Disappearing Explorers

[chic.aeon]

I have had this happen a few times and thought that it was just that a meteor had destroyed the explorer (I did find wreckage once and reclaimed but this isn't a question about that). BUT I today again I had an explorer disappear (not unpinned by accident). It lost the 100 research point in the list and as far as the game was concerned there WAS no explorer. It was also on a very small plateau so easy to look for manually.

This was on a challenge game that had no dangers. There was really no reason that I can see that it disappeared. It didn't make all that much difference in the game but I am wondering why this might happen and how I can guard against this.

I have had cases of this both with mods and in just the base game (no DLCs). Eventually one really wants to know what the deal is -- at least "I" do.

Thanks a bunch.

The challenges are really fun once you play the base game so long. They aren't too hard but I haven't come close to "perfect" on any so far. Sort of in the middle. But an interesting way to look at things. Much different than a regular game where you need to keep thinking about the future and such :D.

[Redlegoguy1]

The only thing I personally know of that can teleport explorers if if they're required for a planetary anomaly expedition. The rocket doesn't actually wait for certain payloads like rovers and drones to arrive, it just teleports them off the map once it's fueled and unloaded. It sounds like this probably wasn't that, but I thought I'd mention it just in case, since it's the only thing that comes to mind.

[SkiRich]

Entities in the game cannot just disappear on their own, even if flawed.
There must be a sequence of commands to remove the threads running them and then a sequence of commands to remove the barren asset.
Stuck, malfunctioned permanently, even ruined is possible, disappear is not, it must be purposeful.
So there was definitely something taking it or issuing the commands to do so.
There is an event if I recall right, that takes the explorer (more like sacrifices it), but you would know it did that. And there is what redlego above said. Assets are abducted for exploration rockets. They do typically return when the rocket comes back.

I would start by looking through your logs for any related errors in code that can give you a clue on whats happening if it wasnt an explorer rocket.

[chic.aeon]

OK. Neither of those things were happening (expedition or that rover instead of the colonists event -- events were actually turned off in this challenge. This whole game was only 11 sols or so. VERY little had happened.

For awhile I was getting the 100 points per sol for the explorer - I had researched that. Then a new anomaly came up and I went to look for the explorer (previously pinned with three other things so not a big search). It wasn't there. I thought I had unpinned it with a key combo maybe, but then I saw that I was only getting 100 research points. So that seemed pretty odd.

I did a scan of all the sectors (maybe 20 - a small plateau) and didn't find it. I certainly could have had another explorer dropped but by then I was about done with the challenge.

I have only gone on five expeditions in a total of 6 full games and these challenges. I had 30 sols at most to complete this challenge if I remember correctly. I did NOT go on an expedition to waste that time -- :D guaranteed.

So if there isn't something that will help with this issue since it wasn't supposed to (cannot) happen --- I will just work around it again "next time". :D

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IF "dangers" had been active I guess I could have somehow unpinned the explorer (have no clue how other than clicking purposefully but maybe there is another way) AND had the explorer malfunction. That would have taken it off of the 100 research points list. AND I could have missed it when looking for it.

BUT with no meteors or dust devils or the like I can't see what could have made it malfunction. Maybe they just "do" now and then. If that is the case then I guess there is no real way to avoid the problem.

If the Explorer had been sent on an away mission then it would have returned via rocket. I only had two rockets so I am sure I would have noted that -- even if I had completely forgotten I had sent it on a mission :D. So I guess it will remain a mystery.

Thanks for the input.

[SkiRich]

If its really bothering you then post that save someplace and send me a link.
I can take a peek inside the running code.
If its still there in some place just hidden I can find it.
If you've move on, then just skip it.
There is a very good chance it is just ruined and the husk is colored like the landscape and you cant notice it. Geisers can kill a rover instantly and dump a ton of dust on them.

[Jon_Smith]

Originally posted by SkiRich:

Entities in the game cannot just disappear on their own, even if flawed.
There must be a sequence of commands to remove the threads running them and then a sequence of commands to remove the barren asset.
Stuck, malfunctioned permanently, even ruined is possible, disappear is not, it must be purposeful.
So there was definitely something taking it or issuing the commands to do so.
There is an event if I recall right, that takes the explorer (more like sacrifices it), but you would know it did that. And there is what redlego above said. Assets are abducted for exploration rockets. They do typically return when the rocket comes back.

I would start by looking through your logs for any related errors in code that can give you a clue on whats happening if it wasnt an explorer rocket.

I believe there is now a bug in the game SkiRich causing them to disappear. There was another topic maybe 2 months ago saying the same thing and I drew the same conclusions as you, however about a month ago an RC Rover literally disappeared as I was sending to a new location. I had the side panel open and was looking at in on my screen. It just popped out of existence and the side panel closed.

There was definitely no rocket or event that would have caused it to disappear (it was moving anyway, so a rocket couldn't pick it up).

I didn't keep the save, I just took the L and moved on, but there is definitely something odd that can happen it seems since a few people have now experienced it, myself included, and hopefully you can take it on faith that I understand the game mechanics well enough to know all the usual suspects and how to try and find a missing object.

[SkiRich]

Hmm, I'm gonna need a save game from just before that happens and then right after.
I havent seen this at all.