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Author Topic: Wreckage scanning missions should pay much less than planet surveys  (Read 1396 times)

goduranus

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The payout of both of them seem to be based on distance, and both seem to give the same payout if distance from the core is the same. But for planet surveys you have to invest much more to get heavy equipment, crew, and therefore ships, while for wreckage scanning mission you only need one ship to do it. So it would make sense if wreckage scan missions paid less.

TJJ

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Re: Wreckage scanning missions should pay much less than planet surveys
« Reply #1 on: December 01, 2018, 05:16:50 AM »

You don't need to hunt for planets.

Hunting for wrecks incurs a significant resource cost (volatiles to run the scanner, supplies to maintain your fleet & recover any lost CR from having to enter coronas etc)
Moreover there's a very real possibility of failure, especially where the wreck is on the outskirts of a large, busy nebula system.

On the other hand the resource cost for surveying planets is negligible once you're running a proper survey fleet.

Tbh I fully expect planetary surveying mechanics to change, so it seems rather pointless to consider the current monetary rewards as anything more than placeholder.
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goduranus

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Re: Wreckage scanning missions should pay much less than planet surveys
« Reply #2 on: December 01, 2018, 05:26:53 AM »

Almost every scanning mission can be accomplished with a fleet consisting of 1x tanker frigate, since the mission tells you where the wreckage will be most of the time. For survey missions you need 1x tanker frigate plus at least one more ship.

DatonKallandor

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Re: Wreckage scanning missions should pay much less than planet surveys
« Reply #3 on: December 03, 2018, 04:03:17 AM »

The dangerous part is travelling far outside the core sector for both, so payment should be similar and based on that. And it is.
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goduranus

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Re: Wreckage scanning missions should pay much less than planet surveys
« Reply #4 on: December 03, 2018, 04:06:57 AM »

But it's not dangerous at all in a frigate tanker.

Megas

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Re: Wreckage scanning missions should pay much less than planet surveys
« Reply #5 on: December 03, 2018, 05:48:18 AM »

But it's not dangerous at all in a frigate tanker.
What makes it good is they are fast and cheap to operate.  If you get caught, you will reload and be back a minute later.  If you find a juicy target, you will bring a fleet later.

The problem is time, which the only one may be bounties outleveling you if they scale based on time.

I have no problem with solo frigate exploring (although solo Dram is somewhat silly).  It was the only way to make money when bounties out-leveled your fleet (and you could not catch up) back in late 0.8.
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