[1.0.6.3] Exploration Overview / Badges Off -> Bug or Intended?

[rxnnxs]

So I describe it short:

Badges Off, Exploration on:

BadgesOffExploreButOn1a.jpg (203.42 KiB) Viewed 1005 times

Badges On, Explorsation On:

BadgesOnExploreButOn.jpg (171.63 KiB) Viewed 1006 times

SOLVED [1.0.5.1] -> Back again -> [1.0.6.3]

[rxnnxs]

And unfortunately, the exploration status is somehow false.
Please look into this thread for it:

• [https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/view ... 6&t=387225]
  1.0.6.3 Exploration Status wrong
  [/url]

[Thineboot]

There are now 4 "different" Location Badges.

Location Badges: OFF

image_2022-08-11_130129954.png (7.48 MiB) Viewed 919 times

Location Badges: Basic

image_2022-08-11_130234614.png (7.64 MiB) Viewed 919 times

Location Badges: Extended

image_2022-08-11_130331187.png (7.63 MiB) Viewed 919 times

Location Badges: Detailed

image_2022-08-11_130351673.png (7.64 MiB) Viewed 919 times

3 and 4 don't look any different to me.

[rxnnxs]

yes, and it looks like in my game.
first picture from you is with OFF, and the exploration for some system ist 1 or 2, this is not even possible, is it?
Anyway, this is not making sense to me.

[Thineboot]

yes, and it looks like in my game.
first picture from you is with OFF, and the exploration for some system ist 1 or 2, this is not even possible, is it?
Anyway, this is not making sense to me.

[1.0.6.4] and it is "possible", when you're using the average of all bodies combined by said 1s and 2s.

Let's take a closer look at the (2) of Garus Minor system in the upper right:

image_2022-08-12_223606603.png (623.42 KiB) Viewed 883 times

image_2022-08-12_223621963.png (101.55 KiB) Viewed 883 times

image_2022-08-12_223744355.png (1.69 MiB) Viewed 883 times

To me it makes no sense to calculate it that way either.
While this example is harmless it becomes more and more painful when you research better components.

There is still no difference between no more exploration possible using researched tech and more exploration possible using researched tech, both are shown as yellow blobs/numbers.
But when you know that you can explore up to 25% and a yellow 6 is shown you'll assume that there is more to do right now... turns out, unless you check each single body you can't be sure. And since Explorers often skip some bodies, especially in large Asteroid fields, this becomes a night mare in the dark, deep space...

So it's not a bug and probably intended, but certainly not well thought out.


QOL: instead of showing just green and yellow disks add a third color indicating you've reached the maximum exploration level your tech is capable of at the moment, but there is still more to explore in the future.

QOL: Green numbers are green, nobody rally cares whether it's 2 or 255, it's green for Shakturis sake.
A yellow number indicates that you have still work to do. When a yellow 15 is based on a green 5 and a yellow 25 (maximum exploration at that time), it's just misleading information. You, the player, can't do anything about it at the moment. An automated explorer doesn't care, it "knows" this. A human player on the other hand, the one all these visualizations are made for, is just mislead by this.
So again, either use a third color and stick to your average numbers or show the least explored number instead.

[rxnnxs]

Thank you for going into detail. But it really in no way makes sense.
I have to go into detail and watch some vids that explain it to me

So there are still some bugs..
The scanning time is still not reset but starts from where it has left, even if it was another object.
For asteroids it is faster than for planets. if you stop on a planet your survey at 90 secs, and you go ont to an asteroid, it there starts at 90 secs, even if it would start normally at 5 secs.

I report this into the 1.6.0.4 thread

[Thineboot]

Unfortunately you've edited your post heavily. I was going to answer your questions, but now I only see your original post in the other window.

Exploration Ships don't put people in those probes, at least I hope so, otherwise they'd need a constant flow of clones, which are expendable. The probes, and, of course, the clones, too

I still struggle with the use of the words exploration and survey in DW2. For me being not a native speaker they are not used in the way I'd use them. But than again, I'm not a native speaker...

