Various people have reported problems and frustration with exploration ships, especially when it comes to asteroids. There were a few improvements.
However, especially early slow explorers are following strange algorithms when it comes to survey.
As you can see, this particular was sent to survey a gas giant (1) manually. And when this task was finished, I've started at the very next asteroid (2) until it reached (5). At this point I thought give Fully Automate a chance, surveying three asteroid rings at the same time, that's too much. So instead following the human way and proceeding eastward (Auto 7), it choose to cross over the already surveyed asteroids (2-5) toward (Auto 6). Well, (Auto 6) is closer to (5) than (Auto 7), so it made sense. Now you'd expect it would continue to survey the nearest body that can be surveyed, right? Wrong, (Auto 7) was it's next target. Hmm, maybe it saw it earlier and decided to go after it? But (Auto 7) is farer away from (5) than the ignored asteroid right next to (Auto 6) is away from (5). So what's the algorithm looking for? And after (Auto 7) it again ignores the nearby asteroid...
Meanwhile another explorer has decided to stop surveying it's asteroid ring and instead was heading toward the sun.
So, whatever the algorithm is looking for, it doesn't make sense, really, it doesn't.
I like to suggest a simple algorithm, that looks for the nearest body, which can be surveyed (or explored, but that's the next step).
I assume each system can be accessed directly. So no need to scan the whole galaxy while an explorer is inside the system. I assume there is a defined radius and if not, well choose one.
Similar should be possible when it comes to a system within a system aka asteroid rings and moons and asteroid fields. They all have a defined orbital around the sun or planet, and asteroid fields have, at least I believe I've always seen so, one named asteroid within any asteroid field.
Back to the simple algorithm.
- Start looking at those main bodies, sun and main body at any orbital within a system.
- Pick the nearest which can be surveyed by the ship.
- Continue within the sub-system targeting the nearest moon or asteroid.
- Go to the last processed point (3, 2, 1)
Within systems ship have to check your fuel before heading toward the next body. But that's standard procedure, doesn't affect a simple algorithm.
No need for a sophisticated algorithm to find the best possible, most fuel preserving route which obviously would have to take every other (nearby) explorer into account, not to forget the friendly empires sharing their findings or an upcoming spy result revealing unknown bodies that could be skipped when successful.
Just a simple, short algorithm instead of zigzagging explorers wasting Caslon another galaxy could life of
And besides players spending less hours at shrinks and hair stylists, it would help those AI empires to become a bit more competitive, too
