LOTS of room for ACTIVE gameplay, and reasons to fly out in space in random directions, and EXPLORE.  And this being a game and we all have finite time, have a reasonable expectation to find something in a timely manner.

 

@NQ-Deckard @NQ-Nyzaltar

 

Edited February 11, 2022 by VandelayIndustries