You start with peopled "Survey Scanners". Each "Survey" takes up "Survey Time". The first "Survey" is good for an "Exploration level", see planet, of "Survey Amount" while any follow-up "Survey" increases this number by "1" up to an "Exploration level" of "Survey Maximum Level".

"Exploration Scanners" work similar. Each "Exploration" takes up "Exploration Time". "Exploration" is good for an "Exploration level" of "Exploration Power", and that's it. You can't add further "Exploration". "Exploration" also works on distance, see "Exploration Range", which speeds up exploring asteroid belts significantly.

"Exploration" is fast but limited. "Survey" takes longer but reveals more.

The wording just feels wrong, it's more confusing than enlightening. "Exploration" and "Survey" are used to describe the components in a way that... anyway, I'd just repeat myself again

I hope I was helpful and didn't cause more harm to your understanding

Manual, page 35

image_2022-08-14_145051005.png (515.39 KiB) Viewed 848 times

As for the "Exploration level", this value can go up to 255, or 0xFF, it's just a byte and it's limit are its bits
Any resource, facility, and bonus has its own "Discovery Level" which is just another term for "Exploration level".
Once a planet's "Exploration level" is equal or higher than the highest "Discovery Level" it houses, the "Exploration level" turns green. Population, stations, and bases will raise the "Exploration level" up to 255 over time. They all have nasty little buggers that can't stop looking for new things even when the game knows that there are no more hidden things to find - until the demigod with their mouse decides otherwise Or a game event creates a new opportunity in which case a higher "Exploration level" may become useful.
Use the Game Editor to dig into it.

[rxnnxs]

Yes thank you.
Well, I edited it heavily because it was nto a bug, but something that has to be intensly found out via videos, explanations or with the Galactic Editor.
So I also used the editor to find out how it works an such..
Yes, I also have much problems with explore and survey.. but what the heck.. the exploration goes fast, the survey takes time. also, the exploration PROBE has a radius and therfore more than one object can be explored instantly.
If you want to go more into detail, you have to survey, and therefore the ship has to go closer to the object.

What still can be done, is, survey a green object to the exploration, ahem, survey LEVEL, that the survey module allows, ie 45, depending on the tech level.
if there is nothing to find, it is for instance green at 20. You can by hand survey it up to 45. It takes longer and longer..

I like the galaxy editor.
And when using it, the exploration level is instanbtly at 255.
So, this explains almos all and there can things be tested quite easily.
and so i found out that the survey time is not restarted, but counts down from the time, that the ship stopped at. even when it was another object..

Thanks and apoligies for editing my post.
I thought no one is that fast in reading - because there are not many people reading and writing anyway. But some of those few are very very quick

[Thineboot]

[...]
What still can be done, is, survey a green object to the exploration, ahem, survey LEVEL, that the survey module allows, ie 45, depending on the tech level.
if there is nothing to find, it is for instance green at 20. You can by hand survey it up to 45. It takes longer and longer..
[...]

As I've said, unless you can predict a future game event that will result in a new element like a factory with a "Discovery Level" exceeding the actual "Exploration level", there is no need for any additional "Survey".
All "Survey" orders take the "Survey Time" of the used "Survey Scanners". It may feel longer and longer as each one only adds "1" per "Survey" beyond the "Survey Amount", but "Survey Time" will become shorter with every new "Survey Scanners" tech.

[...]
and so i found out that the survey time is not restarted, but counts down from the time, that the ship stopped at. even when it was another object..
[...]

Yes, I missed to add this... I'm getting older, with each second

[...]
Thanks and apoligies for editing my post.
I thought no one is that fast in reading - because there are not many people reading and writing anyway. But some of those few are very very quick

Just wanted to make sure the casual reader won't take me as a lecturer by answering not asked questions