Is Exploring the Unknown worth it? :: Elite Dangerous General Discussions

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Vagabond

Dec 3, 2015 @ 9:22am

Is Exploring the Unknown worth it?

One last question today, is it worth being an Explorer? I've only made 4k at it and was wondering if it is worth doing. Thanks.

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Showing 1-15 of 18 comments

Badger

Dec 3, 2015 @ 9:23am

Definitely not the most profitable profession.

LegacyXI

Dec 3, 2015 @ 9:23am

Only if you enjoy it!

Vagabond

Dec 3, 2015 @ 9:23am

gotcha

The Muppet Surgery Special has Elite Dangerous

Dec 3, 2015 @ 9:24am

What do you explore? Warp to in range of a planet, scan.. sell cartography?

Mu77ley

Dec 3, 2015 @ 9:26am

Originally posted by scottvdken:
Definitely not the most profitable profession.

That may be improving with Horizons judging by today's Dev Update: https://community.elitedangerous.com/node/349

Ofan

Dec 3, 2015 @ 9:27am

It depends how long you can get into it, I've just found a neutron star field about 15k light years out, totally untouched by other players, if I spend a week in here ( as I'm off work) scanning by the time I get back I can probably be elite or close to it exploration rank, which is around 160 million cash reward.

That's not a bad return, even if I bail early and come back with 70-80 million for a week or so's work that ain't bad.

Last edited by Ofan; Dec 3, 2015 @ 9:35am

Badger

Dec 3, 2015 @ 9:28am

Originally posted by Mu77ley:
Originally posted by scottvdken:
Definitely not the most profitable profession.

That may be improving with Horizons judging by today's Dev Update: https://community.elitedangerous.com/node/349

Nice, there ya go OP :)

I might head off into the great unknown myself, depending on how much they increase the payouts.

Ofan

Dec 3, 2015 @ 9:29am

Originally posted by scottvdken:
Originally posted by Mu77ley:

That may be improving with Horizons judging by today's Dev Update: https://community.elitedangerous.com/node/349

Nice, there ya go OP :)

I might head off into the great unknown myself, depending on how much they increase the payouts.

That's just given me a good reason to stay out till they increase the rewards lol

SMRFKILR - rhbmobile has Elite Dangerous

Dec 3, 2015 @ 9:33am

Exploration is not all about the credits. The critics of it seem to always point out that it isn't profitable, it depends on how you look at it and what you are trying to get out of the game. I am currently on my third journey, my first two were pretty short 300 systems and 600 systems. I went over 700 systems scanned last night, started this trek in early November and don't plan on coming back until late January/early February if my ship holds up. When I get back I have no idea how many systems I will have scanned. I've found around a dozen Earthlikes, and lots and lots of terraformable planets. I've seen things and planets that are pretty cool and some of the nebulas are amazing. Right now I am amazed at the different views I am getting of Barnard's Loop. It looks pretty different from 5000 ly away.

The Muppet Surgery Special has Elite Dangerous

Dec 3, 2015 @ 9:36am

Originally posted by rhbmobile:
Exploration is not all about the credits. The critics of it seem to always point out that it isn't profitable, it depends on how you look at it and what you are trying to get out of the game. I am currently on my third journey, my first two were pretty short 300 systems and 600 systems. I went over 700 systems scanned last night, started this trek in early November and don't plan on coming back until late January/early February if my ship holds up. When I get back I have no idea how many systems I will have scanned. I've found around a dozen Earthlikes, and lots and lots of terraformable planets. I've seen things and planets that are pretty cool and some of the nebulas are amazing. Right now I am amazed at the different views I am getting of Barnard's Loop. It looks pretty different from 5000 ly away.

You lost me at "Exploration is not all about the credits".

#10

SMRFKILR - rhbmobile has Elite Dangerous

Dec 3, 2015 @ 9:38am

Originally posted by The Muppet Surgery Special:
Originally posted by rhbmobile:
You lost me at "Exploration is not all about the credits".

Then its probably good that you didn't pose the original question.

Last edited by SMRFKILR - rhbmobile; Dec 3, 2015 @ 9:41am

#11

Vagabond

Dec 3, 2015 @ 9:38am

sounds like I'll try to do it full time after I make some cash to outfit a good ship

#12

Ofan

Dec 3, 2015 @ 9:38am

Although I like the views and the views, and did I mention the views, I do it for the money, and getting name tags on stuff.

#13

sasquatc4

Dec 3, 2015 @ 9:45am

It can be worth it even on short-ish jumps. I traveled ~100-150ly to get to a more high-tec system. Just using my basic discovery on my cobra I netted 40k by scanning each time I dropped to a star and then taking off again. So 40k for doing something I was going to do anyway

You get a much better scanner and that return is much higher. Also if you hit up more unknown systems you of course find much more stuff. Even with a basic scanner you can hit 10-20 unknown items and that single scan is worth 3-5k

Last edited by sasquatc4; Dec 3, 2015 @ 9:47am

#14